Windows 7 W7 to be the last ever Stand alone OS from Microsoft ?

[jimbo45]

Hi everybody
Just pushing this out to speculation - but with the advent of Windows Live and the "Always On" Internet connections do people think that the days of installing a Stand alone OS on a Client computer (i.e yours) will soon be over.

The New OS'es will be Internet based -- all the bootup process will need to do is to start a browser to connect to say Microsoft Windows Live and then you run all your applications and software. Licensing, piracy etc etc would be much easier to solve. It could also be a new Income Stream for Microsoft - that hideous "License by seat" method looks set to become the norm in future years.

Of course there are still a lot of problems to address before this type of OS can be implemented -- 3rd party applications and drivers for one -- but these could still be loaded from a local hard disk if the new Browser OS had proper API's defined.

Running a browser from a minimal OS exists already BTW. Some ASUS motherboards (in fact the one I'm using ( P5QL-CM) can connect straight to the ASUS site from the BIOS to retrieve drivers etc -- doesn't even need to boot an OS first so the base technique is already there.

I'm sure this could save literally Zillions of dollars in development / maintenance costs as everybody would essentially be using the same OS every time they booted up.

The old legacy OS would only exist where you couldn't get an Internet connection and could only run legacy type apps.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[wpurcell]

Is this "Cloud" computing? Sounds rather Orwellian to me ("Borg"ish?) But maybe I'm just paraniod! Perhaps the Gnu/Linux share will increase should this develop further?

 

[Athlonite]

We are the Microsoft you will be Assimalated HAHA not when linux is around and free

 

[Techticles.com]

I don't think that going to happen in the next twenty years or so. Remember there are 1.1 billion computers that run Microsoft operating system and it would take an insurmountable effort to erase the client OS and convert everything to the cloud.

 

[davehc]

I think Gartner and the BBC have been active talking about this. You are probably discussing "Midori"?. I would see it as an alternative, for the next two major OS releases. As Microsoft have, at length, revealed their plans for "Windows 8", it is obviously not about to dump the Hard disk based OS.

 

[patrickt]

And computers not connected to the internet will....?

 

[whoosh]

I don't think that going to happen in the next twenty years or so. Remember there are 1.1 billion computers that run Microsoft operating system and it would take an insurmountable effort to erase the client OS and convert everything to the cloud.

Very true about the cloud dont see that happening anytime soon

 

[Radenight]

I have to agree with the majority here.. I seriously doubt Windows 7 will be the last standalone OS from Microsoft.. I mean really, think about it guys... there may be alot of people going that way now (cloud and so on) but there's also MORE people that aren't and Microsoft knows this.. so the solution? Cater to everyone instead of just the elite... That being said, sure it will eventually happen.. but not for quite some time in my opinion..

 

[davehc]

In any case, purely from my own viewpoint. Whilst hacking and virus's increase, and methods of blocking them seem to be less effectual, I am not about to use any internet based OS.

 

[jimbo45]

In any case, purely from my own viewpoint. Whilst hacking and virus's increase, and methods of blocking them seem to be less effectual, I am not about to use any internet based OS.

Hi Dave -- probably not for a while yet -- but just think about it say in a Large corporate environment where the OS was actually based on the Company's INTRANET site rather than loaded on to 3,000 or more individual PC's throughout the organisation.

Maintenance would be a breeze -- hardware not normally a problem as organisations tend to buy PC's etc by the truckload -- usually all similar or identical hardware. Licensing issues would also be fairly simple - just based on the number of users at any one time etc.

It would be almost impossible to run "Illegal" or unauthorised software in this type of environment and Internet access could be handled with much better control.

Whilst "Cloud computing" as it's been called might be some way off for individual users I can definitely see adavantages for larger businesses. Apart from anything else it would certainly cut down HUGELY on the amount of maintenance calls that have to be dealt with at the users physical PC - reducing costs again for the business. A service guy wouldn't need to travel to the relevant building armed with CD's or whatever to re-install a slew of applications and maybe the OS itself if a computer needs fixing. (He'd need the CD's just in case the offending computer couldn't boot to access the Network").

Blackberry users are probably the neares we have to "Cloud computing" in practice. Couple one of these with Windows Live and you've almost got a start of where this stuff could go.

Old diehards like me will still prefer Disc based OS'es but the newer generation having grown up with "Nearly always on " Mobile communications devices - will find that it's not such a leap to extend this "always on" concept to computers either.

Actually this idea was mooted a LONG time ago - first when client PC's were just beginning to replace "Dumb Terminals" (any IBM mainframe users might remember the old 3270 type terminals on MVS systems).

Does the phrase "Diskless Workstations" or "Thin Client" mean anything to you.
Of course we've come much further now and local storage is a necessary requirement still - but the "core concept" of a "Remote OS" was at the base of these expressions even if the time wasn't right all those years ago.


Cheers
jimbo

 

[davehc]

I have been using diskless workstations for some years, if I could lossely call it that. My children ( all left home now!) all had there own computers, as does my wife. We were all connected via a Lan. All the working software was on my computer only, heavily protected. Anything they did in their spare time (Ahem) was done, well clear from my computer!!

 

[Camride]

Citrix has a setup very similar to what you're talking about it. Citrix's Xen Desktop allows the client OS to be housed on the server and streamed to the client over LAN or WAN. Since the client image resides on the server it's very easy to manage. You make it so that clients only save data on network shares, or you can allow them to save to their "desktop" and the server will create a differential file for each user with their personal files and settings. Or you can lock it down so that when they end their session nothing is saved and the next time they connect they get a "clean" image. It's a really cool technology and I see alot of big enterprises going this way if they haven't already. I can't remember off the top of my head how it handles drivers and such, but I know it can be run on pretty much any hardware (laptop, desktop, thin client, etc). It's a nice step over running standard thin clients as from my experience with them they still had to have an OS loaded (usually XP Embedded).

Here's a link if you want to read up on it: Citrix Systems » Citrix XenDesktop Desktop Virtualization (VDI) Virtual Desktop Management

I don't, however, see this being used for home environments anytime soon. Our nations network infrastructure will need to be much better than it is now to allow for this kind of technology everywhere. It's one thing when you're on a LAN and have Gig or 10 Gig local pipes, but home internet connections aren't strong enough (nor dedicated) to handle that kind of streaming. If we could get our network infrastructure on fiber it'd be a whole different story.

 

[davehc]

"Hardware junkie on a budget"
LOL I had to chuckle at that! You and me both!!

If I had to answer one of those TV like questions "what is your most frustrating experience", the answer would be - "I love new toys but cannot afford any"

 

[Camride]

"Hardware junkie on a budget"
LOL I had to chuckle at that! You and me both!!

If I had to answer one of those TV like questions "what is your most frustrating experience", the answer would be - "I love new toys but cannot afford any"

My problem is technically I can afford it, but the wife would kill me if I went out and bought a bunch of new computer parts. We're saving for a house which means I have to sacrifice toys.

 

[sailaab]

Base station calling Starship.... beam me up Scoty!!

Old diehards like me will still prefer Disc based OS'es but the newer generation having grown up with \"Nearly always on \" Mobile communications devices - will find that it's not such a leap to extend this \"always on\" concept to computers either.

@jimbo- so basically its us old versus evolution..

frankly.. in a country like ours (India).. where telecom companies still [ [FONT=&quot]try to][/FONT] rip off.. providing us "hi speed" 256kbps "broadband" and the commoners still believing that having even 3G etcetera are elitist... we just do not have to bother about the BIG corporation leaving us handicapped with cloud computing ..errr.. and non torrent, non piratable/ hackable software/ hardware!!
(i think i invented a new word here piratable)

in fact the last I remember.. in school we had these dummy boxes with a keyboard and a mouse.. with most of the things on the server.. but then too ..yes the OS and processing etcetera happened locally i think..

but a lot of things sweden 40gb/s - Google Search happening at different places should take us closer to a StarTrekish life sooner than we "oldies" predict

 

[whoosh]

Case against Cloud not my words

Makes a very good case or reason not to go the cloud way


Guest Post: A case against the cloud - TechFlash: Seattle's Technology News Source

 

[tourettes]

What if your internet is down? What if you don't pay for internet?

 

[whoosh]

Good Point

What if your internet is down? What if you don't pay for internet?

Yes There is that

 

[sailaab]

What if your internet is down? What if you don't pay for internet?

Yes There is that

well this even applies to our heavily email/ other on line app dependent lifestyle

but then in the "ideal" scenario and with evolution.. these things might be less of a problem is my prophecy [halo over my head]

but I think with companies deploying them over their private networks.. things like VMware ESX [errr.. i mean vSphere] would be neck to neck with the old fashioned way of having a box full of hardware and software at each "workstation"
they are already getting support from people who matter (FastScale to Support VMware vSphereâ„¢ | Open Source Magazine) or eventually would.

VMware announce the new VMware 4 named vSphere | Anchor Web Hosting Blog
FastScale to Support VMware vSphereâ„¢ | Open Source Magazine
» vSphere 4, the New Cloud OS from VMware


God Bless and Keep Happy
~sailaab~

In the internal IT world, if the corporate email server or production web site goes down, you can bet an email from some director or VP is asking for specifics – a full report on what happened, why it happened, what’s the damage, and what’s going to happen to prevent it the next time.

Matts' article there (link posted by Woosh above) had me nodding and smiling..

'cause thats true..

Though i am one of those 30plusers.. i am nor for or against.. more like on the fence.

but a hunch within says.. that just because "it may fail/ fail temporarily" doesn't stop us humans from venturing into things.. right from Thomas Alva Edison , David E Hughes (poor guy invented radio waves.. but Marconi gets credit.. we from India counter claim JC Bose as inventor) to mavericks like Richard Branson who want us to take a holiday in space.. or clould computing for that matter.. would succeed in due time.

(although non starters like Concorde's have shown that how assumed broad based acceptance sometimes never happens)

@admin- if this post is too off topic or sounds like a sermon.. please delete/ modify

God Bless and Keep Happy
~sailaab~

 

[jimbo45]

Always on - is nearly here already.

When was the last time your Mobile Phone network wasn't working.
I'll bet there are people out there who didn't even realize Mobile phones actually have a POWER OFF switch.

Even a cloud OS will have some "Local" apps - but the revenue stream is to charge for CONTENT.

After W7 and Microsoft office where will MS's income stream come from. MS office is great but it's now fully matured -- not much future growth there - and unlike W7 which IS a huge improvement on older MS OS'es the new Office 10 looks like a "Vista" experience all over again. It's bland and HORRIBLE looking.

It screwed up on providing Music / Film content.

Stuck doggedly to the now universally despised and largely discredited DRM models - encouraging Piracy since people wanted to play their own LEGALLY PURCHASED MUSIC whenever and wherever they wanted - not just on the device / computer they downloaded it on to.

Invented useless proprietary codecs unlike enabling people to use better open source one's like OGG and FLAC - still possible to play these in Windows -- but a REAL REAL effort --unless you use a 3rd party app. .

It took AGES and AGES (till IE8 to be precise) before the browser was a serious competitor to any of the others.

The XBOX was a great idea - not just for "Gamers -- I confess myself as ZERO interest in these - but of course big big business and very popular) but as a Multimedia Streaming device -- but MS hobbled this so much it is a pain to get it to work -- but it does and it's fine --- you missed a big one there MS.

Windows Media Center - great idea but also Hobbled -- No provision for "Composite Video" unless you've got the stupid remote -- immediately then no good for your Video camera's, SKY TV boxes etc etc, and won't handle multiple tuner cards.

So of course the "Cloud Idea" is a last ditch mechanism for them to charge say for number of emails sent, size of spreadsheet saved etc etc.

You wait and see how long it is before there's a "Charge Feature" section of Windows Live for "No ads" or "Pro" versions of applications you want to use.

Cheers
jimbo