The Future of the personal computer
Posted: Sunday, September 20, 2009 by Sir Lancealot in Labels: computers, future, idea, original, proseThe internet is in limbo, still, and if i was more technologically savvy, I would be adamant about trying to help shape it; there's a lot of money in that. If I don't have the tools to help actually construct it, though, I can at least add my voice as a visionary to the development of it.
I've thought of what's missing. Currently, the internet is just another application to utilize on your computational device. But it should be--and we are rapidly going in this direction--a fundamental aspect of it. No computer should be disconnected from the web of computers. Increasingly applications are going online, and we have to upload everything to it. But as with p2p, the networking can and should be flexible to access without a general browser; the internet should be packaged into dynamic, accessible applications including word-processing, forums, games, discussion, newsfeeds--all which can be accessed separately and simultaneously, directly from the desktop.
Personally, I think Google's Android is poised to be the innovator to develop this more fully. They should be integrating that connectedness into their OS, such that facebook is a permanently open application on your computer, just like word or skype, which you can start chatting, videochatting, post feed or drag photos to at any time. No inputting the URL into your browser to enter and log in. Your profile is integrated into your desktop; you can drop links into your facebook bubble, your desktop background is your facebook background, your local albums are your public albums (unless you choose to keep it local). Comprende?
Facebook was what inspired the idea for me, but it works with other mainstream websites as well: youtube, google docs, stumbleupon, new york times. The browser will become archaic. if one needs to connect to a site for which there is not already a desktop experience, one can do a Google search directly from your desktop that opens a list of results. When we watch videos there will be a live stream of dialogue about it, when we post a note, link, photo, comment, or video it will be noted on our social program, and no longer will facebook be such a shallow interface for communication.
I know this is what will logically follow the current experience, but really I have two motives in posting this: 1_bragging rights that i posed it publicly before it happens, therefore guessing its development and being recognized for my true visionary capabilities, and 2_to open a dialogue as to what implications this has, what we lose in this environment, and where else one might see us going.