Probably? There are already web-based applications to replace word processors and so on, and the software industry quite like the idea because it kills piracy. Well, those that aren't trying to sell a crappy OS with every computer anyway.
It used to be the case that many companies would just run a server (or servers) and give their users "dumb" clients, and there's been a bit of a move back to that structure lately.
My business also has a lot of dumb clients, but that's another story.
It'll happen eventually. The actual box at home will still be able to store certain things for you, but most of what you think of as 'your' PC will be stored remotely. You will also be able to log into any PC, anywhere, and it will instantly become 'your' PC with your desktop, data etc.
This is already the principal behind many, MANY privatized networks. I don't see why anyone would want to rely on their ISP for this type of service though. It would be much more ideal for certain companies to supply the software from their own servers over the web to clients (Adobe Graphics Suite anyone?), maybe in a remote desktop style invironment or similar. But as much as I see people complain about their ISP, I certainly wouldn't want to see them in charge of all my apps, even if that is just games.
Well, it can already be done in a more small scale, using a Multi-head Linux box throughout a household, having one PC in the basement, and having USB and VGA extention cords to monitors and keyboards all connected to the box in the basement, not difficult to do really, but unfeasable due to many things (such as how fast a VGA signal degrades without some thingie that I forget the name of that just renews the signal strength).
Indeed there has been a rather significant move back to thin client architecture which the industry had started moving away from in the 90s.
Common perception and entirely valid. However, consider that you could encrypt the data with your own public-private key set - would you then be interested again?
I doubt it'll "happen eventually". The hosted/managed remote desktop market is there, but not many people go for it. As I see it in the various companies we've deployed thin client based networks users are very hostile to not having that "big box under the table". There appears to be a perceived connection that somehow a "proper" system unit gives them more power on the terminal servers they're connecting to. Utter bollocks as all they're being used for, effectively, is a gateway or window to whats going on at the other end.
The issue with hosted applications being published (in a citrix, or RDP6 [windows 2008 server shows examples of this in action] style) is that the bandwidth at both ends still isn't there all the time
You're better off with something like a JackPC and using VNC or FreeNX, or X over IP in this instance and instead of running multiple heads, running multiple sessions (i.e. a terminal server!).
like i said only if it was my box preferably equiped with a hdd controller that can encrypt in hardware and full controll over which data i have lying unencrypted in ram
if it was some box someone else has root on ... no
anand had an interesting article about ibm and hp pushing back onto the thin client market with a new 4mbit protocol to ensure 60 fps high res remote sessions for cad and the like
Interesting. Thanks for the answer there Shotglass, it'll come in handy for something I'm working on
Sounds interesting. There was a company recently teaming up with wyse (i believe) using similar technology. Perhaps its the same. I can't recall their product name exactly, but it was something-cube. I think.
Assuming it was the same product; it was interesting that it wasn't true terminal services, as they were advocating a very small, custom form-factor blade with each blade being an instance of an OS of your choice (XP or various Linuxs were "supported"). Shame really as that kinda put me off as you detract from the real purpose of moving the desktop back to the datacentre, and then you're locked into the proprietory form factor and transmission protocol (and the SoC it used/required)
as the title sayes, will our isp ever be able to both process our information(no cpu on client machine
) and send it to our monitor???
