From: Ad 

Geo. wrote:
> "John Beamish"  wrote in message
> news:op.ttkwbh0lm6tn4t{at}dellblack.phub.net.cable.rogers.com...
>
>>> The real observation:  MS as a desktop platform will continue to be the
> prime desktop throughout computing for decades to come.
>
> I think you are wrong. I think when you hit a certain level of
> invasiveness which microsoft has most certainly hit with vista and
> office 2007 and all this requiring online connections or the stuff shuts
> down, I think you reach a point where the public says enough is enough
> and from there on out the downhill slide does nothing but accelerate.
>
> Geo.

Not just that, but the world is changing. It's not 1989 any more.

What is "the desktop"?

Where will your "desktop"/home be ? On the machine you're
running? n the USB key in your pocket? ON the mobile phone in your pocket
& loaded via wireless USB/UWB?


etc.etc.etc.

i.e. MS OS'es dominated by

A) offering ease of use on a range of computer hardware (drivers etc) B)
did the whole pickie point & click on (A) C) as a result of (A) &
(B) offered the greatest range of applications.


(A) Is now behind Linux wrt older hardware wrt Vista. As the PRC & many
other large developing countries use linux more (let alone large gov depts
in developed countries) this will accelerate /is accelerating.

(B) Is now std from phones to other OS'es to set top boxes to.... etc.

(C) Is now folding as a result of changes to (A) & (B) & the growth
of web apps for esp large corp apps where going for web apps means vastly
lower maintenance costs.

e.g. all our corp apps are now web apps e.g. meeting room booking calendar,
mail etc. wrt mail etc the option are open i.e. you can use web mail or any
other stds based s/w i.e. smtp send, IMAP retrieve, ical etc.etc.

A huge chunk of the work a bunch of my former consultant colleagues are
doing now is "legacy client server app to web app" i.e. all those
old VB, delphi etc.etc.etc. apps are being moved not to VB.net or some
other local client tech (eclipse RCP, swing etc.) but to web app + ajax.

Adam

--- BBBS/NT v4.01 Flag-5