Future of personal computers

I was just thinking how strange our times are. Everything is so rapidly changing and what seems only logical to happen next feels like an absurdity of our imagination. For example … computers.

We have gotten used to having a computer next to us to work on, but it often is a mere illusion: even at the moment of writing, many people work on remote computers.

If it is already happening, what am I thinking of? Simply the extend to which this can dominate personal computing.

As someone that has gone far and wide (unfortunately) numerous times to create his ideal working environment, I am deeply intrigued by the potential effect that the high QoS in modern networking may have in personal (and professional) computing. Make something once, and always work on it: No more searching for files between computers. No more, having a cloud service to sync your files between different computers. No more setting your applications up on each one. No more, no more.

Going back to a mainframe model, one may opt to always connect to a specific machine (it does not even need to be physical - obviously), from all of their devices. There are some technical difficulties and lots of security challenges, but undoubtedly, we’re heading that way.

Just like NVIDIA, and other companies I may not be aware of, tried with gaming: to have a base-level device streaming high quality content through the Internet, allowing the users to overcome the limitations of their handheld device, this can happen one a much larger scale.

After all, this could be revolutionizing, slashing the need to have many highly capable devices, but replacing those with (barely functional - compared to the high end ones I suppose) ones that only serve as the monitor and the other peripherals.

However, obviously danger is around the corner (“μηδέν καλόν αμιγές κακού”).

Table 1: Some advantages and disadvantages to the mainframe model

Advantages	Disadvantages
Easier to maintain	More difficult to set up
All files at one place	Inherently more challenging to secure
Only one machine needs to be upgraded every now and then - peripherals may remain	Mainframe requires more computing power
	Prone to subscription model (and all that it entails)

This last disadvantage, the dystopic thought that made me think of this mainframe model, is from my point of view, rather crucial. Especially since everything around us seems to be moving at the speed of light towards a subscription based / own-nothing model.

Although the advantages are by no means insignificant, it is vital that the subscription model does not eliminate traditional computing. I can only imagine the freedom of speech, privacy, availability, financial and so on concerns of having to depend on a (not-always-trusty) third party to host your computer.

I may develop on the inherent dangers of the domination of the subscription based model to the world. The lack of regulation and talk around it is troubling.

To personal computing

Just stick around cause we will miss you