Imagining a Cloud Hosted OS
Let's assume for example that the world wide network is giga- or even tera- bits fast and 100% reliable. Imagine the possibilities...
All devices are essentially the same: they have batteries, they have displays, they have the typical I/O features (touch, pen, keys, mic, speakers, etc.) and they can connect to the world wide network. In fact, that's basically what devices do when you turn them on: they connect you to the world wide network, like a TV picking up OTA broadcasts.
There is no device OS anymore, at least the kind of OSes we have on smartphones today. Once a device is turned on, the device automatically identifies you via iris scan and/or facial recognition and/or fingerprint. All devices are just as good as the identity of the user who starts a session with it. Devices can be set as highly personal/private (only the registered owner can use the device at all times), selectively shared (the owner can register additional users of the same device) or public (anyone can use the same device). If you pass authentication, it can validate your subscription to the world wide network and your "OS" is served to you from the cloud.
Every device is pretty much accessing remote sessions with the user's OS in the cloud. It would be smart enough to know what your device form factor is that it would start and/or return the appropriate session. This way, you don't need a specific OS for every device. There is only one OS: the cloud hosted OS. Depending on the size or type of device you are using, it will render the correct UI/UX for you, perhaps even launching the default app you associate with the device (as TV, as radio, as kiosk, as work PC, as tablet, as smartphone, as wristwatch, etc.).
Gone were the days when you would need to license the OS and apps per hardware unit. It's all subscription based. For as long as you have active subscriptions, you can access your OS and apps from any IoT appliance/device... even your car... or, perhaps even your house.
Storage media would be a thing of the past. Everything is stored online, including your apps. Just like your phone app, your phone camera is not an app on your device. Your device communicates with the app in the cloud, continuously sharing and synchronizing data almost in an instant. Everything would be a remote app: your messengers, audio/video recorder, your GPS navigator and your favorite health tracker.
In a nutshell, devices are thin clients. They act like interactive TVs. Batteries last longer because power needs are lower, predictable and more constant. There would be no need to make devices faster or more powerful every year. Devices can have the bare minimum and still work just as great as the fancier models. There would be less desire to upgrade every year. There would be less waste. There would be less pollution.
The future can have a true cloud hosted OS. It can be publicly hosted via cloud or network service providers. The hosting can also be cooperative, like when it's specific to work or school. For those who can afford it, they may privately host their own cloud OS. Energy and power are focused on the cloud hosts. Devices can be cheaper and simpler. The future can shape up real well, don't you think?
All devices are essentially the same: they have batteries, they have displays, they have the typical I/O features (touch, pen, keys, mic, speakers, etc.) and they can connect to the world wide network. In fact, that's basically what devices do when you turn them on: they connect you to the world wide network, like a TV picking up OTA broadcasts.
There is no device OS anymore, at least the kind of OSes we have on smartphones today. Once a device is turned on, the device automatically identifies you via iris scan and/or facial recognition and/or fingerprint. All devices are just as good as the identity of the user who starts a session with it. Devices can be set as highly personal/private (only the registered owner can use the device at all times), selectively shared (the owner can register additional users of the same device) or public (anyone can use the same device). If you pass authentication, it can validate your subscription to the world wide network and your "OS" is served to you from the cloud.
Every device is pretty much accessing remote sessions with the user's OS in the cloud. It would be smart enough to know what your device form factor is that it would start and/or return the appropriate session. This way, you don't need a specific OS for every device. There is only one OS: the cloud hosted OS. Depending on the size or type of device you are using, it will render the correct UI/UX for you, perhaps even launching the default app you associate with the device (as TV, as radio, as kiosk, as work PC, as tablet, as smartphone, as wristwatch, etc.).
Gone were the days when you would need to license the OS and apps per hardware unit. It's all subscription based. For as long as you have active subscriptions, you can access your OS and apps from any IoT appliance/device... even your car... or, perhaps even your house.
Storage media would be a thing of the past. Everything is stored online, including your apps. Just like your phone app, your phone camera is not an app on your device. Your device communicates with the app in the cloud, continuously sharing and synchronizing data almost in an instant. Everything would be a remote app: your messengers, audio/video recorder, your GPS navigator and your favorite health tracker.
In a nutshell, devices are thin clients. They act like interactive TVs. Batteries last longer because power needs are lower, predictable and more constant. There would be no need to make devices faster or more powerful every year. Devices can have the bare minimum and still work just as great as the fancier models. There would be less desire to upgrade every year. There would be less waste. There would be less pollution.
The future can have a true cloud hosted OS. It can be publicly hosted via cloud or network service providers. The hosting can also be cooperative, like when it's specific to work or school. For those who can afford it, they may privately host their own cloud OS. Energy and power are focused on the cloud hosts. Devices can be cheaper and simpler. The future can shape up real well, don't you think?
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