The OOPS Challenge
I've gone on record predicting that a perfect storm is coming that will make Linux a viable alternative to PC consumers worldwide. The conditions that will produce this storm will make the operating system interface irrelevant and drive it nearly as far in the background as the BIOS. These conditions are the following:
1. Universal broadband Internet access, affordable by everyone with superb reliability and performance
2. Robust, full-featured browser-based applications in all categories that make the operating system GUI irrelevant
3. The evolution of the file system into a browser-based, search-based, location-independent paradigm, where local and online storage distinctions move to the background
I call this the Optional Operating system Perfect Storm, or OOPS.
So, I asked myself, how close are we to #2? How close are we to replacing the need for the Windows desktop? What would happen if I stopped using Windows applications and only used browser-based applications? This has been a very revealing exercise, and I will share my personal results in the near future. Now, though, I invite you to join the experiment that I call the OOPS Challenge.
The OOPS challenge is to replace as many Windows applications as possible with browser-based applications. Here are the rules:
1. OS utilities (applications that are used only for the care and feeding of the operating system) do not count. This includes things like disk cleanup, defragmentation and backup utilities; virus, spyware and malware blockers and scanners; and software firewalls.
2. It is OK if the application uses an ActiveX control or plug-in, so long as the only user interface is the browser.
The ultimate OOPSer would not click on a Windows desktop or taskbar icon or use the start menu for anything but launching the browser, exiting Windows and running OS utilities. How close to this can you come?
So come on, take the OOPS Challenge. Then share your comments with us or send an email with the subject OOPS Challenge to philbookman@hotmail.com.
Copyright © 2006 Philip Bookman
Technorati: Windows versus Linux Microsoft OOPS webtop software strategy open source
1. Universal broadband Internet access, affordable by everyone with superb reliability and performance
2. Robust, full-featured browser-based applications in all categories that make the operating system GUI irrelevant
3. The evolution of the file system into a browser-based, search-based, location-independent paradigm, where local and online storage distinctions move to the background
I call this the Optional Operating system Perfect Storm, or OOPS.
So, I asked myself, how close are we to #2? How close are we to replacing the need for the Windows desktop? What would happen if I stopped using Windows applications and only used browser-based applications? This has been a very revealing exercise, and I will share my personal results in the near future. Now, though, I invite you to join the experiment that I call the OOPS Challenge.
The OOPS challenge is to replace as many Windows applications as possible with browser-based applications. Here are the rules:
1. OS utilities (applications that are used only for the care and feeding of the operating system) do not count. This includes things like disk cleanup, defragmentation and backup utilities; virus, spyware and malware blockers and scanners; and software firewalls.
2. It is OK if the application uses an ActiveX control or plug-in, so long as the only user interface is the browser.
The ultimate OOPSer would not click on a Windows desktop or taskbar icon or use the start menu for anything but launching the browser, exiting Windows and running OS utilities. How close to this can you come?
So come on, take the OOPS Challenge. Then share your comments with us or send an email with the subject OOPS Challenge to philbookman@hotmail.com.
Copyright © 2006 Philip Bookman
Technorati: Windows versus Linux Microsoft OOPS webtop software strategy open source
Labels: software strategy
posted by Phil Bookman at 10:30 AM
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