The transformation is one from product to service

The transformation is one from product to service. The platforms we used to purchase every few years—like operating systems—have become ongoing relationships with vendors, both for end users and software developers. I wrote about this impending shift, driven by a desire for better security and more convenience, in my 2008 book The Future of the Internet—and How to Stop It.

OS used to mean taking a bit of a plunge

Choosing an OS used to mean taking a bit of a plunge: since software was anchored to it, a choice of, say, Windows over Mac meant a long-term choice between different available software collections. Even if a software developer offered versions of its wares for each OS, switching from one OS to another typically meant having to buy that software all over again.

That was one reason we ended up with a single dominant OS for over two decades. People had Windows, which made software developers want to write for Windows, which made more people want to buy Windows, which made it moreover appealing to software developers, when all is said and done on. In the 1990s, both the U.S. and European governments went afterwards Microsoft in a legendary even so, today, easily forgettable antitrust battle. Their main complaint? That Microsoft had put a thumb on the scale in competition between its own Internet Explorer browser and its primary competitor, Netscape Navigator. Microsoft did this by telling PC makers that they had to ensure that Internet Explorer was ready and waiting on the user's Windows desktop when the user unpacked the computer and set it up, whether the PC makers wanted to or not. Netscape could however be prebundled with Windows, as far as Microsoft was concerned. Years of litigation and oceans of legal documents can in this way be boiled down into an essential original sin: an OS maker had unduly favored its own applications.

The iPhone came out in 2007

When the iPhone came out in 2007, its design was far more restrictive. No outside code at all was allowed on the phone; all the software on it was Apple's. What made this unremarkable—and unobjectionable—was that it was a phone, not a computer, and most competing phones were evenly locked down. We counted on computers to be open platforms—hard to think of them any other way—and understood phones as appliances, more akin to radios, TVs, and coffee machines.

Well said. I too have become alarmed over these trends. And we should be especially concerned about such restrictions in an age of corrupt government.Nevertheless, as a software developer, I am for the moment glad to see software taking everything into account have some reasonable monetary value via these app stores. It seems like end users had gotten far too used to "minor programs" being built-in or free.Far more worrisome to me, is the trend away from being able to choose an OS for one's hardware. As long as one can choose an OS at that time at least one can choose their app echo-system too. This phone/os lockin prevents real technology. We have already seen two mobile platforms die b/c of it: Meego and webOS. At this rate I fear we will be left with only two walled gardens to choose from.

For most users, yes, the article points are valid. But, like all those comments about companies 'losing' market share... you have to factor in the increased number of users. More users today are likely using Linux than were using Windows when Microsoft trashed Netscape. The number of people demanding freedom in their computing experience is increasing, even if those numbers are being drowned out by, so then, let's just say 'non-technical' people that are perfectly comfortable in an app-store.The people demanding freedom in their computing have already moved to OpenSource - the newbies are the ones paying for the privilege of being abused by corporations. We have so many choices now it's amazing... My Mini-Mac is running Linux, my desktop is running Linux, I'm typing this out on a laptop with a dead hd, booted to Linux via USB... who cares what Apple, Google, or Microsoft can gouge the newbies for? We don't need these corporations anymore; they're done as far as I'm concerned. We can make our own OS now; we can make our own software repositories. Even my Nokia internet tablet runs a flavour of Linux - I'd never buy a device I couldn't get Linux running on... and that's not particularly limiting my choices. Honestly, there are so many people using computers now, in short many of them are so ignorant, that I expect any flavour of ap-store to prosper. Not my problem; the OpenSource ecosystem is thriving.

Linux, Linux, Linux!!! Yeah freedom! Hooray for the new religion! It all sounds great. Wake me up when ordinary people can be as productive with Linux as they are in Windows and Mac OS. And no, I won't be your mom's help desk for Oneiric Ocelot.

This article reminds me about how the mini-computer supposedly killed off the main frame, and how the PC supposedly killed off the mini-computer. The cloud is a collection of internet-connected servers. The cloud concept has its beginnings with technologies like:1) YP and network operating systems like UNIX2) OpenVMS clusters3) Beowulf clusters ...nevertheless only computer nerds noticed.During I'm on my soap box: now I hear people say that tablets are already replacing PCs. During it is true that some people purchased a PC and didn't need all of the features, I shudder every time I hear of some school kid attempting to write an essay using the virtual keyboard on a tablet.

Apps are like toys. As such, their removal or manipulation is of little consequence. As long as people have access to their communication, financial and business type software just as Quicken, spreadsheets, etc. it matters little whether apps even exist. Apps...shmapps.

Email on a tablet?

Have you ever tried to enter an email on a tablet? It's excruciating. Try putting at the same time a sales presentation on your smart phone. Kids who do nothing nevertheless listen to music and bang out 120-character text messages might agree with you, yet for real work, it's not going to happen.

While I disagree with using the phrase "X is dead" for sensationalism, this article is or rather poignant and summarizes the dangers of the current app ecosystem quite then.The fact of the matter is that most techies probably already understand this, and the people that need to understand it are more concerned with following the trend than informing themselves and making responsible decisions. Apple is cool and trendy right now, and that trumps everything else in their eyes.It's as a matter of fact all part of the same culture of ignorance. Too many people seem perfectly willing to let corporations decide what they should like and how they should feel.

How about this being more a discussion of the rise of a 'Data-com Device' Appliance.The Majority of the people buying Dell PC's or Apple Laptops are for the most part, only ever going to use the thing as 1) a glorified typewriter 2) a standalone email reader 3) Web Content Viewer.For those three uses, that sleek laptop is just an Appliance like a toaster or a TV. The average Joe or Jane ONLY wants something that they 'Turn On & Use'. Dual Core? Quad Core? i5 or i7? Email and Shopping do not use even a quarter of a Single Core Celeron!And these same Plain Jane Users have thoroughly NO use for an arcane and hideously difficult Linux ecosystem when all they want to do is Turn it On and read their email.Let's face it. The population of Techies has remained stable: They demand a Personal Computer.It's the Population of Ordinary Users that has exploded: They only want an Appliance.It doesn't mean they're being misguided or stupid. It just doesn't matter to them. So long as they can reach their preferred content, they don't care. The Computing Device in front of them isn't a PC. . .it's just a useful 'Thing'.

What it's called

I don't care what it's called. As long as it has a large high res screen, keyboard and mouse, and the ability to store my data and programs onsite, I will be a satisfied customer. When I'm away from my desk, my laptop, tablet and phone are my preferred information appliances. Different settings -> different optimal form factors.If "software as a service" means I am going to be accosted daily by messages that "new updates are available", I won't be a happy customer.

We have two iOS apps running now. I think I read this fairly carefully, however missed seeing some issues. iOS is carefully controlled - what the app does is reviewed carefully, I can assure you from experience, yet that has meant that iOS apps are vetted and have a low percentage of malware, esp. compared to Android where reports claim a high percentage of malware.Developing Android apps has stymied us because there are so many OS versions running that require special software. Like when DEC had their own version of DOS. Discourages apps developers.Apps are much cheaper than software and if you buy a Apple app like Notes or Keynote for your iPad, you can install it on your MAC for free.And don't miss that the job of "App Developer" was rated as the highest potential for growth in the nearly future yesterday!

The cell-phone business

Nokia helped invent the cell-phone business, however those days of innovation glory are long gone. Its new CTO has the job of creating the technologies and designs that will help the Finnish company regain its status as an research leader.