Brave New Online Applications
A long time back now – eons, in computer-development time – some of us talked about the possibility of running applications from a web location, rather than on our own desktops.
The advantages to this are obvious: you’d always be running the latest-and-greatest version (not to say, the Beta version); it would always be functioning properly (or better be!); you could access your work from any computer (the idea of “mobile” computing would be that YOU would be mobile, not your machine); the latest version of your project would always be accessible from one central location; others could access work-in-progress for collaborative efforts. Clearly, there are some benefits to this model.
The downside: if/when the host computer was down, you would be too (at an average 2% downtime, it might be annoying, but would rarely be devastating); and Security, Security, Security.
Oddly, at a time when the infrastructure (software, connection speeds and widespread accessibility) was not available, people would have loved the online application model to work. But at the same time these basic requirements were catching up technologically, security issues were on an equally rapid trajectory – and these days, anything to do with storing information online makes people nervous.
Some folks even balk at things like Google’s Desktop application, a service which indexes and searches all the data on your computer, enabling you to find lost documents with a quick search – or organize your all-over-the-place documents in a few easy steps.
But, though we fear and loathe the Big Brother aspect of single-location management of our computing experience, more and more of it has (no pun intended) wormed its way into our day to day practices – and more is on the way. Think about it – you don’t even get a copy of your OS when you purchase a new computer. In particular, Microsoft wants to “manage” your license of that software, making sure you don’t use “your” copy on any but the computer for which it was purchased.
More and more software companies are faced with the “argh” issue of software piracy: once I’ve got a copy of Company A’s software in my hands, it becomes very difficult for Company A to keep track of what I do with it – whether it ends up installed only on my computer, or on Aunt Edna’s and Cousin Fred’s as well.
Now, Google has entered the fray with a decidedly new model: how about we offer the basic office tools FREE? Right now, Google offers a calendaring application, webmail, an application Wiki, Page Creator (a web-publishing program), and Docs and Spreadsheets (just what it says), among others.
And it appears that Microsoft is also on a fast track to be your one-stop-provider for anything and everything under its umbrella “Windows Live.”
Windows Live is the collective brand name for a group of Microsoft services. The services are generally accessed via web browser, with the data required to run them stored on a remote server. Windows Live is the latest – and much more complicated – version of MSN.com.
So what’s included? Among much, much more:
Windows 2D Barcode – 2D barcodes that can be used to store information or link to the mobile web
Windows Live Book Search – similar to MSN Book Search, this service helps people find scanned and digitized, publicly available print materials
Windows Live Academic – search articles from academic and research journals
Windows Live Contacts – view your contacts via web browser
Windows Live Drive – a remotely hosted data storage serviced access via virtual hard drive
Windows Live Expo – online classified
Windows Live Gallery – add-on center for Live products
Windows Live Local – like Google Earth
Windows Live Mail – online mail with an “Outlook style” interface
Windows Live Messenger – Instant messaging
Windows Live.NET – internet-based application development center
Windows Live OneCare – Computer security service – anti-virus, back-up utility and software firewall
Windows Live Product Search – similar to Froogle
Windows Live QnA – a question and answer service
You get the picture… Microsoft may seldom be first, but once the corporation realizes that a trend has promise (both Google and Yahoo cut through the tall grass in this arena), it will also seldom be least in its offerings.
I, for one, use Google’s Homepage to keep track of my weather, top news stories, a daily calendar, my gmail activity, and other things like stock reports. How difficult would it be to transition my shared photo storage and organization, some spreadsheet applications (I am using Google’s recently acquired Blogger as my blogging tool already), and keep an eye on the price of an item I want to buy?
The real trick is getting you to actually go to this single location day after day. Webmail programs like gmail are no-brainers. We all check out email every day. Getting us to use a single stop – and use the provider’s preferred version of news feeds, or calendar applications or weather reporting, for example – is not always as easy. Most of us have our own little set of favorites. But convenience is a seductive mistress, so in all probability it’s only a matter of time.
And what’s in it for the Google’s and Windows Live folks? Other than ad opportunities, the real draw is knowledge. Your behavior (you multiplied times millions, times trillions of interactions) provides an unimaginable wealth of data about behavior - your behavior and mine (collectively known as Consumers) – that can be leveraged when making decisions about anything we think, say, do, or buy.
1984 was a brilliant book, but George Orwell had it wrong in one respect: Big Brother was a harsh fellow in that book – he gave away his evil intentions right from the beginning. The real Big Brother will sidle up to us disguised as something much more charming, innocent, and friendly. And something oh, so convenient.
A long time back now – eons, in computer-development time – some of us talked about the possibility of running applications from a web location, rather than on our own desktops.
The advantages to this are obvious: you’d always be running the latest-and-greatest version (not to say, the Beta version); it would always be functioning properly (or better be!); you could access your work from any computer (the idea of “mobile” computing would be that YOU would be mobile, not your machine); the latest version of your project would always be accessible from one central location; others could access work-in-progress for collaborative efforts. Clearly, there are some benefits to this model.
The downside: if/when the host computer was down, you would be too (at an average 2% downtime, it might be annoying, but would rarely be devastating); and Security, Security, Security.
Oddly, at a time when the infrastructure (software, connection speeds and widespread accessibility) was not available, people would have loved the online application model to work. But at the same time these basic requirements were catching up technologically, security issues were on an equally rapid trajectory – and these days, anything to do with storing information online makes people nervous.
Some folks even balk at things like Google’s Desktop application, a service which indexes and searches all the data on your computer, enabling you to find lost documents with a quick search – or organize your all-over-the-place documents in a few easy steps.
But, though we fear and loathe the Big Brother aspect of single-location management of our computing experience, more and more of it has (no pun intended) wormed its way into our day to day practices – and more is on the way. Think about it – you don’t even get a copy of your OS when you purchase a new computer. In particular, Microsoft wants to “manage” your license of that software, making sure you don’t use “your” copy on any but the computer for which it was purchased.
More and more software companies are faced with the “argh” issue of software piracy: once I’ve got a copy of Company A’s software in my hands, it becomes very difficult for Company A to keep track of what I do with it – whether it ends up installed only on my computer, or on Aunt Edna’s and Cousin Fred’s as well.
Now, Google has entered the fray with a decidedly new model: how about we offer the basic office tools FREE? Right now, Google offers a calendaring application, webmail, an application Wiki, Page Creator (a web-publishing program), and Docs and Spreadsheets (just what it says), among others.
And it appears that Microsoft is also on a fast track to be your one-stop-provider for anything and everything under its umbrella “Windows Live.”
Windows Live is the collective brand name for a group of Microsoft services. The services are generally accessed via web browser, with the data required to run them stored on a remote server. Windows Live is the latest – and much more complicated – version of MSN.com.
So what’s included? Among much, much more:
Windows 2D Barcode – 2D barcodes that can be used to store information or link to the mobile web
Windows Live Book Search – similar to MSN Book Search, this service helps people find scanned and digitized, publicly available print materials
Windows Live Academic – search articles from academic and research journals
Windows Live Contacts – view your contacts via web browser
Windows Live Drive – a remotely hosted data storage serviced access via virtual hard drive
Windows Live Expo – online classified
Windows Live Gallery – add-on center for Live products
Windows Live Local – like Google Earth
Windows Live Mail – online mail with an “Outlook style” interface
Windows Live Messenger – Instant messaging
Windows Live.NET – internet-based application development center
Windows Live OneCare – Computer security service – anti-virus, back-up utility and software firewall
Windows Live Product Search – similar to Froogle
Windows Live QnA – a question and answer service
You get the picture… Microsoft may seldom be first, but once the corporation realizes that a trend has promise (both Google and Yahoo cut through the tall grass in this arena), it will also seldom be least in its offerings.
I, for one, use Google’s Homepage to keep track of my weather, top news stories, a daily calendar, my gmail activity, and other things like stock reports. How difficult would it be to transition my shared photo storage and organization, some spreadsheet applications (I am using Google’s recently acquired Blogger as my blogging tool already), and keep an eye on the price of an item I want to buy?
The real trick is getting you to actually go to this single location day after day. Webmail programs like gmail are no-brainers. We all check out email every day. Getting us to use a single stop – and use the provider’s preferred version of news feeds, or calendar applications or weather reporting, for example – is not always as easy. Most of us have our own little set of favorites. But convenience is a seductive mistress, so in all probability it’s only a matter of time.
And what’s in it for the Google’s and Windows Live folks? Other than ad opportunities, the real draw is knowledge. Your behavior (you multiplied times millions, times trillions of interactions) provides an unimaginable wealth of data about behavior - your behavior and mine (collectively known as Consumers) – that can be leveraged when making decisions about anything we think, say, do, or buy.
1984 was a brilliant book, but George Orwell had it wrong in one respect: Big Brother was a harsh fellow in that book – he gave away his evil intentions right from the beginning. The real Big Brother will sidle up to us disguised as something much more charming, innocent, and friendly. And something oh, so convenient.
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