On Tue, 2007-07-24 at 11:57 -0700, Glenn Lagasse wrote: > * UNIX admin ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) wrote: > > > You need to seriously re-examine that "network is the > > > computer" chant, and how well it jives with the > > > world you've described... where you've robbed the > > > average person of their computing power -- and their > > > choice -- simply because they're not an expert with > > > the OS *at hand*. "The network is the video cable" > > > you mean, perhaps? > > > > Why are we still slaving to the notion that just because something is > > a server, it *must* be on the internet? > > > > Well, why must it be on the Internet? Can't we have a server that > > sits in a living room or in a closet or in the basement, which stores > > all our data on encrypted disks, centrally, secured by ZFS? Which > > contains all our applications, that enable us to manage our data, > > photos, movies, music, documents? Which provides applications in the > > forms of http:// URIs and enables us to do the exact same things we > > previously needed to install applications for on disparate systems? > > Why couldn't it stream all this data to several clients around the > > house at the same time? > > > > And why must we slave to the dogma of a beige-box PC with an "OS" and > > "a desktop" with a bunch of clicky-bunty icons - ancient stuff > > invented almost 30 years ago that no longer even *fits* the way we > > live and use computers? Why can't the desktop dogma be challenged? > > > > Why must we keep trying to fit square pegs into round holes, why, why, > > why? > > > > When and how are we going to move on, if challenging the computing > > dogma is *unthinkable*? > > When you can convince the rest of the planet that your way of thinking > is something worth pursuing. In all seriousness, good luck with that. > I personally don't see it coming to fruition in my lifetime. It's only > recently that Havoc Pennington over at RedHat has started talking about > "something" like this (online desktop).
You're right there, but one thing - look at the price of thin clients, they're just as expensive as a fat client running Windows! to the average user, until it drops to $100 or some insanely low price that off sets any possible 'autonomy' they lose when centralising - the there will be a move. But I don't see Sun offering a "server + Sun Ray" kit for the home anytime soon - as 'cool' as the idea may be to geeks around here. As cool as it would be to have a server, wireless network, and a Sunray in every kids room, the reality even if Sun were to offer something to that effect they just don't have the presence in the consumer market nor does it have the expertise to actually dedicate to turning what one would call an enterprise solution into a consumer product that works out of the box. > The trend in recent years is to make computers more accessible to users > (it's always been a goal for general-purpose OSes like Windows and > MacOS, it's being taken up by more UNIX and UNIX-like OSes). The > marketplace doesn't want to have to rely on someone with a phD to > administer/use UNIX and UNIX-like systems. Plus, if you want to win > marketshare away from Windows or MacOS then you have to compete on their > terms. You have to make things simple and "just work". Linux > distributions are doing this (and have been doing this). They are > (slowly) converting people who otherwise wouldn't have known what UNIX > or Linux was. OpenSolaris wants in on that action. Sun certainly does > (it's only to Sun's benefit to increase the OpenSolaris user base). In > order to do so, you have to make things more usable for the "non-geek" > user. > > Let's not exclude people/users just because they don't get a kick out of > typing in arcane commands to get things done. Making things "easier" > and more "usable" by non-traditional system administrators/users can > only benefit us in the long run. It will make things easier for the > traditional system administrator/user and thus free up their time to > hack on even more things. Granted there is a fine line to be drawn in > order to make things easier while not hamstringing seasoned > admins/users. But it should be doable. You're right there. The good thing with OpenSolaris is this - its structurally sound; I'd actually like to see Sun advocate the virtues of Solaris at the most basic of levels - stable driver API, world class compiler which stable a stable ABI (vs the moving target that is gcc C ++). Its just a matter of getting developers to realise the benefits then maybe they'll put down the Linux kool aide and realise that what they actually wanted, a low cost UNIX that is opensource, has arrived. Linux only ever gained momentum because none of the established vendors had a low cost UNIX available - heck, just look at SCO's pricing for their UNIXWare kit - talk about extortion, I'm surprise they don't sell a separate licence just to connect a network cable to the machine or a USB thumb drive. They key is for Sun to evangelise - the sad part is that its a company run by engineers - nice products but marketing extremely poorly. Matthew _______________________________________________ opensolaris-discuss mailing list opensolaris-discuss@opensolaris.org
