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I wonder how Apple will deal with this from a software perspective. Will developers be making "responsive apps" that appear one way on a phone/tablet but anothe

I wonder how Apple will deal with this from a software perspective. Will developers be making "responsive apps" that appear one way on a phone/tablet but another way on a computer? It would certainly make it a lot easier for new startups to gain traction if they only had to develop their app once.

TheOtherHobbes 12y ago
Apple and the other big names will deal with it by moving processing to the cloud, and selling processor cycles as a public utility accessed through relatively simple devices - like a Chromebook, only more so. This can't happen until there's much better access to bandwidth. But it is happening already - Siri is just the start - and it's going to continue. I'm expecting Windows 11 (12?) and Mac OS 11 to be cloud-based. I have no idea where this leaves Linux. (Possibly nowhere, except on servers and embedded devices?) There will probably be a legacy market for expensive high-end performance personal computing for the relatively few applications where it's essential to have a beefy processor on a desk next to you. But aside from games and maybe music/video editing, most domestic and office computing is already so light-weight that it can be cloudified without issues. Of course this also means your data will be cloudy too, and you'll be stuck inside a walled garden with very strong access controls for apps and content - so you probably won't be able to run any app you want. I suspect the big names will see this as a feature rather than a bug.
- 0x0 12y ago
  For as long as international data is not unlimited and free of charge and omnipresent, there will be a demand for offline computing. For example: Offline maps on a phone. Taking photos and videos. Taking notes on the go. Games. I don't see cloud based apps providing these services with the same fidelity that local apps do in at least another 20 years. The speed of light and the telecom industry won't change that fast.

TheOtherHobbes 12y ago

Apple and the other big names will deal with it by moving processing to the cloud, and selling processor cycles as a public utility accessed through relatively simple devices - like a Chromebook, only more so. This can't happen until there's much better access to bandwidth. But it is happening already - Siri is just the start - and it's going to continue. I'm expecting Windows 11 (12?) and Mac OS 11 to be cloud-based. I have no idea where this leaves Linux. (Possibly nowhere, except on servers and embedded devices?) There will probably be a legacy market for expensive high-end performance personal computing for the relatively few applications where it's essential to have a beefy processor on a desk next to you. But aside from games and maybe music/video editing, most domestic and office computing is already so light-weight that it can be cloudified without issues. Of course this also means your data will be cloudy too, and you'll be stuck inside a walled garden with very strong access controls for apps and content - so you probably won't be able to run any app you want. I suspect the big names will see this as a feature rather than a bug.

0x0 12y ago
For as long as international data is not unlimited and free of charge and omnipresent, there will be a demand for offline computing. For example: Offline maps on a phone. Taking photos and videos. Taking notes on the go. Games. I don't see cloud based apps providing these services with the same fidelity that local apps do in at least another 20 years. The speed of light and the telecom industry won't change that fast.