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The Future of Computing

January 24, 2010 22:04:35.272

Gilad Bracha is worried about the future of computing - specifically, about the ability to use whatever development tools you prefer:

The iPhone is a prime example of a trend where our computing platforms become more restricted. As we move toward software as a service rather than an artifact, the computer is no longer as personal; it is very much under control of the service provider. In this case Apple, in other cases Amazon or Google or Microsoft. I'd be surprised if the rumored iTablet won't work on the same model: rather than an open version of MacOS, a semi-closed world with an app store.

The thing is, the ability to use whatever you want on the back end has never been more open than it is now - you can get full root level hosting at very affordable prices now (I've done that for this site). Things seem to be moving towards a fairly small set of front ends, with HTML/Javascript being the most prominent one. You can build your back end with complete freedom, using whatever tools you like. Sure, you have to pay for that - but who ever said life was free?

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posted by James Robertson

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