Virtual Computing: What's To Come
Through the few decades, within most of our lifetimes, we have seen computers shrunk from the size of halls to those of our jeans pockets. However they reduce in size and increase in power, they still do one thing in common: fit powerful hardware into the machines.
What kind of rubbish are you talking about, Shawn? How else would you have your machines if not with hardware to actually run things with?
What if we can detach those hardware? What if you are told you do not need to buy, nor would you need to own, powerful processors and massive rows of RAMS but still get complete access to software/applications and games that demand these cutting-edge power plants?
Virtual Computing: The Theory
Consider this idea of not needing to actually own physically hardcore computers, but like taxis and trains you're able to to call onto them as and when you please. All you need is a simple machine able to send and receive visuals through high-speed Internet, and all the necessary peripherals.
I don't know about you, but I always worry if my computer can support this new installment of Call of Duty or the new release of Adobe Photoshop. But if we were to rent Call of Duty from this imaginary service provider in this imaginary near future, the company will unlock for you the hardware capabilities necessary to run the game smoothly without having to resort to shoddy resolutions.
These service providers would probably give you a choice of 3 major monthly packages, ranging from simple word processing to hardcore 3D rendering. Then you have full mobility around any of the 3 packages best suit your usage at the time.
Economic Impact
Firstly developers will be able to properly address the issue of piracy. Through virtual computing a user will be required to sign up for annual memberships, and therefore also be required to obtain software and application legitimately. And because users are merely 'renting' these applications on a need-to basis, they are way cheaper than traditional ownership of physical applications.
Some may fret Malaysian Internet connection not being able to cope with demands. I say worry not. As demand arises so will the supply to match. Such is the very nature of economics. And to be fair our Internet connection speed is way beyond the Malaysian consumption demands, considering we do not have proper HD streaming TV services here.
Hardware sales will plummet for sure, as consumers opting for cheaper and more sustainable methods of computing. No longer will we need one tower with octa-core processors in every household which we don't fire up more than 3 times a week. There will be Quantum Super Computers (I will probably write an article to explain on Quantum computing, subject to my understanding of the concept first) in cryogenic chambers churning millions of yottabytes of information per second. To make things even better, these power plants will be located in the cold countries where cryogenesis is natural and the heat generated by these machines can be used in households.
Win-Win
Consumers win by paying for computer usage as and when they need, and not having to worry about maintenance, upgrades and temporary redundancy. Service providers win by providing the required power only to those who need them, and channeling the same power from one user to another when one is no longer using it. Because not everyone in the world will need similar amounts of computing power at the exact same time, thanks to time zones.
What does this reminds us of then? Exactly: the mechanics of public transportation. You pay for usage, and you don't ever have to worry about maintenance issues.
Virtuality Today
If you're wondering will this concept ever take flight? It already has. If I were to cut my cords today here is how I would adapt my everyday computing. I can create and modify documents using Google Docs or go Microsoft Office 365 if I am format-demanding.
I can store anything into my cloud storage services, download games and buy their activation codes, buy or rent movies and TV series from iTunes and buy music from iTunes. I can even stream videos through You Tube and Vimeo, listen to music through TuneIn or Spotify. Soon I can even get cloud versions of Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Throughout the entire process I don't go out and buy or use a CD or a thumb drive.
Verdict
Virtual Computing is the natural evolution from cloud computing, and it is inevitable. Why else do you think Microsoft would risk so much to come out with the much-criticized Windows 8? Every major player are gearing to migrate to a future of efficient computing and ditching conventional computer manufacturing arms, and this transitional period is the most crucial and delicate. Macbook Airs and Ultrabooks are already sold with barely enough storage and legacy driver support.
Many will shun the idea of buying things but never actually owning anything physically. Well I say these people should wake up and smell the roses before they go extinct (the roses), because everything is already morphing into digitization. Money is no longer physical, music and games are no longer bought by the CDs, and people hardly ever store physical photo albums anymore.
