It seems like the pendulum is always swinging. First all computing was centralized on a mainframe with users connected via terminals. Then, over time, computing became more and more distributed with individual PCs and peripherals. Is it now time to consider a more centralized computing model?
Networking continues to become more robust. Users have an expectation of connectedness, whether working within the enterprise, at home or on the road on a wired or wireless network. If you are always connected then you can reconsider how to make the best use of your computing power, locally or on the network, as long as it is fast enough.
Thick, thin or something in between: what are your thoughts?
IT@Intel
Intel® vPro™ Expert Center
I don't see the shift going back to completely dumb terminals at the user end or even dumb terminals with a local hard drive.
There will always be applications that you will want complete control over. Banking is the big one but purchased media is another. I think the end user wants to retain control over things they pay for.
Software as a Service and networked applications always carry with them the worry that you may not be able to access what you have been promised. Take Google Video for example. They were selling videos with the assurance that you would always have them available and one day they decided that it was not in their corporate best interest to continue offering them. If your personal consumer data or corporate infrastructure are controlled by another company you will always be dependent upon them in some way which makes many people nervous.