Google wants you to forget about Windows, Mac OS X And Linux. The latest ploy is to use HTML 5 to gather support for putting all of our personal computers on a serious diet. I don’t mean the type of diet that gave us iPhones and net books, the kind that gives us strings, entanglements and dependencies.
The Cloud is Scary
I am not talking about “steal your credit card” scary. The cloud is scary because any number of issues can separate you from your data. There are the obvious issues like your internet is down or the internet is acting slow for some unknown reason. But there are more obscure things that should really concern those of us that rely on the internet to store our data.
Who Owns My Email
I have become 100% reliant on Gmail. I use IMAP to keep my client updated, but in all honesty rarely use it. I live in the browser for personal email 99% of the time. I use a thick outlook client at work, but my personal email is now thin.
The reality is that Google can, and is, sift through my email at their own leisure to try and find better ways to sell me stuff. I am not a big brother fanatic, but it seems like they already have quite a grip on my personal life and data.
I know they say “Don’t be Evil,” but I am not so trusting.
Living Offline
Sometimes you aren’t connected. Sure Google Gears is a step in the right direction, but I don’t want thick clients to die. I like my fast, sleek and polished desktop applications. I like not worrying about JavaScript errors and what browser I am using. For some things it’s great, but I don’t see Logic Studio or Adobe Photoshop going thin (I know there is a thin Photoshop, but it’s not Photoshop, seriously.)
Other Solutions
I am already a loyal fan of the Windows Live Mesh services. I get my thin access to my files, but they are all synchronized and stored offline on my local machines (both PC and Mac) This is the best of both worlds solutions. I have thin access and convenience, but when the presentation that I have to finish is nearing the deadline, it doesn’t matter if I lose my internet access or decide to go to the cabin for the weekend and finish it. I still have it and don’t need internet access to work with it. Try doing that with Google Docs.
The Real World
We are always going to have taxing applications, we are always going to want games and graphics heavy applications. No matter how well you equip the browser for an immersive experience, you will still need horsepower. My fear is that the world gets sold on this thin client mentality, powerful computers become niche, and you have to pay through the nose to use something with some horsepower.
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