The Future Might Be BIOS and Browsers

An anonymous reader writes "Few in the open source community have welcomed online applications like Google Docs with open arms, but Keir Thomas claims he's found a way forward — and it's one that involves exclusively open source. He reckons BIOS-based operating systems are the future, because they will alter the way users think about their computers. FTA: 'The key breakthrough is ideological: BIOS-based operating systems demote the operating system to just another function of the hardware. It breaks the old mindset of the operating system being a distinct platform, or an end in itself. The operating system becomes part of the overall computing appliance. This allows the spotlight to focus on online applications.'"

Comments

Summary

[Eddy Luten]

The first part of the article is regurgitation (flash OS) and the second part Linux trolling (FOSS > proprietary). Next!

Re:This is true for some value of

[vertinox]

And what will Johnny User do with that computer when the network is down?

I strongly agree and I'm surprised at the amounts of ludditism coming from a lot of people replying to your post.

When there is no internet connection... That is the problem. Not a part of it.

Local or not, when you have no internet connection your productivity and efficiency is reduced to just about 0% for many of us.

Rather than working with local programs, I will turn the computer off and go read a book.

Because every time I need to communicate with someone, Google someone, post a question on a forum, and basically everything else needed to reference what I do would happen a great deal faster with an internet connection than without.

Rather than mucking around by myself cut off for the world, I might as well wait til the connection comes back up so that if I did run into any problems I can go to the online resources and deal with the problem.

I'm not talking about keeping offline copies of critical data... Hell... Copied to a hard drive and throw it in an offline bank safe.

But the fact you assume that certain systems can't function without the internet is flawed is outright dumb because most of use can't function without an internet connection.

I find it somewhat ironic that people are saying "What about when the internet is down?" posting on a communication forum that basically requires just that.

Again... The lack of internet connection is the problem, not that the application or device requires it.

Its like complaining about World of Warcraft doesn't work offline.

FFS IT WASN'T DESIGNED TO!!! Maybe this application is not for you! Maybe it is for people who have 24/7 connections that have 3g backup that don't mind having non-critical stuff online.

Its not like my medical records, banking, and credit reports aren't already online and I have no control over them over than the strength of those companies systems. It is the way things are going to be.

Again... Don't like. Unplug your network cable for a few days and get back with us.

Re:This is true for some value of

[dodobh]

Gmail exists so I never download email.
I don't watch DVDs, I watch IPTV and Netflix.
My phone is VoIP.
I use the cheaper quicken web interface.

Next set of options?

Re:This is true for some value of

[icannotthinkofaname]

Ubuntu 9.04 64-bit. You lose.