Microsoft sees end of Windows era

[ivancat]

That's quoted from neowin.net

Microsoft has kicked off a research project to create software that will take over when it retires Windows. Called Midori, the cut-down operating system is radically different to Microsoft's older programs. It is centred on the internet and does away with the dependencies that tie Windows to a single PC. It is seen as Microsoft's answer to rivals' use of "virtualisation" as a way to solve many of the problems of modern-day computing.

Although Midori has been heard about before now, more details have now been published by Software Development Times after viewing internal Microsoft documents describing the technology. Midori is believed to be under development because Windows is unlikely to be able to cope with the pace of change in future technology and the way people use it.

full article @ BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7540282.stm

So, what do you think about this? I'm quite skeptic to this as I completely agree with the following passage:

Originally Posted by BBC

"Eighty percent of Windows sales are made when a new PC is sold" ... "That's a huge amount of money for them that they do not have to go out and get".

"If Windows ends up being less important over time as applications become more OS agnostic where will Microsoft make its money?"

[bbfuller]

Hello ivancat

I saw that story, my take on it was that you may well get a shell installed on the computer with Midori, but that every time you wanted to do anything with it you would hire the applications over the internet.

Sounds like an interesting way of keeping your cash flow going.

[LDC]

I hope it will have even more flaws

[JN4OldSchool]

I'm still wading through it in my spare seconds, but a big flaw I see is taking the operability out of the computer and putting it on a network or internet. These links can and do fail frequently, then you are stuck with a lump of plastic on your desktop. We all know how frustrating...No, more than that...Infuriating it is when our internet goes down these days. Can you imagine if the OS went with it? Sure, people are using more portable devices that are wireless and can communicate from anywhere, but I cant see reaching a point where most people are going to accept their data and OS not being available on their computer. Then again, I wonder what auto buffs said about the automatic transmission back in the day?

Edit: Reading the rest of the article, I want to say that I think virtualization is a wonderful trend. It has astronomical benefits in the right environment. But...I could not accept using what amounts to a dumb terminal with the OS located somewhere else over the internet as a home solution. No thank you, I want my host OS on my computer.

[Evil_Bert]

To ask the obvious question ... How secure will this be?

[bob]

http://www.zonbu.com/home/index.htm

Sounds tasty...

http://www.midori-world.com/

Wayne

Originally Posted by Evil_Bert

To ask the obvious question ... How secure will this be?

if it hasn't got IE embedded in it has to be secure than Windows

[marcrblevins]

Sounds tasty...

http://www.midori-world.com/

If I buy one of those, does it comes with the chicks? j/k

I'll drink a Midori when I see one.

[ivancat]

Originally Posted by JN4OldSchool

But...I could not accept using what amounts to a dumb terminal with the OS located somewhere else over the internet as a home solution. No thank you, I want my host OS on my computer.

Completely agree with this. Also, another question that's come to my mind is privacy. If all accounts are hosted on a server then it means that potentially anyone who has access to the servers has access to your personal data. I know, there is no complete privacy as well as complete anonymity in the Internet, but uh well, I want to keep my IM history private (and other things too obviously).

[piga]

"It is centred on the internet"

Oh great, here comes a storm that knocks out my satellite. Oh and look, Telus is being incompetent again with the dial up. Seriously, there are some people that just cant rely on a stable connection.

Edit: And this is me speaking from Alberta!

This would just not work in the third world, more place there for Linux adoption!.

[drokmed]

I give it one week after the release of Midori before it's first virus attack hits...