They started out as text based terminals. Some labeled them as "Dumb". Then came choice of character color, traditional green, Swedish amber, and white if you did not want green or amber. And they connected to the Big Iron located down the hallway or some where in the building.Three hundred bps for remote access is very slow even in the context of its era. To be a Network Engineer then meant you made and trouble shot your own coax cable plant. Let's be honest, some "good old days" were not as good as others.
The terminals have morphed to thin clients and they no longer only connect to the "Big Iron" in the nearby data center. Although "thin client" means that they are dependent upon another system to be functional, they now have the capacity to be more flexible and independent. Can these devices replace a traditional Personal Computer?
My PC is no longer just my personal computer. It is a focal point for gathering information, enjoying entertainment, maintaining communication as well as the original purposes, word processor with spell checking, spreadsheet, and playing solitaire. My problem is I am stuck with the name and concept of "MY PC". MY, meaning MINE! And PC for personal and computer. My love for the PC grew from hate derived from the propeller heads that ran the data centers at the university. They had more rules than a small town judge magistrate that was paid a percentage of the fines. But with a PC, I was the judge, town council, and mayor.
Perhaps I no longer need a standard PC. Maybe not even a upscale ultra thin laptop. If the PC is no longer as important to me as before, then what is? My Data. Our Data. Managed access. And a medium to securely connect to the data. For many users that still means a PC, Laptop, hand held, Blackberry, and similar devices connected to their network. For me all I need is secure access to the resources that include information, intertainment, communications, word processing, spreadsheet and some additional small business services. Maybe some type of solitaire, but that would be optional. If access to the data is secure, do I care if the pipe is wireless, copper, fiber or aluminum? No. If access on the service side is secure, do I care if on the client side it is MY device or someone else's trusted device. No. But having had a PC since the summer of 77, I may have been scarred for life and may never truly get over them. But I am willing to try. How far can I go with out a PC?
Aggregation.
Wish I would of thought of using the word aggregation in a computational context first. Found the term in the Free On Line Dictionary of Computing. Although the definition refers to aggregation as a programming technique, I am going to adapt the term to identify how I could become PC free.
My basic requirement is that I have that ability to interact with services that will allow me to aggregate resources where I want them and store the benefits of those services where I choose to save them. That is what most of us do with our traditional PC, laptop or other portable device and them synchronize them when ever we are all together in the same room. But, I want the applications that are currently hosted on MY PC and synchronized attachments to execute elsewhere. word processing, Email, news, daily planner, IM, all of it hosted elsewhere. Do not send me notifications of patches, security fixes, or product updates. The service vendor does that by the hour, of every day, all year. If not, I will switch to a vendor that does maintain a good service. Do not lock me into some 24 month service agreement that has more rules than a small town judge magistrate. And I can select which services I use from a primary vendor then select other services from a collection of sources that meet my particular needs and wants. I then place the selected services on a virtual desktop the way I want to interact with them. A monthly fee of Free might make it a perfect solution. I could also choose to pay a premium for other demanded services.
Imagine a buffet restaurant that has everything you might want to eat but you can choose to order only those items that you want now. The sushi could be from Japan, pasta from Italy, kimchi from Korea, beef from Kansas and wine from Australia. Ala Carte is OK!. And if you have a fine Greek restaurant in your neighborhood, they just might serve everything you need and want. Ouzo anyone? Premium add on of course.
The point is I choose what is aggregated on the table. What prompted this diatribe? Many things but there are three events of note.
1) Google Calendar, Gmail, et al.
2) Damn Small Linux booted from a thumb drive.
3) Jetro CockpIT Universal Connector.
Recently, I have been asking people if they would like to look at MY calendar events on THEIR computer. It is amazing just how many different, and strange looks I got. If they respond with a yes, then I asked if they would like to be an event on MY Calendar. This went very well until I got to someone that had not updated their browser in several years. Do I want someone that has not updated their browser in years to be an event on MY Calendar? Yes and maybe this might help to motivate them to update. Now if Google could aggregate a word processor, Email...where is my list? Does Google have a version of solitaire?
Damn Small Linux is a distro that can be booted from a USB pen drive. The pen drive hosts a minimal OS and has a second partition which can occupy the balance of the pen drive capacity. DSL has a browser and rdesktop module included in the distro. The browser allows me to connect the web/grid and the rdesktop allows me to connected to other traditional MSTS hosted applications. One of my criteria for aggregation is the burning question of data storage, your place or mine? DSL on a pen drive provides a choice. The limitation is I must find a host that will allow me to boot from the USB port.
A couple of years ago or so, Jetro Platforms included a client named CUC, "CockpIT Universal Connector". It is still listed in the current release 3.6. This client connection would permit anyone with a rdp protocol enabled module to connect to a virtual desktop. Even though Jetro sits atop Windows 2003 terminal server, the rdesktop modules of the Linux distros I tested worked well. I invited Linux user groups to test drive the CUC and they did with success. The down side is that the Jetro administrator determines which services are aggregated on your virtual desktop. Maybe a organizational solution or one the grandparents might like?
In summary, since my telepathic skills are nil, will still need to attach to the web/grid with something. Need a minimal boot OS (PXE, network, Pen Drive, CD or hard drive) that has a browser and/or a supported protocol to reach MY services. But once connected with the services, how are I got there is transparent. Can a thin client boot into a browser and take me to the web/grid? How about using rdp to access an aggregated service provider? Or maybe "YouOS?'
Until the next post,
Steve
