Platform Agnosticism and Ultra-Portable Computing Machines

I have been on the front lines of the platform wars for more than a decade now. I was an early adopter of 32-bit DOS extender technologies (DesqView, Concurrent), OS/2, 32-bit Windows, Linux, Citrix, virtualization and other platform specific extension technologies for which some have since long come and gone. Today, virtualization, cross-platform languages, Java, fast processors, cheap memory, cheap storage and open source technology have changed everything. The concept that a specific platform will dominate no longer fits the paradigm shift of the always connected online future.

I have spent the past five years working towards platform agnosticity and have only recently been able to experience it in practical form. It has been three months since I switched to using Mac OS X as my preferred environment. Since, then I have been able to truly practice, research and experience cross-platform computing and software engineering. Java, being designed cross-platform is a key enabling technology.

The online Google Docs and Spreadsheets and all their online applications has pushed the envelope even further. I now use my online Google apps more than anything else and use my desktop applications (OpenOffice.org, MS-Office) as online extenders for necessary functionally where ever I am. This is an inversion of how most people perceive these online applications. Anyway, I have lived this inverted environment since last summer (almost 8-months now) and can confidently say that it works for me and is the future of computing. I blogged about this last year. ("Online Everything Is Getting Closer") This year I think the "online everything" is even better because I have been able to live it and push the innovation further. Google's recent announcement of Google Apps for Enterpises is a testament. There is also a rumor that an online presentation tool is in the works! That would be impressive.

I have found that open standards, open source technology have had a larger influence in the mutli-platform world more than enything else. Prior to switching to Mac OS X, I was primarily a Linux and Windows user/developer using Java technology. I always preferred Linux overall but now my MacBook has become a 'better Linux than Linux' in my experience. With Linux there was always something missing in the GUI (KDE, Gnome) application spaces. On the Mac this missing gap is closed by the numerous robust GUI applications that exist on the Mac OS X platform. In addtion to the excellent Java support built-in to Mac OS X, there is an active user base/community that just focuses on the getting things done. As Apple has been pushing, 'It just works.'

This year is shaping up as I anticipated. I have moved most of my computing work online and can access and collaborate online using any computer platform, anytime, and anywhere. My search now is for ultra-mobile computing device that has a full-blown Linux like OS allowing me to access all my information whenever and where ever I need. This new device must not sacrifice any computing power or external peripheral capability via USB or Bluetooth interfaces

I recently checked out the Sony UX series devices which are incredibly tiny machines based on Windows XP Professional. It uses solid-state hard drives (no moving parts) which is highly desireable in an ultra-portable device. Nokia has the N770 and N800 Linux based devices which are getting closer. I have not seen the N800 in person yet. I have been using my Sony PSP as a portable browser for two-years now and it just works as browser in addition to being an excellent multimedia gaming device. I also recently got to play with the Sony Mylo hands on and this is getting closer but not quite there yet. Some people like the Mylo but for me, it does not meet the full-blown computer requirement.

I am hoping that Apple comes out with something in this ultra-portable device space that 'just works' like my MacBook does. I tried out my mobile phone a few years ago as an internet platform and very quickly ruled that out because it is 'too small' and limiting as a computing device for power users or developers. Not much has changed in this space recently. Plus the bandwidth is not there in the US for the mobile smart phones. Today's mobile phones are too small and too slow for practical use as a serious computing platform.

I am looking for a 'better Linux than Linux' in a ultra-portable form factor that uses solid-state storage with no sacrifices. My best bet desirable device today would be a Linux based device that is ultra-portable. Maybe Apple has a ultra-portable Mac OS X device in the works? I like the Sony UX series but being a Windows device and relatively expensive puts a negative spin on it. Java is a key open source enabling technology that must be supported given its scalability and cross-platform design and having it is my preference being a Java technologist. Given the state of wide Java support today in Linux, Mac OS X, Unix, and Windows I do not see this as an issue.

Anyway, the migration of moving everything online allows me to be very critical of the ultra-portable computing device I want in the future. Notice that in the ultra-portable environment, I really have not focused on any platform. Just the device form-factor, features and capabilities as an ultra-portable computing machine that sacrifices nothing. No one has attained it yet but I know what the target requirements are for my ultra-portable computing machine are and it does not yet exist. I prefer something that is Linux/Unix centric since that is where most of the innovative ideas and cutting edge computer science research occurs today. Maybe later this year someone will surprise the world and come up with an innovative new product! I think in the next few years we will definitely see this happen. Whoever produces just has to remember that cost is also a factor.

Yahoo Pipes

Leave it up to the IT industry to come out with a new product out of the blue. Yahoo Pipes has the opportunity to be one of the killer apps of 2007. I was just experimenting with RSS aggregation in java and php last year. I had a lot of good ideas but never go around to them due to the usual not enough time to focus on any of the ideas. Recently, I found a decent java webapp called Flock that is no longer maintained but has the right idea. Flock could use some nice enhancement. And then just yesterday, Yahoo! announces Pipes!

Details of Pipes are hard to confirm since the site is overloaded and they have a nice banner message stating that "Our Pipes Are Clogged" due to overwhelming demand. From what I have read, it appears to be some type of RSS aggregation/mashup tool that provides some visualizations on what you are creating. If it is anything like the Yahoo! Site Builder, then it will probably be a rich client java application that provides a nice GUI.

At any rate, when I finally get a chance to see Pipes first hand in the next few days of weeks will blog about it and see if it stands up to the over hype.