The Network, I mean the World is the computer.

Haven’t we heard this before?

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Conversation 14 comments

  • BlackForestHam

    07 May, 2018 - 4:16 pm

    <p>Yes. Sun was always right about this, but as most visionary statements, by definition, ahead of its time. To really understand what the phrase means, take a look at John Gage's career and research, apply it to where inter-networking is <em>today, </em>and the dynamic between people and their digital tools.</p>

    • Paul Thurrott

      Premium Member
      12 May, 2018 - 10:50 am

      <blockquote><a href="#272653"><em>In reply to BlackForestHam:</em></a></blockquote><p>Right. Netscape was going to replace Windows with the web. It only took 20 years.</p>

      • Bats

        13 May, 2018 - 8:44 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#274752"><em>In reply to paul-thurrott:</em></a></blockquote><p>It took that long, because of what Microsoft did to Netscape and it's lack of vision for the next step in computing. It took another data company (Google) to beta test one their product Google Apps for Your Domain to get all this stuff going again. Now Microsoft is trying to copy it, take it over, and run with it.</p><p><br></p>

        • skane2600

          14 May, 2018 - 11:48 am

          <blockquote><a href="#275144"><em>In reply to Bats:</em></a></blockquote><p>Netscape bailed at the first sign of real competition. I suspect cashing out was always the plan and they found a sucker in AOL.</p>

    • skane2600

      12 May, 2018 - 7:24 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#272653"><em>In reply to BlackForestHam:</em></a></blockquote><p>Except that Sun wasn't talking about the web, they were talking about the "network computer" which failed.</p>

      • aThingOrTwo

        13 May, 2018 - 10:47 am

        <blockquote><a href="#274931"><em>In reply to skane2600:</em></a></blockquote><p>Well maybe for Sun, but Eric Schmidt had another go at Google with the ChromeBook initiative, which hasn't done too badly.</p>

        • skane2600

          13 May, 2018 - 5:39 pm

          <blockquote><a href="#275017"><em>In reply to aThingOrTwo:</em></a></blockquote><p>Well, it hasn't done all that well outside of the education market but interestingly with the addition of Android and now reportedly Linux, it's becoming less and less a "network computer" every day.</p>

          • Bats

            13 May, 2018 - 8:40 pm

            <blockquote><a href="#275103"><em>In reply to skane2600:</em></a></blockquote><p>LOL…are you kidding? It's dominating! The Chromebook initiative or ChromeOS, is simple the Chrome browser. Computer operating system are nothing, anymore. People can clone a Windows Celeron laptop into a Chromebook by simply doing one thing….download Chrome. </p>

            • skane2600

              13 May, 2018 - 8:50 pm

              <blockquote><a href="#275134"><em>In reply to Bats:</em></a></blockquote><p>The Chrome browser isn't the same as ChromeOS any more than IE is Windows. Note that virtually nobody is turning their Windows PC into a Chromebook because nobody is interested in downgrading their PC.</p>

              • Hassan Timité

                14 May, 2018 - 10:57 am

                <blockquote><a href="#275145"><em>In reply to skane2600:</em></a></blockquote><p>Nobody except Microsoft itself [/sarcasm]</p><p>Seriously Microsoft has been (on purpose?) implicitly downgrading the PC by first trying to turn Windows in a mobile/touch first O.S then by not completely acknowledge that it was an error. And last but not the least by trying to kill slowly and painfully Windows, at least it is what it look like. However, as i used to say the death of Windows will be a disaster for Microsoft as whole.</p><p><br></p>

                • skane2600

                  14 May, 2018 - 11:45 am

                  <blockquote><a href="#275302"><em>In reply to Hassan_Timite:</em></a></blockquote><p>I mostly agree with what you are saying although it has nothing to do with the topic.</p>

            • Paul Thurrott

              Premium Member
              14 May, 2018 - 8:06 am

              <blockquote><a href="#275134"><em>In reply to Bats:</em></a></blockquote><p>Not exactly. Chrome OS can run Android apps and the Google Play Store. And you lose out on Chrome OS's simpler device management features if you just run the browser in Windows. Not to mention the system's simpler user experience.</p>

      • BlackForestHam

        13 May, 2018 - 7:25 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#274931"><em>In reply to skane2600:</em></a></blockquote><p><br></p><p>No. As with all things in this business, Sun had an implementation of their vision (which, as you said, failed), guided by an abstract idea. As I said, look into the work of John Gage.</p><p><br></p>

  • rameshthanikodi

    12 May, 2018 - 8:48 pm

    <p>Yes we have, but it has taken different forms. At one point, it was the computers people owned. Then it was the World Wide Web. Then it became phones. Then it became the cloud.</p>

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