How long until we can buy suped up monitor's and outsource the processors?

By 2015 it was announced that there will be computers that have an estimated computing power greater than the human race.

Guessing it will be around then.

We have that today, conceptually – they’re called netbooks. (We also already had that 20 years ago – they were called terminals; but the Internet was not ubiquitous then so we did PCs in the interim).

I hope that never happens. I don’t want a power outage on the other side of the world to affect my files, and there is something special about being able to work on your own computer and being responsible for every part of it.

My guess is that it will be available in 5–10 years. Google is working on it right now, but these things always take time to filter through to the general public.

@ChaosCross do you have a source for that info? That’s very far off from what I’ve heard…

If I had to guess what will happen, I’d bet we’ll have out phones become our computers. Your iPhone or Android will be in your pocket and wirelessly connect to whatever monitor and keyboard you have at home and at work. I’d say this will take about 3–5 years to happen. Also I’m totally making this up, but wouldn’t it be nice?

Yeah, let’s streamline. Keep important things on a PC backup system @FireMadeFlesh.

….and you could have lots of monitors, and ONE processor….your fridge puter could fluther with the best of’em

Microsoft has their own cloud service, I believe it is or was called “Azure,” but their goal is to sell “Software as Service” where individuals pay an annual fee based on the level of features they require, such as a business license with accompanying software.

Why on earth would anyone want such a system? It is akin to asking “How long until we go back to horse and buggy and wood burning kitchen stoves.

Back when computers were expensive servers and workstations were common to reduce cost. Now they are common to increase security, but outside of Military or commercial application, there can be no logical reason to “lease” processor power. It would be more expensive, less secure, more prone to down time, you would have little say in the software being used, and basically it would pointless. You would have to have a plan like a phone plan on a permanent basis simply to use your computer. The “outsourcing” will certainly not be free.

Maybe everyone should sell their cars and use taxis and limos for all transportation needs – same logic.

it’s also currently called Thin Client.. . . used heavily in enterprise computing.

Check-out $70 PC

A 2002 movie, The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest featured the development of a $99 PC.

The point of cloud computing is that a power outage will, hypothetically, [i]never[/i] lose your files – it’s distributed computing and storage.

I’d still rather keep my files on a local machine because, well…. they’re mine, and I don’t want my data to depend on a service whose EULA can change at any time a la Facebook, or whose holding/operating company can go bust.

Still, it’s certainly possible. The question is do you really want it?

@njnyjobs it’s also currently called Thin Client.. . . used heavily in enterprise computing.

Yes, I have thirty odd Dell Optiplex SX260s sitting in my garage, all running (Compact Flash) XP. On occasions I use them for all manner of things – mostly security related or for music/video streaming. I didn’t really want them all but I picked them up on eBay for 99¢ each. Who could resist – particularly when I got a couple of quad processor servers with them. Someone started a three day auction at 99¢ and nobody else bid. (One advantage is that with the OS in “locked” ram, they are hack/virus/trojan proof.)

I think it’s up to Google…

@DarkScribe that is sick… great deal you got there, 99cents a piece…. I would have probably Bought-It if i had seen it. . . 2 thumbs up!

I prefer perpetual licensing, the Software as Service (SAS) is more of a preventive measure for piracy. Who knows if it will actually work. I know I don’t support it.