Comments on: Google’s Cloud: How to cope with the disappearance of the PC http://futureoftheinternet.org/googles-cloud-how-to-cope-with-the-disappearance-of-the-pc Jonathan Zittrain is Professor of Law at Harvard Law School and co-founder of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard Law School Wed, 10 Mar 2010 00:14:03 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: George http://futureoftheinternet.org/googles-cloud-how-to-cope-with-the-disappearance-of-the-pc/comment-page-1#comment-10176 George Mon, 27 Jul 2009 22:19:44 +0000 http://futureoftheinternet.org/?p=822#comment-10176 Techniceptually, I think we're just going full-circle. After all, in the 80s we spent all our time on dumb terminals accessing applications and data on distant servers. It's the sheer numbers of participants and interactivity that has changed. But you're absolutely correct to promote awareness of the rules of the game(s). Techniceptually, I think we’re just going full-circle. After all, in the 80s we spent all our time on dumb terminals accessing applications and data on distant servers. It’s the sheer numbers of participants and interactivity that has changed. But you’re absolutely correct to promote awareness of the rules of the game(s).

]]> By: Andrew Martin http://futureoftheinternet.org/googles-cloud-how-to-cope-with-the-disappearance-of-the-pc/comment-page-1#comment-9693 Andrew Martin Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:11:27 +0000 http://futureoftheinternet.org/?p=822#comment-9693 I'm a little bemused at this notion of reaching for the "regulation" lever at the first sign of a disruptive technology. Perhaps my memory is failing me, but I cannot think of a single instance of regulation providing a positive force for shaping the development of the internet and all that surrounds it. As a technologist, I'm very happy to see many flowers bloom: and perhaps unlike the one who coined that phrase, happy to see the best ones thrive. People will code around the road-bumps, and make shims and connections and mash-ups to deliver the desired utility. In that sense, code is law, and we need no other. [I don't disagree with JZ's assertion that market forces are not magic, I simply suggest that we are nowhere near a failure of the market in this case.] I’m a little bemused at this notion of reaching for the “regulation” lever at the first sign of a disruptive technology.

Perhaps my memory is failing me, but I cannot think of a single instance of regulation providing a positive force for shaping the development of the internet and all that surrounds it.

As a technologist, I’m very happy to see many flowers bloom: and perhaps unlike the one who coined that phrase, happy to see the best ones thrive. People will code around the road-bumps, and make shims and connections and mash-ups to deliver the desired utility. In that sense, code is law, and we need no other.

[I don't disagree with JZ's assertion that market forces are not magic, I simply suggest that we are nowhere near a failure of the market in this case.]

]]> By: Mehul Mike Patel http://futureoftheinternet.org/googles-cloud-how-to-cope-with-the-disappearance-of-the-pc/comment-page-1#comment-9625 Mehul Mike Patel Sat, 11 Jul 2009 11:59:54 +0000 http://futureoftheinternet.org/?p=822#comment-9625 Google is now seriously confusing most young people across the globe. They are creating of lot of good things and lot of bad reputation. Google still makes major Revenues more then 90% from advertising and very lil from 'licensing and other revenues' This clearly proves that Google has not yet done anything as powerful or dynamic yet as developing the best search engine i.e. there first mega product. For Example Google Click Fraud is still out of control, isn't the focus and attention should be completely on making that obsolete ?! Google Mobile Ads are way down there when you compare them with simple and great start us like Admob and many others. Google might unveil a great OS but I am not sure if they can make people believe to the core that we respect your Internet freedom, privacy and so on. Sometimes I am sure many of us feel is Google doing what firms like Microsoft did? At the same time is Google losing focus with regards to battling with Microsoft instead of focusing on there innovation / improvement? Google is now seriously confusing most young people across the globe. They are creating of lot of good things and lot of bad reputation.

Google still makes major Revenues more then 90% from advertising and very lil from ‘licensing and other revenues’

This clearly proves that Google has not yet done anything as powerful or dynamic yet as developing the best search engine i.e. there first mega product.

For Example Google Click Fraud is still out of control, isn’t the focus and attention should be completely on making that obsolete ?!

Google Mobile Ads are way down there when you compare them with simple and great start us like Admob and many others.

Google might unveil a great OS but I am not sure if they can make people believe to the core that we respect your Internet freedom, privacy and so on.

Sometimes I am sure many of us feel is Google doing what firms like Microsoft did? At the same time is Google losing focus with regards to battling with Microsoft instead of focusing on there innovation / improvement?

]]> By: Abi http://futureoftheinternet.org/googles-cloud-how-to-cope-with-the-disappearance-of-the-pc/comment-page-1#comment-9609 Abi Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:32:01 +0000 http://futureoftheinternet.org/?p=822#comment-9609 Um, about my previous comment, I did *not* see the first comment when I wrote it (which was probably in moderation). We make the same point and M. C. Y is more detailed about the APIs. :) In a more general sense, I do agree that some kind of regulation or other non-binding standard to force web application makers to allow data portability would be good here, too. Google might one day just say "screw it" and decide to take down all their APIs. Then, we'd have no way to make them change their decision. Um, about my previous comment, I did *not* see the first comment when I wrote it (which was probably in moderation). We make the same point and M. C. Y is more detailed about the APIs. :)

In a more general sense, I do agree that some kind of regulation or other non-binding standard to force web application makers to allow data portability would be good here, too. Google might one day just say “screw it” and decide to take down all their APIs. Then, we’d have no way to make them change their decision.

]]> By: Seth Finkelstein http://futureoftheinternet.org/googles-cloud-how-to-cope-with-the-disappearance-of-the-pc/comment-page-1#comment-9608 Seth Finkelstein Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:18:36 +0000 http://futureoftheinternet.org/?p=822#comment-9608 Well, yes, I agree, so far as it goes ... But this is the n'th coming of The Thin Client, which has never yet lived up to the hype. OK, maybe, This Time It's Different, from all the other times people have had their head in the clouds. Could be. Still, this sort of product has flopped many, many times before. I think this was a pretty interesting take on it: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/08/google_microsoft_phony_chrome_war/ "No one will be happier than Microsoft about Google's vanity venture to market computers with a Google-brand OS. It gives us the illusion of competition without seriously troubling either business, although both will obligingly huff and puff about how serious they are about this new, phoney OS war. Since both of these giants are permanently in trouble with antitrust regulators - they're at different stages of IBM-style thirty years legal epics - that's just the ticket for them both." Well, yes, I agree, so far as it goes …
But this is the n’th coming of The Thin Client, which has never yet lived up to the hype. OK, maybe, This Time It’s Different, from all the other times people have had their head in the clouds. Could be. Still, this sort of product has flopped many, many times before.

I think this was a pretty interesting take on it:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/07/08/google_microsoft_phony_chrome_war/

“No one will be happier than Microsoft about Google’s vanity venture to market computers with a Google-brand OS. It gives us the illusion of competition without seriously troubling either business, although both will obligingly huff and puff about how serious they are about this new, phoney OS war. Since both of these giants are permanently in trouble with antitrust regulators – they’re at different stages of IBM-style thirty years legal epics – that’s just the ticket for them both.”

]]> By: Abi http://futureoftheinternet.org/googles-cloud-how-to-cope-with-the-disappearance-of-the-pc/comment-page-1#comment-9607 Abi Sat, 11 Jul 2009 02:02:44 +0000 http://futureoftheinternet.org/?p=822#comment-9607 Of course, I agree with you that data should be owned by the user and it must be portable. But maybe, Google isn't the best example here because they do have APIs for almost everything. "Why shouldn’t our Google Docs be permanently accessible through Office Live and vice versa, and on to some upstart site that no one’s heard of?" It is! Facebook might have been a better example as it provides no way (well, at least, no straightforward way) for developers to extract data out of Facebook. Of course, I agree with you that data should be owned by the user and it must be portable. But maybe, Google isn’t the best example here because they do have APIs for almost everything. “Why shouldn’t our Google Docs be permanently accessible through Office Live and vice versa, and on to some upstart site that no one’s heard of?” It is!

Facebook might have been a better example as it provides no way (well, at least, no straightforward way) for developers to extract data out of Facebook.

]]> By: M. C. Y. '92 http://futureoftheinternet.org/googles-cloud-how-to-cope-with-the-disappearance-of-the-pc/comment-page-1#comment-9603 M. C. Y. '92 Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:05:31 +0000 http://futureoftheinternet.org/?p=822#comment-9603 While it's natural to worry more about data portability in the "Google Era" than in the "Microsoft Era," I think it's worth noting that Google has so far been vastly more open with data than Microsoft is. It's very easy to move data out of Gmail (via IMAP), Google Docs (six export formats including Open Office) and Google Spreadsheets (five export formats including .ods). Last time I checked Microsoft's equivalent products (Hotmail, Word, Excel) didn't offer comparable data portability. I suspect you'll find it much more difficult to access Office Live documents via Google Apps than vice versa. Also, for what it's worth, what strikes me most about the Chrome OS is its lack of generativity. A PC that can only run a browser (even a fancy one tricked out with Gears and Native Client) is a PC that can't generate anything interesting. While it’s natural to worry more about data portability in the “Google Era” than in the “Microsoft Era,” I think it’s worth noting that Google has so far been vastly more open with data than Microsoft is.

It’s very easy to move data out of Gmail (via IMAP), Google Docs (six export formats including Open Office) and Google Spreadsheets (five export formats including .ods).

Last time I checked Microsoft’s equivalent products (Hotmail, Word, Excel) didn’t offer comparable data portability.

I suspect you’ll find it much more difficult to access Office Live documents via Google Apps than vice versa.

Also, for what it’s worth, what strikes me most about the Chrome OS is its lack of generativity.

A PC that can only run a browser (even a fancy one tricked out with Gears and Native Client) is a PC that can’t generate anything interesting.

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