Part 2: Software Evolution & development

When you think of big software company’s you think the two most universal ones. Microsoft and Apple. For years they have remained the two main super powers in the software world. Microsoft and its windows operating system can be found on well over 85% of personal computers. Apple, while not in as many homes as Microsoft has a sense of style desirability and above all reliability that Microsoft seems to lack.
But what of the future?

Will Microsoft continue its domination? Will apples increased popularity begin to turn the tables or has something started that both will struggle to compete with? In recent years, Microsoft has come under increasing criticism over the security problems and reliability issues with windows. It has also been accused of monopolising the industry by restricting user flexibility. Apple has enjoyed recent revival with its Mac and i-pod series’.

But it has a long way to go to compete with the conventions that Microsoft has established, both on and offline.

But recently, a new phenomenon has started to gain a foot hold in the industry. It’s not a new operation system, nor is it a sense of style or reliability; in fact it’s not a single entity. It dwells within the new insurgence of niche and specialty products. Things like mobile phones, mp3 players, PDA’s. Products that use their own operating systems that are designed for purpose. Many reflecting the Linux style mentality, innovative & drive.

As I mentioned before, these new niche and speciality products use their own built for purpose software / operating systems. This new breed of object-specific programming is more reliable and does away with the plethora of extras they you don’t really need. They do however still adhere to some conventions in order to access common things like the internet and e-mail.

Another recent development in the evolution of software drives from the internet. Increasingly the internet has become more and more personal and customisable. Some of the software behind this are things like Java, Flash and ActiveX. These so-called 'DNA' technologies have helped not only the creation of innovative interfaces and user experiences but also allow user generated content.

The ability to customise our user experience when using a product has been a convention common to operating system for a number of years now. Examples include the customization of backgrounds, screen savers, mouse pointers, colour themes etc. So perhaps the natural progression is for more and more ability to customise our user experience.
Many phones already provide this function, but perhaps the next step is the ability for the user to design their own interfaces and capabilities.

Or maybe for independent companies to sell users a range of interfaces for a range of products. Perhaps products will be sold blank, letting the user to update their own software. With this capability, people may choose to update the software rather than the product, adding or removing functions and facilities as you choose, just as people choose what channels they want to watch and pay for when choosing digital TV Packages. With people updating software rather than the physical products, designs of products will have to change, with more standardized functions and capabilities across product ranges and increased desirability.

Perhaps this new level of customization ability will come full circle and influencing software development for personal computers. Perhaps in the future operating systems will be shipped as a standard framework or foundation of conventions that the user can then customize to their own needs or tastes. They then could upload, essentially their own operating systems for people to download and try for free or for a small free. In essence, the average person becomes a “prosumer”. Both a consumer and producer of technology.

Moreover, with increasing internet connectivity, reliability and speed, perhaps the future of personal computers could forever be changed.

In the future, operating systems could exist permanently online. Allowing the programmers and developers to constantly update and make improvements to their product. So we might never again see new software realises, just periodic updates. Furthermore, with the afforested increased internet speeds and connectivity, as well as greater storage capacity, perhaps the personal computer will become essentially a screen, some speakers and a key board. But with touch screen coming more and more common even key boards could go out the window.

How long until the personal computer disappears entirely leaving nothing more than a screen / portal to the virtual world. Finally, with the home / personal computer essentially existing virtually, you will be able to access it anywhere. How will the world around us evolve to accommodate an increased need to access infomation.