I tend to agree with Turkey, but I do think the discussion is important. Although the discussion is important, more important is the benefits that innovation/adaption and change can bring about in the computing/networked/communication infrastructure.
Having worked in many mainframe, multiprocessor server/client, and networked environments, I'm sure there is some resistance in each architecture to integrate and migrate technologies into other service areas. An example of more intelligent, loosely centralized computing is the three-tier concept, which in practice, I find severly lacking in performance and operational flexibility, but great in concept.
Centralized computing tends to be more secure from the standpoint of processing and data storage because not having distributed data storage locations increases security by decreasing access points. Central processing and direct storage is more secure (using physical and exclusive, dedicated links). On the other hand, centralized computing can be less secure if/when security is compromised it allows intruders access to larger amounts of data, programs and systems that what can be accessed via a single client computer which is compromised instead of all the interconnected clients. (Usually, though if security is compromised on an individual client computer, this can be repeated on similar clients.) Inherently, centralized computing is more secure, but in the past problems with a single system caused problems for all dependant thin/dumb clients. The newer trend will be to have instantaneous failover/redundancy centralization with virtual cacheing of data tranmissions, the use of replicated virtual machines (VM) and OS'es running in tandem (on redundant architecture) with special hardware and networking configurations.
I tend to think computing will migrate and 'evolve' in the following ways in the near decades.
Significant centralization will occur, but tiering will go beyond three levels, with multiple integrations of individual and replicated application server(s) either in VM OS's on a heterogenous hardware platform (like a mainframe, but much smaller systems physically) using much more powerful, reliable, resilient parallel processing hardware. Each application VM will have individual hardware and software associations along with integrated and semi-independent/dependent security infrastructure hardware, software using authetication incorporating user biometrics and electronic ID systems. Terminals will be smaller, much more power efficient, much faster (probably even using asynchronous, parallel multi-processing as opposed to synchronous); use non-volatile memory that is lower in power and much more efficient using switching technology (which actually emulates the neural activitiy in the human brain); implement dynamically, flashable client application asics (part of the three tiers); use extremely fast, reliable non-volatile data storage without moving disks; smarter, automatic, dynamic updating of applications and tiers of applications as changes are implemented; storage of data (centralized for security) and more powerful than multiprocessing servers and mainframes today.
Real time, responsive voice operation of teminals and communication devices will be fully plausible and reasonable.
Low latency, high bandwidth and inexpensive networking and voice technology will be the next technology revolution. The ability to speak to a device and for it to translate and understand, respond and transmit data or communications will change the way people work (with technology faster than anyone can speak and accurate to 99.999% it will be comparable to the the industrial revolution, the telegraph, telephone, transistor, IC, computer, networking, cellphone, internet, HTML/www).
The need for network speed and efficiency will accelerate.
In the emergence of need for greater simultaneous transmission and reception of video/audio/data on networks from multiple sources, Ethernet will go away and either some standard like ATM or another cheaper and still efficient networking standard will emerge. Ethernet cannot handle multiple streams to/from a single IP host efficiently, so this produces significant latency problems with Voice over IP, streaming media, concurrent video sessions and data to/from multiple IP hosts and a single IP access point like servers or PBX access points, wireless voice communications access points, gateways/WAN ports, IM servers, and other data access.
Networks will have to be much more efficient than Ethernet currently permits, and this will occur eventually.
Communications, data processing and video transmission/reception will occur in real time around the world with very little limitation. (This will be perceived as a right to some, not a service or privelege.)
------
The major social implications and problems are the same ones that currently exist: unscrupulous people, depraved and despotic individuals using technology to kill millions of other people through the proliferation of atomic/neutron weapons (made more possible by even more powerful computers among the poor and jealous radical Muslim or other similarly deprived and fanatical groups), extreme biological-genetic modification and warfare that science fiction has come fairly close to portraying as alien creatures, and the continual subjugation and destruction of smaller, honest businesses by monopolies and organized crime and drug cartels to control as much of the world as possible. Oh yeah, such advanced computer and communication systems will ensure that individuals have little privacy, the US Constituition will be overruled by world courts and we will all live happily under the auspices and direction of the UN Secretary General and its councils which ensure security for the people of the world with panel members like Sudan, Libya, Syria and others that will continue to replace the US on the UN Security Council. Remember in an international court, 50 votes from countries poplulated with people ignorant of freedom and democracy produce contstituents with the same lack of vision for the world and will counter the one or two countries supporting life and freedoms for peoples around the world. For some this will ensure the destruction of any nation defending the freedom and rights of any people not deemed to be in compliance with this world governing party of mongrels. One happy world government where people no longer have rights and real freedoms, and the US no longer exists.
This is part of what we can expect in a connected, technologically advanced world where the US gives and sells away its technology and assetts and technologically trains the citizens of other countries who have no value or respect for life of many people.
PS: IT WILL HAPPEN!!!!
Ok, so I am evil 
Facebook
Twitter