Standalone computers...

[Demon-Xanth]

At the rate we are going, do you think in 5 years it will still be reasonably possible to build a PC that can work by itself w/ no network connections?

With XP having a phone home type of deal, spyware being included in every application, and even BIOSes wanting to phone home, it seems like these companies are assuming that they are going to be in thier present state forever. Just as they assumed thier BBSes were going to be around forever.

What is going to happen when a site changes and when a piece of software (or even hardware) attempts to phone home, there is no answer? Or worse yet, someone else answers?

 

[RDMustang1]

It's a scary thought.. Some day we will have NO privacy

 

[UnderScore]

I don't know about the privacy bit ... but Microsoft's .NET framework positions itself and other companies to provide software as a service with a subscription as opposed to a product with a one-time price.

What if you subscribe to a company providing you a meaningful analysis of your companies datawarehousing project. Ok fine. What if they change their policies, or price, cancel their service, file Chapter 11 or even go under?? Where does that leave your company??

I doubt that Web services are guaranteed to work when the service provider and their infrastructure are gone.

/me ponders the questions ......

 

[Elledan]

Services can be nice and handy, but nothing beats the comfort of having the same functionality in one, single program on your HD or on the HD of a server of your own company.

I still don't see the use .NET to someone with only a laptop and no internet connection in the middle of the Sahara, do you?