Soon we’ll be computing like it’s 1989

The 1980s saw the age of the mainframe in almost every type of computing: One central machine… The 1980s saw the age of the mainframe in almost every type of computing: One central machine provided services to hundreds of users. Instead of owning personal computers, all user information was shared on a giant, powerful computer box.

While some say mainframe computing died out with the rise of the P.C., this model might be coming back as better Internet connections and app-conscious online browsers take over.

Before the popularity of the personal computer, and before every college student arrived on campus with a brand-spanking-new beige box, Internet technology professionals and those who worked with computers on a regular basis tapped into shared computing resources using terminals – each of which lacked its own ability to process or store information.

The mainframe connected to the terminal would be equipped with multiple processors, each given specific tasks to complete and large data storage farms to organize information.

Upgrades were easy, as all software and hardware were centrally located, and the worst thing that could happen to any individual terminal was a broken keyboard or monitor.

As software became more and more advanced, however, and bandwidth didn’t quite catch up with it, running complicated programs from a centrally located mainframe became inefficient.

As a result, the personal computer was embraced in business, providing each user with a stand-alone, independent computing platform complete with its own processor, its own data-storage device and its own set of programs.

The main problem for IT professionals with personal computers is, of course, keeping all of them up-to-date and fully working.

Modern innovations in Internet bandwidth have led to a series of “new” thoughts in computer architecture that seem to bring the computing world full circle, returning it to the days of the mainframe.

The most common is called “thin-client,” referring to the ability to run an application on your P.C. through an Internet service.

Previous attempts to create a truly thin-client product have failed, as the average bandwidth speeds haven’t been nearly fast enough.

Also, browsers like Internet Explorer, Opera and even the modern Firefox have not been overly friendly to many online applications.

The applications themselves still have the look and feel of websites, and access to them still requires one to enter a specific URL in a browser’s address bar.

It’s not unreasonable to think that personal computers will be replaced by dummy Internet machines that lack data storage and advanced processing capabilities of their own. Mozilla, still in beta release of its Firefox 3 browser, is already beginning to plan the extraordinary features of Firefox 4.

Webware.com, a site dedicated to online applications, recently published a description of Mozilla’s plans for its new Firefox 4 browser.

This browser is far in the future, as Mozilla is still testing the waters with its Firefox 3 release, but the ideas being pushed around display a distinct move in the direction of “thin-client” networks.

First of all, Firefox 4 will attempt to integrate into the computer’s operating system significantly more than any online browser ever has. It will allow online applications to run by simply double-clicking on an icon. With new programming tools like the up-and-coming JavaScript 2.0, developers can create applications for the Internet that have a more “Windows-y” look and feel.

Firefox 4 will also give better offline support to applications, allowing them to run on a computer that’s either temporarily disconnected from the Internet or has been isolated for a long time – e.g. a laptop flying on an extended airplane trip.

Users of the mainframe would all have personal accounts that could be accessed from any terminal connected to the network.

Firefox 4 will make the Internet similar, allowing you to store your bookmarks, page-visit history and other customizable Internet options on a remote server. Undoubtedly, this information will be encrypted and secured.

When you move to a different Internet-enabled machine – say, a University of Pittsburgh lab computer – there’s no need for you to write down URLs.

All of your previously saved bookmarks will be available for you.

Ultimately, as online applications like the suite of Google tools now available – Google Notebook, Google Spreadsheet, etc. – become more advanced and run more seamlessly, entry-level computers with minimal on-board storage might become available and rely heavily on the Internet to run applications.

Without the need for extremely fast processors, we might see those tiny laptops like the Asus EEPC or the Elonex One become more and more prevalent in the common study areas at Pitt.