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A Tale of Three Desktops

It's easy to forget that the desktop we see on our monitors is a metaphor for the real thing -- the wooden, plastic, or metal surface we sit in front of every day with the intention of getting work done. One of the amazing things about your desktop, the real one, is that it doesn't get in your way. Your real desktop merely supports whatever endeavor you're engaged in.

And as if those two definitions of desktop weren't enough, there's yet another thing called a desktop you're undoubtedly familiar with as well. The device sitting on top of (or perhaps under) your desk generating a lot of heat and taking up a lot of space is also called a desktop, if only to differentiate it from a laptop. This desktop stores your files, runs your applications and is almost always an unbelievably complex combination of components inexorably linked to a specific operating system. But, the complexity is completely hidden from the user and it just works, right?

What about when you need a piece of software installed, maybe something like a new accounting package? Does IT have to physically visit you and your machine to install it? Or, have you ever had your machine infected with a virus? If so, you know the feeling of being afraid to turn it on for fear that something cataclysmic might happen. Or, have you ever needed to run a piece of software that wasn't designed for the operating system you have installed on your desktop?

These problems are all too common, and are being taken very seriously today by organizations of all sizes. Real dollars are lost when people are unable to use their computers, even for users that rely on their machines mainly for simple tasks like email. But there is a solution, and all that it requires is a slight shift in focus.

What if your desktop device behaved more like your real desktop and was simply there to support whatever endeavor you were engaged in? What if you weren't concerned about what chip or OS your desktop device was running or how much RAM you have? What if you could bring your desktop with you to any place in the world with an Internet connection without lugging a laptop with you?

These things are all possible today.

It's time to expand the idea of desktop computing to be about more than that thing that sits on your desk or what you see on your monitor. Desktop computing is about providing convenient and secure access to applications and data. It's about giving IT the flexibility to deploy different types of devices for different needs. It's about rolling out the best piece of software for a given task, not the one that's compatible with whatever operating system the audience is using. And mostly, it's about providing reliable tools to help people get work done.

Welcome to my blog. I know I'll learn more from the collective audience here than they ever could from me. And that's the point. Cheers.

-Chris

Posted at 12:38PM Nov 30, 2006 by Chris in Sun  |  Comments[2]