I am sitting in San Francisco at one of the tens and tens of Starbucks located throughout the Market District of the city waiting for MacWorld 2011 to commence later this week. As I type on my NetBook which is linked to the Internet via my Android phone, I can't help but imagine what the landscape of technology will look like in two or three years. I think I see the point in time where the computer will be obsolete. As the Internet continues to evolve, I firmly believe that Internet enabled devices (like my Android phone or tablets or even Internet enabled televisions) will reign supreme (very soon). 20 years ago, the Internet was a bulletin board used by a handful of universities. 15 years ago, the Internet was a dial-up modem connecting you to chat rooms on AOL. 10 years ago, the Internet was broadband for e-mail and web browsing. Five years ago, the Internet was mobile on most phones connecting you to your world. And today, the Internet is the central hub for entertainment, shopping, applications, communication, and so much more. Tomorrow, I cannot see how the Internet continue to be limited by the need for a personal computer to harness the functionality and power of this medium. While I think the clock is already ticking on computer obsolesce, I hope that this MacWorld provides some much needed context to when this day will come. And when this day comes, expect the same jaw dropping, world rocking, significant change in all the cultural dynamics that happened with the advent of the radio, the telephone, the television, and the personal computer. Smells like change is in the air. Of course, that could just be the rich house blend wafting in the air. I am at a Starbucks, after all.
About James B. Ramey
James B. Ramey is the CEO of CodeWeavers. His life long love of video gaming started at the tender age of six with an Atari 2600 and evolved over time to include Nintendo, Super Nintendo, Apple Mac IIc, Windows PC, and MacBook Pro. When not fiddling with technology, James enjoys cooking, travel, debating politics in the office, and spending time with his wife, daughter, and their two rescue dogs. For the past 20 years, James has worked with clients around the world in best implementing technology to maximize a return on their investment. He is a graduate of Moorhead State University and earned his MBA from the University of Phoenix. You can find James on Twitter at @jbramey.
James Ramey