Infinite Path

The way we use a computers now is undoubtedly different from when they first became mainstream over 15 years ago. At that time we used them for word processing, playing the odd game, creating spreadsheets and storing information. Then came the internet. The internet has changed the way we use personal computers dramatically.

More and more, the computer is used simply as a device to access the internet. This is why the net-book has become so popular. The importance of the internet – and lower prices of personal computers – has meant that the market who use computers has changed a lot. More users are just browsing the internet and any many of the tasks that were once completed on the computer itself are now completed online.

These developments have meant that the operating systems which run our computers have had to change. Windows Vista was the last Microsoft OS to be designed for the computer itself. The next generation of operating systems, with Windows 7 being Microsoft’s first offering, are designed with access to the internet being the most important factor. The aim is that access to the internet should be possible within seconds of starting up.

In the past, operating systems have been very clunky and their intended purpose was to run lots of different programs at the same time and store lots of information on the hard disk. Now, it is hoped that much of that information will be stored in the ‘cloud’. And similarly, many of the programs once found only on a CD to be loaded onto our machines will now be available online too.

Microsoft is not leading the way with regard to online applications. Google has been the leader in online document sharing and creation for some time. However, Microsoft is trying desperately to add more online applications to its offering.

It will not be long until our personal computer experience changes forever. Windows 7 may pave the way for this change but whether users will convert to using a new operating system after Vista was so poorly received is yet to be seen.