First came the isolated PC on the desktop. Then the network, and the client-server model. Home PCs, though, remained isolated and secluded—get software, run it on the PC. For every new application or upgrade, pay a high price, or pirate. In either case, the initial experience of using a product may be one of disenchantment.

Users are increasingly looking for richer features to take care of their growing computing needs. But as individuals they have little choice but to keep their purchase to a minimum. Even early adopters and nerds are reluctant to keep trying complex new software that needs to be installed from scratch each time.

The bandwidth shift

Now think of the future. What will happen to the world of PCs in an era of abundant bandwidth and intelligent routers? Peer-to-peer Napster-Gnutella models would let you choose your software from a vast range of products.

With more bandwidth comes this opportunity for PC users to form networked, real-time communities. Community members will be able to share apps created by individual members. Napster has already provided the opportunity for music lovers to share their stock of music worldwide, often illegally. If Shawn Fanning—the Napster software developer—could do it, why not the followers of the open source model? There must be many Richard Stallmans or Linus Torvalds waiting in the wings.

Will more bandwidth imply the days of packaged software coming to an end? "Certainly not, the standard packaged software is far superior. Further, in view of proper upgrades and services, people will look for packaged software," says Microsoft OEM director for South Asia, Rajeev Popli. According to Popli, more bandwidth means a matching of local and remote application needs, and open source software may find its own place, guided by the needs of individual users. It may happen that a large number of PC users who are comfortable with software like Microsoft Office or Adobe PhotoShop will get them on hire at a cheap rate from the application software providers. This use-and-pay model would become a viable alternative for PC users—the local cable operators and ISPs serving as the providers. Such application providers would attempt to provide a host of packages with regular upgrades, which would cost a fortune to users if bought separately from the market.

For shareware and open source software, a single site may not be the only place of search for Web browsers; every computer will act as a source for the new and innovative applications. The whole thing has a great significance so far as the richness and flexibility of applications are concerned.

Says SV Ramana, Cisco systems engineering manager: "With more bandwidth, new Net-based apps will come into force. These will include video-on-demand and videoconferencing." With intelligent multicast tech solutions, it’s likely that the latest blockbusters of Hollywood and Bollywood are available on the Net and will reach the users whenever they wish to see them. Video and multimedia streaming will make that as easy as accessing a file on the hard disk. "So far, accessing the Net has been quite frustrating. In future, with plenty of bandwidth, running resource-hungry apps would not be a problem," Ramana says..

Inside the PC

Running a PC that has video and multimedia streaming means more memory and high-end graphic cards and multimedia kits. 15-inch monitors are now standard, but with more multimedia content, the monitor segment would see an increased demand for larger viewing area. Moreover, with prices coming down, the LCD flat-panel segment would witness a flurry of activity. With more bandwidth, convergence will drive the PC specs—PCs without Ethernet cards or fax modem card would become unthinkable.

The Web-based model that emerges, driven by a sufficient bandwidth, would make the present day PC undergo many changes. Whatever be the form, the PC is likely to remain an essential component of the new model. However, the new computing model (even if ‘computing’ has different connotations then) would also see several non-PC devices in common use.

A DQ Report

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