New details emerge on Midori, end of Windows coming, enter cloud computing
By Justin Montgomery
Though Microsoft is still tight-lipped on the project they call "Midori," some new details have emerged recently that indicate a strong push towards the concept of "cloud computing" and virtualization, that have been making inroads in the industry for some time now. The key concept is to "un-tie" the OS from the PC and hardware it runs on. In other words, an OS that relies solely on an internet connection to operate, instead of any hardware dependencies.
New info about Midori has been published by the Software Development Times after internal Microsoft documents were viewed that described the new technology being used, according to BBC News. Midori is looked at by many to be Microsoft’s attempt to fight back against other forms of virtualisation in various areas of computer technology.
"On the desktop we are seeing people place great value in being able to abstract the desktop from actual physical hardware," said Dan Chu, vice president of emerging products and markets at virtualisation specialist VMWare.
Virtualization is the idea of using "virtual" servers stacked on one single machine to reduce the total number of machines that need to be managed, and to get more out of them overall. Similarly, a PC can become virtual as well. For example, companies that are using older applications that newer operating systems can’t run, it’d be as simple as putting a virtual machine on a PC to keep those older programs up and running. A virtual machine, like its name implies, is a software copy of a computer complete with operating system and associated programs. This concept is what Midori will likely emulate.
In the future, applications will be less reliant on an underlying operating system, and this provides a huge problem for Microsoft. Since an estimated 80% of all Windows sales are made when a new PC is sold, it could cause Microsoft to loose its bloodline. Maybe Midori will remedy this fear and keep Microsoft on top as the industry moves internet-centric, but most likely, it won’t.
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August 5th, 2008
Virtualization definitely started out being important to a very specific group of business owners (as with most new technology phenomena, it was introduced as originally being very important to larger businesses and enterprise-sized businesses). Now we’re seeing it as being very important in small business as well as it bleeds down. I think it will be interesting to see what solutions emerge for businesses as technology changes and new ways of thinking become important and even necessary for businesses of all sizes to compete and stay alive in the marketplace.