9fans archive / 1998 / 11 / 57 /    prev next

From: steve_kilbane@ceg... steve_kilbane@ceg...
Subject: [9fans] DMR's OS :(
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 1998 11:12:10 +0000

On 10/11/98 10:22:28 Dharaneedharan Vilwanathan wrote:

> With new communication mechanisms like wireless modem, waveLAN, irDA,
bluetooth,
> etc., things seem to be very promising. In fact, in an Inferno based
solution,
> you will only need to have a device with display and input method.
> Everything else can be in a remote place.

I'm not at all convinced by this. The key attribute of hand-helds is that
they work, wherever you go. If there's any requirement on communications,
they're going to fall over at some point. There's a big leap between being
able to make use of a network while it's there, and having to have one all
the time. Does Inferno support  data replication and conciliation?

Having said that, I find the idea of replaceable application servers deeply
attractive. At the moment, as you move around, your cell-phone attaches to
different cells. Systems like Ricochet could also an Inferno-based server
that provides facilities such as Dharaneedharan mentions "locally", while
your personal data either lives on your palmtop, or on the other side of
the world.

steve