BeverlyBrongersma.com

well, I’m not sure about that…

When I heard the term Web 2.0 my first thoughts were You Tube! and MySpace! and other social networking sites.

Now when I think of Web 2.0 I see the future of the internet.

There are many new devices that are ultra portable “netbooks” like the ASUS EEEPC which utilizes flash memory “solid state” instead of the usual hard drive. This is a good thing. Solid state uses less power enabling the EEEPC to boot quicker. And because it is “Solid” it is less likely to be affected by shock damage.

The downside is that these solid state drives currently do not have the same storage capacity of the conventional hard drive.

But, with the internet… do we really need bigger drives in our devices?

You can access the internet from just about anywhere. All of the current devices are being manufactured with this in mind.

Regardless of the operating system; linux, windows, mac..etc you can access the internet.

I give props to Apple and their MacBook Air. It definitely seems fragile and I can’t say I will be picking one up in the near future due to the price. But, the lack of USB and a CD/DVD drive is very forward thinking.

There are browser based desktops like CLOUDO, EYEOS, and JOOCE that can enable people who don’t own a home PC to access their data from other locations. Whether it’s the library, an internet cafe, your friends house, or the office you have access to everything you would find in a traditional operating system.

If you take this a step further… imagine a device that had a very small solid state drive say 1GB and some adequate RAM. The only operating system to speak of is an internet browser. With that browser you can access all of your data online. There are services like BOX,  XDRIVE, and DROPBOKS that offer free online storage as well as paid subscriptions for additional storage and services.

These devices can be so small and portable. They can also be powered by wireless companies to ensure internet connection if a hotspot is not available. Imagine the IPHONE… times a million.

It could happen. It will happen.

I don’t know about you… but I can’t wait.

The only downfall is for those with bad eyes. I’m sorry but portability is hard to see. Unless you have a projector unit that can override the screen… oh but I digress.