Will we ALWAYS be stuck with windows, mac, linux and unix types OSes only?

2damncommon · 05-22-2016, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dugan

Are you seriously going to argue that operating systems that run only on IBM mainframes can somehow be seen as "desktop operating systems"? By anyone?

I don't see a problem with that. We'll just need larger desks.

jamison20000e · 05-22-2016, 04:59 PM

Could be steps to get to a desktop, easier than from scratch... as broad as the question is.

Ihatewindows522 · 05-22-2016, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2damncommon

I don't see a problem with that. We'll just need larger desks.

In that case I want a D-Wave. 100 million times faster? Yes please.

In all seriousness though, it is a possibility. Combine that with 5G and G.Fast, and you have a perfect storm for Internet thin clients where the actual computing is done on supercomputers.

jpollard · 05-23-2016, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2damncommon

I don't see a problem with that. We'll just need larger desks.

Not specially. The current desktops are capable of running some of them, and many of the technologies developed specifically for mainframes have found their way into desktop CPUs (at least partially).

The major weaknesses in desktops is incomplete virtual hardware support and a really poor I/O subsystem. Note the Hercules emulators for mainframes (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hercules_%28emulator%29) which can run many IBM mainframe OS on a PC architecture at "reasonable" speeds (matching some hardware)