Old guy here (54). Great piece 100% on target. To quote one of my favorite movies, "your saying its all swirling around the drain. Had to end sometime." (Chhronicles of Riddick). Classic disruptive technology (web 2.0) transition, but still about five to ten years away from completion. Remember, Microsoft, like any adversary, has a vote.
A couple of things still slowing down the transition.
1.) Broadband is not yet universal. Rural areas don't have it always and it they do, it is pricey to get.
2.) The installed base will use Win OS's for quite a while still (i.e., Office, engineering apps, business apps), my bet is on a ten year transition.
3.) There is still and will always be value in a stand alone system with an operating system and a cpu onboard for the same reason that the internet was invented. Millions of independently functional and capable cpu's+OS is a million times more robust than central-source server farms having it all. It will only take one war and one EMP burst to prove that.
A couple of things still slowing down the transition.
1.) Broadband is not yet universal. Rural areas don't have it always and it they do, it is pricey to get. 2.) The installed base will use Win OS's for quite a while still (i.e., Office, engineering apps, business apps), my bet is on a ten year transition. 3.) There is still and will always be value in a stand alone system with an operating system and a cpu onboard for the same reason that the internet was invented. Millions of independently functional and capable cpu's+OS is a million times more robust than central-source server farms having it all. It will only take one war and one EMP burst to prove that.