Re: Farming out compute intensive processes?
"Are we back in the days of Mainframes now, or just terminal servers and thin clients? How long until security and bandwidth concerns push us back onto only using machines we actually control?!"
What? Security concerns? Mainframes are far more secure than PCs or a PC architecture. It isn't even close. I believe the IBM mainframe has not yet been hacked (50 something years since introduction). Just think about it. What is more secure? One incredibly well guarded server, purpose built for maximum security... or a thousands PCs being left on the table at Starbucks or floating around the office? Say nothing about the superiority of IBM z/OS (or Unix derivative) OSs to Windows.... The whole cloud security concern doesn't make much sense either. Who is likely going to do a better job? Google or AWS with an army of top notch security engineers, huge amounts of cash to spend on security, and every incentive to ensure their customers data is never hacked, or whoever the local business happens to hire for their security position?
What can you really do with a PC that is not connected to the internet? You can create a spreadsheet offline (which you can do with Chromebook as well)... Not much otherwise. Play a game I suppose. It is really a solution in search of a problem for most people though. Most people always have internet access... if they don't have WiFi, they are looking at their phones... not their offline PC.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
