I know that we (IT Folks) are all used to the concept of system images which can be used to deploy fresh builds/images to machines that are based on standards. Further we are used to the idea of VMs that run in clusters/clouds etc. and we are used to virtual desktop environments that run as a terminal interface to a VDI backend, finally we are also familiar checking out files for source control etc.
I believe that we are close to being able to 'check-out' a system image that would be downloaded as a VM to a machine (physical machine) where it runs locally as a fully installed OS - but then can be 'checked in' and released once done. A new physical machine comes along and we check out our image.
We can further abstract the user profile data and have it follow the user (there is a company that was recently bought that does this piece... I cant recall the name).
The idea is high-layer virtualization. Where we had virtualized machine, OS, APP and recently infrastructure such as storage - we have virtualized profiles as well. Soon we will have virtual installs.
There is a hybrid model I wrote about some years ago, posted recently to HN as well - which is similar to the Atrix concept. You have all your user profile data on the mobile device and you effectively check-in to a KVM for better screen and input.
I am not sure about the dock of the Atrix, if it has a CPU and GPU for bigger/faster/better -- but this is what I am referring to.
The data profile is tied to the person. Everything else floats - when the use-case calls for better CPU/GPU you check-out the physical device...
I believe that we are close to being able to 'check-out' a system image that would be downloaded as a VM to a machine (physical machine) where it runs locally as a fully installed OS - but then can be 'checked in' and released once done. A new physical machine comes along and we check out our image.
We can further abstract the user profile data and have it follow the user (there is a company that was recently bought that does this piece... I cant recall the name).
The idea is high-layer virtualization. Where we had virtualized machine, OS, APP and recently infrastructure such as storage - we have virtualized profiles as well. Soon we will have virtual installs.
There is a hybrid model I wrote about some years ago, posted recently to HN as well - which is similar to the Atrix concept. You have all your user profile data on the mobile device and you effectively check-in to a KVM for better screen and input.
I am not sure about the dock of the Atrix, if it has a CPU and GPU for bigger/faster/better -- but this is what I am referring to.
The data profile is tied to the person. Everything else floats - when the use-case calls for better CPU/GPU you check-out the physical device...