How Network Computing will change the way we work

Independence of desktop from physical location

• Login to your account, your own desktop, on any NC in any airport, hotel, conference center, seminar room, or classroom that is on the Internet, anywhere in the world. No more lugging laptops around, or having them stolen. (Okay, this won't work when you go butterfly collecting in the Amazon rainforest. Nothing's perfect.)
• You don't need to plan ahead, deciding which files to download onto your laptop, prior to going on a trip, or going home for the evening. Simply login from wherever you happen to be and start working.
• Smartcards can simplify remote access to your server.

Electronic lectures, seminars, presentations

• Go to a classroom and login to your account. You are ready to show your figures using your favorite program, or demonstrate to students how to use a program, or run graphics-intensive demos, such as 3D-molecular modeling applications. Don't bother carrying a laptop to the classroom. Just use the terminal provided.
• If you're giving a seminar in Germany, don't bring slides, which won't fit into European projectors anyway. Simply log into your account at the podium, and give your seminar, again using your favorite software.

Write-once, Run anywhere software

JAVA, the new programming language from Sun Microsystems, was specifically designed to run on any computer platform. This is how it works: JAVA programs are run within a shell called the Java virtual machine. Since the Java virtual machine has been ported to virtually all computer platforms (eg. Unix, Intel, OpenVMS, IBM mainframes, Macintosh, etc.) all Java programs should run on all platforms. All you need is the Java virtual machine.

Software written in JAVA is therefore platform independent. Software developers need only write and maintain one JAVA version of the software, rather than many versions for many platforms.

The Java Molecular Biology Workbench is an example of a suite of JAVA programs. In this case, the programs are run as applets, which are downloaded from the remote server at runtime. Java programs can also be downloaded and run as standalone appilcations on one's local server, workstation or PC.
 

Soon, any device with a Java chip can become a networked standalone device, that can be operated from any server. Sun's Jini Technology  enables low-overhead, rapid links to the networked world using only a phone-style connector, and perhaps even cellular technology for wireless networking.

COMPARE:

PC-based devices
Networked devices

Clean integration of computing platform, network, lab notebook and lab equipment

• Every device (thermal cycler, sequencer, pipeting robot, gel scanner) will run JAVA software, can be run from your computer account.
• No need to buy a PC for each new device (eg. scanners, densitometers)
• Tailor the device's software to your own lab needs
• Direct transfer of data from device to lab database
• Remote monitoring; notification of results or trouble by email
• JAVA software, rather than hardware logic, allows upgrading or equipment capabilities by upgrading software.
• Purchase equipment separately from controlling software
• Structuring of laboratory processes by linking program modules on the desktop

Competion displaces monopoly; more choices

• JAVAwill begin to eliminate the need to choose a computer platform because of one or two key programs that run only on that platform.
• Even desktops will differ for different types of users. Independent companies can market desktops tailored for running a laboratory, an office, a department, or for the individual lab worker. Many of the same programs (eg. word processing) might be called from any desktop. Many desktops could be run from the same server. Each type of profession might need a different type of desk top.
• There doesn't have to be a single winner. That is, NCs can be so general as to run many different types of desktops, or software form any JAVA-complient vender. In principle, JAVA itself could potentially be replaced by more worthy successors that run on the same hardware.

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