Lately I have been pondering on the topic of profitability in relation to the personal computer and operating systems. I have realized that the business and economics associated with the operating system and PC are fading quickly. If you look at the history of computing, you can see a pattern emerges from the advancement of technology.
Capability
First there was the adding machine. The expected end was the input and output of data by means of the hardware. The required need was the capability to produce consistent data (whatever that may be). The profitable component here is the hardware. Without the hardware, you wouldn't have usable data.
Interactivity
After that, there was the introduction of the personal computer (PC). The required need for the PC was a way of utilizing and organizing data so that a person could interact with the hardware. The profitable component here was the inception of the operating system. Without it, there would be no way of interacting with the PC. Over the span of computing, many operating systems were released, but several failed to gain widespread use.
Productivity
With every subsequent release of an operating system, the amount of interactivity increased to a point where developers began to ask the question, "What can I do with a PC?" The answer came in the form of software and software suites. Thus the target of profitability shifted from the operating system to the software that ran on it. Users no longer cared for what system they were running, but for what software they could run on it. Microsoft Office, for example, can be run on both Windows and Mac OS.
Connectivity
As software [suites] progress, users begin to ask "What am I supposed to do with what I've created?" The solution came in the form of community and the Internet. Sharing and selling information became the target of profit and praise. Many businesses are already reaping the benefits of the Internet through expanded markets as Open Source projects reap those of community involvement.
Possibility
With the advancement of community and connectivity come the applicable possibilities that stem into every day living. The idea of a PC is becoming less and less of a bulky system that sits on a desk and more of a device that can be used for entertainment, medical and security purposes (among countless other applications). The target of profitability becomes the answer to the question, "Where can I apply computing where it hasn't been applied before?"
From capability to interactivity to productivity to connectivity to possibility; what does the future hold for computing? One could only imagine.
