Microsoft has given strong indications that Windows will not last forever. Don’t panic … it’s not happening immediately.

Microsoft has recognised the benefits offered by a non-Windows operating system. Microsoft has confirmed that project Midori exists, but not exactly what it does.

There are many leaks from within the company indicating that Midori is internet-based and that it will get rid of the requirement to have specific hardware in order to run an application. It is likely that Microsoft see this as an approach to implementing ‘cloud computing’, where software is a service and your computer does not need to have anything special installed to make use of it.

An example of this approach is Google, with its ever-increasing choice of online applications: word processing, calendar, spreadsheet, photo editor etc.

Some commentators have indicated that this is definitely the way that things are heading, BUT what happens when you lose your Internet connection? Your files are centralised, your software is centralised (reducing your PC to little more than a terminal) … the weak link is the network … when it goes … everything goes.

Another concern that springs to mind is data security. Here in the UK we have had a spate of institutions losing personally indentifiable data (names, addresses, national insurance numbers, security questions etc. etc.). How is data security going to be adequately covered with “Cloud Computing”?