Why does this sound familiar? Oh yeah. 
-app103
And also because it should by now be obvious what the larger strategies are for people like Microsoft and the government.
The massively empowering personal computing phenomena is too "disruptive" to the powers that be
and those who would profit by serving them.
"So the time has come," the Walrus said, "to make it
all go away."
After seeing the emergence of a technology that arguably had the single most profound effect on human society since the invention of gunpowder, there's a feeling in high places that it may be just a little
too empowering to let it remain unchecked, or be left completely in the hands of the masses.
Hence regulated and heavily monitored "clouds" will replace the open internet; patents will continue to be used to stifle innovation and restrict future developmental efforts to approved and "trusted" business partners; and most importantly - the personal computer must be replaced by a locked-down computing "appliance" that gets it's software from a capriciously regulated company store.
And one way to accomplish that is to take away the ability to load your own software. Or posess your own copies. Both goals can readily be accomplished by simply taking hard media (like DVDs) out of the equation.
Adobe has already done that with their family of products. Microsoft is well on it's way to doing that for their entire ecosystem. And where the big devs go, the smaller will of necessity follow.
It won't stop the techno-hacker community from working to get around it. But it will be used to marginalize them. And if eventually made illegal, will also up the stakes drastically for those who continue to refuse to play the hand big business and Uncle Sam deals them.
It's the same old story. Those in power have no problem
sharing power with those they hold it over. Unless those they empower decide to actually try and
use some of it...
A computer is only as good as the software that runs on it. Without software a PC is just an inert box of electronic components. And the easiest way to regulate and control it is to restrict access to the software that runs on it. App stores and closed platforms are the first step in a larger transitional strategy. Moving everything up to the cloud is the next. Because once the capability to store your data locally is eliminated (or made illegal) you live inside a surveillance system that Big Brother himself would have envied.
Eventually the PC will go the way of the dodo unless this trend is reversed. Figure within 25 years or less at the rate things are moving.
Have a nice day!
