Today
the computing experience is changing. A new class of focused devices
is emerging; rather than general purpose computers these are
appliances.
Consoles
are assigned to play video games.
Subnotebooks/Netbooks:
small low power devices for basic communication task (see Asus
EeePC)
Smartphones
that can play music and movies
These
appliances can be linked together other though wireless to share
digital information.
We can see the example of this with Apple's “digital hub [for a
digital life]” appliance (see Iphone, Ipod, MacBook Air, Imac...)
If
we have a look at the PC sector we can observe more specific
solutions for what people need.
These
multiple devices are expected to work out of the box and to
communicate together. In the context of such devices we need to ask
how and why does freedom remain important.
Users
:
Most
users of appliances don't think about the software and
hardware in their devices. They “just want to read their emails
everywhere”. A typical user won't use software for philosophical
reason but will just want to have a simple, useful and fast solution
for a lifestyle requirement.
Vendors:
The
situation for vendors is different. The licensing of free software
does offer some reduced initial adoption costs, but their benefits
also come from the freedoms offered: they can use cutting edge
technologies without depending on other parties for permission or
access.
They
have the possibility to get help from many free software developers.
As
free software is very versatile, it can easily be
adapted to different hardware. The “wintel” era, where
power-consumptive applications were written to work on more and more
powerful machines, is now ended. Now the hardware isn't more and more
powerful, but more and more specialized.
Free
Software also offers benefit for a market where consumers possess
solutions from different brands, because of the interoperability
between
the OSes and between the hardware. Interoperability makes possible
for different devices to communicate together.
This
interoperability is missing with proprietary software, which work in
an almost closed environment.
Products
of Free Software companies must get more than interoperability, they
have to get substitutability .
That means that companies must give consumers the confidence to stay
as well as the
freedom to leave their products. IT-companies will must offer import
but also export tools and guarantee that no customers' data will be
lost. It will be possible because we will be in an “open standard
world”.
Free Software as a paradigm
offers a better overall market solution.
How
must Free Software adapt to the new situation ?
This
changing IT-market clearly is an opportunity for Free Software.
It allows collaboration, interoperability and flexibility through
freedom.
Proofs
: free software's versatility allows them to get easily installed on
almost every kind of machine, from smartphones to servers via
consoles and netbooks. That means that the consumers transparently
will use the same programs and keep their habits wherever they are.
Free
Software do need more marketing to inform the public of its value.
Free Software projects have also to convince computer constructors to
trust them and work hand in hand with them.
The competition between
IT-companies will be situated there. In that market, the most
competitive company will be the most innovative and the closest to
the needs of the users.
