The New Pirates of Silicon Valley - The Next Big Thing?
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So what is going to be the next Microsoft, the Next Google, or next Facebook? If I knew what was going to be the next big thing, I would be working on it now. But I can tell you where computing might be going.
Notebook computers are becoming the old desktop PCs, and portable computing is going to the Ultra Mobile PC. These are smaller notebooks that are bigger than a PDA but still small enough to carry around with you anywhere. This new PC isn't going to be nearly as fast, but will still want to run anything your desktop can. Hardware isn't as focused as it used to be on how fast it could go; now designers are trying to see how efficient and green it can be. I have a feeling that software is going to be more web-based in the future, and we will have less software installed on our hard drives.
As far as software and web sites are concerned, I think the next big thing will be a one stop shop for all my application and Internet needs. It will be the "Amazon" of the computer, a place where I can find anything I need to do in one central location. I think that a place like iGoogle is moving in the right direction. I can check email, news, my to-do list and calendar, all in one centralized location. The page is customizable for each person's preferences. Do you need to type a memo or make a PowerPoint presentation? Google Docs is the answer for you. This is a great effort in the right direction, but I don't think it's totally there yet.
Microsoft and other big name Silicon Valley companies are starting to realize that some of the brightest minds of the time aren't currently making millions at some company, but searching the coach for loose change. The likes of Intel, Microsoft and more are all throwing money into universities left and right. Recently Intel and Microsoft gave $20 million to two universities to help fund research.
Conclusion
Move over you 30-something and 40-something-year-olds; 20-something kids are coming to take over the seas. No longer are Bill and Steve the Pirates of Silicon Valley; it's now people like Larry Page and Shawn Fanning that are at the forefront of technology. The sea of Silicon Valley is one that isn't dominated for very long, and the next generation should be coming up in a few years. It could be you! I'm not sure who it is, or what the next big thing is, but it's coming. Technology is unpredictable and frequently changing. The next big thing always seems to be just on the horizon.
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