I use this column to discuss what I think about the near or long term future of the computer industry. In past issues I have discussed how different companies are planning on using computer technology in new ways. This brings up an interesting point about computing in general and the direction the PC is heading in particular.
It is unlikely that the first "computer" you ever owned actually sat on your desktop. It is much more likely that it was located in your microwave oven, your VCR or your automobile. Just as NASA uses various computing devices to control their satellites, manufacturers have been using microprocessors in their major appliances for over a decade. Your new refrigerator may well control humidity, temperature and defrost rate using a small computer chip that is probably as powerful as early versions of today's PCs.
So, it is reasonable to suppose that these appliances will be getting even smarter in the future. A simple extrapolation would suggest that the refrigerator of the future may have as much computing power as a modern desktop PC. If so, what will it do with all that power?
Well, it will probably talk to other appliance/computer crossbreeds. Just as modern offices are networked together, the home of the future will include networkable appliances, all hooked to a central "brain" that controls everything. Your stereo, television, home computer, VCR, telephone, kitchen appliances, central air/heat, and virtually every other device in your home will have the capacity to talk to each other. Imagine being able to warm up your car while you finish your morning coffee. Not only will you be able to program your entire morning routine, from the temperature of the shower water to the creation of your first cup of coffee, you will also be able to program different routines for different days. Your house will "know" when it is Saturday and will remember that you sleep until 10:00, like your shower water at 120 degrees, your coffee at 10:15, your television on channel 4, your bathroom at 75 degrees and the kitchen at 68 degrees, etc. etc. etc...
Are you ready for this brave new world? I can't wait!
