What do you think about this Idea? | Hacker News Reader

What do you think about this Idea?

7 pointswasifaleem305 comments

Hello!...I've been lurking for around 3 months ....recently i've been thinking about this idea even though it's cliche you can point me in directions if it already exists .

What is your opinion about a service which has a highly complex yet simple to use web app and a cross platform non-resource-hogging simple native app ex-Dropbox which will be responsible for transmitting the core home computing experience from users home/personal computer to to the web app. i don't mean uses like files or folder by this but like actually accessing the whole of hard-disc plus processing power and being able to control from remote location accessing native apps etc a full computing experience via web app using peer to peer or intermediate servers. i don't mean team viewer.

The key here being experiencing the the personal computer as a whole not just files/folders via web app with subtle intuitive UX changes.

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If I understand you correctly -- and I'm not sure that I do -- you could be positioning yourself to be at the forefront of the computer industry as it gradually shifts into a more virtualized state.

1: I don't think you're clear yet on what you're imagining. Have you tried drawing it out, writing it down, mocking it up? Written any actual code yet?

2: There are likely a huge number of challenges you haven't fully considered yet, from scalability to document compatibility to organization to UI ... and on and on. This would be a large undertaking to execute well. How would you handle the huge number of people with poor/nonexistent "broadband" in the U.S.?

3: There are also likely already a number of people already working on this. (My company is working on something similar, though not as advanced as what you seem to be proposing.) So, you'll have to get moving! Early bird gets the worm! :-)

4: Don't be afraid to reinvent the wheel. If my extensive experience with computer-using novices has taught me anything, it's that there is a huge opportunity to throw out everything about current UI and start over with something much more "human". For example: get rid of folders entirely. They're a horrible idea, always were; they're a holdover from a simpler time. People have a terrible time with folders. They download pictures from their camera and have no idea where they've gone; they accidentally open up "My Computer" and get lost immediately; they misplace documents all the time; they can't organize them at all. How would you handle this differently?

I'd love to see something cool like this.

I'm sure the ambiguity is deliberate.

Okay! I think you understood my point. I was proposing a problem which comes with an huge opportunity like you mentioned which is yet to be solved.

1)Imagine you can use your personal computer from your "Work computer". I am speaking about the exact same feeling but i don't have any kind-of UX mapped out.I do think we would need a total UI revolution for any kind of this thing to work.

2)I am aware of some of the challenges involved and I don't think Broadband will be an issue in the coming years even in thirdworld countries.

Can you write this in point form? I don't understand a single thing you are getting at

So, on the one hand, I read this as a buzz-laden attempt to find the holy grail of programming.

"Highly complex yet simple to use" is a very major challenge on its own.

"Cross-platform non-resource-hogging simple native app" is another very major challenge.

If you can build ANY app that meets those criteria and does it well, it's likely to succeed. Ignoring the idea of the app altogether, go tackle a problem in a domain you have familiarity with and kick its ass. Ignore existing competitors, as the above-referenced feature set will destroy them.

As for the idea itself, what's different about this than something like "GoToMyPC"?

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