Opinion for the .NET Technology

Is future of computing .Net or where is it really going? The concept of .Net isn’t new. Its strategy was first born in 2000 by Microsoft and the application of it became quite noticeable in 2002. Today it takes the spotlight with its improvements like that of .Net 2.0 and its widespread application in the Windows operating system. .Net takes computing to a new level – a level where application software not only runs on your computer but also on the internet. No longer do we sit individually tapping on our keyboards at home. We enter a world where everything comes together. You can say, “the processor in my computer is a… I don’t know but I’m doing well, I’m connected and integrated.” Yes, the processor still determines the punch of computing, but more and more it’s about how we compute. My first introduction to this kind of world came about when the Tao Group first introduced the Intent/Elate system for the Amiga. I was very excited about discovering the philosophy of the “Elate” operating system. It felt right and I just knew it would revolutionize future computing. One cannot exactly compare it with Microsoft’s .Net but it has similar ideas, such as that of the middleware concepts. In this context, middleware refers to the CLR, CTS or CLS in .Net (see http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/Code/2005/Feb/Understanding.NET.asp) and the Virtual Machine on Elate. The concept is that code written and running for one platform will also run on any other platform regardless of the hardware. Whether it runs on a desktop computer (Apple or PC) or runs on a PDA, the middleware takes care of the hardware differences. A programmer never needs to rewrite the code for the target machine. Suddenly we see a shift in computer development – writing code that no longer concerns itself with the architecture of the computer. Hardware, chips, and bits, are a thing of the past. We enter a world of standardized development. We see more and more that computing is compartmented into objects of specific tasks. Thus it becomes organized and development becomes easier and clearer. Microsoft’s C# is the pioneering language geared for .Net’s endeavor. The specifics on whom and what is not something a developer should get stuck on. Learning all about .Net and C# is a great way to catch the wave of “hotshot computer ‘deving’” but understanding its philosophy is far more important and interesting. Weather .Net’s integration with the internet is such a good idea, I’m still not certain of, but the standardization of ASP.NET and Windows Forms is quite attractive. I see .Net moving in a positive direction but let us keep a wide eye on the strengths of other technologies such as OSI and smaller organizations like that of the innovative Tao Group.