On 06/06/2016 08:34 AM, J.M. Porup wrote:
On Mon, Jun 06, 2016 at 05:19:01AM -0400, Chris Laprise wrote:
This is probably an issue where Qubes will have to evolve in order to
succeed. Compare the "desktop Linux" category with Android: The latter has a
reference hardware platform in the form of Nexus. The significance of this
is often overlooked, but Google understands it. (Here, Windows is no real
exception as "IBM compatible" pre-dated "PC compatible" and the former was
its reference hardware platform while Windows predecessor MS-DOS gained in
popularity.)
For the Qubes vision to have impact beyond its current base of core
early adopters, the project needs to sell that vision to long-term VC
investors.
Laptops are rapidly going obsolete, replaced by touch-screen mobile
devices and, in the near future, eyeglass-mounted augmented reality,
followed by virtual reality. Bringing a security-optimized,
compartmentalized vision to these spaces is critical to scaling
security for a billion+ users.
OTOH, tablets shrank even more than PCs, which are doing OK in
establishing a new point of equilibrium with the mobile category.
Overall, people see fewer reasons to continually upgrade hardware than
they used to. That explains why PC shipments started slumping before
tablets took off. The upgrade cycles have become (thankfully) longer. So
I think "obsolete" is pretty inaccurate; the market is actually becoming
more sane.
Ultimately, a reformulation of security and privacy will have to reach
the mobile space, too. But PCs are still the best place for that vision
to solidify not only because (some of) the hardware is appropriate for
running Qubes, but because personal computing is about having control
over one's own devices.
Securing the laptop space is a rear guard action. Aggressively pursuing
funds to secure new frontiers is more likely to produce real-world
results that improve security for a huge chunk of humanity.
Thus far, the 1990s "aggressive" funding and development mentality has
produced products that encourage consumer recklessness. So while I
encourage ITL and Qubes project to do what's necessary to further Qubes
development, I'd also urge them to keep some distance from a particular
business culture that developed insecure products and gobs of so-called
"security" products ...and worse.
Chris
My $0.02
jmp
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
"qubes-devel" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email
to [email protected].
To post to this group, send email to [email protected].
To view this discussion on the web visit
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/qubes-devel/5755C598.4000102%40openmailbox.org.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
