Cloud computing OS

Will Windows 7 be the last Microsoft stand alone operating system? There is a lot of talk about cloud computing, and how it will change the future of technology.

I can't see a desktop OS disappearing any time soon, for at least another 10 years. Although there is no doubt it will become more integrated with central services during this time.

Could we see central software licensing in the future, where apps run from the cloud? That would reduce software piracy but would require some fast internet connections to work. We've had dumb terminals and RDP for a long time, so this would be the next big step.

Broadband is not ready for cloud OSes, especially not in countries with bandwidth caps (rapidly: all).

There are quite a few "unlimited" broadband ISPs in the UK, from which companies actually mean you get around 100GB/month (not unlimited!). If everyone used cloud computing I can imagine the networks grounding to a halt.

Once the 50Mbps and 100Mbps trials go live in a few months over here, we might see those limits increase.