Web 2.0 and the empty computer...

Over the years, having moved around most of life and been one of those guys who used to be the first line with passport in hand when the boss needed someone to go somewhere I started looking for ways of taking my computer with me -- without lugging it.

First was of course developing tons of applications and loaded them on my webserver, well after hours and hours of developing and taking up about 80% of the storage space on my webserver I dumped it all and found other people who were doing the same thing and starting using their applications.

Well that led to the whole USB stick and loading everything I could onto that, I actually worked that way quite well for over a year but then one day I forgot my USB stick and was totally lost at work - talk about a 0% productive day.

Which led me back to doing everything on the net, for the most part I was there already and so the key of course was find ways to get all of the items together.

In my searching I came across IT|Redux and the really extensive list they have put together about Web 2.0 related applications and the fact that they themselves are trying for the 100% net no local computer applications or files (expect a web browser). Looking through their awesome database I actually realized I was already well on my way to the same thing.

Now I'm not 100% away from my local applications, not yet anyway, mostly because of my development and the fact I can't see loading 2 GB of old photos onto my flickr account. I've also not found a real good online file system, although I'm going to try out the ones listed in the database.

One thing I have been working on which I've not found anywhere else was a "quick launch" for my Google Homepage, at least not one that I liked the look and feel of. This little module I've been working is actually just a little bookmark manager but it actually links to some of the more popular Web 2.0 applications and has icons that I found over on silvestre. I really need to check to see if I'm allowed to use the icons which is also why I've not shared this module yet. Well that and the fact I'm not finished.

This together with the GMail and Google Calendar and I've got very easy access to 80% of what I need on the web.

My goal is actually to have by the end of the year nothing on my local PC expect my main development environment, my OS and my web browser. The OS I've even switched out between MS and Linux numerous times (swappable HD) but as my development environment is only MS based at the moment I can't be too hard on myself.

I've been reading up on IT|Redux and I have to say it's quite an impressive blog and I'm hoping to find the time during SAPPHIRE which I just found out Ismael Ghalimi will be there, to have a chat about Office 2.0 and some other interesting things happening with SAP, SDN and of course PHP!