Computer communication is a really broad topic to cover. It includes communication with one’s personal computer, communication with other adjacent computers connected in a network, communication with other computers over a Wide Area Network, communication over the Internet, and direct communication between two distant computers. In its broadest sense, It includes advances in the computers themselves, as well as the I/O devices that make communication possible. The advances include both the hardware and the software. This is just the advances in the user end. There are advances in the server end that will make computer communication do things we never dreamed about five years ago.

We are also on the verge of being able to speak into our watches to communicate visually and otherwise with one another. Wireless, cellular, hand-held, and palm devices are new terms we are beginning to live with. The ability to be nearly completely mobile will greatly enhance our communication lives in the future. The technology for these devices is moving at lightning speed, with new techniques and capabilities being introduced every day.

Let the speculation begin
In order to organize this fantasy, I will attempt to cover the broad areas of hardware, software, transmission service capability, network capability, server capability, and other miscellaneous areas as we proceed.

Hardware
What can I say, with 1 GHZ CPUs now in the $320.00 price range, random access memory running at 133 MHz, 20.2 - 30.2 GB hard disk drives running at 7,200 RPM and costing $130.00 to $180.00, video cards with 64 MB memory, network interface cards running at 10/100 MHz, and Windows ME nearly stable, home and small office computing is getting up there with the big boys. Real computer power can be in our hands at a reasonable cost. Even faster, bigger, and larger everything are on the horizon. All this computer power makes on-line communication much easier. Hotter, faster CPUs are in test as this is written. Faster, bigger hard disk drives are in the works. Fibre optic and wireless networks are becoming economic realities for individuals and small business.

With all this computer power available to the rest of us, all that neat stuff, DVD, CD-RW, on-line video, POIP (Telephone Over Internet Protocol), MP3 music, and other graphics data movement, offer computer communication new avenues of data transmission we could only dream of five years ago. The hardware future is as bright as it ever has been.

Hand-held devices, mobile telephones and PDAs, are ready to become the communication devices of choice. Voice, visual, and Internet connections are available and will become more wide-spread for personal and corporate use within the next few years. The Internet connection alone is worth the use of hand-held devices. E-mail, voice mail, browser information, and data files can all be transmitted to and from hand-held devices. NIPs (National Internet Providers) are moving into the mobile/cellular markets by adding Internet content to their phone services. The major metropolitan market areas should have real national coverage within the next year. Communication will be literally in our watches in the future.

Software
Even the PC operating system software environment is becoming stable. Windows 98 SE and Windows ME are both fairly stable. Each provides the communication services we have come expect. Both OS software packages handle networking including the Internet TCP/IP (Transmission Control Protocol/ Internet Protocol) protocols in both the local network and across the Internet. Both have multiple computer communication sharing to enhance broadband connectivity among more than one computer in the connection. The Windows ME does not handle legacy DOS based communication applications and runs 32 bit only.

The Windows NT 4.0 and Windows 2000 OS software is also relatively stable and very useful in computer communications. The networking capability of both provides fully connected computers in a network or over the Internet via TCP/IP protocols with ease.

The Windows CE OS for hand-held devices is fully capable of connectivity. My Hewlett Packard Jornada 548 hand-held uses this OS and is fully capable of full Internet e-mail and browsing with one of the NIP providers.

The Linux OS is coming on strong as an alternative to Windows and is fully capable of doing communication. I will not speculate much on Linux except to point out that the major hardware suppliers are building computers especially for Linux. IBM, Compaq, Dell, and Gateway all have a line of Linux workstations and servers for mid level business.

As can be seen, the OS software is capable of connectivity and has become stable for communication. I remain optimistic that even Microsoft can finally get it right and meet the future. The alternative OS systems in Linux and others, coupled with the potential breakup of Microsoft can only bring better OS environments for us to use to get our work and play done.

Transmission service capability
It is when we move up the food chain in transmission capability that the real speculation about the future comes into play. This is not your father’s 300 baud analog modem services any more. We’re talking Gigabyte level downstream data flows and more than half that upstream. With the advent of the V.90 56 Kbps analog modem a few years ago, we were really communicating. Digital data transmission changed all that with ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), DSL (Digital Subscribers Line), and direct cable. The data pipe suddenly got larger with digital data transmission for the rest of us. The corporate world had T-1 and higher digital capability and now individuals and small business are able to connect to as fast connections as they did earlier. DSL and Direct Cable offer 10 to 14 times the V.90 56 Kbps throughput for individuals at 566 to 766 Kbps downstream and 370 Kbps upstream. And, the services are price attractive to individuals and small business. Data subscription services, i. e., broadband ISP, capabilities can only get better.

In San Antonio, we have two heavy hitter broadband providers, Southwest Bell and Time Warner, each providing high speed connectivity products. It is reported in the news that SW Bell has a multi-billion infrastructure program on-going to provide its broadband product, DSL, to every household in Bexar County.

Time Warner RoadRunner (RR) has completed its infrastructure in San Antonio and New Braunfels, and will complete its work in Seguin early next year. RR is now in a new broadband product mode with several neat offers to come out next year. Much of this new stuff is due to the AOL/Time Warner merger which is about to be completed. Lots of content, POIP, video on demand, interactive TV, and Internet radio were mentioned in passing in a recent conversation. RR’s offering of POIP coupled with the AOL connection should make the long distance POTS providers think twice. I also have it on good authority that RR will be offering wireless home connections in the coming year.

Broadband is within the capability of individuals and small business and will continue to get better with time. Remember what Tom T. Hall and I always say, “Faster is better”.

Network capability
It is when we get to networks that the future is really bright. 10/100 MHz Cat 5 cabled networks are common place and was not even available five years ago to most of us. Now the hub, switch, and router hardware is available off-the-shelf at reasonable prices for individual and small office use. Most of us have more than one computer at home and as we get broadband Internet connections, find that we want to connect all of the computers to that communication port. Networks help us to do that.

Hubs are not the only devices available to make the network connections work. 10/100 MHz switches, smart hubs, are also reasonably priced at below $100.00 for eight port units. Switches are the way to go, especially if you are into gaming, or handle graphics type files in your network.

Wireless networks are also becoming reasonably priced. Wireless is not just a toy any more. I use a wireless node in my SOHO network and have my laptop connected. I can move the laptop anywhere in the house and have a 10 Mbps connection to my network and router. Wireless connections also can be used with my hand-held devices. These devices also use infrared and will be capable of Bluetooth connections in the near future.

Home networks are almost a necessity in today’s computing environment at home and in the small office and will become more so in the future.

Routers used in conjunction with today’s high speed home network and broadband Internet connections offer the ability to have more than one computer on the broadband connection at one time. Routers are also smart devices and know who is on both sides of a connection. Routers also provide network firewall security against hackers in that they are programmed with security protocols. I use an ISDN router now and will switch to a broadband router when the cable and DSL connections are completed. Routers will be standard on most home and small office networks in the future.

Server capability
Many home and small office networks contain file and print servers. Servers are computers, whose function is to provide services to users on the network. File storage containment, print services, remote access, security, and backup are just a few of the services that a server brings to the network. As hardware components get more cost effective (cheaper) and more powerful, it pays to build a server to ease the burden of data handling on the home network. It will only get better in the future.

Conclusion
I have had fun speculating about what is in the future. With more time and column space, I could go on about all the stuff to try out. The future looks really bright for computer communication. I am looking forward to being in the middle of it.