Mainstream computers have only been around for around thirty years but businesses, consumers, hardware manufacturers and software vendors appear to be trying to make the humble (and relatively new) desktop computer defunct.
Back in the 1980s, the desktop didn't really exist but secure, stable, speedy, albeit unfriendly, giant mainframe computers did exist. Unfriendly they may have been, but at least they were simple, secure and stable.
Business users and less technical, non-geeky mainframe administrators started buying more mainstream computers and networking equipment ... people were moving from secure mainframes to less secure and less stable networked computers. Ring any bells?
Fast-forward three decades to the twenty-tens and history seems to be repeating itself. From slightly more secure desktop computers which are harder to steal and data could be controlled by tablets, smart phones and cloud computing.
With fixed desktop computers and networks, data can be controlled and is more difficult to steal – with tablets, smart phones and cloud computing control and security is rather more problematic. Mobile devices and cloud computing means the days of the corporate firewall are over. Cloud computing crazes means your data is dotted around; likewise with mobile devices.
Bring your own device (BYOD) is one of the latest crazes with various software vendors offering solutions. However, many IT directors have admitted it doesn't work with senior managers themselves going against the rules; and in the end, by the time businesses have paid for consultancy, installation, software licenses and administrator costs it may actually work out more expensive than other options.
An additional thought: just because a craze or trend is in vogue, should we follow it because everyone else seems to be?