World IT scene full of action in 1999<\/p>\n
By Zatni Arbi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Just like the Intel Pentium III processor, which
\nIntel introduced early last year, developments in information
\ntechnology (IT) never seemed to let up in 1999. It increasingly
\nfelt as if it was a full-time occupation keeping stock of the new
\nthings that appeared in the industry every day.<\/p>\n
One of the biggest splashes last year was the inroads made by
\nthe Linux operating system (some people pronounce it \"line-uks\",
\nothers \"lin-uks\"). Started in 1991 as a noncommercial effort by a
\nFinnish computer scientist by the name of Linus Torvalds, the
\nUNIX-based operating system for the Intel, PowerPC and Alpha
\nplatforms suddenly gained momentum and posed a growing threat to
\nMicrosoft's Windows. Today, the Open Source movement is gaining a
\nfoothold all over the world, including here in Indonesia. The
\ngreatest attraction is the free access to the software -- you can
\ndownload it from the Internet for free.<\/p>\n
In the area of Internet connections, Digital Subscriber Line,
\nparticularly the Asynchronous flavor spearheaded by Alcatel, also
\ngained momentum in the United States and other advanced
\ncountries.<\/p>\n
Close to home, Singapore launched large-scale ADSL through
\nSingTel's Magix. With an ADSL connection, Magix subscribers can
\naccess the Internet at 512 Kbps, or almost 10 times the speed of
\nthe 56Kbps modem. What's more, the enviable Singaporeans can surf
\nthe Net while talking on the phone or sending or receiving faxes
\nwithout a second phone line. The cost is S$60 per month,
\nincluding 30 hours of online time, and there's no phone charge.
\nThat invites a sad comparison with Indonesia, where we have to
\npay for the online time and the phone pulses for a paltry 28.8
\nKbps connection -- if we're lucky enough to get that speed.<\/p>\n
And while our own PT Telkom is still struggling with the basic
\ninfrastructure, a.k.a. the fixed wireline phone services, the
\nworld has been moving full-steam ahead to \"Internet anytime,
\nanywhere\". Its foundation is the Wireless Application Protocol,
\nor WAP, which allows us to use handheld devices, such as our
\ncellphones and PDAs, to access E-mail and browse a text-based Web
\npage. WAP is a standard that has been worked out by the three
\nmajor cellular phone makers: Motorola, Ericsson and Nokia, so
\nyou'll know how it turns out.<\/p>\n
The trend toward Internet services for people who are always
\non the move was accompanied with the growing popularity of
\nPersonal Digital Assistants, or PDAs, after a couple of years of
\nlackluster success. Palm, which is owned by 3Com, introduced Palm
\nIII, V and VII (just like the BMWs) during 1999. Compaq also
\nentered the handheld PC segment with its Aero. A newcomer by the
\nname Handspring launched its Visor, which immediately became very
\npopular and even threatened the dominance of the Palm PDAs. And
\ndon't leave out Casiopeia from Casio, which is now available in
\nIndonesia as well.<\/p>\n
All the tremendous fuss about the Internet and e-commerce also
\nled a couple of brave entrepreneurs in the U.S. to believe that
\nthey could become rich by giving away PCs. So the free PC trend
\ntook off last year in an effort to lure a lot of people to the
\nInternet. Those who believed that there was such a thing as a
\nfree PC would get a decent machine as long they agreed to let
\nthemselves be bombarded by advertisements and signed a long-term
\ncontract with a particular ISP.<\/p>\n
Webpreneurs also had another idea for selling their banner ad
\nspace: they offered free Internet access. And, just as the year
\ncame to its final days, one of them, FreeNet, came to Kuala
\nLumpur and promised to offer free Internet access to subscribers
\nin Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia. Now it
\nwill be interesting to see how our government will respond to
\nthis.<\/p>\n
The design of the PC itself underwent a radical change last
\nyear, thanks to the overwhelming success of the sexy iMac from
\nApple. Actually, a couple of years ago Compaq offered an all-in-
\none PC -- a complete PC with an LCD monitor, but the time was
\nevidently not right for that idea. Today, however, we see so many
\ncute PC models attached to the back of the LCD panel from leading
\nPC vendors such as Acer, Fujitsu, Mitac and NEC.<\/p>\n
Other strong trends were the increasing capabilities and
\ndecreasing prices of digital cameras and photo printers, the
\ngrowing acceptance of home networking, the runaway popularity of
\nMP3 and the sealed-box business PCs.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, among the ideas that did not show much
\nprogress last year were speech recognition technology, smart
\ncards, virtual reality, confederation computing such as Jini and,
\nof course, the fight against software piracy.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, amid all the excitement resulting from rapid
\nadvancements of information technology, we also saw what
\nobservers called \"The Great Digital Divide\". Simply put, it
\nrefers to the rapidly expanding gap between those who have
\ninstant access to information through their computers and the
\nInternet and those who have no such access.<\/p>\n
The digital divide occurred not only between developed and
\ndeveloping nations, but also within the developed nations
\nthemselves. Even in the U.S., where the Internet was born, some
\nplaces and segments in society have ready access to the Internet
\nwhile others do not. It is also occurring here in Indonesia,
\nwhere only a small fraction of our population has access to a
\npersonal computer and the Web.<\/p>\n
The digital divide is a really frightening phenomenon because
\nit will only bring unequal distribution of wealth and prosperity
\nto an even higher level. Just take a look at how wealthy the
\ndigital entrepreneurs have become. Even in the U.S., according to
\na Harris Poll published in the Dec. 27 issue of Business Week,
\nthe majority of people did not believe that the wealthy
\nbusinesses resulting from the Internet Age had improved their own
\nlives in any significant way. Clearly, the digital divide is
\nsomething our current policymakers should not only be fully aware
\nof, but something they should do something about. Happy New Year!<\/p>",
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