The new buzzword these days is 'cloud' computing. Basically, the idea of cloud computing is that you separate the operating system from the hardware, then organize a hardware layer by connecting computers into grids or networks, then allocate processing resources from this grid to the operating systems. They thus "transform large numbers of hardware and software assets into computational services for a multiplicity of clients and customers." This allows for more efficient computing because computing cycles aren't wasted; a computer doesn't wait for operator input, it simply moves on to the next task. And it provides for more stable computing, because hardware failures dfo not stop processing. See also Tim O'Reilly on cloud computing, via David Wiley.
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