Seamless mobile computing on fixed infrastructure

Abstract

The term mobile computing typically evokes images of a laptop, handheld, or wearable computer. However, the plummeting cost of hardware suggests that pervasive computing infrastructure could minimize the need to carry such devices in the near future. Personal computing will be available anywhere on demand, like light at the flip of a switch. Only when a user starts to use a computer will it acquire unique customization and state. When the user finishes using the computer, this customization and state will disappear from it. Thus, a user could travel hands-free yet be confident of making productive use of slivers of free time anywhere. For this to be a compelling vision from a user's viewpoint, the customization and state acquisition process must be accurate and nearly instantaneous. For it to be a viable business model, the management and system administration costs of pervasive deployments of machines must be low. Internet Suspend/Resume is a thick-client approach to mobility in which hardware virtualization and file caching are the keys to rapid personalization of anonymous hardware for transient use.