D could catch this wave: web assembly

[Kagamin via Digitalmars-d]

On Sunday, 21 June 2015 at 14:46:56 UTC, Joakim wrote:
> Sorry, I didn't read the conclusion of that link I gave you: I 
> just linked it for the large graph showing and forecasting the 
> number of global smartphone users.

Well, people upgrade their phones and there were a lot of phone 
users.

>>> That's like saying current PCs are "mainframes for all 
>>> practical purposes, just more constrained in resources," you 
>>> honestly believe that too? ;)
>>
>> And how do they differ?
>
> That doesn't answer my question. :) As for yours, well, for 
> one, a program written for an AIX POWER mainframe isn't going 
> to run unmodified on a PC.

All platforms have incompatibilities, it's not an exclusively 
mainframe feature.

> It's not going to have a desktop UI either.

PC has applications without a desktop UI, e.g. vibe.d.

>>> The former dominant use case for computers, creating content 
>>> or getting work done, are a small part of what computers are 
>>> bought and used for nowadays.
>>
>> Yes, if smartphones do that, they will become desktop.
>
> I see, so if I start transcribing a novel by voice to the 
> on-board computer in my car on the way to work every day, it 
> becomes a desktop, because I'd have previously written it up in 
> desktop Word?  Just because a device takes on some functions 
> that you previously did with a desktop doesn't make it a 
> desktop.

Sounds more like a dictophone than a desktop.

>>> So yes, the desktop UI is a niche, but a moderately large 
>>> niche that is about to move to mobile devices also.
>>
>> Yes, but your claim is that desktop will die, not move.
>
> I was very specific in my claims, at least to Nick above.  I 
> said the desktop/laptop form factors and OSs will die out

Desktop has seen form factors and OSes die, it moved on.