I suspect the recent moves by IT giants like Google and Sun are hints to move the focus back onto centralized computing, where powerful servers provide service to dumb(or not so dumb) clients.
Sun is revamping it entire server line from scratch, introducing eight core processors like Ultrasparc T1. Google on the other side is creating services like map service which can be accessed programmatically, essentially creating web-based APIs. While Sun is working on the hardware aspects of centralized computing, Google seems to be working on creating a rich set of software services.
And quite recently, both Sun and Google have formed a strategic alliance.
Sun's software services are in pretty bad shape with shrinking market share. Sun's hardware too is quite in shambles. Sun is trying to recover and part of the plan is to revamp the hardware services entirely. Sun has long had the concept of a user subscribing for computing power just like how we subscribe for electricity or water. Now that's the essence of their future plans, I guess.
Google on the other hand has always remained in the software scheme of things. They started with a search engine which is a search service in programmatic terms. The obvious next step for them is to create more such services which can be accessible programmatically.
They both seem to be planning to promote the concept of centralized computing in a huge way. Probably they are building a part of the infrastructure and services before openly proclaiming their intentions.
It isn't hard to imagine a future where we are going to virtually have our applications installed and data stored at some place which you need not necessarily know. Just having a smart client device, we can connect to our applications and data and essentially do the same which we do with our PCs and laptops now.
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