Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by Implicated 3917 days ago
> you're not depending on Glowforge UI to be backed by a startups servers, the software runs on google cloud instead.

What? Who is going to pay that bill? For example, Glowforge goes out of business... Google isn't going to continue to host and maintain that software out of the kindness of their hearts.

> but I think the main pro is (like a Tesla) the machine's performance and usability can be improved without you installing any new software.

What does the UI being web-based, and "in the cloud" have to do with it's firmware?

For example, if the UI wasn't hosted on some google server, instead existed within the device accessible via WiFi (like a router) nothing you've said here would be any different... other than the user being able to decide themselves if they _want_ their device updated.
2 comments
lightbritefight 3917 days ago
Not defend something needlessly cloud based, but this:

>but I think the main pro is (like a Tesla) the machine's performance and usability can be improved without you installing any new software.

is likely referring to them updating their cloud infrastructure, not the machine. By centralizing the processing and whatever else, they can ignore some local machine updating.

Its not worth the massive drawbacks, but its likely the truth wrapped in that marketing speak.

link
beefman 3917 days ago
A bit off-topic, but you gave me an idea: What if Google did guarantee to host stuff forever when startups go out of business? It would eliminate customers' reservations in cases like this, and hence eliminate business reservations about going all-in on cloud services. The increased business could potentially more than cover Google's cost.

The trick would be the care and feeding of the software. But as the industry moves to more immutable infrastructure -- especially stuff like AWS lambda and JAWS -- this will become less of an issue.

link
hueving 3917 days ago
>It would eliminate customers' reservations in cases like this

No it wouldn't. I still don't want to depend on a remote service to use an alliance this expensive. Internet connections can be unreliable.

link