Has anyone else noticed that not much is happening in software today? Nothing new and different, that is. There is so much that is derivative, or restorative (there to simply repair the screw-ups that got by in previous builds), but not much that breaks any new ground.

Surely there is someone who has an idea about doing an ordinary task in a new and different way.  It has been a while since Linus Torvalds decided that he would make an operating system that was like Unix, but enough different to escape infringement problems. Is there no one who has an idea for a new operating system? Is there no one who has an idea for a new database engine that works better than Access, and is easier to work with than dBase III+? How about a new e-mail application? Since the demise of Eudora, and the stalling of Thunderbird, there really isn’t an application that gives large numbers of people the warm fuzzies.

Although my son would disagree, I find it terribly sad that games are the impetus for hardware innovation. So many games share the same storyline, use much the same scenery, and are only differentiated by the special effects.  How many variations of the first person shooter can there be?

Wouldn’t it be great to find a new operating system that is as innovative as OS/2 was when it was introduced? Let’s face it, OS/2 did things in 1994 that Windows Vista cannot do today. (Anyone who doubts this need only look at a short description of the Workplace Shell.) What about a database that works with huge data sets yet is as easy to manipulate as the winner from Ashton-Tate.

I’d like to see more software that used a modular approach - no , really, not just claim modularity, actually being modular. Does anyone other than me remember how certain programs showed this behavior in the days of DOS? Do you remember the terminal program Boyan? It was a good start that used the ability to add many things as a strength, making it possible to customize and personalize the application. More things should be written like this.

It’s time to expect some changes, so much has been stagnant in the software realm for many years. If you find something that works well, and needs to be encouraged to grow, do something about it. Spread the word, show others, make some noise. It only takes a few people to get a movement started.

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Tags: software innovation, new ideas, os/2, workplace shell, dbase iii+, boyan