Author: Albert Silver
Date: 11:00:34 06/22/00
Go up one level in this thread
On June 22, 2000 at 13:18:54, Tom Kerrigan wrote:
>On June 22, 2000 at 11:14:27, KarinsDad wrote:
>
>>On June 21, 2000 at 20:42:32, Christophe Theron wrote:
>>
>>[snip]
>>>
>>>
>>>Yes, more computing power is a general trend.
>>>
>>>But it's maybe time to realize that it's rather useless to have so much power in
>>>every PCs when we could make a much better use of much less computing power in
>>>other devices, devices that would be much more usefull for everybody, at a much
>>>cheaper price.
>>>
>>>This has already begun. I can't afford a 1GHz processor in my watch, because it
>>>would consume 50W, no battery could power it, and my arm would burn. The same
>>>applies for my cellular phone and other devices.
>>>
>>>In the near future, the number of such devices will overweight the number of PCs
>>>sold, by a wide, really wide, margin. So if you want to have a good idea of what
>>>the typical microprocessor will be, don't look up. Look down.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Christophe
>>
>>
>>I don't disagree. I think you are correct that the quantity of such devices will
>> eventually be vastly greater than the number of PCs. However, the vast majority
>>of those devices will be limited in functionality. A lot of them will not be
>>designed to allow you to play chess for example. Hence, the need for the PC does
>>not change much (only the scope of the functionality it gives you).
>>
>>Even when you have a Palm Pilot that can play good chess and connect to the
>>Internet and play MP3 files all at the same time, most people will still have a
>>PC which is 100x faster and which probably controls most everything in their
>>house from the coffee maker, to the sprinklers, to the TV, to the stereo, to the
>>fans, in addition to keeping track of their portfolios, their finances in real
>>time, and the number of times today the dog went outside through the doggy door.
>>It may no longer be called a PC, but it could have something like a 50 Thz
>>processor(s) in it one day.
>
>Hopefully my computer will not control my coffee maker, etc. I have no use for
>that.
>
>-Tom
That's because you need to visualize the scene properly.
7 am: Beep! Beep!
Tom: I'm awake! [beeping stops as 'awake' is one of the keywords]
Computer: Would you like me to get the coffee started?
Tom: <grumbling about the similarity between PC and mother> Yes.
Computer: Could you repeat that please?
Tom: <taking pillow from over head> I said yes.
Etc....
Albert Silver
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