The first computer to which I had access, was a large desktop sized metal box about six inches high. It had only a small monitor and a keyboard. It's only usefulness was that of a very limited word processor. The internet existed at the time but my computer did not have internet capabilities.
My brother worked for a large corporation, Lockheed Aircraft, as a computer programmer. But their computer was the size of a large wall, with whirring disks and other peculiar noises. We were amazed that their machine could play a game of checkers with itself. In one of its games after printing out a number of moves for either black or red, finally printed out the words, "Black expects to win in 3 more moves." then after whirring some more, typed out, "Black concedes."
We've come a long way since then, now when homes have PC's almost as frequently as telephones. After getting more advanced personal desktops, with internet capabilities, many of us have set for boring minutes while we waited for the next web page to appear on our screen. But not only did the desktops become more powerful and faster themselves, but the introduction of DSL gave us almost instantaneous page changes. I've often wondered where all this is leading us, especially since I've witnessed the advent of hand held devices which will do more than some full sized Desktops. Telephones that take photos and passes them to a friends phone. Innovations that boggle the mind.
Now we read of the coming of the Supercomputer, already available to businesses who need mega capacity and speeds to perform enormous calculations instantaneously. The personal version which has been unveiled this week is said to be 250 times faster than an ordinary PC and will presently cost about $3,000. I have been astounded from time to time, wondering what more could one want from a regular personal desktop computer, only to have something else to hit almost overnight.
However, this new computer with mega power and speeds, seems to me to be a waste for someone like myself. The one I now own, is far faster than I can think and if it doesn't do something I want to be done, all I need do is download the proper software to do it. As long as I can get a good rig such as my present one, for around $700 USD, I cannot imagine paying five times as much, just so I can say I own a Jaguar. Oh, I'd love to own a Jag sedan though.
But understand, this new machine is not for peons like myself who could just about suffice with the original one I owned, but it is for those who have massive calculations, searches, and so on, that needs to be accomplished immediately. Dell says they will soon be mass producing these supercomputers for the average consumer. Eric Greffier, a Dell senior executive, said:
"Before mobile phones were reserved for the few, now we can't live without them. It will be the same with these supercomputers. They are the building block for the computing of the future."
I also find where innovations are coming which will make the beloved mouse obsolete. That, I do not like. After reading about it, I simply hope that the mouse does not become totally obsolete. As long as I have a choice, I believe I'll use it. I'm not yet fully familiar with what they are proposing but they say you can wear gloves and point at things on your screen, using both hands and moving them across the screen, backing them away and so forth. It does not sound pleasing to me.
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