JP,
We must be careful not to 'narrow' our vision to the CPU. Merced, being a 64 bit processor is twice the width of the IBM System 360/50 that I worked on in 1965!
Remember, as the CPU width increase, the possibility of enhanced peripherals comes to the front. The next increase will be to get the I/O to run faster, and that is coming with the USB and SCSI-3, along with RDRAM.
As the technology gets closer and closer to human ability, for instance, speak english into the computer, and have it accurately translate to any number of languages, chinese (several dialects), hindi, japanese - look at that possibility of being able to communicate with anyone anywhere! What a concept!
Narrowing your time frame to 10 years, you still win! Heck, most weeks the stock goes 'up' and 'down'! At any 'instant' in time you are correct or incorrect!
I wouldn't count INTC out just yet! They have some pretty neat stuff in the wings! How about the server that will run up to 8 processors. Don't you think for a minute that the CPQ/DEC 'pucker' string won't twitch a bit. Can you imagine 8-1G processors running together. Boggles the mind!
The argument will be tried that 'who needs it?' - my response would be that any company that is competing in the market place, requiring any kind of research will need this kind of power, both to push the research forward, and see what others are doing. More and more people are pushing the envelope in all areas, especially medicine. Access to the I2 is going to require 'juice a plenty', especially when 'Boppin-Bill' gets that Low Orbital Satellite System going.
We are going to be onlookers of some of the most exciting times in all of the history of mankind. (IMHO) NOW IF WE (THE HUMAN RACE) JUST DON'T BLOW IT!
Regards,
Ken |
