<Please name or describe what you beleive is the one application for highspeed microprocessors that will be the driving force to expand the market for microprocessors.>
Short answer: Windows. Like it or not, the more processing power there is, the more "features" Microsoft feels free to add.
Less cynical answer: It depends on the market segment.
For business (and for homes, too), video-conferencing can become huge, if it weren't for a lack of bandwidth. But once the bandwidth issues are dealt with, you'll still need all the real-time compression you can muster in order to get the best frame rates from your conferencing session.
For homes, three words: Games, games, games. Educational games, 3D games that you play over the Internet, and other types of games that don't lend themselves well to a Nintendo-type audience will motivate families to buy that more expensive system over el-cheapo sitting in the corner of Wal-mart. People are willing to spend hundreds, even thousands of dollars on home entertainment centers, so why not spend a few extra hundred bucks on Mr. Mighty Multimedia?
I'm a server guy, so I personally think that even if the public says "No more, thanks" to added processing power, large businesses, engineering firms, and R&D labs will still want faster and faster servers to handle the work their do. Simulations, web servers, database management, and even file servers can never have enough power. These markets will continue to drive the need for speed well into the next century.
Sorry I couldn't give you a straight answer. The market is maturing and has progressed well past its infant stages. Naming one single "killer app" that will drive the market for more powerful microprocessors is like asking me to guess who's going to win the NBA championship this year.
Tenchusatsu |
