Enlighten Me: Why does computer technology advance so quickly?

[cube]

Yes, common apps will get slower if single-threading performance does not keep up or practical ways to auto-parallelize do not come up.

PC hardware is magnitudes faster than in the 80's, yet the performance of common apps remains constant because of all the code bloat.

 

[Consultant]

$3500??? Holy ****! That's more than a full Mac Pro!

x_x

When optical burners first came out each cost > $10,000

 

[ZiggyPastorius]

It's not the future until we get our flying cars!

--Eric

Are you saying you wouldn't give up your future for the flying car?

 

[Kodachrome]

Are you really asking this question?

Yes. Are you really asking me if I'm asking this question? Now that, my friend, is stupid.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

To my way of thinking, the thread title is a perfectly valid question, - and is a lot more appropriate than some of the more esoteric threads which have appeared elsewhere - especially as this forum is all about technology, computers, and above all, Apple's position and role in all of this. I'm fascinated by possible answers to this thread's questions, and am reading it closely - I'm an historian as well as someone who is interested in technological and other change - just as I'm intrigued by why some societies, and places, and eras, promote change and progress and yet others don't. A change of such importance needs to be discussed every bit as much as the minutiae of the computers themselves, not to mention the countless threads asking when the next updates will be unveiled. Cheers

 

[bigwig]

One of the big reasons is lack of regulation. It's easy to be innovative when the government isn't dictating the minutest detail of your business and there are no entrenched interests trying to use regulation in order to lock in their traditional way of doing business and lock out innovative new competitors.