Say in the last couple of years...
I personally think it's Shuttle SFF PCs / Mini-Itx systems from shuttle and mini-itx motherboard from VIA etc...
and with that the realisation that speed isn't everything, and that perhaps size and noise levels are actually more important...
What do you think?
Josh
The 64bit chip making a mainstream apperance.
If you want silent, how about the Hush PC? No fans, everything done passively!
Mini-itx // 64bit chip as josh and flanders posted + the idea of water cooling slowy filtering down to the masses through kits like asetek waterchill and ThermalTake AquariusII
Broadband for the masses.
64 bit ruled out simply because the 64 chips are still running 32 bit apps outside unix environments.
Tarinders recent review on Athlon 64 has for ME highlighted that 64 bit is the biggest thing for a long time :)
So thats the one for me :)
I'll go with that one to. Either that or the development of networking - which is all related to broadband in some way!Quote:
Originally posted by Trickle
Broadband for the masses.
without doubt, imho :)Quote:
Originally posted by Trickle
Broadband for the masses.
;) Yup I'd have to say Broadband, although AMD's 64bit CPUs are VERY close behind and the best technical marvel, Intel's HT and Matrox's Fragment AA come close too though. It's an amazing fact that the CPU can pull so far ahead in 32bit mode (apps & OS) at only 2.0ghz and 2.2ghz against the P4 @ 3.2ghz 800FSB. I wouldn't expect it to be stonkingly faster when 64bit stuff arrives but it's still VERY fast and efficient, the perfect way to get 64bit into the mainstream.
broadband for the peasants!
I’d say AMD 64 bit chips, but maybe that’s because it’s a recent development. The arguments about there being no software available for a new processor have been made before ... when there was the swap from 16 bit to 32 bit. Think of the difference 32 bits made for games, I hope 64 bits can signify another leap.
From what I read broadband still isn’t available for everyone (who’s fault is that, BT??), especially if you live in rural areas by all accounts.
Broadband but the recent drive to improve noise levels and appearance is not far behind - how r non nerdy computer users expected to use a computer when it was (and generally still is) a nasty grey colour which makes a hell of a racket and invariably sits in the worst room in every house?
A vote fro Broadband and Tbred B's :)
Another vote for broadband here. I realise its not available to everyone but the cable companies are finally pushing it right and i finally have it. Its been so expesnive and unavailable for so long but nowadays it so much more affordable
I'm also going to vote for broadband. When you figure that most people only use there computer for surfing the net and other net related duties this is by far the most significant impact for joe six pack. The few times my net has been down, i've felt like my computer was not complete, it was missing something.
me managing to crack my cpu due to a faulty psu... :)
Hmmm... tough choice.
I think it's a toss-up between TFT monitors, HD-based mp3 players, like the iPod, and broadband.
I think I could live without my TFT monitor and iPod, as sexy as they are, but going back to dial-up would be very painful so I say broadband as well. :)
hmm not really that impressed with the current set of answers, things suggested aren't really that revolutionary. 64 bit isn't special, and those who remember back far enough can remember the move from 16bit to 32bit, about as equally unexciting....
The development of much higher quality LCD screens, the huge leap forward in Hard drive space and the final movement from the stone age 100mhz bus technology (including some decent memory bandwidth) are some things in the mainstream that are quite impressive.
But the most exciting things in computing at present having more chance to completely redefine the way all computing is done is quantum computing, which over the last two years has made some huge leaps forward....
This is where the interest is for me, everything we've got at present is just an evolution of something we've had before, something like quantum computing is completely new and revolutionary.
TiG
Not really a computer thing though in the normal sense of the word - it's more of a theoretical computing idea that almost 100% of people who work with computers know squat about - apart from that it may well be revolutionary.
For me I'd say broadband - even though I CAN'T F**KIN get it where I live. That and 22" flat CRT monitors :rolleyes:
Hmmm, I have to agree with Broadband, but going hand in hand with this has to be filesharing!
another vote for broadband from me
there are many other things that come close (eg sub-£100 alu cases) but thinking of how slow dial-up was, and the getting kicked off every 2 hours....grr
I dont have Broadband so this is hardly interesting :PQuote:
Originally posted by Trickle
Broadband for the masses.
I'd have to deffinatly go with SFF Pcs.. they've taken the market by storm and they will only get more popular and better.
Ben
umm... coloured thingies that spin round really fast and blow air. ;)
The G5. The use slow turning fans to make it very quiet, the heat zoning, the 64-bit everything,, and it looks like it will have the first mainstream home user 64 bit os
:p I bet more people will be using Linux for 64bit than G5 rain Macs.Quote:
Originally posted by headbrace
The G5. The use slow turning fans to make it very quiet, the heat zoning, the 64-bit everything,, and it looks like it will have the first mainstream home user 64 bit os
bah g5, what a mess.
So what makes you say that "Sweeney!"? I’m not a Mac fan myself, but the fact that dual-2Ghz G5s have been chosen to build super computer clusters must suggest they are good for something.Quote:
Originally posted by Sweeney!
bah g5, what a mess.
Ooh that got me thinking, so edit, I first posted saying AMD 64-bit processors is the most exciting thing. I’d like to add GRID Computing. I know it’s not that new an idea, but only recently does it have the potential to be big. I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.
I would say in the last 2 years the speed that CPU'S have increased, a 500 MHZ pc was stomping fast 2 years ago for home users and now its the thing that sits in the corner as a firewall
... and now we have 800mhz for the FSB and dual 3200MB/s too LOL! Anders it's AMD64's that are being used for super-computers ... you can't run DoomIII on a Mac ;)
well for looks i'd have to say its the G5...
beats the pants off most other things...
sweeney is a n00b, he just says its a mess cause its a g5 :P
:) True. As are G5s, e.g. the Virginia Tech cluster supercomputer.Quote:
Originally posted by Austin
Anders it's AMD64's that are being used for super-computers ... you can't run DoomIII on a Mac ;)
Probably need a supercomputer of some sort to run Doom III ;)
BTW I still think (hope) the jump from 32-bits to 64-bits should make a big difference to games.
apart from the AMD64 2ghz and 2.2ghz CPUs, which beat the G5. (in fact dual 2ghz Opterons beat dual 2ghz G5s)...Quote:
Originally posted by shiato storm
well for looks i'd have to say its the G5...
beats the pants off most other things...
http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/...49,pg,1,00.asp
;) Or so Mac wearer's would have you believe. A quick search on the net will reveal what little relevance the benchmarks used actually have ... and pitting it against the P4 when there's a much closer match (Opteron) showed just how much it was about advertising than true perf. An Athlon running at 2.2ghz can beat a P4 running at 3ghz, esp if you're selective about what tests are run and how, even more so if you completely neglect the many internal optimisations of the P4.Quote:
Originally posted by shiato storm
well for looks i'd have to say its the G5...
beats the pants off most other things...