Robotic Nation Evidence

Longhorn to Steal Limelight at WinHEC

This part of the article is amazing:

Microsoft is expected to recommend that the "average" Longhorn PC feature a dual-core CPU running at 4 to 6GHz; a minimum of 2 gigs of RAM; up to a terabyte of storage; a 1 Gbit, built-in, Ethernet-wired port and an 802.11g wireless link; and a graphics processor that runs three times faster than those on the market today.

The first beta of Longhorn will be ready sometime in 2005. Let's assume the code actually ships in late 2006. It is amazing to think that a dual-processor, 6 Ghz machine with 2 GB of RAM and a terabyte of disk space will be "normal" so soon.

A typical PC today (mid-2004) has a single processor running at 3 Ghz, so in 2006 computers will be four times as fast. A typical PC today ships with 256 MB of RAM, so RAM will go up by a factor of 8. A typical machine today ships with a 80 GB disk drive, so disk space will rise by a factor of 12.

That is how quickly hardware is advancing. That is why computers will be reaching parity with the human brain in a remarkably short period of time. Moore's Law continues...

On the other hand, Time magazine points out this week that Longhorn is way off schedule, and is actually hurting the rest of the industry with its delays. Too bad Microsoft is not keeping up with the advances in hardware. There is an excellent post on Microsoft and the damage it is doing available here.