Thoughts on the future of computers

[Blitzen 0]

Just thinking about this yesterday:

 

For years now, games have been the main drivers to entice people into upgrading their machines (for most people, the software used can still run quite well on older machines).

 

I may be wrong, since I'm not a gamer, but I've heard that gamers vastly prefer consoles over playing on a PC and that fewer and fewer PC games are being produced.

 

Without the games, there will be less impetus to upgrade your machines as often as possible. My computers are 6 and 7 years old respectively and still work fine with some very small upgrades. On the older one I've even installed SimplyMepis linux and everything is jiggy.

 

Based on this, will computer manufacturers slowly begin to switch to producing console PCs and will console manufacturers try to slowly transform their consoles into full computers, complete with available productivity software?

[Medicated 0]

Short answer, no. Long answer, I'm too lazy to type out.

[Franknbeans 46]

Just thinking about this yesterday:

 

For years now, games have been the main drivers to entice people into upgrading their machines (for most people, the software used can still run quite well on older machines).

 

I may be wrong, since I'm not a gamer, but I've heard that gamers vastly prefer consoles over playing on a PC and that fewer and fewer PC games are being produced.

 

Without the games, there will be less impetus to upgrade your machines as often as possible. My computers are 6 and 7 years old respectively and still work fine with some very small upgrades. On the older one I've even installed SimplyMepis linux and everything is jiggy.

 

Based on this, will computer manufacturers slowly begin to switch to producing console PCs and will console manufacturers try to slowly transform their consoles into full computers, complete with available productivity software?

who knows but it's a racket that they try and sell you a new computer every few years. I fell for it at least 3 times.

[bob_probert_2000 1]

My thought is they'll still be around in the future.

[frank 2,150]

They will be twice as powerful, 10 times as large, and so expensive that only the 5 richest kings of Europe will be able to afford them.

[kutulu 1,552]

Computers are just a fad....their 15 minutes are almost up, IMO.

[Blitzen 0]

They will be twice as powerful, 10 times as large, and so expensive that only the 5 richest kings of Europe will be able to afford them.

 

Yes but will they be fully compatible with Windows Vista sp10?

[Toro 1]

You are already starting to see it, but the one trend you will start to notice is "on-demand" computing and services. Instead of purchasing games, or thye operating system, it will be downloaded and installed on demand. The game vendors will start porting the games to architecturally independent applications that can be modified by a specific hardware vendor to it's own control sets. Same thing with your other applications, such as word processing and spreadsheets.

[Cdub100 3,385]

I may be wrong, since I'm not a gamer, but I've heard that gamers vastly prefer consoles over playing on a PC and that fewer and fewer PC games are being produced.

 

 

As a gamer here's my take. The last console system I bought was the PS2 and that's only because my friend sold me his with 10 games for $200. The only games I bought for that system was GTA S.A. and Madden was one of the 10 games. The other 9 I sold on ebay.

 

I never even use the console any more I play all my games on PC.

[Blitzen 0]

I never even use the console any more I play all my games on PC.

 

But is that the trend? I had heard kids don't like playing on PCs?

[SUXBNME 1,340]

who knows but it's a racket that they try and sell you a new computer every few years. I fell for it at least 3 times.

It's called Moore's Law

linky

[Cdub100 3,385]

But is that the trend? I had heard kids don't like playing on PCs?

 

I'm not sure. One thing that PC's have over consoles are MMORPG's like World of Warcraft. Consoles have closed the gap on PC games as far as graphics go, but once direct X 10 games start coming out for PC they will blow anything on Xbox or PS3 away.

 

For me the only thing consoles have over PC is you plug them into your TV and play rather then than your monitor.

[Rybo5 0]

Computers are just a fad....their 15 minutes are almost up, IMO.

 

Computers and the internet will never amount to anything!!!

[GobbleDog 821]

One of the benefits of a computer over of a consol, besides the increased memory and faster CPU, is the use of the mouse. Some games play 1,000 times better with a mouse. ie Battlefield and similar type games.

[kutulu 1,552]

There will be a slot you can jam yer pecker in when looking at online pron.

[Blitzen 0]

My hope is that all of this computer development will culminate in the creation of personal holodecks, à la Star Trek. hyper

[kutulu 1,552]

One of the benefits of a computer over of a consol, besides the increased memory and faster CPU, is the use of the mouse. Some games play 1,000 times better with a mouse. ie Battlefield and similar type games.

 

They will start making the mouse in the shape of a titty fer when yer watching on line pron.

[SigEp316 0]

I'm hoping that the future brings computer software that allows all Salon owners to manage their business. I've seen it happen too many times. A giddy, bubbly stylist begins the journey of being his/her own boss. Their business grows and they become overwhelmed by the daily stresses and hardships of salon ownership.

 

OH NOES@#! It's a vicious cycle that remains unbroken...if this software isn't developed, we risk having all salons go out of business, and we'd have long hairs....

 

 

it's horrible....

[edjr 5,579]

There will be a slot you can jam yer pecker in when looking at online pron.

 

 

I already have one, it's called your mom.

[kutulu 1,552]

I already have one, it's called your mom.

 

GILF

[wiffleball 4,649]

I predict two changes to computers in the next decade:

 

 

1) Integration: We're not going to have a PC and TV. We're already seeing that convergence. The elimination of two seperate appliances seems like a given over the next decade or so.

 

2) Interface: Computers have radically changed - even in the span of a few years. What hasn't changed since they eliminated the punch card? The interface. We still click and clack away on keyboards and mice. We have relatively nascent technology now for the handicapped to interface w/o these things. There's great potential there. I think the biggest change to computers in the future will be how we interface. Much more touch screen, voice input, and maybe things we haven't even thought of. I was pleased to hear Bill Gates mention this in passing on TDS.

[FranksTanks 0]

Think iPhone, only bigger. Watch this video:http://www.santaduck.com/

That kind of technology and interface would be great for architecture. I would love to have a big desk with just one over sized screen. I could thumb through digital full size drawings. Pretty cool!

[edjr 5,579]

I predict two changes to computers in the next decade:

1) Integration: We're not going to have a PC and TV. We're already seeing that convergence. The elimination of two seperate appliances seems like a given over the next decade or so.

 

2) Interface: Computers have radically changed - even in the span of a few years. What hasn't changed since they eliminated the punch card? The interface. We still click and clack away on keyboards and mice. We have relatively nascent technology now for the handicapped to interface w/o these things. There's great potential there. I think the biggest change to computers in the future will be how we interface. Much more touch screen, voice input, and maybe things we haven't even thought of. I was pleased to hear Bill Gates mention this in passing on TDS.

 

I have a device that I can talk into it and it will type, it's just not convenient to use when my girlfriend is in the other room and I'm trying to get my jerk on while talking to strangers online.

[GobbleDog 821]

I predict two changes to computers in the next decade:

1) Integration: We're not going to have a PC and TV. We're already seeing that convergence. The elimination of two seperate appliances seems like a given over the next decade or so.

 

2) Interface: Computers have radically changed - even in the span of a few years. What hasn't changed since they eliminated the punch card? The interface. We still click and clack away on keyboards and mice. We have relatively nascent technology now for the handicapped to interface w/o these things. There's great potential there. I think the biggest change to computers in the future will be how we interface. Much more touch screen, voice input, and maybe things we haven't even thought of. I was pleased to hear Bill Gates mention this in passing on TDS.

I agree there will be changes, but I'm not sure it'll be the one's you predicted.

 

Tv's are for entertainment, not work. Nobody is going to want to pull their chair in front of their giant tv and start working. Now I agree that some computer programs may shift over to the tv... like burning cds/dvds and internet connection through the tv, but for working purposes I don't see the computer dying that easily.

 

As for the keyboards becoming extinct... heck, keyboards been around for about 150 years now and they're still going strong. There's a reason for that, people like them. Voice recognition programs have been around for a while (albeit not too great), but people don't like having to say sentences out-loud. Especially while their working. It's tougher to edit for one thing, not to mention nobody else wants to hear you.

 

Just because technology can create cool devices, doesn't mean people will want them. Sorta like the picture telephone. It seems like a neat idea, but I don't think that will EVER take off because people don't want to look at others while talking on the phone.

 

[wiffleball 4,649]

I agree there will be changes, but I'm not sure it'll be the one's you predicted.

 

Tv's are for entertainment, not work. Nobody is going to want to pull their chair in front of their giant tv and start working. Now I agree that some computer programs may shift over to the tv... like burning cds/dvds and internet connection through the tv, but for working purposes I don't see the computer dying that easily.

 

As for the keyboards becoming extinct... heck, keyboards been around for about 150 years now and they're still going strong. There's a reason for that, people like them. Voice recognition programs have been around for a while (albeit not too great), but people don't like having to say sentences out-loud. Especially while their working. It's tougher to edit for one thing, not to mention nobody else wants to hear you.

 

Just because technology can create cool devices, doesn't mean people will want them. Sorta like the picture telephone. It seems like a neat idea, but I don't think that will EVER take off because people don't want to look at others while talking on the phone.

 

 

I don't see the keyboard becoming extinct, I just see it (and the mouse)'s role becoming less prevlanent. I don't know that people LIKE or dislike keyboards - it really is the only widely used effective mode of input since the punchcard.

 

Agreed on the voice acivation thing being prolematic at work. Again, I'm talking options more than outright elimination. But, just as people at your work have telephone conversations, they could certainly compose some emails via voice.

 

As far as working at the tv. I just see a convergence of appliances. Game Consoles, CD/DVD burners, PC's, TV's, phones etc. coming together. People could still have a home office, but with multiple 'convergent appliances' throughout the home.

[GobbleDog 821]

As far as working at the tv. I just see a convergence of appliances. Game Consoles, CD/DVD burners, PC's, TV's, phones etc. coming together. People could still have a home office, but with multiple 'convergent appliances' throughout the home.

Now that I could see. Everything electrical in the house being connected to a computer. From the fridge to the doorbell, smoke detectors, lights and tv. That makes sense and people would want that.

 

[Concrete Charlie 0]

The nature of how computers communicate with other ones is going to bring what we call language use to a halt. Languages work fine for us to date, but are too slow for computers, always translating down to machine language, then back up to written or spoken language, what a drag on resources and waste of time. They'll also eventually be dropped all together as human interface will be forever altered by electrobiological emrging of man and machine.

Picture, or image, technology will be the dominant medium of communication between computers. An image holds many more bits of information than any spoken or processed language illustration. Just consider thinking of the image of a city scape. You write down everything you 'see' in it, which would take thousands of words and a long time, as compared to simply laying down a photo of the same scene. They both tell the story of the cityscape, but the photo tells it much more efficiently.

And forget keyboards in the view looking ahead, everything will be incorporated into the human being....we'll have our own NIC cards connected directly to our brains to allow access to any database we're cleared for.

 

We'll dream online, and everyone will be able to watch , even while we're still dreaming. So we'll all know how messed we all are.

[Franknbeans 46]

Now that I could see. Everything electrical in the house being connected to a computer. From the fridge to the doorbell, smoke detectors, lights and tv. That makes sense and people would want that.

 

unless the computer goes down