FW: Y2K

From: Hotze <photze_at_batelco.com.bh>
Date: Tue Apr 7 14:42:13 1998

OK.. so, I admit, I wasn't even around then. I've never seen big iron in my
life, and as far as I know, the school's still running on the Compaq PPro
200 that we got a while back. But here's my .02 on what would think in that
same posisiton:
>I know I was asking some of my friends what was going to happen as far
>back as in the late 60' and early 70s when as high schools and college
>students we were asking what happens if this machine should still be
>running in the year 2000? Some of us considered that unlikely as the
>pace for new machines at the time suggested it's life was maybe five
>years and that pace was accelerating.
It very well might be running today. Not doing the hardlabor tasks that it
was origiohnally made for, but possibly as someone's hobby. Anyway, five
years, and accelarating is a odd estimate. PC's nearly 3 or 4 years old are
used day to day, as primary computer systems. The origionally cost around
$2,000, and now can be effectively replaced for around $500-$800, yet they
haven't. Sure, high end servers are still being produced, and in some
institutions (even if I can't name any) are updated monthly or so with their
server technology.
    What worries me is that around 2025, a system should last as long as you
want it, as the speeds will probably be at the speed of light across the
board, so there's no wait state. It's as fast as the software that you
choose for it. The systems won't become obsolete. I personally belive that
it's then that the speed of light will be broken, but I can't prove that,
other than the belief that we will continue to grow and outcome obsticles.
What then?
    Just my opinion,

Tim D. Hotze
Received on Tue Apr 07 1998 - 14:42:13 BST