The 64-bit computer. Is there no end to this?

**Larry G. Alexander** · 09-08-2005, 08:11 AM

The 64-bit computer is now with us. Will we soon be offered a 128-bit system? 256-bit? 512? Gigabit?

Is there no end to the upward spiral and what are the advantages of increasing the number of bits besides the fact that you can address huge, ever-increasing amounts of RAM?

Regards,

Larry A.

**Styxx** · 09-08-2005, 08:36 AM

I pass ...

**squoze** · 09-08-2005, 08:45 AM

Its enough to make your head spin, isn't it?
They've been working on 64 bit for a while--I don't think you will see 128 or 256 soon.
I hope there is no end to the upward spiral of improvement, as long as prices stay where they are. Computing efficiency is one of the rare areas where your money continues to buy more and more power.
Could you imagine a world where the quality of music increased by a factor of 10 every few each years? Would we yearn for the days of old? Give me that good old Gregorian chant?
Well, somehow, engineers are able to keep improving, while keeping prices low. I say thank you. As Marilyn vos Savant said "But the occupational group most responsible for modern society is engineers, who should win a “most underappreciated” award."
They are building what the computing community is demanding. Don't buy it if its not needed. I think we'll see support for 32-bit remain for quite a while.

**loogoo** · 09-08-2005, 09:14 AM

Well, in the event of massive power outages you could at least still have good old Gregorian chant!

But I agree, even with modest systems now we are able to do things that would have seemed miraculous when I was still in school (won't say how long ago that was).

**squoze** · 09-08-2005, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by loogoo

Well, in the event of massive power outages you could at least still have good old Gregorian chant!

Yes, we are increasingly dependent on technology, aren't we? That's kinda scary.

**Larry G. Alexander** · 09-08-2005, 10:12 AM

When I started in computin', back in the Dark Ages (Radio Shack TRS-80), 48k of RAM was the ultimate, hard drives hadn't been invented yet and my 'puter ran at a blazing two megaHertz! The monitor was no thing of beauty either and I loaded programs from a cassette machine before floppy disks became common.

We've come a long way, Baby!

Regards,

LGA

**southportJim** · 09-08-2005, 11:56 AM

Originally Posted by Larry G. Alexander

When I started in computin', back in the Dark Ages (Radio Shack TRS-80), 48k of RAM was the ultimate, hard drives hadn't been invented yet and my 'puter ran at a blazing two megaHertz!
LGA

WOW LARRY! You had a Trash-80?

I was on a VIC-20 and had to pay an extra $100 for a 5kb memory expansion, but it sure was a lot of fun!
;-)

**Larry G. Alexander** · 09-08-2005, 12:12 PM

Originally Posted by southportJim

WOW LARRY! You had a Trash-80?

I was on a VIC-20 and had to pay an extra $100 for a 5kb memory expansion, but it sure was a lot of fun!
;-)

A hundred bucks today will buy about a GIGABYTE of RAM!

I started on a Radio Shack TRS-80 model one computer (?) that would spontaneously reboot each time I blinked.

I then graduated to a Radiator Shaft model three that consisted of the monitor and keyboard being molded into one single, big piece of plastic. It didn't reboot itself but it was as ugly as a country dirt road after a heavy rain!

Regards,

LGA

**loogoo** · 09-08-2005, 12:17 PM

Does anyone remember the Timex Sinclair? Came out in the early 80's - my first computer. It took 15 minutes to load up "Pong" from the cassette recorder and boy, did I think it was great!