But what advantage is there to be gained? Faster software, for one. User experience hasn't increased with the same speed as hardware has because we have a lot

But what advantage is there to be gained? Faster software, for one. User experience hasn't increased with the same speed as hardware has because we have a lot of inefficient abstractions. I'll quote Bjarne Stroustrup [1], if I may: Complaining about software is a popular pastime, but much software has become better over the last decade, exactly as it improved in previous decades. Unfortunately, the improvements have come at tremendous cost in terms of human effort and computer resources. Basically, we have learned how to build reasonably reliable systems out of unreliable parts by adding endless layers of runtime checks and massive testing. The structure of the code itself has sometimes changed, but not always for the better. Often, the many layers of software and the intricate dependencies common in designs prevent an individual—however competent—from fully understanding a system. This bodes ill for the future: we do not understand and cannot even measure critical aspects of our systems. 1. http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2010/1/55760-what-should-we-teach-new-software-developers-why/fulltext http://cacm.acm.org/magazines/2010/1/55760-what-should-we-te...