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On a modern computer, a Javascript program can generate the Mandelbrot set in a fraction of a second, while the Alto took an hour. Hm... a "fraction" c
by TekMol 9y ago
On a modern computer, a Javascript program
can generate the Mandelbrot set in a fraction
of a second, while the Alto took an hour.
Hm... a "fraction" could mean anything. If it's exactly a second, then the speedup factor would be about 3600x.
The Alto was built about 40 years ago, right? That would be 30% performance improvement per year. Is that about right for single cpu performance acceleration over the last 40 years?
- eru 9y ago30% improvement for net performance might actually be about right. Raw improvements were bigger, but software got slower.
- kalleboo 9y agoWell with this[0] implementation[1] my laptop can render 3840x2400 pixels at 60fps, so ignoring the larger resolution, so how about 1/60th of a second? [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14588789 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14588789 [1] Is using a GPU cheating? Are we comparing computer performance or CPU performance? The Alto didn't even have a CPU as we know it today...
- TekMol 9y ago[1] Well, a GPU is somewhat geared towards this kind of workload. Both comparisons (Alto to modern CPU and Alto to modern GPU) have some meaning.