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> In sheer volume, there are probably more people doing XeroxPARC level crazy stuff now than then. I'm not sure about that. From the Computer History Museum's
by infinite8s 3y ago
> In sheer volume, there are probably more people doing XeroxPARC level crazy stuff now than then.
I'm not sure about that. From the Computer History Museum's 50th anniversary event of the Alto two days ago, each Alto cost about 18k in early 1970s dollars (about 100k today). And they built hundreds of them. Not sure anyone has the budget to do the level of crazy work that would require the equivalent amount of future computer power today.
- yjftsjthsd-h 3y agoI think the point that you don't need that level of money anymore. You could do the same level of exotic software on a Raspberry Pi for 50 bucks.
- infinite8s 3y agoThat's because you are thinking equivalent in terms of results. I'm thinking equivalent in terms of ambition. The point I was making is that doing the equivalent level of 'crazy' work (for it was crazy, the idea of giving everyone the equivalent of a personal pdp-11 in those days) requires equivalent levels of funding. It's just that most people can't imagine what could be computed on a $100k equivalent of computing today. For all of us who grew up in the days of personal computing, it's hard to imagine that what they accomplished as being crazy.