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IBM is fantastic at using their research for PR, but it usually takes a very long time until these breakthrough announcements show up in products. The challenge

by tisme 14y ago

IBM is fantastic at using their research for PR, but it usually takes a very long time until these breakthrough announcements show up in products. The challenges on the road to competing with established tech for a completely new technology like this are formidable. An announcement like this is great but it is no reason to get overly excited just yet. Many other technologies have been proposed and have either disappeared or have found employment in niches (GaAs for instance), for now Silicium still holds a formidable edge when it comes to the most important measure of all: economy.

devindotcom 14y ago
This particular breakthrough product probably wouldn't start appearing in chips for at least 8 or 10 years, though. It's fine to get excited! Just don't think we're getting nanotubes in our phones next year. Changing materials is a huuuge step.
- Symmetry 14y ago
  Right. I expect people to switch over to other materials only after improvements using silicon stop.
  - tisme 14y ago
    Even then it will have to make economic sense to switch. After all the equation is not x > y but $n using tech x buys more computing power than $n using tech y.