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Been waiting for online commentary about programming to start acknowledging this situation as it pertains to writing programs Memory and storage are not "cheap
by 1vuio0pswjnm7 8mo ago
Been waiting for online commentary about programming to start acknowledging this situation as it pertains to writing programs
Memory and storage are not "cheap" anymore. Power may also rise in cost
Under these conditions, memory usage and binary size are irrefutably relevant^1
To some, this might feel like going backwards in time toward the mainframe era. Another current HN item with over 100 points, "Hold on to your hardware", reflects on how consumer hardware may change as a result
To me, the past was a time of greater software efficiency; arguably this was necessitated by cost. Perhaps higher costs in the present and future could lead to better software quality. But whether today's programmers are up for the challenge is debatable. It's like young people in finance whose only experience is in a world with "zero" interest rates. It's easier to whine about lowering rates than to adapt
With the money and poltical support available to "AI" companies, the incentive for efficiency of any kind is lacking. Perhaps their "no limits" operations, e.g., its effects on supply, may provide an incentive for others' efficiency
1. As an underpowered computer user that compiles own OS and writes own simple programs, I've always rejected large binary size and excessive memory use, even in times of "abundance"
- jasonjmcghee 7mo agoIdk about "memory is cheap" but storage certainly is. Whether you're talking about buying or renting in the cloud - RAM is 3 orders of magnitude more expensive
- 1vuio0pswjnm7 7mo agoHard drive prices increase 40-60% in months https://storedbits.com/hard-drive-prices-increase/ https://storedbits.com/hard-drive-prices-increase/ It seems like the AI apocalypse has come for hard drives https://www.ign.com/articles/the-ai-apocalypse-has-come-for-hard-drives-now https://www.ign.com/articles/the-ai-apocalypse-has-come-for-... Expect HDD, SSD shortages as AI rewrites the rules of storage hierarchy; multiple companies announce price hikes https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/expect-hdd-ssd-shortages-as-ai-rewrites-the-rules-of-storage-hierarchy-multiple-companies-announce-price-hikes-too https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/storage/expect-hd... Hard Drives Are Sold Out for 2026; AI Data Centers Are to Blame https://www.gadgetreview.com/hard-drives-are-sold-out-for-2026-and-ai-data-centers-are-to-blame https://www.gadgetreview.com/hard-drives-are-sold-out-for-20... AI Data Centers Are Causing a Surge in Hard Drive Prices https://technewsjunkies.com/fundings-and-exits/ai-data-centers-are-causing-a-surge-in-hard-drive-prices/ https://technewsjunkies.com/fundings-and-exits/ai-data-cente...