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>> "Why a whole post about this? Because, these days, we're all using multi-core computers. For the most part, the way that we're making things faster isn't rea
by bumblebird 17y ago
>> "Why a whole post about this? Because, these days, we're all using multi-core computers. For the most part, the way that we're making things faster isn't really by making them faster: we've been running into some physical barriers that make it hard to keep pushing raw CPU speed. Instead, we've been adding CPUs: my laptop has 2 processors, and my server has 8 processors."
I don't know about this... Laptops have had 2 cores for quite a while. Are we really going to see 8 core laptops? I'd bet the other way - more CPU intensive work will be done on servers, and laptops/desktops will end up as low powered thin clients to the web.
- vito 17y agoActually, with i7's hyperthreading (which is in iMacs now and a few laptops) common desktops effectively have 8 "cores" to play with. There are 4 hardware, and 4 virtual, it still shows up as 8 completely usable cores in activity monitors and such.
- jacquesm 17y agoMy bet would be the exact opposite. There will be a push to get more power on the computers we have on our desks and in our pockets, and the only way to increase that is to add more cores. Once there is a good solution to using lots of cores we might even see a reversal of the gigahertz races, where more slower cores are cheaper than a few faster ones.
- Hoff 17y agoYour laptop lacks a GPU? While it is quite true that some applications will be configured as thin-client, that approach requires mostly-ubiquitous communications and with sufficient bandwidth. Whether multi-core or GPU-based or otherwise, there's simply no panacea here. And if for no reason beyond ego allowing sales of products at higher margins, yes, there will be eight-core laptops. And folks will then find uses for more cores ubiquitous, just like folks now need much more than 640K of memory in their computer.