Question

Many changes in computers and peripheral devices are incremental -- they are essentially consequences of Moore's Law. Identify and describe a fundamental, non-incremental change to computer hardware, such as the Webbook, that has occurred in the last 20 years. Suggest another that you think has a good chance to occur in the next decade. What effects do you expect it to have? Why do you expect this change to occur?

Answer 1

When the question “What is the future of computer hardware?” is asked, one of the first answers for the past 50 years has been Moore’s Law. Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel predicted that the number of transistors per square inch on integrated circuits would double every 2 years.

To put that in simpler terms, every 2 years the processing power we can pack into a square inch doubles. That growth rate is what allows manufacturers to jam more power into the smartphone in your pocket than they could into a supercomputer the size of a room 30 years ago.

But, as they say, nothing lasts forever…

In all actuality, Moore’s “law” was really just a prediction, not a law of the universe. It was an exceptionally well thought out self-fulfilling prophecy that is coming to a close. Recently, the rate at which our processing power doubles has slowed to once every 2.5 years roughly with no expectation of things going back to normal.

Don’t panic just yet though! The reason for this gradual slowdown is because we’re gearing up for the next big explosion in computer hardware, quantum computing.

Such as Webbok there was another product known as Ntebook

A netbook belongs to a class of small, lightweight, legacy-free, and inexpensive laptop computers introduced in 2007. Netbooks compete in the same market segment as mobiles and Chromebooks (a variation on the portable network computer).

At their inception in late 2007^[1] as smaller-than-typical notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost^[2]—notebook designs began appearing with the omission of certain features (e.g., the optical drive), featuring smaller screens and keyboards, and a reduction of computing power when compared to a full-sized laptop. Over the course of their evolution, netbooks have ranged in size from below 5" screen diagonal to 12". A typical weight is 1 kg (2.2 pounds). Often significantly less expensive than other laptops,^[3] by mid-2009, netbooks began to be offered by some wireless data carriers to their users "free of charge", with an extended service contract purchase.^[4]

A June 2009 NPD study found that 60% of netbook buyers never take their netbooks out of the house.^[122]

Special "children's" editions of netbooks have been released under Disney branding; their low cost (less at risk), lack of DVD player (less to break) and smaller keyboards (closer to children's hand sizes) are viewed as significant advantages for that target market. The principal objection to netbooks in this context is the lack of good video performance for streaming online video in current netbooks and a lack of speed with even simple games. Adults browsing for text content are less dependent on video content than small children who cannot read.

Netbooks are a growing trend in education for several reasons. The need to prepare children for 21st-century lifestyles, combined with hundreds of new educational tools that can be found online, and a growing emphasis on student centered learning are three of the biggest contributing factors to the rising use of netbook technology in schools.^{[citation needed]} Dell was one of the first to mass-produce a ruggedised netbook for the education sector, by having a rubber outlay, touchscreen and network activity light to show the teacher the netbook is online.

Netbooks offer several distinct advantages in educational settings. First, their compact size and weight make for an easy fit in student work areas. Similarly, the small size make netbooks easier to transport than heavier, larger sized traditional laptops. In addition, prices ranging from $200–$600 mean the affordability of netbooks can be a relief to school budget makers. Despite the small size and price, netbooks are fully capable of accomplishing most school-related tasks, including word processing, presentations, access to the Internet, multimedia playback, and photo management.