Intel Says Chips Will Run Faster, Using Less Power

DRUDGE, New York Times ^ | January 27, 2007 | JOHN MARKOFF

[skeptoid]

Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, has overhauled the basic building block of the information age, paving the way for a new generation of faster and more energy-efficient processors.

Company researchers said the advance represented the most significant change in the materials used to manufacture silicon chips since Intel pioneered the modern integrated-circuit transistor more than four decades ago.

[skeptoid]

"......The Intel announcement is new evidence that the chip maker is maintaining the pace of Moore’s Law, the technology axiom that states that the number of transistors on a chip doubles roughly every two years, ....SNIP.......Intel’s imminent advance to 45 nanometers will have a huge impact on the industry, Mr. Subramanian said. “People have been working on it for over a decade, and this is tremendously significant that Intel has made it work,” "

I just checked; 1,000,000 nanometers = 1 millimeter (and 25.4 millimeters = 1 inch).
Smaller, smaller and smaller still. IT marches on.

[skeptoid]

Using the link DOES bring up the whole article......
.....for now.

[GSlob]

Well, since there are quantum limitations - a computing element has to be several [rather, many] atoms thick, somewhere around 10 nm size the Moore's law will have run its course.

[xcamel]

Then you get into quantum computers

[GSlob]

Well, lots of luck with maintaining an ordered lattice of quantum elements [in large numbers] outside of a non-quantum crystal.

[xcamel]

Already a demo scheduled..

see:
http://dwave.wordpress.com/2007/01/19/quantum-computing-demo-announcement/
~~ and ~~
http://www.dwavesys.com/

[skeptoid]

"......Moore's law will have run its course. ...."

OK, but then what's next?

[GSlob]

Well, if one is to believe that most of the time a computer is spinning its wheels waiting for the human to slowly provide input or accept output, I'd think that some biology work on humans - to make us faster - would be in order. Besides, it would be more fun. Since IQ is, among other things, the function of brain processing speed [and the average length of logical chain till first error], imagine something like doubling human IQ with each successive generation. Again, not forever, but for a while. And as for what's next - let the descendants with gigantic IQs figure it out.

[skeptoid]

I've not thought of the computer spinning its wheels; it has always seemed the IC/CPU is so efficient becauseit is completely dormant when not in use, and not wasting any effort (energy) at all. And there are no 'movong parts' to wear out or break (unless electrons are moving parts).

I'm thinking something bionic/wireless for human interface with computer, machinery or communications hardware could be coming. You know ... 'your every wish is my command' kind of stuff.

[Uncledave]

I'm thinking something bionic/wireless for human interface with computer, machinery or communications hardware could be coming. You know ... 'your every wish is my command' kind of stuff.

I hope we get lots of choices about what she looks like.

[Uncledave]

I'm thinking something bionic/wireless for human interface with computer, machinery or communications hardware could be coming. You know ... 'your every wish is my command' kind of stuff.

I hope we get lots of choices about what she looks like.

[grey_whiskers]

I hope we get lots of choices about what she looks like.

At first, Harcourt Fenton Mudd did:

But then it turned into a nightmare:

Cheers!