Computers continue to increase in power while dropping in cost

Description:

As the title of this driving force clearly says, computers continue to increase in power while dropping in cost. Computers are getting faster, smaller, easier to work with, with more capabilities and are getting cheaper. For instance, a computer bought four years ago, today is no longer worth buying. With the money spend on that computer, today, you can get a computer with a capacity which can be three, four times greater or even more. The life expectancy of a computer is getting shorter day by day.

Enablers:

- More competitors

- Continued advancement in silicon chip technology

- Globalization

Inhibitors

- Instability in the economy

Paradigms:

Computers have become a part of our daily lives, just as the television or telephone did before. As there are more competitors in this business and the capability of the technology is improving constantly, the cost for computers will keep dropping. The availability of the computers will therefore increase, especially in schools. Where technology is becoming more important. Therefore people will start thinking that having technology in schools is just a means for learning.

Experts:

- Where is Computing Headed? Ted G. Lewis

Timing:

1940 – 1956 First generation: Vacuum tubes 1956 – 1963 Second generation: Transistors 1964 – 1971 Third generation: Integrated circuits 1971 – Present Fourth generation: Microprocessors Present and beyond Fifth generation: Artificial Intelligence

Reference:

- http://www.tcpd.org/Thornburg/Handouts/2020visions.html - http://csdl2.computer.org/persagen/DLAbsToc.jsp?resourcePath=/dl/mags/co/&toc=comp/mags/co/1994/08/r8toc.xml&DOI=10.1109/2.303615 - http://www.webopedia.com/DidYouKnow/Hardware_Software/2002/FiveGenerations.asp - http://www.jcmit.com/cpu-performance.htm