Which area of computing needs most development/innovation?

[gnoymyguy]

So we're reaching the sky with astronomical cpu speeds, and even higher with the prices of graphics cards, BUT are there more important aspects that need more focus?

Personally I ask myself this question when I'm putting together a PC, why the hell are the boards so fragile yet the strength required to insert cards is on the verge of breaking the damn things? Can't manufacturers come up with better connections or maybe some flexibility with those flat cables(haven't tried the round cables yet), these seem simple yet unbelievably annoying problems. That's my opinion anyway.

How's about you peoples out there?

 

[Sir Fredrick]

Well for one, I'd love to see a motherboard with socketed everthing (including chipsets...imagine being able to upgrade just the chipset!), and I'd like to see us move away from CPUs and instead have maybe 10 or so SPPU (special purpose processing unit) sockets on the board. There's the obvious FPU and INT processor units that we'd have on there, but we could also have ones specialized for graphics, sound, RC5 cracking, etc..
This of course will never happen, but it would be way cool.

The other thing is the general direction computers are more likely to head in - better user interfaces.
People want to be able to talk to their computers, but in all reality, that's useless. I spend all day on the computer, either at home or at work, if I have to spend all that time talking, I'll have no voice in a week. Besides, it's easier to just type. But typing and mousing are suck. There have been recent breakthroughs and they have set up some sort of mental interface so that some people who are paralyzed have been able to user a computer, with their brains. Eventually computers could forego the monitor and keyboard, and hook right into your brain. Computer geek heaven.

 

[Modus]

CPU's are way too fast for almost everything. Significantly faster hard drives would be nice, but HD-limitted apps are about as rare these days as CPU-limitted apps. Our 3D accelerators are still much too slow for current CPU's, so that area needs work.

We definitely need an OS with the stability of Windows 2000 but with hardware/software configuration stored in multiple discreet libraries, as opposed to the current disgrace called the Windows Registry, which forces people to waste hours reformatting to fix an obscure glitch, rather than pore through the spaghetti of registry keys to find the problem. Even Win 3.x's INI files were easier to diagnose and repair.

If LCD screens could get cheaper and solve the ghosting problem, that would be great.

We need a cheap, fast, plug and play interface for external devices that isn't too hard on the CPU. That way we can use it for PDA's and Internet appliances.

There's plenty more to think about, but I hate wishing for things I won't get

Modus

 

[gnoymyguy]

Sir Fredrick

Do you watch Star Trek

The SPPU you mentioned is a great idea, but it would be a costly implementation, wouldn't it? I agree that the interface does seem like the direction where changes will be made, I think. We've seen prototypes for a few years now, but on a consumer level, nothing doing so far.

Modus

What would we do without the Excellent Windows Registry? You'd have to get on with real work then. I mean, it's obligatory isn't it?, like I mentioned before, if you don't get those creaks from the mobo as you're trying to stick the memory in or trying to rip out the flat cable whilst getting a few cuts here and there, where's the fun?

 

[Sir Fredrick]

I haven't watched Star Trek in years. Everyone says I'm about 20 years ahead of my time...which is nearly true, there are a few ideas I had about 10 years ago that are just now coming to light (too bad I don't get any of the credit ;p ), like growing algae in heavily polluted areas in order to reduce the carbon in the air.

But anyway. SPPU...might be expensive to implement on the motherboard at first, but motherboards would last so much longer with a setup like that. And we'd only ever be paying for the power we need/want.