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The Amazing Shrinking Supercomputer
mE123 writes "It would seem that IBM is trying to change what we all think of as super computers. Their new Blue Gene family of super computers is meant to be 6 times faster, consume 1/15 of the power and be 1/10 the size of current models. The prototype is already number 73 (with 2 teraflops) on the list of the most powerful super computers and it's only "roughly the size of a 30-inch television". They are hoping to be able to make it up to 360 Teraflops using only 64 racks." We covered this a bit earlier, but without the level of details.
'Super computer' is a relative term. In 1970's (or even later) terms, most of us already have a 'personal supercomputer'
Supercomputers _do_ fit into a tower case. 10 years ago the power that I ship our the door on any given day was unheard of. Tomorrow you will be able to buy a system that has Terahertz in a normal beige box... And you will get a couple of hundred thousand FPS in your quake 3 benchmarks, and about 3 FPS in the newest games.
On Arrakis: early worm gets the bird. Magister mundi sum!
I submitted this story 10 days ago, November 14, 2003, the day IBM published their press release online, almost verbatim as i quoted the same material, and it was rejected!!
Not only that this strikes me as old news, but its publication now completely baffles me.
technology is getting faster and better and cheaper. damn. who'da thunk it.
My problem? I was perfectly gruntled, until some numbnuts came by and dissed me.
JUST imagine a beo...Ah fsckit! This isn't funny anymore. Was it ever?