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The Most Incorrect Assumptions In Computing?

Posted by timothy on from the this-time-it's-perfect dept.

Miss Muis writes "After reading once again that Moore's Law will become obsolete, I amused myself thinking back to all the predictions, absolutes and impossibles in computing that have been surpassed with ease. In the late 80s I remember it being a well regarded popular 'fact' that 100MHz was the absolute limit for the speed of a CPU. Not too many years later I remember much discussion about hard drives for personal computers being physically unable to go much higher than 1GB. Let's not forget "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers" from the chairman of IBM in 1943, and of course 'Apple is dying...' (for the past 25 years). What are your favorite beliefs-turned-on-their-heads in the history of computing?"

8 of 1,496 comments (clear)

  1. here we go :) by Dylan_t_p · · Score: 0, Redundant

    Microsoft Works. if one were to go by the name of that product they would probably get a pretty bad misconception

  2. Re:How about... by musikit · · Score: 1, Redundant

    what exactly about this is an assumption

    that the news is only for nerds?

    or that it is stuff that matters?

  3. Re:My favorite lie by Bob+Uhl · · Score: 0, Redundant
    Linux is running on my desktop right now. So obviously it's good enough. And I would never consider Windows, so obviously Windows isn't good enough for my desktop.

    And I'd be much happier giving my mother (despite three college degrees and quite a high IQ, Macs are too complex for her) a Linux box than a Windows box or Mac.

  4. Re:640K--not true by Smelly+Jeffrey · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I don't think that anyone, even Gates, can factor any prime number.

  5. Here's something Bill Gates actually said by Smallpond · · Score: 2, Redundant


    "I believe OS/2 is destined to be the most important operating system, and possibly program, of all time."

    -- Bill Gates
    November 1987
    Foreword to OS/2 Programmer's Guide
    by Ed Iacobucci
    ISBN 0-07-881300-X

  6. Re:Bill Gates once said... by stanmann · · Score: 0, Redundant

    The internet today is the same as it was in 1975 when al gore was a freshman congresscritter. It is bigger, faster and more commercial, but Al gore did nothing to support the "development of the internet" the internet as it is today is a necessary and inevitable evolution from the internet in 1975 although if he wants to take credit for taking it from a educational and military institution to the spam-laden beast we have today... so be it.

    --
    Food not Bombs is a nice platitude but it breaks down when you notice that the Bombees are usually well fed
  7. ridiculous by IronTomFlint · · Score: 0, Redundant
    No.

    If he had said, "I took the initiative in expanding the Internet, and in making it publicly available", then no one would be likely to quibble.

    That is NOT what he said.

    Accept the fact that he lied by exaggerating (beyond all reason). You only make yourself look completely silly.

    --
    Arrr!
  8. Re:Linux Contains Copyrighted Unix Code by pjwhite · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I don't read subject lines. Your message says nothing.