Magnetic Computing Takes a Step Forward

MaceyHW writes "PhysOrg.com reports a big step forward in the development of magnetic microchips. Since their initial creation of a magnetic logic gate in 2002, an international team of researchers from Durham University, Imperial College, London and the University of Sheffield 'team has created a number of further "logic gates" and created interconnecting structures using magnetic "nanowires," which can now reproduce the logic functions of a conventional computer.'"

Comments

Why better?

[ottffssent]

The article sort of mumbled through why I should care. Does anyone know? Do these logic gates offer the promise of smaller, faster, cheaper, or lower-power CPUs? Some combination of the above? Do they allow the creation of computers of a type not practical before? Where's the beef?

Re:Why better?

[megla]

Doesn't the prospect of a more efficent computer count then?
If this scales to a useful level, you'd need much less power to run such a processor as it wouldn't all be being burnt off as heat - so your mobile phone could last much longer on a single charge, etc etc.
Sounds like reason enough to at least give the technology a chance to me...

Disposable features?

[torchdragon]

"This would also imply that the computers being economical would become still more disposable. 'This means that they could be used for cheap and therefore disposable simple computers in the future.'"

Why is this a feature? We've already shown ourselves how wonderful "displosable" technology really is. Why do we think we need more useless broken garbage? How reclaimable is it? Can we just throw a bunch of these into a pot, separate the various metals and cook up new ones when the technology improves? Disposable != Economical. You have to have an economy before you can throw it in the garbage.