From vacuum Tubes to microprocessors, computers have continued to evolve unlike the human race. It was in the early 80's when IBM introduced their first computer to the home user. It was fast, cooler and meaner. This machine sat placid on your desk and did anything in a jiffy as opposed to its grandfathers. The man behind the success was none other than the Intel microprocessor. This chip consisted of several transistors which regulated information electronically. It would do all the tasks in the world and still fit in your palm.
Today's microprocessors are different from its predecessors. But they are developed around the same architecture and logic. These little machines have made computers smaller and easier to interconnect. Until then, the internet was more or less in the implementation phase. It was accessed only by computer experts and other scientists. Personal computers made more universities and organizations interconnect. This enabled the comparatively lesser learned people to communicate with others around the world.
Since then, the average computer knowledge has moved up from merely turning it on and off. Advances in the field of internet brought about the TCP/IP protocols which provided the users with applications such as the HTTP (which runs the World Wide Web), FTP and the very popular e-mail. This protocol suite helped in meeting with the ever rising demands of the internet. It is a service which turned the internet into a necessity and propelled businesses, produced career opportunities and brought awareness by educating.
The current Internet Protocol in use is IPv4. It has the capacity to provide four billion unique addresses and remains the most widely deployed Internet Protocol. But address exhaustion will take place as the number of users will increase. This emphasized the need to come up with the next generation protocol called the IPv6. It is not a completely different protocol but a conservative extension of IPv4. Large address space, reliability and security are its advantages.
Besides the Internet, computers needed to have all the tools to address several high end applications. Intel and AMD declared war which resulted in some mind blowing technologies. Intel produced some really good processors like the core 2 duo, core 2 quad and core i7. AMD has its own line of processors which are more or less similar in performance to those of Intel. On the other hand, impressive operating systems were written to exploit these little machines.
Ever since 'Windows 98' burst on the screen, its been Microsoft all over the user market. Linux and Mac OS X are becoming increasingly popular and posing stiff challenge to Microsoft's line of operating systems. With growing internet crime, operating systems will have to start providing staunch security. This leaves us at a point where we need to reconsider our priorities and choose the right operating system. New products and technologies keep coming in the market. Each one has its own pros and cons.
A good suggestion would be to play the waiting game. But an enthusiast will refuse to agree. CDs are disappearing. Blue-Ray discs are relatively new. Hard drives have got portable. PCs became laptops and laptops became notebooks.
And then there is the Fifth Generation of computers. These computers delve into speech recognition and self-organization, leading to what is popularly known as 'Artificial Intelligence.' These computers will effectuate a radical change. Scientists, over the last two decades have been able to achieve the feat of creating humanoid robots. The 'Asimo' from Honda is a noted example. The purpose for their creation is a debatable topic. But the widely accepted purpose is to facilitate the advancement of human beings.
All of us want to be a part of computers and internet either at the user or developmental level. These fields have been characterized by constant progress and breakthroughs. They remain the most talked about domain and have moved far ahead from just being a medium of communication. Looking at the previous creations, we realize to have come a long way. We envision an endless path with unimaginable possibilities and their irrepressible evolution.
Emaad Nakhwa