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When we first heard about computer
technology, as the 1970s were drawing to a close. There was a lot of senseless language
that we all had to appear to understand. Such things as "input", "output",seemed
like
something that made sense, but
the computer gurus of the day talked a lot about "hardware", "software"
and something called, "firmware". If you wanted to show off a bit, you
sprinkled your conversation with these terms and could even score bigger points if
someone else was doing the same thing and you were to nod knowingly. We were told
by every living expert of the day, thatthough we were focusing on "hardware"
the major threat to society as we know it, was in "software". When I heard
that, I nodded wisely, it seems like the thing to do and I noticed everyone else
was also nodding. Twenty years have gone by and we have definitely had our share
of "hardware" come and go and even more "software", but it wasn't
until now, that those of us still in thinking condition, have suddenly (sudden is
a relative term when thinking in terms of a conversation twenty years old) realised
what we were nodding our heads about. |
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Two months ago I began using a
computer that scrolls so fast it is hard to find things as they zip by. For me that
was the mental check mark that told me the hardware was now maturing and in terms
of development, the technical dark ages are beginning to pale with streaks of faint
light.
I began using verbal commands to my computer in the fall of 1993, it came equipped
with a separate "Digital Signal Processor" chip which permitted the use
of higher level operations and it was pretty impressive to ask the machine to do
this or that task. After a month of this sort of thing I decided performance and
reliability were more important than show-off power and embarrassment. You see the
computer listened much more carefully then we humans do and as a result, would act
on commands others said in and at the door of my office, frequently, to the detriment
of a database I was working |
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