Evolution of Computers Waiting for the PC to become Extinct

by Yousuf Zahid yousuf.zahid@live.com

Prelude to the 21st Century In the 20th century, the last decade of the 90s proved to be the most eventful technologically speaking. Advancements in almost every walk of life went by leaps and bounds, thanks to innovative technology that was effectively implemented to not only ease out the work flow but also remarkably saving time. But in a nutshell such an introduction would not do justice. If I may be allowed to share some personal experiences of my own then a dynamic picture may be clearly seen. From My Eyes For example back in 1989, I pursued some computer software courses and had been amazed to work on a computer called XT (AT being the advanced version). It was large and bulky and had this wonderful button which once pressed would increase the processing speed from 8 MHz to 16 MHz! Today, while working on my Core 2 Duo notebook I sometimes feel the urge to increase the RAM to 2 GB and contemplate on getting a new machine that has the new i-series Intel processor. Nothing satisfies man! Another fact that I read somewhere; the computers used by NASA back when they had landed men on the moon were quite superior of that age. Reality check: The Pentium machines introduced in the 90s were more than a 1000 times faster than their predecessors! Life has not only changed but it has evolved into something larger than life itself. Human demographics as defined for the three generations of x, y and z categorically include the impact of technology and since I hail from the generation x therefore I had the opportunity to grow up in the 80s and this was the precise decade when two young men stretched their ambition and vision to challenge the world. The Silicon Years Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. If you have seen the movie Pirates of Silicon Valley then you will receive first-hand information on how these two started it all from scratch by working in their garages. Gates took a different route, that of software development and eventually creating the magic that we have all come to depend upon.

Jobs on the other hand invented the fruit that not only took IBM by the horns but over the years also proved to be the most unique and multi-dimensional product one could come across; affectionately and then officially branded as Mac. But thats not where the story ends. In this age of razor-edge competition and out-of-the-box innovation, it is imperative for a technology based organization to plan and implement diversity in its product range vis--vis the end users wish list and with such a short life span of technology products, the old school realized that in order to beat the rest one has to take a quantum leap. The Benchmark This is precisely when exclusive Apple products made their grand entry we got to see the toogood-to-be-true products such as MacBook, iPod and iPhone which are the most preferred brands for people, well for those who can afford it. The unofficial crown of Apple however is iPad and it has single handedly paved the way and created a benchmark for the pen-computer technology of the future. This future is not around the corner. It has arrived. It is here. We are experiencing it. Just like the telephone which saw a transformation from the dial to the keep-pad to the touchpad; same way the computers of tomorrow will do away with peripherals such as monitors, key-boards and mouse. The floppy disk became obsolete faster than you could say USB Flash Drive. In less than 10 years, audio cassettes got pushed behind by CD and then DVDs. Same way, much before 2020, in the next 5-7 years our computers are going to be all about pen computing and touch systems. Pen Computing Easier Said Than Done Once again, the technology is going to save time dramatically. Once again, we are going to witness sheer convenience in carrying out work at office and home. But by far, besides the countless workplaces, institutes and industries there remains the one entity which will benefit the most the education sector. Every technology has its advantages and disadvantages but then it is the joint task of the creators and the end-users to discover the right balance in putting that technology to effective and efficient use. Lets consider one particular aspect concerning the impact of pen computing. For students in schools, colleges and universities, pen computing means elimination of paper and perhaps even books. Stationery will no more be required. So what will be the repercussions? This is a question best answered by our academicians. Assuming that people will disagree and global

industries will retaliate to save their book, paper and stationery based billion dollar businesses; pen computing will eventually find its way into our lives. Technology has been notorious of always finding the loop hole. So its inevitable for the pen computing systems to positively affect our lives. However, despite the looks and the feel, its always advisable to evaluate the impact of technology. The acid question usually in such cases is At the cost of what? The Last Word? According to Wikipedia, the word technology is defined as the usage and knowledge of tools, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or create an artistic perspective. The word technology comes from the Greek technologa. The word compute however has a straight forward definition; to determine by calculation; reckon. The origin of this word dates back to 158090 when it was computre meaning to think. So if one scans the historical perspectives in mind it can see that over the centuries, the key principles have been gradual introduction, systematic deployment, friendly acceptance tricks that has helped in blending a specific facet of technology in everyday lives. But the long run implications must be kept in mind and which lead us to the fiery question, are we never going to write on paper with pen? Think about it. -