After reading this Computer World article, I've found some supercomputers that I readily available for less than $10000US. To me, that's a huge shock. However, I'm curious as to how this will impact software engineering and computer science, especially in the design and construction of applications.
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Security will have to improve, for one thing. Some algorithms for encryption work because the effort required to crack them is beyond the average user. Once computers powerful enough to crack these encryption schemes becomes available to the public, the rules are changed. So we will likely see a higher demand for better encryption schemes.
Elie
2008-11-19 16:23:27
Anyway half-decent encryption algorithm still requires something on the order of thousands to millions -- or more! -- of years to crack, even with a supercomputer. There won't be a major change in encryption techniques until quantum computing becomes readily available.
mipadi
2008-11-19 16:26:02
no, but the standard will be raised as to what the public considers to be an acceptable level.
Elie
2008-11-19 16:28:49
Yup, if you have the power to crack it, we have the power to make it more difficult. Unless quantum computing pans out, our current model of security will scale.
Pyrolistical
2008-11-19 21:46:35
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There will need to be even more of a movement to programming for Parallel Processors.
Lance Roberts
2008-11-19 16:24:27
but for what fields? For most users, there is no need for such functionality, and academia/research are already using it.
Elie
2008-11-19 16:26:38
All fields. This is the direction of hardware these days. Its simply impossible for a single core to run any faster. We are hitting the limits of the speed of light...
Pyrolistical
2008-11-19 21:45:32
@Elie -- Games, dude! ;-) Where do you think all of these GPU boards and GPU-based supercomputers came from?
Joel Hoff
2010-06-10 04:36:30
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Absolutely.
Heck, people are even linking chains of PS3 Console systems together to form super computers based on the technology of their cell processors.
At any rate, security will be impacted greatly. Standard methods of encryption are going to continually fall by the wayside.
The constant increase in the power of computers will perpetually have an effect on what we do with them.
Mat Nadrofsky
2008-11-19 16:31:48
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programming languages can become more abstract. For example today I don't have to worry about how to a SIN function. At one time (not that long ago) you had to include algorithms for basic functions we take for granted today. Faster processors allow us to include many more functions in the OS / language and still complete the operation in a reasonable time. eventually we will get to where we can converse the the computer making our requests in plain English (or any other language), a la Star Trek.
Jim C
2008-11-19 16:34:59
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We can become even more complacent in the way we program. Even trivial apps can will soon be able to use Gigabytes of memory, and consume even more CPU cycles. We might as well stop teaching Big-O notation and good algorithm design in order to prepare for the future of software engineering.
Kibbee
2008-11-19 17:23:14
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Computers today are supercomputers 10 years ago. More or less. Its hard to compare performance on different architectures.
So yes, it will affect us, but you don't need to buy a supercomputer, just wait a few years.
I find it funny to call that $10000 computer a "supercomputer". Its just marketing. Its like saying, "This sedan is faster than a 1902 supercar, therefore this IS A supercar!"
What you should compare is, if supercomputers back in 1990 costed one million, what would a one million dollar supercomputer be like today?
Pyrolistical
2008-11-19 17:32:13