Personal Computer or Computer Systems?
Three computers eras
Computers have changed our lives dramatically over the last decade. The personal computer has given us new ways to work and enjoy. For most of us they have opened a window to the world. Now we are encountering a computer or its main parts such as a processor or monitor everywhere: from toys to cars, from laundry to vendor machines. Historically we have had two eras of development and usage of computers: first is an era of mainframe computers, when one computer served many users, second is the era of personal computers, when one computer serves one user. At present, this era is finishing, because personal computers transfer more in personal terminals. Let imagine a typical family, where each member has a personal computer (for example, father has a laptop for business and for home, mother has a desktop for using the INTERNET and managing household finance, a child uses his computer for training and gaming. The family has two common printers, one bubble-jet and one photo-printer, and one common scanner. All computers are united in a Local Area Network (LAN). What is it? Three personal computers or something other? Answer is: they do not have absolute personal computers, because everybody is using shared peripherals. In principle, they can also share any information from each computer. It is obvious that this family has a computer system. Therefore, in a manner similar to this family many users operate many computers with functional sharing between them. In fact, today any personal computer is a device, connected with other devices -computers, peripherals, servers, security systems and so on. However, it is impossible to imagine our lives without the INTERNET, or any company - without LAN and INTERNET (WAN). If currently more than 80% of households have a computer, in the nearest future these same households will likely have a need for such local networks, connected to one or many huge networks, for example the INTERNET. We can name this third computer era as the Era of Computer Systems. It is difficult to say how long mankind will live in this era:10, 50 or 100 years. However, we can predict that the next era will be the era of ubiquitous automation with bio and non-bio robotics.
Achievements of computer systems
The perfection of computer systems is approaching such a level of sophistication, that users can employ a computer as a very accurate personal assistant , that can receive the different types of commands either automatically either via program, or by voice or on the end of a pen; execute it, and sometimes demonstrate the results. For these goals, the computer system can use for example, the voice recognition input systems, sign recognition system, analyzing and solving software, databases, output systems such as embedded microphones and speakers, virtual reality, and so on. Practically, the entire universe of relevant human knowledge could be accessible via computer systems. The World Wide computer linkage and hardware progress accelerate the search of serious decisions in the solution of important science or human problems to minutes.
Since computers are merged with telephone, picture transmission (fax) and video technologies, a consumer can communicate with one or many partners via computer on-line, and even actually speak to any person (and see him) in any location of the earth. The invention of the chat room brought opportunity to make new friends, and changed the l technology of matchmakers.
With the invention of digital photo and video cameras, computer users received an opportunity to input in the computer any visual information. Creation of the MIDI interface gives the opportunity for music compositing or playing music via computer. 3D technologies allows one to create and edit any picture and cartoon on computers (tablet PC).
Combining computers and television produced the Interactive television (ITV). The trend is that TV will be a multiple communication device like what has been pictured in science fiction.
Other Trends for the Near Future
The computer now is an ubiquitous item in our life. Usually a kid of the 21st century becomes familiar with a computer from the crib. There are more and more people who are working at home for a company, or people who run their own businesses. The modern technology is such that these people can connect via a computer modem to the headquarter of a company, and work can be sent back and forth.
Laptops and other portable computers function as mainframe computers did a decade ago. The quality of the computers, their peripherals and software improved very quickly. Approximately every two years such computer characteristics as speed , RAM, and the capacity of the hard drive increased by a factor of two. Reliability of computers now is so high, that some computers can work without a break 5000-10 000 hours and more.
Wireless technology allows to have input/output devices without visible connection, and allows wireless network access to the INTERNET from any location. The new telephone lines and the new fiber technology gives very high speed access that allows the exchange of information between clients to occur very quickly.
Families are using computers more and more for all sorts of activities. In the near future we will have computer systems for the home, including control system for home facilities, household financial systems, home business systems, shop portals, home chapel and entertainment system (Combined Computer- Audio-TV system).
Computers for kids help accelerate the process of the nurturing the mind, character and vocational training. If one - two decade ago children would grown up with the help of TV, radio and audio system, a new generation of mankind is growing up with personal computers, gamble consoles or automats.
Computers are opening huge possibilities for communication for disabled people. To input data into a computer system, people with different levels of disability can use foot, position of head, breath, position of eyes and so on. They can receive information from the screen, speakers, by a device with tactile sensibility and so on.
The 3-D graphics world and virtual reality opened a new very effective source for imitation, modeling of real situation in human life. Created on the base of this source games are so exciting, so tempting, that people of different ages are ready to spend their entire spare and non-spare time with computers.
The new dangers
When the first automobiles appeared on the streets of cities, many smart analysts of the 19th century predicted dangers of the new vehicles. Some of them predicted that these noisy monsters will kill men, women and children. They were right: now more people in the world are lost in auto accidents than in wars. Unfortunately, it is impossible to deny the use of cars.
The same situation can be developing with computer systems. Because many people spend more than 3 hours per day on their computers, healthcare problems appear for computer users. To solve these problems computer developers and manufactures created special ergonomic input/output devices: keyboards, mice, voice recognition systems and so on. But this is a small part of the problem. Now we encounter a new part of the problem: the appearance of "computer formatted brains". Often children say, that they love computers more than their parents. It is a very dangerous indication, that has deep reasons. In my practice I met among the good programmers stupid persons, and for a long time could not understand: Why? Many years later I understood the cause. Stupid people (not crazy) have restricted minds; using even developed computer languages, such as C, or Java, helped to establish meaning in a restricted area of interest. For stupid people it is easy, but it in principle can transmute smart kids into unintelligent adults. What does this mean? We can create with computers by our own hands the bio-robots, that could not live without computers.