Behold, the power of the Tandy 5000!
Check out that price! And those specs! Ooo-la-la!
But seriously, and as a function of the previous post concerning our coming robot overlords, this is a great example of the transition period we are in, and have been in for some time. But we're nearing the end of it.
For example, look at the specs on this machine -- yes, seriously underpowered, but not really that different than something you could buy today. It's a 386 processor, whose family line is still kicking about. It uses all the same fundamentals as computers today, in fact, besides the undersized monitor, it doesn't even look that different than computers today.
And yet, look at the year of the ad: For 1989. Almost twenty years ago!
My point is, these emerging trends take much longer than people normally credit. The mobile phone concept was discussed in the 1920's, for example, and a basic technology developed at the time, but as we all know, the actual use of mobile phones did not start until the 1980's, and really only took off in the 2000's.
Computers are following the same path. But, as I said, we're close to the end of this process. It won't be long now for the mobile phone and computer to merge completely; following that logic, the DVR, game system, stereo, PC and TV will all be merged in the home soon enough, and then I suppose the next logical step is for implants. But that's for another post!
Enjoy these days, my Chicken Littles, for surely, the sky IS about to fall.
I'm no regular Luddite. I understand machines quite well, and certainly appreciate their efforts on our behalf.
We are currently in a transition period wherein we use machines as ever, however we in turn are controlled, at least partially, by the machines. We are in a time where computers are inserted into more and more other machines - your car, for example, is a computer(s) with wheels. And with OnStar, now remote controlled!
The line - the Singularity - is AI, Artificial Intelligence, which will be a truly wondrous and terrible creation, and it will be at that moment I think we will most understand the mythical story of God and His Garden.
Once we reach AI, the rules are all different, and our future will depend very much on how it will see us. But that's down the road a bit -- don't worry! There are many eager and very intelligent and most likely highly moral folks working on this "problem" as we speak. And never underestimate the capabilities of highly intelligent, motivated people.
It's this transition period we can briefly discuss: A world wherein computers, software, and the rest are spreading into everything, and we all eagerly await the coming of the smart house, where the refrigerator inventories its insides, checks against a database, places an order at the grocery store and to your PDA, which then informs you you must be at the grocery store in approximately 49 minutes to pick it up at the precise moment.
Blackberries and the like are precursor enough to a world where we follow the machines around by our nose, controlled, though we of course will pretend we still are. No AI necessary.
Behold, the power of the Tandy 5000!
