Fujitsu Siemens Computers predicts PC power to increase a million fold over next 25 years

Published 16th May 2008

Bracknell, UK 15th May 2008 - Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Europe’s leading IT manufacturer, is predicting that current rates of development in computing systems will see the power of a desktop PC increase a million-fold and available bandwidth will grow by 200,000 times over the next 25 years.

The PC of 2033 will be unrecognisable from the desktop of today and will take on a multitude of customised, portable forms says Senior Technology Strategist at Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Dave Pritchard.

“With Moore’s Law continuing to double the number of cores every 18 months, the PC of 2033 will be a million times more powerful than today’s systems, and with Neilsen’s Law seeing bandwidth increasing by 50 per cent year on year, we’ll have 200,000 times more capacity here. The ordinary PC will be running at the equivalent of three petahertz, it’ll have 100,000 cores or more, a petabyte of memory, half an exabyte of storage and connect to the Internet with a bandwidth of over a quarter of a terabyte.

“A quarter of a century on, PCs will have taken on many different shapes and sizes. There will be wearable systems that are built into clothing and small handheld devices that project holographic forms of input and output devices. These will provide ‘traditional’ keyboards, mice and 2D displays for users who prefer what will have become the ‘old style’ computing by then. Most users however will be more accustomed to using voice recognition and 3D holographic projections, or even retinal image displays that are built-into spectacles or sunglasses.

“We may also see more advanced sensory devices that enable you to control the computer just by ‘thinking’ the commands. This may seem far-fetched at the moment but the technology is already being developed and has been proven to work. It will simply be a matter of training your mind to work in that way.”


Fujitsu Siemens Computers believes that PCs may also constantly alert and even ‘talk’ to their users. By the next quarter of a century it is conceivable that people will be using small electronic implants that enable the computer to alert them to the arrival of important new information through some form of physical or mental stimulation. They may even be able to transmit audible information by activating sensory areas of the brain so that the sounds are only audible to that individual user.

Pritchard adds: “This capability could give us applications such as real-time, automated language translation as well as medical and performance monitoring and enhancement. Instead of Googling information on a keyboard and screen you would just have to try to remember the information you need and it would automatically be sent directly to your memory. Your memory would be augmented by computer systems. You will know everything there is to know - automatically.”

While all of this sounds like science fiction today, just 25 years ago PCs were still new and only running at 4.77Mhz.and making mobile voice calls or sending emails on the go would have been thought of as remarkable. Some younger computer users who have already grown up with PCs as a part of their every-day lives, are already switching off email, he points out, preferring instead the convenience and immediacy of instant messaging and social networking websites.

Pritchard concludes: “One thing you can be certain of is that we can’t use history as a benchmark. What we have seen in the past teaches us nothing. We have really only just begun to understand the potential of technology. IT technology is still in its infancy, and if likened to the development of mankind, we have yet to discover fire. Discovering fire will be the point at which computer systems start to think for themselves, once this happens we will see an even greater increase in the speed of development.”

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About Fujitsu Siemens Computers
Fujitsu Siemens Computers is the leading European IT provider with a strategic focus on next-generation Mobility and Dynamic Data Centre products, services and solutions. With a platform and services portfolio of exceptional depth, our offering extends from handhelds through desktops to enterprise-class IT infrastructure solutions and services offerings. Fujitsu Siemens Computers has a presence in all key markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with the services division extending coverage up to 170 countries worldwide. Leveraging the strengths, innovation and global reach of our joint shareholders, Fujitsu Limited and Siemens AG, we make sure we meet the needs of customers: large corporations, small and medium enterprises and private users. To meet international standards for corporate social responsibility, Fujitsu Siemens Computers is a member of the United Nations Global Compact.

For more information on Fujitsu Siemens Computers, please visit: www.fujitsu-siemens.com.


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