Advances in Hardware: Chips to Systems

Computer system hardware continues to advance by leaps and bounds. The cost of many types of logic and memory circuits is decreasing at annualized rates of 25 to 50 percent, and new interconnection strategies are being developed as circuits on a chip begin to resemble complex processors. We can foresee complete systems on a single chip, a computer in every home, an automated system in every office, and international assemblies of computer systems communicating via satellite networks. The future is now.