IME the biggest jump in performance/useability is the advancement in multicore processors. multitasking on single core processors of the past was a complete PITA. I can kick of a huge background render and forget it’s running as it has no impact on the overall performance of the PC.

So, anyone here operate an HPC?

Didn’t operate, but back in the early naughties I helped build a couple of 500 node HPCs from scratch – rack/stack/cable all the servers, install linux on each etc. One of them all the disks had to be unpacked from individual boxes (2 per node) – we ended up with 5 skips of packing material.

The first computer I used for graphics was a 466/66 PC. I can’t remember now how much RAM it had, probably about 8Kb, with possibly an 80Mb HDD. I used to draw up logos in CorelDraw from little scans, and when I did a screen refresh I could stroll out, get a coffee, stroll back, sit down and quietly watch the screen veerrryyy ssssslllllooooowwwwwlllllyyyyy refresh itself. When I bought my first digital camera, a Nikon CoolPix 5200, and I decided to buy a 1Gb CF card for it. It’s a 5Mp camera, and cost around £800 in 2003, and the CF card was £200… 😯
I’m just looking at a replacement for my 2007 Lumix TZ3, a TZ30. A 32Gb SDHC card is £17.89 from 7dayshop… 😯

The Apollo computers also had hand-made memory made by old ladies. A change to the software used to take weeks to re-program.

It still does. It’s not the compiler, that takes a second. It’s the days of testing, deployments, contract and QC administration that takes the time.

Computers are incredible, but humans are a daft as ever.

they are incredible and how people have utilised the technology in such a short space of time is equally as incredible

quantum computing is coming and it’s scary just what will happen if the technology becomes available
quantum computing explained

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ts96J7HhO28[/video]

So what’s the largest file anyone’s got on their system.
Mine is unsurprisingly GoPro footage edited in Sony Vegas – producing a HD WMV file of 1.6GB!

My girlf films in broadcast standard HD, individual clips are around 10 – 15gb. A project is typically around 500gb – 1tb. Having working copies and backups is getting mental and the industry is going tapeless so all your rushes now are digital files not just what you are editing.

We buy hard drives now the way we used to by packs of CDRs a few years ago