1 Decade, 10 Technologies that Changed Our Lives

Page 3 - Seeking answers? Join the Tom's Hardware community: where nearly two million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
Status
Not open for further replies.
I just read some interesting information about Nanophotonic Technology that is currently being developed by IBM. It's quit possible that by 2020 our devices will be running at near lightspeed...which would not surprise me.
 
Where is GPS? And the 5 bladed razor? And who can forget putting the spout on the bottom of the catsup bottle? That has to be the best invention on the last 40 years.
 
[citation][nom]dogman_1234[/nom]I can't wait untill 2020, when we look back form 2011 to 2019 and what many people have generated for our society. Next stop, research into HEALTHY 3D, or true 3D as what I have heard it be called.[/citation]
you do realize the decade would be 2011 to 2020 right? 2011 to 2019 is not a decade
 
[citation][nom]toolinthemist[/nom]"notebooks deliver vastly more processing and graphics horsepower in relation to the desktop computer"What? Are you kidding me? Since when have notebooks ever offered more power then a desktop? I enjoy the mobility of my laptop, but it will never match the power of my desktop or even the power of a mediocre desktop.[/citation]
lol I think you mis-understood the point. For $700 you can buy a desktop (just the tower) that has a four threads of CPU processing at around 2.5 GHz and 8GB RAM, and mediocre to OK (not gaming) graphics. For the same price, you can also get a notebook with similar CPU power, 4GB RAM, and mediocre to OK graphics, plus it comes with an attached monitor! These are computers that really are good enough for around 85-90% of computer users. The point is, you can get a mid-range computer for $700, and whether desktop or laptop, has similar capabilities.
 
[citation][nom]PhantomTrooper[/nom]you do realize the decade would be 2011 to 2020 right? 2011 to 2019 is not a decade[/citation]
a decade=10 years, but 2020-2011=9
 




Console's have contributed to nothing but a motion sensor so far...I remember using GameSpy Arcade back in 2000 and played MoH: Spearhead on 64 slot servers in 2002. The PC revolutionized gaming and set a standard back in 1999(Descent 3, Counter Strike, etc.). All consoles did was make it casual and arcadic witch is a step backwards(Mw2, Halo 2, codBO, bc2, etc.)

GameSpy Arcade had the basics. Server browser and a friends list+ there was TEAMSPEAK in 2002.


So the conclusion is, consoles have done pretty much close to nothing except catching up to PC the last 6-8 years. Steam+Xfire>>>>XBL and PSN.
 
solid state storage--in 2000 I was still using 100mb zip disks, then came these little usb sticks that could hold exponentially more. Now SSD are a in notebooks, desktops, im even going to put one in my PS3.
 
Ipod? REALLY? What about mp3 technology? Ipods (not to mention all digital music players) would not have seen the light of day if it were not for compressed music.
 
Lossy audio compression was commonplace prior to the year 2000 though, the actual pocket sized portable music player (MP3 player, or iPod) didn't hit the mainstream until well into the decade mentioned.
 
I love the idea of this article and agree with many of the choices you made-but count me as another vote for GPS in there. Going from using maps-->mapquest-->GPS was a H U G E convenience and the devices are ubiquitous now.

Hell, along the lines of google you should probably include GMail too which changed the email game altogether.
 
elbert is right. high speed net, LCD/TV tech, DVD/Blu Ray, youtube all are very huge too.

so is Firefox.

Really, you could make an article set that separately ranks top 20 of the decade in categories such as software innovation, websites, tech hardware, other inventions, and other devices
 
The PS2 sold more units, but XBox Live had more impact on the way we game on consoles. In 2000, Nintendo and Sony could release a new console with no internet connectivity with a straight face. Now it would be suicide.
 
[citation][nom]mr_tuel[/nom]lol I think you mis-understood the point. For $700 you can buy a desktop (just the tower) that has a four threads of CPU processing at around 2.5 GHz and 8GB RAM, and mediocre to OK (not gaming) graphics. For the same price, you can also get a notebook with similar CPU power, 4GB RAM, and mediocre to OK graphics, plus it comes with an attached monitor! These are computers that really are good enough for around 85-90% of computer users. The point is, you can get a mid-range computer for $700, and whether desktop or laptop, has similar capabilities.[/citation]
A 700$ desktop with a quad only at 2.5GHz? Most quads are beyond 3.0 where common laptops still use duals at 2.0-2.3GHz. With 700$ you could afford a prebuilt gaming computer, which does have mediocre graphics for the price but has a far better processor. The biggest thing is how people shouldn't expect to be able to do as much on a laptop as they can with their desktop. The price of a laptop rockets when it gets dedicated graphics, you could get a 400$ laptop with 4gb ddr2/250-320gb HDD/Dual Core @2.2GHz with integrated graphics that works fine. Add on something as low as a 5450 and the price is at a minimum of 600$. Not only that, but the 6-8 hour battery life gets cut down to 3-6 hours with a higher heating problem.
 
The power of graphics cards in PC's has grown as well...
The OSs and games we use and play today are beasts that require tons of graphics power. That power was definately not available in 2000 as it is today. The cards we have today are awesome and cheap!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.