The question of "Do people NEED this much computing power is ridiculous."
I've seen posts like this all the time. Someone casually says: "No one NEEDS this much computing power."
This is fundamentally a ridiculous statement--and for several reasons.
1) Companies and universities regularly invest in massive computing platforms so mind-blowingly powerful they make any desktop look utterly pathetic. These computers sell for hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars, and are clearly bought because companies use their power.
"Ok, says my theoretical naysayer--so SOME people need that much power--but most people don't."
Again, a ridiculous statement for the following reason:
2) The question of NEED is an entirely arbitrary one based on an exterior viewpoint. Life on this planet got along for 5 billion years or so without computers. Humans, fragile little things that we are, managed for at least forty or fifty thousand years without a C:\. Its entirely reasonable to say that in the long run humans don't NEED computers at all.
The question of need is entirely relative to what the consumer intends to do with the power of the machine he has purchased. Frankly, if a person intends to do lots of MP3 ripping or watch DVD's on the machine without a high-end decoder, we recommend high end CPU power. If he's a gamer, we recommend high-end CPU power.
There's one final bit to the puzzle:
Given the constantly falling price of hardware, there's no REASON to use older technology. Even if we grant that an Office worker doesn't need a 1 Ghz+ CPU, try buying one a year from now. With current 1 Ghz chips going for $60-80, why on earth would anyone use something half the power selling for 90% the price?
One final note: As much as certain people like to talk about not 'needing' the power of the machine they've purchased, a great many of the noted improvements introduced in Win2K and WinXP are only possible because of advances in technology. Plug and Play works now precisely because all of the equipment (or the vast majority of it) that is purchased on the market today is PnP compatible. The standard took a hammering when it was first unveiled because so much equipment did NOT support it--but times have changed and equipment improved.
Did we NEED PnP equipment? No--but it sure as hell made life easier for those of us configuring PC's.
Similarly, we may not NEED (in the grand scheme of the word) 2 Ghz CPU's--but I see no reason not to buy one.
I'm ranting on this because I'm tired of it--anyone want to agree or disagree?
