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While mainframe computers may be considered outdated, as the processing power of personal computers has increased, consider the following:

  • Mainframes were the first cloud computing - many users working on cheaper low-power workstations, sharing the processing power of the 'big computer'. Cloud computing is somehow considered a 'new idea'.
  • Computing capacity usage can be maximized. Imagine 100 people all with laptops. How much of that computing power sits unused as several of those people check emails, update their Facebook, etc. While others may be crunching some numbers in a spreadsheet, using a large percentage of their individual computer's capacity (even if for a short amount of time).
  • Mainframes and PC's are kind-of analogous to using mass-transit or everybody driving their own car. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages.

On a lighter note, we still need to know what the gazillionth digit of pi is, as well as the next 50 thousand digits after that, don't we?

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14y ago

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