The New Look of Computing

Pierre Bonnaure surveys here the different trends that are changing the world of computing today. He starts by recalling that Moore’s Law – which for more than 30 years has predicted that the density of microprocessors (i.e. the number of transistors integrated on a single silicon chip) would double every 18 months – might well reach saturation point quite quickly. He highlights the various innovations under way or in the pipeline from most of the manufacturers of processors (Intel, IBM…) in order to cope with these limits and improve computer architecture. Lastly, he assesses the impact of these changes on the main producers of computer hardware and software, and the shifts in strategy of the main players in the sector.