Why do software nowadays take so much more memory and processing power (2020) • Hacker News Board

Re: Why do software nowadays take so much more memory and processing power (2020)

#71

Post by mcculley » Sun, Sep 17, 2023, 5:49 PM UTC

andrewstuart wrote: post #9

mcculley wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Modern computers have more bandwidth and more latency. They are faster and also feel slower. http://danluu.com/input-lag/

A computer is a sophisticated machine. Of course you are going to be able to point to here or there where it is true that input lag is worse or whatever, but the general concept that "older was faster" is wrong.

I am fully aware that my MacBook Pro is overall faster at compiling code than my Commodore 64 was ever capable of. I am also aware that getting a keystroke from a polled USB keyboard up through the many layers and context switches to get it to a screen takes more time than it took a much older system.

Re: Why do software nowadays take so much more memory and processing power (2020)

#72

Post by mcculley » Sun, Sep 17, 2023, 5:50 PM UTC

IshKebab wrote: post #32

mcculley wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Modern computers have more bandwidth and more latency. They are faster and also feel slower. http://danluu.com/input-lag/

Those results show no clear correlation with age at all. It that low latency was possible in the 80s and it's still possible now. But throughout computer history there have been plenty of terrible high latency devices. I agree with OP. Generally computers today are much faster than they were in the 90s.

Indeed. As I pointed out, they are faster at compiling code and slower at processing keystrokes.

Re: Why do software nowadays take so much more memory and processing power (2020)

#73

Post by lee101 » Mon, Sep 18, 2023, 2:32 AM UTC

[dead]