Hi Erik,

I think you hit the nail on the head. Power constraints will perpetuate the demand for 8-bit controllers well into the future. And let's not overlook the synergy of distributing.

Xerox corporation funded a reasearch and development project out west called PARC (Pacific Area Research Center if memory serves). Back in the days when the Internet was still AARPNET, computers were still monster machines that occupied whole floors of the building they served, and running a simulation meant submitting your code to the computer operator, PARC scientists developed something they called a "desktop" computer. Their idea was to put a computer on the desk of the accountant so he could run his own calculations. Put another computer on the desk of the engineer so he could run his own simulations. Put another ..., you get the idea. When IBM, CRAY, and everybody else in the world was trying to hand tune twisted pairs to make their busses faster so that their one big computer could do more in less time, PARC thought it might be better to give everyone their own computer. Even if these smaller models were slower, it didn't matter. The user still got what they needed faster. They distributed the computing power to the point of delivery, and thus eliminated the need for all of the extra power.

Do people still talk about "parallel processing?"

The technologies that PARC produced in accomplishing this included the mouse, a GUI operating system, a laser printer, PostScript fonts and WYSIWYG displays. They also invented the prototype ethernet and a point to point messaging system that would become email. And XEROX owned the IP (Intellectual Property, not Internet Protocol) to all of it.

They ended up rejecting the research. The directors of XEROX thought it would lead to less paper use in the operation of an office, and they were in the paper business.

Fortunately, one of their scientists opened up Adobe and commercialized the whole PostScript font technology. Another one showed that "laser" printing technology to HP, and one guy who got a tour of the place, after ignoring the ethernet and email technologies, was smitten by the mouse and the GUI operating system. He was Steve Jobs.

More power is fine when it's needed, but efficiency wins the day every time. Why spend $100 to control your head lights, turn signal and horn from one central location when you can spen $15 to control each one independently?

Anyway, with all of that said, I still noticed that the main forum was completely greyed out when I logged on a couple of minutes ago.

Joe