In 1959, an IBM 7090 could execute about 500,000 instructions/sec, had a memory
ID: 3877024 • Letter: I
Question
In 1959, an IBM 7090 could execute about 500,000 instructions/sec, had a memory of 32,768 36-bit words, and cost $3 million. Compare this to a current computer and de- termine how much better the current one is by multiplying the ratio of memory sizes and speeds and then dividing this by the ratio of the prices. Now see what the same gains would have done to aviation in the same time period. The Boeing 707 was deliv- ered to the airlines in substantial quantities in 1959. Its speed was 950 km/hr and its capacity was initially 180 passengers. It cost $4 million. What would the speed, ca- pacity, and cost of an aircraft now be if it had the same gains as a computer? Clearly, state your assumptions about speed, memory size, and price.
Explanation / Answer
In 1959, an IBM 7090 had a memory of 128KB, could execute 500,000 instructions/sec, and could be bought for three million dollars. In 2012, one particular desktop PC model has 16GB of memory, has an Intel Core i7 3630QM processor that can execute 113 billion instructions/sec, and could be bought for $2,000.
Using these two computers as references, formulate your own versions of Moore's law for instructions per second, memory, and price. In particular, specify: