10 Computers That Changed Everything

Economists try to put a value on PCs in America

(NEWSER) - You can scope out the price tag of a Mac or PC at any given electronics hawker, but how much are computers really worth to us? Economists at the Federal Reserve Bank in Atlanta actually tried tackling that question, and they came up with $500 billion—or, on average about $1,700 per person. That's equal to about 5% of total consumer spending in 2009, reports the Wall Street Journal . More»

Using light, not wires, to connect chips could make computers 1,000 times faster

(NEWSER) - Sun Microsystems is moving toward connecting computer chips using lasers instead of wires, a move that could make computers 1,000 times faster. The company snagged a $44 million Pentagon contract to continue work that could also mean smaller, more energy-efficient machines. It won’t be easy, though: A Sun researcher told the New York Times the chance of success is 50%. More»

'Fact tags' only confused customers: Intel exec

(NEWSER) - PC makers seem to have gotten the hint and are beginning to hawk their wares not with dazzling technobabble but with information useful to the average consumer, the New York Times reports. For years, tech concerns have touted their achievements in impenetrable language on “fact tags” (DDR2 RAM, anyone?), but that approach may not fly when most people just want a fast Internet connection. “We have been stuck in 1995,” an AMD exec says. “We are basically the laggards.” More»

A look at milestones in the life of that crucial computer accessory

(NEWSER) - It’s been 40 years since the computer mouse made its public debut, and though innovations have been legion, the basic concept is still the same. Macworld takes a look back at some key moments in the device’s evolution.

• 1963: The first recognizable mouse prototype is built. It only had one button, but more were to come—well, not for Mac users.

International demand keeps tech afloat even as economy sinks

(NEWSER) - The tech sector keeps rolling even as the overall economy continues to flail, the Wall Street Journal reports. Four of tech’s giants, Microsoft, Google, IBM and Nokia, posted quarterly results yesterday, riding high on developed nations’ need for cost-saving technologies and emerging economies’ demand for infrastructure upgrades as the Internet and cell phones enjoy wider use in the developing world. More»