What lies Beyond the Processor?

Every so often we like to take a step back, to take look at the big picture behind computing and ebusiness. Believe it or not, we think it's worthwhile.

And that's one of the reasons why today we launch our latest Hot Topic - Beyond the Processor. (http://www.silicon.com/btp )

As the name implies, we've decided to look to the future, ahead of the PC and server oriented computing landscape most of us are familiar with. We set out to consider what processor- and semiconductor-based technology will look like one, five, even 20 years from now - and what it will allow us to do.

Now this isn't a simple subject for us to grapple with, so we enlisted some help.

silicon.com reporter Joey Gardiner caught up with two of the foremost thinkers of the digital age, Peter Cochrane and Ray Kurzweil. They take a look at some sequences and concepts from sci-fi films and analyse just what will eventually be possible.

But we couldn't neglect the vendors who form the bedrock of the modern computing industry. Megahertz still matter, so Sonya Rabbitte examines IBM, Intel, Sun and others to consider hardware in the near future. And let's face it, the future may be a much more comfortable place for a number of companies stuck in the current abyss.

Other features see Ben King examine the appeal of Moore's Law, and whether Gordon's more enduring legacy should be the Valley start-up culture he pioneered with Intel.

The list does go on, and we won't stop you coming back if things like wearable technology or UK chips wunderkind ARM appeal to you. But this column calls for some kind of conclusion.

Looking down the line, what does lie beyond the processor? We have to say more processors. But they'll be faster, cheaper, and used in different ways to today. So expect more of the same. Only different.