Computers obsolete

The mechanical parts of computer-controlled viscometers can be simple and should not become obsolete for many years. The complexity is in the software, and this is where changes will have to be made to keep the instmment up to date. Some manufacturers are offering new, updated software free for a period of several years after the instmment is purchased. 

It is well known that the resources available on the Internet are in constant flux, with new sites appearing on a daily basis and established sites disappearing almost as frequently. This also holds true for the dedicated tools used in biochemical and biophysical studies. New tools are constantly becoming available, and established tools, obsolete. Such rapid change makes it difficult to stay current with the state-of-the-art technologies in the areas of bioinformatics and computational biochemistry and biophysics. 

As a practical point, any computer code has to be transferable between platforms, so there is little point writing code in esoteric but obsolete languages such as French ALGOL. 

In the early 1980s, the world witnessed the sale of the first personal computers. Its transition from the relatively bulky and slow first units to the sleek, speed demons has made the computer truly revolutionary. With each improvement in computers, however, comes the increasing problem of what to do with the ever increasing number of computer e-wastes. The U.S. EPA estimates that nearly 250 million computers will become obsolete in the next five years in the United States alone. Unfortunately, only approximately 10% of these old computers that are retired each year are being recycled. This presents a substantial concern because toxic elements such as lead, cadmium, mercury, barium, chromium, beryllium as well as flame retardant, and phosphor are contained in a typical computer and there would be potential harm if there was a release of these elements into the environment.1... 

Yu J, Williams E, Ju M, Yang Y (2010) Forecasting global generation of obsolete personal computers. Environ Sci Technol 44 3232-3237... 

First, the authors examined the distribution of total PCL-R scores using special probability graph paper (Harding, 1949). This method is a predecessor to mixture modeling it allows for estimation of taxon base rate, means, and standard deviations of latent distributions. The procedure suggested the presence of two latent distributions, with the hitmax at the PCL-R total score of 18. Harding s method is appropriate conceptually and simple computationally, but it became obsolete with the advent of powerful computers. On the other hand, there is no reason to believe that it was grossly inaccurate in this study. 

The graphics history section highlights the rapid change in computer hardware. Current platforms will certainly also become obsolete. Grid computing over the internet will probably become prevalent. 

Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from... 

There are nonzero chances that the charge flipping algorithm may make direct methods obsolete. Performing as it is, the algorithm is obscure in its fundamentals. No equations, formulas, or proofs are proposed or derived. In the authors own words [14] we admit our own lack of understanding of it beyond the level of intuition. This is a patent case in which the human brain is almost made superfluous by fast computing. Indeed, this facet of scientific activity has few precedents. 

Many computers which are used today will be obsolete tomorrow... 

PBDEs are release to land as municipal wastes with the disposal of consumer products containing PBDEs. The disposal of consumer products containing PBDEs is likely to increase worldwide due to rapid obsolescence of plastic products. For example, between 1997 and 2004, the number of obsolete computers containing flame retardants is projected to be 315 million (NSC 1999). Based on a monitor weight of 30 pounds, an estimated 350 million pounds of brominated flame retardants will be released to landfills (NSC 1999). Although PBDEs will only be a fraction of this total, the amount of PBDEs released to the environment by disposal will still be significant. 

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