One Billion Computers!

from JoeUser Forums

Gartner Research announced today that the number of computers currently in use worldwide has now surpassed one billion machines. That's nearly one machine for every six people!

As computers become bigger and bigger parts of our lives, one can only wonder how the world might change with the next billion. Will things get better or worse? Will the continued proliferation of computers usher in a golden age of free knowledge and human networking, or will they isolate us from each other by allowing us to see and hear only what we wish?

On a less philosophical note, how many of us have old machines just collecting dust in the closet (I've got a few myself)?

There are all sorts of potential projects or uses for those old machines and hardware (some helpful, some less so)--any ideas to put them to good use, rather than just wasting space until they find their way to the garbage?

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Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
One Billion Computers!


I thought this was either a Mc'D's type of ad .*over one billion Puters served* thype of thing..
or It was a tally of the # of Pc's used to store Snows skin collection.  :LOL:  :LOL:

Good read Kryo. interesting to see how far PC's have spread out in to home life.. I imagine it was like this with television back in the day..
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top

I have two laying around.  One is an iBook G4 which I have been thinking about selling.

Fences - Organize your desktop icons today!
Reply #3 from JoeUser Forums Top
I thought this was either a Mc'D's type of ad .*over one billion Puters served* thype of thing..


Ditto! ;)
Reply #4 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I am counting 4 if I look around
I am actively faking and pushing stats :LOL:
Reply #5 from Sins Forums Top
Folding is a great idea to put an old machine to good use. You can also revamp them for home file servers, HTPCs, as test a machine for various Linux distros, tons of stuff.

But wow. 1 billion machines. Impressive.
Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

i have 2 at my desk... vates behind me has 3... WR has about 20 lying about his work space... stardock loves its puters :-)

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

I have an old laptop under the bed, but the battery's bunk, the CD drive cover is broken and Windows won't boot, so I doubt I will be able to do much with it :P .

Interesting read anyways, and with the economic development of countries like China and India, the only way I can see the number going is up.

Reply #8 from Sins Forums Top
Every time I get a new machine the old one goes in a huff and stops working. Sometimes a little before the new one arrives - just to mess with me.
It's true - on my 5th at home and every single one is a door stop.
Hmm, that's about one every 4 to 5 years (not counting upgrades).

3 machines around my desk at work - not counting the sacrificial one we keep around for kicking.
Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top
Wow, thats 1 billion possible Stardock customers.
Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top
In my house now
Server: 1
Laptops: 4
PCs: 3
Mac: 1
Apple ][c: 1
Palms: 1
Logitech SqueezeBox: 1


I try to do my part.  :)
Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Well I count 3 PC's and 1 laptop.

Hmmmm............if we collect $1 for each computer we could throw one heck of a pizza party! :SURPRISED: 
Reply #12 from Sins Forums Top
If I hadn't given away parts, I'd have 3 additional computers minus 1 mouse.
Reply #13 from Sins Forums Top
Parents comp, my comp and whats rest of the shell of my old computer that friends have scavaged through for diff parts!
Reply #14 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
I think most places have a group of people who take old computers, do them up {mix and match parts} and then give them to people who cannot afford to buy one.
I know my town does.
Check it out. If you don't have one locally, why not get a group together.
Reply #15 from Sins Forums Top
I got 1 gaming rig, 2 old crt pc's, 1 xps lappy, 1 inspron lappy, and another gaming rig in the next 4 months, hopefully.
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
On a less philosophical note, how many of us have old machines just collecting dust in the closet (I've got a few myself)?

LOL...I have my old machine in my closet, sitting in pieces. I was going to put it together and let my mom use it, but at the moment there's nowhere to put it, so I might sell it to my friend who's interested in having a desktop system (she has a small 14.1" laptop she uses for school).

I also have my desktop machine, my laptop, and my sister has a desktop.
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
no old machines here. i got a vista machine, linux machine and a mac. :)
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Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Gartner Research announced today that the number of computers currently in use worldwide has now surpassed one billion machines


Of which Nine hundred ninety nine million users are total idiots!


 :LOL:  :LOL:  :LOL: 
Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Of which Nine hundred ninety nine million users are total idiots!

So say we all.
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Let's see...if there are more than a billion computers...somewhere around 1.1 bn or so [just estimating] and many people have more than one PC and we're not counting the junk PCs, then that'd mean that when we say there's 1 PC for every 6 people, we actaully mean that these PCs aren't equally divided. Not every house has a PC even in developing countries, and seeing that Pcs are still novelties for the normal person in extreme third world regions...I'd say that's quite an irregular distribution...meaning that maybe it's alright to say that for eery twelve people equally divided into two groups, one geek in one group has both two PCs that are supposed to be equally represented by each group....hmmm...that might as well mean that a small developed country [according to population] has more PCs than a three times larger third world country [according to population].... :p 



No idea what I just said.... :LOL: 
Reply #21 from Stardock Forums Top

owww... my brain...

Reply #22 from GalCiv2 Forums Top
One billion computers.

And I bet you still can't find one that will run Crysis at a decent frame rate. ;)
Reply #23 from WinCustomize Forums Top
No old machines here, gave them to charity! :)
Reply #24 from Sins Forums Top
I've got a Commodore64 hiding in my closet, I believe. I think it only has 64K worth of memory :LOL:  My other old computer is a '98 e-machine. I tried to scrap the DVD-ROM drive so I could play SOASE :), but the drive didn't work and I had to buy a $90 drive because I couldn't download it off the internet because of my slow dial-up X-( 

Ahh . . . nostalgia :) 
Reply #25 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I only have an old machine by today's standards. My motto if it's not broke don't fix it. ;)