Two centuries of productivity growth in computing

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Yale University; Yale University
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC HISTORY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0022-0507
• DOI: 10.1017/S0022050707000058
• 发表日期: 2007
• 页码: 128-159
• 关键词: performance

摘要

The present study analyzes computer performance over the last century and a half Three results stand out. First, there has been a phenomenal increase in computer power over the twentieth century. Depending upon the standard used, computer performance has improved since manual computing by a factor between 1.7 trillion and 76 trillion. Second, there was a major break in the trend around World War II. Third, this study develops estimates of the growth in computer power relying on performance rather than components; the price declines using performance-based measures are markedly larger than those reported in the official statistics.