Contents - Previous - Next This is the old United Nations
University website. Visit the new site at http://unu.edu 4. The
electronic library of the future 4.1 The Future of the
Technology 4.1.1 Computers and Storage Media When we deal with
images and video of high definition, requirements for their
transmission, processing, and storage become far more severe
than those met by the current microcomputer systems. The
developments that took place in these areas in the past,
however, are remarkable, and it is still possible to predict the
near future by extrapolating earlier development. It is even
forecast, though some might think it too optimistic, that the
supercomputer of a few years ago will be available in a laptop
type before the turn of the century. Along with this
development, storage capacity of optical media will become much
higher. According to a forecast, within a few years, recording
density of optical discs will reach a level of 20 Gbits per
square inch, more than 20 times that of the present ones.