Since the first computer was made in the late fifties, technology has developed extremely. Computers, which took the place of a living room then, are now being made in credit card formats. More and more areas are being taken over by the computer. As computers are capable of handling large amounts of data in a very short time, they are well suited for word processing.
I guess that it won’t be long until all the paper archives are replaced by magnetic tapes and diskettes. A diskette can contain much more data than a written page, and it takes up less space. It is possible to get the Norwegian telephone book on just one diskette. In the near future, a new area will be taken over by computers, namely maps. Different routes are stored on one single compact disk. Imagine simply inserting the CD into the CD drive in your car and telling the computer where to go. The rest will be done automatically.
This will be a safer, faster, and more comfortable way to travel. Another new area, called virtual reality,” is currently being tested. This is a way to simulate reality on a monitor. In order to experience this so-called reality, you have to wear special electronic glasses and an electronic suit. The suit is fastened with sensors that send information to the main computer. The computer works with the data and displays it on the electronic spectacles.
This is a technique which uses three-dimensional views, making the scenery incredibly realistic. If you want to be a boxer, simply change the scenery on the main computer and you will be in the ring. Today, many kids have video games. These games could be considered the present’s answer to ludo and monopoly. In a way, it is a great advantage that kids are being introduced to computers at an early age because they will definitely have to use them later when they start working.
In the future, there will be few occupations that won’t use computers in one way or another. However, video games are often presented as something negative that hinders kids from doing homework and other more useful activities. This is partially true if they spend too much time on it. But generally, I think young people’s contact with computers is positive.
In Norway today, it is becoming more common to have a computer at home. You can use a personal computer to keep household budgets or manage other finances. It is also possible to get in touch with your bank and transfer money while in your sitting room. Additionally, you can contact other databases and gather information from them.
The use of computers has led to other criminal actions. Hacking” is one of them. A “hacker” steals and manipulates information from other databases. These crimes can be very harmful. In the USA, hackers have managed to break into NASA’s database.
The computer programs, the software, are extremely high priced. Sometimes they are even more expensive than the hardware. Therefore, it is not unusual to make copies of these programs. This is strictly illegal, but nobody seems to care because it is difficult to control. Software producers lose billions of dollars each year because of this. Many methods have been invented to prevent this, but since the hackers” are often more intelligent than those who make the software, I doubt that there will ever be a successful way to hinder this.
