A prospectus on integrated electronics and computer architecture

In order to assess the impact of any technological breakthroughs on the computer user, it is first necessary to understand the nature of the computer user's problem in its present context. Indeed, it is a source of considerable disappointment to some that radical improvements in technology over the past several decades have resulted in noncommensurate impact on the user. The purpose of this paper is to examine the question: "What will be the impact of integrated circuits or integrated electronics on computer architecture?" In the first part of the paper we will study the present picture of computing and show that, if no changes are made from present operating procedures, the impact will be small. In the second part of the paper, we analyze several aspects of computing to find conditions which will enlarge the impact. The final part of the paper will list a number of open problems in computing for which integrated electronics may provide a solution.