Solving the Problem of Limited Resources

Even the newest computer that has been carefully selected and is regularly serviced cannot keep pace with constantly growing requirements. Sooner or later, you will face problems caused by inadequate performance for solving tasks. When there are no more resources for increasing the performance by optimizing computer hardware and software, radical measures must be employed.

Some people solve the problem of insufficient performance by purchasing a new computer; others try to upgrade an existing one. Both approaches involve financial expense, which can be significant. In addition, insufficient performance can occur on relatively new and workable computers, even those purchased less than a year ago!

Most PC users feel frustrated by this situation, and they search for ways to complete tasks while retaining the existing computer. Some people invent new methods and algorithms that allow them to solve problems with limited resources. Other people simply reduce the range of tasks they solve using a computer. They often abandon contemporary operating systems with convenient but resource-consuming interfaces. They prefer more economic but less advanced operating systems of previous generations. A computer with such limited resources often runs simple, obsolete programs that efficiently complete a limited range of unsophisticated tasks.

Figure 2.1: Traditional solution to the problem of limited resources

A community of a different type of computer users balances cost with the rapid rate of technological advancement. People from this community often replace existing hardware, and in most cases, they are prepared to purchase a new computer. Still, they have a clear understanding of the disadvantages of this approach, and many try to find an alternative. Such people realize the necessity of financial investment. They purchase the required devices and/or the newest computer hardware, then get rid of the existing equipment. Later, they either call experts or, if they have the required experience and qualifications, proceed through the steps that upgrade their computers. In the course of such multistep upgrades, they gradually replace obsolete components with high-performance ones that provide broader functional capabilities.

However, some serious problems often prevent people from upgrading such computers. These problems are mainly related to further technological advances and to improvements of the architecture and quality of the components. The fast progress of silicon manufacturing technologies often fails to provide backward compatibility or compatibility with standards, interfaces, or architectural solutions. These factors regularly become an obstacle to upgrading computers.