What is "future proof"?

The phrase "future proof" seems to be pretty common around here. What precisely do people mean by it? It seems to be rather nonsensical to me.

 

To future-proof means to buy something that'll remain top-of-the-line for an entire week, instead of the 2 days (from the time it was built, including shipping) it'd normally take for what you bought to become obsolete

I'd assume that it means to buy something that'll be able to handle whatever new stuff comes along for the duration of the item's lifespan (i.e. usually this averages out to be 3 years)...even if not well. (i.e. being able to do whatever it is they want the computer for at the end of those 3 years, even if they have to run the software at its lowest possible settings).

 

There is no such thing as future proof. As soon as that notebook walks off the assembly line it is already obsolete.

 

This is why you get notebooks that fly

 

I like to measure it on a purely personal preference scale

For me until the end of my degree for what I want to do with it. One year into it, the laptop is still going strong despite my best efforts to destroy it (the old orange squash episode ) and envisage it will still be perfectly fine come summer 2009

Sure it may not have the *best spec*, but it still has 2 cores which are stupendously fast compared to old P4s, so see what I wrote above

 

Yeah. "Future proof" is just used as "will last me as long as possible before an upgrade is necessary." It's a misnomer, really, especially whenever it's used to refer to a graphics card.

 

Can the 15.4" notebook I just ordered fly or would I need a 17"?

 

I think "future proof" came into use a lot around when the Core Duo was out, since it was only 32 bit but latest AMD chips where 64 bit, and there was a lot of debate about whether 64 bit chips were going to be needed in a years time to run apps, or whether 32 bit would still just be fine.

Now that the only real intel chip is the C2D it's a moot point, basically the only real use is if you have a choice (like BR vs HD-DVD) which is most likely to be still used in 1, 2, 3 years time, and unfortunately like the CoreDuo vs the 64 bit (single core) argument, it's entirely debatable.

 

I just bought a brand new laptop with a t7700 cpu and got it today? You're telling me it's already obselete? Show me what mobile cpu that's out right now makes mine "obsolete" already.

You're right about components becoming obselete quickly, especially in laptos. But cmon, 1 day and it's already obselete...

I think it becomes obselete once the next Intel cpu comes out, but not after a day of owning it.

 

BR vs HD-DVD, well there is the possibility of combo BR/HD-DVD discs in the future. I forgot what company but they postponed/delayed it until 2008. BR on one side and HD-DVD on the other.

That and the combo BR/HD-DVD players.

 

So are you saying your new laptop is "future proof"?

 

no, future proof refers to the fact that it can be used down the road, and be ready for new technologies that will come out.

For Instance, buying a laptop with a low grade santa rosa processor (t7300?) will yield you a new socket P, which is the future (for now) of intel's mobile processors, so you have the ability to upgrade down the line.

Another example is an expresscard slot, even though not as many devices support it currently, in the near future, developers will have new technology such as better sound cards for your expresscard slot.

Another example is buying a notebook and making sure, even if you don't have a wireless-n minicard, that it has the extra antennae in case you want one later.

So basically, it's a device that will be ready for future technologies that are just emerging for the next few years, instead of being obsolete and needing an entire system replaced in 6 months to get the new technology.

my two bits...

 

Even though it does not always work or work the way we want it to, it is

BUYING A COMPUTER THAT EXCEEDS THE CURENT REQUIRMENTS OF WHAT YOU USE IT FOR, IN THE HOPES THAT IT WILL ADD LIFE WHEN MORE DEMANDING APPLICATIONS/GAMES COME OUT IN THE FUTURE.

Does it work somtimes yes somtimes no, it's a strategy, another is buy what you need now and when you need more prices will have dropped.

Both are valid, future proof is by no means an absolute some people who say does not work and point out everything gets obsolete, of course but you can do some things to extend the reasonable expected life. Buying a GPU that barely plays todays games is unlikely to last as long as one that can easily play todays game with room to spare.

from when the new hardware comes out it takes time to write the applications that need all of the advances so there is a cycle, it takes time.

If anyone wants to see their notebook fly bring it to my 3rd floor apt and I'll show you.

 

Wow, calm down...

 

sorry back on my meds or sorry my cap key got stuck

 

was this in jest? if yes i'd say the 15.4" would fly further because it is lighter.

If no, screen size doesn't have any bearing on whether it is future proof or not.

 

Uhhh...calm down dude. Nobody is attacking you personally. It was just a bit of hyperbole.

 

Well all that depends ENTIRELY how you define obsolete

Dictionary says

1. no longer in general use; fallen into disuse: an obsolete expression.
2. of a discarded or outmoded type; out of date: an obsolete battleship.
3. (of a linguistic form) no longer in use, esp., out of use for at least the past century. Compare archaic.
4. effaced by wearing down or away.

Of those, definition 2 would actually say that notebooks VERY quickly become obsolete since a new model replaces the old one. Then if you get down to parts it probably happens even quicker, but um... yeah, not sure where this was going, your notebook won't be obsolete really for quite a while, I use definition 1, and your 7700 is going to be around for quite a while, even after intel stop making them (my Core Duo isn't yet obsolete, because a huge number of people still use them).

 

Thats why I bought my D901C. Top processor 2.93Ghz vs. Top end Santa Rosa to be release at end of this year = 2.8Ghz. It should be able to game on a few years from now. (Especially once the upgradeable 8800's show up for it!)

 

To me, future proof is buying future needs in the future

In other words, buy only features that I absolutely need NOW and forget about the future.

 

that can be more costly in the long run though.

 

I don't know man. It all comes to the ability the upgrade at the right time.

I bought a nice 939-pin mobo for my desktop when they barely came out, thinking it will last me for a few years. But them AM2 came around, and now getting a 939-pin CPU is hard and expensive because of all those "visionaries" such as I that decided to get 939-pin mobo to be "future-proof". Leaving room for upgrading implies that you will upgrade throughout all the time you own the thing, and saving upgrades for later is a bad strategy.

The thing is, people need to figure out:
-what the use for the computer is (gaming, web surfing, scientific computing, etc)
-what the lifecycle of hardware for that purpose is (e.g. gaming has a short lifecycle, while things such as web browsing can be done perfectly in a computer that is about 8 yrs. old)
-how often they are willing to upgrade (e.g. upgrading for web browsing can be done safely every 6 yrs, but if you want to play intensive games, then you need to do it every 2-3 yrs. in order to keep somewhat current)

With that in mind, people need to figure out what their sweet spot is. In my particular case, it's a new computer every 3 yrs. I don't want to spend money all throughout those 3 years in smaller upgrades (harder to convinve wife to spend little money here and there *whip*). Now, after 3 years I will outgrow my computer (lots of 3D applications and gaming), and I can present a reasonable case to my wife. So I just count on getting an almost-top-of-the-line new comp every 3 years, and that works for me.

 

Not in my experience but that depends on personal usage. In fact, I saved a lot and that has not taken inflation(or the money grows for the immediate saving in CD) into account.

A bargain basement model and a "decent" future prove spec can easily has a price difference of 1.5 to 2x. Now factor in Moore's law and that most people over estimate their future needs, that is usually a winning strategy money wise.

Of course, running with a lowly speced machine throughout that period which may have negative effect, psychological wise for some people.

 

you can still get plenty of CPUs for the 939. The opteron 185 just came down to about $250 a short while back.
What is frustrating is the cheaper AM2 chips for equivalent clockspeed. Along with the much cheaper DDR2 memory! I am really deep in it. I still have 2 939 motherboards I havent even populated yet!

My whole take on future proof is (like stated above) getting a machine that exceeds mu current needs, and has architecture (ports slots whatever) which will accomodate future expansion.
You really have to be well read these days though. Intel and AMD are always working on some new hardware revis that will obsolete all your memory, video cards hard drives etc.

 

I'm talking sustained flight, not projectile motion. What size screen will give me sufficient lift? Will a 7200 rpm hard drive significantly increase stability through the gyroscopic effect? Which manufacturer uses the best thrusting fans and should I be more concerned with static pressure or CFM? Which is most aerodynamic?

 

Future proofing is almost nonsensical in my context. Having a latest rig with the most powerful component today will be rendered half-outdated tommorrow, depending on how technology evolves. Getting something that is resonably powerful for the duration of your usage is "my future proofing definition."

 

This is a common misconception. When I bought the S96J in my signature last August, it lasted for nearly eight (8) months before a newer line became available in the form of Santa Rosa. And even when it did, it absolutely did not obsolete the C2D's. I would say that the X1600 in my 15.4" laptop is still one of the most powerful GPU's you can get for this formfactor, and that a 2.0Ghz C2D and 2GB of RAM are about the best you can hope for in a laptop without spending a premium right now. So I would say I future proofed myself---whatever that means---pretty well in the scheme of things.