Start-up demos quantum computer
February 14, 2007
The Canadian company on Tuesday gave a public demonstration of Orion, its quantum computer, at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif. D-Wave said it is going to try to sell computing services to corporate customers in the first quarter of 2008.
Because of its inherent properties, D-Wave’s computer is optimized for running complex and oftentimes consuming simulations.
Quantum computers, Martin emphasized, will not displace digital computers. Instead, they will serve as co-processors for large problems.
The advances in computer technology still amaze me. This quantum computer is still a prototype, but it proves that quantum computers can indeed produce results. D-Wave does not know how it will behave on a larger scale, but currently it is still more energy efficient and faster than digital computers. Since the quantum computer requires refrigeration to 4 millikelvin (-273.15°C), it is highly unlikely that it will be sold to the general consumer (PC) market.
http://news.com.com/Start-up+demos+quantum+computer/2100-1008_3-6159152.html
