Lockheed Martin Purchases First Commercial Quantum Computer 189
Panaflex writes "D-Wave systems announced general availability for its 128 qubit adiabatic quantum machine just two weeks ago, and reports of its first sale to Lockheed Martin have come out."
The D-Wave Systems site has a rather informative collection of quantum computing papers.
Wiki (Score:3, Insightful)
I attempted to get a basic understand of quantum computing from Wikipedia, and maybe find out how a quibit measured up to a traditional bit, and what adibatic meant.
Whelp...
I will never make fun of another old person who is unable to grasp the concepts of computing and computer interface that I use every day.
Re:Did some wiki-browsing... (Score:4, Insightful)
A traditional digital computer is pretty hellish to program too if you take away all the props -- you have to find a set of bit values for the memory such this immense consrtructrion of hundreds of millions of gates, clocks, latches, etc. will evolve to give your answer in a reasonably ti,me.
Re:Wiki (Score:4, Insightful)
the knowledge will be modularized and commercialized fairly quickly. in the 50s and 60s linear algebra was really hard because it hadn't been parsed out into an easy form - the useful stuff was all tied up with operator theory and the sort of understanding that geniuses have. fast-forward to now, and computing a matrix svd is a fairly standard task (even if you don't really have what a mathematician would call 'understanding').
similarly, quantum programming will most likely condense into a hierarchy of professional modules and life will go on. the structure of IT and computer engineering is almost totally is socioeconomic phenomenon and not a technical one...