CPU This site legit? Quantum Computer

Thought we were supposed to be decades away but this site claims to be selling them now. Seems very odd that this hasn't been reported in any scientific media but apparently lockheed martin are happy enough to have bought one.

I imagine it's quite a challenge to program for too.

 

...which site? Also probably not unless they are extremely weak.

 

I can't imagine quantum computers being sold to the public at this stage...
There has been talk on a more practical/easier attainable method of using special wires in quantum computing instead of electrons and photons, but even so they're still pretty far off...
Maybe even further than the rest of the Kepler range

 

Totally legit........not lol Have you seen the current size of the stuff they use to attempt quantum computing? There's no way on Earth they could fit it into a single box like that.

 

I call bull****

 

Well actually, there might be a shred of truth in this. Wikipedia has an entry for D-Wave Systems:

They claim that the 128 qubit computer is housed with a cryogenic system inside a 10 square meter room, probably to achieve superconductivity. Thus it won't be a cheap thing to get hold of. Even so, there is very little/no operating systems for a quantum computer. So unless you are a university with a massive research grant and a team of highly experienced software engineers, you wouldn't be able to use your quantum computer.

 

Wikipedia you say? Seems legit lol

 

Fine, slightly backed up by a BBC article
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7085019.stm
or this?
http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/18/d-wave-one-claims-mantle-of-first-commercial-quantum-computer/

EDIT: I actually read that second link. $10,000,000 for the computer itself! And then the cost of the liquid helium to keep it cool...

 

Essentially no one can ever prove if this is real or not given the intial and ongoing running costs

On a serious note, I don't get what environment it would help in. Especially with the astronimcal costs.

 

The main advantage of quantum computers is the ability for a 'qubit' to be in multiple states at once. This uncertainty was explained by the Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment. Until actually viewing the qubit, it is in multiple states at one time. Using some clever software which I don't pretend to understand, this quantum feature can be exploited to brute force most encryption algorithms much quicker than a traditional binary computer.

Here's an example. A traditional computer contains many 'bits', each of which can be in a single state at one time. This means that at one particular time, the entire computer can only be in a single state. A quantum computer on the other hand has 'qubits' that can be in multiple states at once. This means that the entire quantum computer can be in multiple states at once, and this fuzzy logic speeds up a brute force process.

As for other uses, a quantum computer could, for example, simulate protein folding by an exponential amount. If the qubinary D) representation of the protein can be in multiple states at once, then the single protein can be 'folded' multiple ways at once.

 

I have enough trouble figuring out what all the pins on my mobo do and what you just said is likely to make my brain dribble out my ears.

As for quantum computers, I heard in a documentary a few years ago that they're close to making them work but years and years away from you having your own desktop, so I'm sceptical about that site.

 

"If you are looking for a next-generation solution to difficult computational problems, we've got a pretty cool solution for you."

Gimme a break... this reads like it was written by a school kid.

If it is genuine, they need to hire better publicity personnel.

 

This quantum computer isn't really for personal use - unless that consumer has over $10,000,000 and a room suitable for cryogenics, AND has the knowledge required to write their own operating system, then no, it won't be on a desktop near you. Now and in the foreseeable future.
As a comparison, ENIAC (the first Turing-complete general purpose computer) would cost about $6 million in today's money ($500,000 back then). So we can assume that this technology is further back in alpha than ENIAC, as it costs more. ENIAC was completed in 1946. The first 'commercially available' desktop computer was available in 1965, and the first real personal computer was released in 1971. So I think is is safe to say that we will be waiting 25+ years before quantum technology is on our desks and hooked up to our monitors holographic displays.

 

Fixed it for you

True enough, I'm gonna start saving now then, garage conversion into cryogenics chamber.....

 

D:Wave used to run a BOINC project called Aqua, it was using "our" PC's to model the output from a Quantum Computer. I ran the project up until it's demise a while ago. They were happy enough to inform project participants of their progress. You have to realise that from a mere 128 Qubits these will upscale in a few more years to out perform anything we have currently.

eight qubits gets you 256 solutions, scale that up and....

HTH

dunx

http://www.overclock.net/t/1239370/sd-quantum-computer-built-inside-a-diamond/0_40#post_16913214

 

The computer housing shown on the website almost seems like black plaper glued to a frame... Can see ripples on it !