Will Downloading Ever Be Instantaneous?

[javeryh]

How long until we can just click on a link to download a file and it happens instantaneously? I know a lot has to do with the size of a file but let's say for a movie or something...

[opportunity777]

Yes and no. As internet speeds travel faster so does the size of the files. The only way it would be instantenous is if you pulled some Star Trek shit.

Also, even if you had a T3 line the file can only get to your computer as fast as your harddrive can receive it. Without the proper hardware you wouldn't be able to take advantage of the speeds anyways even if you had the proper connection.

[jimbodan]

We can only dream

[Wshakspear]

....Think of files you would have downloaded maybe 5 years ago...3 meg files that would take forever. Now, you can click on it , count to 2 and be done. I'm still amazed by that.

Hay look! Paint drying! (scurries off)

[abrannan]

It'll never happen. We're already looking at the move to HD-DVD, which is going to run about 10X larger than DVD. The technologies for storing data are moving as fast or faster than the technology for moving data. Hard drive speeds can be addressed with solid state drives (Essentially RAM drives). The problem lies in the global infrastructure. The difference in speed available at the local level (1 gigabit) and the difference in speed available at a major uplink level (OC-192, 10 gigabit) aren't great enough to eliminate bottlenecks. Also, given the necessary transmissions for a TCP/IP connection (3 way handshake to initiate connection, must Ack every packet, limited packet size) combined with just a few ms latency, makes it near impossible to transfer a large file fast enough.

[epobirs]

You'll have to define instantaneous. This site would have been murderously unusable on my old 56K dial-up connection that was such a great imporvement over 33.6 when I first got it.

My first modem was 300 Baud and I used it from my Atari 800 with a program written in interpreted BASIC. It wasn't until 1200 Baud that it could tranfer plain text as fast as I could read it. Nowadays I'm accustomed to downloading pages with individual elements of a size that would have required several minutes per back in the 80's.

So the answer is yeas for very long occurance of instantanity. For a lot of lightweight pages most of the delay is latency added by routers along the way.

[Saucy Jack]

Scientists are trying to trap light, and somehow use light to transfer data. I don't think it will work.

[GameDude]

There isn't really a need to download an entire movie instantly...I mean, you could be downloading it while you watch it.

[Kaijufan]

....Think of files you would have downloaded maybe 5 years ago...3 meg files that would take forever. Now, you can click on it , count to 2 and be done. I'm still amazed by that.

Not for all of us. :cry:

[KrazyKefka]

....Think of files you would have downloaded maybe 5 years ago...3 meg files that would take forever. Now, you can click on it , count to 2 and be done. I'm still amazed by that.

Not for all of us. :cry:

I feel your pain.

[Wshakspear]

:) sorry.

If anything, broadband is getting closer to the point where most places will have it available, and afforable. I'm just lucky that my workplace AND house have it...except that i can no longer use my DC online :)

[roland13x]

I'm assuming the OP never had a 300 baud Vic Modem. What we've got now is as instantaneous as I could have ever dreamed back in the day...

[AlbinoNinja]

I think i heard in National Geographic about some new experimental internet connection where you can download every national geographic article ever in a couple of seconds... but that's still years off

[Indiana]

The speed of light will always be a limiting factor when it comes to downloading something over the internet.

[ElfAngel7]

i beg to differ, i'm currently typing this 10 minutes ago and have transcended time via my lightspeed connection. HAHA, fook YOU Einstein!

[Moxio]

I'm not sure. I think it's unecessary for the Internet to be that fast.

[Tromack]

The speed of light will always be a limiting factor when it comes to downloading something over the internet.

Not if scientists can utilize quantum entanglement. It allows for faster than light communication and has been used, but is still a long way from any sort of quasi-practical use.

[CoffeeEdge]

Well, I mean, what does that mean, anyway? You can always have a file so big that, no matter how fast a pipe is, it'll take time. I mean, it's all relative. There will always be things that will take a signifigant amount of time to download. As connections get faster, then there will be new ceilings of huge files.

So, yeah. There will never be a time when anything, no matter how big, is instant. There are psysical boundies in place...electrons can only move so fast.

[epobirs]

Scientists are trying to trap light, and somehow use light to transfer data. I don't think it will work.

What do you think is happening on fiber optic connections? If we couldn't channel photons to go where we wanted the whole net would be restricted to copper with much greater cost and a lower ceiling on throughput.

Now, if you mean something really exotic like a Bose-Einstein Condensate to actually hold on to a specific photon for a prolonged period, that is a different thing all together.

[cthcky33]

The speed of light will always be a limiting factor when it comes to downloading something over the internet.

damn light, always slowing us down

[Tromack]

Well, I mean, what does that mean, anyway? You can always have a file so big that, no matter how fast a pipe is, it'll take time. I mean, it's all relative. There will always be things that will take a signifigant amount of time to download. As connections get faster, then there will be new ceilings of huge files.

So, yeah. There will never be a time when anything, no matter how big, is instant. There are psysical boundies in place...electrons can only move so fast.

That is actually a misconception. The electric current isn't actually the electrons moving. They do move, but very slowly. It is the charge moving from electron to electron that moves close to the speed of light and is what you are thinking of. But you are correct that there is indeed a limit to the speed of that; however, as I stated earlier, with quantum entanglement the speed barrier is broken.

[jetblac]

if you can think it it can happen

[jam3582]

I'm not sure. I think it's unecessary for the Internet to be that fast.
thats tru but boy would it be great for porn \:D/ \:D/

[zionoverfire]

No, that would be impossible by the definition of download. However it could be nanotanious or quicker than a quantity of time that humans can comprehend.

[sisco1986]

Gilder's Law comes to mind with this topic.

"An assertion by George Gilder, visionary author of Telecosm, which states that "bandwidth grows at least three times faster than computer power." This means that if computer power doubles every eighteen months (per Moore's Law), then communications power doubles every six months."

[Kaijufan]

:) sorry.

If anything, broadband is getting closer to the point where most places will have it available, and afforable. I'm just lucky that my workplace AND house have it...except that i can no longer use my DC online :)
Its ok. My dad is being stupid and doesn't think we need to pay $40+ a month for broadband because we get our 28k connection for free. Even with my brother and I offering to pay for part of it he still won't even consider it. :x

[Moxio]

:) sorry.

If anything, broadband is getting closer to the point where most places will have it available, and afforable. I'm just lucky that my workplace AND house have it...except that i can no longer use my DC online :)
Its ok. My dad is being stupid and doesn't think we need to pay $40+ a month for broadband because we get our 28k connection for free. Even with my brother and I offering to pay for part of it he still won't even consider it. :x

Why not just... get it? How old are you?

[Kaijufan]

:) sorry.

If anything, broadband is getting closer to the point where most places will have it available, and afforable. I'm just lucky that my workplace AND house have it...except that i can no longer use my DC online :)
Its ok. My dad is being stupid and doesn't think we need to pay $40+ a month for broadband because we get our 28k connection for free. Even with my brother and I offering to pay for part of it he still won't even consider it. :x

Why not just... get it? How old are you?
I'm 18 and I work for my dad's small buisness, so I don't get very many hours during the school year. During the summer I could afford it, but I don't think I could during the school year. When I go to college next year I plan on staying at home, so maybe I'll be able to afford it next year.

[nevposey]

I think it'll be faster than we ever would have imagined it in about 5 years. didn't comcast or some company like that just announce a faster broadband connection. That's what's going to keep those companies competitive. It's just going to get faster and faster....at least I hope that's the direction it goes.