Moore's First Law

Gordon Moore observed that the number of transistors that could be placed on a microchip to populate a silicon-based integrated circuit would double every couple of years. Though initially an obscure treatise on the growth of computing power through more precise manufacturing techniques, the media dubbed the equation “Moore's Law.” Moore's observation shows that when plotted out, an exponential growth curve in transistor density resulting in increased performance and decreased cost per unit. It was also translated into a general 'rule of thumb' among IT professionals that on average, computing power would double ever eighteen months.

This prediction has been on track so far. As the chart below indicates, the growth in the number of transistors has been substantial, roughly doubling every couple of years. The complexity of the calculations, breadth of applications, and amount of data that can be handled by the IT infrastructure has followed suit.