Is Silicon Cheaper Than Iron?

Byte Magazine LogoA colleague recently told me about a quote made by science fiction author Jerry Pournelle prior to 1990 that “Silicon is cheaper than iron.” This is something that Pournelle wrote as a columnist for Byte Magazine.

My friend explained that this, dubbed “Pournell’s Second Law,” was a very early argument that SSDs would eventually render HDDs obsolete.

I found a credible review of the statement in a LowEndMac.com web page  that excerpts articles in the September 1990 issue of Byte Magazine.  Byte celebrated its 15th anniversary in this issue by Continue reading “Is Silicon Cheaper Than Iron?”