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Saul and Mike climb the mag scale of computing, using RAM as a proxy for compute power, from the Apollo guidance computer and the Apple II up to today’s machines, and what each mag of memory made possible.

[This episode sponsored by the Recurse Center .]

RAM is a good proxy for computing power. Here’s every mag of memory from the Apollo Guidance Computer up to today’s machines — Nintendo, PlayStation, iPhone, and more. Remember, this is a log scale. ( full write-up )

[0.8s] Saul : Hello and welcome to Mag World, where we like to ask big questions, make wild guesstimates, and quantify literally everything on a magnitude scale. Just remember that every order of magnitude is a big deal, because as we say at Mag World, quantity has a quality all of its own. If you wanna learn more about Mag World, come visit our website at magworld.pw. I’m Saul Pwanson, your guide to Mag World, and I’m here with my friend Mike, who’s used a computer.

[27.5s] Mike : Yes, and I’m curious, are we going to use this one here during the episode? Should I turn it on?

[47.8s] Saul : So today’s episode is Mag Computer. The good old Apple II booting up. Um, actually, we’re gonna need to be online for this. Could you log us onto the internet, Mike?