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[computer-go] Grid computing

So, build your MEGA GO MONSTER, make a client to acces
your beast and give it for free. Instead the clients
will pay you 5 EURO montly to access your mega
computer.
Won't work.
When your super-mega computer has 256 CPU's and you have 100 people playing Go, they effectively have only 2.5 CPU's each.

And asking 5 USD/person will need a LOT of players to break even, so the idea is self-defeating.

I think client/server and grid computing is future, so
let's think a little bit in the future also ;)
Those computers that run multi-user games, they are no more than glorified communication channels. The actual game runs locally. There is not a supercluster somewhere calculating the explosions on your screen and the AI of the characters etc. That is all done by your CPU.

Another very important reason why C/S computing, grid computing has a poor future is that it does not add CPU power. It only distributes CPU power. Your system will only work when:

1. Many people allow their CPU be used at night or when working.
I think this is a reasonable assumption, might work.
But there still is a long way to go. Even with those 1 million eMule users online, when grid computing takes off, those cycles are quickly used up by other applications than Go.

2. There is a much smaller number of people who want to take ADVANTAGE of the excess CPU power of people who make it AVAILABLE. So you are assuming that the bulk of the people will let their CPU run idle, whilst a tiny minority (at least 10 times less when you want 10-CPU power) is USING it.

And that doesn't make much sense. As soon as such capability will be mainstream, everyone and their dog wants to use it. It's a self-defeating system that will immediately collapse under its own success.

And somehow you'll have to persuade those SETI@Home folks to dump Seti and install your stuff, etc. Nice in theory but limitedly feasible IMVHO.
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