22/10/2004 3:07:20 pm
The World is Getting Better, Part II. In the year 1900, the average person in America had to work 107 hours to be able to afford 100 KWh of electricity. In the yesr 1990, he or she only had to work 43 minutes for the same amount. In 1950, the work to afford 1 MIPS (Million Calculations Per Second) of computer power was 515 000 lifetimes. In 1990, it took about 14 hours. A sample of 12 food staples, enough for three meals, took 2 hours and 22 minutes of work to afford in 1970, but today it takes 1 hour and 45 minutes. This, and much more, is the effect of free competition. Technical and organisational improvements take place where companies compete for the customers. In the globalised world of today, the pace of this development increases. Goods and services are prouced where the best quality to the lowest prices can be achieved.