Episode 8: Mag Computer
Summary
Episode 8 of Mag World, 'Mag Computer', surveys how RAM scales computing power from the Apollo Guidance Computer through Apple II to today’s devices, using RAM as a proxy for memory and processing capacity on a log (mag) scale. The episode covers Moore’s Law, the evolution from mag 3 to mag 12+ RAM, and the implications of memory growth for software and media—from cassette-loaded software to CD-quality music and streaming video. It also includes a discussion of the modern AI era, Claude and Claude Code, and the progression from handcrafted to commodity hardware in computing, finishing with notes on supercomputers, data centers, and the ongoing mag-growth of compute power.