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Distributed computing's first and foremost advantage over traditional supercomputers is its frugality, making use of every spare moment your computer's processor is idle. The latest Pentium chip sits unusued most of the time while your monitor flashes a screen saver or while your keyboard records your typing. These basic functions use very little processing power, while the rest goes to waste. Distributed computing can take full advantage of a computer's capabilities by keeping it busy with numbers to calculate.
It's also easy on the wallet. If enough users sign up, these linked computers — often referred to as virtual parallel machines — can surpass the fastest supercomputer by as much as four times for a fraction of the supercomputer's cost. More power for less money — what scientist or engineer with a large, overwhelming project could resist the concept of more power for less money? Provide a slick screensaver with an amazing visual of the data that's being processed by the computer, and Internet users will sign up in droves, adding to the computing power. This is one of the reasons SETI@Home's project is so popular.
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Fig. 1: The Reliability of Distributed Computing
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Reliability is no less important than speed (see figure 1). With a supercomputer, any one problem may bring the system to its knees. If you distribute the workload across several computers, however, there are less problems since each computer is independent and its problems don't affect the other computers. Less time is spent troubleshooting the problem.
But, like trying to control a roomful of children, working with individual computers can present many a challenge to those who wish to harness this strong beast of a machine.
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