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Comment by yeukhon | Hacker News Reader

I am not even sure how one can have a consumer level quantum computer (e.g. desktop, laptop, mobile device) at all. The physics behind a quantum computer doesn't seem to allow such consumer devices ever possible for a true QC. Our surrounding is full of interference. Of course, never say never right? I am just skeptical I guess.

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This is one of the rare instances where I would say a cloud service makes sense. You're bulky, expensive, highly specialized quantum computer sits in a data center and consumers connect to it as needed.

I listened to this [0] podcast a few days ago and that is one of the things said - it's not practical to try and put a quantum chip in every desktop/PC, but a Quantum computing service in Azure is the endgame. Right now only a simulation is offered, but the idea is that when a real Quantum service is offered, the same code that runs in the simulator can run on the Quantum service.

[0] https://www.hanselminutes.com/618/quantum-computing-detangle...

They aren't meant to be consumer devices, and in fact can perform worse than a classical computer for most everyday tasks that are sequential, like loading a webpage. What they are good it is simulating outcomes, since a qubit can be in more than just 0 | 1 states.

That's why quantum computers would be good at breaking crypto, running risk simulations for business, AI/ML, etc and not sequential tasks like most consumer devices are meant for.

What about gaming?

I don't think anybody would have forseen that the primary use of massively parallel processors would be playing video games. I wouldn't be surprised if quantum turns out to work, that graphics programmers find a use for them.

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