ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Bell's law of computer classes

Okay kiddo, let me tell you about Bell's Law of Computer Classes.

Imagine you have a bunch of toys to play with, and each toy has its own special way of doing things. Just like toys, computers also have different ways of doing things depending on how powerful they are and what they were made for.

Now, Bell's Law says that every few years, a new type of computer is born that's even more powerful than the one before it. These new computers are so much better that they create a whole new category of computers that we call a "class". Just like how a new toy might be so special that it gets its own category in the toy store!

So, for example, in the past we had big mainframe computers that took up entire rooms and were mostly used by big companies or government. But then came personal computers, which were smaller and more affordable, and created a whole new class of computers that regular people could use at home or work.

Then after that came laptops, which were even more portable and allowed people to work or play on the go. And now we have smartphones and tablets, which are like super powerful mini computers that we can carry around in our pockets!

So, Bell's Law helps us understand how computer technology is always changing and getting better, and that as it does, new types of computers are born that change the way we live and work.