Software in the Neuroanatomy Laboratory

In the early 1980s, the cost of a computer program for a typical laboratory task approached and began to exceed the cost of the computer itself. This economic event, though its exact date is impossible to define, has changed the manner of thinking by everyone involved in using, writing, buying, and selling laboratory computer products. Since this period, the cost of computers has continued to fall, and though tempered by mass production, the cost of software has continued to rise. Furthermore, there is every indication that these trends will continue. What does this mean for you, a neuroanatomist who is just starting to use computers for laboratory tasks? It means that you should think more about the computing functions you want to perform in your laboratory and less about the hardware you want to buy.