The Internet has changed the concept of the supercomputer: No longer a monolithic machine tucked away in a university or government lab, it can now comprise a network of ordinary computers working together on a single project. Distributed.net serves as the clearinghouse for information on such "distributed computing" efforts. The site seeks to promote this practice by developing client software and a network of users. The software, available for most major platforms, analyzes data when the client computer would otherwise be idle.

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