Computing power analogies

[Edmund von der Burg]

So these computer things are getting quite smart, and it would be nice
to be able to analogize their smarts to something a bit more tangible.

Wristwatches these days tend to be compared to the space shuttle.

Desktops tend to be compared to the super computers of yesteryear.

Not having had a space shuttle or an oldish supercomputer on hand to
play with yet I have no real feel for the oompf of the processing
power they represent.

Could someone please suggest something more everydayish that I can use
in my analogies. Basically fill in the blank in the following
sentence:

  "Well Grand-Ma, this new iPhone thing is as powerful as ..................."

Cheers,
  Edmund.

-- 
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