What will happen if an instant, computers in the world were wiped out?

That would be chaotic for 1st World countries, their economy would collapse. Crime rates would go up, looting and riots. Electrical blackouts, frozen stock markets, definitely like those you see in the movies and in books. of course that would be temporary, since there are fail safe systems still being implemented.

In 3rd world countries, things would probably still be the same as before and the 1st world economies would be the one to adapt to change. to site an example, remember the looting in the California a few years ago when they had blackouts. I'm from the Philippines and blackouts were common during the late 80's and early 90's. Business went on since we were so used to it. Even now, it's still a recurring problem but we just open the windows and get get on with what we are doing. Up to now, there are still parts of the country that are unaffected by technology.

I thought about that on 9/11. I was at work that day and when the second tower was hit-realized we were under attack. I went downstairs to an ATM machine and withdrew the maximum amount of cash I could-just in case computers were targeted. I'm thinking Grandma's old habit of hiding some cash in a jar and burying it under the geraniums might not be such a crazy idea.

Dozens perhaps hundreds of planes would crash to the ground, subway trains would go crazy or stall in tunnels those tunnels filling with water as pumps fail, hundreds maybe thousands drowning trapped underground, several nuclear plants would go haywire, power blackouts would paralyze the World, the Developed World would be hit hardest - - - as a few sci fi books have suggested humankind could find itself aplunged back to the dark ages - - - seriously, from the aforementioned chain of disasters not just computers being gone...

Peace....

(several thousand Yahooers would have to 'get a life')

If there is not any computing device there will be an outrage. All mmo sport (Ragnarok working example) gamers like me will run out of their domicile and initiate killing one yet another!lol. nicely, the factor is even in spite of if this is largely a working laptop or computing device it has already been a factor of humanity, even babies now are being uncovered to desktops as a ordinary necessity, as a factor of existence, so in simple terms think of a crying little woman via fact she could no longer locate her renowned barbie doll.

Finally a good ?.I think there would be a scramble to find paper trails on finances,alot of people might be broke.The people would have to go back to news papers and alot of manufacturers would be digging old equipment out of the barns.There might be less Perverts ,But some how I doubt it.The pervs would just have to go back to Magazines.There might be less exploitation of helpless individual.Mail would be slower.For a while things would be screwed up.just hope the Nuclear plants and missiles dont explode.If you like T.V. forget that also

There wouldn't be any computers.

I wouldn't be able to type any answers.