ReCat

I thought I would give an answer to this myself as well, as it is a fairly complex situation that was not explained well by OP.

Personally, I think that the biggest reason why computers for space use are so "behind" is because they don't need to be faster.

The ~200 MHz that the CPU's on spacecraft run at is enough to do all the calculations that they need to do in a timely fashion, and enough to render the graphics they need to render to a screen.

They only really need to do one thing. They are dedicated for the purpose that they serve and they do it well. There is no need to have massive multitasking between lots of apps, or to generate fancy, pretty looking graphics.

Another reason why is because these processors that are used have to go through a lot more testing than the processors in our desktop computers or phones to become radiation hardened.

This process of testing and robust manufacturing takes years and millions of dollars. They are built so robust that they so can survive conditions that could literally burn up typical computers. As a result each computer costs upwards of $100,000.

For example, the RAD750 CPU, The CPU that was used on the Mars Curiosity Rover, is designed and built to survive up to 1,000,000 Rads of radiation. For comparison, Just 1,000 rads are enough to start breaking down the transistors inside the processor inside your phone, or your laptop.

I hope this explanation cleared things up for you.

Edit: I should probably also mention that although smaller amounts of radiation may not melt the transistors of your phone, it can cause calculations made on the processor to come out incorrectly. This is another reason why radiation hardening is so important.

If the on board computer makes a mistake in a calculation because of radiation bombarding it's electrons, It could send you off on the wrong course that could cause a horrible crash and death.

ok nevermind

Adding an additional 9 inches? Why would I want to double my size?

How is it that you are making a living when just about every job on these websites is for less than half of minimum wage?

:(