At the Q2B conference this month, quantum computer makers Google , IBM , Honeywell , IonQ and Xanadu detailed specific steps they expect by that will push their machines further down the road of commercial practicality. For example, the GPS in your car can tell you your location and your speed and direction all at once, and precisely enough to get you to your destination. On the other hand, just approaching this point has exciting implications for the future of the technology. In theory, this allows quantum machines to perform certain calculations much faster than classical computers. He estimates about 50 are needed, and that, in turn, means hundreds of underlying physical qubits.