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CS1010 Introduction to Computing
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
ACCORDING TO CAPABILITY
• Supercomputers
• Mainframe computers
• Minicomputers or Severs Computers
• Desktops computers
• Portables computers
SUPER COMPUTERS
• They are state of the art machines.
• The objective to use supercomputers are to solve extremely complex tasks.
• Example:
Predict weather, design airplane, simulation of atomic bombs.
• Cost is $20 million USD .
• The most unique thing about supercomputers are they
are design to focus all of their resources for one
• Previous generations supercomputers have custom built processor, they were special processors and they were built for this purpose only.
• Today’s supercomputers are different then their predecessors, the processors have in them are not custom built but same processors who are found in
PCs are used, the difference is your PC have 1 or 2 processor, a super computer have thousands of processor use it simultaneously.
• Examples:
QUESTION?
Why we prefer to use thousands of
processor instead of one big, powerful,
efficient, fast processor in a
supercomputer???
SPECIFICATIONS OF ASCI WHITE
SUPERCOMPUTER
• In February 2002, the latest supercomputer was ASCI White.
• In 1 second 12.3 trillion calculations as compare to 1st supercomputer Cray-I, who could do 167 millions
calculations.
• ASCI White is 74000 times faster than the 1st supercomputer Cray-I.
• This ASCI White is 1000 times faster than DeepBlue
•
ASCI White
supercomputer was made for
US
department of energy
and its objective is to
do
complex 3D simulations
. They want to do
testing of nuclear weapons simulations.
•
It has
8192 microprocessors
.
•
6 trillion byes the main memory.
MAINFRAME COMPUTERS
• Mainframe computers are also known as Enterprise servers.
• It is designed so that multiple users can use it
simultaneously for multiple and difficult intensive task can solve simultaneously.
• These computers are used by large businesses e.g.
banks, e-commerce sites, military, industrial
organizations.
• The special thing about them, they give you very
•
It is designed like that during
upgrading
or
repairing
you don’t need to switch them off.
•
Usually have
multiple processors
, 2 to 3 dozens.
•
Their memory is in gigabytes.
•
Their
storage
in terabytes.
•
Examples
ENAIC
(Electronic Numerical Integrator And
Calculator)
MINICOMPUTERS / SERVERS
•
This computer category are
gradually obsolete
.
•
Now any computer category is not known as
minicomputer
. When they say some computers
minicomputers, it was a category of those
computers who were fallen between mainframe
and PCs. With the passage of time, the Desktop
PCs are becoming more and more powerful, and
they become so powerful that they need of
minicomputer was no more.
• Server computers are similar to desktop computers but more powerful and more reliable.
• It is used by medium-sized and small organization for their accounting system, email servers or run their
websites on it.
• Servers usually have 2,3 or 4 processors.
• Their memory is in gigabytes.
• Storage in terabytes.
DESKTOP COMPUTERS
• Desktop computers are also known as
microcomputers.
• In Desktop computers, we have two sub-categories
– Personal computers (cheaper, less powerful)
– Work stations (more powerful)
• Usually in PC’s have only 1 processors some
workstations have 2 as well.
• Memory in gigabytes.
•
We are already familiar with
PCs
, use it for
word
processing
, run spreadsheets, checks
emails
.
•
Workstations
are for difficult tasks for example
simulation of engineering, work at
3D
.
•
Desktop
computers are less reliable as compare
to
servers
because they don’t have
FAULT
TOLERANT
features.
•
Fault tolerant means
if something went wrong
with the machine, it may run. Servers and
•
Workstations cost
is in few thousand dollars,
PCs price
is up to 300 US dollars.
•
Workstations used for engineering
applications (CAD/CAM),
software
development
.
PORTABLE COMPUTERS
•
Portables computer
have many sub-categories:
–
Laptop computers
–
Palmtops
–
Tablets
–
Wearable computers
•
Common thing
in all these sub-categories are
they are light-weight computers and not
LAPTOPS
•
Laptops are also known as
Notebooks
.
•
Weight
up to 2 to 3 kg.
•
Special low power microprocessor consume less
electricity.
•
Memory
is up few gigabytes
•
Without electricity they can be
operate
through batteries
for 2 to 3 hours.
•
Usage
is similar to PCs.
PALMTOPS
• Palmtops are also known as Personal Digital Assistance
(PDA).
• Its size is equal to palm.
• Weight is less than 1 pound.
• They consume very less electricity.
• They have special designed processors, which consume less electricity.
•
Storage capacity is also in megabytes.
•
They run on
AA batteries
. Can operate for days on
batteries.
•
Its
objective
is same as the pocket diary, you
write your appointments, important addresses,
phone numbers etc.
•
Modern Palmtops have the
feature of phone
.
•
Provides personal organizer functions:
• Calendar• Appointment book
• Address book • Calculator
WEARABLE COMPUTERS
•
They are
not very popular
.
•
Generally they are always
ON
.
•
This kind of computers have application in wars.
•
A future
soldier
will always wearing of a
computer.
•
He knows about his tactic situations in his
TABLETS
• A tablet is wireless personal computer that allows a user to takes notes using natural handwriting with a stylus or digital pen on touch screen.
• Resembles a letter-sized slate.
• Allows you to write on the screen using a digital pen.
• Especially useful for taking notes.
• Modern tablets have feature of phone, and you can
EMBEDDED COMPUTERS
•
Those computers which are not clearly visible is
called
EMBEDDED COMPUTERS
.
•
Microwave Oven
•
Toaster
•
Washing Machine
•
Dish washer
•
Air Conditioner
•
In a car it may have 6 or 7 different computers:
– Control breaks
RANKING OF COMPUTERS WITH
RESPECT TO INSTALLED NUMBERS
TIANHE - II
• The Tianhe-II or Milky-Way II, is fastest supercomputer on earth.
• Developed by China’s National University of Defense Technology.
• Its performance is 33.86 petaflop/sec equivalent to
33,860 Trillion calculations per second.
• Memory is 1,375 TebiByte
• Storage is 12.4 petabyte.
• It operates on Kylin Linux OS.
• Its Consume electricity 17.8 MW.
• Cost is 2.4 billion Yuan (390 million USD)
• CRAY XK7 system installed at the US department of Energy’s , OAK Ridge National Laboratory was
