Introduction to Computing:Lecture 2

Computer Systems

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Overview

This Lecture covers: To learn to classify computers

according to their capability and targeted applications.

To find out about the essential building blocks that make up a modern computer.

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Computer Types According to Capability & Size

Personal digital assistant (PDA) – small hand-held computer for personal tasks like appointment scheduling and address book maintenance.

Tablet PC – pen-based computer with the functionality of a notebook or desktop.

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Computer Types According to Capability & Size

Notebook computer – small, portable, fully functional, battery-powered computer.

Desktop computer – most popular type of personal computer.

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PDA, Tablet PC, Notebook, Desktop

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Minicomputers, Mainframes, and Supercomputers

Minicomputer (mid-range computer) – meets needs of several people simultaneously in a small or medium-sized business.

Mainframe computer – meets needs of hundreds of people in a large business.

Supercomputer – fastest, most powerful, and most expensive type of computer.

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Minicomputers, Mainframes, and Supercomputers

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Supercomputers

It is designed to perform calculations as fast as the current technology allows.

Used to solve extremely complex and large-scale problems: weather prediction, simulation of atomic explosions; aircraft design; movie animation, etc.

The Champion: NEC’s Earth Simulator Most powerful computer as of June 2003. Capable of 41 trillion calculations/sec (TFLOPS).

246,000 times faster than Cray 1 (1976). 3,300 times faster than Deep Blue (1997).

Designed for complex simulations required for climate modeling. Powered by 5120 microprocessors; 65x50 m. 10 TB of memory; 13 MVA power consumption.

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