What is a Computer?• A computer is an electronic device that

helps people perform different tasks.

• Computers range in size, type, shape and ability.

Where can we find computers?• Cash registers• Gas pumps• Cameras• Cars• Stereos• Toys• Etc.

Four types of Computers• There are many different types

of computers to meet our different needs. They are of different sizes, with different capabilities, for different purposes. Some are portable for ease of travel, while others are large enough to handle great amount of data and in formation.

1. Microcomputer

2.Mini Computers

3.Mainframe Computers

4. Supercomputers

MICROCOMPUTERS• First appeared in late

1970s. • Designed for individual

use• Used for word

processing, accounting, desktop publishing, running spreadsheets and database management applications

• Entertainment

• Apple II introduced in 1977 by Apple Computer was one of the first and most popular PC.

• In 1981, IBM PC introduced by IBM became the most popular computer choice of consumers.

Apple II PC

IBM PC

2 Classifications of Microcomputers

1. Personal Computer or PC

• Popular because it is powerful, affordable and easy to use.

• Different sizes and design- Mini tower- Desktop- iMac

2. Portable Computer• Laptops, notebooks, sub-

notebooks, tablet and personal digital assistants (PDA)

• Small and can operate in batteries

Personal Computer or PC

DESKTOP

Personal Computer or PC

MINI TOWER

Personal Computer or PC

iMAC

Portable Computers - Using a flat-panel display technology to produce lightweight and non-bulky display screen

Laptop/Notebook• Small and portable

computer

Sub-notebook• Slightly lighter and

smaller than a notebook

• Smaller keyboard and screen

• Equivalent in capacity

Portable Computers

LAPTOP

NOTEBOOK SUBNOTEBOOK

PocketPC

HANDHELD PC

Portable Computers

PDA or Personal Digital Assistant• Handheld device that combines computing,

telephone/fax and networking features• Typical PDA can function as a cellphone, fax sender and

personal organizer• Most PDAs began as pen-based, using a stylus rather

than a keyboard for input• Used handwriting and voice recognition features• Modern PDAs used stylus or keyboard version

PORTABLE: PDA

Portable ComputersTablet PC

• Provides full power and functionality of today’s notebook PCs

• Lightweight and long life battery• Use digital ink which allows the user to write a note on

the screen in freehand• Alan Kay of Xerox contributes the idea of tablet in 1971• Newton of Apple Computer was the first widely-sold

tablet computer

PORTABLE: TABLET

MINICOMPUTERS• Midsized computer• Lies between workstation and mainframe in

terms of size and power• Capable of multi-processing, supporting from 4

to 200 users simultaneously• Ex. IBM’s AS/400e

MINICOMPUTERS

DEC PDP-8

FLIPSTART

AS/400

MAINFRAME COMPUTER• Very large and expensive computer• Capable of supporting hundreds or even thousands of

users simultaneously• In some ways, mainframes are more powerful than

supercomputers because it can support more simultaneous programs but supercomputers can execute faster than a mainframe

• Ex. IBM 3090, Amdahl 5890

MAINFRAME COMPUTER

IBM 3090

AMDAHL 5860

IBM 7094

SUPERCOMPUTERS• Fastest type of computer• Very expensive and are used for specialized

applications that require immense amounts of mathematical calculations (weather forecasting, animated graphics, fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy research and petroleum exploration)

• Top 5: Cray XT4 Jaguar– Speed: 205 teraflops/sec (trillion)

– Runs on LINUX, AMD x86_64 Opteron Dual Core 2600 MHz processor

– The unit is stored at DOEs Oak Ridge National Laboratory and is the primary system in the National Leadership Computing Facilitation.

• Top 4: Sun SunBlade x6420 Ranger Cr– Speed: 326 teraflops/sec (trillion)– Runs on Linux and has a AMDx86_64 Opteron Quad Core 2000Mhz of

processing power– house at the Texas Advanced Computing Center at the University of Texas Austin – Used in science research

• Top 3: IBM BlueGene/P– Speed: 450.3 teraflops/sec (trillion)– stored at the DOEs Argonne National Laboratory – operating system is CNK/SLES – helpful for the science based research

• Top 2: IBM BlueGene/L- Speed: 478.2 teraflops/sec (trillion)- 4,096 processor, used to simulate half a mouse brain - used at DOEs Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California - use in research in the form of science simulation

• Top 1: IBM Roadrunner– 1.026 quadrillion calculations per

second. The $133 million supercomputer achieved the milestone with the help of 12,960 "improved" Cell processors (yes, like those powering your PS3) and a smaller number of AMD Opteron processors

– 116,640 processor cores in total. Speed: 1.026 petaflops/sec

– housed at U.S. Department of Energys Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico

– Use LINUX as its Operating System

– DOE plans to use the computer for simulating how nuclear materials age