Transcript T2-wk1-types of computers and computer - MariamWiki

Types of Computers
and
Computer Systems
www.mariamwiki.wikispaces.com
Objectives
•
You will be able to:
–
–
–
–
–
–
Define what is a computer
Differentiate between the different types of
computers
Explain the concept of Computer Systems
Demonstrate the concepts of: architecture,
specification, data, and processing
Define the concept of motherboard and mention the
main components of it (CPU, cards)
Differentiate between input and output functions and
devices.
What is a Computers?
• A computer: is an electronic device that:
– Accepts information and instructions from
users
– Manipulates the information according to the
instructions
– Displays the information in some way
– And Stores the information for retrieval later.
• Computers are classified by: size, speed
and capabilities
Types of Computers?
1.
2.
3.
4.
Personal Computers
Hand-held Computers
Mainframe Computers
Supercomputers
Note: Xbox and PlayStation are also computers
Personal Computers:
•
Personal Computers: used by a single
user for use in home or office. They are
used for general computing tasks such
as:
–
–
–
–
Word processing
Manipulating numbers
Working with photographs or graphics
Exchanging email and accessing the Net
Personal Computers Examples:
•
Desktop computer (designed to set
compactly on a desk):
– Notebook (laptop): small and lightweight and
designed for portability
– Tablet PC: designed for compatibility and
includes the capability of recognizing
ordinary handwriting on the screen
•
Notebook is more expensive than
Desktop, and Tablet PC is more
expensive than notebook computers
Handheld Computers
•
Handheld Computers: are small computers that fit in
the palm of your hand with more limited capabilities
than personal computers:
–
PDA (Personal Digital Assistants): are used to maintain an
electronic appointment book, address book, calculator, and
notepad
•
–
–
High-end PDA: All-in-one devices that can send and receive
emails and make phone calls (e.g. iPhone)
MP3 players: are used to store and play music (some models
can play digital movies and television shows)
Cell Phone: are used to make phone calls, store contact
information, take and store digital photos, play video, store
music. Built-in calculator. High-end cell phones can perform
many of the same functions as PDA
Mainframe Computers
•
•
Mainframe Computers: are used by
larger business and government
agencies to provide centralized storage,
processing, and management of large
amounts of data
Its price varies from several hundred
thousand dollars to several million dollars
Supercomputers
•
•
Supercomputers: are the fastest and
largest computers used by large
corporations and government agencies
when the tremendous volume of data
would seriously delay processing on a
mainframe computer.
It could cost tens of millions dollars
Understanding Terminals
• When using mainframes or supercomputers
each user inputs processing request and views
output through a terminal or terminal emulator.
• Terminal: has a keyboard for input and a
monitor for output, but process little or no data
on its own.
• Terminal Emulator: a personal computer,
workstation, or server that uses special software
to imitate a terminal so that the PC can
communicate with the mainframe or
supercomputer for complex data processing.
www.mariamwiki.wikispaces.com
Computer System
• Computer System: includes computer
Hardware and Software
• Hardware: the physical components of a
computer
• Software: the intangible components of a
computer system; the programs or the list
of instructions that the computer needs to
perform a specific task
Architecture and Specifications
• Architecture - Configuration: the design
and construction of a computer
• Specification: the technical details about
each hardware component
• Eg: a computer system might be
configured to include a printer; the
specification of the printer might be a print
speed (8pages/1min), or the capacity to
print in color
Data and Processing
The hardware and software of a computer system
work together to process data
• Data: the words, numbers, figures, sounds,
graphics that describe people, events, things,
and ideas
• Processing: modifying the data
• Processing tasks occur on the motherboard
which is located inside the computer and is the
main electronic component of the computer
Motherboard
• Motherboard: a circuit board which is a
rigid piece of insulating material with
circuits, electrical paths, on it that control
specific functions
Motherboard Processing
Hardware
• Microprocessor or the Central
Processing Unit (CPU):
• Consists of transistors and electronic
circuits on a silicon chip (an integrated
circuit embedded in semiconductor
material)
• Mounted on the motherboard and is
responsible for executing instructions
to process information
Motherboard Processing
Hardware
• Cards: are removable circuit boards that
are inserted into slots in the motherboard
to expand the capabilities of the
motherboard
• Eg: Sound card translates the
digital audio information from the
computer into analog sounds
that the human ear can hear
Input and Output
• Input: data or instructions you type into
the computer
• Output: the result of the computer
processing input
• Peripheral Devices: components are
needed to accomplish input, output, and
storage functions
Input Devices
• Keyboard and mouse are input devices
that are used to enter data and issue
commands
• Commands: are input instructions that tell
the computer how to process data (e.g. ms
words commands)
Output Devices
• Output can be in many different forms:
–
–
–
–
–
Reports
Documents
Graphs
Sounds
Pictures
• The output forms are produced by output device
e.g. monitor and printer
• The output created can be stored either inside
the computer or in external storage device (e.g
DVD)
Comparing CPU Speeds
• How fast a computer can process
instructions depends partially on the
speed of the microprocessor, which is
determined by its:
– Clock Speed
– Word Size
– Cache Size
– Whether it is single or dual core
Comparing CPU Speeds
• Clock Speed: is measured in megahertz (MHz),
millions of cycles per second, or in gigahertz
(GHz), billions of cycles per second
• Word Size: the amount of data the is processed
at one time
• Dual-Core processor: has two processors on a
single chip, can process information up to twice
as fast as single-core processor (one with one
processor on the chip)
Announcement!
Quiz 1