Introduction Computer systems can be found in varying environments, these are; at home, in businesses, computer gaming, networking and real-time situations. Computers systems can be classified into the following categories; microcomputers, minicomputers, mainframes and super computers. Different environments will have certain computer systems which are appropriate for that setting. Microcomputers can be categorised as personal computers (PC’s) and mobile computers. Mobile computers can be devices such as laptops, PDA’s, smart phones and tablets. Microcomputers are the most used type of computer system in existence today, the reason for this is they are the cheapest and smallest of all. Most microcomputers have a single-chip processor, memory …show more content…
Workstations can be interpreted as two ways. Traditionally a workstation was known as a computer connected to a network such as the internet, but now it’s also common to refer to workstations as computers that are slightly more powerful than a personal computer. The definition of a workstation in the oxford online dictionary is “a desktop computer terminal, typically networked and more powerful than a personal computer”(http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/). Furthermore, minicomputers are not designed for single use. Minicomputers have had the following effects on environment: Home – Minicomputers aren’t usually found in the home environment. A user could work from the home but then that environment would become a business environment. Business – The business environment is where the minicomputers can be found the most. Small business and firms use minicomputers. A firm would use minicomputers at departmental level. One department may for example use a workstation to monitor production processes. Architects and engineers also use workstations. An engineering firm may find that a microcomputer doesn’t have the processing power to complete engineering tasks and a workstation is …show more content…
Thanks to mainframes users can do online banking or withdraw money from an ATM. Although a microcomputer will needed to access the customer’s account, a mainframe handles the process of transferring money. Airline companies such as British Airways use mainframes to allow users to book seats online. When a seat is booked the mainframe operates quickly so that taken seat isn’t booked by another user. Hotels likewise use mainframes to allow users to make online bookings. Supercomputers are high performance systems used for multiprocessing. They are the most expensive and largest of all computer system types. They are also the least common. They are usually found a large ventilated rooms sometimes the size of a building. Supercomputers like mainframes can be found in business and real-time. Business - Companies and governments use supercomputers for research and exploration. NASA uses supercomputers for space shuttle launches, control and space exploration. No other type of computer system will be able to do this. Governments and companies also sue supercomputers for weather forecasting Supercomputers handle large amount of data from different locations to predict the
4. Because of their size and price, supercomputers a rarely used or seen by the average person. Supercomputers are used for parallel processing or to rapidly process different data at the same time.
decision that is very important if you decide to buy a computer for work or home
Computers are also used in the medical industry to help doctors analyze diseases quickly and cost-effectively. Computers have also helped the media and the entertainment industries. Given the amount of movies and games found on computers. It prompted new inventions to rise. IPods, tablets, and smart phones are among the many devices that were created with computer technology. A smartphone is in a sense a mini computer. The significance of computers in our daily lives really shows when you think about how many people currently own a laptop or smartphone. Computers are used by virtually everybody in this day and age. From my own experience, I have even seen 4 year olds take pictures using an iPhone, as well as navigate through apps and find the particular games that he wanted to play. When I was 4 years old, iPhones didn’t even exist. It is amazing what technology can do and how fast it can advance. 10 years from now, there will be things available we cannot even imagine today.
While we still wish to remain in the production of personal computers, we have determined that we would need to dedicate 25% of our current production efforts to the marketing and manufacturing of our new line of business computers. Since these new computers have similar parts as our current line of personal computers, it will be easier on our production line workers who are already familiar with our existing hardware. In regards to this, we have decided to not enter the field of tablet computers as we are uncertain of their long-term success and would require additional factory worker assembly training. The launch of our new Dynacorp business computers will roughly take about a year to fully complete as we plan on spending 3-4 months each in the areas of conducting market research, product design, manufacturing and product evaluation. We also plan on marketing this product towards our current personal computer user base by offering them a loyalty discount for our new line of computers, as well as towards smaller businesses who may lack the funds to purchase top-line models. We also plan to use this initial launch as a prototype for future models depending on any changes in market demand or responses from our
It was January of 1975 when the first personal computer Altair 8800 was invented by an ex air force officer from Georgia, Ed Roberts. His motivation was his interest of having a personal computer to play with, since computer back then was scarce and was difficult to come across. The Altair 8800 was invented in Albuquerque New Mexico where Ed Roberts was running his calculator business called MITS. It was believed that Ed Robert’s Altair was the spark that started the fire, and gave personal computer a chance to be seen in everyone’s desk. Ed Roberts used a microprocessor (8080), to launch Altair, a chip that he got from Intel, the creator of chips, chips that they saw as useful only for calculators and traffic lights, but Ed Robert’s saw more. Microprocessor was a technological breakthrough that made personal computer possible, without it, the first personal computer would have never existed. Altair did basic computing, but it was a pain to use. Keying in data and instructions strenuously by flipping switches, that was really all that the Altair could do. So, those who had interest in technology decided to form a club called the “Homebrew Computer Club” at Stanford University in Silicon Valley , mainly to talk about computer, and how they could improve it. For Ed Roberts building more innovative personal computer was not the path that he chose to continue on doing, rather he sold his company MITS and pursue doctorate in his hometown, Georgia.
Using the specification given on the task sheet I will recommend hardware, software and peripherals Paul can use in order to achieve the work-style given (Home-based office). I will take into consideration the constraints; such as lack of space in his ‘small box room’. As a postage destination is not included, I will only include the retail price of the product without p&p.
-use of microprocessors have led to appliances such as phones, computers ,TV, washing machines and other home appliances which has improved communication, lifestyle conveniences and provides society with entertainment.
"Technology is like fish. The longer it stays on the shelf, the less desirable it becomes." (1) Since the dawn of computers, there has always been a want for a faster, better technology. These needs can be provided for quickly, but become obsolete even quicker. In 1981, the first "true portable computer", the Osborne 1 was introduced by the Osborne Computer Corporation. (2) This computer revolutionized the way that computers were used and introduced a brand new working opportunity.
Supercomputers are the supreme machines in the computer world. Supercomputers includes thousands of times the computing power of a desktop and cost several millions of dollars. They fill large halls, which are chilled to prevent their thousands of microprocessor cores from overheating. And they perform billions, or even thousands of billions, of calculations per second.
We have the microprocessor to thank for all of our consumer electronic devices, because without them, our devices would be much larger. Microprocessors are the feat of generations of research and development. Microprocessors were invented in 1972 by Intel Corporation and have made it so that computers could shrink to the sizes we know today. Before, computers took a room because the transistors or vacuum tubes were individual components. Microprocessors unified the technology on one chip while reducing the costs. Microprocessor technology has been the most important revolution in the computer industry in the past forty years, as microprocessors have allowed our consumer electronics to exist.
The laptop computer has had a tremendous impact in the areas of business, education, government, and personal use. The emergence of portable computing and the laptop computer can be traced to the introduction of the personal computer itself. In 1975, the MITS Altair 8800 was introduced. The Altair is recognized as being the first commercially successful personal computer and the launching point for the personal computer revolution (Sysop, n.d.). Almost simultaneously, the idea of portability (in particular for the business-person) became a major focus in the industry.
The World Turning Digital: computer is seen in virtually all aspects of our lives. From the mobile phones we use, the Television we watch etc. Makes it pretty interesting to found out how this work.
Since the 1970s, microcomputers have been an integral part of the business environment. Businesses use microcomputers and software packages to perform a variety of tasks. Until recently, the three most popular types of software purchased for microcomputers were word processing, spreadsheets, and database.
Almost every device has some type of computer in it. Whether it is a cell phone, a calculator, or a vending machine. Even things that we take for granted most cars since the 1980’s have a computer in it or a pacemaker. All of the advancements in computers and technology have led up to the 21st century in which “the greatest advances in computer technology will occur…” Mainly in areas such as “hardware, software, communications and networks, mobile and wireless connectivity, and robotics.”
In designing a computer system, architects consider five major elements that make up the system's hardware: the arithmetic/logic unit, control unit, memory, input, and output. The arithmetic/logic unit performs arithmetic and compares numerical values. The control unit directs the operation of the computer by taking the user instructions and transforming them into electrical signals that the computer's circuitry can understand. The combination of the arithmetic/logic unit and the control unit is called the central processing unit (CPU). The memory stores instructions and data.