1. Introduction to Computing: Lecture 2 Computer Systems

2. 2 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.

3. 3 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.

4. 4 Computer Types According to Capability & Size Notebook computer – small, portable, fully functional, battery- powered computer. Desktop computer – most popular type of personal computer.

5. 5 PDA, Tablet PC, Notebook, Desktop

6. 6 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.

7. 7 Minicomputers, Mainframes, and Supercomputers

8. 8 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.

9. 9www.top500.org