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Micro Computers

October 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment
A Cray-2 supercomputer at the Musée des Arts e...
Image via Wikipedia

Micro computers, so small that they fit into the palm of your hand,well, almost. They save about 45% of desktop space, but at the same time provide close to 95% of the performance of a regular PC. They do not weigh much and they are suited for desktop computer users that want to be on the go, but do not like the laptop compact keyboard, and limited performance. The funny thing is that these small computers weigh less than most laptops (especially the old dinosaurs), can fit into a briefcase (as long as you do not plan to carry much else), and provide quick hook up for point-to-point mobility. Many of these units can provide most of the same capabilities as a normal tower PC system along with many of the sophisticated operations. One of the clues to how these little guys can perform so well is, of course, miniaturization, but more importantly, they are most often “made to order”. This means they have been created with the exact specifications aligned directly to the purchaser’s needs and none of the “stuff”or “fluff” that would not help to achieve the goals of the user. Which are both good ideas – but also expensive.

Some manufactures claim to have the “smallest computers in the world.” We all know what they mean is the smallest available to the consumer- there are a lot smaller computers, but they are not available (at least at this point) to the consumer. These really small computers are on work benches all across the world and in research labs and in government usage. The smallest size commercially available is about 6.5 x 6.5 x 2.0 inches. That is pretty impressive and as you may remember, about the size of a DVD burner drive! The small size gives more room for a monitor and/or a printer on the top of your desk.

So, pack it in the brief case along with a few cables and a folding keyboard and borrow a monitor when you get to where you are going and you are all set!

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Mainframe Computers

October 3, 2010 by Leave a Comment
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Mainframe computers are big and they exist in their own climate controlled room (or facility). Not because the operators like it at 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but the computers need to be stored in cooler rooms because they can run very hot. They are sometimes referred to as “Big Iron”. That name comes from the olden days (1950-1980s) when these big boys came in big, heavy, steel and iron cases and cabinets.

Mainframe computers are data kings. They are high-end, commercial machinery. They are very expensive and very labor intensive to keep running properly. When there is a problem, it usually takes a small team of programmers to iron out the problem. (Hence, also why they are called Big Iron). They can plow through an incredible amount of bulk data that needs to be adjusted, realigned and calculated, and then spit right back to you very quickly (on paper, screen, tape,or disk. If you need 1/28 of all of the electric bills for the city of Columbus, OH, recorded, calculated, printed out and mailed, a mainframe is what you want. It is exactly the type of computer that would be used to calculate that data and is currently used in Columbus. Columbus is the 16th biggest city in the USA – that is a lot of bills. It takes a lot of programming.

On the other hand, they are not good at small projects. So, do not ask the mainframe to check your e-mails or do a grocery list. They are not set up for this triviality and it would take you a lot longer to program them for these tasks than for you to just do them yourself. The US Census uses mainframes. The census has over over 300 million people to tabulate and it does not take 10 years to do it. It takes more like 10 months to add it all up, proofread it, calculate it, size it and print it, and correlate to make the reports. If the job is big, give it to a mainframe computer to complete.

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Computers 101

October 2, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Image representing Microsoft as depicted in Cr...
Image via CrunchBase

There are eight basic parts to a computer:

1. Power supply for providing electricity in a managed and controlled fashion.
2. Heat sink for cooling the processor.
3. Mother board for routing and directing all of the computer functions.
4. Graphics card(s) for translating the computers workings and operations into an interface that can be viewed.
5. External drives like CD-Rom, DVD-Rom, and diskettes or floppy disks for transferring information to the computer or receiving information from the computer onto physical media.
6. Hard drive for storage and operations of data and programs.
7. Memory – There are various kinds if memory offered. You can get as little or as much memory on your computer as you wish. But it’s best to get more memory than you will ever use.
8. Printers, Scanners, Cameras, etc., and all the other peripheral stuff that is seemingly endless in it’s creation.

Today, most of the aspects of our lives have related computerized components. Everything including vacuum cleaners and toasters have microprocessors. A personal computer is a technically advanced tool that is built around a small, thin chunk of plastic (a processor) with LOTS of microscopic electrical pathways etched or burned into a finely layered piece of metal on the surface. This is where the “thinking” is done. It has a big heat sink and a fan (or liquid cooling) connected to it because all of that thinking heats it up.

Personal Computers started back in the 1970s. Most people were surprised when they actually took off. The original thinking of, “We have a typewriter, why would we ever need a computer?” only lasted about four years. A couple years after the original introduction of the computer, Apple Computers came on the scene and the home computer industry started to take-off incredibly. Soon, companies like Commodore, Atari and Texas Instruments were producing their own versions of the personal computer. Then IBM blasted into the market and soon the competition was defined between Apple on one side and IBM with Microsoft software on the other. These two have, from that point on, led the industry.

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Different Types of Computers

September 18, 2010 by Leave a Comment
A Cray-2 supercomputer at the Musée des Arts e...
Image via Wikipedia

The most used electronic device which most cannot go without even for a day is the computer. It is one of the most luxurious inventions of human civilization. It provides many advantages to mankind in their day to day life. Computers are doing critical jobs within a second with 100% accuracy. With the advancement of technology, computers are now available in different shapes and sizes depending on the demand. The computers which are being used nowadays are quite different from the computers used in the early years.

Computers can be of various types depending on the size of the components and the processing powers. On the basis of the operational principles computers can be divided into two categories, such as analog computers and hybrid computers.
Analog computers are almost at the verge of extinction today. This type of computer can perform several mathematical computations at a time. Analog computers use continuous variables to solve mathematical operations and use electrical and mechanical energy. However, hybrid computers are a combination of both analog and digital computers. Hybrid computers converse the analog signals to digital ones by using the digital segments.

Apart from these two types, there are other important types of computers such as mainframe computers, microcomputers, desktops, laptops, PDAs, minicomputers, super computers and so on. Mainframe computers are used for ERP and bulk data processing. Usually large organizations use this type of computers. Mainframes can host multiple operating systems and control them as a number of virtual machines. So, the mainframe computers can be used as an alternative of several small servers.
Microcomputers are computers which have a microprocessor. With an addition of a keyboard and a mouse this computer can be called a personal computer. Desktops, laptops and PDAs are varieties of personal computers.
Desktops are a type of personal computer which is intended to be used in a single location. These are usually popular and convenient for using in households and workplaces. Laptop computers are miniatures of desktops and can be carried anywhere. PDAs are also known as palmtop, which is even a more mini version of laptop.

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What Should be Considered When Buying a Computer?

September 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment
SAN FRANCISCO - MAY 13: A pedestrian walks by...
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When a customer thinks of buying a computer, the most common question that comes to mind is “what factors should be considered?”. The most important fact that should be considered is the “purpose” of buying the computer. The configuration of the computer depends largely on the type of task that is going to be done by the computer. For example, in order to play high profile games the computer must be configured in such a way that will be able to deliver the quality performance without interruption and have the ability to update drivers when they become available. Newer versions of computers are being invented everyday. One has to choose the components which fulfill his requirements within the budget.

The CPU is known as the brain of the computer as it contains all the components that carry out the tasks of the computer. It is usually the most expensive part of a computer. The quality of a computer totally depends on the quality of the CPU. Frequency, brand, cores, and cache are some of the basic factors that should be considered before buying a CPU. Frequency is the speed of the computer which is generally expressed by the terms like “2.2 GHZ”. Another feature that determines the performance of a computer is the core. For example, a computer can be a dual-core, quad-core, etc. In case of brand, Intel and AMD are currently the best and most popular computer manufacturers. Cache is the feature which assists the CPU to lessen the average time required for the information processing. Buying a good processor ensures the better function of cache. Other things which need to be considered are hard drives, RAM and graphics card.

The monitor is another thing to consider. Different types of monitors are now available, such as LCD monitors, LED monitors, etc. The user should choose the size and type depending on the use. The size of the monitor is expressed in inches which is the size of the diagonal of the screen. The price of the monitor depends on its size.

Many factors are considered before buying a computer and for advanced users additional features should be considered as well.

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Importance of Computers in Day to Day Life

September 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment
A woman typing on a laptop
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Computers have become part and parcel of daily life. Whether it is a desktop or a laptop computer, they are used in various purposes everyday. Computers have changed the scenario of global communication. A whole new industry has been introduced, information technology,or IT.

Importance of Computers in Business:

In the last few decades the use of computers in the business industry has grown enormously. The business community is able to communicate around the globe by using computers. Companies are now rendering their services beyond the regional boundaries. Partners, consumers and suppliers can communicate with each other very easily. MIS (management information system) and ERP (enterprise resource planning) software solutions are now being used in businesses and is helping to centralize the administrative components of a certain company. By using different software it is very simple to plan different activities related to the business. At present, it is not necessary to fly thousands of miles for a business conference. It can be easily done via web conferencing.

Importance of Computers in Medical Sectors:

Computers have brought revolutionary changes to the medical sectors. Almost all medical technologies are some how related to computers for better assessment and accurate results. The databases of the larger hospitals are maintained by computers. Not only that, computers are being used in complicated surgeries. One example is, nowadays robots are doing open heart surgeries and these robots are controlled by a physician via computer. All diagnostic tests are now controlled by computers for accurate results. Patients can now consult with a distant physician by video conferencing for a second opinion and treatment.

Importance of Computers in Education:

Computers have become very essential element to students. They need computers for searching through the internet to prepare their assignments and reports. They can access any necessary information within a second by using internet. Libraries seem to have become non-existant to most students these days. Many students can communicate with teachers of another country by using the internet.

Debates exist between the merits and demerits of using computers. The truth is, without computers, each and every sphere of human life will be inactive.

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