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1.4 Weekly Assignment Week 2

A microcomputer is a small, single-user computer designed to be used by one person at a time. It contains a central processing unit (CPU) on a single semiconductor chip along with memory and input/output ports housed on a motherboard. Common microcomputers include desktops, laptops, calculators, phones, and other embedded systems. A minicomputer is larger than a microcomputer but smaller than a mainframe, capable of supporting multiple simultaneous users. Mainframes are the most powerful computers and are designed for high-speed processing of large volumes of data and transactions. Supercomputers are specialized systems designed to solve extremely complex scientific and engineering challenges through high-speed computations.

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12 views

1.4 Weekly Assignment Week 2

A microcomputer is a small, single-user computer designed to be used by one person at a time. It contains a central processing unit (CPU) on a single semiconductor chip along with memory and input/output ports housed on a motherboard. Common microcomputers include desktops, laptops, calculators, phones, and other embedded systems. A minicomputer is larger than a microcomputer but smaller than a mainframe, capable of supporting multiple simultaneous users. Mainframes are the most powerful computers and are designed for high-speed processing of large volumes of data and transactions. Supercomputers are specialized systems designed to solve extremely complex scientific and engineering challenges through high-speed computations.

Uploaded by

hameed afridi
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© © All Rights Reserved
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Microcomputer

A microcomputer is a complete computer on a small scale, designed for use by one


person at a time. An antiquated term, a microcomputer is now primarily called a
personal computer (PC), or a device based on a single-chip microprocessor. Common
microcomputers include laptops and desktops. Beyond standard PCs, microcomputers
also include some calculators, mobile phones, notebooks, workstations and embedded
systems.

Smaller than a mainframe or minicomputer, a microcomputer uses a single integrated


semiconductor chip for its central processing unit (CPU). They also contain memory in
the form of read-only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM), input/output
(I/O) ports, and a bus or system of interconnecting wires, all housed in a single unit
usually referred to as a motherboard.

Minicomputer
A minicomputer is also known as mini. It is a class of small computers that was
introduced into the world in the mid-1960s. A minicomputer is a computer which has all
the features of a large size computer, but its size is smaller than those. A minicomputer
lies between the mainframe and the microcomputer because its size is smaller than the
former one and larger than the latter one. A minicomputer is also called as a mid-range
computer. Minicomputers are mainly multi-users systems where more than one user
can work simultaneously. Mini computer examples: IBM’s AS/400e, Honeywell200, TI-
990.

Mainframe
Mainframes are a type of computers, which are made for ‘throughput’ as fast as
possible; a throughput can be defined as “the rate at which the data is processed” . And
also mainframes are majorly used for transaction processing; a transaction can be
defined as “a set of operations including disk read and write, operating system calls,
transferring data from one subsystem to another, etc.
The mainframes have more processing power compared to servers and
microcomputers (like- laptop, PC, etc.), but have less processing power compared to a
supercomputer.
The main focus of the Main-frames is throughput, “A throughput is a rate at which
something is processed.
Supercomputer

Supercomputers are large systems that are specifically designed to solve complex
scientific and industrial challenges. The term is commonly applied to the fastest high-
performance systems available at any given time. Such computers have been used
primarily for scientific and engineering work requiring exceedingly high-speed
computations. Common applications for supercomputers include testing mathematical
models for complex physical phenomena or designs, such as climate and weather,
evolution of the cosmos, nuclear weapons and reactors, new chemical compounds
(especially for pharmaceutical purposes), and cryptology. As the cost of
supercomputing declined in the 1990s, more businesses began to use supercomputers
for market research and other business-related models.

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