Lesson 2

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GEE5-LIVING IN THE IT ERA, SY 2023-2024

Lesson 2. The “All-Purpose Machine”: The Varieties of Computers

A-Learning Outcomes
At the end of this lesson, students are expected to:
1. differentiate the five sizes of Computers
2. explain the functions of the server.

B-Time Allotment- Week 1, Day 2 : (1 hour and 30 minutes)

C-Discussion

The Varieties of Computers

According to John von Neumann, a computer pioneer, the device


(computer) should not be called a computer alone but rather the “all-purpose
machine.” Since this is not only a machine for doing calculations but can be put to
any number of uses.

The Five Sizes of Computers


In the 1950s and 1960s, computers were enormous machines affordable
only to large institutions. Now they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, which
can be classified according to the following:

1. Microcontrollers
They are also called embedded computers. Microcontrollers are
tiny, specialized microprocessors installed in “smart”
appliances and automobiles. For example, an electric cooker-
the microcontroller stores data on how and when to stop
cooking when the food is already ready to serve- includes the
power setting. Also, they are behind single-function products
such as digital cameras, MP3 and MP4 players, and organizers.
They also help run tiny web servers embedded in clothing,
jewelry, and household appliances such as refrigerators. In
addition, microcontrollers are used in blood pressure
monitors, airbag sensors, gas and chemical sensors for water
and air, and vibration sensors (Williams & Sawyer, 2011).

2. Microcomputers Image credit of Williams & Sawyer, 2011)

-are the smallest, cheapest, and have the


least operational speed and memory capacity. They are made for single users
and single-tasking. A personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a
monitor displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.
They are either stand-alone machines or are connected to a
computer network, such as a local area network. A local area network (LAN)
connects, usually by special cable, a group of desktop PCs and other devices,
such as printers, in an office or a building.

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20) First Semester, A.S.Enario 1


GEE5-LIVING IN THE IT ERA, SY 2023-2024

Microcomputers are of several types:

2.1 DESKTOP PCs are designed to be placed on a


desk and typically comprise a few different parts,
including the computer case, monitor, keyboard, and
mouse.
2.2 TOWER PCs are microcomputers whose case
sits as a “tower.”
2.3 NOTEBOOKS are also called laptop
computers, lightweight, portable computers with built-in
monitors, keyboards, hard-disk drives, CD/DVD drives,
batteries, and AC adapters that can be plugged into an
electrical outlet. Weigh from 1.8 to 9 pounds.
2.4 NETBOOKS are low-cost, lightweight
computers with tiny dimensions and functions designed
for basic tasks like web searching, email, and
Image credit of Williams & Sawyer, 2011)
word processing. Netbooks fill a technological
category between notebooks and handheld devices. They weigh from 2.25
to 3.2 pounds and have little processing power, and have screens between
8.9 and 12 inches wide diagonally.
2.5 MOBILE INTERNET DEVICES (MIDs). They are smaller than
notebook computers but larger and more powerful than a personal digital
assistant. They are for consumers and business professionals. Fully
internet integrated, they are highly compatible with desktop
microcomputers and laptops.
2.6 PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS (PDAs), also called
handheld computers or palmtops, combine personal organization tools—
schedule planners, address books, to-do lists—with the ability, in some
cases, to send emails and faxes. Some PDAs have touch-sensitive screens.
Some also connect to desktop computers for sending or receiving
information.

3. Workstations
These personal computers are connected to a
main computer called a “server” (to form a network). It
was introduced in the early 1980s; workstations are
expensive, powerful personal computers usually used for
complex scientific, mathematical, and engineering
calculations, computer-aided design, and computer-
aided manufacturing.

4. Mainframe Computers
These are powerful computers typically found
in multi-nationals and other large businesses – e.g., an
airline or oil company. Not as powerful as a
supercomputer, but still incredibly powerful. The only
type of computer was available until the late 1960s. Small
mainframes are often called midsize computers; they Image credit of Williams & Sawyer, 2011)

used to be called minicomputers, although today, the


term is seldom used. Often users access a mainframe by
means of a terminal, which has a display screen and a keyboard and can input
and output data but cannot by itself process data. Mainframes process billions
of instructions per second.

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20) First Semester, A.S.Enario 2


GEE5-LIVING IN THE IT ERA, SY 2023-2024

5. Supercomputers
These are the largest, fastest,
and most expensive computers. These
computers have high-capacity machines
with thousands of processors that can
perform more than several trillion
calculations per second. These are the
most expensive and fastest computers
available. “Supers,” as they are called,
have been used for tasks requiring the
processing of enormous volumes of Roadrunner supercomputer from Los Alamos National Laboratory and

data, such as doing the U.S. census IBM. Image credit of Williams & Sawyer, 2011)

count, forecasting weather, designing


aircraft, modeling molecules, breaking encryption codes, & nuclear weapons
research, including simulating nuclear explosions. More recently, they have
been employed for business purposes—for instance, sifting demographic
marketing information—and for creating film animation.
In 2011, IBM released “Sequoia,” a 20 petaflops supercomputer.
This machine has the power of approximately 2 million laptops.

-Servers
A server, or network server, is a central computer that holds collections of
data (databases) and programs for connecting or supplying services to PCs,
workstations, and other devices called clients.
These clients are linked by a wired or wireless network. The entire network
is called a client/server network.
In small organizations, servers can store files, provide printing stations, and
transmit email. In large organizations, servers may also house enormous
libraries of financial, sales, and product information.

D-Activities/Exercises
Rubrics: 10 points each (Organization-5; Content-5)

1. What are the five sizes of computers, and how would you
differentiate them from each other?
2. What are the uses of servers? Provide at least three functions that it
could perform.

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GEE5-LIVING IN THE IT ERA, SY 2023-2024

E-Evaluation/Post-test

Fill in the blank (1 point each).


1. ___________This is a 20 petaflops supercomputer released by
IBM in 2011.
2. ___________It is a microcomputer that weighs from 2.25 to 3.2
pounds, has little processing power, and has screens between 8.9
and 12 inches wide diagonally.
3. ___________It is a microcomputer that weighs from 1.8 to 9
pounds.
4. ___________It is considered the cheapest among the five sizes of
computers.
5. ___________It is also called as embedded computer.
6. ___________This size of the computer is behind single-function
products such as digital cameras, MP3 and MP4 players, and
organizers, which have been developed into hybrid forms such as
gadgets that store photos and videos as well as music.
7. ___________It is a type of computer that is the least operational
speed, and memory capacity and that is either a stand-alone
machine or is connected to a computer network, such as a local area
network.
8. ___________They are also called handheld computer.
9. ___________They are also called midsize computers.
10. ___________These are computers that have high-capacity
machines with thousands of processors and can perform more than
several trillion calculations per second.

WPU-QSF-ACAD-82A Rev. 00 (09.15.20) First Semester, A.S.Enario 4

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