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INTRODUCTION
1. DESKTOP PC
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DESKTOPS ARE USED FOR:
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Office applications such as word-
processing, spreadsheets and databases.
Engineering work - designing kitchens at a
showroom
Video work - for handling your camcorder
Music - creating, playing and storing
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Entertainment and information - internet.
ADVANTAGES
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They can be easily upgraded to include new software
or hardware
They are relatively robust and can be used almost
continually for very long periods of time.
It is possible to 'mix and match' specifications and
components, in effect creating a custom made machine.
It is easy to replace an individual part if damaged or
worn out.
They can run a vast range of software, often
simultaneously.
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DISADVANTAGES
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2. LAPTOPS
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The key difference between a
Desktop PC and a laptop is that
the laptop is built as a relatively
small one-piece unit.
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because they are more difficult to
design and manufacture.
ADVANTAGES
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They are portable and very easy to carry around. They
can be used almost anywhere e.g. airports
They are light to carry. Older laptops were fairly
heavy, but advances in technology and much improved
batteries have allowed them to become very lightweight.
They are compact and can be easily stored in a
standard briefcase.
They are quiet to run as unlike a Desktop PC, there is
often only a small (or no) cooling fan creating a noise.
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DISADVANTAGES
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3. PDA
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Originally developed as an
electronic organiser.
Rapid development has resulted in
palm tops and PDAs becoming
almost cut down computers
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to PDAs in their use. The
main difference is that
Palmtops have a built in
keyboard.
ADVANTAGES
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Small, can easily be fitted into a pocket or handbag.
Lightweight to carry - typically 200g
Long battery life compared with laptop (up to 30 hours)
Power up immediately when they are turned on, no need to go
through boot up sequence.
Many have cut down versions of common office software
They can be connected to a desktop PC or Laptop and the files can
be transferred over.
Many (but not all) Palmtops and PDAs are much lower in cost than
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PCs or Laptops
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DISADVANTAGES
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4. MAINFRAMES
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Large, powerful computers that
can carry out different tasks
for many people at the same
time
They execute billions of
instructions per second and can
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process large volumes of data
simultaneously.
• They are operated by specialist, trained personnel and
kept in air-conditioned rooms away from the office or
factory floor.
MAINFRAMES
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They are usually
connected to a large
number of peripherals
e.g. printers, disc drives,
terminals and so on
Very expensive an
average mainframe would
cost around 4 million
pounds to build.
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5. SUPERCOMPUTERS
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Supercomputers are the fastest
and most expensive
computers in the world
They are used for performing
trillions of complex
calculations in a very short
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time.
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SUPERCOMPUTERS ARE USED FOR:
Weather forecasting
Space exploration
Advanced scientific
research
Military establishment -
weapons research.
Pharmaceutical \ Drug
testing
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BLUE GENE/L
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SUPERCOMPUTERS CONT…
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Whilst they are working,
supercomputers generate
so much heat that an air
conditioning system is
required.
There can be many miles
of cables which connect
the computer to the
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various peripherals.
The supercomputer • The atmosphere must be kept free of dust
particles. Special filters have to be
usually requires its own
installed to ensure that the air is kept clean.
electricity generator
6. EMBEDDED COMPUTERS
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The embedded computer
is a single chip that
contains all the elements
that are essential for any
computer i.e.
RAM / ROM
Another term often used for an
CPU
embedded computer is a
Input / Output 'microcontroller'.
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Clock
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