UNIT 3

TYPES OF COMPUTERS

How much do you know? Tick the terms which are familiar to you.

Supercomputers

Microcomputers

Mainframes

Analog computer

Macrocomputers

Minicomputers

Nanocomputers

Digital computer

Quantum compute
 Computers can be classified in different ways. The size of the computer

determines the processing abilities: larger computers have higher processing

speeds while smaller ones offer a better experience for personal computing.

According to the size, computers can be classified into supercomputers, mainframe,

minicomputers and microcomputers.

Based on Mechanism the computers are analog, digital and hybrid. At last, based on
purpose, computers can be general purpose and special purpose.

This chapter is going to show you the kinds of computers there are based on the size.
with the history of some computers.

Lesson 1 SUPERCOMPUTERS

PRE-READING
TASK 1. Fill in the blanks. Use the words from the
box.
solve kernel execute capable feet

1. The singular of ………………… is “foot” and it is a measure of length.

 The operating systems that run in supercomputers vary depending on the
manufacturer but are generally based on the Linux Kernel. A few popular
supercomputers include CNK OS used in Blue Gene from IBM.

Supercomputers are used for very big data. For instance, they are used for
armaments, pharmaceutical industry, bioinformatics, astrophysics, education,
sustainability, geophysics, engineering and Public safety and investigation of smart
cities.

2. It is not very simple to …………………… Calculus exerciseppps.

3. A …………………… is equivalent to 30.48 centimeters
4. Modern computers are able to ………………… trillions of operations per
second.
5. ……………. is the central part of an operating system.

TASK 2. Read the article

POST READING

TASK 3. Read the article and answer True (T) or False (F).

1. Supercomputers are considered the most powerful computers. T F

2. In terms of size, supercomputers are not the largest T F
3. Blue Gene is a supercomputer developed by IBM T F

Supercomputers

Supercomputers are considered the most powerful computers because of their

speed and accuracy. These types of computers can solve complex mathematical
computations. They are capable of executing trillions of instructions per second,
which is calculated in floating point operations per second (FLOPS).

In terms of size, these computers are the largest. They can occupy from a few feet
to hundreds of feet. They are not cheap and can be priced between $200,000 to
over $100 million.

The typical personal computer used at home and the office is only capable of
calculating millions of instructions per second (MIPS). Supercomputers can go even
faster with the rate of peta FLOPS (or PFLOPS). This could bring up their
processing numbers to the quadrillion.
 4. Supercomputers are not used for big data T F
5.

5. Kernel is the core of an operative system T F

TASK 4. Write 5 examples of supercomputers.

1. ……………………………………………………….
2. ……………………………………………………….
3. ……………………………………………………….
4. ……………………………………………………….
5. ……………………………………………………….

TASK 5. Summarize the Reading in Spanish.

………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………

Lesson 2 MACROCOMPUTERS

TASK 1 PRE-READING. Match column A with column B.

A B
a. capable _____ 1. users’ customers
a. type _____ 2. very big
Mainframes are accessed and controlled primarily through terminals, which are
workstations similar to a standard computer, but do not have their own CPU. Instead, they
are red-connected to the mainframe and act as an access point for users, only the
terminals connected to them are capable of accessing the information.

Distributed mainframes can be accessed from computers outside the mainframe, allowing
users to access material from their homes or via the Internet.

E-Business, (Banking institutions, brokerage houses, insurance agencies and Fortune 500
companies are some examples of the public and private sectors that transfer data through
mainframe computers), military use, academic use and research. Many of the busiest
web sites store their production databases on a mainframe.

b. public _____ 3. important

c. large _____ 4. Kind
d. main _____ 5. able to
e. research _____ 6. investigate

TASK 2 READING

POST-READING
TASK 3. Answer the following questions:
1. What is the difference between supercomputers and macrocomputers?
………………………………………………………………………………………

MACROCOMPUTERS
The term originally referred to the large cabinets called "mainframes," which housed the
central processing unit and main memory of early computers. They are larger and have
more processing power than other kinds of computers: minicomputers, servers,
workstations, and personal computers.

In the hierarchy of computers, mainframes are just below supercomputers, which are the
most powerful computers in the world, a mainframe can usually run many programs
simultaneously at high speed, while supercomputers are designed for a single process.
Currently, the main mainframe manufacturers are IBM and Unisys.

Mainframe computers first appeared in the 1940s, with ENIAC being the first general-
purpose electronic computer.

The size of modern mainframe is considerably smaller than older about the size of a large
refrigerator.
2. Which kind of computers have more hierarchy macrocomputers or
supercomputers?
………………………………………………………………………………………
3. Are mainframes and macrocomputers the same kind?
………………………………………………………………………………………
4. When did mainframes appear?
………………………………………………………………………………………
5. Who are the main users of macrocomputers?
………………………………………………………………………………………
TASK 4 Circle these words in the text and the Word they are modifying. Then,
translate into Spanish.
Example: modern modern mainframe una mainframe moderna
1.smaller ………………………………. ………………………………..
2. larger ………………………………. ………………………………..
3. modern ………………………………. ………………………………..
4. smaller ………………………………. ………………………………..
5. older ………………………………. ………………………………..
6. large ………………………………. ………………………………..

Lesson 3

MINICOMPUTERS

PRE-READING. TASK 1. Find this information in the text.

1. The acronym of one of the first computers ……………………………………….

2. A synonym of multiprocessing system ………………………………………
3. Series of minicomputers developed in 1970 …………………………………….
4. The name of 5 electronic Companies ……………………………………………
5. Two types of computers ……………………………………...……………….
6. Three examples of minicomputers……………………………………………….
 READING. Read the article

TASK 2. What do you know about minicomputers? Tick the correct options.

1. A minicomputer can perform multiple processes T F

2. Minicomputers are the computers we have at home. T F
3. They can reduce costs and personnel T F
4. Minicomputers are the same price as mainframes T F
5. Minicomputers are not multiprocessing systems T F

TASK 3. Explain some characterisctics and examples of minicomputers.

Write in Spanish.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………………

MINICOMPUTERS

Minicomputers are also called mid-range systems of workstations. They contain one or
more microprocessors. In the beginning computers were giant, so anything smaller than
ENIAC was "Mini". A minicomputer is a multithreaded system, that is, it can perform
multiple processes in parallel, and resolve requests from more than 200 users
simultaneously.

Minicomputers are designed to reduce costs and personnel so that the processing of a
mainframe would be accessible to low-income companies.

Examples include the PDP-8, which was the most commercially successful minicomputer
of its time, with 4,096 words of memory and a length of just 12 bits; The Hewlett-Packard
HP-3000 Series developed in 1970. We can also mention the CDC 160A and the CDC
1700, developed by Control Data, or the TI-990 of Texas Instruments, among others.
such as the VAX and DEC PDP series, developed by NEC and considered to be the first
commercial 32-bit minicomputers.

These computers are used in companies where capacity and speed of operations are not
highly critical.

At present, the name "microcomputer" is usually made with reference to the computer
that we have at home or in the office, be it a laptop or a desktop.
………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
TASK 4. Look up the meaning of these verbs in a dictionary.
Contain
…………………………………………………………………………………….
Resolve ……………………………………………………………………………………
Reduce ……………………………………………………………………………………..
Limit ……………………………………………………………………………………..
Include ……………………………………………………………………………………..
Develop ……………………………………………………………………………………
Consider……………………………………………………………………………………
Was-were …………………………………………………………………………………
TASK 5. Make 3 questions from the text.
1. ………………………………………………………………………………….?
2. ………………………………………………………………………………….?
3. ………………………………………………………………………………….?

LESSON 4 MICROCOMPUTERS

PRE-READING
TASK 1. Study the following terms and match to the definition.
 A B C D
Integrated circuit Microprocessor Circuitry Miniaturization

1. ______ referred to as an IC, a chip, or a microchip is a set of electronic

circuits on one small flat piece.
2. ______ involves fitting more transistor nodes on a smaller integrated circuit
(IC)
3. ______ contains the arithmetic, logic, and control circuitry required to perform
the functions of a computer's central processing unit. 
4. ______ the circuits that an electrical or electronic device contains, considered
as a single system.
TASK 2. READING.

Microcomputers

Two technological innovations in the field of microelectronics made possible the

development of microcomputers. These innovations are the integrated circuit, also called
IC, which was developed in 1959; and the microprocessor that first appeared in 1971.
The IC enables the miniaturization of computer memory circuitry, and the microprocessor
reduces the size of the CPU to that of a single silicon chip. The demand for
microcomputers was immediate so, many small companies responded to this demand
and the price was relatively accessible.
They seek to achieve the greatest power in the processes with sophisticated smaller
In 1980, a 64-bit
technologies computer
named was introduced
nanotechnology, to the
but much market.
larger It was
storage capable
capacities ofinexecuting
and less
advanced multi-user operating systems at high speed. Nowadays, there are voice-
execution time.
controlled systems, with the user being able to operate their microcomputer through
Microcomputers can process ten million instructions per second. Customers are usually
spoken language.
small businesses, offices, schools and users in private homes. With the pandemic the
incidence in social impact became higher. At last, their versatility lies in the ease of adding
new physical components, and the implementation of logical or virtual devices.

TASK 3 Circle the correct answer:

1. What made possible the development of microcomputers?

a) Vacuum tubes b) integrated circuits and microprocessor c) nanotechnology

2. What enables the miniaturization of computer memory circuitry?

a) Integrated circuits b) microprocessor c) operating systems
3. Was microcomputers’ price accessible for people?
a) No, it was not b) it was accessible for big companies c) Yes, it was

4. What’s the name of the sophisticated technology seeking greatest power in

smaller technology but larger storage capacities?
a) Miniaturization b) nanotechnology c) versatility

5. Who are the usual customers of microcomputers?

a) Big companies b) governments c) small companies

6. How many instructions can microcomputers process?

a) 1 trillion per second b) 10 billion per second c)10 million per
second

7. What is versatility in microcomputers?

a) Social impact b) Pandemic c) they can add components

Referencias

1. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (2019). Mainframe computer. Tomado

de: en.wikipedia.org.
2. Techopedia (2019). Mainframe. Tomado de: techopedia.com.
3. Techterms (2019). Mainframe. Tomado de: techterms.com.
4. IBM (2010). What is a mainframe? It’s a style of computing. Tomado de:
ibm.com.
5. Anne Reynolds (2019). The Uses of Mainframe Computers. Tomado de:
techwalla.com.
6. Reference (2019). What Are Some Examples of Mainframe Computers?
Tomado de: reference.com.