Lecture Notes

DC014 COMPUTER SCIENCE 1

Semester 1 Session 2019/2020

COMPUTER SCIENCE UNIT
KEDAH MATRICULATION COLLEGE
 TOPIC

1.0 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

2.0 HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE
3.0 INTERNET TECHNOLOGIES
 CHAPTER 1

1.0 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

 1.2 Categories of Computer

1.2.1 Learning Outcomes:

– Explain different categories of computer.
• Supercomputer
• Mainframe computer
• Personal computer
 Categories of Computer:
Supercomputer
• Description
– The largest, most expensive, and most powerful
computer that is used for applications that require
large amounts of calculations.
• Physical Size
– The largest computer; full-room of equipment.
• Speed
– Fastest computer; capable to process more than
one quadrillion instructions per second.
Categories of Computer:
Supercomputer
 Categories of Computer:
Supercomputer
• Storage
– Extremely large storage; measured in Petabytes.
• Usage
– Used in industrial or scientific areas for complex
calculations such as to simulate nuclear weapons
capability and to forecast weather.
 Categories of Computer:
Mainframe
• Description
– A large, expensive, powerful computer that can
handle hundreds or thousands of connected users
simultaneously.
• Physical Size
– Large computer; partial room to full room of
equipment.
• Speed
– Fast computer; capable to process billions of
instruction per second.
Categories of Computer:
Mainframe
 Categories of Computer:
Mainframe
• Storage
– Very large storage; measured in Terabytes.
• Usage
– Used by large organizations such as hospitals,
universities, and banks to manage large amount of
centralized data.
 Categories of Computer:
Personal Computer
• Description
– A small, least powerful computer that can perform
all of its input, processing, output, and storage
activities by itself.
• Physical Size
– Small computer that is usually placed on a desk.
• Speed
– Fast but slower than mainframe; speed is
measured in GHz (Gigahertz).
Categories of Computer:
Personal Computer
 Categories of Computer:
Personal Computer
• Storage
– Medium size storage; measured in Gigabytes or
Tetabytes.
• Usage
– Used mostly by personal users such as office
workers, lecturers, or students to perform daily
tasks.
Categories of
Supercomputer Mainframe Personal Computer
Computer
Description The largest, most expensive A large, expensive, A small, least powerful
and most powerful computer powerful computer that computer that can perform all
that is used for applications can handle hundreds or of its input, processing, output
that require large amounts of thousands of connected and storage activities by itself.
calculations. users simultaneously.
Physical size Largest computer; full-room Large computer; partial Small computer that is usually
of equipment. room to full room of placed in a desk.
equipment.
Speed Fastest computer; can Fast computer; can Fast but slower than
process more than one process billions of mainframe; speed in measured
quadrillion instructions per instruction per second. in GHz (Gigahertz).
second.

Storage Extremely large storage; Very large storage; Medium size storage; measured
measured in Petabytes. measure in Terabytes. in Gigabytes or Terabytes.

Usage Used in industrial or scientific Used by large organizations Used mostly by personal users
areas for complex to manage large amount of such as office workers, lecturers
calculations. centralized data. or students to perform daily
tasks.
 Summary

• Explain different categories of computer.

– Supercomputer
– Mainframe
– Personal Computer