Executive Statement
A mainframe is a very large, powerful, dedicated, multi-tasking computer where enormous amounts of data are processed, sometimes millions of records a day. The mainframe is set up for specific applications and those applications only; which is totally different from a Personal Computer (PC). A mainframe runs a custom operating system specifically written for particular applications while a PC has a generic operating system such as Windows and is built to handle many different programs.
PC’s are multi-tasking but not dedicated with control of the resources usually handled by the computer rather than the user having control over the amount of resources used by any given application. For example, if you were to run 3D Studio Max, it would use 100% of your processor and about 75% of your Random Access Memory (RAM) to render a scene but if you were working with a similar mainframe program you would be able to use the assigned "chunk" of the processing power for rendering and that would still leave the dedicated amount for other applications or users to use (L. Mitzner, personal communication, January 12, 2002).
PC’s and Mainframes Defined
In comparing and contrasting PC’s and Mainframes it is necessary to first understand what a PC and a Mainframe are. Because IBM produced the first personal computer, the term PC came to mean IBM or IBM-compatible personal computers, which excluded other types of personal computers such as Macintoshes, though I rarely hear the term IBM-compatible used anymore when referring to the term PC.
Put quite simply a mainframe is a very large computer that is totally different from a PC. Some of the differences between mainframes and PC's are size, power, ability to dedicate resources, and the amount of data that can be processed. The mainframe is set up for specific applications and those applications only; that is totally different from a PC. For example, you couldn't load Word or Internet Explorer onto a mainframe computer. It is true that, as to processing power, what was a mainframe yesterday is on desktops today, but that is where the similarities end.
The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the brains of the computer where most of the calculations take place and it is the most important element of a computer system. For the PC the CPU is housed in a chip (known as the microprocessor) such as the Inte...
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...has only one (sometimes 2) CPUs and a limited amount of random access memory (approximately 1 gigabyte maximum) that it can handle. The mainframe has several CPU boards and more than 8 gigabytes of memory. The operating system for the mainframe where I work, and the mainframe I worked on at the IRS, was text based as many of them are, and they can be connected to personal computers with a special interface program called groupware that allows the LAN/WAN, Mainframe, and Internet to be accessed via the groupware on workstation PC’s.
Conclusion
A mainframe is a very large machine that has several processors, large amounts of memory and hundreds of gigabytes of RAM. It has masses of disk space and other storage facilities in large size and quantities that are not normally found with Personal computers. The actual difference comes in the scale and power of the mainframe machine and it’s ability to process large amounts of data at amazing speeds, whereas the PC is limited in size and scope as to its abilities processing small amounts of data with a limited amount of power. For large business, the main frame is a necessary but for most home computing a PC is everything they need.
The debate between whether to buy Macintosh or buy a PC has been ongoing since Microsoft first introduced Microsoft Windows in November 1984. Apple Macintosh had developed its first personal computer, mouse and graphical user interface (GUI) in January of 1984. The debate has grown and has been the subject of many articles and even is the main high light of various websites. This frequently heated debate has even been compared to the Pepsi vs. Coke debate (Derene, 2009). While the rhetoric has continued the differences between these products has actually lessened, making it possible for some applications to be shared. Even the mechanics of the machines has become similar. Both use Intel processors, and both obtain many of their parts from the same supply companies. The operating systems of Windows Vista and Mac OSX Leopard are very similar when comparing multimedia, Internet and applications (Derene, 2009).
One public use of computers is a plane ticket terminal inside an airport. That is used in order to redeem plane tickets that were pre bought online. The way that terminal is able to redeem and print off plane tickets is by being connected to the internet in which this allows the terminal to communicate with a server where it is able to retrieve ticket info and validate credentials that were entered into the terminal. Another usage of computers which is commonly known is as a personal computer or in other words a computer used specifically for one user. Examples of personal computers is the laptop or desktop you use to do your school work on. Another usage of computers is for the processing of data to allow scientist the ability to better understand the world around us. The usage of computers is unlimited as new technology continues to be produced so does the vast amount of different ways of using computers
The processor is the factory floor of the computer; it’s recipient of all the instructions and then processes them. It conveys the instructions of a computer program by performing rudimentary arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system.
...d to the 1950s during the use of large mainframe computers by schools and corporations. The hardware infrastructure for the gargantuan mainframe would be stored in a single space where multiple users could access it via ‘dumb or static terminals’. This central mainframe was structured in a manner that ensured maximum use through sharing physical access and CPU time during periods of inactivity. In the 1970s, IBM introduced the VM operating software that facilitated administrator with multiple virtual systems in one physical mode. This allowed multiple individual computer environments to be sustainable in the same physical environment, which is considered as the cradle for most virtualization software. The shared resources in the VM operating systems allowed for custom or guest operating systems with their own keyboards, memory, hard drives, CD-ROMs, and networking.
“Also known as the logic board, main board, or computer board, the motherboard is the computer's main board and in most cases holds all CPU, memory, and I/O functions or has expansion slots for them”. (Kingston)
A CPU is a computer component which performs the basic arithmetical (such as addition and subtraction), logical, and input/output operations of a computer system. The CPU understands a fixed set of basic instructions, called its instruction set. A single cpu divided into a control unit, arithmetic/logic unit and memory unit. The control unit of a CPU reads and interprets instructions from memory and transforms them into a series of signals to activate other parts of the computer.
...gh, Mass have faster processors than their Windows counterparts but tend to scrimp slightly when it comes to RAM, hard disk space, & USB ports. The kinds of connections & optical drives found on Mass & PCs also differ in sure ways. Mass offer a standard choice of such features, including a SuperDrive reads & writes CDs & DVDs, audio in & audio out, USB, FireWire information transfer, Thunderbolt video output, Ethernet, & a magnetized power port. PCs offer comparable features, and a few more, like Blu-ray players, TV tuners, touch screens & HDMI ports.
...eplace the desktop processor as the development of innovative microprocessor technology . These processors have essentially the cousin catch more power, command execution and support of multi-core processors.
Since the ENIAC, the first mainframe, hummed to life in 1946, the chasm between humankind and machine has appeared to dwindle. Computers have insinuated themselves into the lives of millions of people, taking over the performance of mundane and repetitive tasks.
And Windows 2000 Datacenter Server will support up to 32 processors and additional clustering functions.
In this unit, you will learn about Instruction Set Architecture. This is the part of the central processing unit that is visible to the programmer who writes the compiler instructions.
So in order to give the CPU a break and help it run more efficiently, a Graphic card can be used to process the graphics portion of the processing load. Because most of today's programs are graphically oriented, the video card can help almost any program run more efficiently.
We all know that when computers were first built, they were the size of a living room. They basically could do one thing, compute. Computers have come a long way from being as large as a living room to the size of an iPad. However, they just got smaller…really small.
The central unit is the basic part of the computer and includes all the main computer parts. It is the heart of the computer system. It is responsible for executing, or running the software. The software programs are translated into a series of codes made up of 1s to 0s that the CPU can understand. Every code means a certain operation should take place.
In designing a computer system, architects consider five major elements that make up the system's hardware: the arithmetic/logic unit, control unit, memory, input, and output. The arithmetic/logic unit performs arithmetic and compares numerical values. The control unit directs the operation of the computer by taking the user instructions and transforming them into electrical signals that the computer's circuitry can understand. The combination of the arithmetic/logic unit and the control unit is called the central processing unit (CPU). The memory stores instructions and data.