Which one is an extremely fast computer which can execute hundred of millions of institutions per second?

Unit 6. Basic computer terminologies

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Supercomputers
Mainframe computers
Minicomputers
Personal computers
Types of personal computers

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Supercomputers
Mainframe computers
Minicomputers
Personal computers (PCs) or microcomputers

Supercomputers

– a powerful computer that can process large amounts of data and do a great amount of computation very quickly.

Supercomputers are used for areas related to:

Science
Engineering
Education
Defence
Aerospace

Supercomputers are useful for applications involving very large databases or that require a great amount of computation.

Supercomputers are used for complex tasks, such as:

Weather forecasting
Climate research
Scientific simulation
Oil and gas exploration
Quantum mechanics
Cryptanalysis

Mainframe computers

– a high-performance computer used for large information processing jobs.

Mainframe computers are primarily used in :

Institutions
Research
Academics
Health care
Libraries
Large businesses
Financial institutions
Stock brokerage firms
Insurance agencies

Mainframe computers are useful for tasks related to:

Census taking
Industry and consumer statistics
Enterprise resource planning
Transaction processing
e-business and e-commerce

Minicomputers

– a mid-range computer that is intermediate in size, power, speed, storage capacity, etc., between a mainframe and a microcomputer.

Minicomputers are used by small organizations.

“Minicomputer” is a term that is no longer used much. In recent years, minicomputers are often referred to as small or midsize servers (a is a central computer that provides information to other computers).

Personal computers

(PC) – a small computer designed for use by a single user at a time.

A PC or microcomputer uses a single chip (microprocessor) for its central processing unit (CPU).

“Microcomputer” is now primarily used to mean a PC, but it can refer to any kind of small computer, such as a desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet, smartphone, or wearable.

Types of personal computers

– a personal computer that is designed to stay at one location and fits on or under a desk. It typically has a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and a tower (system unit).

Laptop computer (or notebook) – A portable personal computer that is small enough to rest on the user’s lap and can be powered by a battery. It includes a flip down screen and a keyboard with a touchpad.

– A wireless touchscreen PC that is slightly smaller and weighs less than the average laptop.

– A mobile phone that performs many of the functions of a personal computer.

a powerful computer that can process large amounts of data and do a great amount of computation very quickly.

a high-performance computer used for large information processing jobs.

a mid-range computer that is intermediate in size, power, speed, storage capacity, etc., between a mainframe and a microcomputer.

a central computer that provides information to other computers.

a small computer designed for use by a single user at a time. Also known as a PC or a microcomputer.

a personal computer that is designed to stay at one location and fits on or under a desk. It typically has a monitor, keyboard, mouse, and a tower (system unit).

a portable personal computer that is small enough to rest on the user's lap and can be powered by a battery. It includes a flip down screen and a keyboard with a touchpad. Also known as a notebook.

a wireless touchscreen PC that is slightly smaller and weighs less than the average laptop.

a mobile phone that performs many of the functions of a personal computer.

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Prerequisite – Generations of Computer
Supercomputers:
Supercomputers are the largest in size and the most costly computers in the world. Seymour Cray invents the Supercomputer. Supercomputers are used for large and complex mathematical computations. Supercomputer’s speed is more than Mainframe computers so they can execute billions of instructions or floating-point instructions within a second.

Mainframe Computers:
Mainframe Computers are less costly, small in size, and slower in speed than the supercomputers. are used as a storage for large database and serve as a maximum number of users simultaneously. The first successful mainframe computer is invented by IBM. Mainframe computer’s speed is comparatively less than Supercomputers. In this millions of instructions are executed simultaneously.

Let’s see the difference between Supercomputer and Mainframe Computer:

S.NO	Supercomputer	Mainframe Computer
1.	Supercomputers are used for large and complex mathematical computations.	While Mainframe computers are used as a storage for large databases and serve as a maximum number of users simultaneously.
2.	Supercomputer’s speed is more than Mainframe computer. It can execute billions of instructions within a second.	Mainframe computer’s speed is comparatively less than Supercomputers. In these millions of instructions are executed simultaneously.
3.	Supercomputers are the largest computers.	Mainframe computers are smaller than supercomputers in size.
4.	Supercomputers are the costliest in the world.	Mainframe computers are less costly than supercomputers.
5.	In the present, the supercomputers have Linux and their variant operating systems.	While Mainframe computers can have multiple operating systems simultaneously.
6.	Super computers are mostly purpose-built for one or a few specific institutional tasks.	Mainframe computers are built to handle a large variety of tasks.
7.	Seymour Cray invents the Supercomputer.	The first successful mainframe computer is invented by IBM.
8.	Supercomputers can have a processing speed in the range of 100 to 900 MIPS.	Whereas Mainframe computers can have a processing speed in the range of 3-4 MIPS to as high as 100 MIPS.
9.	Supercomputers find their application in fields like nuclear weapon simulation, etc.	Mainframe computers find their application in fields such as finance, health, etc.