Computer systems

A mainframe is the most powerful type of computer. It can process and store a large amount of data. It supports multiple users at the same time and can support more simultaneous processes than a PC. The central system is a large server connected to hundreds of terminals over a network. Mainframes are used for large-scale computing purposes in banks, big companies, and universities.

A desktop PC has its own processing unit, monitor, and keyboard. It is used as a personal computer in the home and as a workstation for group work. Typical examples are the IBM PC and the Apple Macintosh.

A laptop (also called a notebook PC) is a lightweight computer that can be transported easily. It can work as fast as a desktop PC, with similar processors, memory capacity, and disk drivers, but it is portable and has a smaller screen. Instead of mouse, they have a touchpad built into a keyboard a sensitive pad that you can touch to move the pointer on the screen.

They offer a lot of connectivity options: USB (Universal Serial Bus) ports for connecting peripherals, slots for memory cards, etc.

A tablet PC looks like a book with a screen on which you can write using special digital pen. It can be folded and rotated 180 degrees. A user can type at the detached keyboard or use voice recognition.

Vocabulary:

access ['xksqs] v.– получать (доступ)

connectivity ["kPnek'tIvqtI] n.– возможность соединения или подключения

desktop['desk"tPp] n. – настольный компьютер

detached [dI'txCt] a. – отдельный

disk drive [dIsk'draIv] – дисковод

keyboard ['k°"b²d] n. – клавиатура

laptop ['lxp"tPp] n.- ноутбук

mainframe ['meIn"freIm] n. – сервер, мощный компьютер

memory capacity ['memqrI kq'pxsqtI] – объем памяти

peripheral [pq'rIfqrql] n.– внешнее устройство

purpose ['p´pqs] n. – цель

simultaneous ["sImql'teInIqs] a.– одновременный

slot [slPt] n.– слот, разъем на материнской плате

tablet PC ['txblqt] n.– планшетный компьютер

terminal ['t´mInql] n.– электронное устройство, ПК (здесь)

touchpad ['tAC"pxd] n.– сенсорная панель

workstation ['w´k"steISn] n.– рабочая станция

Answer the following questions:

1. What is the purpose of the mainframe?

2. What are the differences between mainframes and PCs?

3. What components does a desktop consist of?

4. What are the differences between desktops and laptops?

5. What unit is used instead of a mouse in laptops?

6. What do tablet PCs look like?

ПМ, ПМИ (III семестр)

THE WIDE WORLD WEB

WWW is a network of documents that works in a hypertext environment, i.e. using text that contains links, hyperlinks to other documents.

The files, web pages, are stored in computers, which act as servers. A client computer uses a web browser, a special program to access and download them. The pages are organized in websites, group of pages located on the Web, maintained by a webmaster, the manager of a website.

To find interesting sites a user can apply search engines, where the website information is compiled by spiders, computer-robot programs that collect information from sites by using keywords.

Websites usually have a beginning page or home page. From this starting point a user can navigate by clicking a mouse on hyperlinks in texts or images.

The Web is an open door to a universe of multimedia resources that people use in many different ways. Here are some of them: