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:
What is the purpose of the mainframe?
What are the differences between mainframes and PCs?
What components does a desktop consist of?
What are the differences between desktops and laptops?
What unit is used instead of a mouse in laptops?
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:
Web design
W
eb
pages are created with a special language HTML (Hyper Text Markup
Language), which is interpreted by a web browser to produce a
hypertext, a blend of text, graphics and links.
Web pages can also include multimedia files: animation, audio and video files. Sounds are recorded with different audio formats.
To see and hear all these files, a user needs to download the right plug-in, the additional software that enables the web browser to support this new content.
Chatting and video conferencing
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) is a system that allows users to meet in channels (or chat rooms) in order to have a live conversation.
To participate you need to install a chat client, a special type of software, on the computer to connect to the chat server, the computer where the meeting takes place.
Video conferencing systems allow a live connection between two or more participants to exchange audio and video data. The users need a computer with broadband access, a webcam, a microphone and speakers.