Tracing "Personal Computers" back through history - A Modern World

~~RE III - Frankie~~ · Sep 30, 2009, 11:23 PM

Apple Macintosh

Macintosh

The Macintosh or Mac is a line of personal computers designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Apple Computer. Named after the McIntosh apple, the original Macintosh was released on January 24, 1984. It was the first commercially successful personal computer to use a graphical user interface (GUI) and mouse instead of the then-standard command line interface. The current range of Macintoshes varies from Apple’s entry level Mac mini desktop, to a mid-range server, the Xserve. Macintosh systems are mainly targeted towards the home, education, and creative professional markets. Production of the Macintosh is based upon a vertical integration model in that Apple facilitates all aspects of its hardware and creates its own operating system. This is in contrast to PCs, where different brands of hardware run operating systems such as Microsoft Windows.

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IBM PC

Dell XPS 1730 World of Warcraft Edition (Nice!

)

IBM PC

The IBM PC (Personal Computer), was the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It was introduced on August 12, 1981. The original model was designated the IBM 5150. It was created by a team of engineers and designers under the direction of Don Estridge of the IBM Entry Systems Division in Boca Raton, Florida.
The phrase "Personal Computer" was common currency before 1981, and was used as early as 1972 to characterize Xerox PARC's Alto. However, because of the success of the IBM PC, what had been a generic term came to mean specifically a microcomputer compatible with IBM's specification.

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Commodore 64

The Commodore 64 (C64, CBM 64/CBM64, C=64) is a home computer with 64 kilobytes of RAM that was popular in the 1980s. Released by Commodore Business Machines (CBM) to the public in August 1982 at a price of US$595, it offered unprecedented value in sound and graphics performance. With estimated sales between 17 and 25 million units until discontinuation in 1993, the C64 remains one of the best-selling computers of all time.

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Amstrad PC8

Amstrad CPC 464

The Amstrad CPC was a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad during the 1980s and early 1990s. CPC stood for 'Colour Personal Computer', although it was possible to purchase a CPC with a green screen (GT65/66) as well as with the standard colour screen (CTM640). The first machine, the CPC 464 was introduced in 1984. It was designed to be a direct competitor to the Commodore 64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum systems.

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"...the number of UNIX installations has grown to 10, with more expected..."
- Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson, June 1972

"... When BTL withdrew from the project, they needed to rewrite an operatingsystem (OS) in order to play space war on another smaller machine (a DECPDP-7 [Programmed Data Processor] with 4K memory for userprograms). The result was a system which a punning colleague calledUNICS (UNiplexed Information and Computing Service)--an'emasculated Multics'; no one recalls whose idea the change to UNIXwas"
Source: [COLOR=#0000ff]A brief look at the early history[/COLOR]
_

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Console History

Fairchild released the Fairchild Video Entertainment System (VES) in 1976. While there had been previous game consoles that used cartridges, either the cartridges had no information and served the same function as flipping switches (the Odyssey) or the console itself was empty and the cartridge contained all of the game components. The VES, however, contained a programmable microprocessor so its cartridges only needed a single ROM chip to store microprocessor instructions.

Video game crash of 1977

In 1977, manufacturers of older, obsolete consoles sold their systems at a loss to clear stock, creating a glut in the market and causing Fairchild and RCA to abandon their game consoles. Only Atari and Magnavox stayed in the home console market.

Video game crash of 1983

Main article: Video game crash of 1983
In 1983, the video game business suffered a much more severe crash. A flood of consoles, of low quality video games by smaller companies (especially for the 2600), industry leader Atari hyping games such as E.T. that were poorly received, and a growing number of home computer users caused consumers and retailers to lose faith and interest in video game consoles. Most video game companies filed for bankruptcy, or moved into other industries, abandoning their game consoles. Mattel Electronics sold the rights for its Intellivision system to the INTV Corporation, who continued to produce Intellivision consoles and develop new games for the Intellivision until 1991. All other North American game consoles were discontinued by 1984.

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Zuse's Z3, the World's First Programmable Computer

Several years before the Colossus in the U.K. and the ENIAC in the U.S., the Z3, built by Konrad Zuse in 1941, was crunching numbers in Germany. In a short article, the Register says the Z3 was the first programmable computer. Based on a binary floating-point number and switching system, it had all the attributes of today's computers, such as a control block, a memory, and a calculator. But it didn't have the ability to store the program in the memory together with the data because the memory was too small. It had a 64-word memory of 22 bits each and was able to handle four additions per second and to do a multiplication in about five seconds. And it was pretty big: five meters long, two meters high, and 80 centimeters wide. It was destroyed during WWII, and later rebuilt in 1960/1961.
<B>Below is a photograph of Konrad Zuse with the rebuilt Z3 in 1961.

This photograph was picked from an extensive biography of Konrad Zuse (1910-1995), written by his son, Prof. Horst Zuse. Here are two links to the preface and to the specific page about the Z3 Computer.</B>

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Computer's Today - The Modern Design

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SuperComputers

Fastest Computers In the World TOP 3

Roadrunner

System NameRoadrunner SiteDOE/NNSA/LANLSystem FamilyIBM ClusterSystem ModelBladeCenter QS22 ClusterComputerBladeCenter QS22/LS21 Cluster, PowerXCell 8i 3.2 Ghz / Opteron DC 1.8 GHz, Voltaire InfinibandVendorIBMApplication areaNot SpecifiedInstallation Year2008 Operating SystemLinuxInterconnectInfinibandProcessorPowerXCell 8i 3200 MHz (12.8 GFlops)
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Jaguar

System NameJaguar SiteOak Ridge National LaboratorySystem FamilyCray XTSystem ModelCray XT5 QuadCoreComputerCray XT5 QC 2.3 GHzVendorCray Inc.URLhttp://www.nccs.gov/computing-...Application areaNot SpecifiedInstallation Year2008 Operating SystemCNLInterconnectXT4 Internal InterconnectProcessorAMD x86_64 Opteron Quad Core 2300 MHz (9.2 GFlops)
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JUGENE

System NameJUGENE SiteForschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ)System FamilyIBM BlueGeneSystem ModelBlueGene/PComputerBlue Gene/P SolutionVendorIBMApplication areaResearchInstallation Year2009 Operating SystemCNK/SLES 9InterconnectProprietaryProcessorPowerPC 450 850 MHz (3.4 GFlops)
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A Brief History

IBM Roadrunner - Ranked #1 in the World

Architecture12,960 IBM PowerXCell 8i CPUs, 6,480 AMD Opteron dual-core processors, Infiniband, LinuxPower2.35 MWSpecs:

Architecture
2,960 IBM PowerXCell 8i CPUS
6,480 AMD Opteron Dual Core CPUS

Power
2.35MW

Memory
103.6 TiB

Cost 125 big one's.
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Cray XT5 "Jaguar" - Ranked 2nd in the World

-Picture Unavailable-

Specs:

150,000 CPU Cores

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Jugene - Ranked #3 in the World

Specs:

294,912 CPUS

144TB Memory

6PB Storage

Watercooled

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Amazing Case Mods

This is worth the look!
YouTube - Pyramid Project HTPC build

Sep 30, 2009, 11:23 PM	#1
~~RE III - Frankie~~ Banned Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 1,754 Rep Power: 0	Tracing "Personal Computers" back through history - A Modern World Apple Macintosh Macintosh The Macintosh or Mac is a line of personal computers designed, developed, manufactured, and marketed by Apple Computer. Named after the McIntosh apple, the original Macintosh was released on January 24, 1984. It was the first commercially successful personal computer to use a graphical user interface (GUI) and mouse instead of the then-standard command line interface. The current range of Macintoshes varies from Apple’s entry level Mac mini desktop, to a mid-range server, the Xserve. Macintosh systems are mainly targeted towards the home, education, and creative professional markets. Production of the Macintosh is based upon a vertical integration model in that Apple facilitates all aspects of its hardware and creates its own operating system. This is in contrast to PCs, where different brands of hardware run operating systems such as Microsoft Windows. __________________________________________________ ____________ IBM PC Dell XPS 1730 World of Warcraft Edition (Nice! ) IBM PC The IBM PC (Personal Computer), was the original version and progenitor of the IBM PC compatible hardware platform. It was introduced on August 12, 1981. The original model was designated the IBM 5150. It was created by a team of engineers and designers under the direction of Don Estridge of the IBM Entry Systems Division in Boca Raton, Florida. The phrase "Personal Computer" was common currency before 1981, and was used as early as 1972 to characterize Xerox PARC's Alto. However, because of the success of the IBM PC, what had been a generic term came to mean specifically a microcomputer compatible with IBM's specification. __________________________________________________ ____________ Commodore 64 The Commodore 64 (C64, CBM 64/CBM64, C=64) is a home computer with 64 kilobytes of RAM that was popular in the 1980s. Released by Commodore Business Machines (CBM) to the public in August 1982 at a price of US$595, it offered unprecedented value in sound and graphics performance. With estimated sales between 17 and 25 million units until discontinuation in 1993, the C64 remains one of the best-selling computers of all time. __________________________________________________ ____________ Amstrad PC8 Amstrad CPC 464 The Amstrad CPC was a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad during the 1980s and early 1990s. CPC stood for 'Colour Personal Computer', although it was possible to purchase a CPC with a green screen (GT65/66) as well as with the standard colour screen (CTM640). The first machine, the CPC 464 was introduced in 1984. It was designed to be a direct competitor to the Commodore 64 and Sinclair ZX Spectrum systems. __________________________________________________ ____ ______ "...the number of UNIX installations has grown to 10, with more expected..." - Dennis Ritchie and Ken Thompson, June 1972 "... When BTL withdrew from the project, they needed to rewrite an operatingsystem (OS) in order to play space war on another smaller machine (a DECPDP-7 [Programmed Data Processor] with 4K memory for userprograms). The result was a system which a punning colleague calledUNICS (UNiplexed Information and Computing Service)--an'emasculated Multics'; no one recalls whose idea the change to UNIXwas" Source: [COLOR=#0000ff]A brief look at the early history[/COLOR] _____________________________________________ _______________ *Console History* Fairchild released the Fairchild Video Entertainment System (VES) in 1976. While there had been previous game consoles that used cartridges, either the cartridges had no information and served the same function as flipping switches (the Odyssey) or the console itself was empty and the cartridge contained all of the game components. The VES, however, contained a programmable microprocessor so its cartridges only needed a single ROM chip to store microprocessor instructions. Video game crash of 1977 In 1977, manufacturers of older, obsolete consoles sold their systems at a loss to clear stock, creating a glut in the market and causing Fairchild and RCA to abandon their game consoles. Only Atari and Magnavox stayed in the home console market. Video game crash of 1983 Main article: Video game crash of 1983 In 1983, the video game business suffered a much more severe crash. A flood of consoles, of low quality video games by smaller companies (especially for the 2600), industry leader Atari hyping games such as E.T. that were poorly received, and a growing number of home computer users caused consumers and retailers to lose faith and interest in video game consoles. Most video game companies filed for bankruptcy, or moved into other industries, abandoning their game consoles. Mattel Electronics sold the rights for its Intellivision system to the INTV Corporation, who continued to produce Intellivision consoles and develop new games for the Intellivision until 1991. All other North American game consoles were discontinued by 1984. _____________________________________________ Zuse's Z3, the World's First Programmable Computer Several years before the Colossus in the U.K. and the ENIAC in the U.S., the Z3, built by Konrad Zuse in 1941, was crunching numbers in Germany. In a short article, the Register says the Z3 was the first programmable computer. Based on a binary floating-point number and switching system, it had all the attributes of today's computers, such as a control block, a memory, and a calculator. But it didn't have the ability to store the program in the memory together with the data because the memory was too small. It had a 64-word memory of 22 bits each and was able to handle four additions per second and to do a multiplication in about five seconds. And it was pretty big: five meters long, two meters high, and 80 centimeters wide. It was destroyed during WWII, and later rebuilt in 1960/1961. <B>Below is a photograph of Konrad Zuse with the rebuilt Z3 in 1961. This photograph was picked from an extensive biography of Konrad Zuse (1910-1995), written by his son, Prof. Horst Zuse. Here are two links to the preface and to the specific page about the Z3 Computer.</B> ________________________________________________ Computer's Today - The Modern Design __________________________________________________ _____________ SuperComputers Fastest Computers In the World TOP 3 Roadrunner Details Performance/Linpack Data Ranking History System NameRoadrunner SiteDOE/NNSA/LANLSystem FamilyIBM ClusterSystem ModelBladeCenter QS22 ClusterComputerBladeCenter QS22/LS21 Cluster, PowerXCell 8i 3.2 Ghz / Opteron DC 1.8 GHz, Voltaire InfinibandVendorIBMApplication areaNot SpecifiedInstallation Year2008 Operating SystemLinuxInterconnectInfinibandProcessorPowerXCell 8i 3200 MHz (12.8 GFlops) __________________________________________________ ____________ Jaguar Details Performance/Linpack Data Ranking History System NameJaguar SiteOak Ridge National LaboratorySystem FamilyCray XTSystem ModelCray XT5 QuadCoreComputerCray XT5 QC 2.3 GHzVendorCray Inc.URLhttp://www.nccs.gov/computing-...Application areaNot SpecifiedInstallation Year2008 Operating SystemCNLInterconnectXT4 Internal InterconnectProcessorAMD x86_64 Opteron Quad Core 2300 MHz (9.2 GFlops) __________________________________________________ ____________ JUGENE Details Performance/Linpack Data Ranking History System NameJUGENE SiteForschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ)System FamilyIBM BlueGeneSystem ModelBlueGene/PComputerBlue Gene/P SolutionVendorIBMApplication areaResearchInstallation Year2009 Operating SystemCNK/SLES 9InterconnectProprietaryProcessorPowerPC 450 850 MHz (3.4 GFlops) __________________________________________________ ____________ A Brief History IBM Roadrunner - Ranked #1 in the World Architecture12,960 IBM PowerXCell 8i CPUs, 6,480 AMD Opteron dual-core processors, Infiniband, LinuxPower2.35 MWSpecs: Architecture 2,960 IBM PowerXCell 8i CPUS 6,480 AMD Opteron Dual Core CPUS Power 2.35MW Memory 103.6 TiB Cost 125 big one's. __________________________________________________ ____________ Cray XT5 "Jaguar" - Ranked 2nd in the World -Picture Unavailable- Specs: 150,000 CPU Cores __________________________________________________ ____________ Jugene - Ranked #3 in the World Specs: 294,912 CPUS 144TB Memory 6PB Storage Watercooled __________________________________________________ ____________ Amazing Case Mods This is worth the look! YouTube - Pyramid Project HTPC build