Add some more facts to this table and speak on the topic “History of Computing”.

 

Computer Types and Uses

Unit A. Kinds of Computers

Vocabulary

 

pocket

 

handheld

 

mainframe

 

power

powerful

 

to suit

suitable

It suits me fine.

 

to improve

improvement

 

to fit

 

palm

palmtop

 

lap

laptop

 

cost

to cost

 

light

 

heavy

 

expensive

 

cheap

 

fast

 

to sell (sold, sold)

sale

salesperson

 

custom

customs

customer

 

to carry

to carry out

 

record

to record

to keep (kept, kept)

 

diary

 

to appoint

appointment

to make an appointment with

 

account

accountant

 

network

 

staff

 

research

 

entertainment

 

tax

 

according to

 

task

multi-tasking

 

facility

 

sophisticated

 

to share

 

single

 

broad

broadly speaking

 

tiny

 

to remind

reminder

a) chose the correct translation:

1) pocket

a) ежедневник

b) карман

c) свет

d) исследование

 

2) heavy

a) подходящий

b) единственный

c) тяжелый

d) легкий

 

3) research

a) исследование

b) ежедневник

c) запись

d) мощность

 

4) suitable

a) единственный

b) широкий

c) подходящий

d) единственный

 

5) diary

a) ежедневник

b) карман

c) исследование

d) стоимость

 

6) single

a) подходящий

b) единственный

c) легкий

d) мощный

 

7) to improve

a) стоить

b) исследовать

c) выполнять

d) улучшать

 

8) light

a) легкий

b) единственный

c) подходящий

d) мощный

9) to appoint

a) подходить

b) назначать

c) стоить

d) продавать

10) to carry out

a) назначать

b) исследовать

c) выполнять

d) нести

 

b) Match the words with their meanings:

 

1) power 2) entertainment 3) customs 4) fast 5) sale 6) tiny 7) staff 8) record 9) tax 10) account

a) таможня b) крошечный c) мощность d) запись e) налог f) быстрый g) счет h) продажа i) персонал j) развлечение

 

с) Match the words with their definitions:

 

1) according to 2) custom   3) fit 4) share 5) palmtop 6) network 7) mainframe 8) laptop   9) multitasking   10) customize

a) the largest and most powerful type of computer b) a way of behaving which a particular group or society has had for a long time c) a small portable computer that can be held in one hand d) to divide smth between two or more people e) to change a system so that it works in the way the user wants f) the largest type of portable computer g) in a way that matches, follows or depends on smth h) the ability of a computer to work on more than one task at the same time i) a number of computers and other devices that are connected together so that equipment and information can be shared j) be the right size or shape for smb/smth

 

Comparing Computer Types

a) Match these names to the different types of computer:

 

1 mainframe 2 laptop

3 notebook 4 handheld

5 PC 6 minicomputer

 

a

 

 

b) Study these details of different types of computer. Find the answers to these questions:

Which type of computer is:

1 the most common?

2 small enough for a pocket?

3 the most common portable?

4 used by many people at the same time?

5 used like mainframes?

6 also called a handheld computer?

7 the most powerful?

8 not suitable for a lot of typing?

 

Types of computer	Notes
Mainframes	Large, powerful, expensive. Multi-user systems – used by many people at the same time. Used for processing very large amounts of data. The most powerful mainframes are called supercomputers.
Minicomputers	Used like mainframes. Not as big, powerful, or expensive as mainframes. Less common now because microcomputers have improved.
Microcomputers or Personal computers (PCs)	The most common type of computer. Smaller, cheaper, and less powerful than mainframes and minicomputers.

 

Types of portable	Notes
Laptop	About the size of a small typewriter. Less common now because smaller and lighter portables are available.
Notebook	About the size of a piece of writing paper. The most common type of portable.
Subnotebook	Not quite as big as notebooks. Can fit into a jacket pocket.
Handheld or Palmtop	Small enough to fit into the palm of one hand. Not easy to type with because of their size. Specialized handheld computers known as PDAs are used as personal organizers.

 

c) Grammar Revision: Comparison

 

Study this comparison of three types of computer.

	Mainframes	Minicomputers	Microcomputers
Size	+++	++	+
Power	+++	++	+
Cost	+++	++	+

 

1 We can compare one type of computer with another:

 

Minicomputers are bigger than microcomputers.

Mainframes are more expensive than microcomputers.

For negative comparisons, we can say:

Microcomputers are not as big as minicomputers.

Microcomputers are not as powerful as mainframes.

2 We can compare mainframes to all other types of computer:

 

Mainframes are the biggest computers.

Mainframes are the most powerful computers.

Mainframes are the most expensive computers.

 

With short adjectives (big, small, fast), we add -er and -est (faster, fastest).

With longer adjectives (powerful, expensive), we use more/less and the most/the least before the adjective (more powerful, the most powerful).

 

Remember these two exceptions:

good - better - the best bad - worse - the worst

 

d) Choose the correct adjective. Then fill in the gaps with the correct form of the adjective:

1 light/heavy

Laptops are 1___ than desktop computers, but 2___ than notebooks.

2 large/small

The mainframe is the 3___type of computer. A minicomputer is 4___ than a microcomputer.

3 common/good

Personal computers are 5___ than mainframes but mainframes are 6___ than personal computers at processing very large amounts of data.

4 powerful/expensive

Minicomputers are 7___than mainframes but they are also 8___.

5 fast/cheap

New computers are 9___ and sometimes 10___than older machines.

6 powerful/expensive

Laptops are often 11___ than PCs but they are not as 12___.

 

e) In pairs, decide what sort of computer is best for each of these users:

1 John Wilmott is a salesperson and he spends a lot of time visiting customers. He wants a computer to carry with him so he can access data about his customers and record his sales.

2 Pat Nye is a personnel officer. She needs a computer to keep staff records and to keep a diary of appointments. She also needs a computer for writing letters.

3 The University of the North needs a computer to look after its accounts, its network, the records of all students and staff, and to help with scientific research.

4 The James family want a computer for entertainment, writing letters, the Internet, and for calculating tax.

f) Put the words in brackets into the correct form to make an accurate description of sizes of computers:

There are different types of computer. The (large)1___ and (powerful) 2___ are mainframe computers. Minicomputers are (small) 3__ _ than mainframes but are still very powerful. Microcomputers are small enough to sit on a desk. They are the (common) 4__ _ type of computer. They are usually (powerful) 5 ___ than minicomputers.

Portable computers are (small) 6__ _ than desktops. The (large) 7___ portable is a laptop. (Small) 8___ portables, about the size of a piece of writing paper, are called notebook computers. Subnotebooks are (small) 9___ than notebooks. You can hold the (small)10___ computers in one hand. They are called handheld computers or palmtop computers.

Listening

a) Listen to a short lecture given by John Griffiths, an expert on computer systems. As you listen, label the pictures below with the words in the box:

laptop, desktop PC, handheld, mainframe, minicomputer

b) Listen again and chose the correct answer:

1 According to the speaker,

a a mainframe computer is less powerful than a minicomputer,

b a mainframe is more powerful than a minicomputer.

2 Mainframe computers are used by:

a executives and businessmen.

b large organizations that need to process enormous amounts of data.

3 'Multi-tasking' means:

a doing a number of tasks at the same time,

b access to a minicomputer through terminals.

4 The most suitable computers for home use are

a minicomputers,

b desktop PCs.

5 Handheld computers are

a small enough to fit into the palm of one hand,

b bigger than laptops.

 

Reading

Read the extract from Dan Gooking’s book ‘Buying a Computer for Dummies’. Give a good translation of the extract; try to keep to the style of the author: