Most computer users today know the basics about computer from a Personal Computer or PC, but the name Mainframe remains a topic that not many people know about. The PC has become part of our everyday life. Without a Personal Computer on today’s world, it may be difficult to communicate, play, and even work. The goal of this paper is to demonstrate some basic comparisons and illustrate basic concepts between the Personal Computer and the Mainframe.
Thanks to our basic knowledge of the Personal Computer, this may help bring some understanding to the concept of the Mainframe computer. This paper will discuss the basic history of these devices, their use, and the size of the PC and the Mainframe. Let us start by describing the Personal Computer or PC.
PC
The Personal Computer or the PC were created for the use of individuals and are small enough that they could sit on a table or a desk (Cartmell, 2012). The term of PC has always been associated with an IBM-compatible personal computer even though the Macintosh distinction has become less clear-cut in recent years (Harbeck, 2011). The name PC came from the words Personal Computer because it was the first time that a computer was small enough to be personal. Prior to the PC era, computers were large, and expensive machines that only companies could afford to own and use (Harbeck, 2011). In the late 1980s, the advances in technology made it feasible enough to build a small computer that an individual could own and use (Harbeck, 2011).
It is because of this that the Personal Computer are so affordable. Even though the low processing power of the PC is the reason why the computer became personal, today’s PCs are becoming more powerful (Cartmell, 2012). When the Personal Computer was first created, they were used for single purpose like writing or working on a budget. With the increase in processing power of the PC, they have taken every facet of our lives. Now that you know the basic of a Personal Computer, let us look at the Mainframe.
Mainframes
The Mainframes were created for the use or businesses, and Enterprises. Mainframes were big enough that there were housed in large air-conditioned room (Cartmell, 2012). These earlier Mainframes might have occupied about 2,000 to 10,000 square feet (Rouse, 2005). The size of the mainframe computers began to miniaturize in the 1990s (Cartmell, 2012). The newer mainframes are now the size of a larger refrigerator (Rouse, 2005).
According to IBM, the name of mainframe comes from the fact that these machines were housed in large cases or frames (Cartmell, 2012). Mainframes are usually selected by enterprise business because of their high-power and scalability (Cartmell, 2012). It is because of their high processing power that the Mainframe is so expensive. This is why Mainframes are typically used as a central data repository to handle the data of a network of computers (Cartmell, 2012). Mainframes have been associated with centralize computing rather than distributed computing (Rouse, 2005).
One of the reasons why Mainframes are used today by organizations instead of PC is their reliability (Thibodeau, 2008). One could rarely see a mainframe crashing. Another aspect of Mainframes is that the current consumption and the cooling needed for the normal operation typically adds to the operating cost of owning and using a Mainframe (Thibodeau, 2008). Now that you know the basics of a Mainframe, let us look at the comparisons between a PC and a Mainframe.
Comparison
After reading this paper, a basic understanding could be archive from the comparisons between these types of machines. Some of the basic comparison between PCs and Mainframes is that the Mainframes are as large as a large fridge while the PC is small enough to fit on a desk. The name of Personal Computer has derive from the fact that the computer became personal, while the name Mainframe derive from the fact that these machine came housed in a large case of frame. The Mainframe is a high-powered device while the Personal Computer is typically lower power. The Mainframe could be scalable, while the PC could only be networked.
The Personal Computers were created as single-purpose devices, while the Mainframes were created as multipurpose devices. Because it is a multipurpose device, the Mainframe is gear towards centralize computing. It is because the Personal Computer is a single use personal device that allows it to be affordable, while the ability of the Mainframe to be a multipurpose device the makes it an expensive device. A Mainframe rarely crashes, while these system crashes are a lot more commonplace in Personal Computers. The operating cost of the Mainframe is high in comparison with the Personal Computer.
This is because a Mainframe requires more electricity and cooler temperatures that a Personal Computer.
Preferences
Cartmell, P. (2012). Mainframe Vs. Personal Computers. Retrieved June 8, 2012, from eHow Tech: http://www.ehow.com/facts_7286049_mainframe-vs_-personal-computers.html
Harbeck, R. (2011, January). personal computer (PC). Retrieved June 8, 2012, from WhatIs.com: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/personal-computer-PC
Rouse, M. (2005, September). mainframe (big iron). Retrieved June 8, 2012, from Search Data Center: http://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/definition/mainframe
Thibodeau, P. (2008). Mainframes Fight to Keep Corporate IT Crown. ComputerWorld, 12-14.