Longmont Computer Physicians gaming computers repair Boulder Denver

Gaming Computers- Longmont Computer Physicians

Finding the right gaming computer can be a daunting task. With so many options available in the market today, it can be overwhelming to determine which one is the best for you. In this blog post, I will help explain the differences between gaming computers available today and Computer Physicians in Longmont Colorado can help you make an informed decision and we can custom build a gaming computer for you that suits your needs.

  1. Desktop Gaming Computers

Desktop gaming computers are powerful machines that offer the best gaming experience. They come with high-end graphics cards, processors, and RAM, which provide an excellent gaming experience. The primary advantage of desktop gaming computers is that they offer the most customization options, and you can easily upgrade the parts as technology improves. Desktop gaming computers are ideal for gamers who want the best gaming experience and do not mind the size of the computer.

  • Gaming Laptops

Gaming laptops are portable machines that offer a decent gaming experience. They come with dedicated graphics cards, processors, and RAM, which allow them to handle most modern games. Gaming laptops are ideal for gamers who want to take their gaming experience on the go or for those who have limited space. However, gaming laptops are not as powerful as desktop gaming computers, and their parts are not as easily upgradeable.

  • Gaming Consoles

Gaming consoles are specialized computers that are designed specifically for gaming. They come with dedicated graphics cards, processors, and RAM, which allow them to run modern games. Gaming consoles are ideal for gamers who want a simple and straightforward gaming experience. The primary advantage of gaming consoles is that they are user-friendly, and you do not need any technical knowledge to use them. However, gaming consoles are not as powerful as desktop gaming computers, and they do not offer the same level of customization.

  • All-in-One Gaming PCs

All-in-one gaming PCs are desktop computers that come with a built-in screen, keyboard, and mouse. They offer a decent gaming experience and are ideal for gamers who want a complete gaming setup in one package. All-in-one gaming PCs are not as powerful as desktop gaming computers, but they are more compact and take up less space. However, the parts in all-in-one gaming PCs are not as easily upgradeable as desktop gaming computers.

Choosing the right gaming computer depends on your specific needs and preferences. Desktop gaming computers offer the best gaming experience and the most customization options, but they are not portable. Gaming laptops are portable and offer a decent gaming experience, but they are not as powerful as desktop gaming computers. Gaming consoles are user-friendly and offer a simple gaming experience, but they are not as powerful as desktop gaming computers. All-in-one gaming PCs are compact and offer a complete gaming setup, but they are not as easily upgradeable as desktop gaming computers. Contact Longmont Computer Physicians for help with your gaming computers

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Computer Physicians is your one-stop shop for all your computer needs.

Let me tell you about Computer Physicians, LLC in Longmont Colorado. If you are looking for a reliable and trustworthy company for all your computer needs, then look no further than Computer Physicians.

At Computer Physicians, we specialize in a range of services, including computer repair, data recovery, and computer systems for sale. We have been providing our top-notch services to the Longmont, Boulder, and Colorado communities since 1999. Yes, that’s right – we’ve been in business for over two decades, longer than any other computer shop in Longmont.

We are known for fast same day service, our turnaround time is usually the same day or between 1 to 3 days depending on the situation.  We offer in-shop, onsite, or remote help.

We take pride in offering our customers the best possible fast service at an affordable price. We understand that computer problems can be frustrating, and that’s why we strive to make the repair process as seamless as possible. Whether you need a new computer system, help with data recovery, or just a simple repair, our computer expert will go above and beyond to get the job done right.

We have experienced and certified technicians who can diagnose and repair any computer problem, from hardware issues to software malfunctions. We only use the latest and most reliable tools and technology to ensure that your computer is up and running in no time.

At Computer Physicians, we also offer a range of computer systems for sale, including desktops, laptops, and accessories. Our expert can help you customize the perfect computer system to meet your needs and budget.

So, if you’re looking for a reliable and experienced company to handle all your computer needs, then look no further than Computer Physicians. We’re located in Longmont, Colorado, and we’re here to serve you. Call us today and let us take care of your computer problems. We promise you won’t regret it!

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Maximizing Your Technology with Computer Physicians, LLC in Longmont, CO

As a business owner or individual in Longmont, Colorado, you rely on technology to help you stay productive and competitive. But when your computer or network experiences problems, it can quickly bring your operations to a halt. That’s where Computer Physicians, LLC comes in.

Computer Physicians, LLC is a leading IT computer repair and web design company in Longmont that offers a wide range of technology services to help you get back up and running as quickly as possible. Steve is an experienced professional dedicated to helping you maximize your technology investments and achieve your business goals.

We offer comprehensive computer repair services to help you resolve any technical issues you may be facing, whether it’s a simple software problem or a more complex hardware issue. We also offer web design services to help you create a professional and user-friendly online presence for your business. And, with our data recovery services, you can rest assured that your important files and information are safe and secure, even in the event of a disaster.

At Computer Physicians, LLC, we understand that technology can be complex and confusing, which is why we strive to provide clear and straightforward solutions. Steve is always available to answer your questions and help you understand your technology options, so you can make informed decisions.

We are committed to delivering high-quality services at an affordable price, and we always go the extra mile to ensure that our clients are completely satisfied with their experience. Whether you need help with computer repair, web design, or data recovery, we have the expertise and resources to get the job done.

So, if you’re looking for a trusted partner to help you maximize your technology investments in Longmont, look no further than Computer Physicians, LLC. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and find out how we can help you achieve your business goals.

Longmont Computer Physicians – Microsoft Windows Operating Systems

Longmont Computer Physicians Computer Repair learning teaching series for Microsoft Windows. In Longmont, Colorado.
Computer Physicians, LLC is a Microsoft Certified provider, MCP, MTA, A+ Certifications

As part of Longmont Computer Physicians learning teaching series. Computer Physicians of Longmont, Colorado will Post an explanation about the Microsoft Windows Operating Systems throughout the years. Ending with Windows 10 – The current Windows version.

Microsoft Windows is what is known as an operating system. An operating system is what allows your software, such as Microsoft Word or Google Chrome, to work with your computer, and therefore let you use the software itself.  A computer consists of various hardware components, such as video cards and network adapters, and the operating system is what allows the user (which is you) to make use of that hardware so you can do things like check your email, edit photos, play games, etc. Windows History and Versions Windows has been around for a long time, and there have been many versions. So, let’s start with a history of the different versions and features that have taken us to where we are today (Windows 10).

Windows 3.1 Windows 3.1 was released in April 1992 and became the best-selling GUI in the history of computing. It added multimedia functionality, which included support for connecting to external musical instruments and MIDI devices. TrueType font support was added to provide Windows with a WYSIWYG or What You See Is What You Get interface. Windows 3.1 added the ability to close applications by pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del and terminating hung applications from the list of running programs. Drag and drop functionality provided a new way to use the GUI, and support for Object Linking and Embedding (OLE) was added. OLE allowed embedding elements from different applications into one document.

Windows 3.11 Windows 3.11 was released in November 1993. It did not add any feature improvements over Windows 3.1, but corrected problems (most of which were network problems). Microsoft replaced all new retail versions of Windows 3.1 with Windows 3.11 and provided a free upgrade via their Web site to anyone who currently owned Windows 3.1. Windows for Workgroups 3.1 Windows for Workgroups (WFW) 3.1 was released in April 1992. It was the first Microsoft OS to provide native support for peer to peer networks. It supported file and printer sharing and made it easy to specify which files should be shared with other computers running DOS or Windows. WFW also included Microsoft Mail (an e-mail client) and Schedule+ (a workgroup scheduler). Windows for Workgroups 3.11 Windows for Workgroups (WFW) 3.11 was released in February 1994 and was geared toward local area networking. This made it a hit for corporations wanting to increase productivity by sharing information. The default networking protocol was NetBEUI, and TCP/IP or IPX/SPX could be added. WFW 3.11 clients could connect to both workgroups and domains, and it provided built-in support for Novell NetWare Networks. WFW 3.11 also improved support for remote access services.

Windows 95 was released in August 1995, and it changed the face of Windows forever. Windows 95 had features such as Plug-and-Play to make hardware installations easier, and dial-up networking for connecting to the Internet or another network via a modem. Windows 95 was the first Microsoft operating system that supported long filenames. Windows 95 also supported preemptive multitasking. Perhaps the most drastic change was that Windows 95 was a “real” OS. Unlike its predecessors, it did not require DOS to be installed first. Windows 95b (OSR2) was an improved version that was never offered for sale to the public, and was only available to Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to install on new computers that they were offering for sale. Windows 95b added support for universal serial bus (USB) devices and the FAT32 file system that allowed for larger partitions, better disk space usage, and better performance.

Windows 98 was released on June 25, 1998. It was the retail upgrade to Windows 95 that provided support for reading DVDs and using USB devices. Applications in Windows 98 opened and closed more quickly. Like 95b, Windows 98 included a FAT32 converter, which allowed you to use hard drives over the 2GB limit imposed by DOS. The backup program was revamped to support more backup devices (including SCSI), and Microsoft added the Disk Cleanup utility to help find and delete old unused files. Windows 98 also included Internet Explorer 4.0 and the Active Desktop.

Windows 98 Second Edition Windows 98 Second Edition (SE) was released in June 1998 as an incremental update to Windows 98. Windows 98 SE improved the home multimedia experience, home networking, and Internet browsing. Windows 98 SE introduced Internet Connection Sharing (ICS), which allowed a Windows 98 SE machine to function as a Network Address Translation (NAT) server for other machines on the home network. In other words, you could have multiple machines connected to the Internet at the same time using only a single ISP account and a single public IP address, and all Internet traffic would go through the Windows 98 SE machine running ICS. Windows 98 SE also included NetMeeting and Internet Explorer 5.0. Windows 98 SE was the first consumer operating system capable of using the same drivers as Windows NT 4.0. Windows ME

Windows Millennium Edition (ME) was the last OS built on the MS-DOS kernel. It was released in September 2000 and added improved support for digital media through applications such as Image Acquisition, Movie Maker, and Windows Media Player. Image Acquisition was added to simplify downloading images from digital cameras. Movie Maker was included to ease editing and recording digital video media files. Media Player was used to organize and play music and video files. To enhance reliability, Windows ME added the “system restore” feature, which could be used to restore any deleted system files to fix problems. Another important feature was system file protection, which prevented important OS files from being changed by applications. Windows ME also included a new home networking wizard to make adding peripherals and computers to a home network easier.

Windows 2000 Windows 2000 was released in February 2000 and put an end to the NT name. Even though it was built on the same NT kernel, it no longer used the name. Windows 2000 shipped with four versions: Professional, Server, Advanced Server, and Datacenter Server. Professional was the replacement for NT 4.0 Workstation, and was used as a desktop/client OS. Windows 2000 added many of the features that NT 4.0 didn’t have, such as a disk defragmenter, device manager, and Plug and Play support.

Windows XP Home Edition Windows XP Home Edition was released in 2001. It was the first consumer OS based on the NT code, which makes it the most stable and secure Microsoft consumer OS to date. Home Edition supports the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF), which protects your computer while you are connected to the Internet. It also features Fast User Switching, which allows you to switch between users’ desktops without having to log off first. Home networking and multimedia capabilities have also been enhanced. Remote Assistance is a new feature that lets you ask someone for help. The helper can then remotely control your desktop and chat with you online. Also included are features such as Task Manager and System Monitor, and brand new features such as the Desktop Cleanup Wizard and taskbar grouping were introduced. Windows XP Professional Windows XP Professional includes all the features of Home Edition, and many new features geared toward business uses. Some of the new features include: Remote desktop, which allows XP Pro to act as a mini Terminal Server, hosting one remote session.  Encrypting File System (EFS), which allows you to encrypt files stored on disk. EFS was included with Windows 2000 Professional, but XP Professional adds the ability to share encrypted files with other users.  Internet Protocol Security (IPSec), which allows you to encrypt data that travels across the network.  Integrated smart card support, which allows you to use smart card authentication to log on to the network, including Windows Server 2003 terminal sessions.  Recovery console, which provides a command-line interface that administrators can use to perform repair tasks if the computer won’t boot.  The ability to join a Windows domain. While users who have a domain account can log onto the domain from an XP Home computer, the Home computer cannot have a computer account in the domain. XP Professional computers have computer accounts, allowing the administrator to manage them centrally.  Windows XP Media Center Edition Windows XP Media Center Edition is built on Windows XP technology and comes preinstalled on Media Center PCs. Media Center Edition combines home entertainment and personal computing. It puts all of your media in one place and allows you to control it via remote control. Some of the features of Windows XP Media Center Edition include: Watching live TV  Personal Video Recording (PVR)  Electronic Program Guide (Guide)  Playing DVDs  Listening to music  Watching videos  The Media Center Remote Control 

Windows Vista Microsoft Windows Vista was released in January 2007. It included many changes and added new features such as the updated graphical user interface\visual style called Windows Aero. It also featured redesigned print, audio, networking, and display subsystems. It offers improved security, easier networking, better organization, and new multimedia capabilities. Criticism of Windows Vista was based on its high system requirements, lack of driver and hardware support, as well as other problems, such as crashing and locking up. Windows Vista comes in a variety of editions, including Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, Business, and Enterprise, each with its own set of features which allows you to choose the edition you need based on pricing and what you plan to do with the operating system.

Longmont Computer Physicians learning teaching series. Computer Physicians of Longmont, Boulder, Denver Colorado

Windows 7 was released in October 2009, and is the successor to Windows Vista. It features the same look and interface as Vista but offers better performance and reliability. Windows 7 has more efficient ways to manage files and improved taskbar previews. It also has faster startup time and runs programs faster than Vista, although it still requires a higher end hardware to run up to its potential. Windows 7 comes in many editions, including Starter, Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise, each with its own set of features which allows you to choose the edition you need based on pricing and what you plan to do with the operating system.

Windows 8 was released in October of 2012 and is Microsoft’s first attempt to combine the desktop PC and smartphone\tablet operating system into one OS. With this new OS came new devices, such as tablets, that could easily be converted into laptops and desktops with tablet-like interfaces and features. Windows 8 is a big change from Windows 7 and the standard interface that everyone was used to. Many people were turned off by this new interface while others embraced it.

Windows 8.1 fixed some of the things people didn’t like, but the OS never gained the popularity Microsoft wanted.

Windows 10 Microsoft claims Windows 10 will the last desktop version of Windows, and it will be continually updated and improved upon so there won’t be a need for a replacement. Windows 10 brings back some of the look and feel we all loved about Windows 7, but also retains that tablet-type feel that Windows 8 had. The Start menu is back, but this time it has Live Tiles that change information for things like current events and weather. It also comes with a built-in personal assistant named Cortana, which is similar to Apple’s Siri. Windows 10 Editions Now that Windows 10 has been around for some time and has made its way to desktop computers around the world, Microsoft has decided that it will be the last version of their desktop OS (for now, at least), and that they will simply come out with new feature releases that build on the functionality of Windows rather than keep coming out with new versions. Windows 7 was a big success, and the changes they tried to push on us with Windows 8 kind of flopped, so it appears they got things right with Windows 10, and we have a compromise of both of the previous versions within it. To find out which edition of Windows 10 you are running, simply click on the Start button (window icon on the left hand side of the taskbar) and then click on the Settings gear icon. Finally, click on About at the bottom of the list on the left and it will tell you your Windows version, as well as other useful information such as what processor your computer is using and how much RAM your computer has installed.

Longmont Computer Physicians learning teaching series. Computer Physicians of Longmont, Boulder, Denver Colorado

Boulder Computer Repair

Computer Physicians loves Boulder! We are glad to be your full time Computer company in Boulder, CO. We have been in business since 1999. Our office is close by Boulder servicing Boulder regularly. Call us for a appointment in Boulder Colorado. Providing Computer Repair, upgrades, sales, installations, troubleshooting, networking, internet help, Virus removal, and training.

Erie Computer Repair in Erie, CO Colorado

We are glad to be your full time Computer company in Erie, CO Colorado. We have been in Erie, Colorado from 2003 to 2015. We are now close by in Longmont, CO still servicing Erie CO regularly. Call us for a appointment in Erie Colorado. Providing Computer Repair, upgrades, sales, installations, troubleshooting, networking, internet help, Virus removal, and training.

Computer Networks in Longmont Denver Erie Colorado Computer Physicians

Networking is one of the jobs that Longmont Computer Physicians, LLC does to help it’s clients.  Sometimes it is wireless networks, other times the client wants a wired computer network.

I needed to hard wire an entire house with CAT5e cabling for a client a few months ago for internet and file sharing access.   It was a great success!  8 rooms in the house had access to a network cable for computers.

Here are some pictures of the job of the patch cables and routers running into the house and through the walls.

Computer networking in Denver Boulder Colorado router and CAT 5e cable PC repair

Computer Networking in Boulder Longmont Denver Erie Colorado PC Repair

PC Computer Networking in Longmont, Boulder, Denver, Erie Colorado

Longmont’s Newest Computer Viruses – Longmont/Boulder CO – Computer Physicians

Computer Repair Longmont, CO Virus removal. – Computer Physicians, LLC

Here is some news about the latest computer viruses out today that Computer Physicians in Longmont/Boulder, CO can help you with:

Technewsworld:

A new ransomware exploit dubbed “Petya” struck major companies and infrastructure sites this July 2017, following last month’s WannaCry ransomware attack, which wreaked havoc on more than 300,000 computers across the globe. Petya is believed to be linked to the same set of hacking tools as WannaCry.

Petya already has taken thousands of computers hostage, impacting companies and installations ranging from Ukraine to the U.S. to India. It has impacted a Ukrainian international airport, and multinational shipping, legal and advertising firms. It has led to the shutdown of radiation monitoring systems at the Chernobyl nuclear facility.

(more…)

Trends in PC technology – Computer Physicians Longmont/Boulder/Erie, CO

 https://www.computer-physicians.com/
Computer repair data recovery networking virus removal in Longmont/Boulder/Denver Colorado

 Here is a good article which talks about the changes in PC technology and the trends.

Past, Present and Future Trends in the Use
of Computers in Fisheries Research By
Bernard A. Megrey and Erlend Moksness
1.2 Hardware Advances
It is difficult not to marvel at how quickly computer technology advances. The
current typical desktop or laptop computer, compared to the original mono-
chrome 8 KB random access memory (RAM), 4 MHz 8088 microcomputer or
the original Apple II, has improved several orders of magnitude in many areas.
The most notable of these hardware advances are processing capability,
color graphics resolution and display technology, hard disk storage, and the
amount of RAM. The most remarkable thing is that since 1982, the cost of a
high-end microcomputer system has remained in the neighborhood of $US
3,000. This statement was true in 1982, at the printing of the last edition of
this book in 1996, and it holds true today.
1.2.1 CPUs and RAM
While we can recognize that computer technology changes quickly, this state-
ment does not seem to adequately describe what sometimes seems to be the
breakneck pace of improvements in the heart of any electronic computing
engine, the central processing unit (CPU). The transistor, invented at Bell
Labs in 1947, is the fundamental electronic component of the CPU chip. Higher
performance CPUs require more logic circuitry, and this is reflected in steadily
rising transistor densities. Simply put, the number of transistors in a CPU is a
rough measure of its computational power which is usually measured in floating
point mathematical operations per second (FLOPS). The more transistors there
are in the CPU, or silicon engine, the more work it can do.
Trends in transistor density over time, reveal that density typically doubles
approximately every year and a half according to a well know axiom known as
Moore’s Law. This proposition, suggested by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore
(Moore 1965), was part observation and part marketing prophesy. In 1965
Moore, then director of R&D at Fairchild Semiconductor, the first large-scale
producer of commercial integrated circuits, wrote an internal paper in which he
drew a line though five points representing the number of components per
integrated circuit for minimum cost for the components developed between
1959 and 1964
The prediction arising
from this observation became a self-fulfilling prophecy that emerged as one of
the driving principals of the semiconductor industry. As it related to computer
CPUs (one type of integrated circuit), Moore’s Law states that the number of
transistors packed into a CPU doubles every 18–24 months.
Figure 1.1 supports this claim. In 1979, the 8088 CPU had 29,000 transistors.
In 1997, the Pentium II had 7.5 million transistors, in 2000 the Pentium 4 had
420 million, and the trend continues so that in 2007, the Dual-Core Itanium 2
processor has 1.7 billion transistors. In addition to transistor density, data
1 Past, Present and Future Trends in the Use of Computers
) of CPU
performance. Note y-axis is on the log scale (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teraflop,
accessed 12 January 2008)
1 Past, Present and Future Trends in the Use of Computers
5
Manufacturing technology appears to be reaching its limits in terms of how
dense silicon chips can be manufactured – in other words, how many transistors
can fit onto CPU chips and how fast their internal clocks can be run. As stated
recently in the BBC News, ‘‘The industry now believes that we are approaching
the limits of what classical technology – cla
ssical being as refined over the last 40
years – can do.’’ There is a problem with making microprocessor
circuitry smaller. Power leaks, the unwan
ted leakage of electricity or electrons
between circuits packed ever closer toget
her, take place. Overheating becomes a
problem as processor architecture gets ever smaller and clock speeds increase.
Traditional processors have one processing engine on a chip. One method
used to increase performance through higher transistor densities, without
increasing clock speed, is to put more than one CPU on a chip and to allow
them to independently operate on different tasks (called threads). These
advanced chips are called multiple-core processors. A dual-core processor
squeezes two CPU engines onto a single chip. Quad-core processors have four
engines. Multiple-core chips are all 64-bit meaning that they can work through
64 bits of data per instruction. That is twice rate of the current standard 32-bit
processor. A dual-core processor theoretically doubles your computing power
since a dual-core processor can handle two threads of data simultaneously. The
result is there is less waiting for tasks to complete. A quad-core chip can handle
four threads of data.
Progress marches on. Intel announced in February 2007 that it had a
prototype CPU that contains 80 processor cores and is capable of 1 teraflop
(10
12
floating point operations per second) of processing capacity. The potential
uses of a desktop fingernail-sized 80-core chip with supercomputer-like perfor-
mance will open unimaginable opportunities (Source: http://www.intel.com/
pressroom/archive/releases/20070204comp.htm, accessed 12 January 2008).
As if multiple core CPUs were not powerful enough, new products being
developed will feature ‘‘dynamically scalable’’ architecture, meaning that vir-
tually every part of the processor – including cores, cache, threads, interfaces,
and power – can be dynamically allocated based on performance, power and
thermal requirements.
Supercomputers may
soon be the same size as a laptop if IBM brings to the market silicon nanopho-
tonics. In this new technology, wires on a chip are replaced with pulses of light
on tiny optical fibers for quicker and more power-efficient data transfers
between processor cores on a chip. This new technology is about 100 times
faster, consumes one-tenth as much power, and generates less heat (
Multi-core processors pack a lot of power. There is just one problem: most
software programs are lagging behind hardware improvements. To get the most
out of a 64-bit processor, you need an operating system and application
programs that support it. Unfortunately, as of the time of this writing, most
software applications and operating systems are not written to take advantage
of the power made available with multiple cores. Slowly this will change.
Currently there are 64-bit versions of Linux, Solaris, and Windows XP, and
Vista. However, 64-bit versions of most device drivers are not available, so for
today’s uses, a 64-bit operating system can become frustrating due to a lack of
available drivers.
Another current developing trend is building high performance computing
environments using computer clusters, which are groups of loosely coupled
computers, typically connected together through fast local area networks.
A cluster works together so that multiple processors can be used as though
they are a single computer. Clusters are usually deployed to improve perfor-
mance over that provided by a single computer, while typically being much less
expensive than single computers of comparable speed or availability.
Beowulf is a design for high-performance parallel computing clusters using
inexpensive personal computer hardware. It was originally developed by
NASA’s Thomas Sterling and Donald Becker. The name comes from the
main character in the Old English epic poem Beowulf.
A Beowulf cluster of workstations is a group of usually identical PC com-
puters, configured into a multi-computer architecture, running a Open Source
Unix-like operating system, such as BSD or
Solaris They are joined into a small network and have libraries and
programs installed that allow processing to be shared among them. The server
node controls the whole cluster and serves files to the client nodes. It is also the
cluster’s console and gateway to the outside world. Large Beowulf machines
might have more than one server node, and possibly other nodes dedicated to
particular tasks, for example consoles or monitoring stations. Nodes are con-
figured and controlled by the server node, and do only what they are told to do
in a disk-less client configuration.
There is no particular piece of software that defines a cluster as a Beowulf.
Commonly used parallel processing libraries include Message Passing Interface;
(Both of these permit the programmer to divide a task among a group of
networked computers, and recollect the results of processing. Software must
be revised to take advantage of the cluster. Specifically, it must be capable of
performing multiple independent parallel operations that can be distributed
among the available processors. Microsoft also distributes a Windows Compute
Cluster Server 2003 (Source: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/ccs/
default.aspx, accessed 12 January 2008) to facilitate building a high-performance
computing resource based on Microsoft’s Windows platforms.
One of the main differences between Beowulf and a cluster of workstations is
that Beowulf behaves more like a single machine rather than many worksta-
tions.
Past, Present and Future Trends in the Use of Computers
CPU + memory package which can be plugged into the
cluster, just like a CPU or memory module can be plugged into a motherboard.
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_(computing), accessed 12 January
2008). Beowulf systems are now deployed worldwide, chiefly in support of
scientific computing and their use in fisheries applications is increasing. Typical
configurations consist of multiple machines built on AMD’s Opteron 64-bit
and/or Athlon X2 64-bit processors.
Memory is the most readily accessible large-volume storage available to the
CPU. We expect that standard RAM configurations will continue to increase as
operating systems and application software become more full-featured and
demanding of RAM. For example, the ‘‘recommended’’ configuration for
Windows Vista Home Premium Edition and Apple’s new Leopard operating
systems is 2 GB of RAM, 1 GB to hold the operating system leaving 1 GB for
data and application code. In the previous edition, we predicted that in 3–5
years (1999–2001) 64–256 megabytes (MB) of Dynamic RAM will be available
and machines with 64 MB of RAM will be typical. This prediction was incred-
ibly inaccurate. Over the years, advances in semiconductor fabrication technol-
ogy have made gigabyte memory configurations not only a reality, but
commonplace.
Not all RAM performs equally. Newer types, called double data rate RAM
(DDR) decrease the time in takes for the CPU to communicate with memory,
thus speeding up computer execution. DDR comes in several flavors. DDR has
been around since 2000 and is sometimes called DDR1. DDR2 was introduced
in 2003. It took a while for DDR2 to reach widespread use, but you can find it in
most new computers today. DDR3 began appearing in mid-2007. RAM simply
holds data for the processor. However, there is a cache between the processor
and the RAM: the L2 cache. The processor sends data to this cache. When the
cache overflows, data are sent to the RAM. The RAM sends data back to the L2
cache when the processor needs it. DDR RAM transfers data twice per clock
cycle. The clock rate, measured in cycles per second, or hertz, is the rate at which
operations are performed. DDR clock speeds range between 200 MHz (DDR-
200) and 400 MHz (DDR-400). DDR-200 transfers 1,600 megabits per second
(Mb s) while DDR-400 transfers 3,200 MB s

DDR2 RAM is
twice as fast as DDR RAM. The bus carrying data to DDR2 memory is twice as
fast. That means twice as much data are carried to the module for each clock
cycle. DDR2 RAM also consumes less power than DDR RAM. DDR2 speeds
range between 400 MHz (DDR2-400) and 800 MHz (DDR2-800). DDR2-400
transfers 3,200 MB s

1
. DDR2-800 transfers 6,400 MB s

1
.DDR3RAM
is twice as fast as DDR2 RAM, at least in theory. DDR3 RAM is more power-
efficient than DDR2 RAM. DDR3 speeds range between 800 MHz (DDR3-800)
and 1,600 MHz (DDR3-1600). DDR3-800 transfers 6,400 MB s

1
;DDR3-1600
transfers 12,800 MB s

1
.
As processors increased in performance, the addressable memory space also
increased as the chips evolved from 8-bit to 64-bit. Bytes of data readily
8
B.A. Megrey and E. Moksness
accessible to the processor are identified by a memory address, which by
convention starts at zero and ranges to the upper limit addressable by the pro-
cessor. A 32-bit processor typically uses memory addresses that are 32 bits wide.
The 32-bit wide address allows the processor to address 2
32
bytes (B) of memory,
which is exactly 4,294,967,296 B, or 4 GB. Desktop machines with a gigabyte of
memory are common, and boxes configured with 4 GB of physical memory are
easily available. While 4 GB may seem like a lot of memory, many scientific
databases have indices that are larger. A 64-bit wide address theoretically allows
18 million terabytes of addressable memory (1.8 10
19
B). Realistically 64-bit
systems will typically access approximately 64 GB of memory in the next 5 years.
1.2.2 Hard Disks and Other Storage Media
Improvements in hard disk storage, since our last edition, have advanced as well.
One of the most amazing things about hard disks is that they both change and
don’t change more than most other components. The basic design of today’s
hard disks is not very different from the original 5¼’’ 10 MB hard disk that was
installed in the first IBM PC/XTs in the early 1980s. However, in terms of
capacity, storage, reliability and other characteristics, hard drives have substan-
tially improved, perhaps more than any other PC component behind the CPU.
Seagate, a major hard drive manufacturer, estimates that drive capacity increases
by roughly 60% per year (Source: http://news.zdnet.co.uk/communications/
0,100,0000085,2067661,00.htm, accessed 12 January 2008).
Some of the trends in various important hard disk characteristics (Source:
http://www.PCGuide.com, accessed 12 January 2008) are described below. The
areal density of data on hard disk platters continues to increase at an amazing
rate even exceeding some of the optimistic predictions of a few years ago.
Densities are now approaching 100 Gbits in

2
, and modern disks are now packing
as much as 75 GB of data onto a single 3.5 in platter (Source: http://www.
fujitsu.com/downloads/MAG/vol42-1/paper08.pdf, accessed 12 January 2008).
Hard disk capacity continues to not only increase, but increase at an accelerat-
ing rate. The rate of technology development, measured in data areal density
growth is about twice that of Moore’s law for semiconductor transistor
density (Source: http://www.tomcoughlin.com/Techpapers/head&medium.pdf,
accessed 12 January 2008).
The trend towards larger and larger capacity drives will continue for both
desktops and laptops. We have progressed from 10 MB in 1981 to well over
10 GB in 2000. Multiple terabyte (1,000 GB) drives are already available. Today
the standard for most off the shelf laptops is around 120–160 GB. There is also a
move to faster and faster spindle speeds. Since increasing the spindle speed
improves both random-access and sequential performance, this is likely to
continue. Once the domain of high-end SCSI drives (Small Computer System
Interface), 7,200 RPM spindles are now standard on mainstream desktop and
1 Past, Present and Future Trends in the Use of Computers
9
notebook hard drives, and a 10,000 and 15,000 RPM models are beginning to
appear. The trend in size or form factor is downward: to smaller and smaller
drives. 5.25 in drives have now all but disappeared from the mainstream PC
market, with 3.5 in drives dominating the desktop and server segment. In the
mobile world, 2.5 in drives are the standard with smaller sizes becoming more
prevalent. IBM in 1999 announced its
Microdrive
which is a tiny 1 GB or device
only an inch in diameter and less than 0.25 in thick. It can hold the equivalent of
700 floppy disks in a package as small as 24.2 mm in diameter. Desktop and
server drives have transitioned to the 2.5 in form factor as well, where they are
used widely in network devices such as storage hubs and routers, blade servers,
small form factor network servers and RAID (Redundant Arrays of Inexpen-
sive Disks) subsystems. Small 2.5 in form factor (i.e. ‘‘portable’’) high perfor-
mance hard disks, with capacities around 250 GB, and using the USB 2.0
interface are becoming common and easily affordable. The primary reasons
for this ‘‘shrinking trend’’ include the enhanced rigidity of smaller platters.
Reduction in platter mass enables faster spin speeds and improved reliability
due to enhanced ease of manufacturing. Both positioning and transfer perfor-
mance factors are improving. The speed with which data can be pulled from the
disk is increasing more rapidly than positioning performance is improving,
suggesting that over the next few years addressing seek time and latency will
be the areas of greatest attention to hard disk engineers. The reliability of hard
disks is improving slowly as manufacturers refine their processes and add new
reliability-enhancing features, but this characteristic is not changing nearly as
rapidly as the others above. One reason is that the technology is constantly
changing, and the performance envelope is constantly being pushed; it’s much
harder to improve the reliability of a product when it is changing rapidly.
Once the province of high-end servers, the use of multiple disk arrays
(RAIDs) to improve performance and reliability is becoming increasingly
common, and multiple hard disks configured as an array are now frequently
seen in consumer desktop machines. Finally, the interface used to deliver data
from a hard disk has improved as well. Despite the introduction to the PC world
of new interfaces such as IEEE-1394 (FireWire) and USB (universal serial bus)
the mainstream interfaces in the PC world are the same as they were through the
1990s: IDE/ATA/SATA and SCSI. These interfaces are all going through
improvements. A new external SATA interface (eSATA) is capable of transfer
rates of 1.5–3.0 Gbits s

1
. USB transfers data at 480 Mbits s

1
and Firewire is
available in 400 and 800 Mbits s

1
. USB 3.0 has been announced and it will
offer speeds up to 4.8 Gbits s

1
. Firewire will also improve to increases in the
range of 3.2 Gbits s

1
. The interfaces will continue to create new and improved
standards with higher data transfer rates to match the increase in performance
of the hard disks themselves.
In summary, since 1996, faster spindle speeds, smaller form factors, multiple
double-sided platters coated with higher density magnetic coatings, and
improved recording and data interface technologies, have substantially
increased hard disk storage and performance. At the same time, the price per unit of storage has decreased.
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