Miniaturization

1. There are several advantages in making computers as small as one can. Sometimes weight is particularly important. A modern aircraft, for example, carries quite a load of electronic apparatus. If it

2. is possible to make any of these smaller, and therefore lighter, the aircraft can carry a bigger pay-load. This kind of consideration applies to space satellites and to all kinds of computers that have to be carried.

3. But weight is not the only factor. The smaller the computer, the faster it can work.

This increase of operation is a real advantage. There are some applications in which computers could be used which require very fast response times. For example, automatic blind landing of aircraft requires continuous computer calculations which result in control of the aircraft flight. The more immediate the responses are, the more stable that control can be.

3. Another advantage is that less power is required to run the computer. In space vehicles and satellites this is an important matter.

Another advantage is reliability. Mini-computers have been made possible by the development of integrated circuits. And now that transistors and other solid-state devices are used instead of valves, printed circuits with their solid-state components have a very long life¹ indeed. A computer can be built up of large numbers of similar units of this kind.

4. All these devices, small as they may be to the eye² when hundreds of circuits can be packed on to one square inch, are still much larger than they need to be. So the problem is one of finding ways of making these complicated patterns automatically very precisely and yet smaller and smaller. The limit is a long way off yet³. Human brains have more than 100 million cells per cubic centimetre but there is no reason to think that we cannot pack solid-state devices more densely than this.

5. Computers could then easily be built up from these microminiaturized components to have data stores or memories as large as are needed for any job one could imagine. If they are large in information capacity, but small in physical dimensions, with present day techniques much time and cost can be saved.

Notes

l. have a very long life – являются очень долговечными

2. small as they may be to the eye – какими бы маленькими они ни казались для глаза

3. the limit is a long way off yet – однако до предела еще далеко

III. Say whether the following statements are true or false:

1. Weight is a very important factor in computers. 2. The increase of operation is a real advantage. 3. Another advantage is that more power is required to run the computer. 4. Reliability is not particularly important in computers.

IV. Give the reason for making electronic apparatus smaller in a modern aircraft.

V. Find the information about mini-computers.

VI. Explain why transistors and other solid-state devices are used instead of valves.

VII. Which paragraph contains the information about the advantage of computers to have large information capacity but small physical dimensions?

VIII. Summarize the general ideas developed in texts А, В and C. Use the following plan:

1. The use of computers in engineering.

2.The use of computers in the sciences and fine arts.

3. Programming a digital computer.

4.Using programming languages.

5. The advantage of making computers as small as possible.

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