PCs without CPUs and Hard Disks

In the past we called it a dumb terminal.

But I have news for you a CPU is still required. At least to drive the screen, keyboard, mouse and interfaces.

Regarding the hard drive - Memory became so cheap and potent that it can be used for hard drives as well.

The 2 gig + 2gig (stamp size eXtension mem) in my little Asus (used only for Internet) is miles bigger than the 20Mb hard drive I had in my first XT. (I wont mention the 6 Mb in my HP)

I agree that this technology is very useful.

Well, the hard disk is still a device that counts with mechanical moving parts, the technology shows that soon or later it's gonna be replaced by solid state memory. The macbook air comes with a version that has it.

I agree that a CPU will be needed, and that with the current processor development status it's not a really big cost. As said, todays RAM ammounts are far greater than even some 486's hard disks, and it was possible to do a lot of things with them, including games!

Change RAM mem to a quick EPROM with a simple operational system installed, add a processor, and maybe you'll not even need RAM memory.

thanks for your comment.I think you give a good idea for me.

A PC essentially needs at least one CPU. For example, if you disassemble the keyboard you will find that there is an 8-bit microcontroller in it for converting the key position to sequential bit-string.

Net-PCs are normal PCs without HDD. Those can boot either from the network or from an internal boot-eprom. In addition, the very first starter program is always in eprom. This is the ROM-BIOS. It's necessary to start the peripherals like HDD, video-card, even the network card.

I think the very first Net-PC-like device was the IBM 3270 "green-screen" terminal. In this device the terminal program was embedded into the data stream ("field control characters") and made the terminal able perform some simple stand-alone functions: cursor positioning, tabulation, numeric check, etc...

When you use a Net-PC your applications will be downloaded from the central server by demand. It has several benefits: all of the workstations will use the same versions of applications; you will need less licence because you only have to pay for programs are being used; you don't have to worry about the data loss on workstations, etc...

that's right~~

haha, you must make a mistake.

No CPU will not be called PC !!!! That web mad an advertisement effect.

it said through the set, many (up to 32 or more) terminals can be linked to center pc and work with that pc.

this is so callled distribute system. this form was used in many many years ago when computer was invented not long.

this system now can be used for ordinary offices and school fo rchildren learn. because today the cpu has very strong function and speed, use a internet infterface, you can access center pc and process routine and regular works. it cant get away from net.

CPU (Central Processing Unit) is not necessarily a microprocessor. It can built from discrete components too. It's a functional group of components having an ALU (arithmetic-logical unit) and a control logic. CPU can fetch, evaluate and process statements. Old-fashion terminals also had a sort of CPU.

Distributed systems have central resources and several "satellite" systems around which can use the central resources for certain tasks and also have their own resources for the local tasks (keystroke processing, data transfer, visualisation, etc.). That means that the workstations of a distributed system also have CPUs, at least one. But if you open a PC, you will find several specialized CPUs around the main processing system: Sound processor, video processor, keyboard handler, and so on.

oh, you know computer construction.

none wiould have bult a cpu or pc use discrete components since last 80's. of cause every IC has consisted with transistors. all of them can be built by these transistors one by one. who do that? it seems nit picker

there were different ternimals, no disk pc can be called terminal, but a keyboard with communication port can be also called terminal. do you know this sets?

distributed sytem, matrix system you can also call them as net system depend on people favourite. net also has lots of kinds.

I oftern open PC, but I can only see one cpu on the mainboard. GPU is generally located in a graphic card, occationally on the mainboard. I assembled many pc for my firends since 80286 and repair them since 8086 or 8088. and 6805 etc. I dont think Im not familiar with them.

sound processor is another concept, it can has a cpu or dsp or use arm(cpu) as well as video processor. you might wish to say video or audio editor equipment. or say a/v card?

haha, take off balck glasses

PC is only a type of computer which people call it personal computer since IBM invented their first pc built in interl 8086 or 8088 last 80's. now peple include apple machine in.

there are also many other type of computer like server, small manchine, huge machine and matrix machine etc. In the old day we otfen call large computer as main frame. I can tell you more history.

CPU is center processing unit. it cannt run windows or red flag or unix os, it just do some tasks as you listed above in you thread, why do you suddently forget?

if you run os, you need a whole computer system to work together, only cpu itself can do nothingr but basic speed algorithym.

hm , What I said is not jibes or taunts, I wish dont watch our chinese with a black glasses.

When you check a group of components whether it's a CPU (processor) or not the result does not depend on it's function or the instruction set of the unit. Back to the basic question: a PC must contain at least one CPU (processor) but probably it will contain several specialized CPUs for peripheral handling. The mainframe world (nowadays it's called zSeries) is similar: the channels are specialized processors around the main storage in order to control the data transfer between the storage and the external world.

I don't wear black glasses, a couple of years ago I spent marvelous time on Quing Hua University in Beijing :-)

haha, I must be mistaken. I might act you as another person who has the same icon as yours. Dont take seriously.

I know Qing hua (Tsing hua) university, one of the most famous univdersity in our country.

Good luck.

Dear Guru,you sounds very professional,thank you.and you really got to the point!