Text 16. Age of Thinking Machines

It goes without saying that the electronic computer is one of the most remarkable achievements of the 20th century, which marked the emergence of man into the era of automation of mental work. The following trends in the development of electronic computation may be defined according to Academician Viktor Glushkov.

Firstly, an increase in the volume of the machine memory. The memory system of the future machines will store the entire wealth of knowledge accumulated by man in all the sciences, in culture and in every aspect of human life, the potential in this field being infinite.

Secondly, microminiaturization. This is associated with the progress of radio electronics. In the designing of electronic computers we have passed from radio valves to transistors, which are smaller in size, and recently to solid circuits, where various portions of a tiny piece of synthetic crystal are imparted the necessary electro-physical pro­perties by appropriate treatments.

Microminiaturization is found to make it possible to construct extremely complex computers of small size and weight, but consist­ing of a tremendous number of elements.

The electronic machines will affect radically the work of scientists. In effect, the machine will by itself accumulate, process and supply new data. By this method some new types of codes have been found, their discovery necessitating the testing and comparisons of approxi­mately one thousand million operations. Thanks to the high rate of processing the computers have found new codes independently.

Notes

	it goes without saying	- само собою зрозуміло
	emergence [i'm3:d3ans]	- поява
	era ['iara] trend	- ера, епоха - напрям
	increase ['inkri: s]	- збільшення
	volume ['voljum]	- обсяг
	entire [in'taia]	- цілий, повний
	wealth ['welG]	- багатство
	to accumulate [s'kjutmjuleit]	- накопичувати
	aspect ['aespekt]	- точка зору
	to impart [im'pa:t]	- наділяти; надавати
	treatment ['trktmsnt]	- поводження
approximately [a'proksimitli]		- приблизно

Text 17. General- and Special-Purpose Computers

The general-purpose computer is a machine capable of performing many different kinds of problems. It is sufficiently flexible so that it can communicate with all parts of the machine. It can execute a long list of instructions. A program may be prepared at will, stored in the memory, and then executed.

Not so with the special-purpose computer. As its name implies, the special-purpose computer is built to perform only one job or a group of special jobs, internal communication being restricted. It may possess ashorter instruction repertoire. Its program may be fixed; in other words, the same sequence of events may occur during a repetitive cycle.

The advantage of a general-purpose computer is that it can be programmed to perform many different problems, being flexible enough. The advantage of the special-purpose computer is that it can be tailored to do a specific job in he most straightforward way.

Most computers are neither completely general-purpose machines nor completely special-purpose machines. Many so-called general-pur­pose computers are known to have features which restrict their use to certain general problem areas. The programs of many special-pur- pose computers may be modified by switches on the control panel, by plugboards, or by other means.

The general-purpose machine is as a rule more complicated. It should be easy to apply the principles of general-purpose machines to the understanding of special-purpose machines.

Notes

to imply [im'plai] — означати

to restrict [ris'trikt] — обмежувати

repertoire [’repatwa:] — репертуар

general-purpose computer — універсальна обчислювальна машина

special-purpose computer — обчислювальна машина особливого при

значення

... it can be tailored to do — вона може бути зроблена так, щоб

a specific job... виконувати особливу роботу

to modify ['modifai] — видозмінювати

to apply [з'ріаі] — вживати; використовувати