Cray Supercomputers

May 10, 2026

Explore high-performance specialized computing systems in the Cray lineage, focusing on vector processing architectures, scientific workloads, and the shift from general-purpose flexibility to constraint-driven performance. Examine how physical limits, memory bandwidth, and data flow shape supercomputer design and how these principles persist in modern GPUs and distributed clusters.

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Mainframes, Minicomputers and Microcomputers

May 03, 2026

Examine the three dominant computing models—mainframes, minicomputers, and microcomputers—and how differences in scale, ownership, and access shaped system design. Explore how centralized, departmental, and personal computing models coexist and how UNIX provides a cross-cutting abstraction across them.

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Interfaces, Storage, and Early System Structure

April 26, 2026

Continue the foundations of computing by examining early interface systems such as punch cards, paper tape, and teletype terminals, along with early storage models and the emergence of time-sharing and structured computing environments that led toward system classification.

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