Comparing and Contrasting PC's and Mainframes.
POS/355: Introduction to Operating Systems.
After researching mainframe computers, I am convinced that business mainframes would be the best option. They seem to be the most reliable choice of computing platform. Its strengths include the availability of updated software, automatic error logs, reboots are not necessary, and they someday may eliminate the services of a system administrator. On the other hand PC's are not too difficult to maintain and practically anyone can easily add new components with little or no training. PC's may crash more than mainframe computers, but the maintenance is guaranteed to be less expensive than the maintenance on a mainframe.
When comparing PC's to Mainframes the first point of comparison is the price. For large businesses with thousands of employees, mainframe computers are the best choice especially if the company demands reliability and can afford it. PC's are the affordable choice for the small to medium sized businesses. They offer many networking options that establish the size of your business. When it comes to reliability, the PC does not compare with the mainframe. Mainframes require constant maintenance by experienced and capable administrators. IBM's Server Group claims that their mainframe's average time between failures that force a reboot is 20 to 30 years. Mainframes are expected to be more than a personal computer. I have never seen a PC that can actively operate for a week without rebooting because it froze or received an error message.
When comparing a PC to a mainframe, another point of comparison is the size. The mainframe is used to connect multiple users in a large organization, while personal computers are generally used by a single user. The more drastic difference between mainframes and PC is speed and size. We can own and operate a PC from our homes, due to their size. PC users also benefit from the wide range of application software that are not available on mainframes.
We have invented mainframes, microprocessors, microchips, PCs, Modems, DSL, Cable, Ethernet, LAN, WAN, optical fiber and the World Wide Web. ... Once this has been established, the focus toward added benefits with Wireless technology versus the adequacy to the current technology will be addressed. ...