We’ve heard the name, but what exactly is a supercomputer? A supercomputer basically is a computer that leads the world in terms of processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation, at the time of its introduction. And since computers are always getting faster and faster, the term is applied to those computers that are the fastest today (given that tomorrow’s systems will even be faster).

Therese Poletti of The Mercury News writes:

Believe it or not, the term supercomputer was actually coined back in the 1920s by a New York newspaper to describe a tabulator that IBM had designed for Columbia University. Today’s supercomputers have taken on some new rolls, which I believe shows the diversity of today’s supercomputers. I think you will enjoy reading about how this technology will effect our everyday living.

Supercomputers, the world’s fastest computers, aren’t just for scientists anymore: They have made big inroads into solving problems that touch our everyday lives.

Procter & Gamble uses them to design sturdier plastic laundry soap bottles. The Riverside Casino in Iowa has one to manage thousands of electronic slot machines and keep track of millions of bets. The Italian police use them to analyze clues at murder scenes.

But as these massive systems become more affordable for both companies and researchers, scientists are still seeking new ways to speed them up, so they can better predict hurricanes or design more precise drugs. [Source: The Mercury News]

[tags]supercomputers, broader uses, computing, silicon, italian, police, proctor, gamble[/tags]