A supercomputer is any machine that is is the most up to date and fastest computer available on the market, especially when it comes to its ability to handle calculations. In other words, they are at the frontline of processing capacity and are able to handle different calculations and processes that other computers would be unable to handle.

A supercomputer's primary use is to handle tasks that are calculation-intensive. For example, calculations in quantum physics, molecular modeling and nuclear weapon detonation simulations would need a supercomputer. A category of tasks that typically need a supercomputer is known as a Grand Challenge problem. These are ones that the government endorses and funds. For example, the human genome project was one that required a supercomputer to work effectively.

History of the Supercomputer

In the 1960s, the Supercomputer was designed by Seymour Cray at the Control Data Corporation (CDC). In the 1970s, the CDC was the leading company in supercomputers; however, Seymour Cray left the firm and formed his own company called Cray Research and was able to hold the top slot in supercomputers. From 1985 to 1990, his computers were the best and therefore, he was able to develop a powerful market.

Today, supercomputers are unique custom made designs for individual needs. The top companies are Cray, IBM and Hewlett-Packard that went around purchasing small companies in the 1980s to gain the experience in supercomputing. What is important to note is that each computer is unique. While they may begin with a base model, depending on the client's needs, the companies will add the necessary components to ensure that it is as powerful as they need. To date, the fastest supercomputer in the world is the Jaguar designed Cray, a company named after its founder.

Operating System of a Supercomputer

For the most part, a supercomputer runs on some variant of Linux. While there are some that run Mac and Windows, for the most part, Linux is the favorite for a supercomputer. When the Cray-1 was released in the 1980s, there were six different operating systems on the machine. The issue was, no one had ever seen these operating systems before so instruction set compatibility was sacrificed. What they were most concerned with was the processing and memory access speed. With Linux, they have a type of operating system that most supercomputers use and they can still focus on what is important to them.

Supercomputers and Today

With the speed of personal computers growing so quickly every day, a supercomputer that was strong a decade ago might today be a high end personal computer. Because of this, supercomputer companies are continuously pushing the bar to ensure that they create the falsest and most durable product possible. Because a single desktop PC is more powerful than a ten year old supercomputer, many people are opting to connect hundreds of personal PCs because it is cheaper and they don't sacrifice speed and quality.