WDC’s SBC are an excellent introduction to the computer industry evolution from the earliest computers like the ENIAC, IBM360, PCs, and state-of-the-art smartphones and tablets. With the evolving Internet-of-Things (IoT) new market concepts and products, having a foundational understanding of Assembly and C languages is a must for aspiring software engineers.
Each SBC features a general purpose system monitor for interfacing with legacy computer terminals and emulated computer terminals that are found on most if not all smartphones, PCs, and tablets. A synchronizing monitor is used in state-of-the-art software engineering. Most operating systems have available or built-in computer terminal emulators.
1) Computer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer
2) Mainframe computer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainframe_computer
3) Supercomputer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supercomputer
4) Minicomputer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minicomputer
5) Microprocessor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microprocessor a single chip processor or central processing unit
6) Microcomputer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcomputer this should be a single chip computer and WDC may have been the only company to sell single chip microcomputers, the W65C134S 8-bit computer on a chip and W65C265S 8/16-bit computer on a chip.
7) Home computer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_computer
8) Mensch Computer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mensch_Computer this text should be updated to call the W65C265S a microcomputer replacing microcontroller. Also, the Mensch Computer should have been called the Mensch Microcomputer based upon what “microcomputer” has been defined as. Notice, the IBM defined PC was never called a microcomputer but instead a Personal Computer.
9) Controller http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controller used to mean many things http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controller_(control_theory) general control functions, notice that computer is in the definition http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controller_(irrigation) a specific controller
10) Microcontroller http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microcontroller