computron

2 definitions found

computron - Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (26 May 2007) :

  computron
  
     /kom'pyoo-tron"/ 1. A notional unit of computing power
     combining instruction speed and storage capacity, dimensioned
     roughly in instructions-per-second times
     megabytes-of-main-store times megabytes-of-mass-storage.
     "That machine can't run GNU Emacs, it doesn't have enough
     computrons!"  This usage is usually found in metaphors that
     treat computing power as a fungible commodity good, like a
     crop yield or diesel horsepower.  See bitty box, Get a real computer!
     , toy, crank.
  
     2. A mythical subatomic particle that bears the unit quantity
     of computation or information, in much the same way that an
     electron bears one unit of electric charge (see also bogon).
     An elaborate pseudo-scientific theory of computrons has been
     developed based on the physical fact that the molecules in a
     solid object move more rapidly as it is heated.  It is argued
     that an object melts because the molecules have lost their
     information about where they are supposed to be (that is, they
     have emitted computrons).  This explains why computers get so
     hot and require air conditioning; they use up computrons.
     Conversely, it should be possible to cool down an object by
     placing it in the path of a computron beam.  It is believed
     that this may also explain why machines that work at the
     factory fail in the computer room: the computrons there have
     been all used up by the other hardware.  (This theory probably
     owes something to the "Warlock" stories by Larry Niven, the
     best known being "What Good is a Glass Dagger?", in which
     magic is fuelled by an exhaustible natural resource called
     "mana".)
  
     [Jargon File]
  

computron - Jargon File (4.4.4, 14 Aug 2003) :

  computron
   /kom'pyoo.tron`/, n.
  
     1. [common] A notional unit of computing power combining instruction
     speed and storage capacity, dimensioned roughly in
     instructions-per-second times megabytes-of-main-store times
     megabytes-of-mass-storage. "That machine can't run GNU Emacs, it
     doesn't have enough computrons!" This usage is usually found in
     metaphors that treat computing power as a fungible commodity good,
     like a crop yield or diesel horsepower. See bitty box, Get a real computer!
     , toy, crank.
  
     2. A mythical subatomic particle that bears the unit quantity of
     computation or information, in much the same way that an electron
     bears one unit of electric charge (see also bogon). An elaborate
     pseudo-scientific theory of computrons has been developed based on
  the
     physical fact that the molecules in a solid object move more rapidly
     as it is heated. It is argued that an object melts because the
     molecules have lost their information about where they are supposed
  to
     be (that is, they have emitted computrons). This explains why
     computers get so hot and require air conditioning; they use up
     computrons. Conversely, it should be possible to cool down an object
     by placing it in the path of a computron beam. It is believed that
     this may also explain why machines that work at the factory fail in
     the computer room: the computrons there have been all used up by the
     other hardware. (The popularity of this theory probably owes
  something
     to the Warlock stories by Larry Niven, the best known being What Good
     is a Glass Dagger?, in which magic is fueled by an exhaustible
  natural
     resource called mana.)