computer science

PC Globe

PC Globe is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand PC Globe rather than just read about it. In short: PC Globe is an atlas for MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh and Atari ST, first released in 1987 by Comwell Systems Inc. It offered information on 177 countries and dependencies.

Key takeaways

PC Globe belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect PC Globe to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of PC Globe from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

PC Globe is an atlas for MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh and Atari ST, first released in 1987 by Comwell Systems Inc. It offered information on 177 countries and dependencies. The minimum system requirements of the initial PC version of the software are a IBM PC XT/AT compatible computer running MS-DOS 2.0, 256 KB of RAM and a CGA graphics card. Distributed on multiple floppy disks, the program is divided into several menus that allow to user to access data. The database includes a geographic map of the world, with the possibility to select the country of interest. For each state there are maps and information (for example, the policy framework, the demographic situation as well as tourist information). Two related programs, PC Nations, a companion program with flags and anthems of 175 countries and PC USA, focusing only on the United States, were also released.

Release history

MS-DOS For MS-DOS, PC Globe was first released in 1987. It was followed by PC Globe-Plus. PC Globe 3.0 was released in 1989, along with PC Nations and PC USA. PC Globe 4.0 and PC USA 2.0 were released in 1990. In 1992 PC Globe 5.0 came out, with PC USA 3.0 released the next year.

Other systems For the Atari ST, PC Globe 3.0 was released in 1990. MacGlobe was first released for the Macintosh in 1991 and an updated version in 1992. PC Globe Maps-N-Facts for Windows and Apple Macintosh was released in 1994.

References

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with PC Globe

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what PC Globe claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to PC Globe before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about PC Globe ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of PC Globe

In research: PC Globe appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses PC Globe in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: PC Globe is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Atlases, DOS software, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for PC Globe outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study PC Globe in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what PC Globe means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain PC Globe out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is PC Globe in simple terms?

PC Globe is an atlas for MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, Apple Macintosh and Atari ST, first released in 1987 by Comwell Systems Inc. It offered information on 177 countries and dependencies.

Why does PC Globe matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study PC Globe?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on PC Globe.