computer science

Smaky

Smaky 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 Smaky rather than just read about it. In short: The Smaky is a line of mostly 8-bit personal computers and accompanying operating system developed by Professor Jean-Daniel Nicoud and others at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland beginning in 1974. The computers were used at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and in Swiss schools.

Key takeaways

Smaky 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 Smaky to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Smaky from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Smaky is a line of mostly 8-bit personal computers and accompanying operating system developed by Professor Jean-Daniel Nicoud and others at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland beginning in 1974. The computers were used at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and in Swiss schools. The names derives from SMArt KeYboard, reflecting the form factor that contained a compact motherboard which fit within the same housing as the keyboard.

History

The first three models, Smaky 1, Smaky 2, and Smaky 4, were based on the Intel 8080 microprocessor (Smaky 3 was a prototype that was never completed). In 1978, the Smaky switched to using the 8-bit Zilog Z80 processor. A portable Smaky was made during this period, which resembled Osborne portable computers. In 1981, the platform again changed to the 32-bit Motorola 68000 processor. A new operating system was written, called Psos, which was developed specifically for the Smaky, and used on all subsequent models.

Development work on the Smaky hardware ended with the Smaky 400 in 1997. The Smaky 400 was a PCI board hosting a Motorola 68040 processor, designed to work together with a terminal emulation software running under Windows NT. It helped Smaky users switch from their desktop Smaky to an Intel PC, while preserving access to applications and documents.

Legacy A Smaky emulator for Microsoft Windows was developed in 1998, replacing the need for the Smaky 400 hardware. It was named the Smaky Infini (French for infinite), since its performance and lifespan were no longer being limited by hardware, it was based on the UAE emulator, merged into the Smaky 400 terminal emulation software.

See also Lilith, origin of Smaky's mouse

External links

Smaky history from A History of Computing in Switzerland Fosfat (FOS library and FUSE extension for Linux) Smaky Infini (Official Smaky Infini site)

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Smaky

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Smaky 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 Smaky 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 Smaky 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 Smaky

In research: Smaky 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 Smaky 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: Smaky is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer-related introductions in 1974, Computers designed in Switzerland, Microcomputer stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Smaky 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 Smaky in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Smaky 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 Smaky out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Smaky in simple terms?

Why does Smaky 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 Smaky?

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 Smaky.