computer science

Ultra-low-cost personal computer

Ultra-low-cost personal computer 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 Ultra-low-cost personal computer rather than just read about it. In short: An ultra-low-cost personal computer (ULCPC) is an inexpensive personal computer such as a netbook or a nettop. The term was most often used by Microsoft to define a class of computers that were eligible for special licensing and discounts.

Key takeaways

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

Reference excerpt

An ultra-low-cost personal computer (ULCPC) is an inexpensive personal computer such as a netbook or a nettop. The term was most often used by Microsoft to define a class of computers that were eligible for special licensing and discounts. For example, the availability of Windows XP was extended and discounts were offered for ULCPCs. Microsoft has relaxed the definition to include larger displays (up to 14.1") and touchscreens. Windows support for ULCPC's ended on June 30, 2010. They no longer use the term or distinguish ULCPCs as a distinct category of computer.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ultra-low-cost personal computer

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ultra-low-cost personal computer 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 Ultra-low-cost personal computer 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 Ultra-low-cost personal computer 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 Ultra-low-cost personal computer

In research: Ultra-low-cost personal computer 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 Ultra-low-cost personal computer 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: Ultra-low-cost personal computer is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer hardware stubs, Personal computers, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ultra-low-cost personal computer 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 Ultra-low-cost personal computer in 20 minutes

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

Frequently asked questions

What is Ultra-low-cost personal computer in simple terms?

Why does Ultra-low-cost personal computer 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 Ultra-low-cost personal computer?

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 Ultra-low-cost personal computer.