Classifications of computers
Before going into the classification of computers, what is a computer? A computer is an electronic device which performs certain operations programmed by humans(users).
The computers can be classified based upon the performance, size, price and so on.
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There are mainly four basic types of Computers and are classified as:
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Picture portraits the differences between the 4 major types like if we come from top to bottom the computers performances slow down and if we go from the bottom of the picture to the top, we can notice that the computers performances are increasing and they are quite complex and expensive too.
Lets discuss each one in details.
1. SUPERCOMPUTERS
Supercomputers are
the fastest and the most expensive machines. They have high processing speed
compared to other computers. The speed of a supercomputer is
generally measured in FLOPS (FLoating
point Operations Per Second). Some of the faster supercomputers can perform
trillions of calculations per second. Supercomputers
are built by interconnecting thousands of processors that can work in parallel.
Supercomputers are
used for highly calculation-intensive tasks, such as, weather forecasting,
climate research (global warming), molecular research, biological research,
nuclear research and aircraft design. They are also used in major universities,
military agencies and scientific research laboratories.Some examples of
supercomputers are IBM Roadrunner, IBM Blue gene and Intel ASCI red..
2. MAINFRAME COMPUTERS
There are several organizations such as banks, insurance companies, railways etc that
need on-line processing of large number of transactions & require computer system
which have massive data storage & processing capabilities.
Mainframe
computers are multi-user,
multi-programming and high performance computers. They operate at a very high speed, have very large storage
capacity and can handle the workload of many users. Mainframe computers are
large and powerful systems generally used in centralized databases.
3. MINICOMPUTERS
a Medium sized computer that is more powerful than microcomputers. Minicomputer is usually designed to serve multiple users simultaneously. Minicomputers lies between mainframe and microcomputers.
Minicomputers can
support 4–200 users simultaneously. The users can access the minicomputer
through their PCs or terminal. They are used for real-time applications in
industries, research centers, etc. PDP 11, IBM (8000 series) are some of the
widely used minicomputers.
4. MICROCOMPUTERS
It is defined as a computer that has microprocessor as its CPU. Microcomputers are
small, low-cost and single-user digital computer. They consist of CPU,input unit,
output unit, storage unit and the software. Although microcomputers are
stand-alone machines, they can be connected together to create a network of
computers that can serve more than one user.
IBM PC based on
Pentium microprocessor and Apple Macintosh are some examples of microcomputers.
Microcomputers include desktop computers, notebook computers or laptop, tablet
computer, handheld computer, smart phones and netbook.
Desktop Computer or Personal Computer (PC) is the most
common type of microcomputer. It is a stand-alone machine that can be
placed on the desk. Externally, it consists of three units—keyboard, monitor,
and a system unit containing the CPU, memory, hard disk drive, etc. It is not
very expensive and is suited to the needs of a single user at home, small
business units, and organizations. Apple, Microsoft, HP, Dell and Lenovo are
some of the PC manufacturers.
Notebook Computers or
Laptop resemble a notebook. They are portable and have all the features
of a desktop computer. The advantage of the laptop is that it is small in size
(can be put inside a briefcase), can be carried anywhere, has a battery backup
and has all the functionality of the desktop. Laptops can be placed on the lap
while working (hence the name). Laptops are costlier than the desktop machines.
If you still have any queries related to this article please do comment below.
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wow nice information
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