Thought of the Week

Sometimes, the
Key to Success is


letting things go.

 Lesson 3

Types of
Computer


Types of Computer

▪ A computer is an electronic device that has

storage, computations, input (data), output (data)
and networking capabilities.

▪ With the growing AI, computers also have learning

capabilities from the data provided.

▪ The input and output data can be in different forms

like text, images, audio and video.
 
Types of Computer

▪ A computer processes the input according to the set

of instructions provided to it by the user and gives
the desired output.
▪ Computers are of various types and they can be
categorized in two ways on the basis of size and on
the basis of data handling capabilities.
 
Types of Computer

▪ There are two bases on which we can define the

types of computers.
▪ We will discuss the type of computers on the basis
of size and data handling capabilities. We will
discuss each type of computer in detail. Let’s see
first what are the types of computers.
 
Types of Computer

• Super Computer • Server Computer

• Mainframe computer • Analog Computer

• Mini Computer • Digital Computer

• Workstation Computer • Hybrid Computer

• Personal Computer (PC) • Tablets and Smartphone


Super Computer
 
Super Computer

▪ When we talk about speed, then the first name

that comes to mind when thinking of computers
is supercomputers. They are the biggest and
fastest computers (in terms of speed of
processing data).
 
Super Computer
▪ Supercomputers are designed such that they can
process a huge amount of data, like processing
trillions of instructions or data just in a second. This is
because of the thousands of interconnected
processors in supercomputers. It is basically used in
scientific and engineering applications such as
weather forecasting, scientific simulations, and
nuclear energy research. It was first developed by
Roger Cray in 1976
 
Characteristics of Supercomputers
• Supercomputers are the computers that are the fastest and
they are also very expensive.

• It can calculate up to ten trillion individual calculations per

second, this is also the reason which makes it even faster.

• It is used in the stock market or big organizations for managing

the online currency world such as Bitcoin etc.

• It is used in scientific research areas for analyzing data

obtained from exploring the solar system, satellites, etc.



Mainframe
computer
 
Mainframe computers

▪ are designed in such a way that they can support

hundreds or thousands of users at the same time. It
also supports multiple programs simultaneously. So,
they can execute different processes simultaneously.
All these features make the mainframe computer
ideal for big organizations like banking, telecom
sectors, etc., which process a high volume of data in
general.
 
Characteristics of Mainframe Computers

• It is also an expensive or costly computer.

• It has high storage capacity and great performance.

• It can process a huge amount of data (like data

involved in the banking sector) very quickly.
• It runs smoothly for a long time and has a long life.


Mini Computer
 
Mini Computer

▪ Minicomputer is a medium size multiprocessing

computer. In this type of computer, there are two or more
processors, and it supports 4 to 200 users at one time.
Minicomputer is similar to Microcontroller. Minicomputers
are used in places like institutes or departments for
different work like billing, accounting, inventory
management, etc. It is smaller than a mainframe
computer but larger in comparison to the microcomputer.
 
Characteristics of Minicomputer

• Its weight is low.

• Because of its low weight, it is easy to carry

anywhere.
• less expensive than a mainframe computer.

• It is fast.

Workstation Computer
 
Workstation Computer

▪ A workstation computer is designed for technical

or scientific applications. It consists of a fast
microprocessor, with a large amount of RAM and a
high-speed graphic adapter. It is a single-user
computer. It is generally used to perform a specific
task with great accuracy.
 
Characteristics of Workstation Computer

• It is expensive or high in cost.

• They are exclusively made for complex work purposes.

• It provides large storage capacity, better graphics, and a

more powerful CPU when compared to a PC.

• It is also used to handle animation, data analysis, CAD,

audio and video creation, and editing



Personal
Computer
 
Personal Computer

▪ Personal Computers is also known as a microcomputer.

It is basically a general-purpose computer designed for
individual use. It consists of a microprocessor as a
central processing unit(CPU), memory, input unit, and
output unit. This kind of computer is suitable for
personal work such as making an assignment, watching
a movie, or at the office for office work, etc. For example,
Laptops and desktop computers.
 
Characteristics of Personal Computer (PC)

• In this limited number of software can be

used.
• It is the smallest in size.

• It is designed for personal use.

• It is easy to use.

Server Computer
 
Server Computer

▪ Server Computers are computers that are combined data

and programs. Electronic data and applications are stored
and shared in the server computer. The working of a
server computer is that it does not solve a bigger problem
like a supercomputer but it solves many smaller similar
ones. Examples of server computer are like Wikipedia, as
when users put a request for any page, it finds what the
user is looking for and sends it to the user.



Analog
Computer
 
Analog Computers

▪ Analog Computers are particularly designed to process analog

data. Continuous data that changes continuously and cannot have
discrete values are called analog data. So, an analog computer is
used where we don’t need exact values or need approximate
values such as speed, temperature, pressure, etc. It can directly
accept the data from the measuring device without first
converting it into numbers and codes. It measures the continuous
changes in physical quantity. It gives output as a reading on a dial
or scale. For example speedometer, mercury thermometer, etc.



Digital
Computer
 
Digital Computers

▪ Digital computers are designed in such a way that they can

easily perform calculations and logical operations at high
speed. It takes raw data as input and processes it with
programs stored in its memory to produce the final output. It
only understands the binary input 0 and 1, so the raw input
data is converted to 0 and 1 by the computer and then it is
processed by the computer to produce the result or final
output. All modern computers, like laptops, desktops
including smartphones are digital computers



Hybrid
Computer
 
Hybrid Computer

▪ As the name suggests hybrid, which means

made by combining two different things.
Similarly, the hybrid computer is a combination
of both analog and digital computers. Hybrid
computers are fast like analog computers and
have memory and accuracy like digital
computers.
 
Hybrid Computer

▪ So, it has the ability to process both continuous and discrete

data. For working when it accepts analog signals as input
then it converts them into digital form before processing the
input data. So, it is widely used in specialized applications
where both analog and digital data are required to be
processed. A processor which is used in petrol pumps that
converts the measurements of fuel flow into quantity and
price is an example of a hybrid computer.

Tablet and Smartphones
 
Tablet and Smartphones

▪ Tablets and Smartphones are the types of computers

that are pocket friendly and easy to carry is these are
handy. This is one of the best use of modern
technology. These devices have better hardware
capabilities, extensive operating systems, and better
multimedia functionality. smartphones and tablets
contain a number of sensors and are also able to
provide wireless communication protocols.
 
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Reference

▪ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/types-of-computers/