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Computers come in sizes from tiny to monstrous, in both appearance and power. The size of a computer that a person or an organization needs depends on the computing requirements.
Computers come in sizes from tiny to monstrous, in both appearance and power. The size of a computer that a person or an organization needs depends on the computing requirements.
PURPOSE
PURPOSE
General Purpose Computers
Have the ability to store numerous programs, but lack in speed and efficiency.
Special Purpose Computers
A set of instructions are built into the machine. Designed for one specific task or class of tasks and wouldn't be able to perform general computing tasks.
DATA HANDLING
DATA HANDLING
Analog Computers
Work on the principle of measuring, in which the measurements obtained are translated into data.
Digital Computers
Are those that operate with information, numerical or otherwise, represented in a digital form.
Hybrid Computers
Incorporate the measuring feature of an analog computer and counting feature of a digital computer.
FUNCTIONALITY
FUNCTIONALITY
SUPERCOMPUTERS
The mightiest computers and, of course, the most expensive-are known as supercomputers. Supercomputers process billions of instructions per second. Most people do not have a direct need for the speed and power of a supercomputer. In fact, for many years’ supercomputer customers were an exclusive group: agencies of the federal government.
MAINFRAMES
In the jargon of the computer trade, large computers are called mainframes. Mainframes are capable of processing data at very high speeds-millions of instructions per second-and have access to billions of characters of data. The price of these large systems can vary from several hundred thousand to many millions of dollars. Their principal use is for processing vast amounts of data quickly, so some of the obvious customers are banks, insurance companies, and manufacturers.
NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS
Also known as Laptop computers, are wonderfully portable and functional, and popular with travelers who need a computer that can go with them. Most notebooks accept diskettes or network connections, so it is easy to move data from one computer to another.
PERSONAL COMPUTERS
Are often called PCs. They range in price from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars while providing more computing power than mainframes of the 1970s that filled entire rooms. A PC usually comes with a tower that holds the main circuit boards and disk drives of the computer, and a collection of peripherals, such as a keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
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