Types of Computers

A computer is a device that converts data into meaningful information, processes the input
based on the set of instructions provided by the user, and produces the desired output.
Computers are classified into two categories based on the size of computers and based on the
data handling abilities of the computer, as shown in the image below:

Different types of computers based on size

On the basis of size, computers can be divided into five categories, such as:
 Supercomputer
 Mainframe computer
 Minicomputer
 Workstation
 PC
Supercomputer
Let's explain the type of computer known as a supercomputer and its significance in modern
computing.
Supercomputers are the largest and fastest computers,
capable of processing trillions of functions in seconds.
These computers are primarily used for data-intensive and computation-intensive scientific
tasks such as password encryption and decryption, weather forecasting, exploring the solar
system, molecular modeling, etc.
Some of the advantages of using this type of computer are:

 Enables virtual testing

 Calculates up to ten trillion individual calculations per second
 Allows you to decrypt and encrypt your password easily
 Solves more significant issues and can be used for research and development
 Runs more problems in less time and has advanced graphic capabilities
Some of the disadvantages of using this type of computer are:

 It is pricey and takes up a lot of space.

 This type of computer necessitates the use of trained personnel.
 It is not suitable for day-to-day operations and is best suited for specific applications.
Mainframe computer
Mainframe computers have a large amount of memory and processors and can perform
billions of transactions and simple calculations in real time.
This type of computer is primarily used for transaction servers, commercial databases, and
applications that require high reliability, security, and speed.
These are the computers to have when ‘0’ downtime is acceptable.
Some of the advantages of using this type of computer are:
 Manages terabytes of data in databases
 Handles high-bandwidth communication with ease
 Processes thousands of transactions per second on a large scale
 Support thousands of users and application programs accessing numerous resources at
the same time
Some of the disadvantages of using this type of computer are:
 A mainframe computer has significantly more expensive than a regular computer.
 A mainframe computer requires more space, and a regular person cannot perform
maintenance.
 Because of the hardware components, installing a mainframe computer is more
complex than installing a regular computer.
 Environmental constraints must be met when placing mainframe computers, such as
the temperature of the surroundings should not be excessively high.

Minicomputer
Minicomputers are smaller, less expensive, and less powerful than mainframes or
supercomputers but more pricey and powerful than personal computers.
These computers are multi-user systems with more than one user working
simultaneously.
These computers are primarily used for engineering and scientific computations, file
management, business transaction processing, and other similar tasks.

Some of the advantages of using these types of computers are:

  Mini computers are inexpensive.
 Suitable for both private and commercial usage
 Due to their small size, it is easy to transport and use these types of computers.
 This computer makes no noise during operation because it lacks heat dissipation
via fans.
Some of the disadvantages of using these types of computers are:
 These computers do not have either a CD or a DVD drive.
 The screen size in these types of computers is small, as is the keyboard.
 These computers cannot be upgraded because the hardware components inside are
fixed.
 Because they have limited RAM space, these computers cannot store large
amounts of data.
Workstation
A workstation is a computer or group of computers used primarily by a single user to perform
professional or commercial work.
These types of computers have more computational (processing) power than a standard PC.
They are primarily used for video editing, playing high-graphic games, 3D animation, etc.

Some of the advantages of using these types of computers are:

 These computers are designed to last a long time.
 This computer performs better than a personal computer.
 If an issue or problem arises in these computers, it is simple to diagnose.
 These computers have a larger keyboard than a laptop and are simple to use.
 It has more memory than a PC and multiple processors attached to it.
 These computers are easily scalable as you necessitate more memory and processing power.
Some of the disadvantages of using these types of computers are:
 Since these types of computers are larger than laptops, they are more challenging to transport.
 These computers are extremely heavy, which makes them difficult to move and transport.
PC
A PC or personal computer or microcomputer, is a general-purpose computer for personal use.
This type of computer comprises a CPU, memory, an input unit, and an output unit.
This type of computer is appropriate for personal tasks such as watching a movie, completing an
assignment, etc.

Some of the advantages of using these types of computers are:

 These computers require little maintenance
 These computers are small in size and very easy to use
 This type of computer can be customized to meet the user’s needs.
 These computers have a large amount of disc space, allowing for storing a large amount of
data.
 These computers have more RAM, graphics cards, GPU, and hard drive slots, making them
easily upgradeable.
Some of the disadvantages of using these types of computers are:
 There is no battery backup on desktop computers.
 A desktop PC requires a dedicated room to be installed.
 A desktop PC always requires a separate mouse, keyboard, and monitor.

Different types of computers based on data handling capabilities

Based on data handling capabilities, computers can be divided into three categories, such as:
 Analog
 Digital
 Hybrid
Analog Computer
These types of computers process analog data. (Analog data is constantly changing data that
cannot have discrete values.)
These computers read the continuous change in input, process it, and then output it.
Analog computers can be classified into four types: slide rules, differential analyzers, castle
clocks, and electronic analog computers.
These computers also monitor real-world conditions such as temperature, wind, sound, and
movement.

Some of the advantages of using these types of computers are:

 Sensors are not required to convert the input/output to/from digital form.

 Since this computer supports parallel and real-time operations, many signal values can
be computed at the same time.

 The analog computer setup requires the programmer to scale the dynamic range of the
computer, which provides a good understanding of the system and the problem.

Some of the disadvantages of using these types of computers are:

 Analog computers are quite costly.

 The accuracy of these types of computers is limited.
Digital Computer

These types of computers stores data in a numerical format (0 and 1) and performs operations
on that data using mathematical manipulation.
Any input given in any language is first converted into binary language, and then the
computer processes the information.
Some of the advantages of using these types of computers are:
 A digital computer is easily programmable; hence it can process many different sets of
instructions without being physically reconfigured.
 These types of computers can store loads of data, which is very accurate.
 Digital computers are more reliable, flexible, and compatible than analog computers.
Some of the disadvantages of using these types of computers are:

 Analog computers use less energy and generate less heat than digital computers.
 The components of a digital computer are highly fragile; hence it should be handled
with extreme care, as a single unit can bring an entire unit down.
Hybrid Computer
A hybrid computer is made after combining analog and digital computers.
As a result, these computers are fast like analog computers and have memory and accuracy
like digital computers.
These computers are commonly used in specialized applications requiring analog and digital
data processing.
A hybrid computer, for example, is used in hospitals to monitor patients’ heartbeats.

Some of the advantages of using these types of computers are:

 Allows for online data processing
 It aids in the real-time solution of large equations.
 These types of computers produce quick and accurate results.
  It requires analog accuracy but digital computer speed.
Some of the disadvantages of using these types of computers are:
 A hybrid computer is more expensive than an analog or digital computer.
 Before designing a hybrid computer, proper planning for software, hardware, and
other configurations is required.
Quantum Computer
It is a computer that uses quantum mechanics to store and process data. Unlike classical
computers, which use bits to represent data (each bit can be either 0 or 1),
quantum computers use qubits (quantum bits), which can be in superposition, meaning they
can be both 0 and 1 simultaneously.
This allows them to perform calculations much faster than classical computers.

Some of the advantages of using these types of computers are:

 Quantum computers have the potential to solve complex problems much faster than
classical computers due to their ability to perform multiple calculations at once.

 They can also perform calculations practically impossible for classical computers to
solve, such as breaking strong encryption codes.

 Quantum computers could advance significantly in drug discovery, materials science,

and artificial intelligence.

Some of the disadvantages of using these types of computers are:

 Quantum computers are susceptible to their environment, and even small amounts of
interference can cause calculation errors.

 They are also costly and difficult to build, with many technical challenges that still
need to be overcome.
 The algorithms used to program quantum computers are still in the early stages of
development, and how they will be integrated into existing computing systems is still
being determined.
hardware:cpu,i/o devices,storage devices,memory
hieraechy,RAM,ROM,Secondary Memory and Registers
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
CPU [Central Processing Unit]. It is the brain of the computer.
It is the part that does most of the work in a computer system. Just like how our brain controls
our body and processes information, the CPU carries out instructions from programs and
performs calculations.
It’s made up of smaller components that work together to execute tasks, making it the heart of
any computing device.
All types of data processing operations from simple arithmetic to complex tasks and all the
important functions of a computer are performed by the CPU.
It helps input and output devices to communicate with each other and perform their
respective operations.
It also stores data which is input, intermediate results in between processing, and instructions.
What is a CPU?
A Central Processing Unit is the most important component of a computer system.
A CPU is hardware that performs data input/output, processing, and storage functions for a
computer system. A
CPU can be installed into a CPU socket. These sockets are generally located on the
motherboard. CPU can perform various data processing operations. CPU can store data,
instructions, programs, and intermediate results.

Different Parts of CPU

Now, the CPU consists of 3 major units, which are:
 Memory or Storage Unit
 Control Unit
 ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)
INPUT OUTPUT DEVICES
Input Devices of Computer
A piece of hardware/equipment that enables the user to enter data into a computer is called an input
device. Some of the Commonly used input units used in a computer system are as follows:

 Keyboard
 Mouse
 JoyStick
 Light pen
 Track Ball
 Scanner
 Graphic Tablet
 Microphone
 Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)
 Optical Character Reader (OCR)
 Barcode Reader
 Optical Mark Reader (OMR)

Keyboard
  The keyboard is the most basic and very commonly used input device which helps to input
data to the computer. The layout of the buttons in a normally used keyboard is similar to the
traditional typewriter, but there are a few additional keys provided by different manufacturers
for performing additional functions.
 Normally available keyboards in the market were of two sizes 84 keys and 101/102 keys, but
now keyboards with 104 keys or 108 keys are also possible for Windows and Internet.
Mouse
 It is the most commonly used pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control device and
the earlier versions of it were built over a small palm-size box with a round ball at its base,
which tracks the movement of the mouse and feeds digital signals to the CPU when the
mouse buttons are pressed. Currently, the mouse has a sensor at the bottom to detect cursor
position.
 Basic versions if it has two buttons called the left and the right-click button and a wheel is
present between the buttons to provide a scroll function. The movement of the mouse on a flat
surface is used to control the position of the cursor on the display, but it cannot be used to
feed text into the system directly.
 Advantages
 Easy to use
 Not very expensive
 The cursor movement is faster than the arrow keys of the keyboard.
Joystick
 Just like a mouse, a Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to travel the cursor
position on a display. It is a perpendicular stick having a spherical ball at both lower and
upper ends. The spherical ball connected at the circuit having sensors moves in a socket. The
joystick controller can be traversed in all directions.
 The functionality of the joystick is just like a mouse. Its applications are generally in
Computer-Aided Designing (CAD) and playing computer games.

Light Pen
 Just like a pen, a light pen is a digital pointing device. This device is used to select an item
displayed in the menu or to draw anything on the display. It contains a photocell and an
optical sensor placed in a small tube at the tip.
 When the light pen tip is traveled on the display, its photocell sensing element calculates the
screen location and sends the digital signal to the CPU.

Track Ball
 The trackball is another type of input device similar to the mouse. It is most helpful with a
notebook or laptop computer, instead of a mouse. It consists of a ball on the top which is half
inserted and connected to the sensors. By moving fingers on the ball, the cursor can be
moved.
 Because the whole device is not moved to move the cursor, a trackball requires less space as
compared to the mouse. This device comes in different shapes like a ball, a square, or a
button.
Scanner
  A scanner is another input device, which works very much like a photocopy machine. It can
be used when some information on paper is to be transferred to the hard disk of the computer
in digital format for further manipulation.
 The scanner captures high-resolution images from the source which are then converted into a
digital format that can be saved on the disk and shared digitally. These digital images can be
edited before they are printed.

Digitizer
 A digitizer is also an input device that is used to convert analog information into digital form.
Using a digitizer, the signal from the television or camera can be transformed into a series of
numbers that could be saved in a computer hard drive. They can be helpful with the computer
to create a picture of whatever the camera has been pointed at.
 Digitizer is also called Tablet or Graphics Tablet because it transforms graphics and pictorial
data into binary inputs to the system. A special kind of graphic tablet as a digitizer is used for
fine works of drawing and image-related applications.

Microphone
 A microphone or mic is a very common input device used to input sound that is then stored in
a digital form. Nowadays microphones are used in almost every industry and devices related
to sound recording or transmission.
 The microphone is used for different applications like adding sound to a multimedia
presentation or for mixing music, voice calling and recording, video conferencing, and more.
Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)
 The MICR input device is commonly seen in banks as there are a huge amount of cheques to
be processed every day. The important details like the bank’s code number and cheque
number are printed on the cheques with specially designed ink based on the particles of
magnetic material that is readable by the sensors of the machine.
 This method of reading is recognized as Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR). The
main benefits of using MICR are that it is comparatively fast and less prone to errors.
Optical Character Reader (OCR)
 It is an input device that is used to read a printed text similar to the scanner, but the method of
reading and the type of output generated is different. The format to be fed to the OCR is
predefined and can’t be used as an ordinary scanner.
 OCR, unlike a scanner, scans the text optically, character by character, converts them into a
machine-readable digital code instead of creating high-resolution images, and stores the text
on the system memory.
Bar Code Readers
 Bar Code Reader is an input device used to read special format barcoded data (data in the
form of light and dark lines). Barcoded data is commonly used to create price tags, in labeling
goods, numbering the books, etc. It can be a handheld scanner or can be embedded in a
stationary scanner on the tabletop.
 A flash of light from the device strikes the surface of the object and reflects the sensors
present behind the source of light to collect the input. Bar Code Reader can only scan a bar
 code image, converts it into an alphanumeric value, which is then transferred to the computer
that the bar code reader is connected to.

Optical Mark Readers (OMR)

 OMR is a special type of input machine. This sort of optical scanner is used to identify the
type of mark made by pen or pencil. It is used where one out of a predefined alternative is to
be selected and marked.
 The format to be fed to the OMR is predefined and can’t be used as an ordinary scanner.
 It is specially used for automation of the answer sheet analysis of examinations having
multiple-choice questions.
Webcam
A Webcam is a camera that is combined with a computer. Unlike a digital camera, they cannot
function independently and should be connected to the computer/laptop for operation. It functions as
an input device that can take pictures and is mostly used for video streaming and video conferencing
or chatting.
Biometric Devices
Biometrics relates to a method in which a person is identified through his/her biological features such
as fingerprints, facial structure, eye cornea, etc. It is done by using biometric devices, which can be of
different types based on their scanning features and abilities, such as Face Scanner, Hand Scanner,
Fingerprint Scanner, Retina or Iris Scanner, Voice Scanner, etc.

Output Devices
A piece of hardware/equipment that presents the result of the entered input, once it is processed, is
called an output device. Several output devices display output in various ways such as images, text,
hard copies, and audio/video.
Some of the Commonly used input units used in a computer system are as follows:
1. Monitor/Display Screen
2. Printer
3. Speakers/Headphones
4. Projector
5. Plotter
6. Braille Reader

Monitors
Monitors or Visual Display Unit (VDU), are the primary output devices of a computer system. It
generates images from tiny dots, termed pixels that are arranged in a well-defined rectangular form.
The depth and sharpness of the image depend upon the number and size of the pixels.
Printers
A printer is a very commonly practiced output device, which is used to print information on paper.
There are two types of printers:
Impact Printers
Non-Impact Printers
Projector
A projector is an optical output device that can take images produced by a computer and project or
present them onto a screen or surface called a projector. In the older version of projectors, images
were created by shining the light through a small transparent lens on the projector; however, the new
version of projectors uses laser technology for the same. Projectors are most commonly used in
offices, classrooms, auditoriums, theatres to watch presentations, videos, or pictures generated from a
computer or laptop.
Speakers
Computer speakers are the most popular output devices used with a computer to listen to sound. These
speakers receive audio as input either in analog or digital form and generate sound as an output. With
the advancement of technology, speakers are now available with wireless and BlueTooth facilities as
well.
Headphones
The headphones or earphones or headsets are hardware output tools that are either plugged into the
computer or can be wireless. They offer the same function as a speaker, the only difference is the
frequency of sound. With speakers, the sound can be detected over a larger distance while utilizing
headphones, the sound is only audible to the individual using them. Headphones are available in
multiple shapes and sizes.
Plotters
A plotter is a computer output device that is primarily used to produce high-quality drawings, designs,
and graphics. It is different from other printers as it uses one or more pens or markers to draw
continuous lines on paper or other suitable materials, rather than using dots or pixels to create images.
Braille reader
A Braille reader is a computer output device designed for individuals with visual impairments,
specifically those who read Braille. It enables them to access digital information by converting text
into Braille characters that can be read by touch.