Categories of Computers

Industry experts typically classify computers in seven categories: personal computers

(desktop), mobile computers and mobile devices, game consoles, servers, mainframes,
supercomputers, and embedded computers. A computer’s size, speed, processing power, and price
determine the category it best fits. Due to rapidly changing technology, however, the distinction
among categories is not always clear-cut. This trend of computers and devices with technologies
that overlap, called convergence, leads to computer manufacturers continually releasing newer
models that include similar functionality and features. For example, newer cell phones often include
media player, camera, and Web browsing capabilities. As devices converge, users need fewer
devices for the functionality that they require. When consumers replace outdated computers and
devices, they should dispose of them properly. Figure 1-14 summarizes the seven categories of

computers. The following pages discuss computers and devices that fall in each category.

1)Personal Computers A personal computer is a computer that can perform all of its input,
processing, output, and storage activities by itself. A personal computer contains a processor,
memory, and one or more input, output, and storage devices. Personal computers also often
contain a communications device. Two popular architectures of personal computers are the PC
(Figure 1-15) and the Apple (Figure 1-16). The term, PC-compatible, refers to any personal computer
based on the original IBM personal computer design. Companies such as Dell, HP, and Toshiba sell
 PC-compatible computers. PC and PC-compatible computers usually use a Windows operating
system. Apple computers usually use a Macintosh operating system (Mac OS). Two types of personal
computers are desktop computers and notebook computers.

 Desktop Computers
A desktop computer is designed so that the system unit, input devices, output devices, and any
other devices fit entirely on or under a desk or table (Figures 1-15 and 1-16 on the previous page). In
many models, the system unit is a tall and narrow tower, which can sit on the floor vertically — if
desktop space is limited. Some desktop computers function as a server on a network. Others, such as a
gaming desktop computer and home theater PC, target a specific audience.

The gaming desktop computer offers high-quality audio, video, and graphics with optimal
performance for sophisticated single-user and networked or Internet multiplayer games. A home
theater PC (HTPC) combines the features of a high-definition video/audio entertainment system with a
desktop computer that is designed to be connected to a television and includes a Blu-ray Disc, digital
video recorder, and digital cable television connectivity. These high-end computers cost more than the
basic desktop computer. Another expensive, powerful desktop computer is the workstation, which is
geared for work that requires intense calculations and graphics capabilities. An architect uses a
workstation to design buildings and homes. A graphic artist uses a workstation to create computer-
animated special effects for full-length motion pictures and video games.

2)Mobile Computers and Mobile Devices

A mobile computer is a personal computer you can carry from place to place. Similarly, a mobile
device is a computing device small enough to hold in your hand. The most popular type of mobile
computer is the notebook computer. The following sections discuss the notebook computer and widely
used mobile devices.

o Notebook Computers
A notebook computer, also called a laptop computer, is a
portable, personal computer often designed to fit on your
lap. Notebook computers are thin and lightweight, yet they
can be as powerful as the average desktop computer. A
netbook, which is a type of notebook computer, is smaller,
lighter, and often not as powerful as a traditional notebook
computer. Most netbooks cost less than traditional notebook
computers, usually only a few hundred dollars. An ultra-thin
is another type of notebook computer that is lightweight and
usually less than one-inch thick. Some notebook computers
have touch screens, allowing you to interact with the device by touching the screen, usually with the tip
of a finger. On a typical notebook computer, the keyboard is on top of the system unit, and the monitor
attaches to the system unit with hinges (Figure 1-17). These computers weigh on average from 2.5 to
more than 10 pounds (depending on configuration), which allows users to transport the computers from
place to place. Most notebook computers can operate on batteries or a power supply or both.

o Tablet PCs
Resembling a letter-sized slate, the Tablet PC, or tablet computer, is a special type of notebook
computer that you can interact with by touching the screen with your finger or a digital pen. A digital
pen looks like a small ink pen but uses pressure instead of ink. Users write or draw on a Tablet PC by
pressing a finger or digital pen on the screen, and issue instructions by tapping on the screen. One
design of Tablet PC, called a convertible tablet, has an attached keyboard. Another design, which does
not include a keyboard, is called a slate tablet (Figure 1-18) and provides other means for typing. Some
Tablet PCs also support voice input so that users can speak into the computer. Tablet PCs are useful
especially for taking notes in lectures, at meetings, conferences, and other forums where the standard
notebook computer is not practical.

 Mobile Devices
Mobile devices, which are small enough to carry in a pocket, usually do not have disk drives.
Instead, these devices store programs and data permanently on special memory inside the system unit
or on small storage media such as memory cards. You often can connect a mobile device to a personal
computer to exchange information between the computer and the mobile device. Some mobile devices
are Internet-enabled, meaning they can connect to the Internet wirelessly. With an Internet-enabled
device, users can chat, send e-mail and instant messages, and access the Web. Because of their reduced
size, the screens on mobile devices are small, but usually are in color. Popular types of mobile devices
are smart phones and PDAs, e-book readers, handheld computers, portable media players, and digital
cameras.

o Smart Phones and PDAs

Offering the convenience of one-handed operation, a smartphone (Figure
1-19) is an Internet-enabled phone that usually also provides personal
information management functions such as a calendar, an appointment book,
an address book, a calculator, and a notepad. In addition to basic phone
capabilities, a smart phone allows you to send and receive e-mail messages
and access the Web — usually for an additional fee. Some smart phones
communicate wirelessly with other devices or computers. Many also function
as a portable media player and include built-in digital cameras so that you can
share photos or videos with others as soon as you capture the image. Many
smart phones also offer a variety of application software such as word
processing, spreadsheet, and games, and the capability of conducting live
video conferences. Many smart phones have keypads that contain both
numbers and letters so that you can use the same keypad to dial phone
numbers and enter messages. Others have a built-in mini keyboard on the
front of the phone or a keyboard that slides in and out from behind the
phone. Some have touch screens, where you press objects on the screen to
make selections and enter text through an on-screen keyboard. Others
include a stylus, which is similar to a digital pen but smaller and has less
functionality. Instead of calling someone’s smart phone or cell phone, users
often send messages to others by pressing buttons on their phone’s keypad,
keys on the mini keyboard, or images on an onscreen keyboard. Types of
messages users send with smart phones include text messages, instant messages, picture messages, and
video messages.
 A text message is a short note, typically fewer than 300 characters, sent to or from a
smart phone or other mobile device.
 An instant message is a real-time Internet communication, where you exchange
messages with other connected users.
 A picture message is a photo or other image, sometimes along with sound and text, sent
to or from a smart phone or other mobile device. A phone that can send picture
messages often is called a camera phone.
 A video message is a short video clip, usually about 30 seconds, sent to or from a smart
phone or other mobile device. A phone that can send video messages often is called a
video phone.

o A PDA (personal digital assistant), which often looks like a smart phone, provides personal
information management functions such as a calendar, an appointment book, an address book,
a calculator, and a notepad. A PDA differs from a smart phone in that it usually does not provide
phone capabilities and may not be Internet-enabled, support voice input, have a built-in camera,
or function as a portable media player. As smart phones and PDAs continue a trend of
convergence, it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between the two devices. This
has led some manufacturers to refer to PDAs and smart phones simply as handhelds.

o E-Book Readers An e-book reader (short for electronic book reader), or e-

reader, is a handheld device that is used primarily for reading e-books
(Figure 1-20). An e-book, or digital book, is an electronic version of a
printed book, readable on computers and other digital devices. In addition
to books, users typically can purchase and read other forms of digital
media such as newspapers and magazines. Most e-book readers have a
touch screen and are Internet-enabled. These devices usually are smaller
than tablet computers but larger than smart phones.

o Handheld Computers A handheld computer, sometimes referred to as an

Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC), is a computer small enough to fit in one hand.
Many handheld computers communicate wirelessly with other devices or
computers and also include a digital pen or stylus for input. Some
handheld computers have miniature or specialized keyboards. Many
handheld computers are industry-specific and serve the needs of mobile
employees, such as meter readers and parcel delivery people (Figure 1-
21), whose jobs require them to move from place to place.

o Portable Media Players A portable media player is a mobile device on

which you can store, organize, and play
digital media (Figure 1-22). For example,
you can listen to music; watch videos,
movies, and television shows; and view
photos on the device’s screen. With
most, you download the digital media
from a computer to the portable media
player or to media that you insert in the device.
 Some portable media players are Internet-enabled so that you can access Web
sites and send e-mail messages directly from the device. Many offer personal
information management functions such as a calendar and address book, and include a
variety of games and other application software.
Portable media players usually include a set of earbuds, which are small
speakers that rest inside each ear canal. Some portable media players have a touch
screen, while others have a touch-sensitive pad that you operate with a thumb or finger,
to navigate through digital media, adjust volume, and customize settings.
o Digital Cameras A digital camera is a device that allows users to take pictures and store the
photographed images digitally, instead of on
traditional film (Figure 1-23). While many digital
cameras look like a traditional camera, some
are built into smart phones and other mobile
devices.
Although digital cameras usually have
some amount of internal storage to hold images,
most users store images on small storage media
such as memory cards. Digital cameras typically
allow users to review, and sometimes modify,
images while they are in the camera. Some
digital cameras connect to or communicate
wirelessly with a computer or printer, allowing
users to print or view images directly from the printer. Some memory cards can connect to a
network wirelessly, so that you can transfer photos directly from the memory card in the
camera to the Internet without requiring a
computer. Often users prefer to download
images from the digital camera to the
computer. Or, you can remove the storage
media such as a memory card from the digital
camera and insert it in a card reader in or
attached to the computer.

3)Game Consoles
A game console is a mobile computing
device designed for single-player or multiplayer
video games (Figure 1-24). Standard game
consoles use a handheld controller(s) as an
input device(s); a television screen as an output
device; and hard disks, optical discs, and/or
memory cards for storage. Weighing on average
between two and nine pounds, the compact
size of game consoles makes them easy to use
at home, in the car, in a hotel, or any location
that has an electrical outlet. Three popular
models are Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Nintendo’s
Wii (pronounced wee), and Sony’s PlayStation 3. Read Innovative Computing 1-1 to find out
how the medical field uses the Nintendo Wii. A handheld game console is small enough to fit in
one hand, making it more portable than the standard game console. With the handheld game
console, the controls, screen, and speakers are built into the device. Because of their reduced
size, the screens are small — three to four inches. Some models use cartridges to store games;
 others use a memory card or a miniature optical disc. Many handheld game consoles can
communicate wirelessly with other similar consoles for multiplayer gaming. Two popular models
are Nintendo DS Lite and Sony’s PlayStation Portable (PSP). In addition to gaming, many game
console models allow users to listen to music, watch movies, keep fit, and connect to the
Internet. Game consoles can cost from a couple hundred dollars to more than $500.

4)Servers
A server controls access to the hardware, software, and other resources on a network
and provides a centralized storage area for programs,
data, and information (Figure 1-25). Servers can support
from two to several thousand connected computers at
the same time.
In many cases, one server accesses data,
information, and programs on another server. In other
cases, people use personal computers or terminals to
access data, information, and programs on a server. A
terminal is a device with a monitor, keyboard, and
memory.

5)Mainframes
A mainframe is a large, expensive, powerful computer that can handle hundreds or
thousands of connected users simultaneously (Figure 1-26). Mainframes store tremendous
amounts of data, instructions, and information.
Most major corporations use mainframes for
business activities. With mainframes, enterprises
are able to bill millions of customers, prepare
payroll for thousands of employees, and manage
thousands of items in inventory. One study reported
that mainframes process more than 83 percent of
transactions around the world.
Mainframes also can act as servers in a
network environment. Servers and other
mainframes can access data and information from a
mainframe. People also can access programs on the
mainframe using terminals or personal computers.

6)Supercomputers
A supercomputer is the fastest, most
powerful computer — and the most expensive
(Figure 1-27). The fastest supercomputers are
capable of processing more than one quadrillion
instructions in a single second. With weights that
exceed 100 tons, these computers can store more
than 20,000 times the data and information of an
average desktop computer. Applications requiring
complex, sophisticated mathematical calculations
use supercomputers. Large-scale simulations and
applications in medicine, aerospace, automotive
 design, online banking, weather forecasting, nuclear energy research, and petroleum
exploration use a supercomputer.

7)Embedded Computers
An embedded computer is a special-purpose computer that functions as a component
in a larger product. Embedded computers are everywhere — at home, in your car, and at work.
The following list identifies a variety of everyday products that contain embedded computers.
 Consumer Electronics: mobile and digital telephones, digital televisions, cameras, video
recorders, DVD players and recorders, answering machines
 Home Automation Devices: thermostats, sprinkling systems, security monitoring
systems, appliances, lights
 Automobiles: antilock brakes, engine control modules, airbag controller, cruise control
 Process Controllers and Robotics: remote monitoring systems, power monitors,
machine controllers, medical
devices
 Computer Devices and Office
Machines: keyboards, printers,
fax and copy machines

Because embedded computers

are components in larger products,
they usually are small and have limited
hardware. These computers perform
various functions, depending on the
requirements of the product in which
they reside. Embedded computers in
printers, for example, monitor the
amount of paper in the tray, check the
ink or toner level, signal if a paper jam
has occurred, and so on. Figure 1-28
shows some of the many embedded
computers in cars.