Scribd
Upload
27 views

Types of Computer

Uploaded by

cutemano1311
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
27 views

Types of Computer

Uploaded by

cutemano1311
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

TYPES OF COMPUTER

Computers vary widely in terms of their size and purpose they serve. There
are very small computers that can be held on a palm. There are also large
computers that take a whole room to occupy.
1. Micro Computer
2. Mini Computer
3. Mainframe Computer
4. Super computer
5. Workstations

Micro Computer
Microcomputer is at the lowest end of the computer range in terms of speed
and storage capacity. Its CPU is a microprocessor. The first microcomputers
were built of 8-bit microprocessor chips. The most common application of
personal computers (PC) is in this category. The PC supports a number of
input and output devices.
Microcomputers include (a) portable computers and (b) desktop computers.
(a) Portable Computer
Portable computer is a very small, easy to use microcomputer. The users can
carry it wherever they go. This group includes personal digital assistant, pen-
based computer, hand-held computer, notebook computer and laptop
computer.
(b) Personal Computer or Desktop Computer
Personal computer is a microprocessor based, single user computer. The
peripherals for personal computer include a keyboard and a mouse as input
devices, monitor to display information and a hard disk for storage.

Mini Computer
Minicomputer is a medium sized computer that is costlier and more
powerful than a microcomputer. It is in fact a scaled down version of
mainframe computer. This can support up to a few hundred users at a time
with multi-terminal, time-sharing system. They are mainly used as
departmental computers in large and medium-sized organizations. They are
also used in government departments, universities and R&D establishments.

Mainframe Computer
The earliest computers were called mainframes due to their size. The term
is still used for the large computers of today. They have large storage
capacities, very high speed of processing and can support a large number of
terminals for use by a variety of users simultaneously. They are kept in air-
conditioned environment in a special computer room. They are used by big
companies, banks, government departments, etc as their main computer.
Super computer
It is the fastest and the most expensive computer. This has extremely large
storage capacities and computing speeds that are at least ten times faster than
that of other computers. It can perform hundreds of millions of instructions
per second. The super computer is used for specialized applications such as
large-scale numerical problems in scientific and engineering disciplines.
These include applications in electronics, petroleum engineering, weather
forecasting, medicine and nuclear energy research.

Workstations
Workstation is a powerful computer which in terms of power is between
personal computer and minicomputer. It has high resolution graphics
monitor, large RAM and secondary storage.
Although it is a standalone system, usually it forms part of a network and it
uses UNIX or Windows NT as operating system. Workstations are used for
specialized applications such as desktop publishing, software development
and engineering designs.

You might also like