UNDERSTANDING
COMPUTER
(TYPES AND CLASSIFICATION OF
COMPUTERS)
By: Sir Lau
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the Lesson the student must be able to:
1. identify the different types of computers.
2. identify the classification of the different types of
computers based on their sizes and functionalities; and
3. make a prototype technology that will use in the future.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMPUTERS
1. Analog Computers
• These are almost extinct today.
• These are different from a digital computer because an
analog computer can perform several mathematical
operations simultaneously.
• It uses continuous variables for mathematical
operations and utilizes mechanical or electrical energy.
2. DIGITAL COMPUTERS
• They use digital circuits and are designed to operate on
two states, namely bits 0 and 1. They are analogous to
states ON and OFF.
3. HYBRID COMPUTERS
• These computers are a combination of both digital and
analog computers. In this type of computers, the digital
segments perform process control by conversion of
analog signals to digital ones.
CLASSIFICATION OF
COMPUTERS
1. Mainframe Computers
• Large organizations use mainframes for highly critical
applications such as bulk data processing.
• Most of the mainframe computers have the capacities to
host multiple operating systems and operate as a number
of virtual machines and can substitute for several small
servers.
2. MINICOMPUTERS
• In terms of size and processing capacity, minicomputers
lie in between mainframes and microcomputers.
Minicomputers are also called mid-range systems or
workstations. The term began to be popularly used in the
1960s to refer to relatively smaller third generation
computers.
3. SERVERS
• They are computers designed to
provide services to client machines in
a computer network. They have
larger storage capacities and
powerful processors. Running on
them are programs that serve client
requests and allocate resources like
memory and time to client machines.
Usually they are very large in size, as
they have large processors and many
hard drives. They are designed to be
fail-safe and resistant to crash.
4. SUPERCOMPUTERS
• The highly calculation-intensive tasks can be effectively
performed by means of supercomputers. Quantum
physics, mechanics, weather forecasting, molecular
theory are best studied by means of supercomputers.
Their ability of parallel processing and their well-designed
memory hierarchy give the supercomputers, large
transaction processing powers.
• Common used in: Banks, government department &
Businesses
5. MICROCOMPUTERS
• A computer with a microprocessor and its central
processing unit it is known as a microcomputer. They do
not occupy space as much as mainframes do. When
supplemented with a keyboard and a mouse,
microcomputers can be called personal computers. A
monitor, a keyboard and other similar input output
devices, computer memory in the form of RAM and a
power supply unit come packaged in a microcomputer.
These computers can fit on desks or tables and prove to
be the best choice for single-user tasks.
• Used in Office, schools and Homes
EXAMPLES
PERSONAL COMPUTERS
1.Desktops
- intended to be used on a single
location. The spare parts of a desktop
computer are readily available at
relatively lower costs.
2. LAPTOPS
• Similar in operation to desktops, laptop computers are
miniaturized and optimized for mobile use.
• Laptops run on a single battery or an external adapter
that charges the computer batteries.
3.NETBOOKS
• They fall in the category of laptops, but are inexpensive
and relatively smaller in size. They had a smaller feature
set and lesser capacities in comparison to regular laptops,
at the time they came into the market.
4. PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS
(PDAS)
• It is a handheld computer and popularly known as a
palmtop.
• It has a touch screen and a memory card for storage of
data. PDAs can also be used as portable audio players,
web browsers and smart phones. Most of them can
access the Internet by means of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
communication.
5. TABLET COMPUTERS
• Tablets are mobile computers that are very handy to use.
They use the touch screen technology.
• Tablets come with an onscreen keyboard or use a stylus
or a digital pen. Apple's iPod redefined the class of tablet
computers.
6. WEARABLE COMPUTERS:
• These computers can be worn on the body and are often used in the
study of behavior modeling and human health. Military and health
professionals have incorporated wearable computers into their daily
routine, as a part of such studies. When the users' hands and sensory
organs are engaged in other activities, wearable computers are of great
help in tracking human actions.
• Wearable computers do not have to be turned on and off and remain in
operation without user intervention.
ACTIVITY
• Draw a prototype that you think is going to
be useful 5 years from now.
