2. Desktop Computer
• A desktop computer, otherwise known as
a personal computer, is a computer
designed to stay in one place, Screen Tower/Unit
• Old desktop computers were designed
to lay flat one the desk, whereas they are
now designed to stand upright.
• Most modern computers are designed
so that the tower is a separate unit to the
screen, however, older computers were
designed so that the screen and the
tower were in the same unit.
• On computers, you can connect to the Keyboard Mouse
Internet, connect to other computers,
work, make videos, and watch TV, just to
name a few things.
3. Laptop
• A laptop is a portable desktop computer. It has the
same internal components as a desktop computer,
however is doesn't have connectors for a keyboard
or a mouse. Instead, the screen is connected on a
hinge to a keyboard with an integrated touchpad,
which would be the mouse on a desktop.
• A laptop has a battery that can store electricity for
a certain amount of hours. The laptop can be
charged by plugging the charger into a mains
socket. Portable computers (laptops) were
originally considered to be for specialized fields
such as the military, accountants, and sales reps.
• The most important aspect of a laptop is mobility.
Because of this, net books and notebooks are
being made, which are very small laptops
designed for either Internet surfing or writing.
Earlier laptops were not as big as desktop
computers, but they were very heavy. Newer
laptops are very light. An example of this would be
the Apple MacBook Air, which only weighs 2.38lbs.
4. Tablet
• A tablet computer, also known as a
tablet, is larger than a smartphone,
but smaller than a laptop. Is doesn't
have a keyboard or a touchpad.
Instead, it has a touchscreen. On
this touchscreen, people can do
anything they want with just a tap of
the screen.
• On tablets, not only can people
download games, surf the Internet,
listen to music, check their e-mail,
edit photos, work, and take photos,
they can do the same things that
anyone can do on a normal laptop
or desktop PC.
5. Smartphone
• A smartphone is a mobile
phone that has more advanced
computing capabilities than an
a average mobile phone.
• The original smartphones were
mobile phones with PDA
attached to them. MP3 players,
low-res digital cameras, and
GPSs were added soon after.
Modern smartphones include
touch-screens, web browsers,
and downloadable
applications.
6. Video Games Console
• A video games console is an interactive
computer system. It produces a video display
signal which can be used with a display
device, such as a TV or a monitor.
• Old games consoles were boxes with two
joysticks which allowed people to play a game
similar to ping pong with their friends.
However, newer games consoles let you
choose which game to play by inserting a disk.
• Modern games consoles allow people to
connect to the Internet and play games with
their friends. They also allow people to watch
Blu-Ray DVDs. Some modern game consoles,
such as the X-Box Kinect do not require a
controller. Instead, people can plays games
and shows options with their bodies and
hands.
7. Embedded System
• An embedded system is a computer system
that is designed for certain control functions
with a large system. It is within part of a
complete device that often includes
hardware and mechanical parts. The key
characteristic of an embedded system is
that it is built to carry out a specific task.
Because of this, design engineers can
reduce the size and cost of a product but
increase the reliability and performance.
• An example of an embedded system would
be BMW's iDrive. This iDrive allows people in
the front of a car to manage the climate, the
music, the communications, and the GPS.
The idea for the iDrive was to use one simple
tool to control things without having to twist
different knobs and press other buttons. This
is shown in the picture on the right.
8. Server
• A server is a piece of hardware that
can run multiple services as a host.
It could be a database server, file
server, mail server, print server, web
s e r v e r, o r g a m i n g s e r v e r,
depending on which computing
server it offers.
• A server is a computer program that
runs to serve the requests of other
programs, which are called the
'clients'. The server performs
computational tasks on behalf of the
'clients', who run on the same
computer, or they can connect
through a network.
