This document classifies computers into different types based on their functionality and size. It discusses digital computers, analog computers, and hybrid computers. It also describes special purpose computers designed for specific tasks and general purpose computers that can be used for many applications. Finally, it categorizes computers by size into embedded systems, programmable computers, laptops, personal computers, workstations, mainframes, and supercomputers.
2. 1. Introduction
2. Types of computers
Digital computers
Analog computers
Hybrid computers
3. Purpose Wise Classification
Special purpose computers
General purpose computers
4. Size wise classification
Embedded computers
Programmable computers
Laptops or notebooks
Personal computers
Workstation
Mainframes
Super computers
INDEX
3. INTRODUCTION
Computer is a
programmable machine.
The two principal
characteristics of a
computer are: It
responds to a specific set
of instructions in a well
defined manner and it
can execute a pre
recorded list of
instructions (a program).
4. DIGITAL COMPUTERS
Most commonly used computers are
digital computers. They represent
data, whether numbers, letters, or
symbols, in binary form (i.e. ‘0’ and
‘1’) and they work with numbers in
the form of separate discrete digits.
ANALOG COMPUTERS
Analog is a Greek word that denotes
‘similar’. Analog computers use
continuous physical quantities like
pressure, temperature, length, voltage
etc. and convert them into numeric
values.
5. Hybrid computers are computers that exhibit features of analog
computers and digital computers. The digital component
normally serves as the controller and provides logical and
numerical operations.
HYBRID COMPUTERS
6. SPECIAL PURPOSE COMPUTER is
designed only to meet the
requirements of a particular task
or application. It therefore
doesn’t posses unnecessary
options and is less expensive.
GENERAL PURPOSE COMPUTERS
are designed to meet the
needs of many different
applications. The instructions
needed to perform a particular
task are wired permanently into
the internal memory.
7. SIZE WISE
CLASSIFICATION
1. EMBEDDED COMPUTERS
An embedded system is a computer system with a
dedicated function within a larger mechanical or
electrical system, often with real-time computing
constraints. It is embedded as part of a complete
device often including hardware and mechanical parts.
8. 2. PROGRAMMABLE
COMPUTERS
These computers are very small but bigger than embedded computers. The
main difference between programmable and embedded computers is that the
programmable computers can be programmed by users. Example: Personal
Digital Assistants ,Tablet PCs, Latest mobiles, etc.
9. 3. LAPTOPS AND NOTEBOOKS
These computers are much
bigger than programmable
computers. These computers
are placed on your laps.
They are designed to
mobility to computer users.
10. 4. PERSONAL COMPUTERS
A personal computer (PC) is a multi-
purpose computer whose size,
capabilities, and price make it
feasible for individual use. PCs are
intended to be operated directly by
an end user, rather than by a
computer expert or technician.
Computer time-sharing models that
were typically used with larger, more
expensive mini computer
and mainframe systems, to enable
them be used by many people at the
same time, are not used with PCs.
11. A workstation is a special computer designed for technical or scientific
applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are
commonly connected to a local area network and run multi user operating
systems. It has also been used loosely to refer to everything from
a mainframe computer terminal to a PC connected to a network .
5. WORKSTATION
12. Mainframe computers are computers used primarily by large
organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing, such
as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource
planning, and transaction processing.
6. MAINFRAMES
13. A supercomputer is a computer with a high level of computing
performance compared to a general-purpose computer.
Performance of a supercomputer is measured in floating-point
operations per second (FLOPS) instead of million instructions
per second (MIPS) .
7. SUPERCOMPUTERS