2. Classification of Computers according to capacity Capacity refers to the volume of work or data processing capability a computer can handle . Their performance is judged by the : Amount of data that can be stored in memory. Speed of internal operation of the computer. Number and type of peripheral devices. Amount and type of software available for use with the computer.
3. Classification of Computers according to capacity Microcomputers It is a digital computer system under the control of a stored program that uses a microprocessor , a programmable read-only memory (ROM) and a random-access memory (RAM). The ROM defines the instructions t be executed by the computer while RAM is the functional equivalent of computer memory.
4. Minicomputers It handle tasks that large computers could not perform economically. They were first used for laboratory process control applications. They are widely used in a variety of commercial applications such as airline reservations, car rentals , banking transactions and inventory control.
5. Medium-size computers Provide faster operating speeds and larger storage capacities than small computer systems. They can support a large number of high-speed and input/output devices and several disk drives can be used to provide online access to large data files as required for direct access processing. They are very flexible and can be expanded to meet the needs of users.
6. Large Computers The ultimate in system sophistication, flexibility and speed. Users of large computers are usually government agencies , large corporations and computer service organizations. They are used in complex modeling or simulation , business operations, product testing and in the development of space technology.
7. Supercomputers The biggest and fastest machines today that are sued when billons or even trillions of calculations are needed. These machines are essential for applications ranging from nuclear weapon development to accurate weather forecasting.
