Types of
Computers
Submitted By: Tatheer-Ul-Hassan
Roll No: 0-10
Subject: Computer Education
Submitted To: Ma’am
Ammara
COMPUTER AND ITS TYPES
Introduction:
A computer is a device that transforms data into meaningful information. It
processes the input according to the set of instructions provided to it by the
user and gives the desired output. Computers are of various types, and they
can be categorized in two ways based on size and based on data handling
capabilities.
Types of Computers:
There are two bases on which we can define the types of computers. We will
discuss the type of computers based on size and data handling capabilities.
We will discuss each type of computer in detail. Let’s see first what types of
computers are.
• Supercomputer
• Mainframe Computer
• Minicomputer
• Workstation Computer
• Personal Computer (PC)
• Server Computer
• Analog Computer
• Digital Computer
Supercomputer
When we talk about speed, then the first name
that comes to mind when thinking of computers
is supercomputers. They are the biggest and
fastest computers (in terms of speed of
processing data). Supercomputers are designed
such that they can process a huge amount of
data, like processing trillions of instructions or
data in just a second. This is because of the
thousands of interconnected processors in
supercomputers. It is basically used in scientific
and engineering applications such as weather forecasting, scientific
simulations, and nuclear energy research. It was first developed by Roger
Cray in 1976.
Mainframe computer
Mainframe computers are designed in such a way
that they can support hundreds or thousands of users
at the same time. It also supports multiple programs
simultaneously. So, they can execute different
processes simultaneously. All these features make the
mainframe computer ideal for big organizations like
banking, telecom sectors, etc., which process a high
volume of data in general.
Minicomputer
Minicomputer is a medium size multiprocessing
computer. In this type of computer, there are two or
more processors, and it supports 4 to 200 users at one
time. Minicomputer is similar to Microcontroller. Minicomputers are used in
places like institutes or departments for different work like billing,
accounting, inventory management, etc. It is smaller than a mainframe
computer but larger in comparison to the microcomputer.
Workstation Computer
A workstation computer is designed for technical or
scientific applications. It consists of a fast
microprocessor, with a large amount of RAM and a
high-speed graphic adapter. It is a single-user
computer. It is generally used to perform a specific
task with great accuracy.
Personal Computer (PC)
Personal Computers is also known as a
microcomputer. It is basically a general-purpose
computer designed for individual use. It consists of
a microprocessor as a central processing
unit(CPU), memory, input unit, and output unit. This
kind of computer is suitable for personal work such
as making an assignment, watching a movie, or at
the office for office work, etc. For example, Laptops
and desktop computers.
Server Computer
Server Computers are computers that combine data and
programs. Electronic data and applications are stored
and shared in the server computer. The working of a
server computer is that it does not solve a bigger problem like a
supercomputer but it solves many smaller similar ones. Examples of server
computer are like Wikipedia, as when users put a request for any page, it
finds what the user is looking for and sends it to the user.
Analog Computer
Analog Computers are particularly designed to
process analog data. Continuous data that
changes continuously and cannot have discrete
values are called analog data. So, an analog
computer is used where we don’t need exact
values or need approximate values such as
speed, temperature, pressure, etc. It can directly
accept the data from the measuring device
without first converting it into numbers and
codes. It measures the continuous changes in
physical quantity. It gives output as a reading on
a dial or scale. For example speedometer,
mercury thermometer, etc.
Digital Computer
Digital computer are
designed in such a way that
they can easily perform
calculations and logical
operations at high speed. It
takes raw data as input and
processes it with programs
stored in its memory to produce the final output. It only understands
the binary input 0 and 1, so the raw input data is converted to 0 and 1
by the computer and then it is processed by the computer to produce
the result or final output. All modern computers, like laptops, desktops
including smartphones are digital computers.
Common Computer Shortcuts
Ctrl + C: Copy selected item/text to clipboard.
Ctrl + V: Paste copied item/text from clipboard.
Ctrl + X: Cut selected item/text.
Ctrl + Z: Undo the last action.
Ctrl + Y: Redo the last undone action.
Ctrl + S: Save the current document or file.
Ctrl + A: Select all items/text in the current window or document.
Ctrl + F: Open the Find dialog box to search for text within a document or
web page.
Ctrl + P: Print the current document or webpage.
Alt + Tab: Switch between open applications or windows.
Ctrl + Shift + N: Create a new folder in Windows File Explorer
