Types of Computer

• Computers differ from each other in terms of their shape, size and
weights.
• Each type of computer performs some unique functions and can be
employed in the fields suited for them.
• These computers also differ in terms of processing speed.
• Some of them are of moderate speed, whereas some others operate
at a very fast speed.
• On the basis of size and capability, computers can be classified into
the following categories:
• Microcomputers
• Mini computers
• Mainframe computers
• Super computers
 SUPER COMPUTERS
• A super computer is the fastest type of computer that can perform complex
operations at a very high speed.
• The super computers were first presented in the year 1960 by Seymour Cray at
Control Data Corporation (CDC).
• They are more expensive than the other categories of computers and are
specially designed for the applications in which large number of complex
calculations have to be carried out to get the desired output.
• The main reason behind the fast speed of super computers is that they are
designed only to execute small number of programs at a time rather than many
programs simultaneously.
• Some of the manufacturers of super computers are IBM, Silicon Graphics, Fujitsu,
Intel, etc.
• Examples of Super Computers are CRAY 3, Cyber 205, NEC SX-3 and PARAM from
India
 SUPER COMPUTERS
• Super computers are manufactured with no special hardware. Like
the typical computer, they have CPU and memory as their major
components.
• However, the CPU of super computer operates at faster speed, as
compared to the other categories of computers.
• Super computers are the fastest computers because they employ
thousands of processors, hundreds of gigabytes of RAM and
thousands of gigabytes of secondary storage.
 SUPER COMPUTERS
• The designers of super computers use two different methods for optimizing
their performance.
• These methods are pipelining and parallelism.
• Pipelining is a technique that allows the microprocessors to execute the
second instruction before the execution of the first instruction is completed
• parallelism allows the microprocessors to execute several instructions at
the same time.
• In this type of computing, a large and complex problem is first divided into
smaller problems, that are solved concurrently by the microprocessor of
the computer
 SUPER COMPUTERS
• The various application areas of super computers are as follows:
• Weather forecasting
• Animated graphics
• Fluid mechanics
• Nuclear energy research
• Petroleum exploration
• Military and Defense
• Data Mining
Examples
PARAM Siddhi-AI
Pratyush
Mihir
SAHASRAT
AADITYA
Color Blossom
PARAM YUVA-II

Seymore Cray posing with CRAY -

3 processor tank machine
 MAINFRAME COMPUTERS
• A mainframe computer is a very large computer that is employed by large business
organizations for handling major applications, such as fi nancial transaction processing,
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), industry and consumer statistics, and census.
• They are capable of handling almost millions of records in a day.
• The mainframe computers can also be used as the centralized computers with several
user terminals connected to it.
• The mainframe computers are actually considered as the predecessor of servers.
• These computers are bigger and more expensive than other computers.
• The implementation of mainframe computers also requires large space with a closely
monitored humidity and temperature levels.
• These computers are termed as mainframe because all the hardware units are arranged
into a frame.
• The different manufacturers of mainframe computers are IBM, Amdahl, Hitachi, etc.
Examples of mainframe computers are IBM 3000, VAX 8000 and CDC 6600.
 MAINFRAME COMPUTERS
• The mainframe computers can maintain large databases that can be
accessed by remote users with a simple terminal.
• Therefore, the mainframe computers are also known as super servers
or database servers.
• The processing speed of these computers is generally optimized by
employing more than one microprocessor to execute millions of
instructions per second.
• The mainframe computers also have large capacity of primary and
secondary storage as compared with other types of computers.
 MAINFRAME COMPUTERS
• Some of the characteristic features of mainframe computers are as follows:
• A typical mainframe computer generally has a maximum of 16
microprocessors.
• However, some modern mainframe computers can have more than 16
microprocessors.
• The RAM capacity of these computers lies between 128 MB and 8 GB.
• They are able to run multiple operating systems, and therefore, termed
‘virtual machines’.
• They have different cabinets for primary storage, secondary storage and
I/O units.
• They can handle huge amount of I/O operations at the same time.
 MINI COMPUTERS
• A mini computer was first introduced in the year 1960 by Digital Equipment
Corporation (DEC).
• They were called mini computers because of their smaller size than the other
computers of those times.
• They can handle more data and more input and output than micro computers.
• Mini computers are less powerful than mainframe computers but more powerful
than micro computers. Therefore, they are also referred to as the midrange
computers.
• They are able to cater to the needs of multiple users at a single instant of time.
• The number of users supported by mini computers may range between 4 and
200.
• These computers are generally designed for small and medium sized business
environments
Mini computers are generally used in business
environments as the centralized computer or the
network server.
After implementing the mini computer as the
network server, hundreds of desktop computers can
be connected to it.
Mini computers can also be used as the web servers
that can handle thousands of transactions in a day.
These computers are less expensive than mainframe
computers and hence suitable for those organizations
that cannot afford high priced servers.
The different examples of mini computers are PDP 11,
IBM (8000 series), VAX 7500, etc.
 MICROCOMPUTER
• A microcomputer is a small and cheap digital computer that is
designed to be used by individuals.
• It is built around a microprocessor, a storage unit and an I/O channel.
• Apart from these components, the other parts that a microcomputer
includes are power supply, connecting cables, keyboard, mouse,
printer and scanner.
• These computers also include several software programs such as
operating system, system software and utility software.
• The micro computers are generally available in the form of PCs,
workstations and notebook computers.
 MICROCOMPUTER - Microprocessor

• It is the heart of the microcomputer.

• It incorporates all the functions of a CPU onto a single IC in a
microcomputer.
• The basic units of microprocessor are ALU, register unit and CU.
• ALU is used to perform various arithmetic and logic operations.
• The register unit is used to store the data and instructions temporarily
needed by the ALU.
• The various registers used by a microcomputer are Accumulator (AC),
program control register, I/O register, instruction register, Memory Address
Register (MAR) and Memory Buffer Register (MBR).
• CU is used to manage and direct the operations performed by the
microcomputer.
 MICROCOMPUTER - Memory
• It is used to store the data and instructions on temporary or permanent
basis.
• A microcomputer generally employs two types of memories, i.e., primary
memory and secondary memory.
• Primary memory, also called main memory, is used to store the data and
instructions temporarily.
• It stores only those instructions and data that are needed by the
microprocessor of the computer for processing.
• The secondary memory, also called auxiliary memory, is used to store the
data and instructions permanently.
• Magnetic disks and magnetic tapes are some of the examples of secondary
storage.
 MICROCOMPUTER -Peripheral devices
• They are generally the input and output devices attached to the computer.
• The various input devices—such as keyboard and mouse—are used to
enter program and data into the computer before performing any kind of
operation.
• They are used to transfer data and instructions from the external
environment into the computer.
• The various output devices—such as monitor and printer—are used to
display the results computed by the computer to the user.
• The major function performed by the output devices is to convert the
binary result computed by the computer into a form that can be easily
understood by the users.
• Depending on the size, the microcomputer can be further classified
into the following types:
• Desktop Computer
• Laptop Computer
• Hand-held Computer
 Desktop Computer
It is also known as PC.
The desktop computer systems are designed to
be used by an individual at a single location.
The typical components of a desktop computer
are keyboard, mouse, monitor, hard disk
storage, peripheral devices and a system unit.
These computers are very cheap and an
individual can easily purchase them for home or
business use.
Desktop computers can be branded or
assembled PC.
The different manufacturers of desktop
computers are Apple, IBM, Dell and Hewlett-
Packard (HP).
 Laptop computer
It is a portable computer that can be taken from
one place to another at any time very easily.
It is also known as notebook computer,
notepad or mobile computer.
The laptop computer is a small size computer
that incorporates all the features of a typical
desktop computer.
These computers are provided with a
rechargeable battery that removes the need of
continuous external power supply.
However, these computer systems are more
expensive than desktop computers.
The different manufacturers of laptop
computers are Acer, Apple, Panasonic, Sony and
HP.
 Hand-held computer
It is also known as Personal Digital Assistant
(PDA), converged device, palmtop or mobile
device.
The hand-held computer is a very small size
computer that can be kept in pocket.
It generally has a very small display screen and
the input device for these computers is a pen or
an electronic stylus.
The storage capacity of hand-held computers is
not very large.
They generally use small cards to store data and
programs instead of disk drives.
Therefore, they are less powerful as compared
to the desktop and laptop computers.
The different examples of hand-held computers
are Apple Newton, Casio Cassiopeia, Franklin
eBookMan, GPD Win 4 ,etc.