TYPES OF

COMPUTER

1^st Semester

Ch -1. Computer Organisation.

BY- BIBHUDENDRA SARANGI

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Types of Computer

Computer can be divided into different types on the following basis:

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• On the basis of Construction
• On the basis of Configuration

Computer Types

On the basis of Construction

Analog

Digital

Hybrid

On the basis of Configuration

Super

Computer

Mainframe

Computer

Mini

Computer

Micro

Computer

On The basis of Construction

Analog Computer

Analog Computer

Analog computers are designed to measure continuous electrical or physical conditions, such as current, voltage, flow, temperature, length, pressure, speed, time, weight etc. Analog computers work on non discrete signals.

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Purpose

• Mostly analog computers are special-purpose computers. Normally they are designed to perform some specific task not multiple tasks.

Analog Computer

• Key component
• The key component of the analog computer is the operational amplifier, and the computer's capacity is determined by the number of amplifiers.

Examples

Wrist watch (if non-digital), your car's speedometer, pressure, temperature, and fuel gauges, camera, are also considered analog computers,, .

Analog Computer

Uses

• The output of an analog computer is often an adjustment to the control of a machine; such as, an adjustment to a valve that controls the flow of steam to a turbine generator.
• It is also used in temperature setting to control the ovens for baking.
• They have been widely used in simulating the operation of aircraft, nuclear power plants, and industrial chemical processes.

On The basis of Construction

Digital Computer

Digital Computer

Digital computers are designed to perform daily routine tasks such as writing letters, sending e- mails, performing calculations in an office or creating a database to store large amount of data etc.

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Purpose

• Digital computers may be either special or general purpose. Mostly these computers are designed to perform multiple tasks.

Digital Computer

• Key component today
• IC (Integrated Circuits)

Examples

Personal Computer, Laptop, Mainframe, Super Computer etc.

Digital Computer

Uses

Word Processing: Word processing is the most common application for personal digital computers.

Accounting - Computers are ideal for keeping payroll records, printing paychecks, billing customers, preparing tax returns, and taking care of many of the other accounting tasks in an organization.

Record keeping - Computers can record information like inventories and personnel files.

Digital Computer

Uses

Industrial Uses - Industrial computers save considerable time and reduce waste by efficiently performing hundreds of industrial tasks.

Science - The research and development applications are the most numerous. Digital computers are being used to do lengthy and complicated mathematical calculations millions of times faster than human beings.

On The basis of Construction

Hybrid Computer

Hybrid Computer

A computer which possesses characteristics of both Analog and Digital computers is called Hybrid computer.

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• Some computers combine the functions of both analog and digital computers. These computers are called Hybrid Computers.

Hybrid Computer

Examples

Cement plant, ECG machine, CNG pump

Division of Digital Computer

Super Computer

Mainframe Computer

Mini / Supermini Computer

Micro / Personal Computer

Digital Computer can be further classified as:

On The basis of Configuration

SUPER COMPUTER

Features of Super Computer

• Super computer is a large computer or collection of computers that act as one large computer capable of processing enormous amounts of data. They are the fastest and most powerful type of computers.

Working:

• A super computer can execute one instruction in Pico-seconds (thousand-billionth of a second). Mostly they are based on the principle of parallel processing. They have extraordinary high speed due to the use of several processors connected in parallel

Features of a Super Computer

It is composed of 10,240 processors. It has 20 terabytes of Random-access memory, 440 terabytes of storage, and 10 petabytes of archive storage.

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Uses

Super computers are normally used in large organizations, research laboratories, aerospace centers, large industrial units, atomic reactors, weather forecasting, satellite communication or the places where very high processing speed is required.

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MAIN FRAME COMPUTER

Mainframe computers are largest computers used for commercial purpose

Features of a Mainframe Computer

• A mainframe (also known as "big iron") is a high-performance computer used for large-scale computing purposes that require greater availability and security of data than a smaller- scale machine can offer.
• In the past, a typical mainframe might have occupied 2,000 - 10,000 square feet. Now the mainframe computer specially requires a very large clean room with air-conditioner.

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Features of a Mainframe Computer

Working:

• Historically, mainframes have been associated with centralized rather than distributed computing.
• Mainframe computers are usually large and expensive computers. Thousands of users can work at a time on mainframe computers.
• For example, IBM, S/390 mainframe can support 50,000 users simultaneously.

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Features of Mainframe Computer

Uses:

• The mainframe computers are specially used as servers on the World Wide Web. The mainframe computers are used in large organizations such as Banks, Airlines, Railways, Government and Universities etc. where many people (users) need frequent access to the same data, which is usually organized into one or more huge databases.

MINI / SUPER MINI COMPUTER

A minicomputer is a type of computer that possesses most of the features and capabilities of a large computer but is smaller in physical size. A minicomputer fills the space between the mainframe and microcomputer, and is smaller than the former but larger than the latter.

Features of a Mini Computer

Minicomputers generally have a word size of 8–18 bits (register size); a memory size of 32,000–64,000 16-bit words, or 16,000–32,000 32-bit words; a processing speed of 200–300 kilo-instructions per second (KIPS)

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Minicomputers are used for scientific and engineering computations, business-transaction processing, file handling, and database management, and are often now referred to as small or midsize servers.

Features of Mini Computer

Mini computers are used in mid size businesses and organisations like Shopping malls, Airports, Hospitals, Finance organisations Etc.

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Mini computers are multi user computers.

Less expensive than mainframe computer.

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Micro Computer

• The microcomputers are also known as personal computers or simply PCs.
• They are also called Desktop computers. Microcomputers are the most common, smallest and affordable computers.
• They were introduced in 1975’s as a result of the development of microprocessor.
• A single microprocessor may carry more than hundred thousand transistors on a single silicon chip.

Micro Computer

Size:

Micro Computers are available in various sizes like:

Desk Top

Lap Top

Palm top

Notebook

Etc.

Even our smart phone is also a Micro computer.

Micro Computer

Desktop Computer

Palmtop Computer

Laptop Computer

Micro Computer

Uses

• They are being widely accepted and used in business, at home and in educational institutions.
• They are commonly known as personal computers and are usually single user machines but can be interconnected among themselves to form a Local Area Network.

Micro Computers

Micro Computers are affordable

Easily available

Easy to operate and maintain

All purpose computer

No special room / AC required

Can be networked and use in communication.

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