UNDERSTANDING COMPUTER �(TYPES AND CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS)

By: Sir Lau

OBJECTIVES

At the end of the Lesson the student must be able to:

1. identify the different types of computers.

2. identify the classification of the different types of computers based on their sizes and functionalities; and

3. make a prototype technology that will use in the future.

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DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMPUTERS

1. Analog Computers

• These are almost extinct today.
• These are different from a digital computer because an analog computer can perform several mathematical operations simultaneously.
• It uses continuous variables for mathematical operations and utilizes mechanical or electrical energy.

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2. DIGITAL COMPUTERS

• They use digital circuits and are designed to operate on two states, namely bits 0 and 1. They are analogous to states ON and OFF.

3. HYBRID COMPUTERS

• These computers are a combination of both digital and analog computers. In this type of computers, the digital segments perform process control by conversion of analog signals to digital ones.

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CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS

1. Mainframe Computers

• Large organizations use mainframes for highly critical applications such as bulk data processing.
• Most of the mainframe computers have the capacities to host multiple operating systems and operate as a number of virtual machines and can substitute for several small servers.

2. MINICOMPUTERS

• In terms of size and processing capacity, minicomputers lie in between mainframes and microcomputers. Minicomputers are also called mid-range systems or workstations. The term began to be popularly used in the 1960s to refer to relatively smaller third generation computers.

3. SERVERS

• They are computers designed to provide services to client machines in a computer network. They have larger storage capacities and powerful processors. Running on them are programs that serve client requests and allocate resources like memory and time to client machines. Usually they are very large in size, as they have large processors and many hard drives. They are designed to be fail-safe and resistant to crash.

4. SUPERCOMPUTERS

• The highly calculation-intensive tasks can be effectively performed by means of supercomputers. Quantum physics, mechanics, weather forecasting, molecular theory are best studied by means of supercomputers. Their ability of parallel processing and their well-designed memory hierarchy give the supercomputers, large transaction processing powers.
• Common used in: Banks, government department & Businesses

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5. MICROCOMPUTERS

• A computer with a microprocessor and its central processing unit it is known as a microcomputer. They do not occupy space as much as mainframes do. When supplemented with a keyboard and a mouse, microcomputers can be called personal computers. A monitor, a keyboard and other similar input output devices, computer memory in the form of RAM and a power supply unit come packaged in a microcomputer. These computers can fit on desks or tables and prove to be the best choice for single-user tasks.
• Used in Office, schools and Homes

EXAMPLES

PERSONAL COMPUTERS

1. Desktops

- intended to be used on a single location. The spare parts of a desktop computer are readily available at relatively lower costs.

2. LAPTOPS

• Similar in operation to desktops, laptop computers are miniaturized and optimized for mobile use.
• Laptops run on a single battery or an external adapter that charges the computer batteries.

3.NETBOOKS

• They fall in the category of laptops, but are inexpensive and relatively smaller in size. They had a smaller feature set and lesser capacities in comparison to regular laptops, at the time they came into the market.

4. PERSONAL DIGITAL ASSISTANTS (PDAS)

• It is a handheld computer and popularly known as a palmtop.
• It has a touch screen and a memory card for storage of data. PDAs can also be used as portable audio players, web browsers and smart phones. Most of them can access the Internet by means of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communication.

5. TABLET COMPUTERS

• Tablets are mobile computers that are very handy to use. They use the touch screen technology.
• Tablets come with an onscreen keyboard or use a stylus or a digital pen. Apple's iPod redefined the class of tablet computers.

6. WEARABLE COMPUTERS:

• These computers can be worn on the body and are often used in the study of behavior modeling and human health. Military and health professionals have incorporated wearable computers into their daily routine, as a part of such studies. When the users' hands and sensory organs are engaged in other activities, wearable computers are of great help in tracking human actions.
• Wearable computers do not have to be turned on and off and remain in operation without user intervention.

ACTIVITY I

ACTIVITY II

ASSESSMENT

ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY

• Draw a prototype that you think is going to be useful 5 years from now.