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Classification of Computer.pdf

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SK ABDUL HANIF

When computers first came out, they were as big as building rooms and had comparatively modest processing rates. Microprocessor technology led to a significant reduction in computer size and an increase in processing performance. Computers can be made in many different shapes and sizes with different processing powers, depending on their intended uses. In generally the computer systems can be classified on the following basis: Classifications of Computers System:-A. According to Size. B. According to Purposes. C. According to technology. A) According to Size Based on their outward size, internal capabilities, and external purposes, computers are divided into four classes. 1. Supercomputer 2. Mainframe computer 3. Minicomputer 4. Microcomputer SUPER COMPUTER The super computers are the most high performing system. A computer that performs better than a general-purpose computer is called a supercomputer. Supercomputer performance is usually measured in FLOPS (floating-point operations per second) instead of MIPS (million instructions per second). These are specially made to perform multi-specific tasks. Therefore, many CPUs work in parallel order on these supercomputers. This function of a Supercomputer is called Multiprocessing or Parallel Processing. The first supercomputer was created in the 1960s for the American Department of Defence (USA). All of the world's fastest 500 supercomputers run Linux-based operating systems. Supercomputers actually play an important role in the field of computation, and are used for intensive computation tasks in various fields. There are two broad categories of supercomputers: general purpose supercomputers and special purpose supercomputers. General purpose supercomputers can be further divided into three subcategories: 1) Vector processing supercomputers. 2) Tightly connected cluster computers. 3) Commodity computers. Supercomputers designed specifically to accomplish a specific task or objective are referred to as special purpose computers for the opposite reason. Application-Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) are usually used by them, and they provide higher performance.

tarek mahmud

Uns tariq sh

DR Uns Tariq

Computer can be classified in many ways. The common way is to classify the computer according to working principle, purpose and size. There are different types of computer.

umar haruna

Almarin Krepi

Lweendo Mulando

A Computer is machine that performs tasks, such as calculations or electronic communication, under the control of a set of instructions called a program. Programs usually reside within the computer and are retrieved and processed by the computer’s electronics. The program results are stored or routed to output devices, such as video display monitors or printers. Computers perform a wide variety of activities reliably, accurately, and quickly.

fredy kalonzo

Ionescu Andreea

This scientific article speaks about generations of computers, PC history, saving data, Von Neumann architecture, input/output peripherals, software instructions, programs, mainframe, minicomputers, microcomputers, supercomputers, libraries and operating systems, computer networks and Internet, introduction to the world of computers, evolution of computer systems, from the literature specialized in computer science. Computers are divided into: mechanical computers-water and gas meters, electromechanical computers-electricity meters, electronic computers (I generation of computers, II generation of computers, III generation of computers, IV generation of computers), optical computers and biological computers. After the highest prevalence, electronic computers are divided into: analogue-electronic computers, digital electronic-computers and hybrid electronic computers.

Ligaya Torralba

Principal Mptc

There are a lot of terms used to describe computers. To put it in simple words a computer can be defined as an electronic device that processes instructions and produces an output to the user. To unveil the secret behind this process, understanding of individual components is important. Starting with the case, we'll discuss the role and functionalities of the various peripherals and hardware which are integral parts of the computer. What is a Computer? A machine that can be programmed to : Receive information. Process the information according to a set of suitable instructions. Display desired result information. A computer can also be used to store information whenever required It is a device capable of performing arithmetic and logical operations Computer-The Framework Types of computers Analog-An analog computer represents data as physical quantities and operates on the data by manipulating the quantities Digital-A computer that stores data in terms of digits (numbers) and proceeds in discrete steps from one state to the next Hybrid-Hybrid computers are made by combining features of analog computers and digital computers

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Classification of Computers

CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS

Computers can be classified according to

• Physical size
• Functionality

Classification of computers according to physical size

Based on physical size computers can be classified into four main groups

• Super computers
• Mainframe computers
• Minicomputers
• Microcomputers

SUPERCOMPUTERS

Supercomputers are the fastest, largest, most expensive & also the most powerful computers available.

Characteristics

• Fastest computers
• Largest in size
• Most expensive
• Huge processing power
• Generate a lot of heat
• Use multiple processors
• They are operated by computer specialists.  A Supercomputer can be operated by over 500 users at the same time

Applications

• Scientific research
• Defense and weapon analysis
• Nuclear energy research
• Weather forecasting
• Petroleum research.

Note .  These tasks use large amounts of data, which need to be manipulated within a very short time.

Examples of Supercomputers:

• ABC (Atanasoff-Berry Computer)

Mainframe computers.

Mainframes are less powerful & less expensive than supercomputers. Mainframe executes many programs concurrently and supports many simultaneous execution of programs. They are mostly found in government and big organizations such as banks, hospitals, airports etc

• Have a large storage capacity
• Large in size
• Multi-processing
• Supports a variety of peripherals

Areas where mainframe computers are used:

Mainframe computers are mostly found in government departments, big organizations and companies which have large information processing needs, e.g., they are used; 

In Banks & Hospitals for preparing bills, Payrolls, etc. 

In communication networks such as the Internet where they act as Servers.

By Airline reservation systems where information of all the flights is stored.

Examples of Mainframes:

• IBM 360,4381.
• ICL 39 Series.
• CDC Cyber series.

Minicomputers.

A Minicomputer is physically smaller than a mainframe.  However, it can support the same peripheral devices supported by a mainframe.

• Multi-user, e.g., can be operated by 6 users at a time. 
• Easier to manufacture & maintain compared to mainframes.
• Cheaper than the mainframes
• They handle small amounts of data, are less powerful, & have less memory than the mainframes.
• Minicomputers are slow compared to mainframe computers.
• Used in scientific laboratories
• Used in research institutions
• Engineering plants
• Automatic processing

Also they are well adapted for functions such as

• Word processing
• Database administration

Microcomputers.

Microcomputers are the PCs mostly found today in homes, schools & many small offices.  They are called Personal Computers ( PCs ) because they are designed to be used by one person at a time.

• Are cheaper than both mini & mainframe computers.
• Are very fast (i.e. have high processing speeds).
• Small in size, hence they occupy less space in an office.
• Are more energy efficient (i.e., consume less power).
• Are more reliable than the early Mainframe computers.

Areas where microcomputers are used:

• Microcomputers are commonly used in:
• Training and learning institutions such as schools.
• Small business enterprises, and
• Communication centers as terminals.

The following are the various types of microcomputers in operation today arranged in descending order according to size.

• Desktop computer ; is designed to be placed on top of an office desk
• Notebook or laptop; portable convenient for mobile users.
• Personal Digital Assistant(PDA ); Is small enough to fit in the pocket

CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO PURPOSE.

Computers can be classified according to the tasks they perform as general or special purpose computers.

General purpose computers

They are the most common types of computers in use today. Their flexibility enables them to be applied in a wide range of applications like;

• Document processing
• Performing calculations,
• Accounting,
• Data and information management

Examples of general-purpose computers : Mainframes, Minicomputers, Microcomputers & Laptops used in most offices & schools.

Special-purpose computer.

A special-purpose computer is designed to handle/accomplish a particular specific task only. Such computers cannot perform any other task except the one they were meant to do.  Therefore, the programs which are used in a special-purpose computer are fixed (hard-wired) at the time of manufacture.

For example;

In a computer Network, the Front End Processor ( FEP ) is only used to control the communication of information between the various workstations and the host computer.

A Special-purpose computer is dedicated to a single task; hence it can perform it quickly & very efficiently.

Examples of special-purpose computers:

• Robots used in a manufacturing industry for production only.
• Mobile phones used for communication only.
• Calculators that carry out calculations only.
• Computers used in Digital watches.
• Computers used in Petrol pumps.

Dedicated computer

A Dedicated computer is a general-purpose computer that is committed to some processing task; though capable of performing a variety of tasks in different application environments.

• E.g., the computer can be dedicated to carrying out Word processing tasks only.

CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO FUNCTIONALITY

Usually, there are two forms of data; Digital data , and Analogue data . Computers can be classified according to the type of data they can process as either.

• Digital computers.
• Analogue computers

Hybrid computers.

Digital Computers

This is the most commonly used type of computers.

Digital computers process data that is discrete in nature. Discrete data also known as digital data is usually represented using a two-state square waveform. .  It can process both numeric & alphabetic data within the computer, e.g., 0, 1, 2, 3…, A,B,C….

Their operation is based on 2 states, “ON” & “OFF” or on digits “1” & “0”.  Therefore, any data to be manipulated by a digital computer must first be converted to digital form.

Most of the devices found at homes today are digital in nature.

• ¨A Television with a button which is pressed to increase or decrease the volume.
• ¨Digital watches.
• ¨Calculators.

Analogue computers.

An Analogue computer is a computer that operates on continuous data. They carry out their data processing by measuring the amount of change that occurs in physical attributes/quantities, such as changes in electrical voltage, speed, currents, pressure, length, temperature, humidity, etc.

An Analogue computer is usually a special-purpose device that is dedicated to a single task.  For example, they are used in specialized areas such as in:

• Scientific or engineering experiments,
• Military weapons,
• Controlling manufacturing processes like monitoring & regulating furnace temperatures and pressures.
• Weather stations to record & process physical quantities, e.g., wind, cloud speed, temperature, etc.

The output from analogue computers is in form of smooth graphs produced by a plotting pen or a trace on a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) from which the information can be read. 

Analogue computers are very accurate & efficient since they are dedicated to a single task.

They are very fast since most of them use multiple processors.

Examples of analogue devices:

• Thermometer. It uses a volume of Mercury to show temperature.  The Thermometer is calibrated to give an exact temperature reading.
• A Petrol pump measures the rate of flow of Gasoline (petrol) & converts the volume delivered to 2 readings; one showing the volume & the other showing the cost.
• A Post-office scale converts the weight of a parcel delivered into a charge for posting.
• A Monitor with knobs that are rotated to increase brightness.
• A Television with knobs that are rotated to increase or decrease the volume.

Hybrid computers are designed to process both analogue & digital data.  They combine both the functional capabilities of the digital and analogue computers. 

Hybrid computers are designed by interconnecting the elements of a digital computer & analogue computer directly into one processor, using a suitable interfacing circuitry.

Hybrid computers are more expensive.

In a hospital Intensive Care Unit , an analogue device may be used to measure the functioning of a patient’s heart, temperature and other vital signs.  These measurements may then be converted into numbers and send to a digital device, which may send an immediate signal to the nurses’ station if any abnormal readings are detected.

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Pre-Requisite: Basics of Computer

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 on the basis of size and on the basis of data handling capabilities.

Types of Computer

There are two bases on which we can define the types of computers. We will discuss the type of computers on the basis of size and data handling capabilities. We will discuss each type of computer in detail. Let’s see first what are the types of computers.

• Super Computer

Mainframe computer

• Mini Computer

Workstation Computer

Personal computer (pc), server computer, analog computer, digital computer, hybrid computer.

• Tablets and Smartphone

Now, we are going to discuss each of them in detail.

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 just in 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.

Super Computers

Characteristics of Supercomputers

• Supercomputers are the computers that are the fastest and they are also very expensive.
• It can calculate up to ten trillion individual calculations per second, this is also the reason which makes it even faster.
• It is used in the stock market or big organizations for managing the online currency world such as Bitcoin etc.
• It is used in scientific research areas for analyzing data obtained from exploring the solar system, satellites, etc.

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.

Characteristics of Mainframe Computers

• It is also an expensive or costly computer.
• It has high storage capacity and great performance.
• It can process a huge amount of data (like data involved in the banking sector) very quickly.
• It runs smoothly for a long time and has a long life.

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.

Characteristics of Minicomputer

• Its weight is low.
• Because of its low weight, it is easy to carry anywhere.
• less expensive than a mainframe computer.
• It is fast.

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.

Characteristics of Workstation Computer

• It is expensive or high in cost.
• They are exclusively made for complex work purposes.
• It provides large storage capacity, better graphics, and a more powerful CPU when compared to a PC.
• It is also used to handle animation, data analysis, CAD, audio and video creation, and editing.

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.

Personal Computer

Characteristics of Personal Computer (PC)

• In this limited number of software can be used.
• It is the smallest in size.
• It is designed for personal use.
• It is easy to use.

Server Computers are computers that are combined 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 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 computers 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.

As the name suggests hybrid, which means made by combining two different things. Similarly, the hybrid computer is a combination of both analog and digital computers. Hybrid computers are fast like analog computers and have memory and accuracy like digital computers. So, it has the ability to process both continuous and discrete data. For working when it accepts analog signals as input then it converts them into digital form before processing the input data. So, it is widely used in specialized applications where both analog and digital data are required to be processed. A processor which is used in petrol pumps that converts the measurements of fuel flow into quantity and price is an example of a hybrid computer. 

Tablet and Smartphones

Tablets and Smartphones are the types of computers that are pocket friendly and easy to carry is these are handy. This is one of the best use of modern technology. These devices have better hardware capabilities, extensive operating systems, and better multimedia functionality. smartphones and tablets contain a number of sensors and are also able to provide wireless communication protocols.

We generally classify computers on the basis of size, functionality, and data handling capabilities. For more, you can refer to Classification of Computers .

1. Which computer can deal with analog data?

(A) Analogue Computer

(B) Digital Computer

(C) both a and b

(D) None of the above

The correct option is A, i.e., Analogue computer Analogue computer is particularly designed to process analogue data. A  continuous data that changes continuously and cannot have discrete values is called Analogue data.

2. __________ is also known as a Microcomputer.

(A) Supercomputer

(B) Minicomputer

(C) Workstation

(D) Personal computer

Solution: 

The correct option is D, i.e., Personal computer.

3. Which type of computer has two or more processors and supports 4 to 200 users at one time?

(A) Minicomputer 

(B) Personal computer

(C) Analogue computer

(D) All of the above

The correct option is A, i.e., Minicomputer  Minicomputer is a medium sized multiprocessing computer. In this type of computer, there are two or more processors and it supports 4 to 200 users at one time.

4. All modern computers, like laptops, desktops including smartphones, are ______________computers.

(A) Hybrid 

(B) Analogue

(C) Digital

(D) Supercomputer

The correct option is C, i.e., digital.

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