Classification of Computers System -: We see many Computers nearby, But they all are different from each other. In this article, we are going to know about the basics and classification of computers which included all the different types of computers
Classifications of Computers System:-
- On the Basis of Work
- On the Basis of Size
- On the Basis of Purposes
On the Basis of Work
On the basis of work, computer are categorized as follows
i) Analog Computer -: An analog computer a form of computer that uses continuous physical phenomena such as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic quantities to model the problem being solved.
Analog Computer carry out arithmetic and logical operations by manipulating and processing of data.
Analog computers are mainly used in the fields of science and engineering. Analog computers are slow and equipped to measure things rather than countable or check.
The efficiency of this computer increases when we get the result of the data in graphs, etc. Analog Computers cannot store statistics.
The vehicle’s speedometer, Voltmeter, Seismograph, a simple clock etc. are examples of analog computing.
ii) Digital Computer -: Digital computer is designed to perform calculations and logical operations at high speed. It accepts the raw data as input in the form of digits or binary numbers (0 and 1) and processes it with programs stored in its memory to produce the output. All modern computers like laptops, desktops including smartphones that we use at home or office are digital computers.
iii) Hybrid Computer -: A combination of computers those are capable of inputting and outputting in both digital and analog signals. Hybrid computer has features of both analogue and digital computer. It is fast like an analogue computer and has memory and accuracy like digital computers
So, it is widely used in specialized applications where both analogue and digital data is processed. For example, a processor is used in petrol pumps that converts the measurements of fuel flow into quantity and price. Similarly, they are used in airplanes, hospitals, and scientific applications.
On the Basis of Size
On the basis of Size, computer are categorized as follows
i) Microcomputer-: These types of computers are least powerful , yet the most widely used and fastest growing type of computers and these computers are also called portable computer. These computer consists of three basic categories of physical equipment i.e. system unit, Input/Output and memory. These computer are also called as personal computers. Example of Microcomputer are :
- Desktop Computer: A personal or micro-mini computer sufficient to fit on a desk.
- Laptop Computer: A portable computer complete with an integrated screen and keyboard. It is generally smaller in size than a desktop computer and larger than a notebook computer.
- Palmtop Computer/Notebook: A hand-sized computer. Palmtops have no keyboard but the screen serves both as an input and output device.
ii) Minicomputer -: It is a midsize multiprocessing computer. It consists of two or more processors and can support 4 to 200 users at one time. Minicomputers are used in institutes and departments for tasks such as billing, accounting and inventory management. A minicomputer lies between the mainframe and microcomputer as it is smaller than mainframe but larger than a microcomputer. Example of these computers are IB-17.DEC PDP-11,HP-9000.
iii) Mainframe-: Mainframe is very large in size and is an expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds or even thousands of users simultaneously. Mainframe executes many programs concurrently and supports many simultaneous execution of programs. Example of these computers are IBM Z Series, System z9 and System z10 servers.
iv) Workstation-: Workstation is a single user computer that is designed for technical or scientific applications. It has a faster microprocessor, a large amount of RAM and high speed graphic adapters. It generally performs a specific job with great expertise; accordingly, they are of different types such as graphics workstation, music workstation and engineering design workstation.
v) Supercomputers-: Supercomputer are one of the fastest computers currently available. Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for specialized applications that require immense amount of mathematical calculations (number crunching).They have high processing speed compared to other computers. The speed of these computers are measured in FLOPS(Floating points operations per second).Supercomputers are used for highly calculation intensive tasks such as weather forecasting, scientific simulations, (animated) graphics, fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy research, electronic design, and analysis of geological data (e.g. in petrochemical prospecting).
On the Basis of Purpose
On the basis of purpose, computer are categorized as follows:-
i) General Purpose Computer : These computers are used to solve variety of problems by changing the program or instructions e.g to make database, calculations, accounting etc.
ii) Special Purpose Computer: These computers used to solve a single and dedicated type of problems e.g. automatic, multimedia computers etc.
Points to be remember:
- Cray-1 was the world’ first supercomputer introduced by Seymour R. Cray in 1976.
- Siddhartha was the first supercomputer developed in india.
- Tianhe-2 is the world’s fastest supercomputer launched by china at NUDT University in 2013.
- Param was the first supercomputer developed in india in 1990.
- Since June 2022, USA’s Frontier is the world’s most powerful supercomputer, reaching 1102 petaFlops (1.102 exaFlops) on the LINPACK benchmarks.
