Computers are classified on the basis of size and data handling capabilities.
Various types of computers available for use are as follows.
1. Supercomputers.
These are the highest and fastest computers in terms of speed of data processing. Supercomputers are designed to process a huge amount of data, amounting to billions and trillions of instructions. This message have thousands of interconnected processors and are used in scientific and engineering applications such as weather forecasting, scientific simulations, nuclear energy recharges, stock market trading, artificial satellite management, space exploration etc.
2. Mainframe computer.
These messages are designed to support hundreds or thousands of users at the same time. They can support multiple programs simultaneously and are used in organization like banking, telephone sectors etc. Involved in processing a high volume of data.
3. Mini computers.
These are medium sized multiprocessing devices having two or more processors and supporting more than 100 users at a time. They are used in various institutes or departments for work like billing, accounting, inventory management etc.
These computers are smaller than mainframe computers, but larger as compared to micro computers.
4. Micro computers or personal computers?
These are general purpose machines designed for personal use, like making notes and other office work, listening to music, watching movies, etc.
It consists of a microprocessor as a CPU, memory input and output units.
5. Analog computers.
These computers are particularly designed to process analog data. It refers to data that changes continuously and cannot have discrete values. Such a computer is used in situation where exact or. Values like speed, temperature, pressure, etcetera are not required. Analog computer measure continuous changes in physical quantity and gets output as a reading on a dial or scale.
Examples. Speedometers. Mercury thermometers.
6. digital Digital computers.
These devices are designed to perform calculations and logical operations at high speed. They take input in the form of binary digit zero and one, which is then a processed by the computer to produce the final output or result. All modern computers like desktop, laptop, smartphone etc are digital computers.
7. Hybrid computers.
A hybrid computer is a combination of both analog as well as Digital computers. These devices are fast, like analog computers, and have the memory and accuracy of digital computers. They have the ability to process both continuous and discrete data. That is, they accept analog signal as input and they convert back into digital forms before processing the input data.
Example. A processor used in petrol pumps that converts the measurement of fuel flow into quantity and price is a hybrid computer.
8. General purpose computer.
It is a machine that is designed to carry out several different tasks like accessing the Internet, data storage and retrieval, playing games, playing videos and music multimedia, running application like word processing softwares.
Examples. Desktop computers and laptops, tablets, smartphones, gaming consoles, media system in medical, etcetera.
9. Special purpose computers.
These are devices made especially to cater to the requirements of a particular tasks or application. It incorporates the instructions needed into the design of internal storage so that it can perform the given talks on the simple command.
Example. Personal digital assistant. PDA. ATM card swiping machines, etc.
