Types of Computers and their example with a Brief ( With Picture & Video )

Computers vary widely in performance, size and cost. Depending upon these parameters, the computer industry classifies them into following Categories :

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1. Microcomputers (Micros, for short) 

2. Minicomputers (Minis, for short)  

3.  Mainframes 

4. Supercomputers 

Performance is measured in terms of speed of processing instructions, storage capacity, ability to handle a large number of input and output devices, and nature of operations performed. Generally, better the performance, the larger the size, and higher the cost. 

1.  MICROCOMPUTERS 

Microcomputers are the lowest end of the computer range. The special purpose devices that are used to control washing machines and the highly visible personal computers you use on desktops both fall under this category. 

The most common applications of the PC are word processing, spreadsheet calculating and database managing. The other applications are desktop publishing, accounting, Internet browsing, graphics and project management. 

There are different types of Microcomputer  is following below.

• Desktop Computer
• Laptop
• Smartphone
• Notebook
• Tablet

There are four basic components of microcomputer are following below:-

• CPU  (Central Processing Unit)
• Input device (Keyboard, Mouse, Scanner)
• Output device (Printer, Monitor, Speaker, Headphones)
• Memory( storage )

Alert : We will learn in next articles

2.  MINICOMPUTERS 

 Minicomputers perform better, are larger in size, and cost more than the micros. Normally, they are designed to support " more than one user at a time. They possess larger storage capacity and operate at 4 higher speed. They support fasteroperating peripheral devices like high-speed printers which print hundreds of lines per minute. They can also communicate with mainframes. They are mostly used as servers in Local Area Networks (LANs). 

Explains Minicomputer in a Brief

IBM Corporation was the first to create minicomputers in the mid-1960s. They were created primarily for commercial applications and services that demand mainframe computer performance and efficiency. Minicomputers are commonly used as mid-range servers, capable of running mid-sized software programmes and supporting several users at the same time.

Minicomputers can have one or more processors, enable multiprocessing and tasking, and can handle heavy tasks. Minicomputers are more powerful than personal computers and workstations, yet being smaller than mainframe or supercomputers.

1. IBM System/3
2. Honeywell 200
3. TI-990
4. Data General Nova
5.  Hewlett-Packard HP 3000 series and HP 2100 series 
6. Honeywell-Bull DPS 6/DPS 6000 series

3. MAINFRAMES 

Mainframes are typically more powerful than minis. They operate at very high speeds, have very large storage capacities and can support hundreds of users . 

They are used for data-processing in large organisations where the records of thousands of employees or customers have to be processed. They are also used to manage large centralised databases. They are used as controlling nodes in Wide Area Networks (WANs) .

The mainframe computer's functions

Mainframes are typically used to transport data in real time. That is why they are purchased by global corporations in the first place. Processing isn't one of its strong points. However, later generations now have the capacity to process bits. This allows mainframes to detect a defect in real time during a transaction. The latest technologies, such as cloud computing, are gradually displacing mainframes, but organisations are still compelled to purchase mainframes to some extent. Because mainframes specialise on high-speed data transfer, this is the case. Advanced technologies will continue to enter the market, but the preceding ones will not lose market share due to their specialisation.

What is the best place or where to use mainframe computer?

Mainframes are utilised for a variety of applications in which no downtime is acceptable. It isn't utilised for complicated medical calculations or weather predictions. It's typically utilised for minor tasks that need to be completed fast. It will generate mayhem if mainframes used by shops and banks go down during rush hour. As a result, many mainframe customers run two mainframes, one in the primary data centre and the other in the backup data centre, to avoid planned and unforeseen disruptions.

4. SUPERCOMPUTERS 

Supercomputers are at the highest end of the computer range. They are the fastest and the most expensive machines, and are considered as a national resource. They are used for designing Space shuttles, automobiles, missiles etc. 

Super Computer tour video :

One of the ways in which supercomputers are built is by ‘interconnecting hundreds of ricron\goeesors and making them function in parallel. These computers’ e capable of performing  billions of calculations per second.

In the medical field, Supercomputers are used to study the structure of viruses, such as those causing AIDS. 

Designing an aircraft involves stimulating and analysing the airflow around the aircraft. This again requires a supercomputer. Weather forecasting, earth-quake predictions, nuclear designs all involve calculations done by a supercomputer. 

India is one of the few countries in the world to have its own supercomputer. The Indian supercomputer, designed entirely by our scientists, has been aptly named as Param.

What is the speed of supercomputing?

Floating-point operations per second are used to measure supercomputing (FLOPS). A thousand trillion flops equals one petaflop, which is a measurement of a computer's processing speed. A 1-petaflop computer system, on the other hand, can do one quadrillion (1015) flips. Supercomputers, on the other hand, can have a million times the processing power of the quickest laptop.

Which supercomputer is the fastest?

The world's fastest supercomputer, according to the TOP500 list (link sits outside of ibm.com), is Japan's Fugaku, which has a speed of 442 petaflops as of June 2021. Summit and Sierra, two IBM supercomputers, come in second and third place, with 148.8 and 94.6 petaflops, respectively. Summit is housed in Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, which is run by the US Department of Energy. Sierra is based at California's Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Aurora, an IBM supercomputer with exascale computing capabilities, is anticipated to be released later in 2021. The term "exascale computing" refers to supercomputing at a rate of more than 1018 floating-point operations per second. This speed is one quintillion flops per second, or 1,000 petaflops per second.

To put today's speeds in context, Cray-1 ran at about 160 megaflops when it was deployed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in 1976. One million (106) flops may be performed by a single megaflop.