Types of Computers

On the basis of principle of construction

Computers are divided into three types:

• Analog Computers
• Digital Computers
• Hybrid Computers
 Analog Computers
• An analog computers is a form of computer that uses the
continuously changeable aspects of physical phenomena such
electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic quantities to model the
problem being solved.
• As mechanical computers used in World War Second II for
controlling gun fire.
• Analog computers are also used in science and industry.
• Analog computers deal with measure data.
Examples: 1. Thermometer because it measures the length of a
mercury column, which varies continuously.
2. Analog Clock
3. Car Speedometer
 Digital Computers
• A digital computer is an electronic computing machine that
uses the binary digits(bits) 0 and 1 to represent all forms of
information internally in digital form.
• Every computer has a set of instructions that define the basic
functions it can perform.
• Sequences of these instructions constitute machine-language
(Low level language in the form of 0’s and 1’s )programs that
can be stored in the computers.
Examples:
1. Calculator (a small computer)
2.Digital clock, Digital watches
3. Weighing machines
4. Consumer electronic equipment (such as microwave oven )
5. Automobiles
6. Mini, Micro, Mainframe and super computers.
 Diff b/w : Analog and Digital
Computers
Analog Digital
Analog computer works with continuous values. Digital computers works with discrete value (0,1). It
can work only with digits

It has very limited memory. It can store large amount of data.

It has no state. It has two states on and off
It can perform certain types of calculations. Its speed of calculation is very high.
It is difficult to use It is easy to use.
Analog computers is used in engineering and Digital computer is widely used in almost all fields
scientific applications. of life.

Analog computer is used for calculations and Digital computer is used to calculate mathematical
measurement of physical quantities such as weight, and logical operations.
height, temperature and speed.

Its accuracy is high. Its accuracy is comparatively low.

Its readability is low. Its readability is high.
Examples: Thermometer, analog clock, older Examples: digital watches, digital weighing
weighing machines. Car speedometer, voice , machines, mini computers, microcomputers,
radio/tv signal etc. mainframe computers and super computers.
 Hybrid Computers
• Hybrid computes are computers that exhibit features of
analog computers and digital computers.
• The digital component normally serves as the controller and
provides logical operations.
• The analog component normally serves as a solver of
differential equations.
Examples:
1. An example of a hybrid computer system is a cement plant where all
calculations are made by digital systems(digital computers) and
accordingly actions such ass increase of certain material in the
furnace and increase / decrease of fuel for temperature is performed
by the help of analog system.
2. ICU (Intensive care unit) of hospital.
3. Gas Pump Station (where measurement of gas by analog system,
and displaying such calculation by digital system(computer).
 Classification of Digital
Computers
• Computers are classified according to sizes, speed and memory capacity.
Computers are different types:

• Super Computers
• Mainframe Computers
• Mini Computers
• Micro/Personal Computers
– Desktop Computes
– Laptop Computers
– Tablet Computers
– Palmtop (handheld pc) Computers
 Super Computers
• Supercomputer are very fast computers that can perform hundreds of
millions of instructions per second. These are the fastest calculating
devices.
• Uses:
– Super computer are used by government agencies .
– Used for scientific and engineering applications that must handle very
large databases or do a great amount of computation.
– Astronomers and space scientists use super computers to study the Sun
and space weather.
– Supercomputers are used in nuclear technology.
– Supercomputers are used to research in the field of medicine. For
example Cancer.
– Supercomputers are used for the heavy stuff like weather maps,
construction of atom bombs, finding oil, earthquake prediction, and
sciences where a lot of calculations must be done.
 World's Fastest Super
Computers Ref:
www.top500.org
RANK SUPER COMPUTER NAME SPEED

Operating System
1 K Computer(JAPAN ) Linux

2 Tianhe-1A (China) Operating System

Linux

Operating System
Linux
3 Jaguar

CPU speed measures in petaflops/s. (floating point operations per second.)

A petaflop/s is equivalent to 1,000 trillion calculations per second.
Now a days, Japan is stand on first poistion. But
China was rapidly becoming a "player" in high performance computing. China aims to
become supercomputer superpower
Jaguar Super Computer
 Mainframe Computers
• Mainframe computers are smaller than Super Computers. Usually, a
main frame would occupy an entire room and could cost over million
dollars.
• The name comes from the way the machine is build up: all units
(processing, communication etc.) were hung into a frame. Thus main
computer is build into a frame, therefore it is called mainframe.
• Mainframes are typically manufactured by large companies such as IBM,
Hitachi etc.
• Uses:
– Mainframe computers are the big, powerful, expensive computers used in
the background by most large organizations.
– Mainframe computers are used to run commercial applications and
other large-scale computing purposes.
– It is also used in banking and insurance businesses where enormous
amounts of data are processed.
– For example millions of records , each day.
Mainframe Compuer
 Mini Computers
• Minicomputers are relatively low cost and small .
• This setup (mini Computers) allowed more people to have access to
computers.
• minicomputer is a class of multi-user Computer that lies in
the middle range of the computing spectrum, in between the
largest Multi-user systems (mainframe computer) and the
smallest single-user systems (Microcomputers or personal
computers.
• Uses:
– Mainframe computers are used to run commercial applications and
other large-scale computing purposes.
– It is also used in banking and insurance businesses where enormous
amounts of data are processed.
– For example millions of records , each day.
Mini Computer Name: PDP 7
 Personal (Micro)
•
Computers
The term “ microcomputer” came into popular use after the introduction
of the minicomputer.
• A personal computer (PC) is any general-purpose Computer whose size,
capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which
is intended to be operated directly by an end user.
• A personal computer may be a desktop computer, a laptop, a tablet PC, or a
handheld PC (also called a palmtop).
• Software applications for personal computers include word processing,
spreadsheets, databases, Web browsers and e-mail clients, games and special-
purpose software applications.
• A PC may be used at home or in an office. Personal computers may be
connected to a local area network (LAN), either by a cable or a wireless
connection.
 Personal (Micro)
Computers : Features
• Cheap and easy to use:
– Micro computers are cheap and easy to use.
• Limited Support for I/O device
– They support very limited input and output capacities.
• Storage Capacity
– They have less storage capacity
• Software Capacity
– These computers support very limited number of software
• Architecture
– Most of microcomputers are self-contained unit, which are light enough and can be
moved easily.
• Number of Operators
– They are designed to be used by one person at a time.
• I/O devices
– In addition to CPU , a microcomputer has diff input / output devices like.
 Personal (Micro)
Computers : Features
• Data Storage
– Hard disk and floppy disk drivers are used to enter and store data and programs.

• Softcopy Output
– A visual display screen (monitor) and / or a printer is used to get the output.
 Personal (Micro)
Computers : Uses
• Like other computers (super, mainframe, micro), personal
computers can be instructed to perform a variety of individual
functions.
• A set of instructions that tells a computer what to do is called a
program.
• Today, thousands of application programs are available for use on
personal computers. They include such popular programs as word
processing programs, spreadsheet programs, database programs,
and communication programs.
• Desktop Computers
– Today the desktop computers those computers which have the
different desktop computer cases that can be laid on the desk and they
are different from the tower computers on the basis of the design of the
case as in tower computers .
Personal Computer (Desktop)
 Personal (Micro)
Computers : Uses

• Laptop Computers
– A laptop is a personal computer designed for mobile use.
– It is small and light enough to sit on a person’s lap while in use.
– A laptop integrate most of the typical components of a desktop
computer , including a display , keyboard, a pointing device ( a touch
pad, also known as a track pad, and / or a point stick, speakers, and
often including a battery, into a single small and light unit.
Personal Computer (Laptop)
 Personal (Micro)
Computers : Uses
• Palmtop Computers
– A computer small enough to hold in one hand and operate with the
other. Also called a “handtop”
– These ultra-small computers may have specialized keyboards or
keypads for data entry applications or have small qwerty keyboards.
– Because of their small size, most palmtop computers do not include
disk drives .
– However, many contain PCMCIA(Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association) slots in which you can insert disk drives,
modems, memory, and other devices.
Personal Computer (palmtop)
 Personal (Micro)
Computers : Uses
• Tablet Computers
• A tablet personal computer (tablet PC) is a portable personal
computer equipped with a touchscreen as a primary input device
and designed to be operated and owned by an individual
– The Tablet PC provides all of the features, reliability and
power of Windows XP, plus pen and ink capabilities that
allow you to write directly on the screen or use the pen as
you would a mouse and keyboard.
– The Tablet PC extends the way you would use a laptop or
notebook computer.
– You can use the wireless pen to take notes while in
meetings, sketch ideas, even add personality to your e-
mail and instant messages.
Tablet Computers
 Discussion
Chapter is over

By: Muhammad Waheed Khan

E-mail:Hpwkhan@hotmail.com
Website:whogwarts.blogspot.com