There are different types of computers depending on the number of users they can support and their processing power. A computer is an electronic device that accepts data, processes it, stores and produces an output of the information.
There are Four Different Types of Computers
- Microcomputers
- Minicomputers
- Mainframe Computers
- Supercomputers
The Supercomputers
Supercomputers are very expensive, very fast, and the most powerful computers in the world. They are very large and can be accommodated in large air-conditioned rooms. These computers are task-specific and specialized mainly used by large organizations.
The performance of a supercomputer is measured in floating-point operations per second (FLOPS) instead of million instructions per second (MIPS). A good example is China’s new supercomputer-the Sunway TaihuLight which performs 100 quadrillion calculations per second.
Uses of Super Computers
- Scientific research
- Space exploration
- Weather forecasting
- Graphics animation
- Fluid dynamic calculations
- Nuclear energy research
- Weapons simulations
- Submarine tracking
- Pattern matching (in the biosciences)
- Graph analyses
- Cryptology
- Petroleum exploration
A list of the 10 Fastest Supercomputers in the World
- Sunway TaihuLight (China): 10,649,600 cores, 93,014 TFlops/s
- Tianhe-2 MilkyWay-2 (China): 3,120,000 cores, 33,962 TFlops/s
- Piz Daint (Switzerland): 361,760 cores, 19,590 TFlops/s
- Gyoukou (Japan): 19,860,000 cores, 19,136 TFlops/s
- Titan (United States): 560,640 cores, 17,590 TFlops/s
- Sequoia (United States): 1,572,864 cores, 17,173 TFlops/s
- Trinity (United States): 979,968 cores, 14,137 TFlops/s
- Cori (United States): 622,336 cores, 14,015 TFlops/s
- Oakforest-PACS (Japan): 556,104 cores, 13,555 TFlops/s
- K Computer – Sparc64 (Japan): 705,024 cores, 10,510 TFlops/s
Mainframe Computers -the Second The Different Types of Computers
This is a very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds, or even thousands, of users simultaneously. There are second in the hierarchy after supercomputers.
These computers process and store large amounts of data. Such information could be data about customers or students’ information depending on the firm. They are used by government organizations and large firms to run their operations.
Mainframe computers are housed in large air-conditioned rooms because of their size. The term mainframe has fallen out of use in favour of enterprise servers.
Minicomputers – the Third Different Types of Computers
Minicomputers are mid-sized computers. In terms of size and power, they are ranked below mainframes. A minicomputer is a multiprocessing system capable of supporting numerous users simultaneously.
But in general, a minicomputer is a multiprocessing and multitasking system capable of supporting numerous users simultaneously. They are resilient to high workloads.
NB; Users connect to the mainframe or minicomputers using a dumb terminal – using a keyboard and monitor.- A display monitor that has no processing capabilities.
A dumb terminal is simply an output device that accepts data from the CPU. In contrast, a smart terminal is a monitor that has its processor for special features, such as bold and blinking characters.
Dumb terminals are not as fast as smart terminals, and they do not support as many display features, but they are adequate for most applications.
Microcomputers or the Personal Computers
Lastly, when looking at different types of computers, we look at the less powerful of all. This is the microcomputer or personal computer.
The term microcomputer is generally synonymous with a personal computer (PC), or a computer that depends on a microprocessor. Microcomputers are designed to be used by individuals and they come in the form of PCs, workstations or notebook computers.
A microcomputer contains a central processing unit (CPU), a memory system (typically read-only memory and random access memory), a bus system and input-output ports. All these components are housed on the motherboard.
Microcomputers can be further classified as either;
- Desktop Computers and,
- Portable computers.
Desktop Computers
Desktop computers are not built to be mobile. They are designed to be used in a fixed place with a readily available power source. When moving to a new location, the power supply must be disconnected.
Desktop computers are large and heavy in comparison to portables. The monitor, keyboard, and mouse are all separate items on a desktop. Desktop computer components and devices are quite resilient to movement while active. They are not made to be constantly moved more so when they are operational.
Portable or Mobile Computers
Portable or mobile computers are designed specifically to be portable.
Characteristics of Portable Computers
- They are small, compact and light in weight.
- Mobile computers can be accommodated in a carry case.
- They come in a variety of sizes.
- They consume less power as opposed to desktops.
Examples of portable computers are; PDAs, Palmtops, Laptops, Tablets and Smart Phones.
