INTRODUCTION
The work contained in this essay is an attempt to find out the types of computers which are there
and the components of the computer. A computer can defined in various ways and some of the
definitions are as follows.
“A Computer is machine that performs tasks, such as calculations or electronic communication,
under the control of a set of instructions called a program. Programs usually reside within the
computer and are retrieved and processed by the computer’s electronics. The program results are
stored or routed to output devices, such as video display monitors or printers. Computers perform
a wide variety of activities reliably, accurately, and quickly.” Snyder, T.L. (2008)
According to Brookshear “A computer can be defined as a device that’s accepts data in one form
and processes it to produce in another form.” (2009). The form in which data is accepted by the
computer varies very much from simple words or numbers to signals sent from or received by
other items of technology or a computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a list of
instructions. Depending on the processing powers and sizes of computers, they have been
classified under various types.
TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Based on the operational principle of computers, they are categorized as analog computers and
hybrid computers. Computers can be either digital or analog.
Analog Computers
These are almost extinct today. These are different from a digital computer because an analog
computer can perform several mathematical operations simultaneously. It uses continuous
variables for mathematical operations and utilizes mechanical or electrical energy.
Analog computer systems were the first type to be produced. A popular analog computer used in
the 20th century was the slide rule. To perform calculations with a slide rule, the user slides a
narrow, gauged wooden strip inside a ruler like holder. Because the sliding is continuous and
there is no mechanism to stop at any exact values, the slide rule is analog. New interest has been
shown recently in analog computers, particularly in areas such as neural networks. These are
specialized computer designs that attempt to mimic neurons of the brain. They can be built to
respond to continuous electrical signals. Most modern computers, however, are digital machines
whose components have a finite number of states for example, the 0 or 1, or on or off bits. These
bits can be combined to denote information such as numbers, letters, graphics, sound, and
program instructions.
Digital computers
Virtually all modern computers are digital. Digital refers to the processes in computers that
manipulate binary numbers (0s or 1s), which represent switches that are turned on or off by
electrical current. A bit can have the value 0 or the value 1, but nothing in between 0 and 1.
Analog refers to circuits or numerical values that have a continuous range. Both 0 and 1 can be
represented by analog computers, but so can 0.5, 1.5, or a number like p (approximately 3.14).
A desk lamp can serve as an example of the difference between analog and digital. If the lamp
has a simple on/off switch, then the lamp system is digital, because the lamp either produces
light at a given moment or it does not. If a dimmer replaces the on/off switch, then the lamp is
analog, because the amount of light can vary continuously from on to off and all intensities in
between.
Hybrid Computers
These computers are a combination of both digital and analog computers. In this type of
computers, the digital segments perform process control by conversion of analog signals to
digital ones.
The following are some of the other important types of computers:
Mainframe Computers
In early days of computing Mainframes are big computers that can fill the entire room or entire
floor. Large organizations use mainframes for highly critical applications such as bulk data
processing and ERP. Most of the mainframe computers have the capacities to host multiple
operating systems and operate as a number of virtual machines and can thus substitute for several
small servers. “Mainframes provide for maximum I/O connectivity as they accommodate huge
disc farms. Mainframes excel in providing maximum I/O band width. Interestingly in spite of all
the connected drives connected to the mainframe system, no data blocking ever happens to mar
its efficiency. Mainframe systems also provide for very good single thread operations.”
mapsofworld.com (06/10/10). The figure below shows an example of a main frame computer.
Minicomputers
In terms of size and processing capacity, minicomputers lie in between mainframes and
microcomputers. Minicomputers are also called mid-range systems or workstations. The term
began to be popularly used in the 1960s to refer to relatively smaller third generation computers.
They took up the space that would be needed for a refrigerator or two and used transistor and
core memory technologies. The 12-bit PDP-8 minicomputer of the Digital Equipment
Corporation was the first successful minicomputer. Minicomputers are more powerful but still
compatible version of a personal computer.
Supercomputer
A computer which, among existing general-purpose computers at any given time, is superlative,
often in several senses: highest computation rate, largest memory, or highest cost.
Predominantly, the term refers to the fastest “number crunchers,” that is, machines designed to
perform numerical calculations at the highest speed that the latest electronic device technology
and the state of the art of computer architecture allow. The highly calculation-intensive tasks can
be effectively performed by means of supercomputers. Quantum physics, mechanics, weather
forecasting, molecular theory are best studied by means of supercomputers. Their ability of
parallel processing and their well-designed memory hierarchy give the supercomputers, large
transaction processing powers. mapsofworld.com (06/10/10)
Wearable computers
A record-setting step in the evolution of computers was the creation of wearable computers.
These computers can be worn on the body and are often used in the study of behavior modeling,
information technologies, media development and human health. Government organizations,
Military and health professionals have incorporated wearable computers into their daily routine,
as a part of such studies. When the users’ hands and sensory organs are engaged in other
activities, wearable computers are of great help in tracking human actions. Wearable computers
are consistently in operation as they do not have to be turned on and off and are constantly
interacting with the user.
Microcomputers
A computer with a microprocessor and its central processing unit is known as a microcomputer.
They do not occupy space as much as mainframes. When supplemented with a keyboard and a
mouse, microcomputers can be called as personal computers. A monitor, a keyboard and other
similar input output devices, computer memory in the form of RAM and a power supply unit
come packaged in a microcomputer. These computers can fit on desks or tables and serve as the
best choices for single-user tasks.
Personal computers come in a variety of forms such as desktops, laptops and personal digital
assistants. The following are the types of personal computers.
Desktops: A desktop is intended to be used on a single location. “The spare parts of a desktop
computer are readily available at relative lower costs. Power consumption is not as critical as that
in laptops.” Harper (2008) Desktops are widely popular for daily use in workplaces and
households. The example of a desktop is shown below.
Laptops: Similar in operation to desktops, laptop computers are miniaturized and optimized for
mobile use. Laptops run on a single battery or an external adapter that charges the computer
batteries. They are enabled with an inbuilt keyboard, touch pad acting as a mouse and a liquid
crystal display. Its portability and capacity to operate on battery power have served as a boon for
mobile users.
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): It is a handheld computer and popularly known as a
palmtop. It has a touch screen and a memory card for storage of data. PDAs can also be
effectively used as portable audio players, web browsers and smart phones. Most of them can
access the Internet by means of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communication or Wireless Wide-Area
Networks (WWANs). Many PDAs employ touch screen technology.
