Types of computer

1. Dr B T Sampath Kumar
Professor
Department of Library and Information Science
Tumkur University, Tumakuru, INDIA
www.sampathkumar.info
Types of Computer

2. Types of computer
Computer can be categorized:
– Based on flexibility
– Based on efficiency
– Based on working principle

3. Flexibility of operation
General Purpose Computer
• General-purpose computers are designed to
solve a wide variety of problems.
• Computers used in Banks, libraries, hotels,
railways, educational institutes etc.,

4. Cont..
Special Purpose Computers
• A special purpose computer is one that is
designed to solve a restricted class of
problems.
• Computers used in R&D organizations,
Satellite launching and Aircraft.

5. Based on efficiency
Supercomputer
• Supercomputers are the biggest and fastest
computers.
• They are designed to process huge amount of
data.
• They can process trillions of instructions in a
second.
• They have thousands of interconnected
processors.

6. Cont..
Mainframe computer
• Mainframe computers are designed to
support hundreds or thousands of users
simultaneously.
• They can support multiple programs at the
same time.
• It means they can execute different processes
simultaneously.

7. Cont..
• These features of mainframe computers make
them ideal for big organizations like:
– Banking
– Telecom sectors
– Railways
– Companies where they need to manage and
process high volume of data.

8. Cont..
Microcomputer
• Microcomputer is also known as personal
computer.
• It is a general purpose computer that is
designed for individual use.
• It has a microprocessor as a central processing
unit, memory, storage area, input unit and
output unit.
• Laptops and desktop computers are examples
of microcomputers.

9. Cont..
Laptop
• These computers are portable computers and
they are easy to carry.
• As the size reduced, the term also changed to
laptop.
• The name was probably given because they
are used by keeping it on the laps while users
are on move

10. Cont..
Notebook Computers
• A notebook is an extremely lightweight
personal computer.
• Notebook computer typically weigh less than
six pounds
• It is small enough to fit easily in a briefcase.

11. Based on working principle
Analogue Computer
• Analogue computers are designed to process
the analogue data.
• Analogue data is continuous data that changes
continuously and cannot have discrete values
such as speed, temperature, pressure and
current
• Analogue computers directly accept the data
from the measuring device without first
converting it into numbers and codes.

12. Cont..
Digital Computer
• Digital computer is designed to perform
calculations and logical operations at high
speed.
• It accepts the raw data as digits or numbers
and processes it with programs stored in its
memory to produce output.
• All modern computers like laptops and
desktops that we use at home or office are
digital computers.

13. Cont..
Hybrid Computer
• Hybrid computer has features of both
analogue and digital computer.
• It is very fast like analogue computers and has
memory and accuracy like digital computers.
• It can process both continuous and discrete
data.
• So it is widely used in specialized applications
where both analogue and digital data is
processed.