What is a computer?
What is a computer?
A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data.
It has the ability to store, retrieve, and process data. You may already
know that you can use a computer to type documents, send email, play
games, and browse the Web. You can also use it to edit or
create spreadsheets, presentations, and even videos.
Hardware vs. software
Before we talk about different types of computers,
let's talk about two things all computers have in
common: hardware and software.
Hardware is any part
of your computer
that has a physical
structure, such as the
keyboard or mouse.
It also includes all of
the computer's
internal parts, which
you can see in the
image below.
Software is any set
of instructions that
tells the
hardware what to
do and how to do
it. Examples of
software include
web browsers,
games, and word
processors.
Everything you do on your computer will rely on both hardware
and software. For example, right now you may be viewing this
lesson in a web browser (software) and using
your mouse (hardware) to click from page to page. As you learn
about different types of computers, ask yourself about the
differences in their hardware. As you progress through this tutorial,
you'll see that different types of computers also often use different
types of software.
What are the different types of
computers?
When most people hear the
word computer, they think of
a personal computer such as
a desktop or laptop. However,
computers come in many shapes and
sizes, and they perform many
different functions in our daily lives.
When you withdraw cash from an
ATM, scan groceries at the store, or
use a calculator, you're using a type
of computer.
Desktop computers
Many people use desktop
computers at work, home,
and school. Desktop
computers are designed to
be placed on a desk, and
they're typically made up
of a few different parts,
including the computer
case, monitor, keyboard,
and mouse.
Laptop computers
The second type of
computer you may be
familiar with is a laptop
computer, commonly
called a laptop. Laptops
are battery-powered
computers that are more
portable than desktops,
allowing you to use them
almost anywhere.
Tablet computers
Tablet computers—
or tablets—are
handheld computers
that are even more
portable than laptops.
Instead of a keyboard
and mouse, tablets use
a touch-sensitive
screen for typing and
navigation. The iPad is
an example of a tablet.
Servers
A server is a computer that
serves up information to
other computers on a
network. For example,
whenever you use the
Internet, you're looking at
something that's stored on a
server. Many businesses also
use local file servers to store
and share files internally.
Other types of computers
Many of today's electronics are basically specialized
computers, though we don't always think of them that
way. Here are a few common examples.
• Smartphones: Many
cell phones can do a
lot of things
computers can do,
including browsing
the Internet and
playing games. They
are often
called smartphones.
Wearables: Wearable
technology is a general
term for a group of
devices—
including fitness
trackers and smartwatch
es—that are designed to
be worn throughout the
day. These devices are
often
called wearables for
short.
Game consoles: A game
console is a specialized
type of computer that is
used for playing video
games on your TV.
TVs: Many TVs now
include applications—
or apps—that let you
access various types of
online content. For
example, you can
stream video from the
Internet directly onto
your TV.
PCs and Macs
Personal computers come in two main styles: PC and Mac.
Both are fully functional, but they have a different look and
feel, and many people prefer one or the other.
PCs
This type of computer began
with the original IBM PC that was
introduced in 1981. Other
companies began creating
similar computers, which were
called IBM PC Compatible (often
shortened to PC). Today, this is
the most common type of
personal computer, and it
typically includes the Microsoft
Windows operating system.
Macs
The Macintosh computer
was introduced in 1984,
and it was the first widely
sold personal computer
with a graphical user
interface,
or GUI (pronounced gooey)
. All Macs are made by one
company (Apple), and
they almost always use
the Mac OS X operating
system.
