q1 m1 - Introduction To Computer
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Kya Nilq1 m1 - Introduction To Computer
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Kya NilTechnology and Livelihood Education
COMPUTER SYSTEMS SERVICING
Quarter1 - Module 1
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER
A computer is an electronic device that has the capability to manipulate information
or data, store, retrieve, and process it for more useful information. It is programmable
so it can respond to specific instructions or commands.
Computers of the earlier years were of the size of a large room and were required to
consume huge amounts of electric power. However, with the advancing technology,
computers have shrunk to the size of a small watch. Depending on the processing
power and size of computers, they have been classified under various types. Let us
look at the classification of computers.
Different Types of Computers
Based on the operational principle of computers, they are categorized as analog,
digital and hybrid computers.
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.
Figure1. Different Types of Computer
Digital Computers: They use digital circuits and are designed to operate on two
states, namely bits 0 and 1. They are analogous to states ON and OFF. Data on these
computers is represented as a series of 0s and 1s. Digital computers are suitable for
complex computation and have higher processing speeds. They are programmable.
Digital computers are either general purpose computers or special purpose ones.
Special purpose computers, as their name suggests, are designed for specific types of
data processing while general purpose computers are meant for general use.
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.
Classification of Computers
The following are the classification of the different types of computers based on their
sizes and functionalities:
Mainframe Computers: 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 substitute for several small servers.
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
Servers: They are computers designed to provide services to client machines in a
computer network. They have larger storage capacities and powerful processors.
Running on them are programs that serve client requests and allocate resources like
memory and time to client machines. Usually they are very large in size, as they have
large processors and many hard drives. They are designed to be fail-safe and resistant
to crash.
Supercomputers: 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.
Figure2. Classification of Computer
Microcomputers: A computer with a microprocessor and its central processing unit it
is known as a microcomputer. They do not occupy space as much as mainframes do.
When supplemented with a keyboard and a mouse, microcomputers can be called
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 prove to be the best
choice for single-user tasks
Personal computers come in different forms such as desktops, laptops and personal digital assistants (refer to
Figure 3). Let us look at each of these types of computers.
Desktops: A desktop is intended to be used on a single location. The spare parts of a
desktop computer are readily available at relatively lower costs. Power consumption is
not as critical as that in laptops. Desktops are widely popular for daily use in the
workplace and households.
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.
Netbooks: They fall in the category of laptops, but are inexpensive and relatively
smaller in size. They had a smaller feature set and lesser capacities in comparison to
regular laptops, at the time they came into the market.
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 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.
Tablet Computers: Tablets are mobile computers that are very handy to use. They
use the touch screen technology. Tablets come with an onscreen keyboard or use a
stylus or a digital pen. Apple's iPod redefined the class of tablet computers.
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 and human health. 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 do not have to be turned on and off and remain in operation without user
intervention.
