Classification of Computer
Computer can be broadly classified into four Categories based on their speed, amount of of data that they can process, and price. these categories are as follows:
- Supercomputers
- Mainframe Computers
- Minicomputers
- Micro Computers
Supercomputers
Among the four categories, the supercomputer is the fastest, most powerful, and most expensive computer Supercomputers were first developed in the 1980s to process large amounts of data and to solve complex scientific problems. Supercomputers use parallel processing technology and can perform more than one trillion calculations in a second.
A single supercomputer can support thousands of users at the same time. Such computers are mainly used for weather forecasting, nuclear energy research, aircraft design, automotive design, online banking, controlling industrial units, etc. Some examples of supercomputers are CRAY-I, CRAY-2, Control Data CYBER 205, and ETA A-10.
Mainframe Computers
Mainframe computers are large-scale computers (but smaller than supercomputers). These are very expensive and need a very large clean room with air conditioning, thereby making them very costly to deploy. As with supercomputers, mainframes can also support multiple processors. For example, the IBM S/390 mainframe can support 50,000 users at the same time. Users can access mainframes by either using terminals or via PCs.
Mainframe computers are typically used as servers on the World Wide Web. They are also used in organizations such as banks, airline companies, and universities, where a large number of users frequently access the data stored in their databases. IBM is the major manufacturer of mainframe computers. Some examples of mainframe computers include IBM S/390, Control Data CYBER 176, and Amdahl 580.
Minicomputers
As the name suggests, minicomputers are smaller, cheaper, and slower than mainframes. They are called minicomputers because they were the smallest computer of their times. Also known as midrange computers. the capabilities of minicomputers fall between mainframe and personal computers.
Minicomputers are widely used in business, education, hospitals, government organizations, etc. While some minicomputers can be used only by a single user, others are specifically designed to handle multiple users simultaneously. Usually, single-user minicomputers are used for performing complex design tasks As with mainframes, minicomputers can also be used as servers in a networked environment, and hundreds of PCs can be connected to it.
The first minicomputer was introduced by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) in the mid-1960s. Other manufacturers of minicomputers include IBM Corporation (AS/400 computers), Data General Corporation, and Prime Computer.
Microcomputers
Microcomputers, commonly known as PCs, are very small and cheap. The first microcomputer was designed by IBM in 1981 and was named IBM-PC Later on, many computer hardware companies copied this design and termed their microcomputers PC-compatible, which refers to any PC that is based on the original IBM PC design.
Another type of popular PC is designed by Apple. PCs designed by IBM and other PC-compatible computers have a different architecture from that of Apple computers. Moreover, PCs and PC-compatible computers commonly use the Windows operating system, while Apple computers use the Macintosh operating system (MacOS).
Source: Python programming using problem solving approach by reema thareja.
