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INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SYSTEMS

2. Different Types of Computers

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INTRODUCTION

 There are many different

types of computer available
today.

 They are categorised into

different types depending
upon their size and
processing power:

What are the categories?

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1. DESKTOP PC

 In the early days (1980's)

these types of machine were
called a micro-computer
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 The desktop PC has a central

processing unit housed in a
metal case (often a 'tower').
Along with a keyboard,
mouse and monitor.

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 DESKTOPS ARE USED FOR:

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 Office applications such as word-
processing, spreadsheets and databases.
 Engineering work - designing kitchens at a
showroom
 Video work - for handling your camcorder
 Music - creating, playing and storing

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 Entertainment and information - internet.

ADVANTAGES
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 They can be easily upgraded to include new software
or hardware
 They are relatively robust and can be used almost
continually for very long periods of time.
 It is possible to 'mix and match' specifications and
components, in effect creating a custom made machine.
 It is easy to replace an individual part if damaged or
worn out.
 They can run a vast range of software, often
simultaneously.
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DISADVANTAGES

 Desktop PCs are not easily portable. They are large

and heavy.
 They require a large amount of permanent office space.
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 They need a fan to prevent overheating. Thus they

can be fairly noisy.
 They can only be run on mains electricity and need to
be situated near to a power point.
 New advances in technology means that PCs get out of
date very quickly.

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 2. LAPTOPS

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 The key difference between a
Desktop PC and a laptop is that
the laptop is built as a relatively
small one-piece unit.

 Laptop computers generally cost

more than a Desktop PC with
exactly the same specification

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because they are more difficult to
design and manufacture.

ADVANTAGES
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 They are portable and very easy to carry around. They
can be used almost anywhere e.g. airports
 They are light to carry. Older laptops were fairly
heavy, but advances in technology and much improved
batteries have allowed them to become very lightweight.
 They are compact and can be easily stored in a
standard briefcase.
 They are quiet to run as unlike a Desktop PC, there is
often only a small (or no) cooling fan creating a noise.
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DISADVANTAGES

 They are more expensive to purchase than a similar

Desktop PC
 They are easily damaged if dropped
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 They cannot be expanded in the same way as a

Desktop PC e.g. new graphics cards, more memory.
 Can run on battery power for only a relatively short
time, usually between 1-6 hours.
 They are attractive to thieves and can be easily stolen.
 The screen may be small if needed for detailed work e.g.
CAD/CAM design

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 3. PDA

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 Originally developed as an
electronic organiser.
 Rapid development has resulted in
palm tops and PDAs becoming
almost cut down computers

Palmtops are very similar

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to PDAs in their use. The
main difference is that
Palmtops have a built in
keyboard.

ADVANTAGES
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 Small, can easily be fitted into a pocket or handbag.
 Lightweight to carry - typically 200g
 Long battery life compared with laptop (up to 30 hours)
 Power up immediately when they are turned on, no need to go
through boot up sequence.
 Many have cut down versions of common office software
 They can be connected to a desktop PC or Laptop and the files can
be transferred over.
 Many (but not all) Palmtops and PDAs are much lower in cost than
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PCs or Laptops
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DISADVANTAGES

 The screen is small

 Keyboards tend to be small and cramped
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 They cannot be easily upgraded

 They cannot be used for such a wide range of tasks as
the laptop or Desktop
 They are easy to steal
 They can be damaged if dropped
 They have a relatively small amount of memory and
cannot store large amounts of data

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 4. MAINFRAMES

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 Large, powerful computers that
can carry out different tasks
for many people at the same
time
 They execute billions of
instructions per second and can

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process large volumes of data
simultaneously.
• They are operated by specialist, trained personnel and
kept in air-conditioned rooms away from the office or
factory floor.

MAINFRAMES
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 They are usually
connected to a large
number of peripherals
e.g. printers, disc drives,
terminals and so on
 Very expensive an
average mainframe would
cost around 4 million
pounds to build.
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MAINFRAMES ARE USED FOR:

 Mainframe computers are often used to control an entire

factory assembly line - recording the movement of
materials, paying of bills, sending invoices and so on
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 Gas and Electricity suppliers - for Billing

 Banks - for managing your accounts
 Insurance companies - looking after your policies
 Airlines - handling your tickets
 Police - crime detection
 Car companies - managing factories

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 5. SUPERCOMPUTERS

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 Supercomputers are the fastest
and most expensive
computers in the world
 They are used for performing
trillions of complex
calculations in a very short

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time.

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SUPERCOMPUTERS ARE USED FOR:

 Weather forecasting
 Space exploration
 Advanced scientific
research
 Military establishment -
weapons research.
 Pharmaceutical \ Drug
testing
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BLUE GENE/L

 reported to operated at 280.6

teraflops per second
 130,000 processors
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 32 trillion bytes of memory

 400 TBytes of Hard Disk
Storage
 2.500 square feet of floor space
 built to simulate the physics of
a nuclear explosion

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 SUPERCOMPUTERS CONT…

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 Whilst they are working,
supercomputers generate
so much heat that an air
conditioning system is
required.
 There can be many miles
of cables which connect
the computer to the

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various peripherals.
 The supercomputer • The atmosphere must be kept free of dust
particles. Special filters have to be
usually requires its own
installed to ensure that the air is kept clean.
electricity generator

6. EMBEDDED COMPUTERS
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 The embedded computer
is a single chip that
contains all the elements
that are essential for any
computer i.e.
 RAM / ROM
Another term often used for an
 CPU
embedded computer is a
 Input / Output 'microcontroller'.
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 Clock
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EMBEDDED COMPUTERS CONT…

 Computer chips are now cheap enough to
install in everyday items. They offer
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many functions that would otherwise be

far too expensive to produce.
 Telephones
 Televisions
 Microwaves
 Washing Machines
 Cars