Week 2: Clear: The Computer and Its Diverse Categories

A computer is an electronic device that processes data and produces results under a specific rules and instructions. There are seven categories of computers and each category has certain characteristics.

Personal Computers

Personal computers can perform all of its activities on its own and can fit on or under a desk, hence the name desktops.
There are two types of personal computers, desktops and notebooks.

Mobile Computers and Mobile Devices

A mobile computer is a personal computer that you can easily be taken from place to place. A mobile device is a personal computer that you can hold in your hand. This category includes notebooks, tablet PCs, and smart phones.



Notebooks are personal computers than can be easily transported and fit on your lap, hence the name laptops. Compared to desktop computers, notebooks are thinner and lighter but don't have the same amount of power. Notebook computers are generally more expensive than comparable desktop computers.





Tablet PC's are considered a special type of notebook. These notebooks allow the user to write or draw on the screen with a digital pen. The digital pen can also be used to give the computer it's instructions rather than using a mouse or keyboard. These computers also come with a voice input so the user can also give instructions by talking.




Smartphones are internet- based phones that have a lot of the capabilities of personal computers. However, these are controlled by single handed motions. Most smart phones nowadays have the ability to receive and send email, take pictures and videos, play music, and manage time and word documents. In addition, instead of calling someone, a smart phone allows you to send text messages, picture messages, instant messages, and video messages.

Game Consoles

A game console is a computing device that's made for interactive single-player or multi-player games. These consoles require a controller input, a TV, and a disc that contains the game. These game consoles weigh between two and nine pounds therefore they are easily transportable. The four most popular games consoles are the Playstation 3, Xbox 360 (pictured above), Nintendo Wii, and the Nintendo DS Lite.

Servers

Basically a server controls a network. It restricts access to the hardware, software, and other resources the network provides. The server also provides a centralized storage system for the network. People access these servers on a network with their personal computers.

Mainframes

Mainframes can handle hundreds or thousands or connected users at the same time. They are very large, powerful, and expensive. Mainframes can store a huge amount of data. This is why big corporations use them.

Super Computers

Super computers are the fastest and most powerful computers in the world. Common sense, being they are the most expensive. These computers are capable of computing over a trillion instructions in a single second. Super computers are huge and can way over one hundred tons and can store more than 20,000 as much as a personal computer. Pictured above is IBM's Roadrunner. Computers like these are created to solve complex math calculations and are used in the fields of medicine, aerospace, automotive design, online banking, weather forcasting, nuclear energy research, and petroleum explorations.

Embedded Computers

Embedded computers are made for a special purpose and are generally small. These computers are used in everyday appliances like microwaves, TVs, dishwashers, washers and dryers, navigation systems, and even thermostats. Their basic purpose is to be a component of larger product and because of their size, they have limited capabilities.

The Business World

These categories are essential to the business environment and is the backbone to the way we compute. If there wasn't computers then we would be in the dark ages again and wouldn't have near the capabilities and the technology that we have now. There would be no internet or networks so the time it would take for information to get around is astronomical. If we didn't have this technology we would still be using the basis of pen and paper with horseback riding.

Categories of Computers

This site (above) further explains the category of computers and even has them grouped by their category and characteristics. It describes in detail about the different types and tells their capabilities. It would be a perfect website for studying these topics.