By Computers are devices that perform various types of computation. Depending on their purpose, they can be divided into General-purpose computers, Workstations, Mainframes, and Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs). The types of computers available for everyday use include desktops, laptops, and desktop servers. Most computers can perform almost any kind of computable function, although their memory capacity and operating speeds are limits. Different designs of computers can provide different levels of performance for specific problems.
General-purpose computers are a type of computer system that uses hardware and software to perform calculations. The hardware consists of a processor, which is the brain of the computer, and memory, which stores and manipulates data. The computers also have various devices to exchange data with the outside world. These devices help to make computer systems more flexible and useful for many purposes.
The first general-purpose computer was the Ferranti Mark I, which was delivered to the University of Manchester and Shell laboratories in Amsterdam in 1951. General-purpose computers were also promoted in the early 1950s by J. Lyons & Company, who created a model based on the EDSAC developed by the Cambridge University. In April 1951, this computer became operational and performed the first office computer job.
Mainframes
Mainframe computers are powerful computers that run critical applications. These systems are typically used by large organizations for large-scale transaction processing and bulk data processing. They also process consumer and industry statistics and are used for enterprise resource planning. Mainframes are also known as big iron. Here are some things to know about these machines.
Besides being reliable and flexible, mainframe computers can run multiple operating systems and applications. Moreover, they have good performance measure, which means that page they are used in various sectors. They can also support multiple applications without compromising on the performance.
PDAs
Today’s PDAs are getting smaller and more powerful, but they won’t replace your desktop or laptop any time soon. Instead, they will complement these devices with increased power and versatility. However, word processing and spreadsheets will remain the exclusive domain of PCs, and PDAs will be limited in these areas due to inefficiency in entering large amounts of data.
A PDA’s microprocessor powers its functions, coordinating functions according to programmed instructions. Although PDA microprocessors are much slower than their PC counterparts, they are sufficient for most PDA tasks.
