Chapter 1 – Classification of Computers

Basically computers can be classified into two main types- Analog and Digital.
Analog computers solve problems by constantly changing data.
Computers which tell us the temperature, pressure, voltage are Analog computers.
Digital computers compute using binary digits (0, 1).
They recognize the ‘On’ and ‘Off’ stage.
They are easier to maintain and store data than the Analog ones.
Another type of computer is Hybrid computer which is a combination of Digital and Analog.

These computers are used by large organizations for critical applications and huge data processing.
These are mostly used by the government and large scale businesses.
They are kept in climate controlled rooms and have multiple operating systems.

The highly calculative and extremely intensive tasks are handled by super computers.
They are capable to process trillions of calculations per second
They have the best memory capacity among all computers.
They are used for weather forecasts, quantum physics, space programs etc. where trillions of data is calculated and stored.

Mini computers were very popular during 1970-1980.
They were used widely by medium and small scale businesses like school offices.
They were called the third generation computers and took up the space that a refrigerator would take and were useful for storing small amount of data.

With changes in technology and companies like IBM and Apple making entries, computers became personal and people kept desktops and laptops for their personal use.
Such computers are used for personal works, used in offices and schools for learning process.