CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER BY SIZE
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS BY SIZE
Computers can be
generally categorized into four, namely:
- Super computers
- Mainframe computers
- Mini computers
- Micro computers
SUPER COMPUTER
These are the largest,
fastest and most expensive computers. The cost is several millions of dollars
and the speed is between 600 million to 900 million instructions per second
(MIP).
Another name for super
computer is MONSTER. Scientists in weather forecasting, exploration make use of
super computers. It can also be used for complex calculations e.g CRAY, X-MP
etc.
MAINFRAME COMPUTERS
A mainframe computer is
a large computer in terms of price, size of internal memory and speed. It has a
variety of peripheral devices such as printers, plotters etc more than those
found with small computers, except small computers with large amount of external
storage.
Mainframe computers
usually need a specialized environment to operate, with dust, temperature and
humidity carefully controlled. They are used in large establishments e.g banks,
airports etc. Examples of Mainframe computers are IBM 360/370,NCR-V 8800.
MINI COMPUTERS
Mini computers were
developed in the 1970s for specialized tasks (i.e they are special purpose
computers). They are smaller and less powerful and less expensive than
mainframes.
Mini computers, as they
are called, are easier to install and operate e.g PDP II, VAX 750/6000,
NCR 9300, DEC, HP 3000 etc.
MICRO COMPUTERS
A microcomputer is a
computer whose central processing unit (CPU) is based on a microprocessor.
Micro computers are at
present the most popular of computers. They are very small. The capability is
generally not as many and not as complex as mini computers or Mainframe
computers. They are easy to use. Another name for microcomputer is
Personal Computer (PC).
REASONS WHY MICRO
COMPUTERS ARE WIDELY USED
- They are cheap.
- They have small sizes.
- They do not require special
environment for their operations.
- They can be used anywhere.
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