A computer is a programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are: That responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner and it can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program).
Modern Computers Defined
Modern computers are digital and digital. The actual machinery - wires, transistors, and circuits - is named hardware; the instructions and data are called software.
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All general-purpose computers demand the following hardware components:
Memory: enables a computer to store, at least temporarily, data and also programs.
Mass storage device: allows a computer to permanently retain large amounts of data. Frequent mass storage devices include solid state drives (SSDs) or disk runs and tape drives.
Input device: usually a keyboard and mouse, the particular input device is the conduit through which data and instructions enter a computer.
Result device: a display screen, printer, or other device that lets you see what the personal pc has accomplished.
Central processing unit (CPU): the heart of the computer, this is the aspect that actually executes instructions.
In addition to these components, many others make it possible for the basic components to be effective together efficiently. For example , every computer requires a bus that transmits data from part of the computer to another.
Computer Classification: By Size and Power
Most people connect a personal computer (PC) with the phrase computer. A PC is a small and comparatively cheap computer designed for an individual use. PCs are based on the microprocessor technology that enables companies to put an entire CPU on one chip.
Personal computers at home can be used for a number of different software including games, word processing, accounting and other tasks.
Computers are generally classified simply by size and power as follows, although there is considerable overlap. The differences between desktop computer classifications generally get smaller as technology advances, creating smaller and more strong and cost-friendly components.
Personal computer: a small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. As well as the microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a monitor regarding displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.
Workstation: a powerful, single-user pc. A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor.
Minicomputer: a multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to numerous users simultaneously.
Mainframe: a powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands regarding users simultaneously.
Supercomputer: an extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of guidelines per second.