1.3 Types of computer

Question 1

What are supercomputers

Answer 1

• The fastest and most expensive computers in the World.
• Mainly used by large universities for scientific research, weather modeling, or military and weapon research.
• Supercomputers need their own back up electricity generator to ensure they continue to work when there’s a power cut.
• Generate too much heat –> housed in a specialised designed with AC and environmental control system.

Question 2

Mainframe Computers

Answer 2

• Large, powerful computers that can carry out many different tasks for different people at the same time.
• Slower than supercomputer but far less expensive.
  -Billions of instructions per sec
• Connected to large no. of peripherals.
• Used by large computers for:
  + Banks - managing customers accounts.
  + Airlines - dealing w/ bookings, tickets, cancellations…
  + Utility companies - Gas and electricity suppliers to calculate customer bills.

Question 3

Personal computers

Answer 3

• Relatively inexpensive.
• Millions of calculation per second.
• Store large amount of data - From 120Gb or 1Tb.
  Used for:
  + Running office applications .
  + CAD design
  + Editing video
  + Creating music
  + Accessing the Internet

Question 4

Laptops

Answer 4

• Portable computer
• Integrated keyboard
• Touchpad used in place of a traditional mouse.
• Connected to internet via wifi, 3G or cable.
• Need 2b recharged
• 120Gb to 1Tb

Question 5

Netbooks

Answer 5

• Smaller in size and weight than a laptop.
• Typically 10 inches in size
• Use flash memory instead of traditional hard disk. –> Don’t have as much storage capacity.
• 20-120Gb
• Less RAM than a Laptop
• Slightly slower at processing data (only apparent while playing data-intensive apllications-games)

Question 6

Tablet computers

Answer 6

• Thin, mobile device w/ flat surface.
• Touchscreen, operated by fingers’ gestures.
• Storage is a solid flash memory.
• Run from an internal battery which needs to be recharged.
• Many incredible imaginative applications developed due to the combination of advanced sensors and powerful CPU.

Question 7

Smartphones

Answer 7

• Multifunctional device.
• Extra sensors in the device e.g GPS.
• Supported by thousands of independent app developers.

Question 8

Embedded computers

Answer 8

-A single chip that contains all elements that are essential for computer
e.g: + RAM
+ ROM
+CPU
+ Input
+Output
- “micro controller”