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| The iMac is an all-in-one desktop computer from Apple |
There are a lot of terms used to describe computers. Most of these words imply the size, expected use or capability of the computer. While the term computer can apply to virtually any device that has a
microprocessor in it, most people think of a computer as a device that receives input from the user through a
mouse or
keyboard, processes it in some fashion and displays the result on a
screen.
Do you know the different types of computers?
1: PC
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Courtesy Apple
Personal computers come in many forms, including the new Apple iPad. |
The personal computer (PC) defines a computer designed for general use by a single person. While a
Mac is a PC, most people relate the term with systems that run the Windows
operating system. PCs were first known as
microcomputers because they were a complete computer but built on a smaller scale than the huge systems in use by most businesses.
2: Desktop
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© iStockphoto.com/arattansi
Desktop computers are usually less expensive than laptops. |
A PC that is not designed for portability is a desktop computer. The expectation with desktop systems are that you will set the computer up in a permanent location. Most desktops offer more power,
storage and versatility for less cost than their portable brethren.
3: Laptop
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David Paul Morris/Getty Images
Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs holds up the new Mac Book Air at the 2008 Macworld. |
Also called
notebooks,
laptops are portable computers that integrate the
display, keyboard, a pointing device or trackball, processor,
memory and
hard drive all in a
battery-operated package slightly larger than an average hardcover book.
4: Netbook
Netbooks are ultra-portable computers that are even smaller than traditional
laptops. The extreme cost-effectiveness of netbooks (roughly $300 to $500) means they're cheaper than almost any brand-new laptop you'll find at retail outlets. However, netbooks' internal components are less powerful than those in regular laptops.
5: PDA
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Ted Thai/Time Life Pictures/Getty Images
Peter Hahn, resident at Cornell Medical Center proudly displaying the Palm Pilot he uses as a drug database. |
Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are tightly integrated computers that often use
flash memory instead of a hard drive for storage. These computers usually do not have keyboards but rely on
touchscreen technology for user input. PDAs are typically smaller than a paperback novel, very lightweight with a reasonable battery life. A slightly larger and heavier version of the PDA is the handheld computer.
6: Workstation
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Digital Vision/Getty Images
Most sound editors use computer workstations for sound editing. |
Another type of computer is a workstation. A workstation is simply a desktop computer that has a more powerful processor, additional memory and enhanced capabilities for performing a special group of task, such as
3D Graphics or
game development.
7: Server
A computer that has been optimized to provide services to other computers over a
network.
Servers usually have powerful processors, lots of memory and large hard drives. The next type of computer can fill an entire room.
8: Mainframe
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AP Photo/Jay LaPrete
Whether it's a desktop PC or a massive supercomputer, computing power all comes down to the processor. |
In the early days of computing, mainframes were huge computers that could fill an entire room or even a whole floor! As the size of computers has diminished while the power has increased, the term mainframe has fallen out of use in favor of
enterprise server. You'll still hear the term used, particularly in large companies to describe the huge machines processing millions of transactions every day.
9: Supercomputer
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Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images
An employee of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information checks the supercomputers at the research institute. |
This type of computer usually costs hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. Although some supercomputers are single computer systems, most are comprised of multiple high performance computers working in parallel as a single system. The best known supercomputers are built by Cray Supercomputers.
10: Wearable Computer
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Junko Kimura / Getty Images
A woman wears Team Tsukamoto's prototype of a wearable PC. |
The latest trend in computing is wearable computers. Essentially, common computer applications (e-mail, database, multimedia, calendar/scheduler) are integrated into watches,
cell phones, visors and even clothing. For more information see these articles on
computer clothing,
smart watches and
fabric PCs.
