What types of computer are there? Do you really know them all? Did you know that in your home there are more computers than you imagine?
There are many brands of computers as well as clones that you can assemble yourself and for sure, the innumerable existing series and models of each of these brands as well.
Table of Contents
Different Types of Computer System
In this article we will show you how all of them can be grouped, so that you have a much broader idea of which one of the greatest inventions of recent times and may consider as computer system.
See Also: What is Memory of a Computer
Types of Computers According to their Purpose
What types of computers exist is quite generic, since it can be seen from different points of view. Here are some of them, starting with the purpose:
Personal
They are those intended for personal use, either in the domestic or professional sphere. These PCs can be of different types, but they always have some basic components and peripherals. They generally have a screen, keyboard, mouse, a single CPU, and a moderate amount of RAM.
This type of computer can also be included those used for office automation, those used in the bank branch (with restrictions aimed at improving security), those for gaming, and much more, etc.
Workstation
The differences between a computer for personal use and a workstation sometimes dissipate, appearing practically identical.
However, a significant difference is usually in the price, since these computers are intended for professional use and to support higher workloads.
For this reason, workstations often have larger amounts of memory, and more powerful CPUs, or even several (MP/multisocket).
For example, while a conventional PC might have 8-16GB of RAM, and a Core i3, i5, or i7 processor, the workstation might use 32-64GB of RAM (or more), and Xeon or similar processors.
HPC
In the HPC (High Performance Computing) sector, or high performance computing, one can also distinguish between several types. However, the most prominent are:
Server: they are large machines designed to provide some specific types of services. These server farms or data centers can be for cloud services, email, hosting, authentication, DNS, etc.
There can be anything from small micro-servers with a few processing units, to large servers with thousands of CPUs, huge amounts of RAM, as well as plenty of storage space.
For example, you can find servers with a memory of hundreds of TiB, hundreds of thousands of CPU cores, storage capacity of tens of PB and consumption of several tens of MW. This is what companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, etc. use.
Supercomputer: These are almost identical to a server in every way, but while the server was intended to perform some specific service, the supercomputer is optimized to achieve the higher processing power needed for research (simulation, CFD, weather forecasting, data capture and interpretation) data from particle accelerators, bioinformatics…). You can see some examples at BSC, CERN, etc.
Mainframe: It has similarities with a supercomputer, although they are mainly used by large organizations, especially banks, in order to perform critical operations and massive data processing.
In this case, not only the calculation capacity is enhanced, but also the I/O. An example may be the IBM Z.
Also, these high-performance systems often work with Unix-like systems, especially Linux. As for the processors, they generally use from AMD EPYC, or Intel Xeon, through others based on ARM, and GPGPUs.
In the case of the IBM mainframe, which monopolizes this sector, they are based on the z/Architecture (CISC type).
Embedded or Recessed
On the other hand, depending on the purpose, we have another type of computer, such as embedded or recessed, etc.
These are small computers that are incorporated into other equipment, whether they are household appliances, vehicles, industrial machinery, IoT, etc.
They are generally very low power, with limited computing and memory capabilities, and with Real Time operating systems.
Types According to your Mobility
Another type of computer based on the mobility each equipment has, such as: Desktop computers. Desktop types are those intended to be placed on a desk or work table.
See Also: Different Types of Computer Memory
Desktop
Due to their size, they are not designed to be moved from one place to another, since they are heavier, they are made up of several parts, and they need a plug to work. Within this type, the following can be highlighted
PC: they are the classic desktop PCs, with different brands or with desktop operating systems. They can have quite high performance, as in the case of gaming or workstation PCs, as well as being modular to be able to easily repair or expand components.
AIO (All in One): they are halfway between a desktop and a laptop, since they have everything integrated into the same screen body without the need for a separate tower. In addition, they often have laptop-like power adapters and laptop-like hardware.
mini PC: instead of the traditional barebones or large towers, miniPCs are quite small boxes to which you can connect a monitor, and other input and output peripherals as in a conventional PC. These computers typically use miniITX, microATX, etc.
Laptops
Laptops are also another type of computer in this category. They are designed to improve mobility, since they are much more compact, lighter, and integrate a battery to be self-sufficient and not need constant connection. Within this type of computer system, below are some different types you need to know:
Notebook: These are portable computers with screens of 15 inches or more, and usually have more powerful hardware. Its weight can exceed several kg in the case of some of the gaming or workstation category.
Netbook: they usually weigh between 1-2 kg, with screens that can range from 7 to 12 inches, with hardware designed to be efficient and not so much to perform. They are cheap in price as well.
Ultrabook: they are very light (≤ 1 kg) and thin, designed to improve mobility and autonomy to the maximum. Therefore, they have low-power hardware, such as the U series of CPUs, iGPUs, etc. Their screens are usually 13 to 15″ in general.
The biggest drawback of these laptops is that they usually have most of the components soldered, including RAM in some cases, so they are not modular. They do not usually have too many ports available due to the thinness of their flanks.
Convertible and 2 in 1: they are portable computers that have very small difference with tablets. In the case of a convertible, they allow the screen to be folded or rotated to use it in tablet mode, since they are tactile.
In the 2 in 1 you can separate the keyboard from the computer to leave only the touch screen as if it were a real tablet. Whenever you want, reconnect the keyboard + touchpad so that it becomes a laptop again.
PMD (Personal Mobile Device)
The so called PMD (Personal Mobile Device), or simply mobile devices, whether tablets, Smartphones or phablets, are devices that can also be classified as one of the types of computer.
They have CPU, GPU, RAM, memory for secondary storage, I/O, display, operating system, etc. However, they are designed to have the smallest possible dimensions, etc in addition to lightening the weight as much as possible.
The screens of these devices range from 3-6″ on Smartphones, and between 7-12″ on tablets. The autonomy of these devices can be similar to that of an ultrabook or higher.
They are designed to make the battery extend its autonomy as much as possible, with very energy efficient hardware.
As for the operating system, they also tend to use some special ones such as Android and iOS/iPadOS, among others.
See Also: What is the Main Memory of the Computer
According to the Logical Family
In the case of looking at the logic family, understanding it as the way in which information is represented by waves or electrical pulses, one can differentiate between:
Digital
Those types of computer that work in binary, such as with ones and zeros are known as digital computers. Currently they are the vast majority, although in the past there were many cases of analog equipment.
The difference with the analog computers is that it works with electrical pulses with high (1) or low (0) voltage, in order to interpret the information.
Analog
They do not use only two logical voltage values in a wide range such as signals, constant values, and varied physical magnitudes, etc.
These analog computers were replaced by modern digital ones, although there are still some (or hybrids) for certain specific tasks. In addition, these are machines with a specific purpose to give approximate answers.
Types According to the Computing Paradigm
Considering the computing paradigm on which the computer is based, two large groups can be highlighted that are already coexisting in some cases:
Classical Computing
Today’s classical computing is based on classical logic, with programs in standardized languages like the ones we all know, with conventional components (CPU, buses, memory, and I/O).
Quantum Computing
This new paradigm has only arrived recently, and is still in the development stages, although some important advances have already been made.
Quantum computers are another type of computer for the future and its capabilities these are very much superior to classical machines.
See Also: How to Know if a Computer or a Laptop is Used
Thanks to the use of quantum events to work with a unit called qubit (a quantum bit that can have several states).
Types According to the Generations
Computers can also be distinguished according to the generation to which they belong to. Below are different types of computer according to their generations:
- 1940-1950: based on vacuum tubes.
- 1950-1960: characterized by the use of transistors in PCBs.
- 1960-1970: they used integrated circuits and printed circuits have been replaced by chips in some cases.
- From 1970 to the present with microprocessor-based equipment.
- The fifth generation is already starting, and it will be AI computers.
Other Types of Computer
Finally, there are some other computers (device with a CPU, memory, and I/O) hidden in a multitude of equipments you use frequently, and you may not have known that they are also a one type of computer system:
- Industrial machines
- Home appliances
- Vehicles
- Routers y modems
- Smart TVs
- some toys
- Certain PC peripherals also have a computer inside them, such as printers
- Drones
- Domestic robots
- Music equipment
Did you find our articles “types of computers” interesting? Did you know still there are various types of computers exist in society, we need to know? Share with us by commenting below. We look forward to your feedback here!
Zahid Khan Jadoon is an Interior Decorator, Designer and a specialized Chef and loves to write about home appliances and food. Right now he is running his interior designing business along with a managing a restaurant. Also in his spare time he loves to write about home and kitchen appliances.