Special Purpose Computer
General Purpose Computers are designed to solve a wide variety of problems such as sale analysis, art work, engineering systems designs, inventory etc.
Special Purpose Computer are the computer designed to perform one function, Examples of these computers are space rocket computer, automatic fuel injection system, guided missile systems, air traffic light control systems etc.
Classification of computer based o size and Processing Power
- Super Computers
- Mainframe Computers
- Mini computers
- Micro Computers
Super Computer Contains a number of CPU, which are designed to work in parrel for faster operations. The Computers are used in executive offices that handle complex and rapid jobs like weather forecasting, weapons research and development, rocketing, aerodynamics, atomic and nuclear physics.
Mainframe Computer Contains two or more CPU, it is a very large general purpose computers and powerful but less powerful than a super computer. They are expensive and difficult to maintain
Mini Computers are more compact and robust(strong) but less powerful than mainframe. They are multi-user computers. That is to mean it is suitable for network purpose.
Micro Computer now exist since the invention of very large scale integrated circuit (VLSI). This technology now allowed for the miniaturization of computer we have to day. That is, the tidiness or smallness in the physical size of the computer components without reducing the processing power. This technology is now used to almost all the computer components like disk drives, video displayed units(VDU), processor etc. With the VLSI, computers are not built small in size, compact and low cost. The various categories of microcomputers are:-
Desktop Computer can lay flat on the desk such that a monitor can stand on it.
Tower Computer has slim casing and can lay upright on the desk
Laptop Computer is small to the extent that a user can placed it on the lap during operations.
Palm Computer is so small in size that can be held on a palm.