FORM 4 IT

COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS
TYPES OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS

Concept of Information Technology

Information is a resource which has no value until it is extracted, processed and utilized.

Information Technology deals with information systems (such as WWW), data storage, access, retrieval,
analysis and intelligent decision making.

Information Technology refers to the creation, gathering, processing, storage, presentation and dissemination
of information and also the processes and devices that enable all this to be done.

Information Technology (IT)

IT is the use of computers, storage, communication and other physical devices to create, process, store and
exchange all forms of electronic data. (CSEC)

Computers store information electronically in the form of digital data, which is then manipulated to create
information that is used by humans and sometimes machines to complete a task. (CSEC)

MAJOR TYPES OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS

In order to distinguish between the different types of computer systems we consider their processing speed,
storage and portability.

Major types of computer systems:

• Supercomputers (e.g. Cray)

• Mainframes (e.g. IBM zEnterprise System)
• Minicomputers (e.g. IBM midrange computers)
• Microcomputers (e.g. desktops, laptops, notebooks, netbooks, smartphones, tablets and game
consoles)
• Embedded devices (e.g. special-purpose systems such as controllers in microwaves, car ignition
systems, answering machines)

Supercomputers

It’s a term used to describe computers that have the most capable processing power of its time. Early
supercomputers in the 60s and 70s used just a couple processors, while the 90s saw supercomputers with
thousands of processors at a time.

Today, modern supercomputers run hundreds of thousands of processors, capable of computing quadrillions of
calculations in just a few nanoseconds. Supercomputers are used in computational science to calculate and
carry out complex tasks.
Supercomputers performance is measured in FLOPS (floating point operations per seconds). They are large
mainframe computers. They are the fastest and most expensive type of computer system and can carry out a
million separate calculations at the same moment. They’re mostly used in space programs, nuclear-weapons
research and development and weather forecasting.

Mainframe computers

Like supercomputers, mainframe computers are huge, towering machines with lots of processing power. They
are mostly used by corporations, government agencies, and banks; organizations that need a way to store large
quantities of information. The processing capabilities of mainframe computers are measured in MIPS (millions
of instructions per second).

Mainframe computers are used by many users at the same time. They are managed by a special team of IT
experts. Has huge processing power and are individually manufactured (specific to an organization).

Minicomputers

A minicomputer is a multiprocessing machine that can support up to about 200 users at the same time. It is
like a less powerful mainframe computer, and is about the size of a refrigerator. Despite its name, a
minicomputer is not a personal computer like the desktop machine you might have at home or work. They are
much larger than that. Because of the ways microcomputers have excelled in processing power even beyond
minicomputers, and at a much smaller size, minicomputers have become pretty much obsolete (popular in the
1960s).

Minicomputers are less power and speed than a mainframe. They are mnufactured in mass production and are
individually used.

Microcomputers

Microcomputers are the ones people are most familiar with on a daily, non-professional basis, but of course
that doesn’t mean they’re exclusive to the home. They are smaller computers that run on microprocessors in
their central processing units. Much cheaper than supercomputers, mainframe computers and even
minicomputers, because they’re meant for everyday uses that are more practical than professional. The range
of capabilities for microcomputers are still vast.

Microcomputers are computers that are individually used in the home, while traveling, or in a small or large
business. They have less speed and power than a minicomputer or mainframe. They contain one or more
microprocessor.

The term microcomputer itself is pretty outdated. Most people use what they would call personal computers
(PC), which are small, desk-size microcomputer designed for and used primarily in small and large business,
schools, homes, government, industry, etc. Within this definition there are several variations. These include:

• Desktop computers
• Video game consoles
• Other devices such as video game arcade cabinets and smart TVs
• Portable (mobile) computer devices
Desktop Computers

Desktop computers are not as dated as the non-computer savvy might think. They are still popular for the
user’s ability to customize them, replace parts and fix them with much more ease than they would a laptop.
It’s also more convenient to be able to connect peripherals like screens and keyboard and computer mice that
fit your needs. In this sense, desktop computers could be used at the office for professional tasks, or at the
home. Desktop computers can be specialized for things like gaming as well, equipped with high-end graphics
cards and more RAM.

Video game consoles

Some people don’t think of video game consoles as computers, but they are. They have many of the same
hardware components as computers, but are usually less advanced, which is why they’re able to cost much
less than a top-notch gaming computer.

Other devices

Other examples of microcomputers include video game arcade cabinets and smart TVs.

Portable (mobile) computer devices

• Notebooks - light, portable computers that is generally thinner than a laptop.

• Laptops
• Powerbooks or PDA (Personal Digital Assistants) - a pocket size computer whose pointing device is like a
pen. They are lightweight and portable.

Mobile Computers

For example; laptops, notebooks, netbooks, smartphones, tablets and game consoles.

These are exactly what they sound like – computers that are super small and mobile. You could argue that a
desktop computer is mobile if you need it to be, but mobile computers usually describe computers that
are meant to be carried around and taken from place to place. If a desktop computer is a microcomputer, then
a laptop is a mobile computer. There are so many different types of mobile computers though, even beyond
laptop-like devices.

• Laptops: Portable computers designed to be carried from place to place. All of its components are
contained inside a panel that functions also as the keyboard, with an attached screen that can be
folded over. Because of their size and convenience, these are some of the most popular computers for
everyday use. However, despite the convenience and ease of use, they aren’t without problems.
• Netbooks: Much smaller laptops.
• Tablet: A flat, keyboard-less screen (though some of them come with keyboard attachments) that
utilizes touch-screen functionality for navigation and use
• Handheld game console: Devices like the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Sega Nomad,
PlayStation Portable (PSP), and PlayStation Vita are handheld game consoles. Just like regular consoles,
these are tiny computers that let people play games on the go.
 • Calculators: Calculators are computers that carry out computers’ most basic tasks – calculations! There
are many different types of calculators. Basic calculators, graphic calculators, scientific calculators,
programmable calculators, and calculators used for accounting and other financial purposes.
• Portable media players: Also known as MP3 players. That’s right – your iPod is a mobile computer too.
• Cellphones and smartphones: The iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy are examples of powerful
smartphones that are also mobile computers. Thinking of getting a smartphone?

Embedded Devices

An embedded device is a highly specialized device meant for one or very few specific purposes and is usually
embedded or included within another object or as part of a larger system.

Usually, the device is part of a system that serves a greater purpose. For example, a heart rate monitor
embedded in a wristwatch that can connect to a smart phone to display the heart’s status in real time or an
accelerometer embedded in shoes to monitor speed, distance traveled and calories burned.

POS and ATM machines are also examples of embedded devices or systems. Also, special-purpose systems
such as controllers in microwaves, car ignition systems, answering machines, are embedded devices.

Try These!

1. What is Information Technology?

2. What properties do we use to distinguish between the different types of computer systems?
3. Name the major types of computer systems. Give examples.
4. What are portable computers? Give examples.
5. What are embedded devices? Give examples.