Computer Categories

3- Computer Categories.

Computers are categorized into four general types based mainly on their processing speeds and their capacity to store data.

1- Supercomputers:
Supercomputers are high-capacity computers that cost millions of dollars. Occupy special air-conditioned rooms, and are often used for research, weather forecastingتنبؤات الطقس, and mathematical research.

2- Mainframe Computers:
Less powerful than supercomputers. Mainframe computers are fast, large-capacity computers also occupying specially air-conditioned rooms. Mainframes are used by large organizations, banks, airlines, universities.

3- Minicomputers:
Because of their lesser processing speeds and data-storing capacities, they have been typically used by medium-sized companies for specific purposes, such as accounting.
4- Data representation.

The basic building block of personal computers is the transistor. A transistor is an electronic device for controlling the flow of electrons in an electrical circuit. If electrons are allowed to flow, the circuit is on; conversely, if electrons are not allowed to flow, the circuit is off. Thinking of a transistorized circuit as a switch like a light switch at a home. The switch is either on or off and stays that way until it is flipped again. When a circuit is on, we say it is in the marking state and assign a 1 to it. Conversely, when it is off, we assign a 0 to it.
A modern digital computer is often said to be a binary computer because its most basic circuits can remember either one of two states: 0 and 1. The binary digits 0 and 1 are called bits.


4- Microcomputers:
Microcomputers are small computers that can fit on a desktop. Microcomputers are of two types: personal computers and workstations.