Unit 1 –Fundamentals of ICT

1.2 Types of Computers

and
Basic Hardware Elements – Part I

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Types of Computers

• Super computers
• Mainframe computers
• Mini computers
• Micro computers

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Super Computer

• The most powerful computers

• Very expensive
• Very large in size
• Fastest computers with large data storage capacity
• Specialized and task specific computers used by large
organizations.
• Used for research and exploration purposes

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Mainframe computer

• Less powerful than supercomputers

• Big, powerful and expensive
• Process and store large amounts of data
• Used in the large organizations
• Power can be distributed among personal computers
• Organizations such as large insurance companies and
banks would use the mainframe

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Minicomputer
• Also called “Midrange Computers”
• Less powerful than Mainframe computers
• Not designed for a single user
• Data storage capacity is less than Mainframe computers
• Individual departments of a large company or organizations use
minicomputers

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Microcomputer

• Widely used and the fastest growing computers

• Cheapest computer type
• Specially designed for general usage
• Personal computers, laptops, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablets and
smartphones are all types of microcomputers.

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Micro Computers

• Personal Computer(PC)
• Apple Mac
• Portable Computers
• Portable Media Players
• Smartphones
• Laptop and Palmtop computers
• Tablet PC

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Personal Computer (PC)
• IBM invented Personal Computer in 1981
• In the early days, most PCs ran an operating system called DOS (Disk
Operating System).
• These days most PCs are running a version of Microsoft Windows
• Used by home users, large and small office users

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Apple Mac

• Introduced in 1984
• The Macintosh features a Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Need only point to a selection on a menu and click a mouse button.

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Portable Media Players (PMP)

• Also known as MP3 players

• Handheld multimedia device that can play digital music, image,
and movie files

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Smartphones

• It’s a mobile phone that includes advanced functionality beyond making

phone calls and sending text messages.
• Can display photos, play videos, manage emails and surf web

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Laptop and Palmtop computers

• Laptops are small portable computers that can run on batteries

• Notebook is a very small laptop
• Palmtops are even smaller computers that can literally fit into the palm of
your hand.

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Tablet PC

• Tablet PC offers all the functionality of a Notebook PC

• Can accept input from a special pen called stylus or digital pen.
• That is used to tap or write directly on screen.

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Basic Hardware Elements – Part I

• CPU Architecture
• Random Access Memory
• Read Only Memory

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Central Processing Unit

CPU is considered the brain of the computer.

It performs most of the computer calculations and is responsible for the

smooth running of your operating system (Microsoft Windows) as well as
application programs.

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 CPU Architecture
• Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) – which
performs the calculations and
comparisons
• Control Unit (CU) – controls the other
parts of the computer.
• Register – very high speed memory slots
used to hold temporary results.
• Cache Memory – high speed buffer
memory used to enhance the data transfer
from the RAM.

CPU’s speed is mainly determined by its internal clock speed,

it is measured in Hertz (Hz). These days typically in Giga Hertz
(GHz).

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Memory

The computer needs a working memory for storing the

current programs it runs. That is the data and
instructions it uses. This working memory is called the
Main Memory or Primary Storage.

RAM
Primary Storage
ROM

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Random Access Memory (RAM)

It is the main working memory. When the operating system loads

from the disk when you first switched on the computer, it is copied
into the RAM.

Data and programs stored in the RAM are volatile

(the information is lost when you switch off the computer)

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Read-Only Memory (ROM)

This memory chip that holds software that can be read but not be
written onto.

Example
BIOS chip which contains read only software that starts up your
computer.

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Video Graphics Memory

On-screen pictures are held in a special

memory chip called Video Memory Chip;
these chips are usually located on a
video card.

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Computer Memory
All digital computers work on a binary numbering system, i.e. they process
data in ones (1) or zeros (0). This storage is called a bits.

8 bits = 1 Byte

1024 Byte = 1 KB (Kilobyte)

1024 KB = 1 MB (Megabyte)

1024 MB = 1 GB (Gigabyte)

1024 GB = 1 TB (Terabyte)

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Lesson Summary
 Super Computers
 Mainframe computers
 Mini computers
 Micro computers
 CPU Architecture
 Computer memory

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