Classification of computer

Computers can be classified as follows.

1. According to function
2. According to purpose
3. According to capabilities
 According to function
According to function computers can be
classified into four types. These
classification of computer based on
principle of operation and hardware
structure.
 Digital Computer
 Analog Computer
 Hybrid Computer
 Digital Computer
A Digital computer works with data in term of
discrete number or digit. These number are
used to perform, arithmetic calculations and
also make logical decision to reach a
conclusion depending on the data they
receive from the user. All the expressions
are coded into binary digits (0 and 1) inside
the computer and it manipulates them at
very fast speed.
A digital computer manipulates data
according to the instructions or
programme given to it in a certain
computer language.
The instructions and data are fed to the
computer in the form of discrete electrical
signals. Digital Computers are easy to
program and are in general purpose use.
Almost all personal computers (PCs)
belong to this category.
 Analog Computer
Analog computers actually is a measuring
device. An analog computer measures
continues type of data and use a physical
quantity, such as electric current, speed,
weight etc. Analog Computers are the first
Computers being developed & provide the
base for the development of modern
digital computers. These computers are
mainly made of electrical devices like
resisters, amplifiers & transistors.
This machine has a very limited memory & can
perform only certain type of calculations, which
make it specialized machine, suitable for
engineering & scientific calculations. An analog
computer is basically a device for solving
ordinary differential equations and can be used
in solution in solution of those problems which
can be converted to ordinary differential
equations. In general, Analog computer are
very fast in processing because all the
operations performed in this machine are
parallel but accuracy of these machines is
quite low. Speedometer and millimeter
(used in vehicles), Electric meter & Gas
meter (fixed on the supply line of the
house) pressure gauges & thermometers
are the general example of the analog
devices.
 Hybrid Computer
A Hybrid computer is, which combines the
analog & digital capabilities in the same
computer system. Hybrid computers help
the user to exploit the machine's ability to
process both continuous and discrete
data. These machines are generally used
for scientific applications & it is also used
as a controlling device in an industrial
process.
The results can be obtained either as
analog signal or discrete signal e.g.,
either as continuous output in the form of
graph discreet digits. This result can be
obtained by an electronic device
‘MODEM’. A modem is a device which can
transform analog signals to digital signals
and vice versa.
 According to purpose.
Computer can be classified according to
purpose in two ways.
 General Purpose
 Special Purpose
1. General Purpose: These computer are
designed to solve wide variety of problems
from different fields. The hardware and the
software of such system are adaptable totally
different environments. These Computer are
used for different purpose like inventory
Control, Record keeping , Accounting, payroll
etc.
2. Special Purpose: As the name suggests
these computers system are used only for
specific purposes or application. These
special purpose computer system may be
defined as a stored programme computer,
whose architecture is oriented towards one
or more specific applications. These
computers handle a very narrow categories
of data processing activities. Some example
of special purpose computer with their area
of application are as fallows.
1. Computer used for Process Control in an
industry.
2. Bio-medical X-ray instrument used only for
X-ray.
3. ECG machine which is used for ECG test
4. CCG machine which is used for CCG test
5. Electronic digital blood pressure instrument
6. Computer system used for desktop
publishing
7. Computer used for air-traffic control.
8. Computer system which is used in Robots.
 According Capabilities
According to capabilities computers could
easily be classified into minis, micros
mainframes and super by considering their
size, performance and cost. However, today
these definitions are not so cut and dried,
due to the ever increasing pace of common
usage altogether. The manufactures are not
helping by bringing out many terms such as
mini super minis and micro mainframes etc.