Evolve.

Adapt.
Overcome.
CEFI is now ready.

CLASSIFICATION OF
COMPUTER
COMP 100: Computer Fundamentals

PAUL JOSEPH C. LAVAREZ, MBA, MIT

College of Information Systems
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Calayan Educational Foundation, Inc.

Classification According to Purpose

Classification According to Data Handled

Classification According to Capacity

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Classification According to
Purpose

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1. General purpose computers

- These are computers
designed to perform a
variety of tasks when
installed with appropriate
programs.

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2. Special purpose computers

- Computers developed in a way that allows them
perform a specific task. These computers cannot
perform any other task except the one they were
meant to do.

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Example of Special
Purpose Computer

ATM Machines
- is a machine built into the wall of a
bank or other building, which allows
people to take out money from their bank
account by using a special card. ATM is
an abbreviation for 'automated teller
machine'.

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Example of Special
Purpose Computer

Robots
- used in manufacturing industry and
war functionality.

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Example of Special
Purpose Computer

Mobile Phones
- used for communication and
entertainment. Witness

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Classification According to
Data Handled

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or otherwise, without permission in writing from the author or lecturer.
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1. Analog Computer
- These computers Examples:
recognize data as a
continuous measurement
of a physical property
(voltage, pressure, speed
and temperature). Automobile speedometer
Thermometer

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2. Digital Computer
- These are high speed
programmable electronic devices Examples:
that perform mathematical
calculations, compare values and
store results. They recognize data by
counting discrete signal representing
either a high or low voltage state of
electricity.
Digital Watch
Digital Weighing Scale

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3. Hybrid Computer
- A computer that processes both analog and digital data.
- “Hybrid computer is a digital computer that accepts
analog signals, converts them to digital and processes
them in digital form”

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Examples of Hybrid Computer:

Vital Sign Machine Petrol Pump

- Hybrid computer used in - Hybrid computer
hospitals to measure the used in petrol
heartbeat of the patient. pump.

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Classification According to
Capacity

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or otherwise, without permission in writing from the author or lecturer.
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1. Microcomputers
- are generally known as personal
computers-PCs and are
microprocessor based small
notebook or laptop or desktop
systems with changeable
capacity.

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2. Minicomputer
 System performs the basic arithmetic and logic
functions and supports some of the programming
language used with large computer systems.
 They are physically smaller, less expensive, and have
small storage capacity compared to mainframes.
 Minicomputers are ideally suited for processing tasks
that do not require access to huge volumes of stored
data.

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3. Medium Size Computer

 Medium-size computer systems provide faster operating speeds and
larger storage capacities than mini computer systems.
 A medium-size computer can support a management information
system and can therefore serve the needs of a large bank, insurance
company or university.
 They usually have memory sizes ranging from 32k to 512k. The IBM
System 370, Burroughs 3500 System and NCR Century 200 system are
examples of medium-size computers.

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Medium-Size Computers

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4. Large Computer
 Large computers are the ultimate in system
sophistication, flexibility and speed.

 Storage capacities from 512k to 8192k, and these

computers have internal operating speeds measured in
terms of nanosecond, as compared to small computers
where speed is measured in terms of microseconds.

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4. Large Computer
 They are used in complex modeling, or simulation,
business operations, product testing, design and
engineering work and in the development of space
technology.

 Large computers can serve as server systems where

many smaller computers can be connected to it to form
a communication network.
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Large Computer

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5. Super Computer
 The supercomputers are the biggest and fastest
machines today and they are used when billion or even
trillions of calculations are required.

 These machines are applied in nuclear weapon

development, accurate weather forecasting and as host
processors for local computer. and time sharing
networks.
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or otherwise, without permission in writing from the author or lecturer.
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5. Super Computer
 Super computers have capabilities far beyond even the traditional large-
scale systems.

 Their speed ranges from 100 million-instruction-per-second to well over

three billion. Because of their size, supercomputers sacrifice a certain
amount of flexibility. They are therefore not ideal for providing a variety of
user services. For this reason, supercomputers may need the assistance of
a medium-size general purpose machines (usually called front-end
processor) to handle minor programs or perform slower speed or smaller
volume operation.

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Super Computer

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