The computer is not an acronym. But commonly its full form is Common Operating Machine Purposely Used for Technologies and Educational Research. Through integrated hardware and software components, it is designed to execute applications and provides a variety of solutions. The computer works with the help of programs and represents decimal numbers through a string of binary digits. It also contains a memory that stores data, programs, and the result of processing. The components of a computer content such as machinery which also includes wires, transistors, circuits, hard disks, are called hardware. Whereas, programs and data are called software. A computer is an electronic device used to perform arithmetic and logical operations. In 1882 the computer was invented by Charles Babbage. But was completely built-in in 1991. The four main components in a computer are the arithmetic logic unit (ALU), control unit (CU), memory, and input and output devices. The word "computer" is taken from the Latin word "computer" which actually means to calculate.
Computers are divided into different types it's totally based on various criteria. On the basis of size, computers can be divided into five types:
1. Micro Computer
It is a single-user computer with less speed and storage capacity than other types. It uses a microprocessor as the CPU. The first microcomputers were built with 8-bit microprocessor chips. One of the most common examples of microcomputers which include laptops, desktop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), tablets, and smartphones. Microcomputers are generally designed and developed for general use like browsing, searching for information, the internet, MS Office, social media, etc.
2. Mini-computers
Mini-computers are also known as "midrange computers". They are not designed for singles. The mini-computers are multi-user computers which is designed to support multiple users simultaneously. Therefore, they are commonly used by small businesses and firms. Different departments of a company use different computers for specific purposes. For example, the admissions department of a university may use a mini-computer to monitor the admissions process.
3. Mainframe computer
A mainframe computer also is a multi-user computer that is capable of supporting thousands of users simultaneously. These computers are used by large firms, industrial firms and government organizations to run their business operations as they can store and process large amounts of data. mainframe computers are used By banks, universities and insurance companies use to store the data of their customers, students, and policyholders respectively.
4. Supercomputers
Supercomputers is one of the fastest and most expensive of all types of computers. They have very huge storage capacity and computing speed is high and thus can execute millions of instructions per second. Super-computers are that computer its task-specific and are thus used for specialized applications such as large-scale numerical problems in scientific and engineering disciplines, including electronics, petroleum engineering, weather forecasting, medicine, space research, and much more.
5. Work stations
It is a single-user computer. Although it is like a personal computer, it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor than a microcomputer. In terms of storage capacity and speed, it falls between a personal computer and a mini-computer. Work stations are typically used for specialized applications such as desktop publishing, software development, and engineering design.