A computer is a programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are: It all responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner and it can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program).
Modern Computers Defined
Modern computers are vapor and digital. The actual machinery - wires, transistors, and circuits - is addressed as hardware; the instructions and data are called software.
All general-purpose computers will need the following hardware components:
Memory: enables a computer to store, at least temporarily, data and even programs.
Mass storage device: allows a computer to permanently retain large amounts of data. Well-known mass storage devices include solid state drives (SSDs) or disk makes and tape drives.
Input device: usually a keyboard and mouse, the very input device is the conduit through which data and instructions enter a computer.
End product device: a display screen, printer, or other device that lets you see what the pc has accomplished.
Central processing unit (CPU): the heart of the computer, this is the chemical that actually executes instructions.
In addition to these components, many others make it possible for the basic components his job together efficiently. For example , every computer requires a bus that transmits data collected from one of part of the computer to another.
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Computer Classification: By Size and Power
Most people associate's a personal computer (PC) with the phrase computer. A PC is a small and not too expensive computer designed for an individual use. PCs are based on the microprocessor technology that enables providers to put an entire CPU on one chip.
Personal computers at home can be used for a number of different use including games, word processing, accounting and other tasks.
Computers are generally classified by just size and power as follows, although there is considerable overlap. The differences between personal computer classifications generally get smaller as technology advances, creating smaller and more amazing and cost-friendly components.
Personal computer: a small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. Much better microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a monitor just for displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.
Workstation: a powerful, single-user computer system. A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor.
Minicomputer: a multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to more than 800 users simultaneously.
Mainframe: a powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands for users simultaneously.
Supercomputer: an extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of suggestions per second.
