A computer is a programmable machine. The two principal characteristics of a computer are: Them 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 electrical and digital. The actual machinery - wires, transistors, and circuits - known as hardware; the instructions and data are called software.
All general-purpose computers necessitate the following hardware components:
Memory: enables a computer to store, at least temporarily, data plus programs.
Mass storage device: allows a computer to permanently retain large amounts of data. Prevalent mass storage devices include solid state drives (SSDs) or disk driveways and tape drives.
Input device: usually a keyboard and mouse, the exact input device is the conduit through which data and instructions enter a computer.
Productivity device: a display screen, printer, or other device that lets you see what the laptop or computer has accomplished.
Central processing unit (CPU): the heart of the computer, this is the point that actually executes instructions.
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In addition to these components, many others make it possible for the basic components to together efficiently. For example , every computer requires a bus that transmits data derived from one of part of the computer to another.
Computer Classification: By Size and Power
Most people correlate a personal computer (PC) with the phrase computer. A PC is a small and relatively cheap computer designed for an individual use. PCs are based on the microprocessor technology that enables brands to put an entire CPU on one chip.
Personal computers at home can be used for a number of different computer software including games, word processing, accounting and other tasks.
Computers are generally classified by way of size and power as follows, although there is considerable overlap. The differences between laptop classifications generally get smaller as technology advances, creating smaller and more impressive and cost-friendly components.
Personal computer: a small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. Beyond just the microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a monitor pertaining to displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.
Workstation: a powerful, single-user personal pc. 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 100s of users simultaneously.
Mainframe: a powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands with users simultaneously.
Supercomputer: an extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of information per second.
