Describe the different types of computers.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The largest and fastest is the mainframe. Large businesses and government units use mainframes to process and store vast amounts of data. Most mainframes today can be used by many people in several different locations at the same time. Mainframe computers are very expensive. Some large businesses and government agencies connect multiple mainframes together to form supercomputers, the fastest computers available. A server is a smaller version of the mainframe. A personal computer is smaller, less powerful, and less costly than a mainframe. PCs include a monitor, keyboard, and mouse or other cursor control device. A PC is a general-purpose information-processing device. It can take information from a person through the keyboard and mouse, from a device like a CD or DVD, or from the network through a modem or a network card and process it. Once processed, the information is shown to the user on the monitor, stored on a device like a hard disk, or sent somewhere else on the network. Laptop and notebook computers are even smaller versions of PCs, which fit on a person’s lap and are convenient for use while traveling. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and other handheld computers are increasingly common for field service personnel and are becoming handy tools for managers, executives, and other professionals. With advances in chip design and miniaturization, the PDAs available today are more powerful than the PCs of a decade ago.