1.

Desktop computers
A desktop computer is a personal computer (PC) in a form intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a
mobile laptop or portable computer. Prior to the widespread use of microprocessors, a computer that could fit on a desk was
considered remarkably small. Desktop computers come in a variety of types ranging from large vertical tower cases to small
form factormodels that can be tucked behind an CD monitor. !Desktop! can also indicate a hori"ontally#oriented computer
case usually intended to have the display screen placed on top to save space on the desktop. $ost modern desktop computers
have separate screens and keyboards. %ower cases are desktop cases in the earlier sense, though not in the latter. Cases
intended for home theater PC systems are usually considered to be desktop cases in both senses, regardless of orientation
and placement.
&. 'ork stations
A workstation is a high#end microcomputer designed for technical or scientific applications. (ntended primarily to be used by
one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi#user operating systems. %he
term workstation has also been used to refer to a mainframe computer terminal or a PC connected to a network.
)istorically, workstations had offered higher performance than personal computers, especially with respect
to CP* and graphics, memory capacity and multitasking capability. %hey are optimi"ed for the visuali"ation and manipulation
of different types of comple+ data such as ,D mechanical design, engineering simulation (e.g. computational fluid dynamics),
animation and rendering of images, and mathematical plots. Consoles consist of a high resolution display, a keyboard and
a mouse at a minimum, but also offer multiple displays, graphics tablets, ,D mice (devices for manipulating and navigating ,D
ob-ects and scenes), etc. 'orkstations are the first segment of the computer market to present advanced accessories
and collaboration tools.
Presently, the workstation market is highly commoditi"ed and is dominated by large PC vendors, such as Dell and )P,
selling $icrosoft 'indows.inu+ running on (ntel /eon.A$D 0pteron. Alternative *1(/ based platforms are provided
by Apple (nc., 2un $icrosystems, and 23(.
4. $ini computers
A minicomputer (collo5uially, mini) is a class of multi#user computers that lies in the middle range of the computing
spectrum, in between the largest multi#user systems (mainframe computers) and the smallest single#user systems
(microcomputers or personal computers). %he class at one time formed a distinct group with its own hardware and
operating systems, but the contemporary term for this class of system is midrange computer, such as the higher#
end 2PA6C, P0'76 and (tanium #based systems from 2un $icrosystems, (8$ and )ewlett#Packard.
&. $ainframe computer
Mainframes (often collo5uially referred to as Big Iron
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) are powerful computers used mainly by large
organi"ations for critical applications, typically bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer
statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.
%he term originally referred to the large cabinets that housed the central processing unit and main memory of
early computers. ater the term was used to distinguish high#end commercial machines from less powerful units.
$ost large#scale computer system architectures were firmly established in the 4;<=s and most large computers
were based on architecture established during that era up until the advent of 'eb servers in the 4;;=s. (%he first
'eb server running anywhere outside 2wit"erland ran on an (8$ mainframe at 2tanford *niversity as early as
4;;4. 2ee )istory of the 'orld 'ide 'eb for details.)
%here were several minicomputer operating systems and architectures that arose in the 4;>=s and 4;?=s, but
minicomputers are generally not considered mainframes. (*1(/ arose as a minicomputer operating system@ *ni+
has scaled up over the years to ac5uire some mainframe characteristics.)
$any defining characteristics of !mainframe! were established in the 4;<=s, but those characteristics continue to
e+pand and evolve to the present day.
3. 2uper computers
A supercomputer is a computer that is at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.
2upercomputers were introduced in the 4;<=s and were designed primarily by 2eymour Cray at Control Data
Corporation (CDC), which led the market into the 4;>=s until Cray left to form his own company, Cray. )e then took
over the supercomputer market with his new designs, holding the top spot in supercomputing for five years (4;?AB4;;=).
(n the 4;?=s a large number of smaller competitors entered the market, in parallel to the creation of
the minicomputer market a decade earlier, but many of these disappeared in the mid#4;;=s !supercomputer market
crash!.
%oday, supercomputers are typically one#of#a#kind custom designs produced by !traditional! companies such
as Cray, (8$ and )ewlett#Packard, who had purchased many of the 4;?=s companies to gain their e+perience. As of
$ay &=4=, the Cray Caguar is the fastest supercomputer in the world.
%he term supercomputer itself is rather fluid, and todayDs supercomputer tends to become tomorrowDs
ordinary computer. CDCDs early machines were simply very fast scalar, some ten times the speed of the fastest
machines offered by other companies. (n the 4;>=s most supercomputers were dedicated to running a vector processor,
and many of the newer players developed their own such processors at a lower price to enter the market. %he early and
mid#4;?=s saw machines with a modest number of vector processors working in parallel to become the standard. %ypical
numbers of processors were in the range of four to si+teen. (n the later 4;?=s and 4;;=s, attention turned from vector
processors to massive parallel processing systems with thousands of !ordinary! CP*s, some being off the shelf units and
others being custom designs. %oday, parallel designs are based on !off the shelf! server#class microprocessors, such as
the PowerPC, 0pteron, or /eon, and coprocessors like 1E(D(A %esla 3P3P*s, A$D 3P*s, (8$ Cell, FP3As. $ost
modern supercomputers are now highly#tuned computer clusters using commodity processors combined with custom
interconnects.
2upercomputers are used for highly calculation#intensive tasks such as problems involving 5uantum physics, weather
forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling (computing the structures and properties of chemical compounds,
biological macromolecules, polymers, and crystals), physical simulations (such as simulation of airplanes in wind tunnels,
simulation of the detonation of nuclear weapons, and research into nuclear fusion). A particular class of problems, known
as 3rand Challenge problems, are problems whose full solution re5uires semi#infinite computing resources.
6elevant here is the distinction between capability computing and capacity computing, as defined by 3raham et
al. Capability computing is typically thought of as using the ma+imum computing power to solve a large problem in the
shortest amount of time. 0ften a capability system is able to solve a problem of a si"e or comple+ity that no other
computer can. Capacity computing in contrast is typically thought of as using efficient cost#effective computing power
to solve somewhat large problems or many small problems or to prepare for a run on a capability system.
6. $ultimedia computers
A multimedia computer is a computer that is optimi"ed for high multimedia performance, enabling rich multimedia
e+perience.
7arly home computers simply lacked the power and storage necessary for true multimedia. %he games for these systems,
along with the demo scene were able to achieve high sophistication and technical polish using only simple, blocky graphics and
digitally#generated sound. %he Amiga 4=== from Commodore (nternational has been called the first multimedia computer.
94: (ts groundbreaking animation, graphics and sound technologies enabled multimedia content to flourish. Famous demos
such as the 8oing 8all9&: and Cuggler9,: showed off the AmigaDs abilities. ater the Atari 2% series and Apple $acintosh
(( e+tended the concept@ the Atari integrated a $(D( port and was the first computer under G4===*2D to have 4
megabyte of 6A$ which is a realistic minimum for multimedia content and the $acintosh was the first computer able to
display true photorealistic graphics as well as integrating a CD#60$ drive, whose high capacity was essential for delivering
multimedia content in the pre#(nternet era.
$ultimedia capabilities were not common on (8$ PC compatibles until the advent of 'indows ,.= and the $PC standards in
the early 4;;=s. %he original PCs were devised as !serious! business machines and colorful graphics and powerful sound
abilities werenDt a priority. %he few games available suffered from slow video hardware, PC speaker sound and limited color
palette when compared to its contemporaries. 8ut as PCs penetrated the home market in the late 4;?=s, a thriving industry
arose to e5uip PCs to take advantage of the latest sound, graphics and animation
technologies. CreativeDs 2ound8laster series of sound cards, as well as video cards from A%i, nEidiaand $atro+ soon became
standard e5uipment for most PCs sold.
$ost PCs today have good multimedia features. %hey have dual# or single#core CP*s clocked at ,.= 3)" or faster, at least
438 of 6A$, a 4&? $8 or higher video card and %E %uner card. Popular graphics cards include 1vidia 3force or A%( 6adeon.
%he (ntel Eiiv platform, and$icrosoft 'indows /P $edia Center 7dition are some of todayDs products aimed at multimedia
computing.
$ore recently, high#performance devices have become more compact, and multimedia computer capabilities are found in
mobile devices such as the Apple iPhone and 1okia 1series, featuring DED#like video 5uality, megapi+el class cameras, fully
capable browser, music and video players, podcasting, blogging, as well as e#mail, instant messaging, presence and internet
call (Eo(P) functionality. $ultiradios help to offer broadband wireless connectivity, including for instance 'CD$A.)2DPA
and 'A1.'ifi. Devices are also increasingly e5uipped with 3P2 receivers and maps applications, providing new capabilities
for location#aware services. %he 1series devices are also e+pandable, allowing for the addition of multiple applications and
multimedia content.
>. aptops
A laptop is a personal computer designed for mobile use and small and light enough to sit on a
personDs lap while in use.
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A laptop integrates most of the typical components of adesktop computer, including
a display, a keyboard, a pointing device (a touchpad, also known as a trackpad, and.or a pointing stick),
speakers, and usually including arechargeable battery, into a single small and light unit. %he computer can run
off either mains electricity via an AC adapter, or internal battery@ the battery typically stores enough energy
to run the laptop for three to five hours in its initial state, depending on the configuration and power
management of the computer. 'hen plugged into the mains the battery is charged, whether or not the
computer is running.
aptops are usually notebook#shaped with thicknesses between =.>B4.A inches (4?B,? mm) and dimensions typically
ranging from 4=+? inches (&>+&&cm, 4,! display) to 4A+44 inches (,;+&?cm, 4>! display), although smaller and
larger screens are used. $odern laptops weigh , to 4& pounds (4.H to A.H kg)@ older laptops were usually heavier.
$ost laptops are designed in the flip form factor to protect the screen and the keyboard when closed.
$odern tablet laptops have a comple+ -oint between the keyboard housing and the display permitting the display
panel to swivel and then lie flat on the keyboard housing.
Portable computers, originally monochrome C6%#based and developing into the modern laptop, were originally
considered to be a small niche market, mostly for speciali"ed field applications such as the military, accountants
and sales representatives. As portable computers became smaller, lighter, and cheaper and as screens became
larger and of better 5uality, laptops became very widely used for all purposes.