Computers can be broadly classified by their speed and computing power.
PC (Personal Computer)
• A PC can be defined as a small, relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual user.
• PCs are based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one chip.
• Businesses use personal computers for word processing, accounting, desktop publishing, and for running spreadsheet and database management applications.
• At home, the most popular use for personal computers is playing games and surfing Internet.
• Although personal computers are designed as single-user systems, these systems are normally linked together to form a network.
• In terms of power, now-a-days High-end models of the Macintosh and PC offer the same computing power and graphics capability as low-end workstations by Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell.
Workstation
• Workstation is a computer used for engineering applications (CAD/CAM), desktop publishing, software development, and other such types of applications which require a moderate amount of computing power and relatively high quality graphics capabilities.
• Workstations generally come with a large, high-resolution graphics screen, large amount of RAM, inbuilt network support, and a graphical user interface.
• Most workstations also have a mass storage device such as a disk drive, but a special type of workstation, called a diskless workstation, comes without a disk drive.
• Common operating systems for workstations are UNIX and Windows NT.
• Like PC, Workstations are also single-user computers like PC but are typically linked together to form a local-area network, although they can also be used as stand-alone systems.
Minicomputer
It is a midsize multi-processing system capable of supporting up to 250 users simultaneously.
Mainframe
• Mainframe is very large in size and is an expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds or even thousands of users simultaneously.
• Mainframe executes many programs concurrently and supports many simultaneous execution of programs
Supercomputer
• Supercomputers are one of the fastest computers currently available. Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for specialized applications that require immense amount of mathematical calculations (number crunching).
• For example, weather forecasting, scientific simulations, (animated) graphics, fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy research, electronic design, and analysis of geological data (e.g. in petrochemical prospecting).
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