A blog on Computer/Data Processing Education, Motivation for Students, Technology info, Business Ideas, Job/Vacancy opportunities, General Information and News.
ICT refers to information and communication technology and is defined as an umbrella term that includes any communication device or application encompassing: radio, television, cellular phones, computer and network, hardware and software, satellite systems and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with them.
Uses of ICT
Used in communication
Used in security and control
Used for information processing and management
Used in timing and control
Uses of ICT in communication
Phone calls
SMS and MMS
Email
Imstant messaging
Video calls
Application of ICT in Education
Computer Based Testing
Computer Aided Instruction
School Administration
E-library
Instructional material (teaching aid) – e.g. projector, smart board, computer etc.
Staff/Student record keeping
Lesson preparation
E-learning
Research and collaboration
Data processing and analysis
Watch these videos for the complete explanation of each numbered item above.
DON'T FORGET TO WATCH, LIKE, COMMENT AND SHARE THIS VIDEO.
Computer classification according to purpose can be classified into two different types, namely:
General Purpose Computers.
Special Purpose Computers.
General Purpose Computer.
These computer systems are specially designed and developed to work with standard functions and applications of computers.
These computers are mutitasking computers, very fast computers with enough memory to save data and information.
These computers are inexpensive compared with special-purpose computers.
A computer that performs everyday tasks and operations given to it falls in the category of general-purpose computers.
Examples of general-purpose computers are Personal computers such as notebooks, tablets, laptops desktop, smartphone, etc.
Special Purpose Computer.
These computer systems are designed and developed to perform particular tasks and operations and derive necessary results with great speed, accuracy, and consistency.
These computers have more processing power, storage capacity, and speed than general-purpose computers.
These computer systems allow additional devices and components to connect for better performance and enhanced functionality.
These systems can have multiple CPUs [Central Processing Unit] for more speed and handling power.
They are widely used in the following areas:
Scientific Research.
Military.
Weather forecasting and Predicting Earthquakes.
Cryptocurrency Mining.
Space Science.
Examples of special-purpose computers are:
Super Computers.
Workstations.
Servers
Automated Teller Machine.
Point of Sale.
Ultrasound machine
ECG machine
Watch and share the video that explains the classifications by size and purpose below
Classification of Computer According to Size
Computer classification according to size can be categorized into four different types mentioned below:
Micro Computer.
Mini Computer.
Mainframe Computer.
Super Computer.
Super Computer.
Supercomputers, with excellent storage capacity, are considered the fastest computer in data processing and handling.
They are big and have multiple CPUs [Central Processing Units] for faster data and information access and processing.
The supercomputer also uses parallel processing for better functionality, performance, and processing.
A speed is measured or counted in “FLOPS” (Floating Point Operation per Second). It can perform a speed of over 1 billion per second.
The supercomputer is designed and developed for special purposes like:
Scientific Research.
Weather Research
Weather Forecasting
Military and Defense
Genetic Engineering
Nuclear Engineering
Solving complex numerical problems
Animated Graphics
Quantum
Examples of Super Computer..
IBM Seirra
Sunway Taihu Light
Frontera Dell C640 Dell EMC
Trinity Cray XC40
Super MUC-NG
Lassen IBM Power System
Supercomputers are faster machines and emit lots of heat and energy; therefore, it is mandatory to use an air conditioner to keep the devices and components of the computer cool and avoid physical damages like burning and overheating.
The supercomputer work and manages applications with tremendous speed. The supercomputer is a million times faster than mini, mainframe, and microcomputers.
The supercomputer’s speed is because of thousands of processors installed on them that make them extraordinary.
Mainframe Computer
These computers are small in size compared to a supercomputer. Mainframes are fast and can store a massive amount of data and information.
They have extremely impressive data processing and handling abilities, and hence the number of users can connect to them quickly for better data sharing and functionality.
They support tens of thousands of remote computers and can work as a “Host Computer”; they are pretty good when considering working with different operating systems.
They can store data and deliver millions of instructions and guidelines per second.
Uses of Mainframe computers
Banking.
Government Databases.
Airline and Railway Reservation.
Population Database.
Some Examples of Main Frame Computer are as follows:
IBM Z890.
Hitachi’s Z800.
CDC Cyber Series.
IBM 4381.
ICL39 Series.
Mini Computer
Minicomputers are considerably smaller in size compared to supercomputers and mainframe computers.
Minicomputer consists of more than 1 CPU [Central Processing Unit], making them faster than microcomputers and costlier than microcomputers.
Mini computers work slower than mainframe computers. Minicomputers are called “Workstation” or “Midrange Computers”.
Mini computers are extensively used in small businesses and medium-sized companies.
Examples of Minicomputers.
Micro VAX
IBM AS/400
VAX
Texas Instrument TI-990
Micro Computers.
Microcomputers are compact in shape and size and use a microprocessor, processor, or CPU for processing and calculations.
They are comparatively relatively smaller than other computers.
The microprocessor is cheaper than the technology used by [Mini, Mainframe, and Super].
This computer can be accommodated inside a briefcase and placed on a desk. Therefore this tiny computers are called “Microcomputers”.
The primary function of the microprocessor is to perform arithmetic and logical operations at high speed with great accuracy.
Microcomputers can perform trillions of operations per second. The speed of the microprocessor can range from megahertz to gigahertz.
There are different types of microprocessors, they are:
Single core processor
Dual Core Processor.
Quad Core Processor.
Hexa Core Processor
Octa Core Processor
Deca Core Processor
Microcomputers are also called “Personal Computers” [PC]. This is because they can only be used by a person at a time.
They are extensively used and utilized in small businesses for file handling, word processing, and spreadsheets, and they are also called general-purpose computers.
Examples of Microcomputers include
Laptops, desktops, smartphones, embedded systems, PDAs, Palmtop etc.
Analog computer are computers that operate on continuous data through measuring physical quantities like temperature, voltage, speed, current, pressure etc.
Analog computer operates by measuring rather than counting.
Analog computers are based on analog signal that is continuous in nature.
Presley is an example of analog computer. Other examples of analog devices are thermometer, speedometer, voltmeter, barometer, analog clock etc.
Watch the video explaining this topic with relevant images below
Digital computer
Digital computer works on discrete data or discontinuous data. It accepts data as digits or numbers and processes it with programs stored in the memory to produce desired output. Digital computer works on a binary system where 0 represents off and 1 represents on. It is based on digital signals i.e discrete signals.
Examples of digital computers include: smart phones, smart watches, laptops, desktop computers etc.
Hybrid Computer
Hybrid computer combines the features of both analog and digital computers. It can perform the tasks of both analog and digital computers. The hybrid computer can convert the analog signal into digital signals and digital signal into the analog signal.
Examples of hybrid computers are fuel pumps dispenser, ECG machine, monitoring systems in the hospital etc.
Hybrid computers are also widely used in the following applications such as:
Airline systems
Defense sector
Radar systems
Ships
Monitoring and controlling nuclear reactors etc.
Differences between analog and digital computers
Analog computer displays data in continuous form while digital computer displays data in discrete form
Analog computer operates by measuring while digital computer operates by counting and calculating
Accuracy is low in analog computer but high in digital computer
Analog computer has little or no storage capacity while digital computers has large storage capacity.
