24 Computer -- Computer System

What are super, mainframe, mini and microcomputers? Explain with examples. 

What are super, mainframe, mini and microcomputers? Explain with examples. 

On the basis of  size computers are divided into following types: 

  1. Super computers: They are the most powerful and fastest computers among digital computers. They are special purpose and are capable of handeling huge amount of calculations that are beyond human capabilities. Due to their high cost and size, they are relatively rare. They are used only by large corporations, universities, and government agencies. for example: CRAY, X-MP/24, PARAM etc.
  2. mainframe computer: It is large in size and is one of the most powerful computer systems. the processing speed of this computer is slower than super computer but is faster than mini and micro computers. The largest mainframe computers ca handle the processing needs of the number of users at any given moment. They are not very flexible and they are designed for large-scale data processing and a huge amount of data storage. For example: IBM 1401, ICL2950/10, ICL 39, and CYBER 170.
  3. Mini computers: A minicomputer is a type of computer that possesses most of the features and capabilities of a large computer but is smaller in physical size. A minicomputer fills the space between the mainframe and microcomputer, and is smaller than the former but larger than the latter. For example: Prime 9755, VAX 7500, HCL, etc.
  4. Micro computers: An antiquated term, a microcomputer is now primarily called a personal computer (PC), or a device based on a single-chip microprocessor. Common microcomputers include laptops and desktops. Beyond standard PCs, microcomputers also include some calculators, mobile phones, notebooks, workstations and embedded systems.


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