These days, life would be unimaginable without a computer. These devices are now a necessary component of every day life, whether they are used for work or entertainment. However, did you know that there are different kinds of computers, each intended for a particular use and set of tasks?
The word "computer" refers to almost any device with a microprocessor, but most people think of a device that processes input from a mouse or keyboard, shows the output on a screen, and processes input again. Over the past few decades, the hardware and software found in computers have advanced at a speed that could be described as "circuit-snapping." The heavy, desk-crushing computers of the early 1980s are very different from the thin, touchscreen tablets and laptops of today.
Because of the internet and other web technologies, modern computers are not only faster but also more connected. Text-based systems and dial-up modems are relics of the past. These days, computers can stream live news, play complex video games, and watch high-definition movies using WiFi and broadband connections.
Various computer types are referred to by a multitude of terms. The majority of these terms allude to the computer's size, intended purpose, or capability. First, let's tackle the most apparent one.
01. The All-Powerful Personal Computer
The phrase "personal computer" (PC) refers to a type of computer made especially for single use. Although Apple's iMac is classified as a PC, most people only think of PCs as Windows-based devices. Originally known as microcomputers, these PCs were a more portable version of the enormous computer systems used by corporations.
IBM, a venerable tech company, debuted its first PC in 1981, using Microsoft's now-iconic MS-DOS (Microsoft Disc Operating System) operating system. In an effort to keep up, Apple unveiled the Lisa in 1983, which was among the first computers to have a graphical user interface (GUI) [sources: Alfred, Cabell]. This meant that instead of a boring text interface, users could now interact with on-screen icons for the first time.
Hardware components such as random access memory (RAM) and central processing unit (CPU) have advanced dramatically over time. An exponential rise in computing power was made possible by these technological advances. For instance, Intel debuted its first Pentium processor in 1993, and Compaq introduced a 32-bit CPU in its 386 computers in 1986 [sources: PCWorld, Tom's Hardware].
With the evolution of personal computers, they now come equipped with touchscreens, an array of integrated connectivity features such as Bluetooth and WiFi, and dynamic operating systems. There have also been notable changes to the machines' physical forms, which range from desktop PCs to portable laptops. These days, personal computers (PCs) are used for much more than just data processing and gaming; they are essential for everything from weather forecasting to scientific research.
02. Desktop
Customers could only choose between desktop and laptop formats until the mid-1980s. These "towers" were made of knee-knocking boxes that could have gouged your shins. Their bulky CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors cluttered your office or home workspace. With desktop computers, it was expected that you would place the device in a permanent spot.
In the 1990s, when laptops were still costing thousands of dollars, desktop computers became the standard because they provided greater power, storage, and versatility at a lower initial cost than their portable counterparts [source: Britannica].
A desktop computer can be purchased for a few hundred dollars these days, and they are far, far less expensive than they were twenty years ago. The thousands of dollars they used to cost back in the 1980s is a far cry from that. Actually, the price of the 300, one of Hewlett-Packard's initial business PCs, was $95,000 in 1972 [source: Comen].
Desktop computers are becoming extinct as smartphones and laptops continue to rule the globe and are affordable enough for the majority of consumers. Global desktop sales fell below 100 million in 2017 [source: Moore-Colyer], a significant decrease from the 161.6 million laptops that were snapped up that year.
Don't weep for the desktop, though. Products that are equally powerful as this PC format are being replaced by ones that have the fantastic bonus of portability. Even the most ardent gamers still cherish desktops.
03. Laptop
You had to use a desktop computer once if you wanted to use a PC. The complex systems found in a PC were just too big for engineers to fit into a portable box. However, a lot of large computer manufacturers pushed to make laptops more widely used in the middle of the 1980s.
A laptop is a portable computer that combines a display, keyboard, processor, memory, trackball, and hard drive into a battery-powered device that is slightly bigger than a typical hardcover book.
However, the first real commercial laptop was very different from the sleek machines that are crammed into retail stores these days. The Osborne 1, which was introduced in 1981 and retailed for approximately $1,800, featured 64 kb of RAM and weighed roughly 24 pounds (10 kilogrammes). The Osborne 1's 5 inch (12 centimetre) screen worked your eyes just as hard as it worked your biceps [source: Computing History].
Fortunately, laptops' appearance and feel have rapidly improved thanks to manufacturers. Two years later, Radio Shack's TRS-80 Model 100, which weighed only 4 pounds (8 kilogrammes), contained its component but lacked power.
By the end of the decade, NEC's UltraLite broke through boundaries by packing real computing power into the first truly notebook—a very light laptop—weighing only 2.2 kilogrammes (5 pounds). Officially, the race to achieve ultra-portability had begun [source: Bellis]. But sales of laptops didn't surpass those of PCs until 2005 [source: Arthur].
04. Netbooks and Tablets
Netbooks are even more compact than standard laptops, making them extremely portable computers. Netbooks are incredibly affordable—they start at about $200—and are therefore less expensive than nearly every new laptop sold in stores. Nevertheless, the internal components of netbooks are not as powerful as those of standard laptops [source: Krynin].
When netbooks initially debuted in 2007, their main purpose was to provide users with access to the internet and web-based applications, such as web browsing, email, and streaming media. Because of their extreme compactness, their specifications list frequently resembles that of a very basic laptop. Their displays are small—as small as 6-7 inches, or 15–18 centimeters—and they have limited storage—possibly up to 64GB—in addition to occasionally lacking or not using data ports—like USB or HDMI—that are common on traditional laptops. Since the larger manufacturers are unfazed by the slim profit margins of these less expensive devices, many netbooks are produced by smaller companies [source: Lenovo].
Netbooks' small RAM and relatively slow processors prevent them from handling demanding graphics applications or demanding games. Rather, their greatest utility lies in what gives them their name: browsing the web [source: Krynin].
Netbooks have been largely replaced by tablets. Tablets are flat, thin devices that resemble smartphones on a larger scale. Lenovo began producing them in 2000, but Apple's iPad launch in 2010 helped make them more widely known [source: Bort].
Tablets lack the internal fans found in PCs, but they can perform nearly all of the tasks that laptops can. They are thus forced to use less powerful processors that produce less heat and require less battery life. Moreover, their storage capacity is lower than that of conventional PCs. While more recent tablets run a full operating system, like Microsoft Windows 10, older tablets ran the same operating systems as smartphones. Lenovo is the source.
In addition to having a longer battery life and being more portable than PCs, tablets can perform smartphone-like functions like taking pictures, playing games, and creating sketches with a stylus. You can have the best of both worlds with some tablets that include an attached or detachable keyboard for those who prefer the functionality of a laptop.
05. Handheld Computers
The 20th century's early computers were infamous for needing whole rooms. You can fit a lot more processing power in your pocket these days. One of the most iconic gadgets of our time is the handheld computer, which includes smartphones and PDAs [source: Arthur].
Personal digital assistants (PDAs), which made their debut in the 1990s, were highly integrated computers that frequently stored data on flash memory rather than a hard drive. These computers typically used touchscreen technology instead of keyboards to allow user input. Generally speaking, PDAs were lighter, smaller, and had a battery life comparable to that of a paperback novel. They were the preferred gadgets for calendaring, email, and basic messaging features for a while [source: Britannica]. Do you recall the BlackBerry and the Palm Pilot?
But PDAs lost their appeal as the smartphone revolution got underway. Smartphones such as the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy combine PDA functions and calling features with ever-more-astonishing full-fledged computer capabilities. They have features that would have shocked electronics engineers fifty years ago, like touch-screen interfaces, high-speed processors, gigabytes of memory, dual-lens cameras, high-quality audio systems, and full connectivity options (including Bluetooth, WiFi, and more).
While smartphones have been around since 2000, the widely publicised 2007 release of the iPhone 3G was the catalyst for the device's widespread adoption. The iPhone's design, feel, and capabilities served as a model for all subsequent smartphones. [Nguyen, the source].
06. Workstation
A workstation is essentially a desktop computer with upgraded features like a faster processor, more RAM, better graphics adapters, and increased performance for specialised tasks like game development or 3D graphics [source: Intel].
Similar to standard desktop computers, workstations are designed for single users. But they're significantly, significantly faster than desktop computers. These workhorse PCs are typically purchased by companies such as engineering firms or multimedia companies for their employees [source: TechTarget].
A workstation's power is not inexpensive. Workstations may cost up to three times as much as standard desktop computers, which small businesses can easily find for just a few hundred dollars. Simple workstations can easily cost $1,500 and quickly double in cost. [Benton, the source].
However, workstations are high-quality devices intended for serious business, whereas inexpensive desktops are constructed with similarly inexpensive (read: occasionally unreliable) components. They could be left running all night to process data or create animations. Because of this, these computers have large-capacity solid-state drives, faster CPUs, and redundant hard drives for data security.
All of those indicators point to a device designed primarily for financial gain rather than simple word processing or haphazard Minesweeper games. [Benton, the source].
07. Server
A server is a computer that has been configured to offer network services to other computers. Servers typically feature strong processors, large amounts of RAM, and hard drives.
You don't sit down at a server and type like you would with a desktop or laptop PC. Rather, a server offers a lot of computing power via the internet or a local area network (LAN). Both large and small businesses rely on servers to handle orders, track shipment information, provide information, solve scientific formulas, and much more. In a dedicated server room, which in certain businesses may resemble a warehouse, servers are typically kept on racks.
Servers have standard computer parts, just like personal computers do. For every need, they have enough power supplies, motherboards, RAM, video cards, and network connections. However, they usually don't have dedicated displays. Rather, IT professionals combine the processing power of many servers with a single monitor to configure and manage them at ever-increasing speeds.
Have you ever wondered how a service like Google can predict your search queries in real time and provide you with the answers to your most pressing questions in a matter of seconds? All of it is due to the servers. The company is estimated to maintain and run about 2.5 million servers in massive data centres located all over the planet [source: Data Centre Knowledge].
08. Mainframe
Mainframes were enormous computers in the early days of computing, capable of taking up an entire room or even an entire floor! The term "mainframe" has become less common in favour of "enterprise server" as computers' power has increased along with their size. However, the phrase is still used, especially in large corporations, to refer to the enormous devices that process millions of transactions daily while also meeting the needs of hundreds or even thousands of individual users.
Despite the fact that the term "mainframe" originally referred to a centralised computer connected to less potent equipment like workstations, the distinction is becoming less clear as mainframe computers become more versatile and smaller machines become more potent [source: IBM].
The post-World War II era saw the birth of mainframes as the US Department of Defence stepped up its efforts to combat the Cold War. Mainframes are still utilised to process some of the largest and most intricate databases globally, despite the increasing number of servers. They support the security of a great deal of delicate data, including top-secret company information and mobile payments [source: Alba].
For the first time in five years, IBM, one of the most enduring mainframe manufacturers in the world, experienced a rise in mainframe sales in 2018. This is partially due to the fact that mainframes can fit a lot more computing power into a tiny space than a rack of contemporary, fast servers [source: Hall].
09. Supercomputer
Typically, this kind of computer can cost up to millions or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. While some supercomputers consist of a single computer system, the majority are made up of several high-performance computers operating in tandem as a single unit. Cray Supercomputers is the manufacturer of the most well-known supercomputers.
Mainframes and supercomputers are not the same thing. The most complex industrial and scientific computations on Earth are made possible by the extraordinary computing power of both kinds of computers. Generally, mainframes are adjusted to offer the highest level of data dependability.
Contrarily, supercomputers are the Formula 1 race cars of the computer world; they are designed for lightning-fast processing so businesses can do calculations that would take other systems days, weeks, or even months to finish.
They are frequently found in locations where speed is crucial, such as atomic research centres, spy agencies, scientific institutes, or weather forecasting stations. For instance, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) of the United States employs some of the fastest computers in the world, able to perform calculations at a rate of over eight quadrillion times per second, in order to provide some of the most sophisticated weather forecasting capabilities in the world [sources: Hardawar, NOAA].
The cost of that kind of jaw-dropping computer power is equally jaw-dropping. The $200 million Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, is one example. It is the first supercomputer designed to work with artificial intelligence. Wolfson is the source.
10. Wearable
Wearable computing is the newest trend in computers. In essence, watches, cell phones, visors, and even clothes are integrated with common computer applications (e-mail, database, multimedia, calendar/scheduler). Numerous other wearables track a user's location, altitude, steps taken, calories burned, speed, and a plethora of other metrics, catering primarily to outdoor enthusiasts and fitness enthusiasts.
Currently in its eighth iteration, the Apple iWatch has received some of the best reviews of any wearable technology. Numerous features of a full-fledged smartphone are included in this little watch. You can carry out your regular email and texting tasks with it. In contrast to certain other smart watches that require pairing with a phone in order to make calls, this one has a built-in cell phone. You can even take an ECG with its integrated electrical heart sensor and send it right away to your physician [source: Apple].
However, watches are only the first step. Wearable accessories such as heart rate monitors, sleep monitors, smart belts, smart eyewear, and smart earphones are becoming more and more common. Even skin patches that track different biological processes occurring in your body are being touted by a company named MC10 [source: Pervasive Computing].
Yes, wearables are opening up new possibilities for personal computing. Their adaptability and capacity to defy logic suggest that the computer revolution is far from finished. The PC era may, in fact, be just getting started.
Types of Computers FAQ
What are the types of computers?
Personal computers, desktops, laptops, tablets, handheld devices, servers, workstations, mainframes, wearable technology, and supercomputers are among the ten categories of computers.
What is a computer?
Any device with an information-processing microprocessor is considered a computer. It has a display screen, software, and hardware.
What are the most common types of computers and their functions?
The most popular computer types in use today are desktops, laptops, handheld devices, and wearable technology. The most traditional type of computer, desktops can run a wide range of applications and provide users with Internet access. Desktop computers can be carried around more easily thanks to their smaller size, which makes laptops more portable. Numerous features are available on wearable technology and handheld computers (smartphones), including Bluetooth connectivity, games, audio systems, activity tracking, and cameras.
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