FREE online courses on the Basics of a Computer - CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER
SYSTEMS -According to data processing
Computer systems may be classified
according to the data they are designed to process or they may be classified
according to their size and capabilities.
The data required for processing
may be obtained either as a result of counting or through some measuring device.
Data obtained through counting is known as discrete data, while that obtained
through measuring instruments is known as continuous data. An example of
discrete data is the number of marks obtained by a student in an examination,
while the constant monitoring of the Electro-Cardiogram of a patient is an
example of continuous data.
The analog computers do not
directly interact with numbers, but rather deal with variables measured along a
continuous scale, like the temperature of a room. Analog computers may be
accurate to within 0.1% of the correct value.
A digital computer operates on
discrete data. It works basically by directly counting numbers that represent
numerals, letters or other functional symbols. Digital computers can be further
divided into special purpose and general purpose digital computers.
As the name suggests, a special
purpose digital computer is one which has been designed to perform one specific
task. The set of instructions required for that task is permanently stored in
the computer's memory. What this type of computer lacks in variety, it makes up
in speed and efficiency.
A general purpose computer is one
which can store different programs and is also re-programmable. The only
limitation to the versatility of this type of computer is the extent of
imagination of the human mind. In fact, these computers can be made to perform a
plethora of different and varied functions.
A hybrid computing system is one
in which desirable characteristics of both the analog and digital computers are
integrated. In an intensive care unit, analog computers may measure the
patient's heart rate, temperature, etc. The measurements may then be converted
into numbers and supplied to the digital part of the system which will
thereafter regulate the flow of certain medications.
