There are a lot of terms used to describe
computers. Most of these words imply the size, expected use or
capability of the computer. While the term computer can apply to
virtually any device that has a microprocessor in it, most people think
of a computer as a device that receives input from the user through a
mouse or keyboard, processes it in some fashion and displays the result
on a screen.



* PC - The personal computer
(PC) defines a computer designed for general use by a single person.
While a Mac is a PC, most people relate the term with systems that run
the Windows operating system. PCs were first known as microcomputers
because they were a complete computer but built on a smaller scale than
the huge systems in use by most businesses.



* Desktop - A PC that is not
designed for portability. The expectation with desktop systems are that
you will set the computer up in a permanent location. Most desktops
offer more power, storage and versatility for less cost than their
portable brethren.



* Laptop - Also called
notebookslaptops are portable computers that integrate the display,
keyboard, a pointing device or trackball, processor, memory and hard
drive all in a battery-operated package slightly larger than an average
hardcover book.



* Palmtop- More commonly known
as Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), palmtops are tightly integrated
computers that often use flash memory instead of a hard drive for
storage. These computers usually do not have keyboards but rely on
touchscreen technology for user input. Palmtops are typically smaller
than a paperback novel, very lightweight with a reasonable battery
life. A slightly larger and heavier version of the palmtop is the
handheld computer.



* Workstation - A desktop
computer that has a more powerful processor, additional memory and
enhanced capabilities for performing a special group of task, such as
3D Graphics or game development.



* Server - A computer that has
been optimized to provide services to other computers over a network.
Servers usually have powerful processors, lots of memory and large hard
drives.



* Mainframe - In the early days
of computing, mainframes were huge computers that could fill an entire
room or even a whole floor! As the size of computers has diminished
while the power has increased, the term mainframe has fallen out of use
in favor of enterprise server. You'll still hear the term used,
particularly in large companies to describe the huge machines
processing millions of transactions every day.



* Minicomputer - Another term
rarely used anymore, minicomputers fall in between microcomputers (PCs)
and mainframes (enterprise servers). Minicomputers are normally
referred to as mid-range servers now.



* Supercomputer - This type of
computer usually costs hundreds of thousands or even millions of
dollars. Although some supercomputers are single computer systems, most
are comprised of multiple high performance computers working in
parallel as a single system. The best known supercomputers are built by
Cray Supercomputers.



* Wearable - The latest trend
in computing is wearable computers. Essentially, common computer
applications (e-mail, database, multimedia, calendar/scheduler) are
integrated into watches, cell phones, visors and even clothing!