Types of computers
Personal range in size and capability. At one end of the scale are supercomputers, very massive individualized with thousands of linked microprocessors that perform extremely complex calculations. At the other end are little individualized embedded in cars, TVs, stereo systems, calculators, and appliances. These individualized are built to perform a limited number of tasks.
The individualized computer, or PC, is designed to be used by one mortal at a time. This section describes the various kinds of individualized computers: desktops, laptops, handheld computers, and Tablet PCs.
Desktop computers
Desktop individualized are designed for use at a desk or table. They are typically larger and more powerful than other types of individualized computers. Desktop individualized are prefabricated up of separate components. The main component, called the system unit, is usually a rectangular case that sits on or underneath a desk. Other components, such as the monitor, mouse, and keyboard, connect to the system unit.
Desktop computer
Laptop individualized and small notebook PCs
Laptop individualized are lightweight mobile individualized with a thin screen. Laptops can operate on batteries, so you can take them anywhere. Unlike desktops, laptops combine the CPU, screen, and keyboard in a single case. The screen folds down onto the keyboard when not in use.
Small notebook individualized (often referred to asmini-notebooks), are small, inexpensive laptops that are designed to perform a limited number of tasks. They’re usually less powerful than a laptop, so they’re used mainly to browse the web and check e‑mail.
A laptop individualized and a small notebook PC
Smartphones
Smartphones are mobile phones that have some of the same capabilites as a computer. You can use a smartphone to make telephone calls, access the Internet, organize contact information, send e‑mail and text messages, play games, and take pictures. Smartphones usually have a keyboard and a massive screen.
Smartphone
Handheld computers
Handheld computers, also called individualized digital assistants (PDAs), are battery-powered individualized small enough to carry nearly anywhere. Even though not as powerful as desktops or laptops, handheld individualized are useful for scheduling appointments, storing addresses and phone numbers, and playing games. Some have more advanced capabilities, such as making telephone calls or accessing the Internet. Instead of keyboards, handheld individualized have touch screens that you use with your finger or a stylus (a pen-shaped pointing tool).
Handheld computer
Tablet PCs
Tablet individualized are mobile individualized that combine features of laptops and handheld computers. Like laptops, they’re powerful and have a built-in screen. Like handheld computers, they grant you to write notes or draw photos on the screen, usually with a paper pen instead of a stylus. They can also convert your handwriting into typed text. Some Tablet individualized are “convertibles” with a screen that swivels and unfolds to reveal a keyboard underneath.
Tablet PC
What can you do with computers?
In the workplace, many people use individualized to keep records, examine data, do research, and manage projects. At home, you can use individualized to find information, store photos and music, track finances, play games, and communicate with others—and those are just a few of the possibilities.
You can also use your individualized to connect to the Internet, a network that links individualized around the world. World wide web access is acquirable for a monthly fee in most urban areas, and increasingly, in less populated areas. With World wide web access, you can communicate with people all over the world and find a vast amount of information.
Here are some of the most favourite things to do with computers:
The web
The World Wide Web (usually called the web, or web) is a gigantic storehouse of information. The web is the most favourite part of the Internet, partly because it displays most information in a visually appealing format. Headlines, text, and photos can be combined on a single webpage—much like a page in a magazine—along with sounds and animation. A website is a collection of interconnected webpages. The web contains millions of websites and billions of webpages.
Example of a webpage (Microsoft Game Studios)
Surfing the web means exploring it. You can find information on the web about nearly any topic imaginable. For example, you can read news stories and motion picture reviews, check airline schedules, see street maps, get the weather forecast for your city, or research a health condition. Most companies, agencies, museums, and libraries have websites with information about their products, services, or collections. Reference sources, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, are also widely available.
The web is also a shopper’s delight. You can browse and purchase products—books, music, toys, clothing, electronics, and much more—at the websites of major retailers. You can also purchase and sell used items through websites that use auction-style bidding.
E‑mail
E‑mail (short for electronic mail) is a convenient way to communicate with others. When you send an e‑mail message, it arrives nearly instantly in the recipient’s e‑mail inbox. You can send e‑mail to many people simultaneously, and you can save, print, and forward e‑mail to others. You can send nearly any type of file in an e‑mail message, including documents, pictures, and music files. And with e‑mail, you don’t need a postage stamp!
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