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01                                       CATEGORIES OF COMPUTERS













                                 Your Aim

                                 to learn about:

                                      l  Categories of Computers     l  Some Other Special Computers




                 As you know, a computer is an electronic device used in different places for different purposes,
                 such as managing accounts in schools and reading at home. You have also learnt about computer
                 programs and programming in the previous class. In this chapter, you will learn about the different
                 types of computers and computer languages.

                     CATEGORIES OF COMPUTERS

                 The different types of computers are used for various purposes and they can be categorised on
                 the basis of their:
                    Type                     Purpose                     Size, speed, processing power, and cost

                 Let us learn about these categories in detail.
                 Type

                 On the basis of their type or functioning, computers can be classified into three categories, which
                 are as follows:
                    Analog: It refers to a computer that operates by measuring instead
                    of counting. It measures continuously changeable physical quantities
                    like  voltage,  pressure,  water  flow,  etc.  This  type  of  computer
                    generally displays the output in the form of a graph. Examples of
                    analog computers are analog thermometers, speedometers in cars,
                    old radios, etc.                                                             An Analog Computer

                                          Digital: It refers to a computer that uses digits (binary numbers 0’s and
                                         1’s) to generate, process, and display data. The results produced by
                                         digital computers are more accurate than those of analog computers.
                                         All the modern computers that we use, like desktops, laptops, and
                                         smartphones are the examples of digital computers. Digital watch,
                                         digital thermometer, electricity meter, etc., are also called digital
                                         computers.
                  A Digital Computer
                                                                                    Categories of Computers       7
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