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Mainframe Computers

                  A mainframe computer  is a  massive computer  that
                  occupies a huge space and often fills an entire room. It
                  can store an enormous amount of information and is
                  designed for multitasking with several users working
                  simultaneously. Mainframe computers usually have
                  several terminals connected to them. It can connect
                  to multiple clients simultaneously  so that several
                  users can  access different  applications running  on
                  the  mainframe at  the  same time without  effecting
                  performance  or  security.  They  are  manufactured
                                                                                        Mainframe Computers
                  for  commercial  applications  and  other  large-scale
                  computing purposes.
                  Mainframe computers are generally used in big organisations where a large amount of data
                  is used, such as banks. Examples of mainframe computers are IBM zSeries, IBM 4381, ICL 39,
                  UNIVAC 9400 etc.
                                                                   Supercomputers

                                                                   Supercomputers are the largest and fastest of all
                                                                   types of computers. It consists of a large number
                                                                   of processors and also occupies a huge amount of
                                                                   space. The cost of a supercomputer is very high. It
                                                                   can process a very large amount of data quickly.
                                                                   It is extremely powerful machine for performing
                                                                   complex scientific calculations. Calculations that a
                                                                   personal computer performs in three weeks can be
                                                                   performed by a supercomputer within a minute.
                               Supercomputers
                  They  are  used  in  very  big  organisations  and  government  departments  to  do  tasks  such  as
                  weather forecasting, evolution of nuclear weapons and rocket launching. PARAM was India’s first
                  supercomputer, developed in 1991. Some other examples of supercomputers are PACE, Titan,
                  Sunway TaihuLight, Pratyush, Mihir, etc.

                   i +  SOME OTHER SPECIAL COMPUTERS

                  Apart from the types of computers that we have discussed in the previous sections, some other
                  types of computers are embedded computers and handheld computers. Let us learn about these
                  computers in detail.
                  Embedded Computers

                  An embedded computer is a special type of microprocessor-based system that is developed
                  for performing a specific task. They form an integral part of  a larger machine or system. It is
                  different from a general-purpose computer like a PC. Today, embedded computers are used in
                  various applications. Some commonly used examples of the embedded computers are the digital
                  camera, microwave, ATM, etc. Let us learn about some of these embedded computers in detail.



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