No other innovation has resulted in the creation of such a marvel as computers. From normal routine activities to the more complex tasks, the job undertaken by the computers are numerous. The size of the computers, the operations performed by it and the processing power of the computer hard drive has brought about classification of computers into different groups.

This article aims to highlight some of the major classifications of the computers.

1 Personal computer

Meant for home and office application, the personal computers that are typical make use of the Windows operating system and can be used for general application, mailing, games and other purposes. Initially known as the microcomputers, these computers can be connected to a LAN using a direct cable or Wi-Fi. A PC can be a desktop, palmtop or even a laptop.

Desktop computers

Not designed for portability, the desktop computers can consist of large vertical cases to hold the CPU or small form factor models like the MAC that has the CPU packed behind an LCD monitor. A desktop typically provides the user with enhanced power and storage besides costing less than other computers.

Tablet computers

The tablet computers, like the PDA, are mobile computers that come with a touch screen that requires a stylus or the fingertip to perform the operations. These computers use flash memory in place of a computer hard drive for information storage.

Laptop computers

A computer that integrates the processor, memory, computer hard drive, keyboard and the display into a single unit that works on a battery comes under the group of laptops. The laptops may be further classified into light-weight laptops, gaming laptops, Wi-Fi laptops, dual core laptops and power laptops.

2 Work station

Meant mainly for performing voluminous applications, the work station has a mighty processor supported by extra memory capacity, high-resolution screens and other features for added performance. Generally these workstations come with computer hard drive, whereas the diskless workstation is a variety that does not possess a computer hard drive in it.

3 Servers

Servers are powerful computers that have quick processors, larger computer hard drives and superior memory capacity. It functions to provide services to other systems connected to it through a network. Web servers, file server and the e-mail servers are some of the common server applications.

4 Mainframe computers

The term was originally used to denote the huge computers which had the CPU that filled an entire room. Mainframe, now, describes the huge and the expensive machines that are capable of supporting the needs of thousands of users concurrently.

5 Super computers

Built for specialized applications, these computers are capable of performing large volume of calculations making it ideal for scientific simulations, nuclear energy design, fluid dynamic calculations and similar activities.

6 Wearable computers

Assimilation of the computer gadgets into the watches, cell phones and even clothing has resulted in the usage of these devices for applications that call for the continuous monitoring of the physical movements of the user. This has made wearable computers suited for health monitoring, defense activities and behavioral studies to name a few. The integration of computers into our basic gadgets has made a drastic change to the general outlook of the people.