Microcomputer types

  • Microcomputer designed around microprocessor
  • Classified based on function/use & shape/size

Portable Computer

  • Operate on battery 
  • Designed to consume low power
  • Special Engineering & h/w design tech adopted to make it rugged and light weight
  • Costlier and smaller in size

Functional Classification of Micro computer

1. Old Home Computer

  • For simple Application
  • Mainly for children education & game
  • Now obsolete

2. Personal Computer (PC)

  • Low cost general purpose micro computer
  • Used for personal application by various profession
  • Initial & maintenance cost – low
  • No special provision like false flooring, false ceiling & air condition

3. Work station 

  • Special purpose micro computer for specific application such as CAD, DTP, Multimedia
  • High performance & costlier

4. SOHO (Small office Home office)

  • Modern home computer with all types of peripherals & s/w support
  • Suits every one

5. Net Computer

  • Supported by central server with hardware & software resources common to all
  • Has minimum resources (CPU & Memory)
  • Modern concept yet to be accepted by industry

Physical Classification of microcomputer

  • Desktop (Table Top) – Horizontal & tower/vertical
  • Laptop – can be kept on lap of user & is portable
  • Notebook – Appears like notebook in shape & pportable
  • Palmtop – fits on palm of user
  • Pocket – like Pocket calculator
  • Pen – looks like a pen

Operating System

  • Provide support for configuring computer system, running programs, controlling I/O devices & user interaction

OS – collection of different program for performing functions like

  • Handling user request for various services
  • Scheduling of programs
  • I/O operations
  • Managing H/W units

Type of OS

  • OS – small size stored in memory ROM or in Disk
  • Modules – kernel (supervisor) scheduler, Process manager, File manager
  • In real OS – Hybrid type

Types 

  1. Batch OS – I/P & Program run one by one
  2. Interactive OS – I/P of data supported during program execution
  3. Time sharing OS – System shared by multiple users with terminals for interaction with OS
  4. Multitasking/ Multiprogramming OS – More than 1 task / program in memory. CPU switches between them
  5. Real time OS – OS periodically monitors various I/P according to different task
  6. Multiprocessors – Runs Many Processor simultaneously on many CPU in a single computer system.