Types of Computer Systems
There are three main types of computer systems: Personal Computers, Servers and also Embedded Systems. Within each of these main systems there are various different devices. Like for personal computers, there are also mobile phones, laptops and consoles.
Personal Computers
Desktop PC
These are usually used at home and can perform many different commands. The most popular are desktop PCs. These are mostly used at home and work although have many different uses. They vary in capabilities and cost but high end computers are usually for gaming whereas lower costing are used for work in offices or a home study.
Games Consoles
Computers solely for games called games consoles like the Xbox or PlayStation, these have no customisation available to them and are factory standard for each user. They are expensive although some can have apps that let you go on websites like YouTube and twitch
Laptops
There are also laptops that are basically a compacted desktop PC with smaller hardware and less power. it can run many of the same commands although it is hard to game on these unless they are custom built for gaming. Laptops are usually used for working in places where a computer would not be able to be used like a plane or in a home on some occassions
PDAs ( Personal Digital Assistant)
PDAs are small handheld devices with touchscreens that are used mostly for work like when a mailman is delivering a package that needs a signature, a small pen is used to mark a digital signature on the screen. These have basic hardware and can't perform complex tasks.
Smartphones
Smartphones are like PDAs but with better hardware and software and can do most things that a laptop or pc can do. It is usually touchscreen and also includes a built in camera and microphone. These are used due to how handy they are and portable. Smartphones are used for calls and for their various apps and sometimes for games.
Server
A server runs networks with very powerful processing units and large storage devices. these are used to run things like websites and handle all people visiting the website. these are usually stored clumped together inside a large factory. some servers are run solely for websites and some are used for mail, that handle all incoming and outgoing email for a company. these are very expensive and require a skilled technician to handle them.Embedded Systems
These computer systems are inside of machines or devices that control how the machine runs. things like timers inside of microwaves and dishwashers. These all require a processor and an interface to input commands.
Tablets
Tablets are used for their portability while still containing many useful features. It uses touchscreen as the main input and usually also has a microphone and camera. There is a virtual keyboard for typing that helps compact it and helps portability. It is usually used for things like work at home or for kids to play on as games can be played on these.
Tablets
Tablets are used for their portability while still containing many useful features. It uses touchscreen as the main input and usually also has a microphone and camera. There is a virtual keyboard for typing that helps compact it and helps portability. It is usually used for things like work at home or for kids to play on as games can be played on these.Benefits of different types of computer systems for different purposes
PC
Computers are not usually made to do one task solely like a game console although office PCs may not be great at gaming due to hardware limitations they are still able to perform gaming. It can be for used for many different purposes like video/photo editing, gaming or office work so the usefulness and diversity of a PC is much more wide. A PC is also upgradable with its parts. Any part can be swapped out and changed as long as it is compatible with the other components in the computer
Games Consoles
Games Consoles are created solely for playing games, these are better in situations for playing games than computers because of it is easier for newer users and also easier to setup and play quickly. Consoles can be a lot cheaper than PCs because their sole purpose is to play video games and it does not need many more added features to do its job. A downside to Console gaming is that the upgradability is poor as hardware can not be upgraded unless a newer system is purchased or an SSD is used in place of a hard drive although this does not improve graphical settings or processing.
PDA
A PDA is useful as it is very small portable and you would not have to carry a computer or laptop around for use outside of the office, this is useful for deliveries to peoples as it can be held in one hand and still does well for its purpose. It would also be cheaper to buy a PDA for this than a smartphone to carry around for checking deliveries and taking signatures. It is very useful for its portability. It is not very powerful as it does not need to be powerful to be useful.
Laptop
The advantage of using a Laptop is that it is very portable and still can do most things that a computer can although a laptop can be rarely upgraded as components can not be swapped out and things like RAM are often soldered to the motherboard. This means that a computer is more upgradable but less portable and is also a lot more expensive. Laptops have become very powerful recently and can be as good as desktop PCs although the cost is a lot more for this. Laptops are very diverse and can be used for home work and gaming like a PC.
Smartphone
The advantage of using a smartphone is that it can perform many various functions while also being very portable and mostly easy to use unless using advanced features. A smartphone is a lot more powerful than a PDA as it has more uses like gaming, office work, use of internet and many other things. Smartphones are getting more useful as their hardware is becoming more advanced and more tasks can be achieved on this. Phones are also getting bigger so they can store more data, become more powerful but also still very portable. They are not upgradable though as with smartphones you can not access the battery or hardware unless you remove the screen and this is very risky unless you are experienced with this.
Servers
The advantage to using a server rather than storing on a PC with a regular HDD is that it would be very hard to store a large amount of data because a server can store a lot more data than a PC can. Although a PC is far more portable than a server. Moving servers is also dangerous and costly as there is usually a lot of important files on these and can be very costly to replace or fix. A PC is easier to set up and use for storage than a server as you would need to be very well versed in storage to set up and manage a server.
Embedded Systems
The advantage to using embedded systems is that you can set timers on microwaves, dishwashers and other appliances instead of having a separate system beside it to set the timer up, it keeps the system more compact as it is embedded. Its usefulness is limited to how many features are on the system. With a more expensive microwave or appliance it will usually have more features on the embedded system.
Computers are not usually made to do one task solely like a game console although office PCs may not be great at gaming due to hardware limitations they are still able to perform gaming. It can be for used for many different purposes like video/photo editing, gaming or office work so the usefulness and diversity of a PC is much more wide. A PC is also upgradable with its parts. Any part can be swapped out and changed as long as it is compatible with the other components in the computer
Games Consoles
Games Consoles are created solely for playing games, these are better in situations for playing games than computers because of it is easier for newer users and also easier to setup and play quickly. Consoles can be a lot cheaper than PCs because their sole purpose is to play video games and it does not need many more added features to do its job. A downside to Console gaming is that the upgradability is poor as hardware can not be upgraded unless a newer system is purchased or an SSD is used in place of a hard drive although this does not improve graphical settings or processing.
PDA
A PDA is useful as it is very small portable and you would not have to carry a computer or laptop around for use outside of the office, this is useful for deliveries to peoples as it can be held in one hand and still does well for its purpose. It would also be cheaper to buy a PDA for this than a smartphone to carry around for checking deliveries and taking signatures. It is very useful for its portability. It is not very powerful as it does not need to be powerful to be useful.
Laptop
The advantage of using a Laptop is that it is very portable and still can do most things that a computer can although a laptop can be rarely upgraded as components can not be swapped out and things like RAM are often soldered to the motherboard. This means that a computer is more upgradable but less portable and is also a lot more expensive. Laptops have become very powerful recently and can be as good as desktop PCs although the cost is a lot more for this. Laptops are very diverse and can be used for home work and gaming like a PC.
Smartphone
The advantage of using a smartphone is that it can perform many various functions while also being very portable and mostly easy to use unless using advanced features. A smartphone is a lot more powerful than a PDA as it has more uses like gaming, office work, use of internet and many other things. Smartphones are getting more useful as their hardware is becoming more advanced and more tasks can be achieved on this. Phones are also getting bigger so they can store more data, become more powerful but also still very portable. They are not upgradable though as with smartphones you can not access the battery or hardware unless you remove the screen and this is very risky unless you are experienced with this.
Servers
The advantage to using a server rather than storing on a PC with a regular HDD is that it would be very hard to store a large amount of data because a server can store a lot more data than a PC can. Although a PC is far more portable than a server. Moving servers is also dangerous and costly as there is usually a lot of important files on these and can be very costly to replace or fix. A PC is easier to set up and use for storage than a server as you would need to be very well versed in storage to set up and manage a server.
Embedded Systems
The advantage to using embedded systems is that you can set timers on microwaves, dishwashers and other appliances instead of having a separate system beside it to set the timer up, it keeps the system more compact as it is embedded. Its usefulness is limited to how many features are on the system. With a more expensive microwave or appliance it will usually have more features on the embedded system.
