COMPUTER TYPES

Computer types can be divided into 3 categories according to electronic nature. Types of
computers are classified according to how a particular Computer functions. These
computer types are

· Analogue Computers

· Digital Computers

· Hybrid Computers
Analogue Computers

An analog computer is one which can perform multiple calculations at once and can cope
with infinite fractions of numbers. The term analog does not relate to how the computer
is powered and it is possible to have electronic analog computers. The characteristics of
an analog computer mean it can be better than a digital computer at particular tasks

A computer is simply a machine which processes data in a set fashion or, to put it
another way, calculates. Today most computers are digital and work by reducing all data
to binary numbers before processing. Analog computers go back thousands of years but
vary from digital computers in only two fundamental ways.

The first is that an analog computer works in parallel. This means it can carry out
multiple tasks simultaneously.

The second difference is that an analog computer handles continuous variables. .

Analogue types of Computer uses what is known as analogue signals that are represented
by a continuous set of varying voltages and are used in scientific research centers?,
hospitals and flight centers
With analogue types of computer no values are represented by physical measurable
quantities e.g. voltages. Analogue computer types program arithmetic and logical
operations by measuring physical changes i.e. temperatures or pressure.

Digital Computer

A digital computer is an electronic computing machine that uses the binary digits (bits) 0
and 1 to represent all forms of information internally in digital form. Every computer has
a set of instructions that define the basic functions it can perform. Sequences of these
instructions constitute machine-language programs that can be stored in the computer and
used to tailor it to an essentially unlimited number of specialized applications.
Calculators are small computers specialized for mathematical computations. General-
purpose computers range from pocket-sized personal digital assistants (notepad
computers), to medium-sized desktop computers (personal computers and workstations),
to large, powerful computers that are shared by many users via a computer network. The
vast majority of digital computers now in use are inexpensive, special-purpose
microcontrollers that are embedded, often invisibly, in such devices as toys, consumer
electronic equipment, and automobiles. See Bit, Computer programming, Embedded
systems
HYBRID COMPUTER
Hybrid computer types are very unique.Hybrid computers are computers that are
designed to provide Functions an d features that are found with both analog computers
and digital computers. The idea behind this combined or hybrid computer model is to
create a working unit that offers the best of both types of computers. With most designs,
the analog components of the equipment provide efficient processing of differential
equations, while the digital aspects of the computer address the logical operations
associated with the system

The computers which are in the hospitals to measure heart beat are hybrid computers