There are many types of computers, all of which are currently on the market today. The two main competitors are Mac and PC (as it has been for many years), and within each company, there are many different types of computers. The most commonly commercialized computers are desktops and laptops; but there are a myriad of other forms of computers. Desktops are obviously not meant to be mobile, and their system units and either positionned vertically or horizantally next to the computer. Desktop systems are fairly easy to summarize, the necessary components are: the motherboard, graphics card, a memory unit, CD and DVD rom drives, and various harddrives. Laptops are very similar to desktops, but they are lighter than just the tower of a desktop. The screen and keyboard are part of the unit, which is designed to allow each part to fit without air resistance. With these changes laptops take up less space, are mobile, produce less heat and save power in comparison to a desktop.
The next most accessible towards the public are PDA’s (Personal Digital Assistant; handhelds) and Palm Pilots which are one of the smallest forms of microcomputers. The most obvious difference between these two, is that Palm Pilots tend to resemble a mini-laptop than a cellphone. They both have the same functions but perform them in extremely distinctive ways. PDA’s allow interaction between the unit you use and desktops, other PDA’s; Palm Pilots have programs avaidible for download like Windows CE (Windows Consumer) and other programs. Workstations are computers that everyone who is not technologically savvy will never come into contact with. The next rank up are mini-computers, and the main difference between these and mainframes is the cost. Mini-Computers can set you back a mere 100,000 dollars while a Mainframe is a whopping 1,000,000. Supercomputers are the highest form of computers, and are used for major military and scientific maneuvers.
