Types of Computers

Computers are distinguished by a variety of criteria, which are related to each other to varying degrees. In everyday perception, such criteria as purpose, computing power and size of the computer are often linked. A type of computer that combines a large number of subtypes with different form factors is conventionally divided into two subtypes: desktop and laptop PCs.

Desktop PCs are designed for permanent use indoors. They are installed on wide flat surfaces, such as office desks, special shelves, etc. They include such subtypes as: desktops (ordinary desktop PCs), nettops and all-in-one PCs.

A desktop computer usually means a bundle of a system unit, a monitor, and manipulators (keyboard/mouse). Desktop solutions vary in size depending on the form factor, but in general, they are the largest among desktop PCs.

Nettops are desktop solutions with a small form factor. In terms of performance, they are somewhat inferior to desktop solutions, but they can replace them if the user needs to work with applications that are not too resource-intensive. In this sense, nettops are comparable to laptops/netbooks. Bright representatives of the nettop world:

All-in-one PCs are an integrated "monitor + system unit" solution in one case. They are a modern alternative to desktop systems, as they have similar performance and smaller dimensions. As a rule, they are used as multimedia home solutions, terminals or compact office PCs. As in the case of laptops/netbooks, the size of all-in-one PCs is related not only to the form factor of the motherboard, but also to the diagonal of the screen.

Portable PCs are portable solutions of varying degrees of mobility and autonomy. They differ significantly in size. Approximate order of increasing dimensions: PDAs (PDAs), tablets, tablet netbooks, netbooks, laptops.

Laptops are the largest and most powerful of portable PCs. They are often used as an alternative to desktop computers in a small office. They differ from desktop solutions in their reduced power consumption and more compact folding design. In terms of autonomy (i.e. battery life), they are often inferior to even more compact portable solutions, such as netbooks and tablets.

By the diagonal of the screen, models from 14 to 19 inches are distinguished. At the same time, the increase in the diagonal of the screen mainly affects the width of the case, while other dimensions can remain unchanged or even shrink. This can be seen from the following table with examples.

It is laptops with a large screen diagonal that are most often positioned as a replacement for a desktop computer, since they have a screen diagonal comparable to the screen diagonal of average office monitors.

Netbooks are designed for use on the go or when the user needs a limited set of features, such as accessing the Internet, working with everyday applications, and playing media content that is not too demanding on hardware resources. Therefore, netbook manufacturers try to maintain a balance between the overall compactness of the device and screen sizes sufficient for comfortable video viewing. On average, the screen size ranges from 7 inches to 12 inches. At the same time, the dimensions of a 10-inch solution can be, approximately, 250x183x27 mm.

Tablet computers are a subtype of mobile PCs, which became especially popular after the release of the iPad tablet and are an "intermediate link" between PDAs and laptops. A distinctive feature of tablets is a thin body, almost the entire width of which is occupied by a touch screen. The dimensions of the iPad 2, which was released in April 2010, are 241.2 x 185.7 x 8.8 mm.

Tablet netbooks are tablets with a detachable keyboard. When the keyboard is connected, they have the size of a netbook, when disconnected, they are the size of a regular tablet.

PDAs are close to mobile communicators in terms of size and computing capabilities. As a rule, a hybrid variant called a smartphone has prevailed lately, with small dimensions, for example, 70x140x7 mm.

Servers. The server definition has historically overlapped with the mainframe definition. In both cases, we are talking about high-performance computers with a large form factor. The difference is that a mainframe is always a central device (including a central server), while a server can be a less significant part of the structure. Initially, servers were used in industrial and scientific enterprises to serve other computers (workstations and PCs). Despite the trend towards smaller footprints and lower power consumption, full-featured industrial servers still require a separate room and special operating conditions. To ensure stable long-term operation with high loads, servers are equipped with redundant hardware components; First of all, this applies to those components that are most susceptible to wear and tear or excessive loads (power supplies, memory modules, processors, storage devices). The need for a powerful, multi-level cooling system also affects the size and design of servers.

With the development of the personal computer market, the concept of a server has expanded, as home servers (e.g., media servers) have appeared to connect home or office PCs into a local network. Such devices may not differ in size and design from a desktop or even a nettop.