Types of Computers

In the last lesson, we covered the types of software that are usually found within your machine. Working in tandem with the hardware, this is how your computer functions! Now we can discuss the differences between computer types and the OS they come with.

The different computer types are:

• Smart Watches
• Phones and Handhelds
• Tablets
• Gaming Consoles
• Laptops
• Desktops
• Servers
• Supercomputers

All of these have their place in the world, but some computers may be more fit for some things than others. There are even more types of computers like appliances, cars, and more, but I think we'll just focus on these. Leave a comment on the Table of Contents if you'd like me to go over superfluous computers in the future.

Smart Watches are typically micro computers meant for wristwear. They can tell time, the weather, connect to your phone to take calls and texts, encourage you to exercise, monitor your sleep cycles, basically whatever manufacturers think is trending at the time. They can be simple to complex, but are widely regarded as bloatware devices. They're some of the lowest preforming computers, and tend to have a lot of hiccups while being knocked around all day. I don't have a high opinion of them, mostly because they're primed to be a security risk.

These watches and wearables run on their own types of lightweight OS systems like WearOS from Google and WatchOS from Apple. While they have some use in a modern lifestyle, you should hesitate on what data you're giving up. Watches like these can track heart rates, blood pressure, glucose levels, sleep patterns or menstrual cycles, and this information is being sold to companies. When you activate your watch and you brush past the TOS, or Terms of Service, you're also brushing past what parts of your info they can sell to advertisers. If your watch is connected through Google or Apple (which most are), you're allowing targeted ads across the web to put a bullseye on your back, marking you as a primed cash-cow for their products. We'll talk more about how these companies advertise to you in the "How To Google" lesson of this course.

Smartphones, or cellphones with internal computers, are a big topic. I could probably write four or five articles on the types of phones and their features alone. If you want to see comparisons between phones and brands, I'd check out the following:

PhoneArena: USA phone comparison

Kimovil: Worldwide phone comparison

The basics behind phone computers is the same as your computer hardware. It needs power in the form of a battery, a CPU, a screen, and storage to hold everything. The touchscreen acts as your mouse and keyboard peripheral through software. They even have built-in Wi-Fi connectors in most models. However, because everything is so small, it can't hold as much data or preform as well as a modern computer. Phones are excellent for word processing, light gaming, calling and texting, watching videos and movies, viewing and taking photos, and accessing phone-exclusive applications. There are other types of handhelds like an RFID Reader (Radio Frequency Identification) but they tend to be simpler and easy to use.

For phones, there are a number of Operating Systems to choose from, but we'll go over the most common ones.

iOS is Apple's OS for iPhones. This OS is highly user-friendly, made for beginners who want access to easy yet advanced technology like cameras and high-definition displays. The Application selection for this OS is robust and includes exclusive content. It comes with a high price tag, and they actively discourage repairing your hardware in favor of their own expensive repair services. The interface isn't customizable and there's no way to expand your phone's storage past what's originally built into the device. They also live in infamy for being extremely fragile. Apps for iOS tend to be larger, taking up more storage than its competitors.

Android is Google's OS for Samsung, Motorola, OnePlus, and Google devices. This OS is Open Source, meaning the original source code is made freely available and may be redistributed and modified, which allows for third party software and applications. Android is deeply customizable, but this freedom leaves devices open to security issues. It's also easy to install poorly optimized programs that drain your battery. Androids allow for upgradable storage and even better batteries depending on the device.

Other systems have a long string of issues attached to them, like lack of Applications, poor performance, and low security. Moving from a Blackberry to a Windows phone to a Samsung, I definitely prefer the control and security of Android when you know how to use it right, but I know less tech-savvy individuals will prefer the iPhone experience. 

Nowadays, I feel like people forget the power they have in their pocket. You can learn about anything at any time, talk to anyone anywhere, you can livestream coastlines and sunsets and fireworks - it's pretty amazing what you can do with this small of a piece of technology. The portability of this type of device is its major draw since it can go just about anywhere you go.

Compared to a computer, a phone is a lot more versatile and mobile, but less powerful in what it can achieve. Applications are smaller, storage is tighter, and the longevity of your device may not be as long as a desktop.

Tablet computers are just a step-up from smartphones. Again, they contain a battery, a CPU, a screen and storage, and most use the same OS as phones of the same brand (such as Android or iOS). There's so many different types and brands to choose from, so once again, I urge you to use Kimovil to choose what works best for you. Because they're a larger size, they tend to be a better option for people who need a mobile computer for instances like word processing, digital art, and even architect design due to their storage and processing capabilities. 

Gaming Consoles are self-contained platforms that allow users to control a computer with a controller. This means that each gaming console has their own OS, software, and sometimes, exclusive content and games.

There are 3 major gaming console brands: Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo. Lately, there's been new brands on the fringes (Valve with the SteamDeck and SEGA launching new versions of their old models) but those three are usually what most folks are talking about. Desktop computers and laptops also count among these with PC gaming, but they're in a league of their own, even when the games cross over.

If you're interested in learning more about consoles and their history, you should check out the History of Gaming wiki. It's a long but endlessly interesting read.

A laptop is a personal computer that can be easily moved and used in a variety of locations, similar to phones and tablets. They're lightweight, smaller than a briefcase, and contain a battery rather than needing a consistent power supply. Laptops tend to be more powerful than tablets and phones because they contain more powerful hardware. Because of their mobility, they're prone to physical damage during transport, and their hardware becomes outdated faster than a desktop. While laptops may be the perfect option for someone on the go, desktops have longevity that may surpass your personal need for mobile accessibility.

All-In-One desktops are similar to a laptop, but instead of being a computer monitor size, it's about the size of an average computer monitor, of not a little larger. They're less mobile than laptops but less bulky than a full desktop. Both AIOs and laptops have issues with hardware expansion, as there isn't much room to add extra things like an SSD or a better graphics card, so if you plan to upgrade your computer, you may want to consider an actual desktop computer.

Just like desktops, laptops can run on WindowsOS, MacOS, or Linux. Google has their own OS called ChromeOS (Linux-based), which can be found in laptops and other All In One Machines.

Here's the deal. I could get really granular here and break down what makes all three systems of these so different, but the problem is that with all software, things get updated. Newer versions come out that are nothing like the old systems of the past. Windows is notorious for making users re-learn their systems when a new generation comes out, and Apple isn't much better about it. There are some general suggestions I can give though.

When we are choosing an OS for our computer, it's not just about how easy it is to use. It's also about security, how much control you have, how well it runs your programs, and how useful the core features are to you. Not only that, all of these companies who OWN these systems play a part in what we pick too. 

Personally, I am a firm believer in Windows because it's the middle ground of the big three. MacOS is really beginner friendly but extremely frustrating as someone who likes to customize my computer experience. Linux is the sandbox of operating systems and can be overwhelming to people with no background in it. Windows just... Works. Most of the time. It holds all the customization I need while being very clear, easy to use, and has a LOT of users helping users. Windows being so prolific means that it's saturated the web, just by the sheer number of machines it's installed on.

That being said, Windows is ALSO a corporation and their products can always pivot. When I say Windows is notorious for making people relearn a system, it's because their OS can either be the best on the market, or absolute trash. I skipped the Windows 8 generation because it made me so mad, I went straight from 7 to 10. The main reason why it was so bad was because it was designed for touch screen use (this OS was similar to their Windows Phone/Tablet OS they were pushing at the time) and the layouts were confusing, full of bloatware, and borderline unusable for some people like myself all for the sake of profit (which they didn't even get cause everyone hated the stupid software). 

(Pictured: Windows 7 vs Windows 8 Start Menu)

Windows is known for having security flaws during critical updates - as new software rolls out, it's good practice to wait a few weeks to watch for bugs and vulnerabilities being reported (though this is a good practice for just about anything). However, it does have built-in protections like Windows Defender, which is one of the better pre-installed anti-virus programs on the market.

Currently, Windows 10 has a lot of core features I do not like. Cortana (their virtual assistant) was so annoying that I shut her off completely. Microsoft Edge is a useless browser built in the same engine as Google Chrome. Windows 11 is worse with facial recognition, ChatGPT-based AI directly on your desktop, "Smart App Control" that blocks app downloads regardless of their legitimacy, and a load of bloatware. That being said, it's still my choice when I'm deciding between computers, because a lot of the extra crap shoveled onto the system can be turned off, deleted, or altered. I personally chose to stay with Windows 10 and will stay with it until I am forced to upgrade. I can only hope the next evolution of the OS will be something I like. (Because if it's not, I may just have to dedicate to Windows 10 until there's something better.)

With MacOS, they have a large number of similar issues. Apple partakes in less drastic changes (most of the time) but still has a lot of unnecessary apps and bloatware that most people never touch. What's worse is that with a Mac, it's much harder to turn those features off (like when Ventura had unstable firewall issues that weren't resolved until you deleted preference files) and it's impossible to delete the bloatware. Recently, MacOS Sonoma was released and it's rife with security issues, bugs, and is causing a lot of headache with users who downloaded it right away.

The main problems I find with MacOS is within the company itself. Apple has been using a strategy called "Planned Obsolescence", meaning that their tech is only meant to last a certain amount of years. This strategy isn't new and it isn't solely related to Apple - they're just the ones who keep getting caught doing it. Also, planned obsolescence isn't really punished in most places as policy - it's good for capitalism, even though it's terrible for consumers and the planet. France, as of 2015, is the only place where it's illegal and Apple was sued multiple times for their practices. A general anecdote most people in technology industries can tell you is that your devices, whether it's a watch or a phone or a computer, should last 5 to 7 years. Apple's iPhones and Macs have about a 3 to 4 year lifespan on average.

You're also paying more for less features and customization - as well as a higher price for repairs. Apple comes with a steep price tag and will often drop older computer models off their iOS updates after a few years, meaning newer app versions will be unusable to legacy users. Their repairs are drastically higher priced through their 1st party services, but non-Apple "modification" repairs from 3rd parties (Apple does not describe what modifications means in their TOS, leaving it open to more vague interpretation) could void your warranty.

If you want to learn in-depth about Linux, I suggest you look through the basics or even consider using a tutorial because it's much more difficult than its competitors for beginners. I've been on computers for fun since 2006, and professionally since 2016, and I don't think I could personally switch to Linux as my prime OS(and it's not a skill issue). Linux has a lot of positives - it's even more customizable than WindowsOS, to the point that you can become the only person who knows how to navigate your machine. The OS is open-source and has a community of developers working to make Linux resistant against bugs and security threats at its core. It's also one of the lightest systems you can get. WindowsOS and MacOS sit at around 20 to 30GBs of data while Linux is about 5GB.

That said, it's not kind to the average user. Directories are a hassle to navigate if you don't keep strict practices and naming conventions, and some things that are native to other computers (like a wi-fi driver) are missing in a Linux system. Also, while security is somewhat innate by design, it's up to the user to fully lock down their system - which not everyone knows how to do.

Very few PCs come with Linux installed. If you want it as your main OS, you'll probably have to learn how to switch what your computer boots on startup.

Linux, MacOS, and WindowsOS all have their pros and cons. Every person involved in technology can probably give you an opinion on what they think works best, but really, it's up to you to decide what you're willing to put up with. Picking an OS is a balance between what annoyances you can stand vs what features you need. Thankfully, now that we know more about these, we can do research and narrow down exactly what we're looking for. I'll be touching on this topic again in the "How to research and buy a computer" lesson.

Servers are computers with programs that provides functionality for other programs or devices. Or at least, that's the simplest terms I can put it in. Servers are a complicated subject because of the nature of what they do, how they work, and what machines a server can live on. The term can actually apply to hardware and software, and a server's function is dependent on the context in which it is used. When a server is giving information to another computer, phone, or device, the recipient is called the Client. The electronic means it stores and distributes the information in is called a Network.

• Web server: A web server is software that delivers internet web pages and data to clients - web browsers serve as clients for web servers. Even this page you're looking at right now is from a web server somewhere in the world!
• Mail server: An email server is a program that receives incoming emails from local users and remote senders, as well as moving outgoing emails for delivery. The client would be your email webpage or application.
• Application server: An application server is a program designed to install, operate and host associated services and applications for the users of a network. Usually, this is used to generate and deliver content that changes in real-time, such as transaction results (like buying something online) or analytics (analysis of data/statistics, such as how many people have visited a website).
• Virtual server: A virtual server (or a virtual machine) is a simulated server environment built on an actual physical server. They behave exactly like a real server running software. These machines have been set to appear to each user as if they have complete control of a private server while sharing hardware/software.
• Game server: A game server will constantly send and receive data in order to improve game performance and allow all players to take part in real-time with next to no lag. All online game experiences, from console games to phone games, utilize a server if it involves internet to play.
• Proxy server: A proxy server, also know as a gateway, is the middleman connection point between clients (like a web browser) and requested information from another server (like the internet). There are many different types of proxy servers like VPNs and TOR, but we'll talk more about those in the "Browsers, servers, extensions, oh my! - Part 1" lesson.
• File server: A file server is a computer in charge of the central storage and data management so that other computers on the same network can access them. These servers are perfect for sharing large databases between users simultaneously.
• Print server: A print server allow users to connect to one or more network-attached printers. Users send print jobs to the printer server, which serves as a queue for those tasks.
• Database server: A database server is a high-powered computer that stores and manages data stored for a network of users and devices.

A supercomputer is a computer with a high level of performance as compared to a general-purpose computer. The term is commonly applied to the fastest high-performance systems available at any given time. Such computers have been used primarily for scientific and engineering work requiring exceedingly high-speed computations.

There are many different types of computers in the modern world, from as large as a room to as small as your pocket. It's up to the user to choose what's right for them, but with all these options, how do we research and pick what's perfect for our needs? Even worse, how are we supposed to know who or where to buy reliable technology without planned obsolescence?

In the next lesson, we'll go over how to read specifications, find legitimate reviews, and make educated decisions. We'll also go over what stores across the world are reputable and why.