The Desktop Personal Computers

It, however, was a big leap forward from computers which existed then and were large, costly systems owned by large corporations, universities, government agencies and similar sized institutions. The end users did not interact directly with the machines and instead prepared tasks for the computer on offline equipment such as Card punches. Such assignments were then processed collectively in batch mode and the results were collected by the users afterwards. This at times was very time-consuming.

A more interactive form of computer use developed commercially by middle 1960s in which a time-sharing system and multiple computer terminals let many people share the use of one mainframe computer processor. It was commonly adopted in business applications and in science and engineering.

A different model of computer use followed in which one user had exclusive use of a processor. Some of the first computers that justified the label ‘personal’ were the early ‘minicomputers’. Going by today’s standards they were still very large (size of a refrigerator) and expensive (approximately 10,000 US dollars) and were, therefore, rarely purchased by individuals. However, compared to the mainframe computers, they were much smaller, less expensive and generally simpler to operate. Their main contribution was towards giving organizations freedom from the ‘batch processing’ and the bureaucracy of a commercial or university computing centre.

The invention of integrated circuit technology (microprocessor) and advances in development of solid state memory instead of magnetic core memory helped reduce the size and cost of the personal computers drastically. Personal computers can be categorized by their size and portability. These include:

1. Desktop Computers

2. Laptops or Notebooks

3. Personal Digital Assistants (PDA)

4. Portable Computers

5. Tablet Computers

6. Wearable computers

7. Cell Phones

Out of these, desktop computers are the most popular owing to their size, performance and value for money. Simply put, desktop computers are those computers which are made for use on a ‘desk’ in an office or home. They are also known as Microcomputers. They are currently the most affordable computers found in businesses, schools and households and are being used to perform a variety of tasks such as office tasks, organizing digital photos, video editing and internet access.

There are four types of desktop computers: Home Computers or Personal Computers, Workstations, Internet Servers and special Communications Computers. The most useful feature of a desktop is that the hardware in a desktop is modular with components that can be easily replaced or upgraded. Anyone with an intermediate knowledge of a computer can modify one. The main components of a desktop computer include:

1. Motherboard or Mainboard: Links all components together and routes data.

2. HDD (Hard Disk Drive): Location where all the information can be stored even when the power is off.

3. ODD (Optical disk drive): Reads most or all types of CDs and DVDs.

4. Processor: The main brain of the computer.

5. CPU Cooler: Cools the processing unit. Typically a fan combined with a heat sink.

6. RAM: Short term data storage, volatile (erased with power).

7. Modem: Used to access data via telephone.

8. Network Card: Allows connection to a computer network and also used as a means of accessing internet via broadband connection.

9. Computer PSU (Power Supply Unit): Provides power to the rest of the computer parts.

10. FDD (Floppy Disk Drive): Reads and writes floppy disc etc.

All desktops have ports that plug external devices into the computer such as monitors, keyboards, printers and scanners.

Besides desktops, laptops or notebook computers are much in demand. Desktops, however, win hands down in comparison:

1. Desktops provide better performance because they have more powerful components than laptops.

2. One can also choose the components as per requirement and build the desktop PC from the ground up with mass amounts of memory and hard drive space, TV tunes, high end graphic cards and more.

3. They are more affordable considering the performance to price ratio. The cost is also low as no extra effort is needed to minimize the components or to manufacture components that use less power.

4. One can customize the configuration in terms of features, sizes, shapes and colours to fit your digital lifestyle justifying the term ’personal computer’.

5. Its modular feature allows upgradeability and additional features as and when you want it.

The only upper hand that the laptop has over a desktop is its mobility, portability and anywhere connectivity and hence the evident presence of desktop PC in our lives.