Computers in different shapes and jobs
Computer Science · Key Stage 2 · The School
Hidden computers
A laptop is an obvious computer. A washing machine, a microwave and a traffic light often contain one too, hidden inside. Each tiny computer follows a program, just like a laptop does. Nobody sees a screen, though. A modern car can contain dozens of these hidden computers. Each one does one small job. Look around any kitchen and you can probably spot three or four of them. Even a digital watch has one, doing a single small job all day.
Built for one job
The computer inside a washing machine only knows about wash cycles and spin speeds. It cannot browse the internet. It cannot play a game. It was built to do one job well, and nothing else. Its program was written once, at the factory. It runs the very same steps every single time. That is exactly what a washing machine needs it to do. It never needs a new feature added years later.
General-purpose computers
A laptop or tablet is different. It can run almost any program you install: a game, a word processor, a video call. That flexibility is why it is called a GENERAL-PURPOSE computer. Install a new program tomorrow. The very same laptop can do something it has never done before. The hardware never changes. Only the program running on it does.
Choosing the right kind
A single-job computer is often cheaper, smaller and more reliable at its one task than a general-purpose one would be. A traffic light does not need the power of a laptop. It needs a small, dependable computer that never crashes.