What is a general purpose computer?

A general purpose computer is built to perform a variety of tasks, including the most frequent computing tasks, in a reasonably efficiently manner. It can store and execute multiple programs in its internal storage. Personal computers such as tablets, smartphones, notebooks and desktops are examples of general purpose computers.

Computers can also be categorized as special purpose or dedicated. These computers are designed to perform a single task and solve a specific problem repeatedly. Since they only have to complete a single task, special purpose computers generally have faster processing at the expense of versatility. Dedicated computers are mostly used in intelligent systems.