UNITII BUSINESS APPLICATIONS LESSON 7: INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS

Objective
The Objective of this lesson is to give you insight into:
Introduction to Computer Characteristics of a Computer Type of the Computer Generation of the Computer Application area of the Computer Components of the Computer Input and Output devices Software and System software Memory

details of an organization etc., Data can be defined as any raw facts and figures, which the computer can accept. It is treated as raw because unless or until the user receives the output from the system it does not hold any value for the user. There comes the role of processing the data. Only when the data is processed the system generates the output in the form of information. Raw Data: Collection of letter, number, alphabets etc, which you want to input into the computer.

MANAGING INFORMATION SYSTEM

Characteristics of a Computer
As you know that the computers are becoming more popular day-by-day, because of their characteristics, which are given below:
Speed: Computer is very fast and accurate device. It can

Storage Media

Introduction
Computer when invented by IBM remained localized within four walls of big Research and Development organizations and universities. It was there continuous efforts that enabled the computer system to come into the local market. Its usage got momentum when a division of Xerox Corporation developed the Graphical User Interface in terms of pixels, pointers, dialog boxes, menus etc. A computer system is a tool that can be used to read and write stories, draw and look at graphics, and sent and receives messages. There are many other things that a computer system can help you do as well, like math and science experiments. Computer systems are especially at strong large amounts of information and helping you find exactly what you want to know. Computer: The term computer comes from the word Compute which means to calculate. But more accurately, computer may be defined as a device made up of electronic and electromechanical components. This electronic and electromechanical device enables the computer to process or to compute the date or instructions fed by the user. Definition: A computer can be defined as an electronic and electromechanical device, which receives the data from external/ internal sources, process that data and gives out the output in the form of processed data/information. or Computer is a common operating machine particularly used in trade-efficiency and research

process millions of instruction within a few seconds.

Accuracy: Computer gives consistently accurate results.

Computer results are accurate because it performs an action according to given instruction.
Memory: Computers have enormous amount of memory to

hold a very large amount of data. We can store large amount of date information in the secondary storage device.
No intelligence: Computers have any intelligence. They

perform only those operations, which are already fed into them by the external sources.
Diligence: Computer is free from problems like lack of

concentration, and confusion etc. It can work hours and hours without feeling tiredness.
Versatility: We can perform much different types of tasks on

computer, one movement it might be busy in calculating the statistical data for annual performance evaluation of a business organization and next movement it might be working on weather forecast.

Types of Computers
Do you think there exist different types of people in this world? What about the optimistic and pessimistic people, cruel, and generous people, smart and intelligent people? Dont you think these are the classification of people? If yes, so we have classification of computers. Thanks God! Not in terms of above qualities but in the following categories:
Analog Computers: represent numbers by physical

quantity. That is, they have Continuous states rather than discrete numbered states. An analog computer Derives all their data from some form of measurement.
Digital Computers: represents data as numbers pr unique

In Another Words
Computer is electronic devices which convert raw data (Processing of Data) into some meaningful information. Data can be anything, which the used is inputting into the computer or the computer itself is extracting from its storage area. Examples of data can be bio data of a user, attendance
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units. A digital

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 Computer uses discrete states. A binary digital computer

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uses two discrete states Such as positive/negative, on/off, used to represent the binary digits zero and one.
They process information, which essentially in a binary state.

The main phases in the evolution of computer technology are known as generations. The term Generation is used to distinguish between varying hardware technologies.

Digital Computers are Classified as Follows

Micro Computers are personal computers designed for an

Following are The Generations of The Computers

First Generation (1951 1958) Vacuum tubes Circuit Drum Primary Storage Batch processing Few thousand instructions per second is the processing

INFORMATION

individual user. They are small in size. Personal computers are typically used for applications, Such as word processing, spreadsheets, database management etc. With the addition of a modem and the use of telephone line, a personal computer becomes a terminal to the outside world, capable of retrieving information from internet.
Minicomputers are small to medium scale computer that is

SYSTEM

speed
Machine language was the language used It produce large amount of heat Very expensive Poor reliability ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC, INIVAC are some of the first

the midrange between a microcomputer and a mainframe. It can support from a handful up to several hundred of user terminals. They are intrinsically designed as multi-user systems and are relatively easy to install and operate in multiterminal environment. They are extensively used for pay-roll preparation, accounting and scientific computation.
Workstation is a powerful stand-alone computer of the sort

generation computers
Second Generation (1956 1965) Transistors and diodes were used Magnetic primary storage One million instructions per second is the processing speed Assembly and Fortran were the language used Very expensive Better reliability Atlas is the second generation computers Third Generation ( 1965 1975) Integrated Circuits Magnetic primary storage Online real time processing High level languages Less expensive Used operating system IBM 370, NCR 395 were the third generation computers Fourth Generation ( 1975 Present) large scale and very large scale integrated Circuits (LSI/VLSI) Semiconductor primary storage Online real time processing High level languages Increase cost of software Data base management system Distributes processing Graphics manipulation Pentium/AMD based are the fourth generation computers Fifth Generation (Future) Organic chips Decreasing cost of software Decreasing cost of hardware

used in computer aided design and other applications requiring a high end, expensive machine with considerable calculating or graphics capability. Machines using Intel Processor P2 at 400 MHz is an example of workstation.
Mainframe Computers are very powerful, large-scale

general-purpose computers. Their word length may be 48,60 or 64 bits, memory capacity, 256 to 512 M byte, hard disk capacity 1 100 G byte or more and processing speed 100-200 MIPS. They are used where large amount of data are to be processed or very complex calculations are to be made and these tasks are beyond the capacities of mini computers. They are used in research organizations, large industries, airlines reservation where a large database has to be maintained. Examples are IBM 4300 series, IBM Enterprise system 9000 series.
Super Computers processing capabilities lies in the large of

400-10,000 MIPS. Word length 64-96 bits, memory capacity 1024 M byte and more, hard disk capacity 1000 G byte and more. It contains a number of CPUs, which operate in parallel to make it faster, giving them their speed through parallel processing. They are used for Weather forecasting, weapons research and development, rocketing, aerodynamics, atomic nuclear and plasma physics. Supercomputers have limited use and limited market because of their very high price. They are being used at some research centers and government agencies involving sophisticated scientific and engineering tasks.

Generation of Computers
We are what our great ancestors and their great, great ancestors etc were not! But we are their siblings, isnt it?. Then what makes us different from our great and so many great fathers? Thats the question whose answer is known to everybody. As in the case with human beings, computers have also evolved through generations. Lets discuss about them.

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Artificial Intelligence Multi point input-output Still in development

Applications of Computers
Computers passed out the various generations only because of the reason that their applications grew faster than themselves. Now these days we find the usage of computers in every aspects of life. Among all the applications some of them can be labeled as:
Business: In business, computers are being used for data

processing and analyzing purposes. With the utilization of computers one can expect:
Efficient methods of production Optimum utilization of resources Better quality Increased throughput Reduce costs Improved safety. Health: Computers are widely used in hospitals and the

medical fields to help medical practitioners in diagnosis, disease treatments, etc, Computer equipment is used to monitor pulse rate, blood sugar and pressure and various internal parts of the body.
Education: Computers are playing a important role in

education field. Their use leads to improved student performance in thinking logically, understanding the concepts and to present the thoughts graphically.
Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing: Computers are

used to control production of engineering items, chemical process and product moldings. Designers use Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) in product design and in product manufacturing especially in the field of aircraft and car designing fields etc.
Communications: Computers now these days are

extensively used in communication field. Without computers no one can think of long distance or short distance electronic communication. Computer communications are being used in electronic main, video conferencing, banking, brokerage, and mobile communications and in bill generation. Computers are also playing a vital role in the following fields:
Data Base management system Graphics and Multimedia Desk Top Publishing Defense Data Analysis Entertainment Weather forecasting

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