Introduction to Computer

Introduction: Earlier people used fingers and pebbles for computing purpose. In
fact, the word Digitus in Latin means fingers and calculus means pebbles. With the
growth of civilization, the need for computing also grew.
The term computer is derived from the word Computer which means
calculate. A computer is an electronic machine that is used for performing
calculation and controlling numerical and logical operation. It uses instructions to
perform data and achieve results.

Characteristics of Computer: Computers have the following characteristics.

1) Speed: Computers process data at extremely fast rate. Speed is measured in
millions or trillions of instructions per second. The speed of computer is also
measured in Mega Hertz(MHz) i.e. 106 Hertz.
2) Accuracy: Computers are also accurate. The level of accuracy depends on
instruction and type of machines being used. Faulty instructions and data
leads to faulty results. T his is known garbage -in-garbage-out (GIGO).
3) Reliability: Reliability is the measurement of performance of a computer,
which is measured against some pre determined standard. The reason for the
reliability is that it does not require human instructions between its
processing operation
4) Storage Capability: Computer can store large amount of data and it can
recall the required information almost instantaneously. Since memory is
insufficient, data is also stored in stored devices like magnetic disks.
5) Versatility: Computers are versatile in nature. It can perform multiple task
simultaneously. All this ids possible by changing the program.
6) Diligence: Computers do not suffer from traits tiredness and lack of
concentration. It can execute all instruction with same speed and accuracy
throughout the day.
7) Resource Sharing: Todays computers have capability to connect with each
other. This has made sharing of resources like printing data and information
possible between groups of computer.
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Evolution of Computer
Sand Tables: It consists of three groves in the sand with the maximum of
10 pebbles in each grove. To add 1 to the count, a pebble has to be added to
the right most groves. When 10 pebbles are collected in the right grove, they
were removed and one pebble is called to middle grove.

Abacus: Emerged around 5000 years ago. It is derived from an Arabic word
ahaq which means dust. It consists of sliding beads arranged in a rack,
which has two parts. Upper and lower numbers are represented by position
of beads on the rack.

Napiers bones: In 1614 John Napier invented machine called Napiers

bones. This consists of 10 rods in which numbers are engraved. This rods
were made up of irony stripes, This device enables performance of
multiplication and division by connecting them to addition and subtraction.

Slide rule: (1620) Edmund Gunter and William Oughtred, British

mathematicians. It consists of two set of scales joint together and a slides
moves over a groove between the scales. It was used to perform
multiplication and division using addition and subtraction.

Pascaline Machine :( 1642) Blain Pascal, French mathematician.

It was the first functional automatic calculator. It had a computer
arrangement of wheels and gears and windows for displaying numbers. It
was operated by a series of dials. It could be used for addition and
subtraction.
Stepped Reckoner :( 1694) Gottfried Wilhelen Van Leibniz, German
mathematicians also worked using gears could perform multiplication using
repeated addition.

Punched Card: In 1801 Joseph Marie Jaquarel a French textile weaver

invented a loom with an automatic card reader. This loom used punched
cards for creating different patterns. This idea was used to input data into
computers.

Difference Engine: In 1822, Charles Babbage derived a machine called as

difference engine, which could used to generate mathematical tables.

Analytical Engine: In 1833, Babbage started working on analytical engine

which could perform branching and looping operations. Lady Ada Lovelace
helped him by financial aid and also by writing programs by proposed
machine. She is known as the first programmer.

Holleriths Tabulator: Herman Hollerith used punched cards to process

data collected in the U.S census in his machine called Holleriths Tabulator .
In 1896 Hollerith found Tabulator Machine Company which was later
named IBM (International Business machines).

Mark 1: 1937, Howard Aiken of IBM developed Mark1, which was an

electro mechanical computer. It was slow, noisy and bulky.

ENIAC: (Electronic Numerical Integrator and calculator), was developed

by John Eckert and John Mauchly, it used18000 vacuum tubes and weighed
about 30 tons.
Other examples: EDVAC, UNIVAC, EDSAC
SOME EARLY COMPUTER
MARK-1: An electromechanical computer developed by Howard Aiken of
IBM in 1937.
ABC COMPUTER: Electronic computer developed by John Vincent
Atansoft and Clifford binny in 1939 ABC stands for Atansoft binny
computer.
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COLOSSUS: Emated by Alan Mathisan a British mathematician in 1944. It

was built as a special purpose computer.
ENIAC: Electronic numeric integrator and calculator was emated in 1946
by John Eckert and John Mauchly.
EDVAC: Eckert and Mauchly also developed electronic discerets variable
automatic computer in 1946.
EDSAC: Electronic delay storage automatic calculator was developed in
1946 by a team of Cambridge scientists headed by Maurice Wilkes.
UNIVAC: Universal automatic computer was developed in 1951 by EckertMauchly Corporation.
GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER: The development of computer took
place in stages along with stages of technological development. This is
described by the word generation. There are five generations of computer.
FIRST GENERATION (1940-1956): Used vacuums tubes or thermionic
values for circuitry. It used magnetic drums for memory. A magnetic drum
is a metal cylinder coated with iron oxide.
Input was based on punched card and paper tape and output was in the form
of printouts.
They used machine language (i.e. language of 0 and 1) and hence it was
difficult to program.
They were fastest computing device of their time.
They were large in size.
They generated lots of heat. Therefore, air conditioning was essential.
They were prone to frequent hardware failures.
They were expensive, non portable and slow.
SECOND GENERATION COMPUTER(1956-63): They used transistors
instead of vacuum tubes. A transistor is made of silicon and usually has
three leads.
Size of computer was reduced.
Computers become smaller, faster, cheaper and more reliable.
Magnetic cores were used as primary memory and magnetic disks as
secondary storage devices.
They still relied on punched cards for input printouts and output.
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They used assembly language which made programming less cumbersome.

They still required air conditioning and were communicably not variable.
THIRD GENERATION(1964-EARLY1970S ): Used integrated
circuits(IC) which consisted of single chip with many components
fabricated on it.
Input and output was done through keyboard and monitor.
Operating system and high level languages were used.
They were fast, small and easily portable.
They were highly reliable.
Commercial production become easier and cheaper.
FOURTH GENERATION COMPUTER (EARLY1970S-TILL DATE):
It is an extension of third generation.
It used large scale integration (LSI) and very large scale integration (VLSI).
Microprocessor was used.
Computer become more powerful, compact, reliable and affordable and gave
rise to PC revolution.
Semiconductor memory was used.
GUIs were developed for these computers.
FIFTH GENERATION COMPUTER (PRESENT AND BEYOND):
Development process started in 1990s
Plans to create human like computer with ability to reason and reaching at a
decision through what-if-then analyses.
They have following three characteristics
1. MEGA CHIP: Fifth generation computer will use super large scale
integration (SLSI) chips which will enable computers to approximate
capacity of human mind.
2. PARALLEL PROCESSING: Computers will have multiple
processors thereby accessing several instructions at a time.
3. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI): Computers will have capacity
to think, speak, reason and learn.

COMPUTER SYSTEM: A computer can see viewed as a system. The

instruction and data gives to computer is the software. The physical parts that make
up a computer are known as hardware.
COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM:
Memory unit
Instruction flow
Central processing unit

Data flow

Registers

Input unit

Output unit

Control unit

Arithmetic/logic unit

A computer system comprises of the following components.

i.

Central processing unit: It is the brain of the computer that processes

data and connects it into meaningful information. The basic function
of CPU is as follows.
a. It issues commands to all parts of the computer.
b. It controls sequence of operation as per instruction.
c. It stores data as well as programs.

It performs data processing operation and sends results to output unit.

CPU HAS THREE PARTS
1. ARITHMETIC AND LOGIC UNIT: Performs arithmetic and logical
operations on data.
2. CONTROL UNIT: Fetches an instruction from memory interpret
them and ensures execution. It also controls input/output devices.

3. REGISTERS: They are special purpose high speed temporary

memory that can hold data, instruction, address and intermediate
results of calculation. They are CPUs working memory.
INPUT UNIT: Allows users to enter instructions and data into the
computer. It connects user input into form that computer can understand.
Eg: Keyboard, mouse, light pen etc.
OUTPUT UNIT: Accepts the outputs produced by the computer, connects
them into user to understandable form and supplies the result to user.
Eg: Printer, monitor, plotter
STORAGE UNIT: Stores all input data and also results produced by the
computer. They are of two types, primary and secondary.
Primary memory or main memory is part of computer that holds data
currently processed by CPU.
Secondary memory is used for storing data and instructions and supplies to
other units when required. It has higher storage capacity then primary
memory. Eg: Hard disks, taps, pen drives etc.
APPLICATION OF COMPUTERS: Some areas where computers are
being used are as follows.
I.

II.

III.

SCIENCE: Scientists use computer to develop theories and to

analyses and test data. It can be used to study the effect of
earthquake on building effects of pollution etc.
EDUCATION: Education is made interesting with the use of
computer.Classroom, libraries, museums are efficiently using
computers. Computers based training packages are also
available.
MEDICINE AND HEALTH CARE: Doctors use computer for
diagnosing illness and monitoring a patients status during
complex surgery. Unit CT or MRI scans doctors can study
patients body.
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IV.

V.
VI.

VII.

VIII.

IX.

ENGINEERING/ARCHITECTURE/MANUFACTURING:
Architects and engineers use computer for designing and
drawings. Computers can create objects that can be viewed
from all there dimension. Factories use computer aided
manufacturing and robots
ENTERTAINMENT: Computer is used in entertainment
industry to control image and sound to generate special effects.
COMMUMICATION: Email is a communication media where
computer is used. Messages and reports can be sent via
computer and telephone lines.
BUSINESS APPLICATION: Computer is used in fields such
as business forecasting, e-commerce, banking. Computers have
changed the ways of doing business.
PUBLISHING: Computer has created a field called desktop
publishing (DTP). With the help of a computer and laser
printer, are can perform publishing job at home.
BANKING: Computer is used in banking and finance. People
can use ATM to deposit and withdraw cash. Anywhere banking
in another facility that is available because of computer.