BASIC COMPUTER CONCEPTS Introduction Abacus Ultimate ancestors of todays computers Became the arithmetic tool of early merchants

nts The only relation that can be claimed between abacus and computers is that they are both used to aid in handling numerical/logical computations.

Charles Babbage Called the Father of Computing Invented the Analytical and Difference Engines Born on December 26, 1791 in Teignmouth, Devonshire in the United Kingdom Had an interest in various fields, from statistics to philosophy and religion to machines, having accredited to him numerous publications in these fields His conceptualization of his engines began with an analysis of the calculations of tables of Greenwich star positions

BASICONT DMA1 | 1

BASIC COMPUTER CONCEPTS Introduction Difference Engine Conceived to perform tabular calculations, the workings of which were based on the Method of Differences, an algorithm that lent itself to the easy creation of a wide range of mathematical tables Powered by steam Embodied the basic concepts and elements of a modern general-purpose computer

Analytical Engine Utilized Input/Output media called Jacquards punched cards, originally use to lay down thread arrangements in weaving Used the punch cards for storing operating instructions (programs), and would have been able to store around 1,000 numbers of up to 50 decimal places Also allowed output devices for displaying results

BASICONT DMA1 | 2

BASIC COMPUTER CONCEPTS Introduction Generation of Computers The First Generation Computers that were based on the use of wired circuits containing vacuum tubes, and which utilized punch cards as the main storage medium and designed for a specific task Used binary codes of Machine Language Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), a hulk of machinery consist of 18,000 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, and 5 million soldered joints, and occupied a space equal to a small warehouse Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC), a pioneer in implementing von Neumanns architecture, the key to which was the Central Processing Unit (CPU), which allowed all computer functions to be coordinated through single source

The Second Generation Development of the transistor Smaller size and increased reliability Resulted to smaller and smaller computers, which were faster and more energy-efficient than their predecessors Used a more specialized language with easier abbreviated programming codes called assembly language

The Third Generation Integration, a process in which numerous electronic components are brought together to compose a system unit (an integrated circuit) that combines them in a dynamic, coordinated manner The first integrated circuit (IC) was invented independently by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce

BASICONT DMA1 | 3

BASIC COMPUTER CONCEPTS Introduction

The Fourth Generation Development of user-friendly software packages that offered non-technical users many of the advantages of computer applications Characterized by the application of advanced engineering techniques that allow for very-large-scale-integration (VLSI), and ultra-large-scale-integration (ULSI), which allow for the placement of millions of electronic components in a single chip

The Fifth Generation Computers that can understand human speech, can recognize patterns like faces and other complex images Artificial intelligence Expert systems Natural languages processing

Computer Applications Business they use computers to store information, easy interface with customers, and facilitate processing and presentation of data. Mathematics and Science Watson and Cricks discovery of the structure of the DNA Engineering degrees of miniaturization and integration have multiples n-fold Medicine more reliable artificial hearts are being offered to those with heart problems Education ease of use in the creation of presentation materials and documents Entertainment interactive games and virtual simulations, computer-generated effects

BASICONT DMA1 | 4