COMPUTER

FUNDAMENTALS

A computer is an electronic machine that accepts data,

stores and processes data into information. The computer
is able to work because there are instructions in its
memory directing it.
The parts of the computer that you can see and touch,
such as the keyboard, monitor and the mouse are called
hardware. The instructions that direct the computer are
called software or computer program.
Data which is raw facts that you the user enter into the
computer is called input. This includes; words, numbers,
sound and pictures. When the data is entered into the
computer, the computer processes the data to produce
information which is output. For example, you enter 2+2
into the computer as data, the computer processes it and
the result is 4 which is inform ation.
Computers are usually categories into three general
categories:
1.Supercomputer – The fastest, largest, most powerful
and most expensive computer. A supercomputer is
superficially similar to a mainframe, but is instead
intended for extremely demanding computational tasks
2.Mainframe Computer – This is a little smaller and less
powerful than the supercomputer, but, like the
supercomputer it is also expensive. It may cost many
hundreds or thousands of times as much as a personal
computer. They are designed to perform large numbers of
calculations for governments and large enterprises.

3.Personal Computer (PC)- This is the computer that

most people use in their daily lives. This computer is
much smaller, less powerful and less expensive than the
supercomputer and the mainframe computer. There are
two main types of personal computers. Macintosh (Macs)
and the PC compatibles (PC). The main differences
between the two are the operating systems and the
processor they use. This category of computer has two
additional types of computers. These are mobile
computer and handheld computer. The most popular type
of mobile computer is the notebook or laptop computer,
and the handheld computer is a very small PC that you
can hold in your hand.
It is important to note that, any computer; regardless of
its size has an input device, output device and a system
unit.

A BRIEF COMPUTER
HISTORY

The computer as we know it today had its beginning with

a 19th century English mathematics professor name
Charles Babbage.
He designed the Analytical Engine and it was this design
that the basic framework of the computers of today are
based on.
Generally speaking, computers can be classified into
three generations. Each generation lasted for a certain
period of
time,and each gave us either a new and improved
computer or an improvement to the existing computer.
First generation: 1937 – 1946 - In 1937 the first
electronic digital computer was built by Dr. John V.
Atanasoff and Clifford Berry. It was called the Atanasoff-
Berry Computer (ABC). In 1943 an electronic computer
name the Colossus was built for the military. Other
developments continued until in 1946 the first general–
purpose digital computer, the Electronic Numerical
Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was built. It is said
that this computer weighed 30 tons, and had 18,000
vacuum tubes which was used for processing. When
this computer was turned on for the first time lights dim
in sections of Philadelphia. Computers of this generation
could only perform single task, and they had no
operating system.
Second generation: 1947 – 1962 - This generation of
computers used transistors instead of vacuum tubes
which were more reliable. In 1951 the first computer for
commercial use was introduced to the public; the
Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC 1). In 1953
the International Business Machine (IBM) 650 and 700
series computers made their mark in the computer world.
During this generation of computers over 100 computer
programming languages were developed, computers
had memory and operating systems. Storage media
such as tape and disk were in use also were printers for
output.
Third generation: 1963 - present - The invention of
integrated circuit brought us the third generation of
computers. With this invention computers became
smaller, more powerful more reliable and they are able to
run many different programs at the same time. In1980
Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-Dos) was born
and in 1981 IBM introduced the personal computer
(PC) for home and office use. Three years later Apple
gave us the Macintosh computer with its icon driven
interface and the 90s gave us Windows operating system.
As a result of the various improvements to the
development of the computer we have seen the
computer being used in all areas of life. It is a very
useful tool that will continue to experience new
development as time passes.
Copyright 2006 by Beverley Steitz
Disclaimer

Who invented the computer?" is not a question with

a simple answer. The real answer is that many
inventors contributed to the history of computers
and that a computer is a complex piece of machinery
made up of many parts, each of which can be
considered a separate invention.

This series covers many of the major milestones in

computer history (but not all of them) with a
concentration on the history of personal home
computers.

Computer Computer
Computer History
History History
Inventors/Inventio
Year/Ent Descriptio
ns
er n of Event
First freely
Konrad Zuse - Z1
1936 programmable
Computer
computer.
Who was first
John Atanasoff & Clifford in the
1942 Berry computing biz
ABC Computer is not always
as easy as
 ABC.
Howard Aiken & Grace
The Harvard
Hopper
1944 Mark 1
Harvard Mark I
computer.
Computer
John Presper Eckert & John 20,000
1946 W. Mauchly vacuum tubes
ENIAC 1 Computer later...
Frederic Williams & Tom
Baby and the
Kilburn
Williams Tube
1948 Manchester Baby
turn on the
Computer & The
memories.
Williams Tube
No, a
transistor is
not a
John Bardeen, Walter computer, but
1947/48 Brattain & Wiliam Shockley this invention
The Transistor greatly
affected the
history of
computers.
First
commercial
John Presper Eckert & John
computer &
1951 W. Mauchly
able to pick
UNIVAC Computer
presidential
winners.
IBM enters
International Business
into 'The
1953 Machines
History of
IBM 701 EDPM Computer
Computers'.
John Backus & IBM The first
1954
FORTRAN Computer successful
 Programming Language high level
programming
language.
The first bank
industry
computer -
Stanford Research
1955 also MICR
Institute, Bank of America,
(In Use (magnetic ink
and General Electric
1959) character
ERMA and MICR
recognition)
for reading
checks.
Otherwise
Jack Kilby & Robert Noyce
1958 known as 'The
The Integrated Circuit
Chip'
The first
Steve Russell & MIT
computer
1962 Spacewar Computer
game
Game
invented.
Nicknamed
the mouse
1964 w because the
tail came out
the end.
The original
1969 ARPAnet
Internet.
The world's
Intel 1103 Computer first available
1970
Memory dynamic RAM
chip.
Faggin, Hoff & Mazor The first
1971 Intel 4004 Computer microprocesso
Microprocessor r.
1971 Alan Shugart &IBM Nicknamed
 The "Floppy" Disk the "Floppy"
for its
flexibility.
Robert Metcalfe & Xerox
1973 The Ethernet Computer Networking.
Networking
The first
Scelbi & Mark-8 Altair &
1974/75 consumer
IBM 5100 Computers
computers.
Apple I, II & TRS-80 & More first
1976/77 Commodore Pet consumer
Computers computers.
Any product
Dan Bricklin & Bob that pays for
Frankston itself in two
1978
VisiCalc Spreadsheet weeks is a
Software surefire
winner.
Seymour Rubenstein & Rob
Word
1979 Barnaby
Processors.
WordStar Software
From an
IBM "Acorn" grows
1981 The IBM PC - Home a personal
Computer computer
revolution
From "Quick
And Dirty"
Microsoft
comes the
1981 MS-DOS Computer
operating
Operating System
system of the
century.
The first home
1983 Apple Lisa Computer
computer with
 a GUI,
graphical user
interface.
The more
affordable
Apple Macintosh
1984 home
Computer
computer with
a GUI.
Microsoft
begins the
1985 Microsoft Windows
friendly war
with Apple.
SERIES TO BE CONTINUED

ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES
OF A COMPUTER
There are many advantages of having a computer,
however there are some disadvantages, take it from a
computer teacher.
One advantage is using a computer to write you papers,
letters, notes and anything esle you can think of. IF this
was before computers you would need to write each one
by hand and if you made a mistake you would have to
start all over. By using a computer to do this it save you
time and energy. If you have changed you mind about
something you can easily go on the computer delete it
and write what you would like.
Another advange with in that is spelling and grammer, its
not perfect but it does help having spell check and
grammer check there for you. If points out most items
not everything but its better than nothing.
Another thing is why it is great is that you are able to
communicate with other people who do the same thing as
you or need help on the same topic where you would not
be able to do this if wqe didnt have the internet.
However a disatvanage is that students do not know how
to write essays or research papers, because they feel it is
okay to just copy. That does become to be a problem
becasue they always want to copy and paste information
to make their life easier, however using the internet for
research has already made things easier for them yet they
dont see that becasue its what they are used too.
Another problem could be virus. Or even when the
computer breaks people have no idea what to do with out
it. This how people are overly dependted on it.