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L2 - The Big Picture of Computer Science (Part 2)

The document discusses the history of computer generations from the first to fifth generation. The first generation used vacuum tubes and was unreliable. The second generation used transistors which were more reliable. The third generation used integrated circuits which were smaller and more powerful. The fourth generation used VLSI microprocessors and made computers cheaper, portable, and introduced concepts like PCs and the internet. The fifth generation uses ULSI and advanced artificial intelligence and natural language processing.

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77 views23 pages

L2 - The Big Picture of Computer Science (Part 2)

The document discusses the history of computer generations from the first to fifth generation. The first generation used vacuum tubes and was unreliable. The second generation used transistors which were more reliable. The third generation used integrated circuits which were smaller and more powerful. The fourth generation used VLSI microprocessors and made computers cheaper, portable, and introduced concepts like PCs and the internet. The fifth generation uses ULSI and advanced artificial intelligence and natural language processing.

Uploaded by

Ifat Nix
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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The Big Picture of Computer Science

(Part 2)
▪ “Generation” in computer talk is a step in technology. It provides a
framework for the growth of computer industry

▪ Originally it was used to distinguish between various hardware


technologies, but now it has been extended to include both hardware
and software

▪ Till today, there are five computer generations

The Big Picture 2


First Generation
1942-1955. Vacuum tube based
Second Generation
1955-1964. Transistor based

Third Generation
1964-1975. Integrated Circuit based
Fourth Generation
1975-1989. VLSI microprocessor based

Fifth Generation
1989-Present. ULSI microprocessor based

The Big Picture 3


▪ 1930 ’ s – Vacuum tubes were used as electronic circuits or
electronic switches.

The Big Picture 4


▪ Vacuum tube technology was used
▪ Unreliable due to frequent fusing problem
▪ Generated a lot of heat
▪ Huge size, Non-portable
▪ Consumed a lot of electricity

▪ Some computers of this generation − ENIAC,


EDVAC, UNIVAC, IBM-701, IBM-650

The Big Picture 5


▪ For greater speed and reliability, a better electronic switch was needed
– Transistors replaced vacuum tube.

The Big Picture 6


▪ 1957 - IBM 608 – First fully transistorized computer 3,000 transistors
4,500 additions per second

The Big Picture 7


▪ Transistors were used
▪ Increased reliability
▪ Smaller size
▪ Generated less heat
▪ Consumed less electricity

▪ Some computers of this generation − IBM


1620, IBM 7094, CDC 1604, CDC 3600

The Big Picture 8


• IC (Integrated chip) were used.
• It is a way of placing multiple (millions) transistor devices into as
single, smaller device, the “microchip.

The Big Picture 9


▪ IC (Integrated Chip) technology was used
▪ More powerful
▪ Much smaller in size
▪ Lower maintenance cost
▪ Supported high-level language

▪ Some computers of this generation − IBM-360


series, Honeywell-6000 series, PDP (Personal
Data Processor), IBM-370/168, TDC-316

The Big Picture 10


▪ VLSI technology used
▪ Very cheap
▪ Portable and reliable
▪ Use of PCs
▪ Very small size
▪ Pipeline processing
▪ Concept of internet was introduced

▪ Some computers of this generation − DEC 10,


STAR 1000, PDP 11, CRAY-1(Super Computer),
CRAY-X-MP(Super Computer)

The Big Picture 11


▪ ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration)
technology is used
▪ Development of artificial intelligence
▪ Development of Natural language processing
▪ More user-friendly interfaces with multimedia
features

▪ Some computers of this generation −


Desktop, Laptop, Notebook, Ultrabook

The Big Picture 12


Major components of a computer

The Big Picture 13


The 5 main components of the von Neumann architecture:
1. Memory unit: holds both data and instructions
2. Arithmetic/logic unit: performs arithmetic and logic operations on
data
3. Input unit: moves data from the outside world into the computer
4. Output unit: moves results from inside the computer to the outside
world
5. Control unit: controls the actions of the other components so as to
execute instructions in sequence

Computing Components 14
▪ A computing system is a dynamic entity composed of
hardware, software, and the data that they manage.

▪ Computer hardware is the collection of physical elements that make


up the machine and its related pieces: boxes, circuit boards, chips,
wires, disk drives, keyboards, monitors, printers, and so on.
▪ Computer software is the collection of programs that provide the
instructions that a computer executes.
▪ And at the very heart of a computer system is the information that it
manages. Without data, the hardware and software are essentially
useless.

The Big Picture 15


▪ Layers of a Computing Systems

The Big Picture 16


▪ At the end of the first generation, users were split into two groups:
• systems programmers → develop tools to make programming easier
• applications programmers → use those tools

▪ Later, applications programmers built large domain-specific programs


such as statistical packages, word processors, spreadsheets,
intelligent browsers, virtual environments, and medical diagnosis
applications on top of the traditional language tools.

▪ These application programs were, in turn, used by practitioners with


no computer background.

The Big Picture 17


▪ Computing as a Tool → using computing system to do a particular task
▪ Computing as a Discipline → Approaching computing system as a field
of study

The Big Picture 18


▪ Peter Denning states that each practitioner must be skilled in
four areas:

Algorithmic
Representation
Thinking

Programming Design

The Big Picture 19


▪ Peter Denning states that each practitioner must be skilled in
four areas:
1. Algorithmic thinking, in which one is able to express problems
in terms of step-by-step procedures to solve them
2. Representation, in which one is able to store data in a way that
it can be processed efficiently
3. Programming, in which one is able to combine algorithmic
thinking and representation into computer software
4. Design, in which the software serves a useful purpose

The Big Picture 20


▪ Computer Science: The study of computers
and computing as well as their theoretical
and practical applications

▪ Draws its foundations from mathematics,


engineering, and logic

▪ The discipline of computer science includes


➢ the study of algorithms and data structures
➢ computer and network design
➢ modeling data and information processes
➢ artificial intelligence

The Big Picture 21


▪ Some major fields in computer science
➢ Algorithms and complexity
➢ Computer architecture and organization
➢ Operating systems
➢ Database systems
➢ Software engineering
➢ Networking and communication
➢ Artificial Intelligence
➢ Parallel and distributed computing
➢ Human-computer interaction
.
.
.

The Big Picture 22


▪ Computer Science Illuminated – Nell Dale, John Lewis
• Chapter 1
▪ Computer Fundamentals – Pradeep K. Sinha, Priti Sinha
• Chapter 1

▪ https://www.britannica.com/science/computer-science
▪ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_science
▪ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outline_of_computer_science

The Big Picture 23

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