Introduction to Computers 15 > C.assiricarion OF COMPUTERS “The classification of a computer is usually based on the following four categories: + Purpose + Technology + Size and storage capacity + Historical advancement Based on the aforementioned criteria, the classification of computers is illustrated in Fig, 1.14. Classification of computers Papas | Technology ised pee [ser al ‘Analog computers ‘Supercomputer [ncherrewie inl} [| computers Mainframe computer Digital computers. Minicomputer reine Hybrid computers | |__[7 icrocompuer Single-cip ; Personal Personal digital eta Workstation Terminal computer(c)| | assistant (PDA) Laptop Notebook Palmtop a [Second generation] {Third generation | [Fourth generation | { Fith generation computer ‘computer ‘computer ‘computer ‘computer Fig. 4.14 Classification of computers Scanned with CamScanner| | | 16 Computers in Hotels tion According to Purpose / pone classified and manufactured as per the requirements and needs of users. Bas. Computers are ; G a ae emeielnd — that follow instructions to meet general nisin — analysis of sales and accounting, invoicing, inventory listing, management handlin, x ¥ general-purpose computers. oa e os Computers rae designed from the start to petform speci,) a ks, Bt as weather fees and R&D, and have applications in science and space studj., I are called special-purpose computers. Classification According to Technology Computers can also be classified based on which could either be v Analog computer the technology involved in processing information ery simple or complex. Based on this, the classification is as follow. An analog computer measures physical quantities such as temperatun. cially used for scientific and engineering purposes. Digital computer Digital computers are general-purpose computers as they count th. digits that represent numbers, letters, or other special symbols. A user may enter data in decimal or character form, which is converted into binary digits (0s and 1s) to stor e the data, ‘These computers have many applications as they can store different sets of instructions anc Programs. We will discuss in detail the ‘working and components of computers in subsequent chapters, Hybrid computer A by brid computer system is a combination of both analog and digit Computers. Itis mainly used in artificial ig inteligence (cobotics) and computer aided manufacturing (€8, process control), Classification According to Size have to process huge amounts of data ax pi 2s MAY vay as per the need and function, Bond this, their cane Pen ee pele ee multiple processors, mukiple ary owe: technology for fast and complex Processing, They are multi-user ang Muliashing uPetior mainly used for complex scientific applications such as Weather forecastin © omPUtETS calculations, and data handling for large organizations or fe » Engineering include CRAY, NEC 500, PARAM, “as Mainframe computer Mainframe computers ar € capable Of exec, With respect to price, to microcomputers, Scanned with CamScannerIntroduction to Computers 17 Microcomputer Microcomputers are the smallest category of computers and are designed with microprocessor (16-bit, 32-bit, and 64-bit) integrated circuits. They are used as personal computers (PCs). Microcomputers are further divided into five sub-groups. Personal computer Personal computers are used for individual work. They can be found in hotels, homes, and small organizations. Personal computers (also known as detktops) are configured to have 16- of 32-bit processors (¢.2, Intel Pentium IV), 32MB ot more RAM, a monitor (flat screen), a printer, 1-10GB hard disk, a CD/DVD drive, special add-on card facilities (like a network interface cand), and ports for connecting peripheral devices (such as mouse, pen drive, etc.). PCs are farther classified according to size, weight, and portability. They can be laptops, notebooks, and palmtops. Laptops are portable computers that are small, light weight, can be cartied around easily, and are designed to operate with chargeable batteries that enable them to be used at places where there is no availability of an external power source. They can be easily used by placing them on an individual's lap and are hence called laptops. Palmtops are smaller in size and usually fit into our hands. Most laptops now have Wi-fi and Bluetooth connection facilities. Personal digital assistant Personal digital assistants (PDAs) were initially introduced as a personal information manager (PIM). Itis a pen-based hand-held mobile computer. PDAs now have Wifi and Bluetooth network capabilities. Figure 1.15 shows a personal digital assistant. Workstation High-performance personal computers, called workstations, are applied in engineering and science (such as Fig. 1.15 Personal digital computer-aided engineering and application-specific integrated assistant circuits). Workstations are mostly designed on reduced instructions Comey 0 set computing (RISC)-based processors. Terminal ‘Terminals are used to display information or accept input from a number of users. ‘They are used in hotels to show the list of rooms available and to determine whether a guest can be checked in or not. Single-chip microcomputer ‘These computers are prepared on single chips that have microprocessors, a 64-byte read and write memory, 1—4Kbytes ROM and several single Lines to connect to input/output. Classification According to Generation Computers have been in use since the 20th century. Over time, dramatic changes have been made to computer systems. Based on their advancement, computers are classified into five computer generations as follows: First generation computer systems First generation computers used vacuum tubes to store data and programming instructions. Vacuum tubes consumed huge amounts of electricity, produced large quantities of heat, were relatively unreliable and bulky in size, and were prone to frequent hardware failure. Examples of first generation computers are electronic numerical integrator and calculator (ENIAC), electronic discrete variable auromatic computer (EDVAQ), electronic delay storage automatic calculator (EDSAC), UNIVersal Automatic Computer (UNIVAG, the first digital computer), and International Business Machines’ 1BM-701. Scanned with CamScanner—— Computers in Hotels Second generation computer systems _ John Bardeen, Wiliam Shockley, and Waker Bray, invented a new electronic switching device called a transistor. By using the transistor, ce omputer became more feliable, powerful, smaller, and even cooles than frst generation compute, this era, high-level programming languages such as COBOL (COmmon Busines: 88 Oriente.) Language), ALGOL (ALGOrithmic Language), and SNOBOL (StriNg Oriented symic, Language) were popularized. Third generation computer systems Jack St Clair Kilhy 4, Robert Noyce invented integrated circuits (IC3), which had pre, storing and instruction processing capacity compared to transi ‘The IC technology, also known as microtlectronies technol, Fig. 146. ICenip integrates a large number of circuit components into a very sin, surface of silicon known as chip (see Fig, 1.16). Fourth generation computer systems In fourth generation computers, with lange «« integration (LSI), it was possible to integrate thousands of electronic components into a sin: chip, and with very large scale integration (VLSI), a million components could be integrated in: 2 chip. This progress led to the development of a micrpracesor. During this period, high-spc computer networking (local area network, LAN and wide area network, WAN) and C programminy language became popular. The revolution of the personal computer began from this generation Fifth generation computer systems Ultra large scale integration (ULSI) superseded VLSI technology in the fifth generation, resulting in the production of microprocessor chips thar had around ten million electronic components. Fifth generation computers have knowledge information processing systems and incorporate artificial intelligence. Computers based on human intelligence are self-learning systems that can store experiences and take decisions based on the information and logic stored in them. They can also process non-numerical information such as graphical representations and pictures. In the fifth generation, there has been a tremendous growth in computer networks. CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTERS Computers are unique when compared to other machines due to their multitasking capabilities. The characteristics of a computer are as follows: Speed Many computers these days can perform hundreds of millions of processing operations in one second. Electric pulses travel at incredible speeds and since computers are electronic. their internal speeds are virtually instantaneous. The speed of a computer is generally measured in terms of million instructions per second (MIPS). Accuracy A computer performs all calculations with the same level of accuracy. We often refer to computer errors caused due to incorrect input data or unreliable programs as garbage in-garbage-out (GIGO). Storage A computer can store voluminous amounts of data and information, The storage capacity of a computer is gencrally expressed in terms of megabyte (MB), gigabyte (GB), and terabyte (TB). Versatility Computers can handle a variety of applications and jobs, and are used in va fields. They are capable of performing tasks that can be reduced to a finite series of logical steps el Scanned with CamScannerIntroduction to Computers 19 Diligence Human beings can get tited and bored from doing calculations repeatedly. However, computers can efficiently perform tasks with high accuracy without feeling tired or bored Automat £1 Only minimum human intervention is required after the instructions and data are fed into the Programmability A computers prog the computer what it must do. ten . The computer fallows all the instructions up to the last one, mmable. A program isa list of instructions informing, ‘hus, computers are general-purpose machines. Cost-effectiveness Computers help in the reduction of manual work and hence, lower labour costs, The cost involved is a one-time investment of buying the system while the running cos are negligible. LIMITATIONS OF COMPUTERS Even machines with multi-function capabilities are not perfect. Though computers are a boon to mankind, they have some limitations. These include the following: No IQ A computer does not possess intelligence of its own, Its intelligence quotient (1Q) level is zero, at least till date. It has to be instructed on what it must do and in what sequence. Hence, only a user determines what tasks a computer will perform; the computer cannot take decisions on its own in this regard. Lack of feeling A computers devoid of emotion. Since itis a machine, it neither has feelings nor instincts. Although human beings have succeeded in building a memory for a compute, it does not possess a human heart. We human beings can make certain judgements in out day-to- day life based on our feelings, taste, knowledge, and experiences. A computer, on the other hand, cannot make such judgements on its own. It can only make judgements based on instructions given to it in the form of programs that are written by us, human beings. TYPES OF INFORMATION ‘The information need of an individual or a group is the desire to locate or obtain information to satisfy an individual or group’s desires. They are of different types and can be classified as follows. International information An individual may be interested in knowing what is happening across the globe or what has happened in a neighbouring country in the past. For example, fluctuations in currency exchange rates differ among countries. Sometimes, a change of government in a country could result in a change in currency rates. This is an example of international information that may affect the interest of a very large number of people. National information Information pertaining to a particular country that might be of importance to its citizens is called national information. Newspapers, radio, and television provide data that is important from a national point of view. The share market rates of a country and prices of manufactured products are types of national information. It consists of important data required by different organizations in the country. Corporate information ‘The management of a corporation n informed on the various activities of the organization. The minutes of a meeting sent to an employee who has been on an official trip abroad is an example of corporate information. Department information Departments work by conv to their headquarte ay like to keep its employees ing progress and other information ng, of their organization, ind sister departments for the successful runn Scanned with CamScanner20 Computers in Hotels Departments benefit by sharing important information, which is referred ta as departimeny information. The total revenue generated by a hotel and the break-up of revenue generated |, cach department is an example of department information. Individual information Information about an individual, deta 1 his/her persona achievements and qualifications, is called individual information. An organization store: employee information such as salary details and residential addresses, This data is Of use te thy Le © Person as well as the organization. This is an example of individual information, ! SUMMARY i ‘The chapter begins with a bref discussion on computers, data, information, and processing, The evolution of computers over the their functions, as wellas storage devices. The chapter also deals with the various types of computers, based on ther classification, years hes been explained. The chepter focuses on the various characteristics, and the technology ised. ‘components of a computer system, input and output devices, KEY TERMS ‘Analog computer This is a computer that measures physical ‘quantites such 2s temperature and pressure, Arithmetic logic unit (ALU) This is a unit of a computer that performs allthe mathematical and logical operations. The ALU is part ofthe central processing unit. Bluetooth It is an industial specification for short-range vwreless connectivity using globally unlicenced short-range radio frequency. It provides a way of establishing wireless ‘connectrty between devices such as PCs, laptops, printers, ‘mable phones, and cigital cameras for exchange of information (Cathode ray tube (CRT) tis an electronic tube with a TV-like ‘screen on which information is displayed. CD-ROM ft stands for compact disk-read only memory. A CD- ROM disk is an enormous optical storage device. It is used {or archiving read-only data. thas a storage capacity of 650 MB. Newer disks have a storage of 700 MB. Central processing unit (CPU) The contol unt and arithmetic {ogic unit of a computer system together constitute the CPU of a system. It caries out all the calculations and comparisons performed by the computer. Its also responsible for activating ‘and controling the operations of other units of the computer. Chain/Band printer These printers print by striking a set of hammers on an inked ribbon and paper placed against a ‘metallic chain. All characters of the character set supported by the printer are embossed on the metalic chain. Computer A computer is an electronic device that can accept ‘and store input data, process it, and produce output by interpreting and executing programmed instructions. Computer-aided design (CAD) _trelersto the use ol computers in automatic design and drafting operations. Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) It is the use of ‘computers to automate manufacturing operations. Computer system The various components (input-output storage devices, CPU) of a computer that are integrated together to perform the steps in a program are together called 2 computer system. Control unit (CU) The unitofa computer system that manages ‘and coordinates the operations ofall he other components is called the contol unt. Data processing system _Itisa system that accomplishes data processing and includes the nevessary resources (procedures ‘and devices) needed to process data. Digital computer This is a computer that works with discrete quantities and uses numbers to stimulate real~ime processes. Digitizer _Itis aninput device used to convert (digitize) pictures, ‘maps, and drawings into digital form. It is mainly used in ‘geographical information systems (GIS). Dot-matrix printer _Itis a character printer that prints characters and images as a pattem of dots. Drum printer This is a line printer that prints cheracters by stking a set of hammers on an inked ribbon and paper placed against a solid cylindrical drum with characters embossed on its surface in the form of circular bands. DVD The digital video or versatile disk is primarly designed to ‘store and distribute movies and videos. Electronic card-based reader It san input device normally connected to a computer and is used to read data encoded ‘on an electronic card to transfer itt the computer for futher processing. Scanned with CamScanner