Computer Fundamentals

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• The modern computer is one of the most important
scientific achievements of the human mind at this age.
Its development began several centuries ago and
continued until it reached what it is It is now widespread
and widely used in all areas of life. And done Divide the
evolution of the computer into three sections .
 Stages of computer development

• The first stage: (the appearance of manual devices) is the early

stage, which extends Until the mid-seventeenth century, it was
characterized by the development and production of manual
calculating devices Scientific research reached by many scientists in
the field of mathematical and physical sciences.

• 2000 BC: The Chinese developed a machine that helps in dealing

with numbers It is a good manual for counting and arithmetic. It
was used by the Egyptians and the Greeks and the Romans.
• The second stage: (the appearance of mechanical and
electromechanical computers) .
• 1642 AD: The invention of a semi-automatic mechanical machine
by the French scientist Blaise Pascal used it to add numbers, and it
consisted of engraved metal wheels On the perimeter of each of
them, at regular intervals, are decimal places.
The English scientist Charles Babbage designed a mechanical calculator
(difference machine) capable of making Arithmetic operations and some other
operations .
• 1887: The American scientist Herman Hollerth managed to make a
machine for punching cards and a tabbing machine was used In
conducting the United States Census .
• 1890: Establishing a company to produce tabbing machines, as this
company expanded and merged with other companies and led to
The advent of IBM .
• 1944: Aiken and Grace Hopper, with help from IBM, produced the
first electromechanical calculator called M .
The third stage:

• 3. The third stage: (the appearance of electronic computers) a team

of Engineers at the University of Pennsylvania produce a computer
in Moore College of Electrical Engineering (ENIAC: Electronic
Numerical). ) Integrator And Calculation, as this device is
considered the first electronic computer.
Generations of computers :

• Developments in the computer world since 1946 AD to the present

day have witnessed progress So quickly that the achievements are
not attributed to specific people, but to companies specialized and
scientific institutions .
• Computers that appeared since the late forties until now have been
divided into: Generations, as the computers attributed to a
particular generation have properties among themselves Similar
recipes and the same technological basis was used in its installation
well within specified time periods .
Divided of computer generations

The computer is divided into five generations:

1. The first generation .
2. The second generation .
3. The third generation .
4. The fourth generation .
5. Fifth generation .
First generation computers (1958-1946)

• The first generation computers were large, needed continuous

cooling, slow, and relied on vacuum technology, i.e. they worked
with vacuum valves and cathode ray tubes, and machine language
was used.
 characteristics of first generation of computers :-
• Main electronic component – vacuum tube
• Main memory – magnetic drums and magnetic tapes
• Programming language – machine language
• Power – consume a lot of electricity and generate a lot of heat.
• Speed and size – very slow and very large in size (often taking up
entire room). Input/output devices – punched cards and paper tape.
Examples – ENIAC, UNIVAC1, IBM 650, IBM 701, etc.
Second generation computers (1964-1959)

• In the computers of the second generation, the development of

computers began, and their size became smaller than the previous
one, and the cost decreased, and the transistor technology was used
instead of the vacuum valve technology, and the transistor is an
electronic chip (electrical element) that is semi-conductor of
electricity and controls the flow of electric current, and appeared
Programming languages such as assembly language, which is
considered a low-level language .
 characteristics of second generation of computers :-
• Main electronic component – transistor
• Memory – magnetic core and magnetic tape / disk
• Programming language – assembly language
• Power and size – low power consumption, generated less heat, and
smaller in size (in comparison with the first generation computers).
• Speed – improvement of speed and reliability (in comparison with
the first generation computers).
• Input/output devices – punched cards and magnetic tape.
• Examples – IBM 1401, IBM 7090 and 7094, UNIVAC 1107, etc
The third generation computers (1970-1964):-

• In which screens were used to display data, and a keyboard to enter

data, where integrated electrical circuits appeared, which are
electronic circuits on a small chip of silicon that contain millions of
electronic equipment. Also, a time-sharing system appeared, and
computer networks and ready-made software packages appeared.
And computers got much smaller.
 characteristics of third generation of computers :-
• Main electronic component – integrated circuits (ICs)
• Memory – large magnetic core, magnetic tape / disk
• Programming language – high level language (FORTRAN, BASIC,
Pascal, COBOL, C, etc.)
• Size – smaller, cheaper, and more efficient than second generation
computers (they were called minicomputers).
• Speed – improvement of speed and reliability (in comparison with
the second generation computers).
• Input / output devices – magnetic tape, keyboard, monitor, printer,
etc.
• Examples – IBM 360, IBM 370, PDP-11, UNIVAC 1108, etc.
The fourth generation computers (mid nineties-
1970):-
• The first microprocessor appeared in the computer industry, and it
became possible to use it in the manufacture of devices such as
digital watches, cars, and personal computers.
 characteristics of fourth generation of computers :-
• Main electronic component – very large-scale integration (VLSI)
and microprocessor.
• VLSI– thousands of transistors on a single microchip.
• Memory – semiconductor memory (such as RAM, ROM, etc.) .
• RAM (random-access memory) – a type of data storage (memory
element) used in computers that temporary stores of programs and
data (volatile: its contents are lost when the computer is turned off).
• ROM (read-only memory) – a type of data storage used in
computers that permanently stores data and programs (non-
volatile: its contents are retained even when the computer is turned
off).
• Programming language – high level language (Python, Java,
JavaScript, Rust, Kotlin, etc.). a mix of both third- and fourth-
generation languages
• Size – smaller, cheaper and more efficient than third generation
• computers.
• Speed – improvement of speed, accuracy, and reliability (in
comparison with the third generation computers).
• Input / output devices – keyboard, pointing devices, optical
scanning, monitor, printer, etc.
• Network – a group of two or more computer systems linked
together.
• Examples – IBM PC, STAR 1000, APPLE II, Apple Macintosh, etc.
Fifth Generation of Computers :-

• In it, laptops and handheld computers appeared, and cash memory

spread, accelerating access to data inside the computer, optical discs
(CD ROM), multimedia devices, and also directed programming
(OOP), artificial intelligence, decision support systems, and expert
systems appeared. And information systems flourished greatly due
to the emergence of the Internet until this era was called the era of
informatics.
Characteristics of Fifth generation of computers :-

• Main electronic component: based on artificial intelligence, uses the

Ultra Large-Scale Integration (ULSI) technology and parallel
processing method .
• ULSI – millions of transistors on a single microchip
• Parallel processing method – use two or more microprocessors to
run tasks simultaneously.
• Language – understand natural language (human language). Power
– consume less power and generate less heat.
• Speed – remarkable improvement of speed,
• accuracy and reliability (in comparison with the fourth generation
computers).
• Size – portable and small in size, and have a huge storage capacity.
• Input / output device – keyboard, monitor, mouse, track pad (or
touchpad), touch screen, pen, speech input (recognise voice /
speech), light scanner, printer, etc.
• Example – desktops, laptops, tablets, smart phones, etc.
artificial intelligence :-

• Development in the field of artificial intelligence, a branch of

computer science that deals with the use of computers to simulate
the human mind .
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