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Week02 History of Computers 20022024 030047pm

The document discusses the history of computer systems from early calculation methods using fingers and abacuses to the five generations of computers, where each generation saw improvements in technology from vacuum tubes to transistors to integrated circuits that made computers smaller, faster, cheaper and more capable of complex tasks. It describes the defining technologies of each generation including the development of the microprocessor, graphical user interfaces, and ongoing work to develop artificial intelligence capabilities in fifth generation computers.

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Arham Iftikhar
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10 views11 pages

Week02 History of Computers 20022024 030047pm

The document discusses the history of computer systems from early calculation methods using fingers and abacuses to the five generations of computers, where each generation saw improvements in technology from vacuum tubes to transistors to integrated circuits that made computers smaller, faster, cheaper and more capable of complex tasks. It describes the defining technologies of each generation including the development of the microprocessor, graphical user interfaces, and ongoing work to develop artificial intelligence capabilities in fifth generation computers.

Uploaded by

Arham Iftikhar
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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COMPUTING

FUNDAMENTALS
[CSC110]

Lecture No. 02
History of Computer Systems

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


BAHRIA SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING AND APPLIED SCIENCES
Definition of
Computer
A computer is an electronic machine
that accepts information, processes it
according to specific instructions, and
provides the results as new information

Originally calculations were computed by humans


This requires years of training in mathematics.

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
Classification based on their principle of construction
▪ Analog computer
▪ Digital computer
▪ Hybrid computer

Classification based on their configuration, size and


performance
▪ Mainframe computer
▪ Minicomputer
▪ Micro computer
▪ Super computers

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


HISTORY OF COMPUTER

FINGER COUNTING AND MULTIPLICATION


• Romans developed a method using fingers for
multiplication and division for numbers between
5 and10.

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


ABACUS
▪ An abacus is a mechanical
device used to aid an individual
in performing mathematical
calculations.

▪ The abacus in the form we are


most familiar with was first
used in China in around 500
B.C. Abacus

▪ It used to perform basic


arithmetic operations

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


COMPUTER GENERATIONS
There are five generations of computer:

First Generation –1946 – 1958


01
Second generation– 1959 – 1964
02

Third generation – 1965 – 1970


03
Fourth generation – 1971 – today
04

Fifth generation – Today to future


05

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


First Generation
▪ The first computers used vacuum tubes
for circuitry and were often enormous,
taking up entire rooms. 1st
▪ They were very expensive to operate and 101001101001000010101
in addition to using a great deal of electricity, 0011110111011011011010
101000011100101011001
generated a lot of heat, which was often 010100111010100010101
the cause of malfunctions. 0001011010110110110100

▪ First generation computers relied on


machine language, the lowest-level
programming language understood by
computers, to perform operations, and they
could only solve one problem at a time.

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


Second Generation

2nd
▪ Transistors replaced vacuum tubes in the
second generation of computers.

▪ Allowing computers to become smaller,


faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and
more reliable. 101001101001000010101
0011110111011011011010
101000011100101011001
▪ Still generated a great deal of heat that 010100111010100010101
can damage the computer 0001011010110110110100

Transistor

DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING


Third Generation 3rd
101001101001
000010101001
1110111011011
• The development of the integrated
circuit was the hallmark of the third
generation of computers.
• Transistors were miniaturized and placed
on silicon chips, called semiconductors, Users interacted with third generation
which drastically increased the speed and computers through keyboards and
efficiency of computers. monitors and interfaced with an
• Much smaller and cheaper compare to operating system, which allowed
the second generation computers. the device to run many different
It could carry out instructions in billionths of a applications at one time with a
second. central program that monitored the
memory.
Computers for the first time
became accessible to a mass
audience because they were
smaller and cheaper than their
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERINGpredecessors.
Fourth Generation

4th
• The microprocessor brought the fourth
generation of computers, as thousands of
integrated circuits were built onto a single
silicon chip.
• As these small computers became more
powerful, they could be linked together to 101001101001000010101
form networks, which eventually led to the 0011110111011011011010
development of the Internet. 101000011100101011001
010100111010100010101
• Fourth generation computers also saw
0001011010110110110100
the development of GUIs, the mouse
and handheld devices.

Microprocessor
DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING
Fifth Generation
•
•
Based on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Still in development. 5th
• The use of parallel processing and
101001101001000010101
superconductors is helping to make 0011110111011011011010
101000011100101011001
artificial intelligence a reality. 010100111010100010101
0001011010110110110100
• There are some applications, such as
voice recognition, that are being used
today.

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