CHAPTER 1:

Introduction to Information and Communication Technologies

Chapter Objectives:
At the end of this chapter the learner will be able to:

- Explain the fundamentals of the new trends and future direction of IT, ICT
- develop awareness of the roles of ICT in a real world
- Conceptualize the terms data, information and data processing.
- identify components of Information Technology
- Describe the history of computers.
- Identify different types of computers

Introduction
The goal of this chapter is to familiarize the learner with the disciplines of Information Communication
Technologies, Information Technology. Data, information and the relationship between the two will also
be covered in the chapter. In this chapter we will also see history and generations of computer and
types of computer.

What is Information Technology?

Information Technology is the use of modern technology to aid the capture, processing, storage
and retrieval, and communication of information, whether in the form of numerical data, text,
sound, or image. It can also be defined as the study of information handling and its use in
society by means of modern technology. This includes the acquisition, processing, storage and
communication of information in any form by appropriate means. It is more about the use of
computers to solve human/business problems

What is Information and Communications Technology?

Information and Communications Technology usually called ICT, is often used as a synonym for
information technology (IT) but is usually a more general term that stresses the role of
communications (telephone lines and wireless signals) in modern information technology. ICT
consists of all technical means used to handle information and aid communication, including
computer and network hardware as well as necessary software. In other words, ICT consists of
IT as well as telephony, broadcast media, and all types of audio and video processing and
transmission.

Information & Communications Technology is a term that covers all forms of computer and
communications equipment and software used to create, store, transmit, interpret, and
manipulate information in its various formats (e.g., business data, voice conversations, still
images, motion pictures and multimedia presentations).
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ICT covers any product that will store, retrieve, manipulate, transmit or receive information
electronically in a digital form. For example, personal computers, digital television, email,
robots.

Components of Information and Communication Technology

Information technology has three primary components. These are

A. Computers,
B. Communications networks, and
C. Know-how.

A. Computers
Any calculating device or machine, which is electronic, mechanical or electromechanical, can be called a
Computer. But that doesn’t mean that computers perform only calculation. The name computer comes
from a Latin word computre, meaning “to reckon” or “to compute” and can be applied to abacus or any
adding machine as to the modern computer. However, the term “Computer” has come to mean a special
electronic device having certain definite characteristics.

B. Communications Network
An integral part of Information and communication Technology is the ability to communicate: to send
and receive data and information over a communication network. A communications network is the
connection of stations at different locations through a medium that enables people to send and receive
data and information. Telephone wires and cables are common communication media.

C. Know-how
Although computers and data communication are very important parts of Information and
communication Technology, an equally critical part of Information and communication Technology is the
ability to draw on the power of Information and communication Technology to solve problems and to
take advantages of the opportunities it creates. Therefore, Information and communication Technology
requires or implies know-how, knowing how to do something well.

Know- how includes

 Familiarity with the tools of Information Technology

 The skills needed to use these tools
 Understanding when to use Information Technology to solve a problem

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Data and Information
What is data?

There is a difference between the terms data and information. Data is an individual fact /multiple facts,
or a value/a set of values, but is not significant to a business in itself. For example, the following are
values with structure but they aren't useful to anyone until given context:

February 15, 1993

D13193

Data values without business context

Giving data context, or meaning, turns it into information. Without this context the data is useless to
the business.

For example, the above numbers are more useful with the added context:

Business context Data value

What is the date of the meeting about the fee increases? February 15, 1993

What was the license plate number of the car that hit you? D13193

Formal definition:

a) Data are raw facts or figures.

b) Data is the product of symbols or representations of an event (e.g. buying book) or facts about
the world (e.g. number of continents), like number, letter, pictures, lines, graphs, etc

c) Data is representation of facts or figures obtained from experiments or surveys, used as basis for
making calculations or drawing conclusions.

In and of itself, data has no meaning. If I count the number of cars that stop at a stop sign per hour for a
week, that's data. It may be useful or not, depending on the context. It has no meaning until it is placed
in a context. It is like an event out of context, without a meaningful relation to other things. It doesn't
have a meaning of itself and simply it exists and has no significance beyond its existence.

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If we are given a certain data, we can associate it to different things and give it different meanings.

Example: If we take number "5", it can be associated with:

 Cardinal number and has one meaning, and

 A number greater than 4 and less than 6 with another meaning
Therefore: Data without a context has no meaning. But this doesn't mean that data are useless. They
are the elements that are inputted, stored and manipulated by the computer. The validity of a data (how
far they reflect the reality or represent the real world) is very important. They are valid as far as they
accurately represent the real world.

Information

[ Definition:

a) Information is data with context. Therefore, information is context dependent.

b) Information is data that has been given a meaning by way of relational connection. This
relational connection converts data in to information. In computer system, for instance, a
relational database makes information from the data stored within it.

When does data become information?

When a whole lot of data, which is related to one subject, put together, it yields information. E.g. Take a
telephone book, it is developed by bringing different data together (Name, Address and Telephone
number). In other words:

Sets of data + relational connection among data sets = information

Let's say I want to buy a car. I can collect a lot of data about makes of cars, performance ratings, prices
and so on. Once I do that, I have a lot of information about cars and the car market. Unless we think of
this collection of data and put it in context (car/car market), it has no meaning. What we perceive or
understand is the relationship between pieces of data, or between pieces of data and other
information.

Therefore,

Data + understanding of relationship = information

Examples:

 The temperature dropped to 15 degrees and then it started raining. The data are:
o 15 degrees, and
o It is raining
 If we put data on people's smoking habits together with data on lung cancer, we can produce
information about the risk of smoking.

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It is the cause and effect relationship between the two that provides information.

Activity:

Give some examples of data and show how the data is converted (processed) to become information.

An overview of computer

A term ‘Computer’ is derived from the word ‘compute’, which means to calculate. A computer is an
electronic machine devised for performing calculations and calculating operation that can be expressed
either in logical or numerical terms. In simple words, a computer is an electronic device that performs
mathematical and non-mathematical operations with the help of instructions to process the information
in order to achieve desired results.

COMPUTER IS AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE CAPABLE OF MANIPULATING DATA/ INFORMATION , TAKING

AN INPUT , STORING IT, PROCESSING IT AND GIVING AN OUTPUT . A LL UNDER THE CONTROL OF SET
OF INSTRUCTION CALLED A PROGRAM . IN OTHER WORDS , IT IS A PROGRAMMABLE ELECTRONIC
DEVICE .

A computer is a machine that automates the manual process so that the process can be efficient,
accurate and fast. Let us talk about some small use and tasks of computers. If I have not had the
computer, I would have sat down for days to write down these handouts. It would not have been clear,
even if you could read my hand writing. Spelling mistakes might have been the major headache for you
all. Over all I would not have communicated what I wanted to. So with the help of a computer, I could
type my notes. There is a facility which allows me to type in my notes, format it, spells check it, make it
legible for you to read and print those notes. This kind of facility in the computer is generally called
application. The application that helped me to type in the notes is called Word. In the same way, if I
have to calculate something, then I would use another application called Calculator or Excel. These are
generally called PC Applications.

Although the operation domain of a computer depends totally on human creativity and imagination, it
covers a huge area of application including education, industries government, medicine, scientific
researches, law, social science and even music and art.

Computers widely seen as instrument for future progress and as tools to achieve sustainability via
improved access to information and dematerialization via video conferencing and email.

History of computer

In the early days man used to count with his fingers and pebbles and calculates numbers
manually. As soon as commerce developed in early societies, people recognized the need to calculate
and to keep track of information. They soon devised simple computing devices and bookkeeping system

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to enable them to add, subtract, and record simple trance actions. However, many centuries elapsed
before technology was sufficiently advanced to develop mechanical calculator

Some of the important calculating device that preceded the modern computer are described
below.

The abacus was one of the earliest computing devices; it appeared both in ancient Egypt and in china.
An abacus consists of row of beds strung on wires set in rectangular frame. The beads are use to
represent “place values” such as units, tens, hundreds, and so on. The abacus may be used to add,
subtract, multiply, and divide. In the hands of competent operator, this anciant devices can stile
competes favorably in speed with pocket or desk calculator.

The first mechanical adding machine was developed in 1642 by French philosopher and scientist
Blaise pascal. Pascalse adding machine used gears with teeth to represent numbers. Some 50 years
later. German mathematician Gottfried liebnitz introduced the first mechanical calculating machine. This
device as well as add subtract numbers

An important forerunner of the modern computer was the difference engine devised by
chorales Babbage in the early 1800s. Babbage was professor of mathematics at cambering university.
The important contribution of Babbage’s remarkable difference engine was its ability to perform
computations and print results without human intervention. The difference engine was used to
automatically compute and print out mathematical tables that were accurate to five significant digits.

Generation of computer

The history of computer developed over four generation the firs commercially available electronic
computers ware referred to as first generation computers. Subsequent improvements in technology led
to second, third and fourth generation computer. The major characteristics that distinguish the various
generations were the following:-

 Dominant type of electronic circuit element used

 Major secondary storage media used
 Computer language used
 Type or characteristics of operating system used
 Memory access time(speed)

The first generation -1940-1956: vacuum tubes

The first generation computers used vacuum tube to operation. A vacuum tube is a glass tube
like a light bulb. That controls electrical current. Punched cared were used to feed data and programs, or
sets of instruction, into the computer. Data and programs were, in turn, stored on magnetic tape and
drums, and output was displayed on printouts. Vacuum tubes used a great deal of space and electricity,
generated a lot of heat, and were not always reliable. First generation computer relied on machine
language to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time

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The Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) and Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC)
are example of first-generation computing devices. ENIAC was the first operational electronic computers
and had a mean breakdown interval of 12 minutes. Moreover, it weighs 30 tones and covers 20,000
square feet of area. The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the
U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

The second generation-1956-1963: transistors

Soon transistor replaced vacuum tubes. Transistors were made of metals and silicon, the second most
common element (after oxygen) in the world. A compound of silicon, silica, is the main ingredient of
sand. Transistors controlled the flow of electricity in a computer. Transistors had many advantages over
vacuum tunes:

1. Smaller
2. Used less power
3. Gave off almost no heat
4. Inexpensive
One transistor could doo the work of 40 vacuum tubes and used less than 1 percent of one vacuum
tune’s power. Thousand of these transistors were mounted on boards and wired together. The use of
transistors made it possible to produce computers that were less expensive, more reliable, and 10 times
faster than the first-generation computers. These new computers were, however, still very large and
took up a whole room. Second-generation computer still relied on punched cards for input and printouts
for output.

Second-generation computer moved from machine language to symbolic, or assembly, languages, which
allowed programmers to specify instructions in words. High-level programming languages were also
being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first
computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to
magnetic core technology. The first computers of this generation were developed for atomic energy
industry.

The third generation –1964_1971: Integrated circuit

Integrated circuit then replaced transistors. An Integrated circuit combined various components and
connected then by wire on one silicon ship. The first integrated circuit, built in 1958, contained six
components of a silicon chip smaller than the size of a penny. Within a few years, an integrated circuit
contained a hundred components.

Third-generation computers were smaller, more powerful, more dependable, less expensive, and 100
times faster than previous models. They could do over a million calculations per second and were able
to process and store words as well as numbers. These computers were the size of a file cabinet.

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Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interact with third generation computers through
keyboard and monitors. It is in this generation that users started to interact to the computer through
operation systems. This allowed the computer to run many different applications at one time with a
central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time become accessible to a mass
audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

The fourth generation: 1971_precent microprocessor

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated could now
fit in the palm of the hand. The first microprocessor, the Intel 4004 chip, was developed in 1971, located
all the components of computers- from the central processing unit and memory to input/output
controls- on a single chip.

In 1081 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1084 Apple introduced the
Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of
life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.

As these small computers become more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks,
which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation computers also saw the
development GUIs, the mouth and handheld devices.

The fifth generation- present and beyond: artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computer device, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, tough there
are some applications, Such as voice recognition, that are being used today. The use of parallel
processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation
and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come. The
goal of fifth- generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural input and are capable
of learning and self-organization.

Computer Generations

Generation Years Technology Characteristics

- Very big in size
- Punched card
- Slow speed
first 1940-1956 Vacuum Tubes - Limited storage capacity
- Machine and assembly language,
difficult to program
- Problem of overheating
- Smaller in size
- Magnetic disk
- Transistors, and
- Faster speed and more reliable
Second 1956-1963 diodes
- High-level programming
- Better memory
language(COBOL), easier to
program

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 - More flexibility with input/output
Integrated semi - Extensive use of high level
Third 1964-1971
conductor circuits (IC) programming language
- Multiple users, terminals
- Large-scale and
- Personal computers
Very-Large-Scale
Fourth 1971-present - User friendly programs
Integration (VLSI)
- Very high level language
- Microprocessor
- Faster and more parallel than ever
Newer, faster - Well suited to the solution of very
Present and
Fifth superconductor or hard AI (Artificial Intelligence)
beyond
circuits problem.
- Decision making

Table 1.1 computer generations

Characteristics of computers

Man develops computers so that he could perform intricate operations such as calculations and data
processing or simply for entertainment. Today computers are everywhere-in our offices, homes,
appliances, automobiles the list is endless. Much of the world runs on computes, and computers have
profoundly changed our lives, mostly for better.

Let us discuss some characteristics of computer, which make them an essential part of every emerging
technology and such a desired tool human development.

 Speed: the computer process data at extremely fast, that is, to tune of million instructions
per second. In few seconds computer can perform such a huge task that a normal human
being may take days or even years to complete. To speed of a computer is calculated in
MHZ (megahertz) that is one million instructions per second. At present time the speed of
computer reaches a billon instruction per second (GHZ).
 Accuracy: besides the efficiency the computers are very accurate. The level of accuracy
depends on the instruction and type of machine being used. Since we know that the
computer is capable of doing only instructed to do, faulty instructions for processing the
data automatically results faulty output. This knows as GIGO (garbage in garbage out).
 Reliability: generally, reliability is the measure of performance of a computer, which is
measured against some predetermined standard for operation without any failure.
Computer systems are widely accepted due to their exceptional reliability. Unlike human
beings they are capable of operating under the most adverse conditions for extended
periods of time without showing any sign of fatigue. They do not take sick days and coffee
breaks. Computers are very reliable. We can consider them as very faithful super servants
of humanity.
 Storage capacity: you can imagine how much space data of a census on papers need. Not
only the space, also the time it took to get or retrieve specific information from such a vast
amount of data is not negligible. But a computer can store such amount of information in
a few number of disks and the time it took to retrieve or process single information is not

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 more than a micro or nanoseconds. In general a computer has a capacity to store a very
large amount of information in organized manner so that accessing information is very
fast.
 Versatility: computers are quite versatile in nature. They can perform multiple tasks
simultaneously with equal ease. For example at one moment it can be used to prepare a
letter, the moment it can be used to play music and in between you can print a document
as well. All this work is possible by changing the program (sequence of instruction for
computer). In brief we can say that a computer can perform various tasks by reducing the
task to series of logical steps.
 Diligence: computers, being a machine, don’t suffer from the human traits of tiredness
and lack of concentration. If for million calculations have to be performed, then the
computer will perform with the same accuracy and speed as the first calculation.
 Automatic: once necessary information and program is fed, the computer performs
processing without human intervention.

The above characteristics of computers enhance human capabilities of doing analytical work at high
speed. It is important to mention that in spite of all wonderful characteristic of computers they had
certain drawbacks. They have no feeling and cannot work like human beings.

Computers Vs Human beings

Most people think of computers as mysterious thinking machines capable of performing tasks on their
own. Computers are dumb, do not think by their own and are not intelligent as human beings. A
computer does nothing more than blindly following instructions supplied by a programmer. Without a
program, your computer wouldn’t know how to do anything.

 Computers so not think: they process and compare data.

 Computers lake intelligence: it is the software tat makes the computer work
 Computers are not creative: they just follow certain rules and instructions
 Computers are accurate than human beings is
 Computers are speedy
 Are dependent on users
 Have high storage capacity to processor vast amount of information

Computers over humans

Speed and accuracy are obviously on the credit side of computers. Moreover computers are tireless. It
can work for 24 hours without sleep, lunch, or coffee break. In fact, computers do break down. However
the breakdown rate of computers compared to human is very small and computers are repaired more
quickly and easily. Besides, computers are consistent. Once you give them instruction, they will do the
same thing the same way over and over. The computer requires very little training. Humans spend years
in school additional time learning on job. Because of all capacities, computers can perform mathematical
and clerical tasks less expensively and more accurately than humans. A computer is more accurate,
faster and consistent than human beings.

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Humans over computers

“Humans are indispensable” humans have the unique quality of thinking. Computers can only follow
directions (instructions). Someone has to think up the directions for computers to follow. Because of our
thinking ability we can exercise judgment.

People are creative. To be creative one must think of new ways to approach things. Computers will take
the same approach each time, unless we create new one for them. People are motivated and take
imitative. We deserve satisfaction out of a job well done and will strive to increase the quality of our
service. Computers just follow instructions.

Humans are more flexible in their thinking. Computers require direction in very precise. Detailed terms
with nothing left out or vague. People are mobile than computers. We can move more freely and can
manipulate things with our fingers and hands. Moreover, the human brain can store more data in less
space than computer data storage devices do.

Human virtues Computer Virtues

Thinking Computational speed
Judgment Accuracy
Creativity Dependability
Flexibility Little training required
Mobility Consistency
Diligence (tirelessness)
Versatility (programmability )

Importance and Advantages of Computers

Computers are having advantages over other computing devices as they are fast, reliable, and accurate,
can store massive amount of information, can move information quickly from place to another and are
versatile in nature.

The advantages of computers can be listed out as below:

 Perform repetitive tasks.

 Are more accurate while dealing with large numbers.
 Work at constant efficiency.
 Are almost used in any field.
 Process millions of instructions in a fraction of seconds.
 Are effective and efficient data storage and retrieval.

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Types of computers

As discussed in the precious section any computing device can be called a computer. Considering this
definition, computers can be classified into different categories based on different characteristics.

1. Based on type of data they process computers can be classified as :

Based on the type of data they process computers can be classified as:
Analog
Analog computers operate by measuring physical properties. They deal with continuous
variables; they don’t compute directly with numbers rather; they operate by measuring physical
magnitude such as pressure, temperature, voltage, current etc.
Examples: thermometer, voltmeter, speedometer

Digital
Digital computers deal with discrete variables; they operate by counting rather than measuring.
They operate directly up on numbers (or digits) that represent numbers, letters, or other special
symbols.
Examples: abacus, desk & pocket calculators, general purpose computers
Hybrid
Hybrid computers inherit the best features of both analog and digital computers. Usually the
input is continuous data (analog). Since digital processing is more accurate processing takes
place digitally. The processed information –the output- could be either digital or analog,
depending on the user preference or the type of application.
Examples: digital camera, health monitoring machines in some hospitals.

2. Based on Size and capacity

Size and capacity are also the other characteristics of computers that can be used to categorize
computers. Based on these characteristics computer can be classified as:
Microcomputers
The smallest computers ever produced in the history of computers are microcomputers. Since
they are designed to be used by a single user, they have the least capacity as compared to the
other types of computers. They are also the least expensive of all types. There two different
types of microcomputers are desktop computers and portable computers (laptops, notebook
computers and palmtops)
Minicomputers

Minicomputers are midrange computers that are larger and more powerful than most
microcomputers but are smaller and less powerful than mainframe computer systems.
Minicomputers are being used for a large number of business and scientific applications. They
are popularly used in scientific laboratories, research centers, universities and colleges,
engineering firms, industrial process monitoring and control, etc.

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 Mainframe computer
Mainframe computers are large, powerful computers that are physically larger than micros and
minis and usually have processors with faster instruction processing speeds. For example, they
may be able to process from 10 to 200 million instructions per seconds (MIPS). Mainframe
computers also support multiple users and are expensive.
Supercomputer
The term supercomputer has been coined to describe a category of extremely powerful
computer designed for high-speed processing. A supercomputer is generally characterized as
being the fastest, most powerful and most expensive computer.

Generally, supercomputers are:

- The largest and the most efficient computers
- Very expensive
- Very fast and
- Supports hundreds of users at different locations
3. Based on purpose of application
Computers can be applied or used for different purposes. Based on their application, they are
classified as Special Purpose or General Purpose.

Special purpose computers

They are designed to solve a single type of problem that is their components and their functions are
uniquely adapted to a specific situation involving a special application. E.g the public telephone box,
traffic control system, ticket machines (used in super market and grocery), pocket calculator etc most
analog computers are special purpose computers.

General purpose computers

They are designed to solve variety of problems through the use of “stored program concept”. A program
or set of instruction designed to solve a problem is read a stored into the memory and executed by the
computer one by one. The same computers can be applied to solve another type of problem using
different program. General – purpose computer are more flexible and versatile.

E.g. microcomputer, minicomputer

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