UNIT 1(ONE): BASIC OF COMPUTER

1.1 Computer Generation

 Generation refers to the period of development of the computers.
 Computer generation is change happened in the development of computers.
 The evolution of computer is divided into generations.
 Each generation is characterized by a major technological development that changed
the way computers operate.
 Nowadays, generation includes the changes in hardware and software. There are five
computer generations. These are: A. First generation B. Second generation
C. Third generation D. Fourth generation E. Fifth generation
A. The First Generation (1940-1956)
 The earliest generation of computer is the first generation.
 The first generation of computer used a vacuum tube for electric circuit.
 The first generation of computers used vacuum tube as a core of technology.
 The first generation was large and very expensive computer; it needs high power of
electricity and generates a lot of heat.
Vacuum Tube: is an electronic device that controls the flow of electrons in a vacuum.
B. The Second Generation (1956-1963)
 The second generation of computer used transistor as the basic component.
 The transistor, was invented in 1947 but was not seen widely spread to be used in
computers until the late 1950s.
Transistor: is an electronic device used to control the low flow of electricity in
electronic equipment.
C. The Third Generation (1964-1971)
 The third generation computer is a computer that emerged due to the development of
the integrated circuit (IC).
Integrated circuit: is an integrated system of multiple, small and interconnected
components
 An IC refers to a small electronic device developed from semiconductor materials.
 D. The Fourth Generation (1971-Present)
 The 4th GC of computer is the progressive version of the 3rd G of computer
 It used very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuit.
 It is more powerful, compact sized, reliable, and affordable generation of computer
VLSI Circuit: is the current level of computer microchip containing hundreds of thousands of
transistors.
E. The Fifth Generation (Present And Beyond)
 The fifth-generation of computer uses AI applications.
 The goal of the fifth generation of computer is to create machines that can learn and
organize themselves.
 The fifth-generation of computer has the ability to perform parallel data processing;
which helps to develop AI applications.
Artificial Intelligence: refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are
programmed to think like.

1.2. Functions of computers

There are four basic function of computer. Input, Process, Output, and Storage
1.2.1. Input: is a process of inserting data into a computer. A computer takes data from the
user in order to process and store it. The data can be entered into computer may be by typing
from keyboard, taking picture, using cameras and recording audios.
1.2.2. Processing: is making some operations on the entered data.
For example, a computer can take two numbers and calculate their sum.
1.2.3. Output: displaying the result obtained from processing to the users. The output can be
displayed through monitor, speaker and printer.
For example, the printer can print the output of roster processing on paper.
1.2.4. Storage: Computer is used to store data. The storage can be a computer’s internal or
external storage. Eg: hard drive/disc, flash drive, and a compact disk (CD).
CLASS WORK

1. Which of the following are the basic functions of computer?

A/ Entering data into the computers B/ Displaying the result to the user C/ Processing
the data entered D/ All E/ None
2. Computer perform every task without accept any instruction from the user. [ True, False]
1.3. Types of computer

Computers can be classified based on their size, storage, speed, methods of

operation, and purpose of application.
I. Type of computer by their size, storage and speed
Based on their size, storage and speed there are four types of computer:
1. Microcomputer, 2. Minicomputer,
3. Mainframe Computer and 4. Supercomputer.
1. Microcomputer
Microcomputer is a small sized computer used for general purpose.
Microcomputers are the most widely used type of computers. They are small and
fit on desktops, have varying capacity and easy to handle. Microcomputers are
referred to as Personal Computers (PC). They have video display unit for output
purpose. Data can be entered through the keyboard and stored on different
storage devices such as removable disk, compact Disk (CD) and external hard
disk. The PCs are classified as:

A.Desktops: These are the computers whose case sits on a desk with its
keyboard in front of it and its monitor often on top. There are also desktop
computers, which do not have separate system unit and monitor. Both system
unit and monitor are integrated in one device.

B. Portables: These PCs are so small that they can be placed in handbag. The
difference between portables and desktops is that portables can be carried while

traveling unlike desktops. The portables are also classified as:

i. Laptops: These small sized

Computers having similar power as a desktop. They are small enough to carry
and designed for use outside an office.
ii. Notebooks: These are smaller than a laptop and designed to overcome the
drawbacks of a laptop. They have the size of a notebook but they are as powerful
as a laptop.
iii. Tablet: is a portable personal computer with a touch screen. A tablet is
typically smaller than a notebook computer, but larger than a smartphone. A
smartphone is a portable device that combines mobile telephone and computing
functions into one unit. The touch screen display operates by a finger instead of
the mouse, touchpad, and keyboard of larger computers,
2. Minicomputer
Minicomputers are larger and more powerful than most microcomputers, but
smaller and less powerful than mainframe computers. They are small and
general-purpose computers.

Unit 3: COMPUTER SOFTWARE

Computer software is a collection of computer instructions or programs that tell the computer what to do and
how to perform tasks. Computer hardware cannot perform any tasks without software. There are two types of
software: System Software and Application Software

1. System software is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the individual hardware
components of a computer system. System software includes operating systems, utility software, and
Driver software.
A. The operating system (OS) is software that communicates with the hardware and allows other
programs to run. OS is system software that manages computer hardware and software. It performs all
the basic tasks like file management, memory management, process management, handling input
and output, and controlling peripheral devices. Examples of OS are Windows, Mac OS, Ubuntu, UNIX
and Linux.
B. Utility software is system software used to solve a particular problem of a user. The purpose of
utility software is to manage tasks associated with the configuration, performance and maintenance
of a computer system.

Some of the utility software are system utilities, storage management utilities, file management utilities
and miscellaneous utilities.

a. System utilities: some of the system utilities are:

o Anti-virus
o Diagnostic programs,
o Network utilities
b. Storage Management Utilities: Some of the storage management utilities are:
  Backup software
 Disk formatters and
 Disk partition editors
c. File Management Utilities: Some of the file management utilities are:
 Data recovery,
 Data compression,
 Data conversion
For example, utility software helps to perform backup, restore and anti-virus installations
C. Driver software is a type of software that controls hardware devices such as microprocessor,
memory, hard drive, and peripherals devices. The purpose of driver software is to allow the
peripheral devices to communicate with the operating system.
For example, printer driver is used to connect printers with the operating systems. The modern
computer is connected with peripheral devices without physical connections using wireless and
Bluetooth technology.
2. Application software is a computer program designed to help users to perform an activity. It is an
application used to manipulate text, numbers, audio, graphics, and a combination of these elements.
A. Word processor is software that is capable of creating, storing, and printing documents.
#Features Word processor: Create Document, Saving Document, Insert Text, Copy and Paste, Cut and
Paste, Formatting [bolding, Italic, underline, Text Color]
B. Spreadsheet is an application used to organize and calculate data in cells. It is a data file made up of rows
and columns
C. PowerPoint helps to create a slideshow that addresses a topic or presentation. Sometimes power
point is known as a presentation or slide.
It typically includes three major functions:
 An editor that allows text to be inserted and formatted.
 A method for inserting and manipulating graphic images.
 A slide-show system to display the content.