TOPIC ONE

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 1
Sciences Department)
 DEFINITION OF A COMPUTER
Computers are machines that perform tasks or
calculations according to a set of instructions, or
programs. The first fully electronic computers,
introduced in the 1940s, were huge machines
that required teams of people to operate.
Compared to those early machines, today's
computers are amazing. Not only are they
thousands of times faster, they can fit on your
desk, in your lap, or even in your pocket.

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 2
Sciences Department)
 Definition contd’
A computer is a machine that can be programmed to
manipulate symbols. Its principal characteristics are:
• It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-
defined manner.
• It can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a
program).
• It can quickly store and retrieve large amounts of data.
Therefore computers can perform complex and repetitive
procedures quickly, precisely and reliably. Modern
computers are electronic and digital. The actual
machinery (wires, transistors, and circuits) is called
hardware; the instructions and data are called software.
Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing
10/18/2020 3
Sciences Department)
 Hardware & Software
• Hardware refers to the parts of a computer that you can see and
touch, including the case and everything inside it. The most
important piece of hardware is a tiny rectangular chip inside your
computer called the central processing unit (CPU), or
microprocessor. It's the "brain" of your computer—the part that
translates instructions and performs calculations. Hardware items
such as your monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and other items are
often called hardware devices, or devices.
• Software refers to the instructions, or programs, that tell the
hardware what to do. A word processing program that you can use
to write letters on your computer is a type of software. The
operating system (OS) is software that manages your computer and
the devices connected to it. Some of the operating systems are
Windows and Macintosh operating system. Most computers use
the windows operating system including your computer.

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 4
Sciences Department)
 GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS
Each generation of computer is characterized by a major
technological development that fundamentally changed the
way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller,
cheaper, more powerful and more efficient and reliable
devices.
The various generations of computers an listed
below :
(i) First Generation (1946-1954)
(ii) Second Generation (1955-1964)
(iii) Third Generation (1964-1977)
(iv) Fourth Generation (1977-1991)
(v) Fifth Generation (1991- continued)
(vi) Sixth Generation

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 5
Sciences Department)
 i) First Generation Computers
In 1946 there was no 'best' way of storing instructions
and data in a computer memory. There were four
competing technologies for providing computer memory:
electrostatic storage tubes, acoustic delay lines (mercury
or nickel), magnetic drums (and disks?), and magnetic
core storage.
The digital computes using electronic valves (Vacuum
tubes) are known as first generation computers. the first
'computer' to use electronic valves (ie. vacuum tubes).
The high cost of vacuum tubes prevented their use for
main memory. They stored information in the form of
propagating sound waves.

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 6
Sciences Department)
 1st Generation Contd’
The vacuum tube consumes a lot of power. The Vacuum tube was
developed by Lee DeForest in 1908. These computers were large in
size and writing programs on them was difficult. Some of the
computers of this generation were:
Mark I : The IBM Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator (ASCC),
called the Mark I by Harvard University, was an electro-mechanical
computer. Mark I is the first machine to successfully perform a long
services of arithmetic and logical operation. Mark I is the First
Generation Computer. it was the first operating machine that could
execute long computations automatically. Mark I computer which
was built as a partnership between Harvard and IBM in 1944. This was
the first programmable digital computer made in the U.S. But it was
not a purely electronic computer. Instead the Mark I was constructed
out of switches, relays, rotating shafts, and clutches

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 7
Sciences Department)
 1st Generation contd’
ENIAC: It was the first general-purpose electronic computer
built in 1946 at University of Pennsylvania, USA by John
Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert. It was named Electronic
Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC). ENIAC contained
17,468 vacuum tubes, 7,200 crystal diodes, 1,500 relays,
70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors and around 5 million hand-
soldered joints.
EDVAC: It stands for Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic
Computer and was developed in 1950.
EDSAC: It stands for Electronic Delay Storage Automatic
Computer and was developed by M.V. Wilkes at Cambridge
University in 1949. Two groups of individuals were working at
the same time to develop the first stored-program computer.

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 8
Sciences Department)
 1st Generation contd’
• UNIVAC-1: Ecker and Mauchly produced it in
1951 by Universal Accounting Computer
setup. it was the first commercial computer
produced in the United States. It was designed
principally by J. Presper Eckert and John
Mauchly, the inventors of the ENIAC.

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 9
Sciences Department)
 drawbacks of First generation computers
1. They used valves or vacuum tubes as their main
electronic component.
2. They were large in size, slow in processing and had
less storage capacity.
3. They consumed lots of electricity and produced lots
of heat.
4. Their computing capabilities were limited.
5. They were not so accurate and reliable.
6. They used machine level language for programming.
7. They were very expensive.
• Example: ENIAC, UNIVAC, IBM 650 etc
Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing
10/18/2020 10
Sciences Department)
 ii) Second Generation (1955-1964)
• The second-generation computer used transistors for
CPU components & ferrite cores for main memory &
magnetic disks for secondary memory. They used high-
level languages such as FORTRAN (1956), ALGOL
(1960) & COBOL (1960 - 1961). I/O processor was
included to control I/O operations.
• Around 1955 a device called Transistor replaced the
bulky Vacuum tubes in the first generation computer.
Transistors are smaller than Vacuum tubes and have
higher operating speed. They have no filament and
require no heating. Manufacturing cost was also very
low. Thus the size of the computer got reduced
considerably.
•
Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing
10/18/2020 11
Sciences Department)
 Examples of 2nd Generation
Computers
It is in the second generation that the concept of Central
Processing Unit (CPU), memory, programming language and
input and output units were developed. The programming
languages such as COBOL, FORTRAN were developed during
this period. Some of the computers of the Second Generation
were
• 1. IBM 1620: Its size was smaller as compared to First
Generation computers and mostly used for scientific
purpose.
• 2. IBM 1401: Its size was small to medium and used for
business applications.
• 3. CDC 3600: Its size was large and is used for scientific
purposes.

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 12
Sciences Department)
Features of 2nd Generation Computers
• 1. Transistors were used instead of Vacuum
Tube.
• 2. Processing speed is faster than First
Generation Computers (Micro Second)
• 3. Smaller in Size (51 square feet)
• 4. The input and output devices were faster.
• Example: IBM 1400 and 7000 Series, Control
Data 3600 etc.
Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing
10/18/2020 13
Sciences Department)
 iii) Third Generation (1964-1977)
By the development of a small chip consisting of the capacity
of the 300 transistors. These ICs are popularly known as
Chips. A single IC has many transistors, registers and
capacitors built on a single thin slice of silicon. So it is quite
obvious that the size of the computer got further reduced.
Some of the computers developed during this period were
IBM-360, ICL-1900, IBM-370, and VAX-750. Higher level
language such as BASIC (Beginners All purpose Symbolic
Instruction Code) was developed during this
period. Computers of this generation were small in size, low
cost, large memory and processing speed is very high. Very
soon ICs Were replaced by LSI (Large Scale Integration), which
consisted about 100 components. An IC containing about 100
components is called LSI.

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 14
Sciences Department)
Features of 3rd Generation Computers
1. They used Integrated Circuit (IC) chips in place of
the transistors.
2. Semi conductor memory devices were used.
3. The size was greatly reduced, the speed of
processing was high, they were more accurate
and reliable.
4. Large Scale Integration (LSI) and Very Large
Scale Integration (VLSI) were also developed.
5. The mini computers were introduced in this
generation.
6. They used high level language for programming.
• Example: IBM 360, IBM 370 etc.
Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing
10/18/2020 15
Sciences Department)
 iv) Fourth Generation Computers
An IC containing about 100 components is called LSI (Large Scale
Integration) and the one, which has more than 1000 such
components, is called as VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration). It
uses large scale Integrated Circuits (LSIC) built on a single silicon
chip called microprocessors. Due to the development of
microprocessor it is possible to place computer’s central
processing unit (CPU) on single chip. These computers are called
microcomputers. Later very large scale Integrated Circuits
(VLSIC) replaced LSICs. Thus the computer which was occupying
a very large room in earlier days can now be placed on a table.
The personal computer (PC) that you see in your school is a
Fourth Generation Computer Main memory used fast
semiconductors chips up to 4 M bits size. Hard disks were used
as secondary memory. Keyboards, dot matrix printers etc. were
developed. OS-such as MS-DOS, UNIX, Apple’s Macintosh were
available. Object oriented language, C++ etc were developed.
Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing
10/18/2020 16
Sciences Department)
Features of 4th Generation Computers
1. They used Microprocessor (VLSI) as their main
switching element.
2. They are also called as micro computers or
personal computers.
3. Their size varies from desktop to laptop or
palmtop.
4. They have very high speed of processing; they
are 100% accurate, reliable, diligent and
versatile.
5. They have very large storage capacity.
• Example: IBM PC, Apple-Macintosh etc.
Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing
10/18/2020 17
Sciences Department)
 v) Fifth Generation (1991- continued)
5th generation computers use ULSI (Ultra-Large
Scale Integration) chips. Millions of transistors are
placed in a single IC in ULSI chips. 64 bit
microprocessors have been developed during this
period. Data flow & EPIC architecture of these
processors have been developed. RISC & CISC, both
types of designs are used in modern processors.
Memory chips and flash memory up to 1 GB, hard
disks up to 600 GB & optical disks up to 50 GB have
been developed. fifth generation digital computer
will be Artificial intelligence.

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 18
Sciences Department)
 Features of 5th GL
• 1. Used in parallel processing
• 2. Used superconductors
• 3. Used in speech recognition
• 4. Used in intelligent robots
• 5. Used in artificial intelligence

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 19
Sciences Department)
 Questions
• Explain the characteristics of computers
• Discuss major developments in the 5th
Generation computers
• Distinguish between 2nd and 3rd generation
Computers
• Explain the characteristics of 1st generation
computers

Teresa K. Abuya(Kisii University-Computing

10/18/2020 20
Sciences Department)