INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER

At the end of the class, students should be able to comprehend and understand;
 Meaning of computers
 History of computers
 Generations of computer
 Types of computers
 Analogue, digital and hybrid computers

1.0 DEFINING COMPUTER

A computer can be defined as an electronic device used in processing data and
information. It can manipulate and store data for the user’s retrieval. It has capacity to
process data to generate information. This data can also be stored for later use or further
manipulation.

Again, A computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a set of instructions.

A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its
own memory that can accept data (input), process the data according to specified rules,
produce information (output), and store the information for future use

In addition, a computer is an electronic device that accepts data and instructions, processes
the data in accordance with a user instruction (program) and generates results.

It consists of input, processing, output, and storage units. It is a system of functional unit
that can perform substantial computation, including numerous arithmetic operation and
logic operations.
Features of a Computer
There are certain attributes that characterize a computer that tend to make it advantageous
over other means of data processing. Some of these advantages include:

(a) Speed
Computers are electronic devices and as such, can operate at a fast speed. That makes the
computer so fast in operation that in a matter of seconds, it can accomplish what will take
human beings’ days to accomplish.

(b) Accuracy
Computers do not make mistakes if they are accurately programmed and to a large extent,
not faulty in terms of components. Computers can operate error-free, so they can be trusted
to produce accurate results which are very vital to the user.

It therefore implies that the output or the result of the processing will normally be achieved
based on the original data input to the computers. That forms the popular saying “garbage
in garbage out (GIGO)”.

(c) Reliability
Just as they are accurate, a computer is reliable and consistent in the information produced
by it. Given the same program and same data, the result produced should always be the
same. That is why computer-type devices like the microprocessors are introduced into
household appliances and automobiles to increase their productivity and reliability.

This does not mean that the computer cannot breakdown. When it breaks down, it will no
longer be operational if downtime is sustained. The amount of time that the computer stays
in an inactive condition is referred to as downtime.

(d) Versatility
Computers are versatile. They can be used in many fields. Some areas in which computers
can be used include; research, aviation, sales force automation, medicine, accounting,
auditing, teaching and learning, designing and manufacturing, entertainment, etc
 (e) Mass storage capability
Computers can store very large amounts of data for long periods of time.

(f) Precision
It is possible to represent information, especially numerical quantities, to any (reasonable)
desired degree of magnitude. This quality is very useful in scientific and engineering
applications.

(g) Security
Since data and information in computer systems are stored in machine-readable form, they
are protected from unauthorized people by using passwords or some other form of
identification. It therefore can be said that the computer provides a measure of security for
data and information stored on it.

1.2 HISTORY OF COMPUTERS

The invention process of the computer started around 3000 years ago. The computer started out
as an "Abacus". An ‘Abacus’ is a rack made of wood with two wires running parallel to each
other. On the wires there are beads. By moving the beads anyone can solve simple math
problems. Next, there was the ‘Astrolabe’, used for navigating. The first digital computer was
invented in 1642 by Blaise Pascal. It consisted of numbers entered in dials but, it could only add.
However, in 1671, a computer was invented that was eventually built in 1694. The man to credit
for this invention is Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz. Unlike Pascal’s computer, Leibniz’s could
add and multiply.

Timeline of the history of computers

• 3000 B.C. : Abacus was invented in Babylon

• 1800 B.C. : Babylonians invented algorithms for number problems

By completing this module, you will be able to understand and learn the following:

• 500 B.C. : Egyptians made bead and wire abacus

• 200 B.C. : Japanese started using computing trays

• 1617 : John Napier, a Scottish inventor, had shown how to divide by subtraction and how to
multiply by addition

• 1624 : Wilhelm Schickard invented the first four function calculator-clock at Heidelberg
University

• 1642 : Blaise Pascal invented the first numerical calculating machines that were built in Paris

• 1780 : Benjamin Franklin discovered electricity

• 1876 : Alexander Graham Bell invented telephone

• 1886 : William Burroughs developed the first commercial mechanical adding machine

• 1896 : Hollerith constructed a sorting machine

• 1925 : Vannevar Bush builds the large scale analog calculator, the differential analyzer at MIT

• 1927 : The first public radio-telephone became operational between London and New York

• 1931 : Konard Zuse built the Z1 or the first calculator in Germany

• 1936 : Alan M. Turning made a machine defined to be capable of computing any calculatable
function • 1937 : George Stibitz built the first binary calculator at Bell Telephone Laboratories

• 1938 : Hewlett-Packard Company made electric equipments

• 1948 : IBM introduced the 604 electronic calculator

• 1953 : Remington-Rand developed the first high-speed printer

• 1958 : NEC, Japan developed the first electronic computer

• 1960 : Removable disks appear for the first time

• 1972 : Intel introduced an 8 bit microprocessor

• 1976 : Perkin-Elmer and Gould SEL introduced super mini computers Fundamentals of IT
India Development Gateway www.indg.in 3 Vacuum tube circuit

• 1977 : Apple II personal computer was introduced

Father of Computing - Charles Babbage

Charles Babbage was an English inventor and mathematician who, in the 1800's, believed he
could build a computing machine. In 1827, after convincing the British government to finance
his project, he worked for years on his Difference Engine, a device intended for the production of
tables. While he produced prototypes of portions of the Difference Engine, eventually he gave
up. In 1854, he decided to build an Analytical Engine, which was also left unfinished. However,
his proposals for mechanical computers predated the modern reinvention of computers by almost
a century. Because of this accomplishment, Charles Babbage has earned his place in history as
the "Father of Computing."

1.3 GENERATIONS OF COMPUTING

The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different

generations of computing devices. 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, efficient and reliable devices.

First Generation - 1940-1956: Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory. They were
often huge (occupying entire rooms), very expensive to operate, using a great deal of electricity
and generated a lot of heat (which was often the cause of malfunctions). First generation
computers relied on machine language to perform operations, and they could only solve one
problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed
on printouts. Examples of first-generation computers: UNIVAC (Universal Automatic
Computer), ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer). The UNIVAC was the first
commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Second Generation - 1956-1963: Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The
transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 50s.
The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster,
cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though
the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a
vast improvement over the vacuum tubes. Second-generation computers still relied on punched
cards for input and printouts for output.

Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary 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 the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation - 1964-1971: Integrated Circuits

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, which
drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers. Instead of punched cards and
printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and
interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications
at one time with a 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
predecessors.

Fourth Generation - 1971-Present: Microprocessors

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated

circuits were built into a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room
could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the
components of the computer - from the central processing unit and memory to input/output
controls - on a single chip. In 1981, IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in
1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved into many areas of life as
more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors. As these small computers
became 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 of GUIs,
the mouse and handheld devices.
Fifth Generation - Present and Beyond: Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development,
though 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 language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

1.4 TYPES OF COMPUTERS

Personal Computers (PC)

Mainframe: Computers with large Hard Drives, lots of Memory (RAM), multiple CPU’s
running together, does lots of computing depending upon the speed of processors used and
memory used.

Super Computer: A computer with lots of processors, ALUs (Arithmetic logic unit), Memory
(RAM), etc. Usually in scientific research work. Capability of 14,000 microcomputers.

Laptop: Compact, portable version of a PC. Usually in a notebook shape.

Micro Computer: A very small computer, usually used in cameras. A microcomputer

(sometimes shortened to micro) is a computer with a microprocessor as its central processing
unit. Another general characteristic of these computers is that they occupy physically small
amounts of space when compared to mainframe and minicomputers.

PDA: Personal Digital Assistant or Palmtop

A Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is a handheld computer, but has become much more versatile
over the years. PDAs are also known as small computers or palmtop computers. PDAs have
many uses: calculation, use as a clock and calendar, accessing the Internet, sending and receiving
E-mails, video recording, typewriting and word processing, used as an address book, making and
writing on spreadsheets, scanning bar codes, use as a radio or stereo, playing computer games,
recording survey responses, and Global Positioning System (GPS). Newer PDAs also have both
color screens and audio capabilities, enabling them to be used as mobile phones (smart phones),
web browsers, or portable media players. Many PDAs can access the Internet, intranets or
extranets via Wi-Fi, or Wireless Wide-Area Networks (WWANs). Many PDAs employ touch
screen technology.

1.5 CATEGORIES OF COMPUTERS

Analog, Digital & Hybrid Computers

Analog: They calculate physical quantities e.g, Ammeter, voltage meter, etc. They are old,
outdated computers. An analog computer is a device that performs computations using
continuous physical variables which are analogs of the actual items being computed. Analog
computers might, for example, use the continuous rotation of gears or the angular movements of
mechanical or electromechanical parts to perform computations.

Digital: That uses binary digits for processing, e.g Personal Computers. A computer that stores
data in terms of digits (numbers) and proceeds in discrete steps from one state to the next. The
states of a digital computer typically involve binary digits which may take the form of the
presence or absence of magnetic markers in a storage medium on-off switches or relays. In
digital computers, even letters, words and whole texts are represented digitally. Unlike analog
computers, digital computers can only approximate a continuum by assigning large numbers of
digit to a state description and by proceeding in arbitrarily small steps.

Hybrid: They comprise the best of capabilities of digital and analog computers. Hybrid
computers are computers that comprise features of analog computers and digital computers. The
digital component normally serves as the controller and provides logical operations, while the
analog component normally serves as a solver of differential equations.