FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE- (DSC 6)

INTRODUCTION: GENERAL FEATURES, GENERATION

OF A COMPUTER ,WORKSTATION

Presented by: Ms.Manjusha Bawankar

Asst.Professor, Jain (deemed-to-be) University
 COMPUTER: Common Operating Machine Purposely Used
For Technological And Educational Research

Father of Computer: Charles Babbage

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 • Abacus is basically a wooden rack that has metal rods with beads mounted on
them.
• In the abacus, the beads were moved by the abacus operator according to some
rules to perform arithmetic calculations

Abacus

• Napier’s Bones was a manually operated calculating device and as

the name indicates, it was invented by John Napier.
• In this device, he used 9 different ivory strips (bones) marked with
numbers to multiply and divide for calculation.

Napier Bones

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 • It is also called an Arithmetic Machine or Adding Machine.
• It is invented by Pascal to help his father, a tax accountant in his work
or calculation.
• It could perform addition and subtraction in quick time. It was
basically a wooden box with a series of gears and wheels.
• It is worked by rotating wheel like when a wheel is rotated one
revolution, it rotates the neighboring wheel and a series of windows is
given on the top of the wheels to read the totals.

Pascaline

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What is Computer?

Computer is an advanced electronic device that takes raw

data as input from the user and processes these data under
the control of set of instructions (called program) and gives
the result (output) and saves output for the future use.
It can process both numerical and non-numerical
(arithmetic and logical) calculations.

A computer has four functions:

a. accepts data Input

b. processes data Processing
c. produces output Output
d. stores results Storage

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Computer System
All of the components of a computer system can be summarized with the simple equations.

COMPUTER SYSTEM = HARDWARE + SOFTWARE+ USER

• Hardware = Internal Devices + Peripheral Devices

All physical parts of the computer (or everything that we can touch) are known as
Hardware.

• Software = Programs

Software gives "intelligence" to the computer.

• USER = Person, who operates computer.

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 General features of Computer

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 General Features of Computer:

Processing Power/Speed:

• A computer works with much higher speed and accuracy compared to humans while performing
mathematical calculations.
• Computers can process millions (1,000,000) of instructions per second. The time taken by
computers for their operations is microseconds and nanoseconds.
• Computers excel at performing calculations and following instructions incredibly fast. Measured in GHz
(gigahertz), their speed allows them to handle complex tasks in seconds.

Reliability:
A computer is reliable as it gives consistent result for similar set of data i.e., if we give same set
of input any number of times, we will get the same result.

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 Accuracy
Computers perform calculations with 100% accuracy. Errors may occur due to data inconsistency
or inaccuracy.

Diligence
A computer can perform millions of tasks or calculations with the same consistency and
accuracy. It doesn’t feel any fatigue or lack of concentration. Its memory also makes it superior to
that of human beings.

Versatility
• Versatility refers to the capability of a computer to perform different kinds of works with same
accuracy and efficiency

• Computers are incredibly adaptable. With the right software, they can tackle various tasks,
from simple calculations to complex scientific simulations, creative design, and entertainment

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 Automation
Computer performs all the tasks automatically i.e. it performs tasks without
manual intervention.

Memory
Computers have two main types of memory:
• RAM (Random Access Memory): This temporary storage holds data currently
being worked on. It's fast but volatile, meaning data is erased when the computer
shuts down.
• Storage (Hard Disk Drive, Solid State Drive): This is permanent storage that holds
data even after power off. Storage capacity is measured in gigabytes (GB) or
terabytes (TB).
• A computer has built-in memory called primary memory where it
stores data. Secondary storage are removable devices such as CDs, pen
drives,etc.,whichare also used to store data.

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• Connectivity: Modern computers can connect to networks (like the internet) and other devices, allowing
for communication, resource sharing, and access to a vast amount of information.

• Input devices: computers have input devices like keyboards, mice, touchscreens, and voice recognition
systems that allow users to provide commands and input data to the computer.

• Output devices: output devices such as monitors, printers, speakers, and headphones display or present
the results of computations and actions performed by the computer.

• Operating system: computers run on an operating system (os) that manages hardware resources, provides
a user interface, and supports software applications. Common operating systems include microsoft windows,
macos, linux, and unix.

• Software: computers run various types of software applications that perform specific tasks, such as word
processing, web browsing, gaming, graphic design, and multimedia editing.

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Generation of a Computer:
• Computers have gone through many
changes over time.
• Computers evolved over a long period of
time, starting from the 16th century, and
continuously improved themselves in
terms of speed, accuracy, size, and price
to become the modern day computer.

• The different phases of this long period

are known as computer generations.

• The first generation of computers started

around 1940 and since then there have
been five generations of computers until
2023.
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 The first generation of computers was developed from 1940-
1956, followed by the second generation from 1956-1963, the
third generation from 1964-1971, the fourth generation from
1971-1980 , and the fifth generation are from 1980 –onwards &
still being developed.

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First Generation of Computers:

• The first generation used vacuum tube technology and were built between 1940 and 1956.
• Vacuum tubes were expensive and produced a lot of heat.
• Could affordable to large organizations.
• Machine language was the programming language used for these computers, and they could not
multitask.
• The ENIAC was the first electronic general-purpose computer that used 18,000 vacuum tubes and was
built in 1943 for war-related calculations.
• Eg. EDVAC, IBM-650, IBM-701, Manchester Mark 1, Mark 2, etc.

Advantages of first-generation: Disadvantages of first-generation:

• Tough to hack and was quite strong. • They consumed high amounts of
• could perform calculations quickly, in just energy/electricity.
one-thousandth of a second. • They were not portable due to their
weight and size.

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Second Generation of Computers:

• The second generation of computers was developed in the late 1956s and 1963s.
• These computers replaced vacuum tubes with transistors making them smaller, faster and more efficient.
• This was done as transistors were more reliable than vacuum tubes, required less maintenance and
generated less heat.
• Second-generation computers were smaller and more portable, making them accessible to a wider
audience.
• This laid the foundation for further developments
Advantages of Second-generation: Disadvantages of Second-generation:

• They provided better speed and improved accuracy. • They were only used for specific objectives and
• Computers developed in this era were smaller, required frequent maintenance.
more reliable, and capable of using less power. • The second generation of computer used punch
cards for input, which required frequent
maintenance.

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Third Generation of Computers:

• The third generation of computers emerged between 1964 and 1971.

• This generation used microchips or integrated circuits, making it possible to create smaller, cheaper, and
much faster computers.
• Much faster than previous generations, with computational times reduced from microseconds to
nanoseconds.
• New input devices like the mouse and keyboard were introduced, replacing older methods like punch cards.

Advantages of third generation: Disadvantages of third generation:

• The use of integrated circuits made • Advanced technology was needed to
them more reliable. manufacture IC chips.
• Smaller in size and required less space • Formal training was necessary to operate third-
than previous generations. gen computers.

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Fourth Generation of Computers:

• Fourth generation computers were developed between 1971-1980

• They used Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits, which contained about 5000 transistors capable
of performing complex activities and computations.
• More adaptable, had more primary storage capacity, were faster and more reliable than previous
generations, and were also portable, small, and required less electricity.
• Intel was the first company to develop a microprocessor used in fourth generation computer.
• This generation had the first supercomputers, used complex programming languages like C, C++,
DBASE, etc., and could perform many accurate calculations.
.
Advantages of fourth generation: Disadvantages of fourth generation:

•Fourth generation computers were smaller and more •They use complex VLSI Chips, and VLSI Chip
dependable. manufacturing requires advanced technology.
•GUI (Graphics User Interface) technology was used in •To build these computers, Integrated Circuits (ICs)
this generation to provide users with better comfort were required, and to develop those, cutting-edge
technology was needed.

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Fifth Generation of Computers:

• The fifth generation of computers emerged after the fourth generation and is still being developed.
Computers of fifth generation use artificial intelligence (AI) to perform various tasks.
• These computers use programming languages such as Python, R, C#, Java, etc., as input methods.
• The fifth generation computers employ ULSI technology (Ultra Large Scale Integration) , parallel
processing, and AI to perform scientific computations and develop AI software.
• They can perform intricate tasks such as image recognition, human speech interpretation, natural
language understanding, etc.
• Examples of fifth generation include laptops, desktops, notebooks, chromebooks, etc.

Advantages of fifth generation: Disadvantages of fifth generation:

•These computers are lightweight and easy to move •Using it for spying on people.
around. •Fear of unemployment due to AI replacing jobs.
•They are easier to repair and parallel processing
technology has improved in these computers.

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 Workstation:
• A workstation is a high-performance computer designed for
professional use in specialized tasks such as engineering,
graphic design, scientific simulations, and multimedia
production.

• Workstations typically offer higher processing power,

memory capacity, and graphics capabilities compared to
standard desktop computers

• They are optimized to handle intensive computational tasks and

often include specialized hardware components tailored
to specific industries or applications.

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Key features of workstations include:

Powerful Processing:
• Workstations are equipped with high-performance CPUs, often with multiple cores or processors,
allowing them to handle complex calculations and simulations efficiently.
• Workstations are built with robust components to handle demanding tasks.
This includes:
• Powerful central processing unit (CPU) with multiple cores for efficient multitasking.
• Significant RAM (often exceeding 16GB) for running complex applications smoothly.
• High-performance graphics processing unit (GPU) for tasks like video editing, 3D modeling, and
design.

Large Memory Capacity:

• Workstations usually have ample RAM (Random Access Memory) to support memory-intensive
tasks and large datasets.

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Advanced Graphics: Many workstations come with dedicated graphics processing units (GPUs) optimized for
rendering complex visualizations, such as 3D modeling, animation, and computer-aided design (CAD).

Storage Options: Workstations offer various storage configurations, including fast solid-state drives (SSDs)
for rapid data access and large-capacity hard disk drives (HDDs) for storing extensive datasets.

Reliability and Stability: Workstations are built with high-quality components and undergo rigorous testing to
ensure reliability and stability under heavy workloads.

Multiple monitor support:

Workstations often accommodate multiple high-resolution monitors, providing ample screen space for
multitasking and working with complex data or visuals.

Security:
Workstations may have additional security features to protect sensitive data used in professional environments.

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• Focus on specific workflows: Unlike general-purpose pcs, workstations can be optimized for specific
industries or applications. They might have specialized hardware or software pre-installed to cater to tasks
like engineering simulations, architectural design, or financial modeling.

• Typical users:
Workstations are ideal for professionals like:
• Engineers
• Architects
• Animators and graphic designers
• Scientists and researchers
• Video editors
• Financial analysts

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 Expandability: Workstations often feature multiple expansion slots and ports, allowing users to add
additional hardware components such as graphics cards, storage drives, and specialized interfaces.

Certification: Workstation hardware and software may undergo certification processes by industry-leading
software vendors to ensure compatibility and optimal performance with professional applications.

References: https://www.shiksha.com/online-courses/articles/generation-of-computers/

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