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First Year Computer Science Notes

Unit 1:
• What is a Computer?
• Everyone is familiar with the word Computer.
• The word "computer" originates from the Latin word "Computare," which means "to calculate,
count
• We can find computers everywhere, and the modern world is incomplete without computers
and their applications.
• Computers are used in every walk of life.
• Found in many devices, from MP3 players to fighter jets and toys to industrial robots.
• A computer is an electronic device
• Accepts input data through input devices
• Store the data until needed
• Process the data according to the given instructions
• Produce the output as a result through output devices

Computing Devices
• Performs calculations
• Adding two numbers
• Managing the stock control system for the shopping malls.
• The computer is considered the fastest computing device.

Early Computing Devices

Abacus
• Emerged about 5000 years ago in Asia (In China)
• May be considered the first computer.
• Make computations using a system of sliding beads on a
rack.
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Leibniz Calculator
• In 1694
• By German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm von
Leibniz.
• For Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication
• Worked by a system of Gears and Dials.

Difference Engine
• In 1822
• By Charles Babbage
• Machine to perform differential equations.

Analytical Engine
• After working on the Difference Engine for 10 years, Charles Babbage began to
work on the first general-purpose computer called the Analytical Engine.

Tabulating Machine
• In 1889
• By an American inventor, Herman Hollerith.
• Applied the Jacquard Loom concept to computing.
• Punch Card
• Binary Code
• Automation
• Programmability
• To find a faster way to compute the US census.

Calculator
• In 1931
• By Vannevar Bush
• For solving Differential Equations.
• Could solve complex differentials.
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All Electronic Computers

• In 1940
• By a professor at Iowa State College, John V. Atonasoff, and his graduate
student, Clifford Berry.
• Applied Boolean Algebra to computer circuitry.

Z3 Computer
• In 1941
• By German engineer Konrad Zuse
• To design airplanes and missiles.

All Electronic Calculator, or Mark 1, or Harvard-IBM Automated sequence-controlled calculator

• In 1944
• By Howard H. Aiken, a Harvard engineer working with IBM.
• It was an electronic relay computer.
• Used electromagnetic signals to move mechanical parts to perform
basic arithmetic as well as complex equations.

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)

• In 1946
• By John Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly.
• General-purpose computer
• 1000 times faster than Mark 1.

EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer)

• In 1945
• By Von Neumann
• With a memory to hold a stored program as well as data.

UNIVAC-1 (Universal Automatic Computer)

• In 1951
• By Remington Rand
• Become one of the first commercially available computers.
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Modern Computing Devices

The Invention of the Transistor
• In 1948
• The invention of the transistor greatly changed the computer’s development.
• The transistor was invented by William Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Houser Brattain
• The first large-scale machines of transistor technology were early supercomputers.
• Stretch by IBM and LARC (Livermore Advanced Research Computer) by Sperry-Rand were the
early supercomputers.
• These were developed for the Atomic Energy Laboratories.
• Could handle a large amount of data for atomic scientists.
• Throughout the early 1960’s there were a number of successful commercial computing devices used
in businesses, universities, and government.
• The IBM 1401 was universally accepted throughout the industry.

IBM 1401

Development of Integrated Circuit

• In 1958
• By Jack Kilby
• The development of ICs revolutionized computing devices in terms of
processing speed, memory, and peripheral supporting capabilities.

Intel 4004 Chip

• Took the IC one step further and located all the components of the
computer (CPU, Memory, Input and Output controls) on a single chip.

Personal Computer (PC)

• In 1981
• By IBM
• Used in homes, offices, and schools.
• Computing devices continued their trend towards a smaller size
• Desktop Computer  Laptop  Tablet  Palmtop etc.
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Computer and Its Basic Operations

• An Electronic Device
• Accepts Input data
• Store data until needed
• Process data according to given instructions
• Give Output

Input Operation
• Process of capturing or accepting data or
information

Storage Operation
• Storing the data or information, or instruction.
• The user can retain and retrieve it whenever required.
• Memory examples are
• RAM, Hard disk, or removable memory sticks.

Processing Operation
• Transformation process to convert input into output.
• CPU performs processing tasks under the direction of a program.
• To process the data, the CPU stores the program instructions and data in computer memory, where
it can be accessed for processing.

Output Operation
• Result, which is the outcome of the processing.
• The monitor shows the results of the processing on the screen.
• The speaker enables users to hear the sound processing results.
• The printer generates output on paper.

Classification of computers
• Based on physical size, performance, and application areas.
• The computers are classified into four groups.
• Microcomputers
• Mainframe
• Supercomputers
• Mobile Computers

a) Microcomputers
• Known as personal computers (PC)
• Smallest and least expensive.
• These computers are based on microprocessor technologies that locate input, processing, storage,
and output controls on a single chip.
• Designed only for individual users
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• But nowadays, they have become powerful tools for businesses.

• These computers can be used by businesses for word processing, accounting, desktop publishing,
running spreadsheets, and database management applications.
• When networked together, they can serve more than one user.
• Microcomputers include the following types
• Desktop computers
• Notebook computers
• Laptop computers
• Handheld computers

Desktop Computers
• Most common type of computer
• Use at work, home, school, or libraries.
• Utilize peripheral devices for interaction, such as keyboard and mouse for
input, monito or projector for output.
• Can be small, medium, or large.

Notebook Computers
• Designed to provide mobile computing
• Provide all the offers mobile users require to work.
• Easy to carry.
• Preferred by students and business people to meet their assignments and
other tasks.

Laptop Computers
• Portable, the User can carry around.
• Lightweight, can be used anywhere and at any time.
• Don’t need any external power supply because a rechargeable battery is completely self-
contained.

Handheld Computers
• Unique type of portable computer.
• Allow the user to work “On the go”.
• Can easily be placed on the top of the palm.
• Also known as Palmtop computers.
• Lightweight
• Types of Handheld computers are
• Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
• Smartphones
• iPhone
• Treos
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b) Mainframe
• The second powerful and expensive computer after the supercomputer.
• Used mainly by large organizations for critical applications for bulk data processing, such as
• Census
• Industry and consumer statistics.
• Enterprise resource planning.
• Financial transaction processing.
• These computers have powerful processors and large memories.
• Process a large amount of data at a very high speed, such as billions of instructions per
second (BIPS).
• Supports many terminals at the same time.
• Widely used as a super-server for large client/server networks and high-volume websites.
• These computers are used by
• Airlines companies
• Government departments
• Banks and insurance companies
• An automated teller machine (ATM) is an example
• Airline companies use mainframe systems for flight scheduling, reservations, and ticketing.

c) Supercomputers
• Fastest and most powerful computers.
• The biggest and most expensive of the other computers.
• Used to perform complex tasks.
• Designed for scientific, engineering, and business applications.
• Can process billions or even trillions of instructions per second.
• High computing speed, high storage capacity, faster primary memory, and faster secondary
memory compared to other computers.
• Japan’s “Fugaku” is the world's fastest supercomputer with a speed of 442 quadrillion
instructions per second.
• The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover is the latest supercomputer used for space research.
• These computers are used for research and exploration purposes.
• Like NASA uses supercomputers for launching space shuttles, controlling them, and for space
exploration purposes.
• Examples are
• Weather forecasting requires a supercomputer
• Animated graphics
• Fluid dynamic calculations.
• Nuclear energy research.
• Petroleum exploration. Fugaku
• Weapon research
• Stock analysis.
• Automobile design and complex mathematical
calculations.

Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover

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d) Mobile Computers
• Mobile computing allows processing and transmission of data, voice, and video via a computer
or any other wireless-enabled device without having to be connected to a fixed physical link.
• Examples are
• Smart watches
• Fitness band
• Smart glasses
• Smart Phones

Hardware and Software

• Hardware and software work together in digital devices to provide functionalities.

Hardware
• Hardware can be defined as the physical components that a computer system needs to function.
• Physical components
• We can touch. such as Keyboards, Monitors, hard disks, etc.

Software
• A set of instructions that tells a computer what to do.
• A set of instructions that guides the Hardware for performing task.
• Software enables the computer to do something and operate the hardware.
• Interface between user and hardware.
• Software and Hardware both are dependent on each other.
• Without software, the computer is a dumb machine; we can’t use it
Hardware Software
• Physical components of the computer are • A set of instructions that enables a user
required to store and execute the to interact with the computer.
software.
• Physical in nature • Logical in nature
• Understands only binary data in the form • Software tells the hardware everything in
of voltage pulses. the form of binary.
• Types are: Input, Storage, Processing, • Types are: System software and
Output, and Communication devices. Application software
• Hardware starts functioning once • Software includes the Program that runs
software is loaded. on the Hardware. E.g., Windows is the
software that makes the computer
functional.
• Hardware faults are physical • Software faults are logical
• Examples are: Monitor, printer, Hard • Examples are: Windows, Word, Excel,
disk, Keyboard, Mouse, etc. games, etc.
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Types of Software
• System Software
• Application Software

System Software
• Controls the working and the operations of the computer hardware.
• Serves as the interface between the user, the application software, and hardware with the help
of device drivers.
• The main features of the system software are:
 Fast in terms of speed
 Complex design
 Close interaction with the system
 User-friendly
 Implemented in a low-level language.

Application Software
• May refer to a set of programs often called a software package with work together to
accomplish a task.
• Such as the spreadsheet packages, which can be downloaded from the web.
• Examples are:
 Enterprise software
 Accounting software
 Office suits
 Graphics software
 Media players

Types of system software

• Operating System
• Device Driver
• Utility software
• Language processor