BASIC COMPUTER

CONCEPTS AND
APPLICATION

COMPUTERS AND
COMPUTER SYSTEMS

Contents

Computer

History & Evolution of Computer System

Major Contributors in Computer Development

Components of a Computer System

COMPUTER

Computer

Computer

A machine that performs tasks, such as

calculations or electronic communication,
under the control of a set of instructions
called a program.
An electronic device that accepts,
processes, stores, and outputs into
valuable information data at high speeds
according to programmed instructions.
Perform a wide variety of activities
reliably, accurately, and quickly.

CLASSIFICATIONS

Mainframe Computers

A very large computer, used by major

organizations such as governments,
supermarket chains and very large
businesses.
The mainframe computer can process vast
amounts of data at very high speed. They
also have very large storage capabilities.
Mainframes can be physically very large,
and can occupy entire rooms.

Mainframe Computers

They can cost many hundreds of

thousands of Dollars to install, maintain
and run.
Mainframes can have many smaller
terminals, usually desktop screens and
keyboards, connected to them.
Operators can therefore access, transmit,
process and receive data, to and from the
mainframe.

Mainframe Computers

These remote terminals are sometimes

called dumb terminals; they cannot
process any data themselves, as this is
carried out in the mainframe.

Mainframe Computers

Mainframe Computers

Networked Computers

In settings where there are a number of

computers performing similar tasks, such
as in businesses, educational
establishments and offices, these smaller
self-contained units can be linked together
with a cabling system. This is called a
network.
Networked computers allow work done on
one computer to be easily made available
to other users connected to the network.

Networked Computers

Personal Computers

PCs, are small, self-contained units which

are usually located on a users desktop.
They are characterized by a small group of
interrelated components, which are
connected by special cables.
The PC can be seen in homes, schools,
offices, and businesses. Due to its steadily
increasing processing power and storage
capacity, and its reducing costs, the
personal computer has become the most
widely used small computer.

Personal Computers

Personal Computers

Laptop Computers

Small portable laptop computers are now

in widespread use. Although they are
extremely convenient to use in virtually
any location, they usually cost slightly
more than an equivalent desktop system.
They can do all the jobs that a desktop
system can do, but their main advantage
is that they can be used almost anywhere.

Laptop Computers

Laptop Computers

Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs)

The personal digital assistant is a handheld fully functional computer that can
provide a number of functions related to
personal organization.
They can be used to keep a diary, handle
databases, send and receive e-mail, play
music, and facilitate the taking of notes.

Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs)

Personal Digital Assistant (PDAs)

OTHER
CLASSIFICATIONS

According to purpose

General-Purpose Computers

These machines have the capability of

dealing with a variety of different problems
and are able to act in response to
programs created to meet different needs.
Has the ability to store different programs
of instruction and thus to perform a variety
of operations.

Special-Purpose Computers

Designed to perform one specific task.

Example: Collecting highway tolls, air traffic
control, satellite tracking, industrial process
control, airline reservations.

According to the
type of data handled

Analog Computers

Used for scientific, engineering and

process-control purposes.
They deal with quantities that are
continuously variable, they give only
approximate results.
Example: speedometer in an automobile,
service station gasoline pump

Digital Computers

Machines that specializes in counting.

Operates by counting values that are
discrete or separate and distinct.

Hybrid Computers

Combines the measuring capabilities of

the analog computer and the logical and
control capabilities of the digital computer.
Contain special equipment to convert
analog voltages into digital voltages and
vice-versa.

MAIN PARTS
OF A PERSONAL
COMPUTER

Main parts of a PC

The System Case

The system case houses a number of

interdependent components.
These consist of a power supply, hard
disk, a CD-rom or DVD drive, a floppy disk
drive, an internal modem, an on/off button
and various connecters, such as USB
special connectors called ports, and
connectors for input/output devices such
as the mouse and the monitor.

The System Case

These components and devices are all

connected to a large internal circuit board
called a motherboard.
The motherboard supports an array of
microchips and electronic components.
Mounted on this board is the computers
main processor the CPU or central
processing unit.

The System Case

Mounted on this board is the computers

main processor the CPU or central
processing unit.
Also plugged into special connectors,
mounted on the board, are smaller circuit
boards assembled with microchips called
RAM or random access memory.

The System Case

The CPU

The CPUs function is to process all of the

data that moves between the various parts
of the system.
Modern CPUs operate at a very high
speed and they can perform millions of
operations per second.
These components, although very small,
are immensely complex devices.

The CPU

They are subject to constant development

and as such are increasing in speed of
operation and data processing capacity all
the time.
The CPU is considered to be the brain of
the computer.

The CPU

The Hard Disk

The hard disk is the computers main data

storage device. It is a mechanical device
consisting of a magnetic disk spinning at
very high speed protected by a metal
case, housed inside the system case.
Hard disks can store varying amounts of
data, typically measured in megabytes,
which can be retrieved at very high speed.

The Hard Disk

Common capacities range from 20-40

megabytes (Mb) with up to as much as
250 megabytes in many domestic
computers.
Multiple installations can increase this
capacity for high storage requirements.

The Hard Disk

The CD-ROM drive

Modern computers are equipped with a

CD-rom drive, which opens out to receive
a CD-rom or compact disc.
This is a very cheap and common optical
disk which can hold a substantial amount
of data (800Mb).

The CD-ROM drive

Developments of the standard CD-rom

have provided disks that are re-writable
(CD-RW), and the very high capacity DVD
(8 Gigabytes (GB)) which is capable of
storing an entire feature film at very high
quality.
The disks are fairy robust, they are cheap
and are very portable.

The CD-ROM drive

The Floppy Disk drive

It is important to note that the floppy disk is

fast becoming redundant, due mainly to its
slow access speed and very small
capacity (1.44 Mb). However, many older
computers still in service are equipped
with floppy disk drives.
They can also be retro-fitted to newer
computers if required. They are very
cheap and the disks cost less than $1 to
buy.

The Floppy Disk drive

The Keyboard and Mouse

The keyboard and the mouse allow data to

be input into the computer by the user.
The keyboard resembles a standard
typewriter keyboard, and has become the
standard input device. The keys are laid
out in the standard QWERTY
configuration.
It is connected to the computer by a cable,
but increasingly keyboards are becoming
wireless.

The Keyboard and Mouse

The mouse is a simple device that allows

the user to point a various buttons menus
and commands which are displayed on the
computer monitor.
The selections are executed by the press
of a button mounted conveniently on the
mouse case.
This is also connected by a cable to the
computer case. Similarly these too are
available with wireless connection.

The Keyboard and Mouse

The Monitor or Screen

The monitor is a visual display unit,

sometimes referred to as a VDU.
It allows the user to see the task being
performed by the computer.
The use responds to a visual or graphical
representation of tasks.
The design of this type of human interface
has become known as a Graphical User
Interface or GUI.

The Monitor or Screen

It is the simplicity and familiarity of this

interface, displayed by the monitor that
has helped the computer to become so
widely accepted.

The Monitor or Screen

Peripheral Devices

In order to share your work much of it

needs to be output onto familiar media
such as paper. There a wide range of
printers are available, which are
connected to the computer via cables.
There is also a wide selection of input
devices available which can be connected
to the computer, such as scanners, digital
cameras, video cameras, microphones.

Peripheral Devices

These are capable of inputting images and

sounds into the computer.
Additionally there are speakers, projectors,
web cams, joy sticks, track balls, game
consoles, and graphic tablets also
available.
The devices are all commonly referred to
as peripheral devices.

INPUT DEVICES

Input Devices

To use your computer you must be able to

tell it what to do.
Computers receive data, instructions, and
commands through input devices.
An input device reads and translates data,
instructions and commands into a form the
computer can understand.
Different input devices are designed
specifically to accept different kinds of
input.

Keyboard

On most computers the keyboard is the

primary device for inputting data.
It is derived from the familiar typewriter
keyboard and it shares the standard
QWERTY key layout.
QWERTY refers to the layout of the first 6
keys on the top row of the letter keys on
the keyboard.

Keyboard

When you type or press the keys electric

pulse for the corresponding keys are sent
to the computer. Instructions and
commands are also given by typing on the
keyboard.

Mouse

The mouse is the most common pointing

device.
Movements are converted to screen
position as the mouse moved.
Clicking the mouse button selects an icon,
opens a file, executes a program or
selects a text from a document.
The position of the cursor is also
manipulated with the use of the mouse.

Track Ball

The trackball is essentially an upside down

mouse, with a ball that is rotated within a
socket.
Commands can be executed by pressing
down on the ball.

Track Ball

Touch Pad

Although the laptop computer can have a

mouse attached, it usually has a small
rectangular touch sensitive pad positioned
below the integral keyboard.
The user moves a finger round the pad
and the arrow responds.
To input a command there are usually one
or two buttons positioned below the pad.

Touch Pad

Light Pen/Graphic Tablet

The light pen looks like a conventional

pen, and can be a stand alone item which
is used to select objects on the screen by
directly pointing at them.
A modified version of this device can be
combined with a graphic tablet.
This is normally used in conjunction with a
flat graphic tablet which resembles an
electronic pad.

Light Pen/Graphic Tablet

Using these tools the user can input data

by emulating the actions required to draw
with conventional pen and paper.
To input commands the pen can be
pressed down on the surface and various
buttons can be selected on the surface of
the tablet.

Light Pen/Graphic Tablet

Flat bed scanner

This device, as its name suggests, has a

flat clear glass surface upon which the
image is placed, usually face down. The
beam of light passes across the image
and the computer converts the signal
received to digital information.
The latest scanners available are capable
of scanning all types of media, including
photographic transparencies.

Flat bed scanner

Bar code reader

This device can be seen in the majority of

supermarkets at the checkout. It is used to
scan the bar code on a grocery item. The
operator simply passes the item in front of
a glass scanner, the bar code is
recognized and the purchase is added to
the grocery bill.
Handheld bar code scanners are also
widely used.

Bar code reader

Joystick

The joystick is a device mainly used when

inputting information to control a computer
game. However its use is not limited to this
role. As the stick is moved around,
movements are controlled on the screen.
Many joysticks have been developed into
a handheld console with an array of
buttons which can control various actions
like firing weapons from the computer
game.

Joystick

Digital Camera

Resembling a conventional camera, the

digital camera does not require film.
Instead the camera stores its images on a
special memory card. The camera can be
connected to a computer; the images are
transferred into the computers memory,
where they can be displayed on the
monitor, edited using photo editing
software, or printed using a peripheral
photo printer.

Digital Camera

Microphone

The microphone allows sounds to be

recorded on the computer. In addition it
can be used to input speech to control a
computers functions.
The microphone can also be used to
communicate verbally via the Internet. In
this application it is usually combined with
a small simple video camera called a web
cam.

Microphone

OUTPUT DEVICES

Output Devices

An output device is anything which allows

you to see the results of processing
carried out by a computer.
Also translates information into a format
that can be understood by the user.
A peripheral device that enables a
computer to communicate information to
human or other machines.

Monitor

The monitor or Visual Display Unit (VDU)

is similar in design to a television screen,
but it has a much sharper picture. This is
because it is usually viewed from a short
distance.
The conventional monitor is usually placed
at eye level in front of the user, with the
keyboard in front of this.
The monitor is an interface between the
user and the CPU.

Monitor

It displays the work being carried out by

the CPU in a graphical form.
This interface is typically known as a
Graphical User Interface or GUI.
The standard monitor uses a cathode ray
tube (CRT) which is similar in design to a
television tube. The files seen in the
monitor are called softcopy.

Speakers

In order to hear sounds produced by the

computer a set of speakers can be
connected. In a place where speakers
would annoy others, headphones can
replace them. These can be used to listen
to the narrative of an educational CD-rom.
They can also be used for entertainment,
by playing high quality music, and they
can be use by computer game players to
provide a multi-media experience.

Speakers

Projectors

projector takes a video signal and

projects the corresponding image on a
projection screen using a lens system.
All video projectors use a very bright light
to project the image, and most modern
ones can correct any curves, blurriness,
and other inconsistencies through manual
settings.

Projectors

Printers

Another common output device that

generates a permanent copy of files
printed on paper called hardcopy.
There are various types of printer
available; they are usually designed to be
part of the desktop system, and as such
are generally compact devices.
There are currently four types of printers
available today: dot matrix printer, ink jet
printer, laser printer and the plotter.

Types of Printers

Dot Matrix Printer

Creates letters, numbers, and symbols by

striking the ribbon of the printer to create
small dots forming the images of the
character.
It is the cheapest kind of printer.
However, it is slow and noisy. It also
produces low-quality printout.

Dot Matrix Printer

Inkjet Printer

The inkjet printer, as its name implies, is

equipped with reservoirs, or cartridges, of
colored ink.
The ink is fed to a series of very fine
nozzles, which when passed across the
paper shoot minute droplets of ink on the
surface of the paper.
Quality of print is improved by reducing the
size of the dots by using finer quality
nozzles.

Inkjet Printer

Laser Printer

If a high volume of prints is anticipated the

laser printer has become the printer of
choice.
Laser printers work in a similar way to a
photocopier.
A laser beam is passed over the surface of
a rotating drum. This places an electrical
charge on the drum in the shape of the
text and graphics.

Laser Printer

The charged area of the drum attracts a

very fine black powder to it called toner.
This toner is then pressed onto the surface
of the paper as it passes through the
machine.
The paper is then heated to seal the toner
onto the paper.
This process is carried out very quickly
and quietly.

Laser Printer

Plotter

The plotter is a specialist printer that is

usually reserved for applications where
there are lots of drawn lines to reproduce.
Plotters can be seen in architects offices,
engineering companies, and scientific
establishments.
They are usually used with computer
aided design (CAD) software and mapping
software, to produce very large line
diagrams.

Plotter

INPUT AND
OUTPUT DEVICE

Touch Screen

This device is a computer screen modified

to recognize the location of a touch on the
surface of its screen.
By touching the screen you can make a
selection or move a cursor.
The simplest type of touch screen is made
up of a grid of lines, which determine the
location of a touch by matching vertical
and horizontal contacts.

Touch Screen

Computer Literacy

Computer Literacy

Knowledge and an understanding of

computers combined with the ability to use
them.
Denotes some kind of basic understanding
to computer concepts and terminologies.
Also refers to the attitude about computers
and the actual ability to do some tasks or
use programs on it.

Computer Literacy

In actuality, computers, like any other

discipline, inspire different levels of
expertise.
On the least specialized level, computer
literacy involves knowing how to turn on
a computer, start and stop simple
application programs, and save and print.

Computer Literacy

At higher levels, computer literacy

becomes more detailed, involving the
ability of the power users to manipulate
complex applications and, possibly, to
program in languages such as BASIC or C.
At the highest levels, computer literacy
leads to specializedand technical
knowledge of such topics as electronics
and assembly language.

Computer Literacy

Elementary school students work on an assignment

in their schools computer lab. Some studies show that
when used selectively by trained teachers, computers can
enhance students academic performance.

Computer Literacy

Computers are important tools in education. By

using a computer, each student is able to develop at his or
her own pace, making the learning process more flexible
and self-directed. As computers and technology play a role
in more aspects of day-to-day life, education with
computers becomes increasingly important.

Programs

Computer Programs

Usually reside within the computer and are

retrieved and processed by the computers
electronics. The program results are stored
or routed to output devices, such as video
display monitors or printers.
A program can be executed many different
times, with each execution yielding a
potentially different result depending upon
the options and data that the user gives the
computer.

Characteristics

Characteristics of Computer

A machine can only do things

for which it is designed

Electronic

- runs on electrical
energy through its electrical
components.

Automatic runs continuously

once started.

Characteristics of Computer

Can Manipulate Data

following specific instructions, it can
perform arithmetic functions

Has Memory

- the ability to read

and store instructions

Has Logic Functions can

produce results after instructions are
fed into it

Basic Ways
Computers are Used

Data Processing

Conversion of data into information for a

useful output.
The analysis and organization of data by
the repeated use of one or more computer
programs.
Data processing is used extensively in
business, engineering, and science and to
an increasing extent in nearly all areas in
which computers are used.

Data Processing

Businesses use data processing for such

tasks as payroll preparation, accounting,
record keeping, inventory control, sales
analysis, and the processing of bank and
credit card account statements.
Engineers and scientists use data
processing for a wide variety of
applications, including the analysis of new
product designs, the processing of satellite
imagery, and the analysis of data from
scientific experiments.

Control

Computers control many mechanical

devices and processes.
They direct robots in factories, monitor
traffic lights, operate machineries, in
homes, tiny computers embedded in the
electronic circuitry of most appliances
control the indoor temperature, operate
home security systems, tell the time, and
turn videocassette recorders (VCRs) on
and off.

Design and Development

Engineers can design a product and test it

by computer before their companies begin
to manufacture their products.
Surgeons and design engineers
collaborates top designs and produces
artificial joints and limbs.
The computer then analyzes all the data to
help them create designs that will fit the
patient best.

Design and Development

The plans for this jet
turbine engine were
created with computeraided design (CAD)
software. Engineers can
check the architectural
details, slicing through any
section of the engines
computer-generated
blueprint or viewing it from
any angle.

Design and Development

Wind pressure on an automobile is simulated by

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and ComputerAided Manufacturing (CAM) software. Red (on the
nose of the automobile) indicates high pressures
while blue indicates low pressures.

Data Communication

Data communication is the process of

electronically sending data from one
computer to another.
Internet, computer-based global
information system. The Internet is
composed of many interconnected
computer networks.
Linking one computer to another makes it
possible for data to be shared and updated
at different locations.

Data Communication

Each network may link tens, hundreds, or

even thousands of computers, enabling
them to share information and processing
power.
The Internet has made it possible for
people all over the world to communicate
with one another effectively and
inexpensively.

Uses of Computer

Uses of Computer

To keep record In business, computers track

inventories with bar codes and scanners, check the credit
status of customers, and transfer funds electronically

For scientific research - used extensively in

scientific research to solve mathematical problems,

investigate complicated data, or model systems that are
too costly or impractical to build

Used in automobile Computers in automobiles

regulate the flow of fuel, thereby increasing gas mileage,
and are used in anti-theft systems.

Uses of Computer
For entertainment Computers also entertain,

creating digitized sound on stereo systems or computeranimated features from a digitally encoded laser disc, or
play games on gaming consoles like Playstation and Wii

For telecommunication - The military employs

computers in sophisticated communications to encode

and unscramble messages, and to keep track of
personnel and supplies.

For Education Educators use computers to track

grades and communicate with students; with computercontrolled projection units, they can add graphics, sound,
and animation to their communications.

Capabilities of Computer

Capabilities of Computer

Speed

Repetitiveness

Accuracy

can process
data faster than
any other
machine.

can perform the

same functions or
operations
millions of times.

can produce
precise results

Capabilities of Computer

Store and
Recall
Information

Selfchecking

stores and
recalls vast
amount of data at
high speed

counts the
number of
characters it has
stored and make
sure there is no
loss.

Limitations of Computer

Limitations of Computer

Depends on prepared instructions

subject to human control

Limitations

It cant correct wrong instructions

subject to occasional breakdown

Reasons why computer sometimes fail

GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out)

Computer error may result from
erroneously entered input
Program contains errors or bugs that do
not become evident until specific set of
circumstances arises
Users do not understand each others
needs or have not communicated
successfully

Reasons why computer sometimes fail

Improper controls can lead to sabotage

the company and invasion of privacy
Lack of standard results in problems
Manufacturer fails to supply needed spare,
trained technicians, or that particular
machine model is no longer in production.

HISTORY AND
EVOLUTION OF
COMPUTER
SYSTEMS

Evolution of Computers /
Earliest Computing
Devices

Evolution of Computers

Analog machines
The history of computing began with this kind
of machines.
In 1623 German scientist Wilhelm Schikard
invented a machine that used 11 complete
and 6 incomplete sprocketed wheels that
could add, and with the aid of logarithm
tables, multiply and divide.

Earliest Computing Devices

COUNTING BOARD
Known as the ancient abacus used by the
Babylonians

ABACUS
Invented by the
Chinese in CE 1200,
considered being the
first computer that
can perform simple
addition and subtraction operations.

Earliest Computing Devices

NAPIERS BONE
A set of eleven rods with
numbers marked on them
in such a way that by
simply placing the rods
side by side, products and
quotients of large numbers
can be obtained.
Called bones because
Scottish mathematician
they were literally made
John Napier (15501617) created
from bones or ivory.
Napiers Bones, so-called because
they were made out of ivory or
bone.

Earliest Computing Devices

OUGHTREDS SLIDE RULE

Consist of two movable ruler placed side by
side. Each ruler is marked off in such a way
that the actual distances from the beginning of
the ruler are proportional to the logarithms of
the numbers printed on the ruler. By sliding
the rulers one can quickly multiply and divide.

Earliest Computing Devices

PASCALS CALCULATOR/PASCALINE
Invented by Blaise Pascal, a
French philosopher, mathematician, and physicist
in 1642, that added and subtracted, automatically
carrying and borrowing digits from column to
column.
It is the first mechanical calculating machine that
can perform addition and subtraction operations.
Operated by dialing a series of wheels.
Approximately the size of a cigar box, could add
and subtract numbers containing up to eight
digits.

Earliest Computing Devices

Left: Blaise Pascal

Below: Pascaline

Earliest Computing Devices

LEIBNITZS CALCULATOR
Invented by Gottfried Leibnitz.
Utilized the same techniques for addition and
subtraction as Pascals device but could also
perform multiplication and division, as well as
extract square roots.

DIFFERENCE ENGINE
Invented by Charles Babbage (Father of Modern
Computer) with a 20-decimal capacity that could
solve mathematical problems.

Earliest Computing Devices

ANALYTICAL ENGINE
Also invented by Charles Babbage that can
perform complex mathematical calculations and
was designed to automate a standard procedure
for calculating the roots of polynomials.
The Analytical Engine was developed to meet the
mathematical needs of the time, and it contained
most of the features found in modern computers.
There was a way to input data, a place for storing
data, a place for processing data, a control unit to
give directions, and a way to receive output.

Earliest Computing Devices

Charles Babbages
first machine was actually
the Difference Engine
(pictured here), which was
begun in 1823. It was
designed to calculate
differences. Work on this
precursor to the Analytical
Engine continued over a
period of years, but
Babbage eventually
abandoned it in 1842, when
the British government
stopped funding it. The
Difference Engine was later
kept in a museum in South
Kensington, England.

Earliest Computing Devices

HOLLERITHS PUNCHED-CARD MACHINE

Invented by Herman Hollerith, a statistician with
the US bureau of the Census, used to help
process the results of the 1890 census.
Uses 3 by 5 inch punched cards to record the
data, he constructed an electromagnetic counting
machine to sort the data manually and tabulate
the data.

Earliest Computing Devices

Herman
Holleriths
tabulating machine, which used
punched
cards
to
tabulate
results, revolutionized the way
statistics, like census records,
were compiled.

Technological
Generations of Computer

Generations of Computer
4th

3rd

First Generation
1945-1959

2nd

1st

First Generation

The VACUUM TUBE was invented in

1906 by an electrical engineer named Lee
De Forest.
During the first half of the twentieth
century, it was the fundamental technology
that was used to construct, televisions, Xray machines, and a wide variety of other
electronic devices.
It is also the primary technology associate
with the first generation of computing
machines.

First Generation

The first operational electronic generalpurpose computer, named the ENIAC

(Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Computer), was built in 1943 and used
18,000 vacuum tubes.
It was constructed with government funding at
the University of Pennsylvanias Moore
School of Engineering, and its chief designers
were J. Presper Eckert, Jr. and John W.
Mauchly.

First Generation
It used punched cards for input and output
and was programmed with plug board wiring.

Another important stored program

machine of this generation was the
UNIVAC (UNIVersal Automatic Computer).
It was the first successful commercially
available machine. The UNIVAC was
designed by Eckert and Mauchly.

First Generation

The first commercially

available electronic computer,
UNIVAC I, was also the first
computer to handle both numeric
and textual information. Designed
by John Presper Eckert, Jr., and
John Mauchly, whose corporation
subsequently passed to Remington
Rand, the implementation of the
machine marked the beginning of
the computer era. Here, a UNIVAC

Generations of Computer
1st

4th

Second Generation
1960-1964

3rd

2nd

Second Generation

As commercial interest in computer

technology intensified during the late
1950s and 1960s, the second generation
of computer technology was introduced
based not on vacuum tubes but on
TRANSISTORS.
John Bardeen, William B. Shockley, and
Walter H. Brattain invented the transistor at
Bell Telephone Laboratories in the mid-1940s.

Second Generation
Transistors the plural of transistor, which is a
contraction of TRANSfer resISTOR;
semiconductor device, which has three
terminals; can be used for switching and
amplifying electrical signals

Generations of Computer
2nd

1st

Third Generation
1964-1970

4th

3rd

Third Generation

The third generation of computer

technology was based on INTEGRATED
CIRCUIT
Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments and
Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor
were the first to develop the idea of the
integrated circuit in 1959.
The integrated circuit is a single device
that contains many transistors.
Generations, Computers

Third Generation

During the third generation of computers,

the central processor was constructed by
using many integrated circuits. It was not
until the fourth generation that an entire
processor would be placed on a single
silicon chipsmaller than a postage
stamp.

Third Generation

Generations of Computer
3rd

2nd

Fourth Generation
1971-?

1st

4th

Fourth Generation

The fourth generation of computer

technology is based on the
MICROPROCESSOR.
Microprocessors employ Large Scale
Integration (LSI) and Very Large Scale
Integration (VLSI) techniques to pack
thousands or millions of transistors on a
single chip.

Fourth Generation

The Intel 4004 was the first processor to

be built on a single silicon chip. It
contained 2,300 transistors. Built in 1971,
it marked the beginning of a generation of
computers whose lineage would stretch to
the current day.

Generations of Computer
4th

3rd

Gordon Moore

2nd

1st

Gordon Moore

In 1965 a semiconductor pioneer predicted

that the number of transistors contained on
a computer chip would double every year.
This is now known as MOORES LAW, and
it has proven to be somewhat accurate. The
number of transistors and the computational
speed of microprocessors currently double
approximately every 18 months.
Components continue to shrink in size and
are becoming faster, cheaper, and more
versatile.

MAJOR
CONTRIBUTORS
IN COMPUTER
DEVELOPMENT

Blaise Pascal -1642

The first mechanical

digital calculator, the
Pascaline.

Joseph Marie Jacquard -1804

Mechanizes weaving with Jacquards

Loom, featuring punched cards.
Used punch cards with weaving loom.

Joseph Marie Jacquard -1804

Jacquards loom, featuring

punched cards,
revolutionized the weaving
industry.

Charles Babbage-1822

Father of
Computer. Invented
the difference engine
with mechanical
memory to store
results.

Ada Augusta Lovelace-1840

Ada Augusta Lovelace-1840

The first programmer. Suggested

binary system rather than decimal for data
storage.
Considered to be the first computer
programmer even though she was born
before computers existed, and the
program she wrote was for a machine that
was never built.

George Boole-1850

George Boole-1850

Developed Boolean logic, which later

was used in the design of computer
circuitry.
a mathematician whose work in symbolic
logic laid new foundations for modern
algebra, and set the stage for
contemporary computer circuitry and
database search strategy syntax.

Herman Hollerith-1880

Built the first

electromechanical,
punched card data
processing machine,
used to compile
information for 1890
US census.

John Atanasoff & Clifford Berry-1939

Built the ABC

(Atanasoff Berry
Computer), the
worlds first generalpurpose electronic
digital computer to
solve large
equations.
John V. Atanasoff

Alan Turing-1943

Used vacuum-tube
technology to build
British Colossus, to
counteract the
German Code
Scrambling device,
ENIGMA.

Howard Aiken-1944

Built the Mark I, the first automatic

sequence-controlled calculator, used by
military to compute ballistics data.

Howard Aiken-1944

When Howard Aikens Mark I computer was presented to

Harvard University in 1945, computers were generally considered
to be useful only to government offices and large businesses
needing to process significant amounts of numerical data.

John Von Neumann-1940s

Presented a paper
outlining the
stored-program
concept.

J. Presper Eckert Jr. & John Mauchly-1947

Built the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical

Integrators and Computer), the second
general-purpose, electronic digital
computer; used to compute artillery firing
tables.

J. Presper Eckert Jr. & John Mauchly-1947

J. Presper Eckert Jr.

and John W. Mauchly
combined their engineering
and scientific talents to
produce the ENIAC, which
first saw action in U.S. Army
ballistics tests in 1947.

Maurice Wilkes-1949

Built the EDSAC (Electronic Delay

Storage Automatic Calculator), the first
stored program computer.

J. Presper Eckert Jr., John Mauchly,

and John Neumann-1949

Built the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete

Variable Automatic Computer), the
second stored program computer.

An Wang-1949

Developed magnetic-core memory.

Jay Forrester-1949

Jay Wright Forrester invents three

dimensional core memory at the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
(United States)

Grace Hopper-1949

Developed the UNIVAC I compiler.

Coined the term computer bug after a
moth got into her computer and caused it
to malfunction.
Instrumental in developing COBOL
(Common Business-Oriented
Language) programming language.

Grace Hopper-1949

John Backus-1957

One of the group of IBM (International

Business Machines) engineers
developed FORTRAN (FORmula
TRANslation), an example of a high-level
programming language.

Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce-1959

Developed and perfected the integrated

circuit to be used in later computers.
Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce were the
founders of the integrated circuit.
However, they worked independently of
each other for different companies.

Gene M. Amdahl-1960s

Designed the IBM SYSTEM/360 series

mainframe computers, the first generalpurpose digital computers to use
integrated circuits.

Kenneth Olsen-1963

With DEC (Digital Equipment

Corporation) produced the PDP-I, the first
mini-computer.

John G. Kemeny & Thomas E. Kurtz-1965

Developed BASIC
(Beginners All
Purpose Symbolic
Instruction Code)
programming
language; true BASIC
followed later.

Marcian E. Hoff-1970

Developed the famous Intel 4004

microprocessor chip

Ed Roberts-1975

Father of Microcomputer. Designed the

first microcomputer, the Altair 8800 in kit
form

Seymour Cray-1976

Developed the Cray-I supercomputer.

Steven Jobs & StephenWozniak-1977

Designed and built the first Apple

microcomputer.

Daniel Bricklin & Bob Frankston-1978

Designed the VisiCalc (Visible

Calculator), an electronic spreadsheet.

COMPONENTS
OF A COMPUTER
SYSTEM

Computer System

A computer system is a collection of

elements that work together to solve a
given problem.
All computer systems are made up of two
principal components: HARDWARE and
SOFTWARE. In order to operate, the
computer system needs both of these
components.

Computer System

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) is the

name given to the use of computer
systems to perform a range of tasks
related to the receipt, production,
manipulation, storage, retrieval, printing
and transmission of electronic information.

COMPONENTS
OF A COMPUTER
SYSTEM

1. Hardware

Hardware

Hardware is the name given to the

physical parts of the computer, such as
the monitor, the computer (system box),
the keyboard, the mouse, and any
connecting cables. The hardware will not
function as a computer system without the
addition of software.
The tangible parts or all of the physical
equipments that makes up a computer
system.

Functional
Elements of Hardware

Input Device

Devices that permit the

communication between the user and
the computer; tools used to feed data
into the computer.

Output Device

Converts the data entered into the

computer into a form that can be
understood by the user such as
printer reports, visual display or
audible sounds.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The brain of the computer. Controls

the flow of data throughout the
computer system.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The CPU is comprised of three main

parts; these are:
1. The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)The purpose of the ALU is to carry
out mathematical (arithmetic),
comparative and logical processes.
All three of these processes give
rise to the name of the processor.

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

2. The immediate access memory The immediate access memory is
the place where the data used by
the ALU is stored.
3. The control unit - responsible for
ensuring that all program
instructions are followed in the
correct sequence.

Auxiliary / Storage Devices

Used as physical storages such as ROM

and RAM Chips, floppy disks, hard disks,
and compact discs (CD), flash drive or pen
drive.

Types of Storage Devices

Primary Storage a temporary storage

device. It can store and retrieve data at a
very high speed.
1. Internal Memory contained in the silicon
chip and can hold instructions and data
which the computer is currently working on
or information which the CPU needs to work.
Types of Memory
a) ROM
b) RAM

Types of Memory

Random-access memory (RAM)

RAM is installed in the computer on small
removable circuit boards. Mounted on these
boards is an array of small electronic chips
which temporarily hold data when the
computer is switched on.
RAM is considered to be volatile memory in
that it looses any data stored when the
computer is switched off. It is the main
working memory of the computer and its
capacity to hold data is measured in
megabytes (Mb).

Types of Memory

Read only memory (ROM)

ROM is a type of memory that is permanent.
When a computer is switched off ROM retains
any stored data, for use when the computer is
switched on again.
ROM is stored on electronic chips which are
permanently installed by the manufacturer,
They cannot be removed, and the data
burned onto them cannot be altered in any
way by the computer.

Types of Memory

Types of Storage Devices

Secondary Storage the nonvolatile

memory that is external to the main
memory of the computer.
The permanent storage area for data
and information.
A secondary-storage medium is usually
used for storage of large amount of data
or for permanent long-term storage of
data or programs

Magnetic Disk

A magnetic disk is a Mylar or metallic

platter on which electronic data can be
stored.
Floppy Disk (1.44 mb)- also called simply a
diskette or floppy, a small flexible Mylar disk
coated with iron oxide similar to magnetic
tape on which data are stored.
Zip Disk - This disk is also a type of floppy
disk; it is encased in a hard plastic case and it
needs a special drive. Variations of this disk
can hold 100Mb, 250Mb or even 750Mb.

Magnetic Disk

Hard Disk - The hard disk is a storage device

that is located inside the computer box. It is a
mechanical device that is capable of storing
very large amounts of data. Typically they can
store many megabytes (Mb) or even
gigabytes (Gb) of data. Modern computers
come equipped with hard disks that can store
40 to 80 gigabytes of information. External
hard disks are available and are connected to
the computer by special cables.

Optical Disk

The optical disk is a technology that uses

intense light called laser beams. LASER is
an acronym which means Light
Amplification and Stimulation of
Radiation.
Compact Disc (CD-ROM) -The CD-ROM is
virtually identical to the familiar music CD. It
has a very low cost, is highly portable and
typically can hold up to 800Mb of data. There
are read only (CD-R) and read/write (CD-RW)
versions commonly in use.

Optical Disk
The CD-R version is a write once/read many
times format and the CD-RW allows multiple
recording and rerecording of data. Much new
software is sold loaded onto a CD-ROM. It
differs from the preceding storage devices in
that it is an optical and not a magnetic media.
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) A development
of the CD-ROM. It has a very large capacity,
and can store many gigabytes of data. The
DVD drive is replacing the CD drive in modern
computers and as such is fast becoming the
standard storage device. Its cost is comparable
to the CD-ROM.

USB Drives

The latest storage drives (Flash Drives)

are solid state devices that are designed
to hold very large amounts of data. They
plug directly into the USB (Universal
Serial Bus) connection socket of a
modern computer. They are very small
pen like devices that need no software to
run them, so they are truly portable. They
have capacities ranging from 128mb up to
32Gb.

USB Drives

As they contain a single chip encased in

a robust case they are hardwearing and
economical to purchase. They are
read/write devices.

USB Drives

COMPONENTS
OF A COMPUTER
SYSTEM

2. Software

Software

Computer programs are sets of coded

instructions, written in a form that the
computer understands, which tell the
computer what to do to carry out a series
of tasks. There are thousands of programs
available, all designed to carry out a
specific set of tasks. The collective name
given to these computer programs is
software.

Software

In order for a computer to operate it needs

two types of software: operating system
software and applications software.

Operating system software

The basic software that controls a computer.
When your computer starts it goes through a
series of steps. What is happening during this
initial period is that the computer is loading
the operating system software. This software
is sometimes supplied preinstalled by the
manufacturer, and its basic function is to
operate the computer, organize the software
that operates the peripheral devices, and
provide a platform on which to operate the
applications software that the user may
require.

Operating system software

3 Major Functions
1. It coordinates and manipulates computer
hardware
2. It organizes files on a variety of storage media.
3. It manages hardware errors and the loss of data.

Examples: Windows XP, OS X, Linux, Unix

Windows Vista.

Application software
If a computer user has a specific task to carry
out, such as word processing, sending an email, or browsing the Internet, then a separate
set of instructions, or software program, is
needed. This software is called applications
software. All software that is not operating
system software is referred to as applications
software.

Example: MS Office, Counter Strike,

Warcraft, Programming Languages,
Antivirus

COMPONENTS
OF A COMPUTER
SYSTEM

3. End user

End user

Someone who works with the computer

and uses the information generated by the
computer.

DATA
PROCESSING
CONCEPTS

Data Processing

Data processing is a series of planned

actions and operations acting upon
information to achieve a desirable output
and result.
In computer science, the analysis and
organization of data by the repeated use
of one or more computer programs.

Uses of Data Processing

Data processing is used extensively in

business, engineering, and science and to
an increasing extent in nearly all areas in
which computers are used.
Businesses use data processing for such
tasks as payroll preparation, accounting,
record keeping, inventory control, sales
analysis, and the processing of bank and
credit card account statements.

Uses of Data Processing

Engineers and scientists use data

processing for a wide variety of
applications, including the processing of
seismic data for oil and mineral
exploration, the analysis of new product
designs, the processing of satellite
imagery, and the analysis of data from
scientific experiments.

Data

Any collection of facts or raw materials

gathered from one or more sources.
Types of Data
Numerical e.g. Inventory figures and test
scores.
Non-numerical e.g. names of students and
addresses.

Information
Processed or finished data

Devices used for data processing

1. Manual-Mechanical Device
A simple mechanism powered by hand.
required some sort of physical effort from the
user when used.
Example: Abacus, slide rule

2. Electromechanical Device
powered by an electric motor and uses
switches and relays.
Example: Household electrical appliance, desk
calculators, punched-card

Devices used for data processing

3. Electronic Device
as principal components circuit boards,
transistors or silicon chips and the like.
Example: computer, ATM

Types of data processing

Manual Data Processing

This is a data processing, which uses of
paper and pencil or any of its kind

Mechanical Data Processing

This type of data processing requires the use
of devices, which operate on the principle of
simple machines such as typewriter, and old
time adding machine. The simple machines
are the levers, wheels, pulleys or inclined
plane.

Types of data processing

Electromechanical Data Processing

This type of data processing uses unit record
devices. This often referred to as punch card
data processing.
Examples of unit record devices are the
sorters, collators, reproducers, interpreters,
tabulators, calculators, keypunch machines
and keys verifiers. Each device has some sort
of control panel of switches, which will direct
its predetermined operations.

Types of data processing

Electronic Data Processing

This type of data processing uses computers.
A computer is a set of electronic devices
capable of accepting information and giving
end results through the guide of a stored
program.
The stored program is loaded into the
computers memory, remains there while it is
being executed, and contains the set logically
arranged instructions prepared by one or
more programmers. These instructions are
issued to a computer in several ways.

DATA
PROCESSING
OPERATIONS

Data processing operations

Recording
refers to the transfer of data to some form or
document. It relates to the documentation of
intermediate figures and facts resulting from
calculations.

Verifying
refers to the careful checking of the recorded
data for any errors.

Duplicating
refers to the reproduction of the data into
many forms or documents.

Data processing operations

Classifying
refers to identifying and arranging items with
like characteristics into groups or classes.

Sorting
refers to arranging or rearranging data in a
predetermined sequence to facilitate
processing. Sorting is done in alphabetical or
numerical order.

Calculating
refers to arithmetic manipulation of the data.

Data processing operations

Summarizing and Reporting

it is here where a collection of data is
condensed and certain conclusions from the
data are represented in a meaningful format
that is clear, concise and effective.

Merging
this operation takes two or more sets of data,
all sets having been sorted by the same key,
and puts them together to form a single sorted
set of data.

Data processing operations

Storing
refers to placing similar data into files for
future reference.

Retrieving
refers to recovering stored data and/or
information when needed.

Feedback
refers to the comparison of the output(s) and
the goal set in advance, any discrepancy is
analyze, corrected, and fed back to proper
stage in the processing operation.

INTERNET

Internet

Computer-based global information

system composed of many interconnected
computer networks. Each network may
link tens, hundreds, or even thousands of
computers, enabling them to share
information and processing power.
The Internet has made it possible for
people all over the world to communicate
with one another effectively and
inexpensively.

Internet

Unlike traditional broadcasting media,

such as radio and television, the Internet
does not have a centralized distribution
system.
Instead, an individual who has Internet
access can communicate directly with
anyone else on the Internet, post
information for general consumption,
retrieve information, use distant
applications and services, or buy and sell
products.

Uses of Internet

Governments use the Internet for internal

communication, distribution of information,
and automated tax processing.
In addition to offering goods and services
online to customers, businesses use the
Internet to interact with other businesses.
Educational institutions use the Internet
for research and to deliver online courses
and course material to students.

Uses of Internet

Many individuals use the Internet for

communicating through electronic mail (email), retrieving news, researching
information, shopping, paying bills,
banking, listening to music, watching
movies, playing games, and even making
telephone calls.

History

Research on dividing information into

packets and switching them from
computer to computer began in the 1960s.
The U.S. Department of Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency
(ARPA) funded a research project that
created a packet switching network known
as the ARPANET.

History

ARPA focused research on ways that

networks could be interconnected, and the
Internet was envisioned and created to be
an interconnection of networks that use
TCP/IP protocols.
In the early 1980s a group of academic
computer scientists formed the Computer
Science NETwork, which used TCP/IP
protocols.

History

Timothy Berners-Lee, a British computer scientist,

developed the World Wide Web during the 1980s.

History

In the 1980s, as large commercial

companies began to use TCP/IP to build
private internets, ARPA investigated
transmission of multimediaaudio, video,
and graphicsacross the Internet.
Other groups investigated hypertext and
created tools such as Gopher that allowed
users to browse menus, which are lists of
possible options.

History

In 1989 many of these technologies were

combined to create the World Wide Web.
Initially designed to aid communication
among physicists who worked in widely
separated locations, the Web became
immensely popular and eventually
replaced other tools.
Also during the late 1980s, the U.S.
government began to lift restrictions on
who could use the Internet, and
commercialization of the Internet began.

History

In the early 1990s, with users no longer

restricted to the scientific or military
communities, the Internet quickly
expanded to include universities,
companies of all sizes, libraries, public and
private schools, local and state
governments, individuals, and families.

Computer Virus

Computer Virus

A self-duplicating computer program that

spreads from computer to computer,
interfering with data and software. Just as
biological viruses infect people, spreading
from person to person, computer viruses
infect personal computers (PCs) and
servers, the computers that control access
to a network of computers

Computer Virus

Some viruses are mere annoyances, but

others can do serious damage. Viruses
can delete or change files, steal important
information, load and run unwanted
applications, send documents via
electronic mail (e-mail), or even cripple a
machines operating system (OS), the
basic software that runs the computer.

HOW INFECTIONS OCCUR

How Infections Occur

A virus can infect a computer in a number

of ways. It can arrive on a floppy disk or
inside an e-mail message. It can
piggyback on files downloaded from
the World Wide Web or from an Internet
service used to share music and movies.
Or it can exploit flaws in the way
computers exchange data over a
network.

How Infections Occur

So-called blended-threat viruses spread

via multiple methods at the same time.
Some blended-threat viruses, for instance,
spread via e-mail but also propagate by
exploiting flaws in an operating system.

How Infections Occur

Traditionally, even if a virus found its way

onto a computer, it could not actually infect
the machineor propagate to other
machinesunless the user was somehow
fooled into executing the virus by opening
it and running it just as one would run a
legitimate program.

How Infections Occur

But a new breed of computer virus can

infect machines and spread to others
entirely on its own. Simply by connecting a
computer to a network, the computer
owner runs the risk of infection. Because
the Internet connects computers around
the world, viruses can spread from one
end of the globe to the other in a matter of
minutes.

TYPES OF VIRUSES

Types of Viruses

There are many categories of viruses,

including parasitic or file viruses,
bootstrap-sector, multipartite, macro,
and script viruses. Then there are socalled computer worms, which have
become particularly prevalent.
A computer worm is a type of virus.

Types of Viruses

However, instead of infecting files or

operating systems, a worm replicates from
computer to computer by spreading entire
copies of itself.
Strictly speaking, a computer virus is
always a program that attaches itself to
some other program. But computer virus
has become a blanket term that also refers
to computer worms.

Parasitic or file viruses

Parasitic or file viruses infect executable

files or programs in the computer. These
files are often identified by the extension
.exe in the name of the computer file.
File viruses leave the contents of the host
program unchanged but attach to the host
in such a way that the virus code is run
first.

Bootstrap-sector viruses

Bootstrap-sector viruses reside on the first

portion of the hard disk or floppy disk,
known as the boot sector.
These viruses replace either the programs
that store information about the disk's
contents or the programs that start the
computer.
Typically, these viruses spread by means
of the physical exchange of floppy disks.

Multipartite viruses

Multipartite viruses combine the abilities of

the parasitic and the bootstrap-sector
viruses, and so are able to infect either
files or boot sectors.
These types of viruses can spread if a
computer user boots from an infected
diskette or accesses infected files.

Macro viruses

Other viruses infect programs that contain

powerful macro languages (programming
languages that let the user create new
features and utilities).
These viruses, called macro viruses, are
written in macro languages and
automatically execute when the legitimate
program is opened.

Script viruses

Script viruses are written in script

programming languages, such as VBScript
(Visual Basic Script) and JavaScript.
These script languages can be seen as a
special kind of macro language and are
even more powerful because most are
closely related to the operating system
environment.

Script viruses

The 'ILOVEYOU' virus, which appeared in

2000 and infected an estimated 1 in 5
personal computers, is a famous example
of a script virus.

VIRUS LIKE PROGRAMS

Virus like programs

There are other harmful computer

programs that can be part of a virus but
are not considered viruses because they
do not have the ability to replicate.
These programs fall into three categories:
Trojan horses, logic bombs, and
deliberately harmful or malicious
software programs that run within a Web
browser.

Trojan horse

A Trojan horse is a program that pretends

to be something else. A Trojan horse may
appear to be something interesting and
harmless, such as a game, but when it
runs it may have harmful effects.
The term comes from the classic Greek
story of the Trojan horse found in Homers
Iliad.

Logic bomb

A logic bomb infects a computers

memory, but unlike a virus, it does not
replicate itself.
A logic bomb delivers its instructions when
it is triggered by a specific condition, such
as when a particular date or time is
reached or when a combination of letters
is typed on a keyboard.
A logic bomb has the ability to erase a
hard drive or delete certain files.

Malicious software programs

Malicious software programs that run

within a Web browser often appear in Java
applets and ActiveX controls.
Because those controls and applets
require that certain components be
downloaded to a users personal computer
(PC), activating an applet or control might
actually download malicious code.

HISTORY

History

In 1949 Hungarian American

mathematician John von Neumann, at
the Institute for Advanced Study in
Princeton, proposed that it was
theoretically possible for a computer
program to replicate.
This theory was tested in the 1950s at Bell
Laboratories when a game called Core
Wars was developed, in which players
created tiny computer programs that
attacked, erased, and tried to propagate

History

In 1983 American electrical engineer Fred

Cohen, at the time a graduate student,
coined the term virus to describe a selfreplicating computer program.
In 1985 the first Trojan horses appeared,
posing as a graphics-enhancing program
called EGABTR and as a game called
NUKE-LA. A host of increasingly complex
viruses followed.

History

The so-called Brain virus appeared in

1986 and spread worldwide by 1987.
In 1988 two new viruses appeared: Stone,
the first bootstrap-sector virus, and the
Internet worm, which crossed the United
States overnight via computer network.
The Dark Avenger virus, the first fast
infector, appeared in 1989, followed by the
first polymorphic virus in 1990.

History

In 1995 the first macro language virus,

WinWord Concept, was created. In 1999
the Melissa macro virus, spread by email, disabled e-mail servers around the
world for several hours, and in some
cases several days.
Regarded by some as the most prolific
virus ever, Melissa cost corporations
millions of dollars due to computer
downtime and lost productivity.

History

The VBS_LOVELETTER script virus,

also known as the Love Bug and the
ILOVEYOU virus, unseated Melissa as
the world's most prevalent and costly virus
when it struck in May 2000.
By the time the outbreak was finally
brought under control, losses were
estimated at U.S.$10 billion, and the
Love Bug is said to have infected 1 in
every 5 PCs worldwide.

History

In 1995 the first macro language virus,

WinWord Concept, was created. In 1999
the Melissa macro virus, spread by email, disabled e-mail servers around the
world for several hours, and in some
cases several days.
Regarded by some as the most prolific
virus ever, Melissa cost corporations
millions of dollars due to computer
downtime and lost productivity.

History

The year 2003 was a particularly bad year

for computer viruses and worms.
First, the Blaster worm infected more than
10 million machines worldwide by
exploiting a flaw in Microsofts Windows
operating system. A machine that lacked
the appropriate patch could be infected
simply by connecting to the Internet.

History

Then, the SoBig worm infected millions

more machines in an attempt to convert
systems into networking relays capable of
sending massive amounts of junk e-mail
known as spam.

History

SoBig spread via e-mail, and before the

outbreak was 24 hours old, MessageLabs,
a popular e-mail filtering company,
captured more than a million SoBig
messages and called it the fastestspreading virus in history.
In January 2004, however, the MyDoom
virus set a new record, spreading even
faster than SoBig, and, by most accounts,
causing even more damage.