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Computer Applications
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An Overview of Computers
“A computer is an electronic device that process raw data
to generate information with speed and accuracy”

The world’s greatest and most advanced computer is the

human body. Our mind is much faster and far superior to any
computer in existence.”
A computer system contains:

 Hardware (equipment)

 Software (programs)

 People (programmers and end-users)

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SOFTWARE

“Software is intangible;. A user can only experience

software. Software is the instructions that are given to the
computer.”
HARDWARE

Computer hardware is anything that

is tangible in a computer machine .
Anything that you touch is
considered hardware.
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Input Devices
• Accepts external data and commands
• Sends data and commands to the processor
Processing Unit
• Also known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• Executes computer instructions
• Process input data into information
Output Devices
• Show the processed data in understandable terminology
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Bits & Bytes

The computer only understands two things; those two things are ON and OFF. On is
represented by the number (1), while off is represented by (0). This is based on the
Binary number system, these digits are known as bits. The word BIT is a contraction
of the words Binary dIgiT.
The word BYTE is a contraction of the words BinarY digiTs Eight. This means that
one BYTE consists of eight bits..

Kilobyte – Approximately 1,000 bytes. A kilobyte can store up to 1,024 characters of

information.

Megabyte – Approximately 1 Million bytes. A megabyte can store up to 1 Million

characters of information.

Gigabyte – Approximately 1 Billion bytes. A gigabyte can store up to 1 Billion

characters of information.
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Your Personal Computer Hardware

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List of the PC Components

 CPU

 RAM

 ROM chips with BIOS and start-up programs.

 Drives: Hard disk(s), floppy drive(s), CD-ROM, etc.

 Ports, buses and expansion slots.

 Expansion cards: Graphics card (video adapter),

 Network controller, Sound card, video and TV card.

 Internal modem
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The Processor
 Consists of circuits that interpret and execute program
instructions
 Communicates with the input, output, and storage devices

Memory
 Holds data after input and before processing
 Holds data after processing but before release to the output device
 Holds programs needed by the CPU
 Secondary storage devices such as disks store data and programs
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RAM
Random Access Memory is temporary spaced which can be changed or
erased. The RAM being referred to here is the onboard memory that the
CPU uses in order to store information temporarily. When the computer
is turned off the RAM is completely erased.

ROM
Read Only Memory is permanent memory and cannot be erased, whether
or not the computer is turned off or on. ROM cannot even be changed.
The information stored in ROM can only be read and not updated, It
contain instruction for the booting process.
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History of Computers
• Chinese introduced ABACUS around 3000 years B.C.

• In 17th century, A French mathematician Blaize Pascal produced a mechanical digital

calculator, which was known as adding machine because it could only add and subtract.

• Charles Babbage, a professor of mathematics gave the idea of a “Difference Engine” in

1812. Theoretically it could solve diff. equations. In 1833, he came out with “
Analytical Engine”. Later thismachine proved to be the basis of Modern Computer.
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First Generation (1951-57)

 Vacuum tubes
 Large computers
 Lot of Heat generation
 Extremely slow by today’s standards
 Prone to frequent failure
 Software used: machine and assembly language
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Second Generation (1958-63)

 This generation begins with the first computers built with transistors

 Which are much smaller, use less power, and create less heat than
vacuum tubes.
 As much as a thousand times faster than first-generation computers

 More reliable, less prone to h/w failure and less expensive

 1959, introduction of the removable disk pack, providing users with

fast access to stored data.
 Improved I/O devices, COBOL and FORTAN languages

 IBM 1620, IBM 1401

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Third Generation (1964-69)

 In 1964, computer manufacturers began replacing transistors with
integrated circuits. A integrated circuit is a complete electronic
circuit with Hundreds of transistors packed into a single
integrated circuit on a silicon chip
 Dramatic reduction in size and cost, portable
 Significant increases in reliability, speed, and efficiency
 Mass production techniques to manufacture chips inexpensively
 OS available with time sharing and multi programming concepts.
 Introduction of ARPANET and the beginning of the internet.
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Fourth Generation (1970-90)

 The most significant advancement during this generation was
the use of the microprocessor
 LSI and VLSI circuit technology (quarter of an inch square was
enough to contain as large number as 300,000 transistors.)
 Complete computer on a chip, very small in size
 Very reliable, much faster
 Radical change in the appearance, capability and availability of
computers
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• 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 supercomputers 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.
• The rapidly expanding Internet, World Wide Web, and the intranets have
created an information super highway, that has enabled both computer
professionals and home computer users to communicate globally.
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Fifth Generation (1991-2000 and beyond)

 Our current generation has been referred to as the “connected

generation”.
 The rapidly expanding Internet, World Wide Web, and the
intranets have created an information super highway, that has
enabled both computer professionals and home computer users to
communicate globally.
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Classification of Computers

COMPUTERS

DIGITAL ANALOG HYBRID

Purpose wise Size and Performance wise

Embedded Special Super Mainframes Mini Micro

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Software

System Application

Operating
Languages Language
System Translators

General Purpose Application

Specific
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System Software

System Software releases to the set of programs which are

provided by the manufacturers and include the operating
system, languages, compilers, data management programs
such as disk space allocation and utilities.
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Operating Systems: Hidden Software

 Operating systems tell computer hardware what to do

 An operating system is a set of programs that lies between applications

software and the computer hardware
 The supervisor program loads other operating programs into memory as and
when needed
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Operating System

•An Operating System or OS is a software program that enables the computer

hardware to communicate and operate with the computer software. Without a
computer Operating System a computer would be useless.

•An operating system is similar to a government. The components of a computer

system are its hardware, software and data. The operating system provides the
means for the proper use of these resources in the operation of the computer
system.
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Types of Operating System

 GUI - Short for Graphical User Interface a GUI Operating

System contains graphics and icons and is commonly navigated
using by using a computer mouse. Below are some examples of
GUI Operating Systems. Windows 98, Windows 2000

 CUI - Short for Character User Interface a CUI Operating

System contains command prompt. And we use text commands
for doing all the things. Below are some examples of GUI
Operating Systems. DOS, UNIX
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Types of Operating System Cont…

Multi-user - A multi-user Operating System allows for multiple users to use

the same computer at the same time and/or different times Below are some
examples of multi-user Operating Systems. Linux , UNIX , Windows 2000

Multiprocessing - An Operating System capable of supporting and utilizing more

than one computer processor. Below are some examples of multiprocessing Operating
Systems. Linux, UNIX , Windows 2000
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Types of Operating System Cont…

Multitasking - An Operating systems that is capable of allowing multiple

software processes to be run at the same time. Below are some examples of
multitasking Operating Systems. UNIX, Windows 2000

Multithreading - Operating systems that allow different parts of a software

program to run concurrently. Operating systems that would fall into this
category are: Linux,UNIX,Windows 2000
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Generations of Languages
1GL Machine language Coded at machine level in
0s and 1s
2GL Assembly language Replaced 0s and 1s with
symbols
3GL High-level language Procedural language
COBOL, FORTRAN, C

4GL Query language, User Non-procedural language

Friendly language, Object SQL
Oriented Language
5GL Natural language “intelligent” language
experimental stage
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Machine Language (first generation)

This is a sequence of instructions written in the form

of binary numbers consisting of 1s & 0s to which the
computer responds directly.

Adv. : Fastest (since the computer directly starts

executing it.

Dis. Adv. : Difficult to understand & develop

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Database Management
 Software used for the management of a collection of
interrelated facts.
 Useful for professions keeping record of large numbers
of related facts (i.e. Billing, crime detection)

Graphics
 Software used to create visual images
such as:
 drawings,
 graphs,
 charts, maps