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History of Computing Classification of Computers Types of Computers

This document provides an overview of the history and types of computers. It discusses how early counting tools like the abacus evolved into mechanical calculators and looms. The first general purpose electronic computers were developed in the 1940s, including ENIAC. Transistor-based technology emerged in the 1960s. Personal computers like the Apple in the 1970s brought computing to individual users. Computers are categorized by their size and use - from the largest supercomputers to desktop PCs. They can also be classified by the type of data they process, as analog, digital or hybrid systems.

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47 views22 pages

History of Computing Classification of Computers Types of Computers

This document provides an overview of the history and types of computers. It discusses how early counting tools like the abacus evolved into mechanical calculators and looms. The first general purpose electronic computers were developed in the 1940s, including ENIAC. Transistor-based technology emerged in the 1960s. Personal computers like the Apple in the 1970s brought computing to individual users. Computers are categorized by their size and use - from the largest supercomputers to desktop PCs. They can also be classified by the type of data they process, as analog, digital or hybrid systems.

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LECTURE 1

INTRODUCTION
HISTORY OF COMPUTING
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
TYPES OF COMPUTERS

Engr. Nuzhat Madina


What is Computer
 Computer is an electronic device which takes some input from the
user, process it, and produce output.
History of Computers & their Application
 Humans have always needed to perform arithmetic like counting and adding. During the pre-
historic period, they counted either on their fingers or stone, pebble and beads.
 In 14th C. - Abacus - an instrument for performing calculations by sliding counters was the first
computer.
 In 1642 - Masculine--a mechanical calculator built by Blaise Pascal,
 In 1804 - Jacquard loom - a loom programmed with punched cards invented by Joseph Marie
Jacquard
 In 1850 - Analytical Engine was invented by Charles Babbage and use for different
calculations.
 In 1940s - Colossus - a vacuum tube computing machine was invented and was used in
World War 2.
History of Computers & their Application

 In 1946 - ENIAC - World's first electronic, large scale, general-purpose computer, built by
Mauchly and Eckert, and activated at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946
 1950s -1960s - UNIVAC - "punch card technology" The first commercially successful
computer, introduced in 1951 by Remington Rand.
 In1960-1968 - transistor based technology. The transistor, invented in 1948, by Dr. John
Bardeen, Dr. Walter Brattain, and Dr. William Shockley. It almost completely replaced the
vacuum tube because of its reduced cost, weight, and power consumption and its higher
reliability.
History of Computers & their Application
 In 1976 - Apples/MACs - The Apple was designed by Steve Wozniak and Steve Jobs.
Apple was the first to have a "windows" type graphical interface and the computer
mouse. Like modern computers, early Apples had a peripheral keyboard and mouse,
and had a floppy drive that held 3.5" disks. The Macintosh replaced the Apple
 In 1978 to 1986 - large scale integration (LSI) designed by Steve Wozniak and Steve
Jobs. The PC and clone market begins to expand. This begins first mass market of
desktop computers.
 In 1992 - Bill Gates' Microsoft Corp. released Windows 3.1, an operating system that
made IBM and IBM-compatible PCs more user-friendly by integrating a graphical user
interface into the software. In replacing the old Windows command-line system.
What are the different categories of digital
computers
 We can divide digital computers as:
 Super Computer
 Mainframe Computer
 Mini Computer
 Micro Computer
 Personal Computer
 Desktop computers o Laptop /Note Books
SUPER COMPUTER
 Supercomputers are the largest, fastest, most powerful, and most expensive computers
made. Like other large systems, supercomputers can be accessed by many individuals
at the same time. Supercomputers are used primarily for scientific applications that are
mathematically intensive. The first supercomputer was built in the 1960s for the United
States Department of Defense.
 This computer was designed to be the world's fastest and most powerful computer of
that time. The commitment to create the fastest, most powerful computer in the world is
still the driving force behind the development of supercomputers.
 Manufacturers produce relatively few of any one model of supercomputer, and they
spend millions of dollars on research and development of new machines.
 Supercomputers derive much of their speed from the use of multiple processors.
Multiprocessing enables the computers to perform tasks simultaneously--either
assigning different tasks to each processing unit or dividing a complex task among
several processing units.
EXAMPLE:
 

 Cray-1
EXAMPLE:
 

 Cray-2
MAINFRAME COMPUTER
  Mainframe computers are the most powerful computers. A mainframe computer may
contain several microprocessors. A single mainframe computer can be used by
hundreds of people at once. 
 Each user has his own terminal that is connected to the mainframe. Mainframe
computers are usually kept in a special cooled, clean computer room. Minicomputers
are medium-sized computers which are more powerful than microcomputers but not as
powerful as mainframes.
 A mainframe computer system is usually composed of several computers in addition to
the mainframe, or host processor.
 FEATURES: 
 Mainframe computer systems are powerful enough to support several hundred users
simultaneously at remote terminals.
 Mainframe Computers are so much faster than people, the users never notice that the
computer is handling other tasks.
MAINFRAME COMPUTER
 This capability to process many programs concurrently for multiple users is known
as multiprogramming.
 The typical mainframe computer occupies much of a large room.
 Like supercomputers, mainframes require an environment with closely monitored
humidity and temperature.
MINI COMPUTER
 The "age of the mini" started in the late 1960s. The creation of integrated circuits
suitable for computers enabled designers to shrink the size of the computer.
Minicomputers are frequently referred to as mid-range computers.
 FEATURES:
 Like mainframes, most minicomputers are multiuser systems.
  Many of today's minicomputers can accommodate as many as 200 users working
from individual terminals.
  Mini computers are a little slower than mainframe.
  Minicomputers have slightly less storage, and the printers are slightly slower.
EXAMPLE:
 IBM AS/400
 IBM SYSTEM 360
MICROCOMPUTER

 When you are working on a multiuser computer, such as a mainframe or


minicomputer, you can control the input and see the output on the display, but you
control nothing else.
 A single-user computer gives you control over all the phases of computer
processing: input, processing, output, and storage. You can select the programs
you want to use, and you don't have to compete with other users to gain access to
the system. A single-user system is designed to meet the computing needs of an
individual.
 Single-user computers fall into two categories:
 Workstations
 Microcomputers.
WORKSTATION:
 A workstation is a powerful desktop computer designed to meet the computing
needs of engineers, architects, and other professionals who need detailed graphics
displays. The workstation has sometimes been called a "super micro." The
workstation looks very much like a desktop microcomputer, but the chips inside
make the difference
 FEATURES:
 Workstations are small, powerful systems designed to drive networks of less
powerful microcomputers and to create high-quality graphics.
 Workstations typically cost $5,000 to $20,000.
 Major competitors in this market include DEC, Hewlett-Packard, Sun, and Silicon
Graphics, Inc.
MICROCOMPUTERS:
 It is difficult to overstate the impact of the microcomputer on the computer industry.
In 1975, the microcomputer did not exist. In 1995, sales exceeded $116 billion.
Microcomputers are the fastest growing segment of the computer industry.
 The microcomputer segment of the industry is complex; there are different types of
microcomputer platforms with varying capabilities. The most common type of
microcomputer is a desktop computer, which is a non portable personal
computer that fits on top of a desk. Microcomputers are the smallest and cheapest
of these and are used at home, in schools and in some businesses. Mainframe
computers are the most powerful computers
DESKTOP COMPUTER:
 A computer designed for desktop use; usually comprises, at a minimum, a central
processing unit (CPU), a monitor, and a keyboard as separate units, connected by
special cables. Most such computers now also include a Pointing Device.
 A computer that could fit on a desk was considered remarkably small. Desktop
computers come in a variety of types ranging from large vertical tower cases to
small form factor models that can be tucked behind an LCD monitor.
 "Desktop" can also indicate a horizontally-oriented computer case usually intended
to have the display screen placed on top to save space on the desktop. Most
modern desktop computers have separate screens and keyboards.
LAPTOP /NOTE BOOK COMPUTER:
 A laptop is a personal computer designed for mobile use, small and light enough to
sit on a person's lap while in use.
 A portable computer typically weighing less than 6 pounds (3 kilograms) that has a
flat-panel display and miniature hard disk drives, and is powered by rechargeable
batteries.
 Laptops are capable of many of the same tasks that desktop computers perform,
although they are typically less powerful. Laptops usually have LCD displays
Explain types of computer on the basis of
functionality?
 According to functionality computer can be divided in to three types:

 Analog
 Digital
 Hybrid
ANALOG COMPUTERS
 An analog (spelled analogue in British English) computer is a form of computer that
uses the continuously-changeable aspects of physical fact such as electrical,
mechanical, or hydraulic quantities to model the problem being solved
 EXAMPLES:
 Thermometer
 Analog clock
 Speedometer
 Tire pressure gauge
DIGITAL COMPUTERS
 A computer that performs calculations and logical operations with quantities
represented as digits, usually in the binary number system of ―0 and ―1
 EXAMPLES:
  IBM PC
 Apple Macintosh
 Calculators
 Digital watches etc
HYBRID COMPUTERS

 A computer that processes both analog and digital data. ―Hybrid computer is a digital
computer that accepts analog signals, converts them to digital and processes them in
digital form
 A hybrid computer may use or produce analog data or digital data. It accepts a
continuously varying input, which is then converted into a set of discrete values for digital
processing
 Examples:
 Hybrid computer is the computer used in hospitals to measure the heartbeat of the patient.
 Devices used in petrol pump.
 Hybrid Machines are generally used in scientific applications or in controlling industrial
processes.

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