Topic: Know Your

Computer

Prepared By Anbu
Jaffery Academy
Arusha
Early Calculating Devices

►The following calculating devices were used

before the development of computers
►Abacus
►Napier’s Bones
►Pascaline
►Difference Engine
►Analytical Engine
1. The Abacus was used to count numbers, and
perform simple calculations such as addition and
subtraction

2. Napier’s Bones was used to perform calculations

involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division

ABACUS
3. Pascaline was the first mechanical calculator, it could perform
only addition and subtraction
4. Difference Engine was designed by Charles Babbage,
⮚ It was early digital device which was capable of performing
mathematical and astronomical calculations
⮚It was also able to store data temporary and printing the
output
5. Analytical Engine was designed by Charles Babbage
⮚ It was the first mechanical general purpose computer which
followed IPO cycle used in modern computers
⮚ The machine used a reader as an input device
⮚ The machine was made up of a calculating unit called mill which
worked as a CPU in modern computers
Questions

1. List any 3 early calculating devices

2. Which was the first mechanical general
purpose computer?
 Evolution of computers

1. The development of computers has been

classified into generations
2. There are 5 computer generations as
follows
 First generation computers(1940-1956)

►Characteristics of the 1st generation computers

►Used vacuum tubes
►Built to solve physics questions
►Used machine language. A machine language is
a low-level programming language and is
written using long strings of 0s and 1s for
computing
►Were expensive and bulky
►The vacuum tubes didn’t support multitasking
Second generation computers(1956-1963) -
transistor
►Characteristics of the 2nd generation computers
►Used transistors instead of vacuum tubes
►Transistors made computers smaller and
cheaper
►Second generation computers used punched
cards for input
►They used assembly language, which is a low-
level programming language.
 Third generation computers (1964-
1971)-Integrated circuit
►Characteristics of 3rd generation computers
►Used integrated circuit
►Small transistors were placed on silicon chips, called
semiconductors, which increase the speed and
efficiency of computers
►3rd generation computers ware based on high-level
languages. A high-level language uses the English
alphabet and mathematical symbols.
►Examples of high-level languages are Fortran, COBOL,
BASIC, C, C++, Java etc.
Fourth generation computers(1971-2010)
- microprocessor

►Characteristics of 4th generation computers

►Introduction of microprocessor
►A microprocessor is compact and easy to
maintain
►It has a high processing speed
►Has limitations on the size of data
 Fifth generation computers (2010
onwards) – artificial intelligence

►Characteristics of 5th generation computers

►The development of 5th generation
computers is underway
►Based on the principles of artificial
intelligence and natural language recognition
►Robots are examples of devices which make
use of the 5th generation of computer
techniques
 Questions

1. Name the different generation of computers

2. Integrated circuit was introduced in which
generation?
Functional Components of a
Computer

Input Output
Central Processing Unit(CPU)
unit Unit
 Input Unit
1. Data get into a computer through input unit
connected to it
2. Common input devices are keyboard and mouse.
3. Other input devices are joysticks, web cameras,
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition Readers(MICR),
Optical Mark Reader(OMR), Optical Character
Readers(OCR), touchscreens, Smart card readers
etc.
 Central Processing Unit(CPU)
1. CPU is known as the brain of the computer
2. CPU is made up of three components named:-
1. Arithmetic Logic Unit(ALU), responsible for arithmetic and
logical operations, this part is what give the computer
ability to perform arithmetic and decision making
2. Control Unit(CU) – Controls the flow of data from input
device to output device and from memory to the output
devices
3. Memory Unit(MU) – Stores data and instructions to be
executed by the CPU
Output Unit

1.Output unit makes information available to

the user from the computer with the help of
an output device.
2.Examples of output devices are Visual display
unit(VDU) or Monitor, plotters, printers,
projectors, speakers etc.
Homework

1. Write the uses of the following input devices:

1. Barcode reader
2. MICR
3. OMR
2. Write other functions of Control Unit apart from control
the flow of data
3. Write the meaning of the following measurements of a
computer memory Bit, Byte and Nibble
4. Write any three differences between RAM and ROM
Categorisation of Software
Categorisation of Software

1.Software is a set of programs that runs a computer

system
2.Computer software is stored and executed(run)
with the help of computer hardware
3.There are two main categories of software used on
computers: systems software and application
software.
System Software

1.System software is a type of computer program that is

designed to run a computer's hardware and application
programs
2.System software allow the user to communicate with
the computer
3.Examples of system software are operating system,
utility software, language translators, device drivers,
etc.
 Operating system(OS)
1.Operating system control the general operation of
the system or device and provide a way for users
to interact and run programs
2.Examples of operating systems are:
►Windows e.g. Windows 10, Windows 8.1 etc
►Unix
►MacOS
►Android
►iOS etc.
 Utility Software
1.Utility software is a collection of programs, each of
which does a specific housekeeping task to help
maintain a computer system. Some important utilities
are:-
►The text editor used for creating and editing files
►Backup utility that facilitates the backing-up of disks
►Compression utility that facilitates compression of files
►Disk defragmentation
►Antivirus software
 Language translators
1.The main purpose of the translator is to make the machine
understand the program written in a low/assembly/high-
level language.
2.There are 3 types of computer language translators: They
are:
i. Compiler: The compiler is a language translator program
that converts code written in a human-readable language,
such as high-level language into machine language.
Compilers converts the entire program in one go and
reports all the program errors along with their line number
►Some common compiled languages are C++, C, QB64
Language translators

ii.Interpreter: The interpreter converts high-

level language to machine-level language,
while the compiler accomplishes the same
but in a different method.
► The interpreter program executes directly line by
line by running the source code
►Some of the popular interpreted languages are Php,
Python, Javascript, Ruby
Language translators

iii. Assembler: A language translator that

converts a program written in assembly
language into machine language
 Application software
1. Application software are programs that allow the user to
do specific tasks
Application software Example(s)

Word processors MS word

Presentation software MS PowerPoint

Database management system MS Access, Sybase, MySQL

Image/Video editing GIMP, Photoshop, Windows movie

maker, etc.
Homework

Explain the difference between a compiler

and an interpreter