Introduction to computer

Lecture #1

System
Def #1: A set of detailed methods, procedures, and routines established or formulated to carry out a specific activity, perform a duty, or solve a problem. Def #2: A group of interacting, interrelated, or interdependent elements forming a complex whole.

Sub-system
A major part of a system which itself has the

characteristics of a system, usually consisting of several components.

Computer System
A complete, working computer. Computer

systems will include the computer along with any software and peripheral devices that are necessary to make the computer function. Every computer system, for example, requires an operating system.

Computer System

Why we use Computers ? Why we need IT ?

Introduction to Computer
An electronic device designed to accept data,

perform prescribed mathematical and logical operations at high speed, and display the results of these operations.

Advantages
It helps you automate various tasks that you cannot

do manually. It helps you organize your data and information in a better way. It has much more computing and calculating power then an ordinary human. It may help your work to be a lot easier. It may be the storage of your important data and files.

Advantages
It may be your handy book.

It may help you solve problems faster than an

ordinary human being can do. It has speed, storage, reliability, consistency and communications. It helps you to find useful information using the Internet. It helps in businesses, factories, offices, schools and homes.

Disadvantage
It destroys your social life and interactions with

humans if you do not maintain the balance. It may effect to the destruction of your eye sight due to radiation. It may cause pimples and wrinkles. It may damage your studies and life. Too much time in front of monitor may adverse effect your eye sight and can also make you fat.

Disadvantage
The way it distracts and can deviate our thoughts

and activities towards unproductive activities. It could cause violation of privacy, impact on labor force, health risks, impact on environment, distraction from work, and possible antisocial influences. Getting away from their real life and getting into bad lines.

Types of Computer
Computer types can be divided into 3 categories according to electronic nature. Analog Computer Digital Computer Hybrid Computer

Analogue Computer
Analogue types of Computer uses what is known as

analogue signals that are represented by a continuous set of varying voltages and are used in scientific research centers?

Digital Computer
A computer that stores data in terms of digits

(numbers) and proceeds in discrete steps from one state to the next. The states of a digital computer typically involve binary digits which may take the form of the presence or absence of magnetic markers in a storage medium.In digital computers, even letters, words and whole texts are represented digitally.

Hybrid Computers
Hybrid computers are the form of computers which

had been designed to display the features and characteristics of both computers which are the analog and the digital computers. When the hybrid computers are used in the form of digital computers then they are deigned to act as the controller for the operations carried out in the system. When analog is taken into account then in that case the computer acts as a solution provider for different problems that exit and thus by depicting both the feature, it is found to be a beneficial computer.

Classification of Computer
There are two types of classes

Classes by size
Classes by Functions

Classes by size
Microcomputers (Personal computers)

Minicomputers (Midrange computers)

Mainframe computers Supercomputer

Classes by functions
Servers

Workstations
Information appliances Embedded computers

Microcomputers
Microcomputers are the most common type of

computers used by people today, whether in a workplace, at school or on the desk at home. E.g:
Desktop computers .

Game consoles Laptops.

Notebook computers. Palmtop computers.

Tablet PC .
Programmable calculator

Minicomputers (Midrange computers)

A

minicomputer is a class of multi-user computers that lies in the middle range of the computing variety, in between the smallest multiuser systems (mainframe computers) and the largest single-user systems (microcomputers or personal computers ), contemporary term for this class of system is midrange computer, such as the higher-end SPARC, POWER and Itanium based systems from Sun Microsystems, IBM and Hewlett-Packard.

Mainframe Computers& Supercomputer

A very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds, or even thousands, of users simultaneously. In the hierarchy that starts with a simple microprocessor (in watches, for example) at the bottom and moves to supercomputers at the top, mainframes are just below supercomputers. In some ways, mainframes are more powerful than supercomputers because they support more simultaneous programs. But supercomputers can execute a single program faster than a mainframe. The distinction between small mainframes and minicomputers is vague, depending really on how the manufacturer wants to market its machines.

Servers
server is a physical computer (a hardware

system) dedicated to running one or more such services (as a host) to serve the needs of users of the other computers on the network. Depending on the computing service that it offers it could be a database server, file server, mail server, print server, web servers, or other.

Workstations
In networking, workstation refers to any computer

connected to a local-area network. It could be a workstation or a personal computer.

information appliance
In information appliance or information device

is any machine or device that is usable for the purposes of computing, telecommunicating, reproducing, and presenting encoded information in myriad forms and applications.

Embedded computers
Embedded computers can be compared to

"computers on a chip". All in one so to speak. You will find them in all kind of appareils that surround us. Washingmachines, ticketmachines at the subway, camera's, cars, motors, sewing machines, clocks. Everywhere needing something to regulate, control of check something.