Course Title: Introduction to

Computer Science
Course Code: Comp211

CHAPTER – ONE
Introduction to Computer Science

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 Data Vs Information
 Data: Anything which can be observed using our sense organs.
 In digital age data can be found in the form of sound,
animation, text, picture, photograph or the combination of
these.
 Data is Simple facts and figures.
 It is raw and unprocessed, Therefore it is meaningless to us.
 Usually it is the result of experience, observation or
experiment.
 Data must be interpreted, by a human or machine, to derive
meaning. It is also called input

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 Cont’d

 Information: is a collection of meaningful facts and figures

that can be used as basic for guidance and decision making.
 These facts are called data.
 In other word, data is a collection of raw facts that represent
features or details about something. Like people, object,
place, ideas or events.
 To produce information we must process and organize the
data. This Means, Information is a processed and an
organized data.
 In short, Data is the raw material for information.
Information is data that has been processed for use.

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 Cont’d
Characteristics of Information
 Timeliness: Information must reach the recipients within the
prescribed timeframes.
 Accuracy: Information should be accurate. It means it should be
free from mistakes, errors &, clear.
 Relevance: Information is said to be relevant if it answers
especially for the recipient what, where, when, who and why?
 Adequacy: Information must be sufficient in quantity.
 Completeness: The information, which is given to a manager,
must be complete and should meet all his needs.
 Explicitness: A report is said to be of good quality if it does not
require further analysis by the recipients for decision-making.
 Impartiality: Impartial information contains no bias and has been
collected without any distorted view of the situation. 4
 ICT
 Everybody say ICT everywhere especially in education stream.
But what does it mean?
 ICT is an acronym that stands for ‘Information
Communication Technology’. Let’s focus on the three words
behind it:
 Information: - Refers to the collection of meaningful facts and
figures that can be used as a base for guidance and decision
making.
 Communication: - Refers to the communication of data by
electronic means, usually over some distance. This is often
achieved via networks of sending and receiving data.
 Technology: - The application of knowledge to meet the goals,
goods and services desired by people.
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 Information Technology (IT)
 IT: - is the study, design, development, implementation,
support or management of computer-based information
systems, particularly software applications and computer
hardware.
 IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer
software to convert, store, protect process, transmit, and
securely retrieve information.
 It is the combination of computer and communication
technologies.
 A general term that describes any technology that helps to
produce, manipulate, store, communicate, and/or
disseminate information.
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 Computer Science
 CS is a Science concerned with information i.e. representation,
storage, manipulation or processing and presentation of
information.
 Like any other science, which uses some devices for the practical
aspect, Computer Science uses a special device called
Computer.
 It is the systematic study of computing systems and
computation.
 It is concerned with the understanding of information transfer
and transformation.
 It is the discipline ranges from theoretical studies of
algorithms to practical problems of implementation interims
of computational hardware and software.
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 Cont’d
There are seven sub-disciplines of computer science
 Software Engineering: It is concerned about the development of
a better quality software by applying scientific & basic
engineering principles.
 Computer Engineering (Architecture): Deals with studying,
analyzing and designing of computer hardware (organization and
interconnection of computer system components) and its working
principle.
 Automata Theory: Is the study of machines or devices which
accept a certain inputs such that the output or at least the
probabilities of outputs are determined by the input.
 Database Architecture: Involves the study and design of
efficient methods for information storage, process & retrieval.
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 Cont’d
There are seven sub-disciplines of computer science Cont’d

 Formal Language Theory: Embraces the study of programs of

programming languages, which is important for the
understanding, and construction of compilers.
 Complexity Theory: Concerned with the study and analysis of
algorithms, which helps in measuring the efficiency of the
algorithms.
 Artificial Intelligence: Is concerned with means by which
Computers may perform tasks that would be characterized as
intelligent if performed by human beings.

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 Computer
 Its name comes from a Latin word Computre, meaning “to
Reckon” or “to Compute”.
 It is an electronic device or machine that can be instructed to
accept, process, store, and present data and information.
 It is an electronic machine capable of manipulating numbers and
symbols, taking an input, storing it, processing it and giving an
output all under the control of a set of instructions.
 Computers have become part of the day-to-day activities of
people around the globe.
 It is difficult to think any field that does not involve or is not
affected by computers.
 Any calculating device or machine, which is electronic,
mechanical or electromechanical, can be called a Computer. But
that doesn’t mean that computers perform only calculation. 10
 Characteristics of Computer
 The characteristics of a computer shows the capabilities and the
potentials of the computer for processing data. Computers have
some basic characteristics:
 Speed: - Computers can perform tasks within a matter of seconds
or minutes that would be impossible for a person to complete by
hand in lifetime.
 Its speed measured in terms of microsecond (10 -6 - one
millionths), Nano second (10-9 – one billionths), and Pico second
(10-12 - one trillionths).
 Accuracy: - Nowadays, computers are being used for surgical
purposes, which need almost a hundred percent accuracy.
 From this we can understand that computers are accurate and
consistent.
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 Characteristics of Computer Cont’d
 Capacity: - The ability of computers to store and process vast
amounts of data continues to grow.
 Different computers have different memory and storage
capacity.
 Storage capacity of a computer is measured in bits, bytes,
kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes and terabytes.
 Bit: is the smallest measurement units of data and
 GB and TB are larger measurement units of data.
 A group of bits is called byte.
 8 bits = 1 byte = 1 character, 1KB = 1024 byte, 1MB = 1024
KB, 1GB = 1024 MB, 1TB = 1024 GB.

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 Characteristics of Computer Cont’d
 Durability and Reliability: - Computers are durable and
extremely reliable devices.
 They can operate error-free over long periods of time.
 Generally, reliability or dependability is the measurement of the
performance of a computer, which is measured against some
predetermined standard for operation without any failure.
 Diligence: - Computer, being a machine, does not suffer from the
human traits of tiredness and lack of concentration.
 Automatic: - A computer can work without human involvement
after starting the program.
 Note: Even if the above main characteristics of computers are
increasing with time, the cost and size of computers are
decreasing.
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 Classifications of Computer
 Computers can be classified according to purpose, data handling,
and functionality.
Based on Purpose
 Computers are designed for different purposes. They can be
used either for general purposes or for specific purposes.
 General Purpose computers: - are designed to perform a range
of tasks. These computers have the ability to store numerous
programs. These machines may be used for various applications,
ranging from scientific as well as business purpose applications.
 Specific (Special) Purpose Computers: - These computers are
designed to handle specific problems or to perform a single
specific task. A set of instruction for the specific task is built the
machine.
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 Classifications of Computer Cont’d
Based on Data-handling Technique
 Based on data handling technique computers are classified in to 3:
 Analog computers: - Operate by measuring. They deal with continues
variables, they don’t compete directly with numbers, rather they operate by
measuring physical magnitude such as pressure, temperature, voltage, current
etc. Examples: Thermometer, Voltmeter, Speedometer
 Digital computers: - Deal with discrete variables; they operate by counting
rather than measuring. They operate directly up on numbers (digits) that
represent numbers, letters, or other special symbols. Example: Abacus, Desk &
pocket computers
 Hybrid computers: The best features of analog and digital computers can be
combined into a single device to form a hybrid computer. A hybrid computer
processes the information by collecting input data with analog method,
converts it into digital quantities, processes the digital values and converts the
output from digital to analog form. Ex. Telephones
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 Classifications of Computer Cont’d
Based on Functionality
 Based on physical size, performance and application
areas, we can divide computers generally into four
major categories: -
 Micro Computers: - A microcomputer is a small, low
cast digital computer, which usually consists of a
microprocessor, a storage unit, an input channel, and an
output channel, all of which may be on one chip
inserted into one or several PC boards.
 It includes desktop, laptop and hand-held models.

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 Classifications of Computer Cont’d
Based on Functionality… Cont’d
 Minicomputers: - Is a small digital computer, which normally is
able to process and store less data than a mainframe but more
than a microcomputer, whereas doing so less rapidly than a
mainframe but more rapidly than a microcomputer.
 Minicomputer sometimes called a mid-range computer is
designed to meet the computing
 It is usually multi-user system so these are used in interactive
applications in industries, research organizations, colleges, and
universities.
 Mainframe Computers: - Are large, powerful computers that
are physically larger than micros and minis and usually have
processors with faster instruction processing speeds.
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 Classifications of Computer Cont’d
Based on Functionality… Cont’d
 Mainframes can handle the processing of thousands of customer
inquiries, employee paychecks, student registrations, sales
transactions, and inventory changes.
 They are also used as the center of computer networking.
 Super Computers: - Are the special purpose machine, which has
the highest processing speed at a given time for solving scientific
and engineering problems.
 It contains a number of CPUs that operate in parallel to make it
faster.
 It can process a great deal of information and make extensive
calculations very quickly.
 These are also required by the military strategists to simulate
defense scenarios. 18
 Applications Area of Computers
Computers are apply in different areas, we can see here: -
 Learning Aids (Education): Computers have also
revolutionized the whole process of education currently, the
classrooms, libraries, & museums are efficiently utilizing
computers to make the education much more interesting.
 Primary and secondary school: For office automation
 Higher Education: For research activities and teaching learning.
 Entertainment: - Computers are finding greater use in
entertainment industry. Computers are used to control the images
and sounds.
 Commercial or business applications: - Computers are needed
to perform business operations that require handling large
amounts of data.
 E.g.: Accounting & Finance Mngt, Inventory control, Database Mngt, etc.
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 Applications Area of Computers Cont’d
 Medical and Health Care: - There has been an increasing use of
computers in the field of medicine.
 Now, doctors are using computers right from diagnosing the
illness to monitoring patient’s status during complex surgery.
 By suing automated imaging techniques, doctors are able to look
inside a person’s body and can study each organ in detail (such as
CAT scans or MRI scans) and a cochlear implant, a special kind
of hearing aid that makes it possible for deaf people to hear.
 Computers are used in hospitals as: - Sensors (device that detect
changes in blood pressure, heart rate, temperature), testing (scan
the body and provide 3-D figure), patient treatment.
 There are a lot of application aria of Computer: - Information
Utilities, Shopping from Home, Household Control, Weather
and Environment, and Transportation… 20
 Historical development of Computer
Abacus
 It is one of the earliest mechanical computational devices used
in performing arithmetic calculations.
 It was in use in the Middle East as early as 2500 BC.
 Abacus is composed of a frame and a number of wires.
 The wires correspond to position of digits in a decimal number-
units, tens, hundreds, and so on-and the beads represent digits.
 Still used in China and Japan.

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 Historical development of Computer Cont’d
Pascal’s calculator
 Is the first true mechanical calculator which is Developed
in 1642 by Blaise Pascal.
 In 1642, at the age of 19, the French philosopher and
mathematician Blaise Pascal developed a rotating wheel
calculator, the predecessor of the latter popular desktop
calculator.
 He built largely to assist his father, who was a tax collector in the
town of Rouen.
 Pascal’s calculator has one wheel corresponding to each power of
10; each wheel has 10 position, one for each of the digits (0,..9).
 Although Pascal’s calculator could only add, subtracts and
automatically carries, borrows digits from column to column.
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Historical development of Computer Cont’d
Pascal’s calculator image

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 Historical development of Computer Cont’d
The Difference Engine
 It is the forerunner of the Modern Computer.
 Charles Babbage (1792-1871), a British mathematician and
engineer, is considered by many to be the real father of today’s
computer was the developer of the difference engine and
designer of the analytical engine.
 The difference engine also based on the rotating wheels principle,
was operated by means of a single crank.
 This devise has a power of calculation and print the out put with
out human intervention.
 Intended to be a machine with a 20-decimal capacity capable of
solving mathematical problems.

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Historical development of Computer Cont’d
The Difference Engine image

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 Historical development of Computer Cont’d
Analytical Engine
 He finally designed significantly improved version of the
difference engine (but not built) called Analytic engine.
 It has different key components: -
 The Store: A memory wheel consisting of set of counter wheels
 The Mill: An arithmetic unit capable of performing the four
basic arithmetic operations.
 Operation Cards: These card selects one of the four arithmetic
operations by activating the mill to perform the selected function.
 Variable Cards: These cards selects the memory locations to be
used by the mill for a particular operation.
 Out put: was to print or a card punching device.

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 Historical development of Computer Cont’d
Analytical Engine image
 But finally the design halt largely due to the
technology of the day is not far enough too supply
the required raw materials.

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 Historical development of Computer Cont’d
Herman Hollerith tabulating machine
 Herman Hollerith was a statistician that in 1880 and develop his
machine commissioned by the U.S. Census Bureau to develop a
technique for speeding up the processing of census data that
took at least 8 years before.
 Herman Hollerith tabulating machine uses the punched card to
punch the census the data and tabulated by using his machine .
“Read” the cards by passing them through electrical contacts.
 Herman Hollerith finally began the tabulating Machine
Company, which later becomes the International Business
Machine Corporation (IBM).

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 Historical development of Computer Cont’d
MARK I
 Developed by Howard Aiken at Harvard university (1944)
which were the one first Electromechanical Computer.
 Instruction were provided by means of punched paper tape,
which combined the functions of Babbage’s operation cards and
variable cards.
 A1 A2 OP where
 A1 and A2 are registers storing the operands
 OP is the operation to be performed( e.g. +,-,x,÷)
 Mark I could do a single addition in 6 seconds and division in 12
seconds ,Built by IBM.

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 Historical development of Computer Cont’d
ENIAC(Electronic Numerical Integrator & Computer
 Developed by Eckert and Mauchly at the university of
Pennsylvania.
 ENIAC was the first electronic calculator and first general
purpose digital computer.
 Initially built for the US military to calculate the paths of
artillery shells.
 This machine was enormous, weighing 30 tones. occupying
15,000 square feet of floor space and containing over 18,000
vacuum tubes.
 When operating, it consumed over 140 kW of power.
 It had a capability of performing 5,000 addition per second.

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 Historical development of Computer Cont’d
ENIAC Cont’d

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 Historical development of Computer Cont’d
The Von Neumann Machine
 Von Neumann was the consultant on the ENIAC project and

forward the stored program concept, i.e. designing the

computer to get its instruction by reading them from memory
along side the data and a program could be set or altered by
setting the values of a portion of a memory.
 Based on this concept, the first true electronic computers were

developed by the name EVAC( electronic Discrete Variable

Computer) and EDSAC( Electronic Delay Storage Automatic
Computer). 32
 Generation of computers
 Computer developments are often categorized by generations.
Actually there are five generations and major characteristics that
distinguish. These are distinguished by the following;
 Dominant type of electronic circuit elements used.
 Major Secondary Storage media used.
 Computer language used.
 Types or characteristic of operating System used.
 Memory access time (a time to store or retrieve data)
 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
 As we go from the first generation to the next,
computers have shown: Increasing Speed,
Reduced Size, Increasing Reliability, and
Reducing Cost. 33
 Generation of computers
1st Generation (1950s)
 Used Vacuum Tubes as components for the electronic circuit.
 Punched Cards were the main source of inputs, and magnetic
grams were used for internal storage.
 They were the fastest computing devices of their times
(computation time was milliseconds).
 These computers were very large, and required a lot of space for
installation.
 These were non-portable and very slow equipment’s.
 They were very expensive to operate and used a large amount
of electricity.
 Examples: ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC, UNIVAC.

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 Generation of computers Cont’d
2nd Generation (early 1960s)
 These machines were based on the Transistor technology.
 They were smaller as compared to 1st generation computers.
 The computational time of these computers was reduced to
microseconds from milliseconds.
 They were more reliable and less prone to hardware failure.
 They had better portability and generated less amount of heat.
 High-level languages COBOL and FORTRAN were introduced
during this period.
 Examples: - PDP-8, IBM1401

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 Generation of computers Cont’d
3rd Generation (late 1960s, early 1970s)
 These computers were based on Integrated Circuit (IC)
technology.
 They were able to reduce computational time from microseconds
to nanoseconds.
 They were easily portable and more reliable than the 2nd
generation.
 These devices consumed less power and generated less heat.
 The size of these computers was smaller as compared to previous
computers.
 Failing of hardware occurred very rarely, its maintenance cost
was very low.
 Extensive use of high-level languages became possible. 36
 Generation of computers Cont’d
4th Generation (late 1970s, early 1989s,)
 These computers are microprocessor-based systems.
 Has a Large-scale Integrated Circuits (LSI) which has several
hundred thousand transistors placed on one tiny silicon chip.
 These computers are the cheapest among all the other
generation.
 They are very small in size, portable and very reliable.
 GUI and pointing devices enable users to learn to use the
computer quickly.
 Interconnection of computers leads to better communication
and resource sharing.

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 Generation of computers Cont’d
5th Generation
 The fifth-generation computer is in progress.
 An architecture, which makes use of the changes in technology
and allows a simple and natural methodology for solving
problems, is being sought.
 Has a very large-scale integrated circuits (VLSI).
 These computers will have intelligent processors i.e., processors
which can draw inferences.
 Users will also be able to interact with them in natural languages
such as English, German, Amharic etc.

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 Generation of computers Cont’d
Generation 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

Circuit Vacuum tube Transistor IC LSI VLSI

element
SSD Punched card Magnetic Tape Magnetic disk Mass storage device

Language Machine & Fortran, Structured Application oriented

assembly COBOL etc. language

Operating Operator control Batch system Application Time sharing

system oriented

Memory 1ms 10µs 10ns 1ns

Access time

Approx. date 1950s Early 1960s Late 1960s, late 1970s, early
early 1970s 1989s
Examples ENIAC, UNIVAC, IBM7090, 7094 IBM system Late IBM product
39
UDVAC
 ?

Thank
11/22/2024 40
 Quiz(5%)
(1 Point of each)
1. Pascal’s Calculator is one of the Earliest Mechanical
Computational Devices used in performing Arithmetic
Calculations. (True or False)
2. Which generation of Computers that has a Large-scale
Integrated Circuits (LSI).
3. What is the First Electronic Calculator and First General
Purpose Digital Computer.
4. List the key components of Analytic Engine.
5. Briefly describe 2nd generation of computers.
 Answer
1. False = Abacus
2. Fourth Generation
3. ENIAC(Electronic Numerical Integrator & Computer (ENIAC)
4. The Store, The Mill, Operation Cards, Variable Cards, Out Put
5. Second Generation - (early 1960s)
 These machines were based on the transistor technology.
 They were smaller as compared to 1st generation computers.
 The computational time of these computers was reduced to
microseconds from milliseconds.
 They were more reliable and less prone to hardware failure.
 They had better portability and generated less amount of heat.
 HLLs COBOL and FORTRAN were introduced during this
period.