ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTER

AN ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTER IS A TYPE OF COMPUTER THAT OPERATES ON DIGITAL DATA.

IT PROCESSES INFORMATION REPRESENTED IN BINARY FORM (0S AND 1S) USING ELECTRONIC
CIRCUITS. HERE ARE THE KEY COMPONENTS AND CHARACTERISTICS OF AN ELECTRONIC DIGITAL
COMPUTER.
• BINARY SYSTEM: USES BINARY NUMBERS (0 AND 1) FOR ALL OPERATIONS AND DATA
REPRESENTATION.
• ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS: UTILIZES ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS SUCH AS TRANSISTORS,
CAPACITORS, AND RESISTORS TO PERFORM COMPUTATIONS AND STORE DATA.
• INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICES: INCLUDES DEVICES TO INPUT DATA (KEYBOARD, MOUSE) AND
OUTPUT DATA (MONITOR, PRINTER).
• MEMORY: CONTAINS MEMORY UNITS SUCH AS RAM (RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY) AND
STORAGE DRIVES (HDD, SSD) TO STORE AND RETRIEVE DATA AND INSTRUCTIONS.
• PROCESSOR: THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU) EXECUTES INSTRUCTIONS FROM
PROGRAMS AND PERFORMS ARITHMETIC AND LOGICAL OPERATIONS.
• SOFTWARE: RUNS OPERATING SYSTEMS AND APPLICATION SOFTWARE TO PERFORM A WIDE
RANGE OF TASKS, FROM WORD PROCESSING TO COMPLEX SCIENTIFIC CALCULATIONS.

EXAMPLES OF ELECTRONIC DIGITAL COMPUTERS INCLUDE PERSONAL COMPUTERS (PCS),

LAPTOPS, SERVERS, AND SMARTPHONES. THEY ARE FUNDAMENTAL TO MODERN COMPUTING AND
HAVE REVOLUTIONIZED VARIOUS INDUSTRIES BY ENABLING COMPLEX CALCULATIONS, DATA
PROCESSING, AND COMMUNICATION.
 CAPABILITIES OF COMPUTERS
• HIGH SPEED:
• CAN PERFORM MILLIONS TO BILLIONS OF CALCULATIONS PER SECOND.
• FAST DATA PROCESSING AND EXECUTION OF COMPLEX ALGORITHMS.
• ACCURACY:
• HIGH PRECISION IN CALCULATIONS AND DATA PROCESSING.
• MINIMIZES HUMAN ERRORS IN REPETITIVE AND DETAILED TASKS.
• STORAGE:
• VAST STORAGE CAPACITY TO HOLD LARGE AMOUNTS OF DATA.
• CAN STORE AND RETRIEVE DATA QUICKLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
• AUTOMATION:
• CAN AUTOMATE REPETITIVE TASKS WITHOUT HUMAN INTERVENTION.
• EXECUTES PRE-DEFINED INSTRUCTIONS RELIABLY.
• VERSATILITY:
• CAPABLE OF PERFORMING A WIDE RANGE OF TASKS (E.G., SCIENTIFIC CALCULATIONS, WORD PROCESSING,
MULTIMEDIA CREATION).
• SUPPORTS VARIOUS APPLICATIONS AND SOFTWARE.
 LIMITATIONS OF COMPUTERS
• LACK OF CREATIVITY:
• CANNOT GENERATE ORIGINAL IDEAS OR THINK CREATIVELY.
• OPERATES STRICTLY ACCORDING TO PROGRAMMED INSTRUCTIONS.
• DEPENDENCY ON HUMAN INPUT:
• REQUIRES PRECISE INSTRUCTIONS AND DATA INPUT FROM HUMANS.
• CANNOT FUNCTION INDEPENDENTLY WITHOUT INITIAL PROGRAMMING.
• LIMITED UNDERSTANDING:
• CANNOT UNDERSTAND CONTEXT OR INTERPRET EMOTIONS.
• LACKS COMPREHENSION OF ABSTRACT CONCEPTS AND HUMAN EXPERIENCES.
• VULNERABILITY TO MALFUNCTIONS:
• SUSCEPTIBLE TO HARDWARE FAILURES AND SOFTWARE BUGS.
• RISK OF DATA LOSS OR CORRUPTION IN CASE OF TECHNICAL ISSUES.
• DEPENDENCY ON POWER:
• REQUIRES A STABLE POWER SUPPLY TO OPERATE.
 GENERATION OF COMPUTERS.
• FIRST GENERATION (1940S-1950S)
1.TECHNOLOGY:
1. VACUUM TUBES WERE USED FOR CIRCUITRY.
2. MAGNETIC DRUMS FOR MEMORY.

2.EXAMPLES:
1. ENIAC, UNIVAC, IBM 701.

3.CHARACTERISTICS:
1. LARGE AND BULKY.
2. CONSUMED A LOT OF ELECTRICITY.
3. GENERATED A LOT OF HEAT.
4. LIMITED TO BASIC COMPUTATIONS AND DATA PROCESSING.
 GENERATION OF COMPUTERS.
• SECOND GENERATION (1950S-1960S)
1.TECHNOLOGY:
1. TRANSISTORS REPLACED VACUUM TUBES.
2. MAGNETIC CORE MEMORY.

2.EXAMPLES:
1. IBM 7094, CDC 1604.

3.CHARACTERISTICS:
1. SMALLER, FASTER, MORE RELIABLE, AND MORE ENERGY-EFFICIENT THAN THE
FIRST GENERATION.
2. USED HIGH-LEVEL PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES LIKE FORTRAN AND COBOL.
 GENERATION OF COMPUTERS
• THIRD GENERATION (1960S-1970S)
1.TECHNOLOGY:
1. INTEGRATED CIRCUITS (ICS) REPLACED TRANSISTORS.
2. SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY.

2.EXAMPLES:
1. IBM 360, PDP-8.

3.CHARACTERISTICS:
1. INCREASED SPEED AND EFFICIENCY.
2. MORE COMPACT AND COST-EFFECTIVE.
3. MULTIPROGRAMMING AND TIME-SHARING CAPABILITIES.
 GENERATION OF COMPUTERS
• FOURTH GENERATION (1970S-PRESENT)
1.TECHNOLOGY:
1. MICROPROCESSORS INTEGRATED THOUSANDS OF ICS ONTO A
SINGLE CHIP.
2. MAGNETIC DISK AND SEMICONDUCTOR MEMORY.

2.EXAMPLES:
1. INTEL 4004, IBM PC, APPLE MACINTOSH.

3.CHARACTERISTICS:
1. PERSONAL COMPUTERS BECAME ACCESSIBLE TO THE GENERAL
PUBLIC.
2. HIGH-LEVEL LANGUAGES, GUI, AND POWERFUL OPERATING
SYSTEMS.
3. NETWORKS AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY.
 GENERATION OF COMPUTERS
• FIFTH GENERATION (PRESENT AND BEYOND)
1.TECHNOLOGY:
1. BASED ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND MACHINE
LEARNING.
2. QUANTUM COMPUTING, NANOTECHNOLOGY, AND ADVANCED
PARALLEL PROCESSING.

2.EXAMPLES:
1. IBM WATSON, GOOGLE DEEPMIND, QUANTUM COMPUTERS.

3.CHARACTERISTICS:
1. AIM TO CREATE MACHINES WITH HUMAN-LIKE INTELLIGENCE.
2. CAPABLE OF NATURAL LANGUAGE PROCESSING, DECISION-
MAKING, AND LEARNING.
3. ENHANCED INTERCONNECTIVITY AND ADVANCED
COMPUTATIONAL CAPABILITIES.
 TYPES OF COMPUTERS
•Supercomputers

•Characteristics: Extremely powerful, used for complex computations.

•Applications: Weather forecasting, scientific simulations, cryptography,
and large-scale data analysis.

•Mainframe Computers

•Characteristics: Large, powerful, and reliable; support many

simultaneous users.
•Applications: Enterprise-level tasks, bulk data processing, transaction
processing for banks and airlines.

•Minicomputers

•Characteristics: Mid-sized, more powerful than microcomputers, less

powerful than mainframes.
•Applications: Small to medium-sized businesses, manufacturing
process control, research institutions.
 TYPES OF COMPUTERS

•Microcomputers (Personal Computers)

•Characteristics: Designed for individual use; includes desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
•Applications: General-purpose tasks like word processing, internet browsing, gaming, and personal
productivity.

•Workstations

•Characteristics: High-performance microcomputers designed for technical or scientific applications.

•Applications: CAD (Computer-Aided Design), graphic design, video editing, software development.

•Servers

•Characteristics: Provide services and manage network resources; more robust than typical personal
computers.
•Applications: Hosting websites, managing databases, email services, file storage, and network
management.
 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS ON SIZE
• COMPUTERS CAN BE CLASSIFIED BASED ON THEIR SIZE AND CAPABILITY, WHICH OFTEN
DETERMINES THEIR INTENDED USE AND COMPUTING POWER. HERE'S A DETAILED
CLASSIFICATION:

• 1. MICROCOMPUTERS (PERSONAL COMPUTERS)

• DESCRIPTION: THESE ARE THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF COMPUTERS, DESIGNED FOR
INDIVIDUAL USE.
• SIZE: SMALL ENOUGH TO FIT ON DESKS OR LAPS.
• EXAMPLES: DESKTOPS, LAPTOPS, TABLETS, AND SMARTPHONES.

• 2. WORKSTATIONS

• DESCRIPTION: HIGH-PERFORMANCE COMPUTERS DESIGNED FOR TECHNICAL OR SCIENTIFIC

APPLICATIONS THAT REQUIRE MORE POWERFUL PROCESSING CAPABILITIES THAN STANDARD
MICROCOMPUTERS.
• SIZE: SIMILAR IN SIZE TO DESKTOPS BUT WITH MORE ROBUST HARDWARE CONFIGURATIONS.
• EXAMPLES: COMPUTERS USED FOR GRAPHIC DESIGN, VIDEO EDITING, AND SOFTWARE
DEVELOPMENT THAT REQUIRE POWERFUL GPUS AND MORE SUBSTANTIAL PROCESSING
POWER.
 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS ON SIZE
• MINICOMPUTERS (MID-RANGE COMPUTERS)

• DESCRIPTION: MORE POWERFUL THAN MICROCOMPUTERS BUT LESS THAN MAINFRAMES; DESIGNED FOR TASKS REQUIRING
MODERATE COMPUTING POWER.
• SIZE: LARGER THAN MICROCOMPUTERS, OFTEN SIMILAR IN SIZE TO LARGE SERVERS OR RACKS.
• EXAMPLES: USED IN MANUFACTURING FOR PROCESS CONTROL OR BY SMALL BUSINESSES FOR DATABASE MANAGEMENT AND
SERVER TASKS.

• 4. MAINFRAME COMPUTERS
• DESCRIPTION: LARGE, POWERFUL SYSTEMS CAPABLE OF HANDLING AND PROCESSING VERY LARGE AMOUNTS OF DATA QUICKLY.
THEY ARE USED PRIMARILY BY LARGE ORGANIZATIONS FOR CRITICAL APPLICATIONS, TYPICALLY BULK DATA PROCESSING SUCH AS
CENSUS, INDUSTRY AND CONSUMER STATISTICS, ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING, AND FINANCIAL TRANSACTION PROCESSING.
• SIZE: CAN FILL AN ENTIRE ROOM OR EVEN A DEDICATED FLOOR.
• EXAMPLES: IBM Z-SERIES, SYSTEM Z9.

• 5. SUPERCOMPUTERS
• DESCRIPTION: THE MOST POWERFUL COMPUTERS IN TERMS OF PROCESSING CAPACITY, DESIGNED FOR EXTREMELY COMPLEX
CALCULATIONS, AND HANDLING MASSIVE DATA SETS.
• SIZE: CAN OCCUPY MULTIPLE RACKS IN LARGE ROOMS, SOMETIMES SPREAD OVER SEVERAL ROOMS.
COMPUTER HARDWARE COMPONENTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS
•Central Processing Unit (CPU)

•Function: Acts as the brain of the computer; performs calculations and

executes instructions from programs.
•Components:
•Control Unit (CU): Directs operations within the CPU and controls the flow
of data.
•Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): Performs arithmetic and logical operations.

•Memory (RAM - Random Access Memory)

•Function: Temporary storage for data and instructions that the CPU needs
while performing tasks. It is volatile, meaning it loses its contents when the
computer is turned off.
•Motherboard
•Function: The main circuit board that connects and communicates between
all the components of the computer, including the CPU, memory, and peripheral
devices.
 COMPUTER HARDWARE COMPONENTS AND THEIR FUNCTIONS

•Power Supply Unit (PSU)

•Function: Converts electrical power from an outlet into a usable form for
the computer components, typically providing various voltages to different
parts.

•Hard Disk Drive (HDD) / Solid State Drive (SSD)

•Function: Long-term storage for the operating system, software

applications, and data files. HDDs use magnetic storage, while SSDs use
flash memory for faster access times.

•Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)

•Function: Handles rendering of images, video, and animations. Essential

for tasks involving high graphics performance such as gaming, video editing,
and 3D rendering.
•Speed
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTERS
•Characteristics: Can perform millions to billions of calculations per second.
•Applications: Data processing, complex calculations in scientific research, real-time
systems.

•Accuracy
•Characteristics: High precision in calculations and data processing, minimal errors.
•Applications: Financial transactions, medical diagnostics, scientific experiments.

•Automation
•Characteristics: Ability to perform tasks automatically following pre-programmed
instructions.
•Applications: Automated manufacturing, data entry systems, software applications.

•Storage
•Characteristics: Can store vast amounts of data and retrieve it quickly.
•Applications: Databases, cloud storage, multimedia libraries.

•Versatility
•Characteristics: Can perform a wide variety of tasks, from simple calculations to complex
simulations.
•Applications: Office applications, graphic design, video editing, engineering simulations.
 APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTERS
•Business

•Applications:
•Data management and analysis
•Financial transactions and accounting
•Customer relationship management (CRM)

•Education

•Applications:
•E-learning platforms
•Online libraries and research databases
•Virtual classrooms and distance learning
•Healthcare

•Applications:
•Electronic health records (EHR)
•Medical imaging and diagnostic
•Telemedicine