Werabe University

College of Medicine & Health Science

Department of Public Health
Course name: Health Informatics
For Public health
By Bogale Abunu
([email protected])
 Chapter 1

Introduction to computer
Objective
At the end of this session students will be able
to:
 History of computer
 Characteristics of computer
 Components of computer
 Types of computer
 Hardware
 Software
 Computer is an electronic device that
accepts data as input, processes by
performing mathematical and logical
operations on it, and gives the desired
output.
History of computer
 Until the development of the first
generation computers based on
vacuum tubes
 Calculating Machines ABACUS was the
first mechanical calculating device for
counting of large numbers
 Napier’s Bones was a mechanical device
built for the purpose of multiplication in
1617 AD by an English mathematician
John Napier
Cont…
 Slide Rule was developed by an English
mathematician Edmund Gunter in the 16th
century. Using the slide rule, one could perform
operations like addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division
 Pascal’s Adding and Subtraction Machine
 Leibniz’s Multiplication and Dividing
Machine was a mechanical device that could
both multiply and divide
 Babbage’s Analytical Engine an English man
Charles Babbage built a mechanical machine to
do complex mathematical calculations in
1823
 At the end it was resulted in the development
of the first computer in the 1940s
Generations of Computer
 The evolution of computer to the current state
is defined in terms of the generations of
computer
 large-sized simple calculating machine to a

smaller but much more powerful machine

 Each generation of computer is designed

based on a new technological development,

cheaper and smaller computers that are
more powerful, faster and efficient than
their predecessors.
 There are five generation of computers in
terms of the technology used by them
(hardware and software), computing, physical
appearance,and their applications
First Generation (1940 to 1956): Using Vacuum
Tubes
 Used vacuum tubes (circuitry and magnetic
drums for memory)
 The input punched cards and paper tapes

 The output was displayed as printouts

 Theinstructions were written in machine
language
 solveone problem at a time & computation
time –milliseconds
 required a large room for installation
 E.g.- UNIVAC, ENIAC and EDVAC
summery
Second Generation (1956 to 1963): Using
Transistors
 Transistors replaced the vacuum tubes.

 become smaller, faster, cheaper, energy efficient and

reliable.
 used magnetic core technology for primary memory
 The input - punched cards and the output using
printouts
 used the concept of a stored program
 High-level programming languages(COBOL and
FORTRAN were developed this period)
 E.g. PDP-8, IBM 1401 and CDC 1604
summery
Third Generation (1964 to 1971): Using Integrated
Circuits
 Used the Integrated Circuit (IC) chips

 The keyboard and monitor were used to interact with

the third generation computer, instead of the punched
card and printouts.
 The keyboard and the monitor were interfaced through
the operating system
 High-level languages were used extensively for
programming, instead of machine language and
assembly language.
 computation time was in nanoseconds.
 Computers became accessible to mass audience.
 E.g. - IBM 370, PDP 11
summery
Fourth Generation (1971 to present): Using
Microprocessors
 Used Large Scale Integration (LSI) and Very Large Scale

Integration (VLSI) technology.

 Semiconductor memory replaced by RAM
 Secondary storage smaller in physical size and larger in capacity
 Networks that led to the emergence of the Internet.
 Development of pointing devices like mouse, and handheld

devices.
 Operating systems (MS-DOS and MS-Windows) developed
 Graphical User Interface (GUI)
 High-level programming languages were used.
 The computation time is in picoseconds.
Eg. The Intel 4004 chip was the first microprocessor.
IBM introduced the first computer for home use. In 1984, Apple
introduced the Macintosh.
summery
Fifth Generation (Present and Next): Using Artificial
Intelligence
 Ultra large scale integration(ULSI)
 The goal of this generation is to develop computers that are capable of
learning and self-organization.
 Super Large Scale Integrated (SLSI) chips that are able to store millions of
components on a single chip.
 These computers have large memory requirements.
 This generation of computers uses parallel processing that allows several
instructions to be executed in parallel
 are based on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
 Faster, cheapest and self-reliant
 Quantum and Nano technology
 They try to simulate the human way of thinking and reasoning.
 Artificial Intelligence includes areas like Expert System (ES), Natural
Language Processing (NLP), speech recognition, voice recognition,
robotics, etc.
Characteristics of
computer
Speed- The computer can process data very fast, at the
rate of millions of instructions per second.
 Accuracy -Computer provides a high degree of accuracy.
 Diligence -When used for a longer period of time, the
computer does not get tired or fatigued.
 Storage -Capability Large volumes of data and information
can be stored in the computer and also retrieved whenever
required.
 Versatility -Computer is versatile in nature. It can perform
different types of tasks with the same ease. At one moment
you can use the computer to prepare a letter document and
in the next moment you may play music or print a
document.
Limitation of computers
 Computer can only perform tasks that it
has been programmed to do.
 Computer cannot do any work without
instructions from the user.
 It executes instructions as specified by
the user and does not take its own
decisions.
TYPES OF COMPUTER
ANALOG COMPUTERS
 Computers that process analog data are
called analog
 computers (Analog data is continuous)
 Computers that accept analog input and

provide analog output.

Deal with variables
 It is used for measuring physical quantities
 Special purpose computers
Examples
Analog watch
 Speedometer

 Weight machine

 Thermometer
Advantage & Disadvantages of Analog
Computer
advantage of analog computers
 Analog computers are fast.
 No need of conversion
 Allow real-time operations

disadvantages of analog computers

 Analog computers are not accurate.
 Analog computers lack memory
DIGITAL COMPUTERS
 Computers that process digital data are called
digital computers.(Digital data is discrete)
 Computers that accepts digital input and provide
digital output.
 Measure digital quantities.
 General purpose
advantages & disadvantages of digital
computers

advantages of digital computers

 Digital computers are accurate.
 Store information/have memory.

disadvantages of digital computers

 Digital computers are slow as compared to

Analog computers
HYBRID COMPUTERS
 It combines the best features of both digital and
analog.
 Hybrid computers have the accuracy of digital
and speed of analog computers
Applications
• In hospitals(ICU)
• In Air Defence system
Types Of Computer According To Size
MAINFRAME COMPUTERS

• Large in size.

• Fill a large room

• Number of devices are

attached with it
M A I N F RA M E C O M P U T E R S

 Expensive but not as super

 Large in memory
 Powerful

 Used in large organizations

 Perform multiple jobs/multitask
 Support hundred of users/connect parallel-for single task
 Need air conditioned rooms
MINI COMPUTERS
As compared to mainframe,
mini computers are:
 Small in size.
 Occupy small room.
 Less peripheral devices.
MINI COMPUTERS…

 Less Expensive
 Small in memory
 Less Powerful
 Used in small organizations
 Perform multiple jobs
 Support fewer users
MICRO COMPUTERS
As compared to mainframe and  Least Expensive
mini computers, micro computers
 Smallest in memory
are:
 Smallest in size
 Least Powerful
 Placed on the top of desk  Used in small business,
that’s why called desktop schools, homes
computers.  Support one users
 Laptop is microcomputer
 Personal Computers (PCs)
 Questions
1. Differentiate between special purpose computer
and general purpose computer?
2. Name any two areas, where mini computers are
used?
3. List any three characteristics of super
computer?
Basic Components of
Computer
There are five basic components of computer:
1. Input unit
2. Output unit
3. Memory unit
4. Control unit
5. Arithmetical and logical unit
Cont…
Computer components

CPU

Memory unit

Input Output

Control unit

Arithmetic &
logical unit
 The Computer System
 A system is a collection of elements or components that are
organized for a common purpose.
 The computer system consists of four parts—(1)
Hardware, (2) Software, (3) Data, and (4) Users.

Hardware
consists of the mechanical parts that make up the computer
as a machine.
 The hardware consists of physical devices of the
computer.
 The devices are required for input, output, storage and
processing of the data.
 eg Keyboard, monitor, hard disk drive, floppy disk
drive, printer, processor and motherboard
Utility soft-
ware
Cont…
Software
 is a set of instructions that tells the computer about
the tasks to be performed and how these tasks are
to be performed.
 Program is a set of instructions, written in a
language understood by the computer, to perform a
specific task.
 A set of programs and documents are collectively
called software.
 The hardware of the computer system cannot
perform any task on its own
Cont…

Data
 are isolated values or raw facts, which by

themselves have no much significance.

Users
 are people who write computer programs or

interact with the computer

 Computer Hardware
 The computer system hardware comprises of three main
components:-
 Input/ Output (I/O) Unit

 Central Processing Unit (CPU), and

 Memory Unit.
 The I/O unit consists of the input unit and the output unit.
 CPU performs calculations and processing on the input
data, to generate the output.
 The memory unit is used to store the data, the instructions
and the output information
Input Devices

• Input -the computer accepts input data from

the user via an input device.
 The input data can be characters, word, text, sound, images,
document, etc
 Input devices allow users and other applications
to input data into the computer, for processing.
 The data input to a computer can be in the form
of text, audio, video, etc.
 The data is entered manually by the user or with
minimal user intervention. E.g.
• Keyboard- is a common input device and Human
Data Entry Devices
Example

 Video Capture Hardware

 Trackballs
 Barcode reader
 MIDI keyboard
 Gamepad
 Joystick
 Keyboard
 Cameras
 Microphone
 Mouse (pointing device)
 Scanner
 Webcam
 Touchpad’s
 Microphone
 Electronic Whiteboard
 OMR
 OCR
 Light Pen
 Punch card reader
Output devices

 Output -the output is the result generated after the processing of

data.
 The output may be in the form of text, sound, image, document, etc.

 Hard Copy Devices

Printer
Plotter
Computer Output on Microfilm (microfiche)
 Soft Copy Devices
 Monitor
 Visual Display Terminal
 Video Output
 Audio Response
 LCD Projection Panels
 Film Recorder
Both Input–Output Devices:

 TouchScreen
 Modems
 Network cards
Central Processing Unit
 CPU is considered as the brain of the computer.
 CPU performs all types of data processing operations.
 It stores data, intermediate results, and instructions
(program).
 It controls the operation of all parts of the computer
 CPU itself has three components-Memory or Storage
Unit, Control Unit, ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)
ALU - performs all the arithmetic and logic operations
on the input data
-perform arithmetic operations like + - */
-perform logic operations such as comparing, selecting,
matching, and merging of data
Memory unit - can store instructions, data, and
intermediate results
-supplies information to other units of the computer
-It is also known as internal storage unit or the main
memory or the primary storage or Random Access
Memory (RAM)
CU
 It is responsible for controlling the transfer of data

and instructions among other units of a computer.

 It manages and coordinates all the units of the

computer.
 It obtains the instructions from the memory,

interprets them, and directs the operation of the

computer.
 It communicates with Input/output devices for

transfer of data or results from storage.

 It does not process or store data
Memory Unit
Memory unit stores the data, instructions, intermediate
results and output, temporarily, during the processing of
data.
As compared to secondary memory, it is faster computer
memory
Typically, it is a volatile memory
Without primary memory, a computer system cannot run
The memory unit consists of cache memory and primary
memory-ram, rom.
Primary memory or main memory of the computer is
used to store the data and instructions during execution
of the instructions
- CPU can work with the information stored in the main
memory
e.g. Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory
(ROM) are the primary memory
RAM
 Volatile memory
 the processor can directly access any

storage location
 serves as the internal memory of the CPU
 it enables the CPU to store programs
 it is a computer's read-write memory
 is often found on a on the motherboard

ROM
 Non-Volatile memory
 is a memory device that stores information

permanently
 we can only read the programs and data

stored on it but cannot write on it

 the content of the ROM can't be altered,
which means you can't reprogram
 it loads the operating system into the main

memory (RAM) installed on your computer

 The BIOS program is present in ROM which

the booting process is to start

->cache memory, also known as a temporary

storage area, is more readily available to the
processor as compared to the main memory
source of the computer system
Cont…
 Secondary memory is non-volatile and is used for
permanent storage of data and programs.
 A program or data that has to be executed is
brought into the RAM from the secondary
memory.
Storage -the input data, instructions and output
are stored permanently in the secondary storage
devices like disk or tape
 The data, the programs and the output are
stored permanently in the storage unit of the
computer.
 Eg, Magnetic disks, optical disks and magnetic
tapes
 Computer Software
 Computer Software is a set of programs that
enables the hardware to perform a specific task. All
the programs that run the computer are software
 The software can be of two types: system software,

application software
I. Application software, which addresses the
multitude of tasks for which people use
computers.
-is a set of programs designed to perform a specific
task. It does not control the working of a computer as
it is designed for end-user
Application software performs word processing(MS-
Word), database management (MS-Access),
Spreadsheet(MS-Excel)…
Cont…
II. Systems software
-it activates the hardware and controls and
coordinates their functioning
 Coordinates the activities and functions of
hardware and programs
 Systems software Controls operations of computer
hardware
 Supports application programs’ problem-solving
capabilities
 Computer system platform is combination of a
hardware configuration and systems software.
Cont…
 Types of systems software can be divided in to
the 4.
Operating systems,
Utility programs
Middleware and
Programming Software
Programming Software
 is a set or collection of tools that help developers

in writing other software or programs

 are facilitator software that helps translate

programming language such as Java, C++,

Python, etc., into machine language code
 Eg. Notepad++, Quency, Eclipse/ NetBean

Middleware
 Middleware are software that allows different

systems to communicate and exchange data

 lies between an operating system and the

applications running on it
Utility programs

 includes components that assist the operating

system to optimize, maintain, organize and

manage how it functions in all situations

 Eg. Network utility software, Registry cleaning

software, Debugging software, System monitoring

software, Antivirus software…etc

Operating Systems
 is the system software that works as an interface
to enable the user to communicate with the
computer
 Operating system (OS): set of programs that controls
the computer hardware and acts as an interface
with application programs.
 OS acts as an intermediary between application
and hardware
 It manages and coordinates the functioning of
hardware and software of the computer
 OS is system software which is an interface

between hardware and user

 e.g. PC-DOS and MS-DOS, Windows XP, Mac OS X
Cont…
Functions of the Operating Systems
1. Common hardware functions.
 Get input from keyboard or some other input device
 Retrieve data from disks
 Store data on disks
 Display information on a monitor or printer
2. User interface and input/output management
User interface: allows individuals to access and
command the computer system
Command-based user interface(cmd): requires that
text commands be given to the computer to perform basic
activities
Graphical user interface (GUI): uses icons and menus
displayed on screen to send commands to the computer
Cont…
3. Hardware independence
-Application program interface (API)
4. Memory management
5. Processing tasks
6. Networking capability
7. Access to system resources and security
8. File management
 Application of Computers

Education
 Educators use computers to prepare notes

and presentations of their lectures.

 To develop computer-based training

packages,
 To provide distance education using the e-

learning software to conduct online

examinations.
 Researchers use computers to get easy

access to conference and journal details

Cont…
Entertainment
 The user can download and view movies,

play games, chat etc.

 The users can also listen to music,

download and share music, create music

using computers, etc.
Sports - a computer can be used to watch
a game, view the scores, improve the game,
play games and create games
Advertising
 Computer is a powerful advertising media.
Advertisement can be displayed on different
websites, electronic-mails can be sent and
reviews of a product by different customers can
be posted.
 Computers are also used to create an
advertisement using the visual and the sound
effects
Cont…
 Medicine- Medical researchers and practitioners
use computers to access information about the
advances in medical research or to take opinion of
doctors globally.
 The medical history of patients is stored in the
computers.
 Computers are also an integral part of various kinds
of sophisticated medical equipments like ultrasound
machine, CAT scan machine, MRI scan machine, etc.
 Computers also provide assistance to the medical
surgeons during critical surgery operations like
laparoscopic operations, etc