computer fundamentals

Computer fundamentals

Objective:

Computer
Advantages
History
Classification
Components

Computer

"Computer is an electro-mechanical device, which takes the Input from the user and,
after processing it, gives the Output to user"

Input: Input means the commands, or instructions, which a user give to the computer to know the solution.

Processing: The computer doesn't know our language. It only knows the Binary Language the is 0110011001100.Computer first converts our language to understand and after that again converts the binary data to the user language so that the user can understand the result.

Output: Output means the result given by computer against a specific input.

Suppose a user wants to know the result of 2+2 In the case, 2+2 is the input After taking this input, computer converts the 2+2 to binary language to understand the input, after that creates the result in binary and converts the result into the user language and then shows the result in monitor which is 2+2=4. This result is output.

The Basic Advantages of a computer

Speed

It can perform huge amount of work in a few seconds. Where human being worked on a particular work for whole day, computer does the same in picoseconds.

Accuracy

The computer is 100% accurate and capable to perform arithmetical calculation and logical operations with the same accuracy A computer can commit errors but at the fault of human beings. it may be due to inaccurate feeding of data or due to wrong setting by the programmer.

Diligence

If you work continuously for 3 hours, you feel lack of concentration, tired and monotonous but a computer is free from these and you will get the result you want with the same speed and same accuracy.

Versatility

Computer can do multiple works. It is used in data processing jobs, weather forecasting, ticket-reservation purpose, multimedia designing, animation etc.

Historical Development of computers

The modern computer is the end result of countless inventions, ideas, and developments by many people throughout the last several decades. The history of automatic data processing begins with Charles Babbage's attempt to build an automatic mechanical calculator at Cambridge, England, in 1830. The entire computer evaluation has been divided into certain number of generations.

First Generation computer

UNIVAC (Universal Automatic computer) was the first general purpose electrical computer to be available and marked the beginning of the first generation of electrical computer. The first generation electrical computers employed vacuum tubes. These computers were large in size and required air conditioning. The input and output units were the punched card reader and the cardpunches.

Second Generation Computers

These computer employed transistors and other solid-state devices. Their circuits were smaller than the vacuum tubes and generated lees heat. hence the second-generation computer required less power, were faster and more reliable. IBM 1401 was the most popular second-generation computer.

Third Generation Computers

These employed integrated Circuits (IC) in which all the elements of an electronic circuit are contained in a tiny silicon wafer. The third generation computers are much cheaper and more reliable then the second-generation computers. The third generation computers permit use of such high level languages as FORTRAN and COBOL. The mini computer are also one of the developments in the third generation computers.

1965 and 1971

Fourth Generation computers

Fourth generation machines appeared in 1970's utilizing still newer electronic technology, which enables them to be even smaller and faster than those of the third generation. many new types of terminals and means of computer access were also developed at this time.

One of the major inventions, which led to the fourth generation, was the Large Scale Integrated Circuits (LSI). The LSI is a small "chip" which contains thousands of small electronic component which function as a complete system.

Microcomputers:

In July 1977, at National Computer conference in Dallas, Commodore Ltd. started the computing world by announcing a fully assembled microcomputer in a single housing called the personal electronic Transact or PET. later in 1977, Radio Shack Corporation announced the TRS 80 computer.

The IBM family of personal computers:

The IBM Personal Computer, commonly known as the IBM PC, spanned multiple models in its first generation (including the Pacer, the Portable PC, the XT, the AT, the Convertible, and the /370 systems, among others), from 1981 to 1987.

Classification of computer

ANALOG COMPUTER

A computer that represents data by measurable quantities such as voltages, the rotation of gears etc. in order to solve a problem, rather than by expressing the data as numbers.

DIGITAL COMPUTER

It is a computer that stores and performs a series of mathematical and logical operations on data expressed as discrete signals interpreted as numbers, usually in the from of binary notating.

HYBRID COMPUTER

A computer system consisting of a combination of analog and digital computer systems is called a Hybrid Computer.

Components

There are two Components of computer:

HARDWARE
SOFTWARE

HARDWARE: That type of device which we can see and touch and which is physically present is called Hardware device. Example: Monitor, Keyboard, CPU etc.

SOFTWARE: The programs or anything that run on the computer are called Software. Technically, Software is a general term for the various kinds of programs used to operate computers and related devices. Example: MS Office, Tally, Coral Draw, VLC Media player, any games etc.

There are two types of software:

System Software: That type of software which controls the total System of the computer is called System Software.

Operating System

Operating system is a System Software which is required for the computer to stat up and it is an interpreter between Hardware & User.

Few of the Operating Systems are as follows:

MS WINDOWS: Windows 95,98, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 7. (GUI: Graphic user interface)
DOS (Disc Operating System) (CUI: character User Interface)
UNIX
LINUX
NOELL NETWARE

1. Application Software: That type of software which runs under a particular System Software needed for a particular type of application is called Application Software. for example, the software. needed for accounting work is "Tally" For day official work like letter writing, calculation etc. the software is MS OFFICE. for designing purpose, the software is "Corel Draw".

GUI and CUI

If you go through all operating systems, you notice that they provide two interfaces-CUI (character user interface)
CUI stands for character user interface; it means that you have to type commands to interact with your computer.
GUI Stands for Graphical user interface; means that you don't need to type commands to interact with your computer; instead you have to click with the help of mouse on the readymade commands.

Booting

Booting is a process in which all the programs (including the operating System) come to the RAM (Random Access Memory in which a user works while the computer is on), to give the user a workable interface. peripheral detection is also a part of booting in which the system checks the connectivity of all the devices with the computer.

After the booting process, the first screen from where a user can start any work is called

Desktop. A bar on the bottom of the Desktop is called Taskbar in which a Start button on the left hand side and clock on the right hand side.

Summary

The advantages of computer are Speed, Accuracy, Diligence, Versatility etc.
There are two components of computer. One is Hardware and another is software.
Operating system is a System software which is required for the computer to start up and it is an interpreter between Hardware & User.

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