CHAPTER :01

INTRODUCTION TO
COMPUTER
WHAT IS COMPUTER ?

The term computer is derived from the word compute. the word compute means
to calculate.

A computer is an electronic machine that accepts data from the user, processes
the data by performing calculations and operations on it, and generates the
desired output results.

Computer performs both simple and complex operations, with speed and
accuracy.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DIGITAL COMPUTER AND ANALOG
COMPUTER

A digital computer uses distinct values to represent the data internally.

all information are represented using the digits os and 1s. the computers
that we use at our homes and offices are digital computers.

Analog computer is another kind of a computer that represents data as

variable across a continuous range of values. the earliest computers were
analog computers.
Ex: Slide rule, Temperature, pressure and voltage
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
1) speed: the computer can process data very fast, at the rate of millions of instructions
per second.
for example, calculation and generation of salary slips of thousands of
employees of an organization, weather forecasting that requires analysis
of a large amount of data related to temperature, pressure and humidity
of various places, etc.

2)Accuracy: computer provides a high degree of accuracy. for example, the computer can
accurately give the result of division of any two numbers up to 10 decimal places.

3) Diligence when used for a longer period of time, the computer does not get tired or
fatigued. it can perform long and complex calculations with the same speed and accuracy
from the start till the end.

4) Storage capability large volumes of data and information can be stored in the computer
and also retrieved whenever required. A limited amount of data can be stored,
temporarily, in the primary memory. secondary storage devices like floppy disk and
compact disk can store a large amount of data permanently.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER

5)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.

computers have several limitations too. 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.
Generations of Computer :

the computer has evolved from a large—sized simple calculating machine to a

smaller but much more powerful machine. the evolution of computer to the
current state is defined in terms of the generations of computer. each generation of
computer is designed based on a new technological development, resulting in
better, cheaper and smaller computers that are more powerful, faster and efficient
than their predecessors. currently, there are five generations of computer. in the
following subsections, we will discuss the generations of computer in terms of—
1. the technology used by them (hardware and software),
2. computing characteristics (speed, i.e., number of instructions executed per
second),
3. physical appearance, and
4. their applications.
Generations of Computer :

FIRST GENERATION (1940 TO 1956): USING VACUUM

TUBES

 HARDWARE TECHNOLOGY :
the first generation of computers used vacuum tubes for
circuitry and magnetic drums for memory. the input to the
computer was through punched cards and paper tapes. the
output was displayed as printouts.
SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY :
the instructions were written in machine language. Machine
language uses 0s and 1s for coding of the instructions. the first
generation computers could solve one problem at a time.
 COMPUTING CHARACTERISTICS :
the computation time was in milliseconds.
 FIRST GENERATION (1940 TO 1956): USING VACUUM
TUBES

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE :
these computers were enormous in size and required a
large room for installation.

 APPLICATION:
they were used for scientific applications as they were
the fastest computing device of their time.

 EXAMPLES :
universal automatic computer (univac), electronic
numerical integrator and calculator (eniac), and electronic
discrete variable automatic computer
(edvac).
Generations of Computer :

SECOND GENERATION (1956 TO 1963): USING

TRANSISTORS

 HARDWARE TECHNOLOGY :
transistors replaced the vacuum tubes of the first
generation of computers. transistors allowed computers to
become smaller, faster, cheaper, energy efficient and
reliable. the second generation computers used magnetic
core technology for primary memory. they used magnetic
tapes and magnetic disks for secondary storage. the input
was still through punched cards and the output using
printouts. they used the concept of a stored program,
where instructions were stored in the memory of computer.
 SECOND GENERATION (1956 TO 1963): USING
TRANSISTORS

SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY:
the instructions were written using the assembly
language.

COMPUTING CHARACTERISTICS :
the computation time was in microseconds.
 PHYSICAL APPEARANCE :
transistors are smaller in size compared to vacuum
tubes, thus, the size of the computer was also reduced.
 APPLICATION :
the cost of commercial production of these computers was
very high,though less than the first generation computers.
the transistors had to be assembled manually in second
generation computers.
EXAMPLES:
PDP-8, IBM 1401 AND CDC 1604.
Generations of Computer :

THIRD GENERATION (1964 TO 1971): USING INTEGRATED

CIRCUITS

HARDWARE TECHNOLOGY:
the third generation computers used the integrated circuit (ic)
chips. in an ic chip, multiple transistors are placed on a silicon
chip. silicon is a type of semiconductor. the use of ic chip
increased the speed and the efficiency of computer, manifold.
SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY :
high-level languages were used extensively for
programming, instead of machine language and assembly
language.
COMPUTING CHARACTERISTICS :
the computation time was in nanoseconds.
Generations of Computer :

THIRD GENERATION (1964 TO 1971): USING INTEGRATED

CIRCUITS

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE :
the size of these computers was quite small compared to
the second generation computers.

APPLICATION :
computers became accessible to mass audience.
computers were produced
commercially, and were smaller and cheaper than their
predecessors.

EXAMPLES:
IBM 370, PDP 11.
Generations of Computer :

FOURTH GENERATION (1971 TO PRESENT): USING

MICROPROCESSORS

HARDWARE TECHNOLOGY :
they use the large scale integration (lsi) and the very large scale
integration (vlsi) technology. thousands of transistors are
integrated on a small silicon chip using lsi technology.

SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGY:
several new operating systems like the ms-dos and ms windows
developed during this time. this generation of computers
supported graphical user interface (gui).
FOURTH GENERATION (1971 TO PRESENT): USING
MICROPROCESSORS

COMPUTING CHARACTERISTICS:
the computation time is in picoseconds.
PHYSICAL APPEARANCE :
they are smaller than the computers of the previous
generation. some can even fit into the palm of the hand.
APPLICATION :
they became widely available for commercial purposes. personal
computers became available to the home user.
EXAMPLES :
the intel 4004 chip was the first microprocessor. the
components of the computer like central processing unit (cpu)
and memory were located on a single chip.
in 1981, ibm introduced the first computer for home use. in 1984,
apple introduced the macintosh.
FIFTH GENERATION (PRESENT AND NEXT): USING
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

the goal of fifth generation computing is to develop computers

that are capable of learning and self-organization. the fifth
generation computers use 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, instead of serial
execution. parallel processing results in faster processing speed.
the intel dualcore microprocessor uses parallel processing.
the fifth generation computers are based on artificial intelligence
(ai). 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.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER

1) MICRO COMPUTERS
microcomputers are small, low-cost and single-user digital
computer. they consist of cpu, input unit, output unit,
storage unit and the software. although microcomputers
are stand-alone machines, they can be connected together
to create a network of computers that can serve more than
one user.
Ex: ibm pc based on pentium microprocessor and apple
macintosh
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER

2) MINICOMPUTERS
minicomputers are digital computers, generally used in
multi-user systems. They have high processing speed and
high storage capacity than the microcomputers.
Minicomputers can support 4–200 users simultaneously.
the users can access the minicomputer through their pcs
or terminal. they are used for real-time applications in
industries, research centers, etc.
Pdp 11, ibm (8000 series) are some of the widely used
minicomputers.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER

3) MAINFRAME COMPUTERS
mainframe computers are multi-user, multi-programming
and high performance computers. they operate at a very
high speed, have very large storage capacity and can
handle the workload of many users. mainframe computers
are large and powerful systems generally
used in centralized databases.
mainframe computers are used in organizations like banks
or companies, where many people require frequent access
to the same data.
EX: CDC 6600 AND IBM ES000 SERIES.
4) SUPERCOMPUTERS
supercomputers are the fastest and the most expensive
machines. they have high processing speed compared to
other computers. the speed of a supercomputer is
generally measured in flops (floating point operations per
second).
supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive
tasks, such as, weather forecasting, climate research
(global warming), molecular research, biological research,
nuclear research and aircraft design.

EX:IBM ROADRUNNER, IBM BLUE GENE AND INTEL ASCI

RED.
PARTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

1) 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.
Ex: keyboard, monitor, hard disk drive, floppy disk drive,
printer, processor and motherboard

2) SOFTWARE:
It 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. Software instructs the computer about the
task to be performed. the hardware carries out these tasks. Different
software can be loaded on the same hardware to perform different kinds
of tasks.
PARTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

3) DATA :
are isolated values or raw facts, which by
themselves have no much significance.
example, the data like 29, january, and 1994 just represent
values. the data is provided as input to the computer,
which is processed to generate some meaningful
information.
for example, 29,january and 1994 are processed by the
computer to give the date of birth of a person.
4) USERS:
are people who write computer programs or
interact with the computer. they are also known as
skinware, liveware, humanware or peopleware.
programmers, data entry operators,system analyst and
computer hardware engineers fall into this category.
 COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER HARDWARE
the computer system hardware comprises of three main
components —
1. INPUT/OUTPUT (I/O) UNIT,
2. CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU), AND
3. 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.
COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER HARDWARE

input/output unit :
the user interacts with the computer via the i/o unit.
the input unit accepts data from the user and the output
unit provides the processed data i.e. the information to the
user.
input devices: keyboard, trackball and mouse.
output devices :monitor and printer.

CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT :

CPU controls, coordinates and supervises the operations of the
computer. it is responsible for processing of the input data. cpu consists of
arithmetic logic unit (alu) and control unit (cu).
ALU performs all the arithmetic and logic operations on the input data.
CU controls the overall operations of the computer i.e. it checks the
sequence of execution of instructions, and, controls and coordinates the
overall functioning of the units of computer.
additionally, cpu also has a set of registers for temporary storage of data,
instructions, addresses and intermediate results of calculation.
COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER HARDWARE

memory unit :
memory unit stores the data, instructions,
intermediate results and output,
temporarily, during the processing of data. this memory is
also called the main memory or primary memory of the
computer. the input data that is to be processed is brought
into the main memory before processing. the instructions
required for processing of data and any intermediate
results are also stored in the main memory. the output is
stored in memory before being transferred to the output
device.
the data, the programs and the output are stored
permanently in the storage unit of the computer. magnetic
disks, optical disks and magnetic tapes are examples of
secondary memory.
APPLICATION OF COMPUTERS

computers have proliferated into various areas of our lives. for a

user, computer is a tool that provides the desired information,
whenever needed. you may use computer to get information about
the reservation of tickets (railways, airplanes and cinema halls),
books in a library, medical history of a person, a place in a map, or
the dictionary meaning of a word. SOME of the application areas of
the computer are listed below—

Education
Entertainment
Sports
Advertising
Medicine
Government
Home
Science and Engineering
THANK YOU