Computer Fundamentals

1) What is Computer ?
ans. Computer is an electronic calculating device.
Collection of Hardware and Software.
It is a set of Circuits, A circuit is a set of Switches &
a Switch can be turned ON or OFF.
Computer is an electronic device that processes the
data given through any connected input device
under the control of Predefined instructions and
produces the result through directed output device.
Note:- Mathematically ON is written as 1 whereas OFF is written as 0.
(a) Hardware:- They are known as system. They are physical component of computer
that have a fixed size and can be seen and touched even in the absence of
electricity.
(b) Software:- They are logical components of computer that make the hardware
usable and cannot be seen and touched in the absense of electricity.
(A) Data:- Data is the raw material of any processed information. It is a fact upon
which computer works.
(a) Input Device:- The devices that are used to feed the data, information or
instruction into computer�s memory are known as Input devices.
For eg.- Keyboard, Mouse, Joystick, Lightpen,
Scanner, Web Camera, Touchpad, Trackball,
Etc.
(a) Output Device:- The devices that are used to get the result of work done by the
computer are known as Output devices.
For eg.- Monitor/Screen/VDU(Visual Display Unit),
Printer, Plotter, Soundbox/HeadPhone/ Home Theatre,
Etc.

Generation Of Computer
- Although the history of Computer or making computing
Devices begins from 3200 B.C at Babylom at China.
Later, an English Scientist Charles Babbage developed
two different Computers.
i) Analytical Engine.
ii) Differential Engine.
Modern Computers follow the same computing
techniques that were foollowed and implemented
by Charles Babbage. Hence He is known as
�Father of Modern Computer�.
In 1923, another english scientist John Van Newmann
Classified the devices used in computer into three
different parts:
� Input Device
� Output Device
� System Unit
As the time spent, Different technologies were used
to develop a computer system.
These Computers are devided into following types:-
(a) First Generation Computers:-
- This generation Computers use Vacuum tubes as
their building blocks. They were met during 1940s
& 1954. They were very large computers aquiring
even a large size hall. They require huge amount of
elecricity and cooling devices because they
 generated very much heat.
UnivAC(Universal Automatic Computer),
ENIAC(Electronic Numerical Integrator Automatic
Calculator), IBM701, Etc. were some computers of
this generation.

(b) Second Generation Computers

- This generation Computers were manufactured
during 1955 & 1964. By this time another
electronic circuit named �Transistor� was
developed. This generation computers use
transistors as their basic circuit. By use of
transistor, the size of this generation computers
reduced so they consume less electricity and
produce less heat than previous generation
computers.
High level languages like � ForTran(Formula
Translator), CoBOL(Common Business Oriented
Language) were used at two didfferent computers
Of this generaiton.