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Fundamentals of Computer PDF
Fundamentals of Computer PDF
Electronic Device
Accepts and stores input
Manipulates result
Outputs results
Under direction of stores programs and
instructions
Characteristics of Computer
• Speed
• Accuracy
• Diligence : not afflicted to tiredness, monotony, lack
of concentration like human beings.
• Reliability
• Versatility : can work with different types of data like
sound, graphics, audio.
• Memory
What is Data and Information
SOFTWARE
Software is a set of programs that
make the Hardware of the
computer run.
Program is a set of instructions.
FIRMWARE
Firmware is like prewritten program that is
permanently stored in read-only memory.
BIOS ( Basic Input Output Services )
instructions are an example of firmware.
LIVEWARE
It is the term generally used for the people
associated with and benefited from the
computer system.
Classification of Computer
Systems
•On the basis of Technology
•Generations of computers
•On the basis of Purpose
•General Purpose, special Purpose computers
•On The basis of size & Speed
•Micro, Mini & Super Computers
•On the basis of how it functions
•Analog, Digital & Hybrid Computers
Technology Based Classification of Computer
Systems
working cost
very high.
OTHER FEATURES :
●
Used a great deal of electricity.
●
Generated a lot of heat. ENIAC
●
Input was based on punched cards and paper
tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
SECOND GENERATION
TIME PERIOD : 1950's- 1960's
TECHNOLOGY USED : Transistors
SIZE AND SPEED : Lesser size and increased speed
LANGUAGE USED : Assembly language and TRANSISITORS
languages like
COBOL and
UNIVAC
FORTRAN
1108
COST : Cost decreased
OTHER FEATURES : More efficient and reliable.
Though the transistors still generated a great deal of heat
that subjected the computer to damage, it was a vast
improvement over the vacuum tube.
Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards
for input and printouts for output.
IBM 1401
EXAMPLE : UNIVAC 1108, IBM 1401, CDC 1604
THIRD GENERATION
TIME PERIOD : late 1960's-1970's
IBM
TECHNOLOGY USED : Integrated Circuit 360/50
OTHER FEATURES : Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with
third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating
system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central
program that monitored the memory.
Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and
cheaper than their predecessors.
Note
• Artificial Intelligence is the branch of computer science concerned with making
computers behave like humans.
•Voice Recognition is the field of computer science that deals with designing computer
Size and Speed Based Classification of Computer
Systems
The current classifications of computers place them
into four categories:
●
Super Computers,
●
Mainframes,
●
Minicomputers,
●
Microcomputers (Personal Computers)
SUPER COMPUTER
The fastest type of computer.
Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for specialized applications
that require immense amounts of mathematical calculations.
For example, weather forecasting requires a supercomputer.
Other uses of supercomputers include animated graphics, , nuclear energy
research, and petroleum exploration.
Characteristics
●
Powerful
●
Expensive
●
Dedicated to one purpose - weather, satellites, military
●
Used by large governments or very large companies
●
Can be used by thousands of people at the same time
●
Very large - fill rooms
Sixteen racks of IBM's Blue Gene/L supercomputer
can perform 70.7 trillion calculations per second,
making it the fastest machine known so far.
MAINFRAME
In the early days of computing, mainframes were huge
computers that could fill an entire room or even a whole floor.
Characteristics:
●
Expensive
●
Powerful and fast
●
Is not limited to one job
●
Used by business and small government organizations
The main difference between a supercomputer and a mainframe is
that a supercomputer channels all its power into executing a few
programs as fast as possible, whereas a mainframe uses its power to
execute many programs simultaneously.
MINICOMPUTER
Another term rarely used anymore, minicomputers fall
in between microcomputers (PCs) and mainframes
(enterprise servers).
Characteristics:
●
Smaller than mainframe
●
Can do several jobs at once
●
Can be used by many people at one time
●
Used by small companies
PERSONAL COMPUTER
The term microcomputer, also known as personal computer
(PC), or a computer that depends on a microprocessor.
Charcteristics:
●
developed in 1980
●
designed for single user
●
not very powerful or expensive
●
found in homes
Classification of Computers of On the
basis of
How It Functions
Analog Computer
Digital Computer
Hybrid Computers
Classification of Computers of On the
basis of Digital Computers
How It Functions
Analog Digital
Computers Computers
Operating Language
Utilities Packages Customized
System Processor
Software
( Software ( Software ( perform ( General
which converts house utility ( Tailor
which acts as made
HLL progran keeping ) software )
an interface software
into machine
between user language ) according
and the to user’s
hardware ) needs )
Anti Virus e.g., Norton,
File Management tools
Compression tools
Disk Management tools ( Disk Cleanup, Disk
Fragmentor, Backup)
APPLICATION SOFTWARE
Word Processor
Presentation tools
Spreadsheet Package
Database Management System
Business Software ( ex: School Management System,
Inventory Management System, Payroll System, Financial
Accounting, Hotel Management, Reservation System)
Language Processors
There are three types of Language Processors:
• Assembler: This language processor converts the program written
in Assembly language into machine language.
Fourth
Generation
Third Generation
(High Level Language)
Second Generation
(Assembly Language)
First Generation
(Machine Language)
Secondary
Memory
B ASIC C OMPONENTS of C OMPUTER
S YSTEMS
Input/Output
Secondary
Memory
INPUT UNIT
• Accepts data from outside world.
• Converts data into binary form acceptable to the
machine.
• Send data in binary form to computer for further
processing.
INPUT DEVICES
Terminal
– Simpler than a PC
– Designed strictly for input and output
– Has keyboard and screen
– Does not have a processor
– Connected to computer with telecommunication line
– Allows user to key data directly into computer
Page 28
B ASIC C OMPONENTS of C OMPUTER
S YSTEMS
Input/Output
• Common input methods:
– Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) – used to
process bank checks
– Optical character recognition (OCR) – directly scans typed,
printed, or handwritten material
– Imaging – inputs digital form of documents and photos
– Bar code labeling – scans bar codes on packages or
products, and reads into computer
Page 29
B ASIC C OMPONENTS of C OMPUTER
S YSTEMS
Input/Output
Page 29
B ASIC C OMPONENTS of C OMPUTER
S YSTEMS
Input/Output
…
t er est
Of in
Multimedia –
relatively new term for computer input and output
in the form of text, graphics, sound, still images,
animations, and/or video
Page 29
B ASIC C OMPONENTS of C OMPUTER
S YSTEMS
Computer Memory
Secondary
Memory
B ASIC C OMPONENTS of C OMPUTER
S YSTEMS
Computer Memory
Memory
– All data flows to and from memory
– Divided into cells:
• Each has a unique address
• Memory cell types:
– Byte – stores one character of data
– Word – stores two or more characters of data
Page 31
B ASIC C OMPONENTS of C OMPUTER
S YSTEMS
Bits and Coding Schemes
Page 32
Bits and Coding Schemes
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
. . . . . .
Secondary
Memory
B ASIC C OMPONENTS of C OMPUTER
S YSTEMS
Arithmetic/Logical Unit
Page 33
B ASIC C OMPONENTS of C OMPUTER
S YSTEMS
Computer Files
(Secondary Memory)
Secondary
Memory
B ASIC C OMPONENTS OF
C OMPUTER S YSTEMS
Computer Files (Secondary Memory)
• When power is off, everything stored in Main memory is lost
• Computer files are used to store data for long term
• File storage devices (Secondary Memory) :
– Magnetic tape drives, disk drives, floppy drives
– Optical CD or DVD drives
Page 33
BASIC COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER
SYSTEMS
Computer Files
• Types of DASD
– Fixed (hard) drives
• Types of DASD
– Removable:
• Floppy drives
• Zip drives
• Newest: portable
DASD for PCs –
keychain drive