IT Concepts

History of computer

Muhammad Fawad
 History of Computer
• 3000 BC ABACUS
– By Chinese

– Calculating device

– Used worldwide

– A skilled abacus operator can work on

addition and subtraction problems at the
speed of a person equipped with a hand
calculator
1617 JOHN NAPIER
In 1617 an eccentric (some say mad)
Scotsman named John Napier invented
logarithms, which are a technology that
allows multiplication to be performed via
addition.

• 1st mechanical calculating device

• For ADD and SUB
• Consists rods (also known as Napier
bones)
Napier’s Bones
• The magic ingredient is
the logarithm of each
operand, which was
originally obtained from a
printed table. But Napier
also invented an
alternative to tables,
where the logarithm
values were carved on
ivory sticks which are
Napier's
now called
Bones .
Napier’s Bones
• 1642 BLAISE PASCAL
– Mechanical calculator
– For ADD and SUBB
– 0 to 9 digits are used on wheel
– to help his tax-collector father do his sums.
– The machine had a series of interlocking cogs (gear wheels with
teeth around their outer edges) that could add and subtract
decimal numbers. 
• 1694 GOTTFRIED LEIBNITZ
– Instead of using cogs, it had a "stepped drum" (a cylinder with
teeth of increasing length around its edge), an innovation that
survived in mechanical calculators for 300 hundred years.
– The Leibniz machine could do much more than Pascal's: as well
as adding and subtracting, it could multiply, divide, and work out
square roots. 
8-digit Pascaline
6-digit Pascaline ( Cheaper )
• 1830 CHARLESS BABBAGE (Professor of Cambridge
University)
– Father of modern digital computer
– because his machines had an input (a way of feeding in
numbers), a memory (something to store these numbers while
complex calculations were taking place), a processor (the
number-cruncher that carried out the calculations), and an
output (a printing mechanism)—the same basic components
shared by all modern computers.
– Gave ides of processing
– Made “Difference Engine” in 1822
– Made “Analytical Engine” in 1842
 Difference Engine
• This machine would be able to compute tables of
numbers, such as logarithm tables.
• He obtained government funding for this project due to
the importance of numeric tables in ocean navigation.
• Construction of Babbage's Difference Engine proved
exceedingly difficult and the project soon became the
most expensive government funded project up to that
point in English history.
• Ten years later the device was still nowhere near
complete, acrimony abounded between all involved, and
funding dried up. The device was never finished.
 Babbage-Analytic Engine
• Babbage was not deterred, and by then was on to his
next brainstorm, which he called theAnalytic Engine .
• This device, large as a house and powered by 6
steam engines,
• It was programmable, thanks to the punched card
technology of Jacquard.
• Babbage saw that the pattern of holes in a punch
card could be used to represent an abstract idea
such as a problem statement or the raw data
required for that problem's solution.
• 1834 GERAGE EDWARD
– Gave storage idea
– Introduces control devices
• Input and output devices

• 1886 WILLIAM BORROUGH

– An American scientist
– 1st successful machine
– 1st commercial machine
– 4 adding purpose (adding machine)
• 1890 DR. HARMANHOLLERITH
• Inventor of IBM
• Introduces electro-mechanical machine
• a card reader which sensed the holes in the
cards,
• a gear driven mechanism which could count
(similar to Pascal’s)
• built one of the world's first practical calculating
machines, which he called a tabulator, to help
compile census data
Hollerith Desk
IBM
• Hollerith built a
company, the
Tabulating Machine
Company which, after a
few buyouts, eventually
became International
Business Machines,
known today IBMas .
 Hollerith’s Inovation
• By using punch cards,
Hollerith created a way
to store and retrieve
information.
• This was the first type
of read and write
technology
 Howard Aiken (1900–1973).
• The first large-scale digital computer of
this kind appeared in 1944 at Harvard
University, built by mathematician Howard
Aiken (1900–1973).
• Sponsored by IBM, it was variously known
as the Harvard Mark I or the IBM
Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator
(ASCC).
John von Neumann (1903–1957)
• ENIAC was just the beginning. Its two inventors formed
the Eckert Mauchly Computer Corporation in the late
1940s. Working with a brilliant Hungarian mathematician,
 John von Neumann (1903–1957), who was based at
Princeton University, they then designed a better
machine called EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable
Automatic Computer).
• In a key piece of work, von Neumann helped to define
how the machine stored and processed its programs,
laying the foundations for how all modern computers
operate..
 Grace Murray
Hopper (1906–1992)
• After EDVAC, Eckert and Mauchly developed UNIVAC 1
(UNIVersal Automatic Computer) in 1951.
• They were helped in this task by a young, largely
unknown American mathematician and Naval reserve
named Grace Murray Hopper (1906–1992), who had
originally been employed by Howard Aiken on the
Harvard Mark I.
• Like Herman Hollerith's tabulator over 50 years before,
UNIVAC 1 was used for processing data from the US
census. It was then manufactured for other users—and
became the world's first large-scale commercial
computer
 Ed Roberts
• By 1974, Intel had launched a popular microprocessor
known as the 8080 and computer hobbyists were soon
building home computers around it.
• The first was the MITS Altair 8800, built by Ed Roberts.
With its front panel covered in red LED lights and toggle
switches, it was a far cry from modern PCs and laptops.
 Altair, Woz and Steve Jobs
• After seeing the Altair, Woz used a 6502 microprocessor (made by an Intel
rival, Mos Technology) to build a better home computer of his own: the Apple
I. When he showed off his machine to his colleagues at the club, they all
wanted one too.
• One of his friends, Steve Jobs (1955–2011), persuaded Woz that they
should go into business making the machine.
• Woz agreed so, famously, they set up Apple Computer Corporation in a
garage belonging to Jobs' parents.
• After selling 175 of the Apple I for the devilish price of $666.66, Woz built a
much better machine called the Apple ][ (pronounced "Apple Two").
• While the Altair 8800 looked like something out of a science lab, and the
Apple I was little more than a bare circuit board, the Apple ][ took its
inspiration from such things as Sony televisions and stereos: it had a neat
and friendly looking cream plastic case.
• Launched in April 1977, it was the world's first easy-to-use home "
microcomputer." Soon home users, schools, and small businesses were
buying the machine in their tens of thousands—at $1298 a time. 
 Gary Kildall (1942–1994)
• In 1976, Gary Kildall (1942–1994), wrote an operating system (a
computer's fundamental control software) called CP/M that acted
as an intermediary between the user's programs and the machine's
hardware.

• With a stroke of genius, Kildall realized that all he had to do was

rewrite CP/M so it worked on each different machine.

• Then all those machines could run identical user programs—without

any modification at all.

• that would make all the different microcomputers compatible at a

stroke.

• By the early 1980s, Kildall had become a multimillionaire through

 Bill Gates (1955–)
•  Instead, IBM turned to a young programmer named Bill
Gates (1955–). His then tiny company, Microsoft, rapidly
put together an operating system called DOS, based on a
product called QDOS (Quick and Dirty Operating System),
which they acquired from Seattle Computer Products.
• Some believe Microsoft and IBM cheated Kildall out of
his place in computer history; Kildall himself accused
them of copying his ideas. Others think Gates was simply
the shrewder(clever) businessman.
• Either way, the IBM PC, powered by Microsoft's operating
system, was a runaway(huge) success.
 Alto
•  Unlike most microcomputers launched in the 1970s,
which were programmed by typing in text commands,
the Alto had a desktop-like screen with little picture
icons that could be moved around with a mouse: it was
the very first graphical user interface (GUI, pronounced "
gooey")—an idea conceived by Alan Kay (1940–) and
now used in virtually every modern computer.
• The Alto borrowed some of its ideas, including
the mouse, from 1960s computer pioneer Douglas
Engelbart (1925–2013).
 GENERATION OF COMPUTERS
There are total five generations of the
computers. Which depend upon the period
of developments in this field?
• First Generation (1942-1959)
• Second Generation (1959-1965)
• Third Generation (1965-1971)
• Fourth Generation (1971-Present)
• Fifth Generation (Future)
 First Generation
(1942-1959)

• In first generation of computers vacuum tube was

used.
• In 1946 Professor J.Presper and John Mauchly
developed the first vacuum computer ENIAC
(Electronic Numeric Integrated and Calculator)
•
• ENIAC has no idea of stored program concept
•
• In 1946 Br. John Von Neumann started work on
EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic
Computer) which used the concept of storing the
program.
Vacuum Tube
• Its development was completed in 1952
• Before the EDVAC in 1949 the EDSAC
(Electronic delay Storage automatic
Computer) was developed by Maurice an
Englishman
• In 1951 Eckert and John developed
UNIVAC (Universal Variable Automatic
Computer) which was the first digital
computer.
• The first Business Oriented computer
UNIVAC-1 was developed by General
Electronic Corporation in 1954
• In the first generation of computers the
punch card were used for getting and
feeding information
• The use of the vacuum tube in computer
is usually regarded as the beginning of the
computer age.
Punch Card
Punch Card
FGC
FGC
 Second Generation
(1959-1965)
• In 1948 the transistors were developed in the Bell Labs
which formed the basis for the second generation of the
computers

• Through the use of transistors the second generation

these computers were much faster, more reliable and
more versatile than the first generation of computers

• Like the first generation of computers punch cards and

magnetic tape used for input of the data
Transistor
Transistor
• In the second Generation high level
languages were developed like FORTRAN,
COBOL and BASIC etc

• The typical computers are IBM 650,

BURROUGHS 220 etc.
IBM 650
IBM 650
 Third Generation
(1965-1970)
• The use of ICs (Integrated Circuits) signified the
beginning of third generation of computers

• Again the third generation computers were

smaller, more efficient and more reliable than
their predecessor were

• In 1958 the ICs were developed by Jack St. Clair

and Robert Noyce.
IC (Integrated Circuit)
IC (Integrated Circuit)
IC (Integrated Circuit)
• The earliest ICs using a technology now
called SSI (Small Scale Integration) could
pick up 10 or 20 Circuits
• By the late 1960 the engineers had
achieved MSI (Medium Scale Integration)
which placed up to between 20 and 200
transistors on a chip
• By 1969 as many as 1000 transistors
could be build on one chip of silicon.
TGC
 Fourth Generation
(1970-Present)
• The significant distinction of the 4th generation
of the computers is the development of LSI
(Large Scale Integration)
• With VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration), they
could place the equivalent of more than 5,000
transistors on a single chip.
• Similarly in the MID 70s the first microprocessor
the Intel 4004 was developed.
• In MID 1970s it was followed by VLSI
(Very Large Scale Integration), the
incorporation of several thousand
transistors on a single chip
• This creation was followed by the
creation of faster, more powerful
microprocessors, such as the Intel 80386.
 Fifth Generation (Future)
• Some say that the creation and use of a
computer with AI (Artificial Intelligence)
will present the next step
• Although expert systems are already
being used for the specialized
applications, true AI, or computers that
can think and behave like human mind
 TYPES OF COMPUTERS
ACCORDING TO WORKING

There are three basic types of computer

according to working:
• Analog Computer
• Digital Computer
• Hybrid Computer
 ANALOG COMPUTER
• Analog computer is used to process analog data
• Analog data is of continuous nature which is not
discrete or separate Such type of data include
– temperature,
– pressure,
– speed,
– weight,
– depth etc.

• these quantities are continuous and having an infinite

variety of values.
• It is high speed and low accuracy.
• It measures the change in some physical
quantity. E.g.
– speedometer of a car measures speed,
– the change of the temperature is measured by a
thermometer,
– the weight is measured by weight machine
– Tire pressure gauge
• These are such computers where data can be
accepted directly from measuring instrument
without having to convert it into numbers or
codes
 DIGITAL COMPUTER

• A digital computer, as its name implies, works with digits to

represent
– numeric,
– letters, and digits or
– other special symbols Digital computers operate on inputs which are ON-OFF type.
• A digital computer can be used to process numeric as well as non-
numeric data It can perform arithmetic operations like
– Addition,
– Subtraction,
– multiplication,
– division) and also
– logical operations.
• Most of the computers in use today are
digital computers
• The examples of the digital computers are
– IBM PC
– Apple Macintosh
– Digital Calculators
– Digital watches
• The results of digital computers are more
accurate than the results of analog
computers.
• Analog computers are faster than digital
• Analog computers lack memory whereas
digital computers store information
• We can say that digital computers count
and analog computers measure
 HYBRID COMPUTER
• A hybrid is a combination of digital and analog
computers
• It combines the best features of both types of computers.
I.e.
– it has the speed of the analog computer and
– memory and accuracy of the digital computer

• Hybrid computers are mainly used in specialized

applications where both kind of data need to be
processed.

• Hybrid computer is a digital computer

that accepts analog signals, converts them to digital and
processes them in digital form”
• they help the user to process both
continuous and discrete data. For example,
– a petrol pump contains a processor that
converts fuel flow measurement into quantity
and price.
– In hospitals intensive-care, which measures
patient’s blood pressure and temperature etc.,
which are then converted and displayed in the
form of digits.
TYPES OF COMPUTER ACCORDING
TO SPEED AND SIZE
1. Super Computers

Large scientific and research laboratories as well as the government

organizations have extra ordinary demand for processing data which required
tremendous processing speed, memory and other services which may not be
provided with any other category to meet their needs. Therefore very large
computers used are called Super Computers. These computers are extremely
expensive and the speed is measured in billions of instructions per seconds.
 SUPER COMPUTER
• The super computers are the largest, fastest and most
expensive computers in the world
•
• They are used where vast quantity of data must be
manipulated

• The price of the super computer ranges from $5 to $20 million

dollars

• They are designed to process complex scientific applications

• As it produces enough internal heat therefore, it needs special

requirements, It is placed in a special room.

• These computers are 50,000 times faster then the micro

computer

• There accuracy is up to 14 decimal places.

• It can process 1billion instruction in a
second
• 1000 individual PCs can be attached to a
super computer
• They are used in:
– oil exploration,
– weather prediction,
– generation of the film imagery etc.
• Examples of the super computer are
CRAY-1 and CYBER-205.
 MAINFRAME COMPUTER
• They are less expensive, less powerful and slower then the super
computer. Still they are faster then the other types of computer.

• They can process 10 million numbers per second.

• The cost of the normal mainframe computer ranges from several

hundred dollars to many million dollars.

• The IBM introduced the families of mainframes (small, medium,

large).
• 1000 workstation can be attached to a
normal mainframe.
• These computers are mainly used for the
networking purposes.
• The application areas of the mainframe
computers are banks, hospitals,
universities etc.
• Examples of mainframe computers are
IBM-4381, ICL-2900, and NEC 610 etc.
 MINI COMPUTER
• Mini computers are also known as midsize or low-end
mainframe computers

• They are less expensive and smaller then the mainframe

computers

• They are designed for the computerization of data for

research, industrial process and small business
application

• The size of the mini computer prevents it from being

portable but it can be moved more easily than a
mainframe.
• Time sharing, batch processing and online
processing are available on the mini
computers

• The examples of mini computers are

PRIME-9755, VAX-8650, and IBM System
36 etc.
Minicomputer
 MICRO /Personal COMPUTER
• A micro computer is the smallest, less expensive of all the
computers

• They generally fall into the price of $100 to $10,000

• The word micro refers mainly to the physical size and circuitry

• It a small computer and originally it had rather limited capabilities

as compared to the large mainframe computers

• Now the microcomputer is more powerful than the early

mainframe.
• The micro computers are easily
accommodate-able on a table and thus
had the name desktop. Examples of the
micro computers are
– IBM,
– Apple,
– Compaq,
– Radio Shack,
– Commodore,
– Atari
– HP
– DELL
• IBM compatibilities: 286,386,486,586 and
now Pentium IV, dual core and core to duo
as the latest

• The desktop, laptop, and hand held

computers fall into this category
 LAPTOP /NOTE BOOK
COMPUTER
• A laptop is a personal computer designed for mobile use,
small and light enough to sit on a person's lap while in
use
• A portable computer typically weighing less than 6
pounds (3 kilograms) that has a flat-panel display and
tiny hard disk drives, and is powered by rechargeable
batteries
• Laptops generally cost around twice as much as a
desktop machine of similar specification. Performance
is always lower than that of a comparable desktop
because of the compromises necessary to keep weight
and power consumption low.
Microcomputers
 MOBILE COMPUTERS /
DEVICES
• All devices which can carry in hand and
portable, is said to be mobile devices  and
computers.
• These Devices are categorized in:
–         PDA
–          Tablet PC
–          Hand Held Computer
–          Laptop/Note Books
 PDA
• PDA stands for “Personal Digital Assistant”. A small, handheld
system combining in one device multiple computing, Internet,
networking, and fax/telephone features”
A PDA contain following features:
– Keep phone directories
– Calendars and provide calculator capabilities
– Schedule appointments
– Retrieve frequently used phone numbers
–  Jot down notes.
–  Most PDAs are designed to accept written
input by a pen; the PDA decodes what you write.
 TABLET
• “A tablet PC is a wireless personal computer (PC) that
allows a user to take notes using natural handwriting
with a stylus or digital pen on a touch screen.”
• After laptops computers were further miniaturized to
develop machines that have processing power of a
desktop but are small enough to be held in one’s palm.
• Tablets have touch sensitive screen of typically 5 to 10
inches where one finger is used to touch icons and
invoke applications.
 HAND HELD COMPUTER
• “Very small, lightweight device (such as the Palm Pilot)
which provides functionality approaching that of a laptop
computer.
• Features of modern handhelds include calendar and
diary organizing, word processing, data management,
 remote access to firm's network, internet access,
wireless access, messaging, etc
 TYPES OF COMPUTER
ACCORDING TO PURPOSE
There are two types of computer according
to the purpose.
• General Purpose Computer
• Special Purpose Computer
 GENERAL PURPOSE COMPUTER
• Most computers in use today are general
purpose computers
• Those built for a great variety of processing jobs
• Simply by using a general purpose computer and
different software, various tasks can be
performed, including
– writing and editing,
– manipulating facts in a database,
– tracking manufacturing inventory,
– making scientific calculations to even
– controlling an organization’s security system,
– electricity consumption etc.
 SPECIAL PURPOSE COMPUTER
• A special computer as the name implies is designed to
perform a specific operation and usually satisfies the
needs of a particular type of problem
• Special purpose computers are also known as
dedicated computers, because they are designed to
perform a particular job
• Such a computer would be useful in games, control
traffic lights, weather prediction, satellite tracking or
programming a video cassette recorder.
• While a special purpose computer may
have many of the same features found in
a general purpose computer,
• its applicability to a particular problem is
a function of its design rather than to a
stored program.
End of the Chapter