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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY REVIEWER

A COMPUTER
• A computer is a data-processing machine or, in other words, a machine for the manipulation of
symbols.
• The word “computer” is used today as an abbreviation for general-purpose stored-program electronic
digital computer. (Zwass, Introduction to Computer Science, 1981)
• According to Larry and Long (1994), technically, a computer is any counting device.
• But in the context of modern technology, a computer is “an electronic device capable of processing,
interpreting and executing programmed commands, data and instructions for input, output,
computation, storage, and logic operations”.

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF COMPUTERS

A. BEFORE THE ERA OF ELECTRICITY

Computational tools emerged n antiquity. The abacus, the earliest calculating device, was invented,
probably in the Orient, thousand years ago. The device is still used in some countries today.
• In the 17th century, the great mathematicians Blaise Pascal and Gottfried Leibniz constructed
mechanical calculators built around pegged wheels. Pascal’s calculator performed only subtraction
and addition; Leibniz was able to extend this design for multiplication and division.
• In 1801, Joseph Jacquard invented an automatic weaving loom. This used punched cards to
control weaving patterns; that is, a card contained the program for the loom’s task.
• In 1833, Charles Babbage, the creator of the first general-purpose computer, utilized the idea. He
began his work on a card-programmed mechanical “analytical engine” (though not completed).
• Herman Hollerith first used punched-card tabulators for the 1890 United States census.In 1896,
he founded the Tabulating Machine Company and later renamed it to its present-day name
International Business Machines Corporation (IBM).

B. EMERGENCE OF MODERN COMPUTERS

• 1937 – the English mathematician Alan Turing made a theoretical analysis of the possibilities of a
general-purpose computing device. World War II provided the immediate impulse for its
implementation. These are called Turing devices.
• 1939 – Dr. John V. Atanasoff, a professor at Iowa State University, and a graduate student Clifford
E. Berry assembled a prototype of the ABC (Atanasoff Berry Computer), an electronic digital
computer.
• 1944 – Mark I, the first general-purpose electromechanical computer, becameoperational at
Harvard University. Mechanical computing was slow and unreliable.The program was located on a
paper tape.
• 1946 – ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator/Computer) was completed at the
University of Pennsylvania. Its designers, J. Presper Eckert and John W. Mauchly utilized and
expanded the ideas of Atanasoff. Here the program requiredpanel wiring.
• 1945 – John von Neumann of the Institute for Advanced Study introduced the concept of the
stored-program computer. The first such machine, EDSAC, was completed at Cambridge
University in England in 1949.
• 1951 – this is the beginning of the era of mass production of computers, the first generation of
computers (1951-1959). The Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC I) was a general-purpose
stored-program electronic digital computer, which generally makes use of vacuum tubes.
• 1959 – the invention of the transistor signaled the start of the second generation of computers
(1959-1964). Transistorized computers were more powerful, more reliable, less expensive, and
cooler to operate than their vacuum-tubedpredecessors.
• 1964 – The third generation was characterized by computers built around integrated circuits (IC)
or chips. Of these, some historians consider IBM’s System 360 line ofcomputers, introduced in
1964, the single most important innovation in the historyof computers.
• 1971 – this marked the beginning of the fourth generation of computers. This generation is
characterized by large-scale integration (LSI), with thousands of transistors in a chip, also known
as a microchip. This resulted in the development of the microprocessor, which is an important
component of a microcomputer.

HOW DO WE USE COMPUTERS

According to Larry and Long (1994), t h e uses of computers can be classified into eightgeneral
categories:
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• Information systems/data processing. The computer is used to process data and produce
business information. Hardware, software, people, procedures, and data combine to create an
information system.
• Personal computing. The single-user microcomputer is used for a variety ofbusiness and
domestic applications.
• Science, research, and engineering. The computer is used as a tool in experimentation,
design, and development.
• Process/device control. Applications that involve process/device control accept datain a
continuous feedback loop.
• Education. The computer interacts with a student to enhance the learning process.
• Computer-aided design. This is the use of computers in the design process.
• Entertainment. Everyday computer applications, such as video, audio, and multimedia are being
designed and created just to entertain us.
• Artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence (AI) involves creating a computer systemwith the ability
to reason, learn or accumulate knowledge, strive for self-improvement, and simulate human
sensory and mechanical capabilities.

THE BASIC COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

A computer system is a collective reference to all interconnected computing hardware, including
processors, storage devices, input/output devices, and communication equipment.
A. Processor. It is the logical component of a computer system that interprets andexecutes
programmed instructions.
B. Input and Output Devices. These are the components of a computer system that enable theuser
to communicate with computers (e.g., mouse, keyboard, monitor, and printer)
C. Storage. This component, as the term suggests, stores data, program instructions,and or
programs. They are classified into:
1. Primary storage (main memory)
• RAM – Random Access Memory
• ROM – Read Only Memory
2. Secondary storage (auxiliary storage devices)
• Hard disk drives (HDD)
• Diskettes/Floppy disks
• CD/CD-ROM
• Magnetic tapes
D. Software. These are the programs used to direct the functions of a computer systemto produce a
desired or specific output. The software can be categorized into:
1 General-purpose software. This provides a framework for a great number ofbusiness,
scientific, and personal applications, some examples are:
• Word processing for creating text documents such as letters, memos, reports,and the
like.
• Spreadsheet for numerical analysis and computations, tables, and charts
• Computer-aided design/drawing (CAD) for technical designing and drawing
• Desktop publishing for personalized publishing of posters, cards, banners,stickers,
advertisements, etc.
• Database for storage of lists of data like student records and the like.
2 Applications software. This is designed and written to perform specific business, scientific, and
personal processing tasks, such as inventory management or preparation of tax returns.
3 System software. System software controls or in some way supports software in the other two
categories. This includes but is not limited to:
• Operating systems. This is the nucleus of any computer system since it monitors and
controls all input/output and processing activities within a computer system. (Examples
are MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, OS/2, UNIX, etc.)
• Programming Language Compilers/Interpreters. This is the language used to create
computer programs. (Examples are machine language, assembly language, and a
high-level language such as Pascal, BASIC, Fortran, C++,Visual C, etc.)

These four main components of a computer system are interrelated with one another. The “system” would
not operate or would not exist at all in the absence of one of the components. The interrelationship is shown
below.

THE SOFTWARE: ELECTRONIC DATA PROCESSING (EDP)

The use of computers to process data automatically is called electronic data processing or EDP. An EDP
system is basically the combination of hardware, software, and personnel involved in processing data into

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useful information. These components of the EDPsystem are described below.

THE HARDWARE
• This includes all the devices and/or physical parts that make up a computer system
installation. It includes the input, central processing, and output units of the computer.
• Software
• This includes all the programs or instructions that direct the hardware to perform data
processing functions.

THE PERSONNEL
This includes personnel required for the successful operation of the EDP orinformation technology.
EDP personnel include:
• Systems analysts. They are those who take care of designing informationsystems and
EDP requirements of an organization.
• Programmers. They are those who take care of preparing computer programsbased on the
specifications prepared by the systems analysts.
• Computer operators/encoders. They are those who run or operate thecomputer

THE CATEGORIES OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS

Computer systems can be classified relatively with respect to size, processing speed, storage capacity, and
application/use. The common classifications of computer systems are:
• Microcomputers – a small computer (same as desktop, personal computer, PC)
• Workstations
• Minicomputers – a mid-sized computer, which is more powerful and larger than micro but
smaller than a mainframe
• Mainframes (input/output bound) – a large computer that can serve manyusers
simultaneously
• Supercomputers (processor bound) – the category that includes the largest andmost powerful
computers.

A GLIMPSE ON SOME COMMON COMPUTER TERMS

Algorithm – a procedure that can be used to solve a particular problem.

Architecture – the design of a computer system.
Artificial intelligence (AI) – is the ability of a computer to reason, learn, strive for self-improvement, and
simulate human sensory capabilities.
Bit – a binary digit (0 or 1)
Boot – the startup procedure for a system that clears the RAM, loads an operating system and performs
other routines necessary to prepare the system for use. Starting acomputer by turning on the power is
a cold boot. Using a reset switch or pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del to restart a computer is called a warm
boot.
Bug – a logic or syntax error in a program, a logic error in the design of a computer system, or a hardware
fault.
Bus – the electrical connections/pathway through which the processor sends data and commands to RAM
and all peripheral devices.
Bytes – a term used to describe storage capacity which is equivalent to 8 bits or one character.
Characters – these are the set of letters, numbers, and symbols including space.
Click – to quickly press and release a mouse button while the mouse pointer is over an object.
Clone – a hardware device or software package that emulates a product with an established reputation and
market acceptance.
Computer console – the unit of a computer system that allows operator and computer to communicate.
Data processing – using the computer to perform operations on data.
Database – an organization’s data source for all computer-based information processing in which the data
are integrated and related to minimizing data redundancy, (2) an alternative term for microcomputer-
based data management software, (3) sane as a file in the context of microcomputer usage.
Database software –software that permits users to create and maintain a database and extract information
from the database.
Debug – to eliminate bugs in a program or system.
Desktop PC – any computer that can be placed conveniently on the top of a desk.
Desktop publishing software – desktop publishing software allows users to produce typeset-quality copy
for newsletters, advertisements, and many other printing needs, all from the confines of a desktop.
Double click – to quickly press a mouse button two times while the pointer is over an object.
Drag – to move the mouse pointer while pressing the mouse button.
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File – (1) a collection of related records; (2) a named area on a secondary storage devicethat contains a
program, data, and textual material.
Folder – a container for objects such as applications or files.
Graphics – visual data such as drawings, pictures, and video output.
Graphics software –software that facilitates the creation and management of computer-based images such
as pie graphs, line drawings, company logos, maps, clipart, and justabout anything else that can be
drawn in the traditional manner.
Hard copy – any printed output.
Hardware – the physical devices comprising a computer system.
Icons – pictures or symbols on-screen display that represent applications’ meanings,functions, or
commands.
Modem – (Modulator Demodulator) a device used to convert computer-compatible signalssuitable for data
transmission facilities and vice versa.
Motherboard – same as system board
Multimedia – computer applications that involve the interpretation of the text, sound, graphics, motion video,
and animation.
Network computer – an integration of computer systems, terminals, and communication links.
PC – personal computer, a single terminal computer, e.g., desktop, laptop, or notebook. Also known as a
microcomputer.
Peripheral device – any hardware device other than the processor especially input/output devices.
Ports – an access point in a computer system that permits communication between the computer and a
peripheral device.
Program – (1) computer instructions structured and ordered in a manner that, when executed, causes a
computer to perform a particular function; (2) the act of producing computer software.
Reboot – to restart a computer using a reset/restart button or pressing Ctrl + Alt + Del. Also called a warm
boot.
Scrolling – using the cursor keys to view parts of a document or file that extends past the top, bottom, or
sides of the screen.
System board – a microcomputer circuit board that contains the microprocessor, electronic circuitry for
handling such tasks as input/output signals from peripheral devices, and memory chips (same as
motherboard)
Virus – a program written with malicious intent and loaded into the computer system of an unsuspecting
victim. Ultimately the program destroys or introduces errors in the programs and databases.
Windows – a software product by Microsoft Corporation that provides a graphical user interface and
multitasking capabilities for the MS-DOS environment.
Word processing software – enables users to enter text, store it on magnetic storage media, manipulate it
in preparation for output, and produce a hard copy.
Common Acronyms in Computer Jargon

AI – Artificial Intelligence
ALU – Arithmetic Logic Unit
ASCII – American Standard Code for Information Interchange
BASIC – Beginner’s All-Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code
BIOS – Basic Input/Output System
CAD – Computer-Aided Design/Drawing
CD-ROM – Compact Disc Read-Only Memory
CGA – Color Graphics Adaptor
CMOS – Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor
COBOL – Common Business Oriented Language
CPU – Central Processing Unit
CRT – Cathode Ray Tube
DBMS – Database Management Systems
DTP – Desktop Publishing
EDP – Electronic Data Processing
FIFO – First in First Out
GUI – Graphical User Interface
HDD – Hard Disk Drive
IBM – International Business Machines
LAN – Local Area Network
LCD – Liquid Crystal Display
MIS – Management Information System
MS-DOS – Microsoft Disk Operating System
OCR – Optical Character Recognition
POST – Power on Self-Test
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RAM – Random Access Memory
ROM – Read-Only Memory
UPS – Uninterruptible Power Supply
VDT – Video Display Terminal
VGA – Video Graphics Array
VLSI – Very Large-Scale Integration
WAN – Wide Area Network
WYSIWYG – What You See Is What You Get

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