REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

BULACAN AGRICULTURAL STATE COLLEGE

INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT
PINAOD, SAN ILDEFONSO, BULACAN, PHILIPPINES

LIVING IN THE IT ERA

MST 103

History, Components, and

Classification of Computer
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration Major in
Marketing Management

Section: 1-D

Group 2 (Reporter 1)
Neil C. Puno
Jhaycee Sarmiento
Camille Mendoza
Carren Paula Tome
Erica Latona
Jasmin Mae Paclibar
Jervie Dela Cruz
Jhaymie Evangelista

Mr. Arnel S. Adriano

Assistant Professor IV

Contents of the Report

● Brief History of computers
 ● The Earliest Computing Devices
● Early Developments in Electronic Data Processing
● Generations of Computer
● Components of Computer

Objectives:
To be familiarized with the history, components, and classification of computers. As well as
the generations of computers.

Brief History of computers

The naive understanding of computation had to be overcome before the true power of
computing could be realized. The inventors who worked tirelessly to bring the computer into the
world had to realize that what they were creating was more than just a number cruncher or a
calculator. They had to address all of the difficulties associated with inventing such a machine,
implementing the design, and actually building the thing. The history of the computer is the history
of these difficulties being solved.

Root Word of Computer

The word computer is derived from the Latin word ‘computare’, which means ‘to calculate’,
‘to count’, ‘to think’, or ‘to sum up’.

What is a Computer?
A computer is an electronic machine that collects information, stores it, processes it
according to user instructions, and then returns the result. A computer is a programmable electronic
device that automatically performs arithmetic and logical operations using a list of instructions
supplied by the user.
A computer is a machine or device that performs processes, calculations and operations based
on instructions provided by a software or hardware program. It has the ability to accept data (input),
process it, and then produce outputs. Computers can also store data for later uses in appropriate
storage devices, and retrieve whenever it is necessary. Modern computers are electronic devices used
for a variety of purposes ranging from browsing the web, writing documents, editing videos, creating
applications, playing video games, etc. They are designed to execute applications and provide a
variety of solutions by combining integrated hardware and software components.

The Earliest Computing Devices

The earliest data processing equipment were all manual - mechanical devices due to the
absence of electricity and adequate industrial technology. People used sticks, stones, and bones as
counting tools before computers were invented. More computing devices were produced as
technology advanced and the human intellect improved over time. Let us look at a few of the early-
age computing devices used by mankind. The earliest data processing equipment were all manual -
mechanical devices due to the absence of electricity and adequate industrial technology.
Abacus
300 B.C. by the Babylonians
 Around 4,000 years ago, the Chinese developed the
abacus. It consists of a wooden rack with metal rods that have
beads strung on them. To perform mathematical operations, the
abacus operator moves the beads in accordance with
predetermined rules.
Note: how the abacus is really just a representation of the human
fingers: the 5 lower rings on each rod represent the 5 fingers and
the 2 upper rings represent the 2 hands.
Malfunctions: Abacus can solve basic addition,
subtraction, division and multiplication but not complex computations

John Napier
1550 – 1617
John Napier was a Scottish scholar who is best known for his invention
of logarithms, but other mathematical contributions include a mnemonic for
formulas used in solving spherical triangles and two formulas known as
Napier's analogies.
Napier’s Bones
In 1617 an eccentric Scotsman named John Napier
invented logarithms, which are a technology that allows
multiplication to be performed via addition. 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. Napier's
bones, also called Napier's rods, are numbered rods which can be used to
perform multiplication of any number by a number 2-9. By placing "bones"
corresponding to the multiplier on the left side and the bones corresponding to the digits of the
multiplicand next to it to the right, and product can be read off simply by adding pairs of numbers
(with appropriate carries as needed) in the row determined by the multiplier. This process was
published by Napier in 1617 in a book titled Rabdologia, so the process is also called rabdology.
Malfunctions: Pascaline becomes slower when it comes to multiplication

William Oughtred
William Oughtred and others developed the slide rule in
the 17th century based on the emerging work on logarithms by
John Napier.
William Oughtred ’s Slide Ruler
Before we had calculators we had slide rules. The circular
(1632) and rectangular (1620) slide rules were invented by an
Episcopalian minister and mathematician William Oughtred. A
calculating tool, the invention of the slide rule was made possible
by John Napier's invention of logarithms, and Edmund Gunter's invention of logarithmic scales,
which slide rules are based upon.
 Malfunction: Slide ruler don’t set decimal points; the user has to make a rough calculation to
determine the decimal point location in an answer

Blaise Pascal
In 1642 Blaise Pascal, at the age of 19, he invented the Pascaline as an aid for
his father who was a tax collector. Pascal built 50 of this gear-driven one-
function calculator (it could only add) but couldn't sell many because of their
exorbitant cost and because they really weren't that accurate (at that time it was
not possible to fabricate gears with the required precision)
Pascaline or Pascal Calculator
French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal invented the Pascaline in
1642. The earliest mechanical and automated calculator is said to have been
this one. Inside was a wooden box with wheels and gears.
Malfunction: Pascaline was limited to addition and positive numbers

Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz

July 1, 1646 – November 14, 1716
A German mathematician and philosopher. He occupies a prominent place
in the history of mathematics and the history of philosophy.
Stepped Reckoner
This device was created in 1673 by
German mathematician-philosopher Gottfried
Wilhelm Leibniz, who improved on Pascal's
innovation. Because it used fluted drums rather
than gears, the stepped reckoner was a digital mechanical calculator.
Malfunction: Stepped Reckoner suffered from one great
drawback, it didn't work. It cannot carry and borrow numbers automatically. You had to fiddle
with an arrow of pentagon widgets at the back of the machine to help it to borrow and carry digits
(vice-versa to Gottfried's theory of this machine.)

Joseph Marie Jacquard

7 July 1752 – 7 August 1834
French inventor of the Jacquard loom, which served as the impetus for
the technological revolution of the textile industry and is the basis of the
modern automatic loom.He played an important role in the development of
the earliest programmable loom (the "Jacquard loom"), which in turn played
an important role in the development of other programmable machines, such
as computers.
The Jacquard Loom
A mechanical loom, invented by Joseph Marie
Jacquard, first demonstrated in 1801, that simplifies the
process of manufacturing textiles with complex patterns
such as brocade, damask and matelasse. The loom was
controlled by a "chain of cards", a number of punched
cards, laced together into a continuous sequence
Malfunction: Jacquard Loom was an immediate success with mill owners because they could
hire cheaper and less skill workers. But weavers, fearing unemployment, rioted and called jacquard a
traitor.

Charles Babbage
26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871
By 1822 the English mathematician Charles Babbage was proposing a
steam driven calculating machine the size of a room, which he called the
Difference Engine. This machine would be able to compute tables of numbers,
such as logarithm tables.
Babbage’s Differential Engine
In the early 1820s, Charles Babbage created the Difference Engine. It
was a mechanical computer that could do basic computations. It was a steam-
powered calculating machine used to solve numerical tables such as
logarithmic tables.
Analytical Engine
Charles Babbage created another calculating machine, the Analytical Engine, in 1830. It was
a mechanical computer that took input from punch cards. It was capable of solving any mathematical
problem and storing data in an indefinite memory.

Figure 1: Differential Engine Figure 2: Analytical Engine

Ada Lovelace
Augusta Ada Byron, Lady Lovelace (10 December 1815 – 27 November
1852)
English mathematician and writer chiefly known for her work on Charles
Babbage's early mechanical general purpose computer, the Analytical
Engine. Her notes on the engine include what is recognised as the first
Algorithm intended to be processed by a machine. Because of this, she is
often described as the world's first computer programmer. Referred to as the
“First Programmer

Herman Hollerith
February 29, 1860 – November 17, 1929
An American statistician and inventor who developed a mechanical
tabulator based on punched cards to rapidly tabulate statistics from millions of
pieces of data. He was the founder of the Tabulating Machine Company that
later merged to become IBM. Hollerith is widely regarded as the father of
modern automatic computation.

Hollerith machine
The first automatic data processing system. It
was used to count the 1890 U.S. census. Developed by Herman Hollerith, a
statistician who had worked for the Census Bureau, the system used a hand
punch to record the data as holes in dollar-bill-sized punch cards and a
tabulating machine to count them. The tabulating machine contained a
spring-loaded pin for each potential hole in the card. When a card was
placed in the reader and the handle was pushed down, the pins that passed
through the holes closed electrical circuits causing counters to be incremented and a lid in the sorting
box to open.

Hollerith's Keypunch Machine

A pantograph used to create punch cards. To begin tabulating data, census
information had to be transferred from the census schedules to paper punch
cards using gang punches and pantographs. Using this equipment, Census
Bureau clerks "punched" each card to represent specific data on the census
schedule. All 62 million Americans were counted by punching holes into a
card from the census forms.
Early Developments in Electronic Data Processing

Mark I
Harvard Mark I, an early protocomputer, built during World
War II in the United States. While Vannevar Bush was working
on analog computing at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), across town Harvard University professor
Howard Aiken was working with digital devices for
calculation. He had begun to realize in hardware something like
the 19th-century English inventor Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine, which he had read about.
Starting in 1937, Aiken laid out detailed plans for a series of four calculating machines of increasing
sophistication, based on different technologies, from the largely mechanical Mark I to the electronic
Mark IV.

ENIAC
Developed by John Presper Eckert Jr. and John Mauchly.
(Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was the first
programmable, electronic, general-purpose digital computer,
completed in 1945.There were other computers that had these
features, but the ENIAC had all of them in one package. It was
Turing-complete and able to solve "a large class of numerical
problems" through reprogramming.

EDVAC
(Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) The successor to
ENIAC, EDVAC was designed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly at
the University of Pennsylvania in the 1940s. Although it was the first stored
program computer, it did not become operational until 1952, two years after
SEAC, which was based on EDVAC designs.

EDSAC
Electronic Delay Storage Automatic
Calculator, the first full-size stored-program computer, built
at the University of Cambridge, Eng., by Maurice Wilkes
and others to provide a formal computing service for users.
EDSAC was built according to the von Neumann machine
principles enunciated by the Hungarian American scientist
John von Neumann and, like the Manchester Mark I, became
operational in 1949. Wilkes built the machine chiefly to
study computer programming issues, which he realized would become as important as the hardware
details.

UNIVAC
Universal Automatic Computer, one of the earliest commercial
computers. After leaving the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at
the University of Pennsylvania, J. Presper Eckert, Jr., and John
Mauchly, who had worked on the engineering design of the ENIAC
computer for the United States during World War II, struggled to obtain
capital to build their latest design, a computer they called the Universal
Automatic Computer, or UNIVAC

IBM
Just as his father saw the company's future in tabulators rather
than scales and clocks, Thomas J. Watson, Jr., foresaw the role
computers would play in business, and he led IBM's
transformation from a medium-sized maker of tabulating
equipment and typewriters into a computer industry leader.

IBM 650
IBM sometimes refers to the 650 as its first computer, although it is
predated by at least ASCC (1943) and SSEC (1947), which were not
products, and the 701 (1952), which definitely was. Perhaps it is more
accurate to call it IBM's first commercial business computer (since the
701 was intended for scientific use), and the first computer to make a
meaningful profit. In any case, the IBM 650 was the first general-
purpose computer to be installed and used at Columbia University (the
NORC was built here in 1950-54, but the only Columbians who were able to use it were a couple
Watson Lab insiders [61,65]). As noted in the timeline, the Watson Lab 650s supported more than
200 Columbia research projects, and were also used in a series of intensive courses on computing.
Unfortunately I have not been able to locate photos of the Watson Lab machines.

IBM 701
IBM’s 1st commercial business computer
 Generation of Computers

Brief History of Generation of Computer

The word ‘computer’ has a very interesting origin. It was first used in the 16th century for a
person who used to compute, i.e. do calculations. The word was used in the same sense as a noun
until the 20th century. Women were hired as human computers to carry out all forms of calculations
and computations. By the last part of the 19th century, the word was also used to describe machines
that did calculations. The modern-day use of the word is generally to describe programmable digital
devices that run on electricity.

1st Generation
This was from the period of 1940 to 1955. This was when machine language was developed
for the use of computers. They used vacuum tubes for the circuitry. For the purpose of memory, they
used magnetic drums. These machines were complicated, large, and expensive. They were mostly
reliant on batch operating systems and punch cards. As output and input devices, magnetic tape and
paper tape were implemented. For example, ENIAC, UNIVAC-1, EDVAC, and so on.

The Inventor
John A. Fleming
First invented by a British scientist named John A. Fleming in 1919, although Edison had
made some dsicoveries while working on the lightbulb. The vacuum tube was improved by Lee
DeForest.

Electric Consumption of First Generation Computer

Per Day: 3.5 KW Per Week : 24.5 KW Per Month : 122.5 KW Per Year : 1,470 KW

The main characteristics of first generation of computers

● Main electronic component – vacuum tube
● Main memory – magnetic drums and magnetic tapes
● Programming language – machine language
● Power – consumes a lot of electricity and generates a lot of heat.
● Speed and size – very slow and very large in size (often taking up the entire room).
● Input/output devices – punched cards and paper tape.
● Examples – ENIAC, UNIVAC1, IBM 650, IBM 701, etc.
● Quantity – there were about 100 different vacuum tube computers produced between 1942
and1963.

Disadvantages of First Generation of Computers:

● Computers were larger.

● They consumed an outsized quantity of energy.
 ● They heated terribly shortly because of thousands of vacuum tubes.
● They weren’t terribly reliable.
● Air learning is needed.
● Constant maintenance was needed.
● Not transportable.
● Costly business production.
● Very less work potency.
● Limited programming capabilities.
● Use of punch cards

2nd Generation
Between 1957 and 1963, second-generation computers were in use. They go by the name
transistor computers as well. Transistors and magnetic cores are the two different sorts of
components that make up the second generation of computers. Compared to the first generation of
vacuum tube-based computers, the transistors contributed to the development of a superior computer.
IBM 1920, IBM 7094, CDC 1604, CDC 3600, IBM 1401, and other second generation computers
were in use between 1957 and 1963. They go by the name transistor computers as well. Transistors
and magnetic cores are the two different sorts of components that make up the second generation of
computers. Compared to the first generation of vacuum tube-based computers, the transistors
contributed to the development of a superior computer.

The Inventors
The first transistor was invented at Bell Laboratories on December 16, 1947 by William
Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain.

Characteristics of the second generation of computer are:

● Smaller in size: The Second generation of computers are much smaller in size than the first
generation computers.
● Change in circuits: The main change is the use of transistors in place of vacuum tubes
(Vacuum tubes are used in the first generation of computers).
● Power/ Energy Requirement: The second generation of computers requires less energy (i.e.
electricity) compared to the first generation of computers and produces less heat than the
first-generation computer.
● Language used: Assembly language is used instead of Machine Language (used in first-
generation computers) for programming in computers.
● Speed: Calculation of data could be done in microseconds.
● Cost: The cost of Second-generation computers is reduced in comparison to first-generation
computers.

Advantages of second-generation computers:

● They are smaller in size as compared to the first generation.
● It is more reliable
 ● Uses less power and generates less heat.
● The speed of the second generation is faster as compared to the first generation.
● Second generation computers have improved accuracy and offer better portability.

Disadvantages of second-generation computers:

● As we know, they generate less heat but still require a cooling system.
● They require frequent maintenance.
● The commercial production of second generation computers is difficult.
● They are used only for some specific purpose.
● They use punch cards for input.

3rd Generation
The third generation of computers is an improvement over the first and second. Between
1965 and 1971, the third generation of computers was in development. Transistors are replaced by
integrated circuits in computers of the third generation. The semiconductor material that makes up an
integrated circuit (IC) has hundreds of little transistors embedded in it. The computer becomes more
dependable, quick, low-maintenance, compact, produces less heat, and costs less thanks to IC.
Therefore, in comparison to first and second generation computers, third generation computers are
significantly faster, more effective, dependable, require less maintenance, and are smaller in size
thanks to ICs. Even though third generation computers are a little more expensive and require an air
conditioner for cooling, they nevertheless use less electricity.
The computational time is shortened by computers of the third generation. The computational
time fell from a microsecond in the previous generation to a nanosecond. Punch cards were replaced
by the mouse and keyboard in this generation. This generation also saw the introduction of
multiprogramming operating systems, time-sharing, and remote processing. Third generation
computers used high level programming languages including BASIC, PASCAL, ALGOL-68,
COBOL, and FORTRAN II.
The third generation of computers has more storage space than the generations before it.
There is magnetic storage in these machines. The IBM 370, PDP-11, IBM System/360, UNIVAC
1108, Honeywell-6000, DEC series, and ICL 2900 are a few examples of third-generation
computers.

Inventor of IC
The idea of integrating electronic circuits into a single device was born, when the German
physicist and engineer Werner Jacobi (de) developed and patented the first known integrated
transistor amplifier in 1949 and the British radio engineer Geoffrey Dummer proposed to integrate a
variety of standard electronic components in a monolithic semiconductor crystal in 1952. A year
later, Harwick Johnson filed a patent for a prototype integrated circuit (IC).

Characteristics of Third Generation Computers:

● As compared to previous generations, the third generation computers were more reliable, fast,
efficient, less expensive, and smaller in size.
● In third generation computers, high-level programming languages were used such as BASIC,
PASCAL, ALGOL-68, COBOL, FORTRAN – II, PASCAL PL/1.
 ● The punch cards were replaced with mouse and keyboards.
● The integrated circuit technology replaces the use of individual transistors.
● The computers have high storage capacity.

Advantages of Third Generation Computers:

● Computer required less space due to the use of integrated circuits (IC). A single integrated
circuit (IC) contains transistors, resistors, condensers, condensers, etc. on a piece of the
silicon semiconductor substrate.
● It produces less head and requires less energy during operations. Due to this third generation
computers have less hardware failure as compared to previous generations.
● In third generation computers, the punch cards were removed and the input was taken with
the help of a mouse and keyboards.
● They have high storage capacity and give more accurate results, which helps to store and
compute and calculate more precise operations.
● The computers were portable and offered better speed.

Disadvantages of Third Generation Computers:

● These computers still required air conditioning.
● To manufacture IC, highly sophisticated technology was required.
● Maintaining IC chips was difficult.

4th Generation
The fourth generation of computers was introduced in 1972 following the third generation,
which mostly used microprocessors. These computers made use of Very Large Scale Integrated
(VLSI) technology, or circuits. Thus, they were given the name "microprocessors." A silicon chip,
which is used to create a microprocessor, has thousands of integrated circuits.
VLSI circuits could do a variety of complex tasks and computations and had roughly 5000
transistors on a very small chip. The fourth generation of computers, which made use of VLSI
technology, shared traits with the construction of integrated circuits (ICs), which include packing
multiple transistors onto a single chip. Because of the technology used to create them, fourth-
generation computers, for instance, were more adaptable, had a bigger primary storage capacity,
were faster and more dependable, were portable, were very small and compact, and so on. Because
of this, these computers were compact and used a minimal amount of electricity to run.
Due to their cheaper price in this day and age, computers have grown in popularity. The
personal computer (PC) revolution was also helped along by fourth-generation computers. Today's
computers are all built using microprocessor technology. Producing chips is not expensive. While
processor chips are used as the main CPU, memory chips are used for dynamic RAM (random access
memory). There are millions of transistors used in both types of chips (Memory and processor
chips). The chips, which combine CPU and memory chips onto a single silicon die, might become
available in the future.
At the time, the SSI integrated circuits technology could only accommodate ten to twenty
components (small-scale integration). Medium-scale integration, a technique made feasible by the
development of advanced technology in the field of ICs, allows for the placement of hundreds of
components on a single chip (MSI). Over 30,000 components can now be found on a single chip
thanks to advancements in technology. With the aim of creating technology that can integrate
millions of components on a single chip (a procedure known as a very-large-scale integration), the
quest for more advanced technology is currently ongoing (VLSI).
The brain of the fourth-generation computers is an LSI chip. This technology made it
possible to build extremely compact computers that were also incredibly powerful. This led to a
social revolution in the field of computers. A postage stamp-sized computer circuit was soon
available on a single ship.
The first "supercomputers" that were capable of accurately doing several calculations were
part of this generation of computers. They also employed networking and higher and more complex
languages as inputs, such as C, C+, C++, DBASE, etc.

Architecture
The fourth generation of computers contains five separate
units and they are input, arithmetic and logic, memory, output, and
control units. The physical location of the computer’s functional unit
is depicted in the diagram below. Users enter data (digital
information) into the unit using input devices such as a mouse,
keyboard, microphone, and so on. The data is either processed or not
based on the type of input.

Some fourth generation computers are STAR 1000, CRAY-X-MP(SuperComputer), DEC 10, PDP
11, and CRAY-1

The Inventors
The first microprocessor was created by the company Intel. In fourth-generation computers, a
microprocessor with serial numbers is employed. The serial numbers display both the capability and
the speed of the machine. The first "personal computer," or PC, created by IBM was a product of this
generation.

Features of Fourth Generation Computers

● Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits are used in a microprocessor-based system.
● In this generation, microcomputers became the most affordable.
● Handheld computers have grown in popularity and cost.
● In this age, networking between systems was invented and became commonplace.
● The quantity of memory and other storage devices available has expanded dramatically.
● The outputs are now more consistent and precise.
● The processing power, or speed, has skyrocketed.
● With the expansion of storage systems’ capacity, huge programs began to be used.
● Great advancements in hardware aided in the improvement of the screen, paper, and other
output.
● Multiple high-level languages, such as BASIC, PASCAL, COBOL, FORTRAN, and C, were
developed in the fourth generation.
Advantages Fourth Generation of Computer
● They were designed to be used for a wide range of purposes (general-purpose computers).
 ● Smaller and more dependable than previous generations of computers.
● There was very little heat generated.
● In many circumstances, the fourth-generation computer does not require a cooling system.
● Portable and less expensive than previous versions.
● Computers from the fourth generation were significantly quicker than those from previous
generations.
● The Graphics User Interface (GUI) technology was used to provide users with better comfort.
During this time, PCs became more inexpensive and widespread.
● Repair time and maintenance costs are reduced.
● They were also created with the intention of being used in commercial production.
● In this form of computer, any type of high-level language can be employed.

Disadvantages of the Fourth Generation of Computer

● The fabrication of the ICs necessitated the use of cutting-edge technologies (Integrated
Circuits).
● Only ICs can be made with a high-quality and reliable system or technology.
● Microprocessors must be manufactured using cutting-edge technology, which necessitates the
use of a cooler (fan).

5th Generation
The most recent and most technologically sophisticated generation of computers is this one.
As input techniques, modern high-level languages like Python, R, C#, Java, and others are employed.
These rely on Ultra Large Scale Integration (ULSI) technology and are very trustworthy. War.
Computers employ hardware for parallel processing and software for artificial intelligence.
These state-of-the-art scientific computing devices are being used to create software for
artificial intelligence (AI). A well-known area of computer science called artificial intelligence (AI)
studies the concepts and approaches for teaching computers to behave like people. It's still in its early
stages.
In the fifth generation of computers, all high-level languages are employed. The primary goal
of the fifth generation is to create machines that can learn and organize themselves. Artificial
intelligence and parallel processing hardware are at the heart of this generation of computers, and
artificial intelligence encompasses terms like Robotics, Neural Networks, etc.
This system's main objective is to advance artificial intelligence and implement it in a new
generation of incredibly powerful computers that the average person can utilize. AI-based systems
are used in many different real-world applications and have several advantages. Systems are capable
of operating well in circumstances that a human could meet with the aid of suitable training when a
particular set of knowledge and skills are required. However, they do not work well when a human
may acquire tacit knowledge by speaking in natural language and when form and speech recognition
are important.
One of the key components of the fifth generation of computers is the use of AI, which
contributes to their increased power. AI applications are widely used in navigation and browsing.
Along with other things, it's utilized for image processing and video analysis. Practically every
aspect of computing is expected to be automated by artificial intelligence.
 Although still under development, fifth generation computers are more potent, useful, and
quick. Some advantages of ULSI (Ultra Large-Scale Integration) technology-based computers.
Artificial intelligence (AI) technology is used by computers in the fifth generation, and it is used to
create expert systems, play games, and more. Thanks to AI technology, these machines could
understand human language and identify graphs and pictures. The development of fifth-generation
computers will allow them to handle highly challenging jobs, such as interacting with natural
language. Hopefully, they will be less expensive than the current generation and be able to use many
CPUs. These computers can be moved from one place to another fairly easily. Among fifth-
generation computers are the IBM laptops,PARAM 10000, Intel P4, Laptops, etc.

The Inventors
After the creation of the fourth-generation computers, the fifth generation was introduced.
Modern computers, also referred to as fifth-generation computers, are currently under development
and are based on artificial intelligence. In 1982, the FGCS was developed in Japan (Fifth Generation
Computer System). This generation of computers uses parallel processing and microelectronic
technology, which has a high processing capacity.

Features of Fifth-generation Computers

● The ULSI (ultra large scale integration) technology is used in this generation of computers.
● Natural language processing is now in its fifth phase of development.
● In this generation’s computers, artificial intelligence has progressed.
● Parallel processing has advanced on these computers.
● The fifth-generation computer includes more user-friendly interfaces and multimedia
functions.
● These PCs can be purchased for a lower price.
● Computers that are more portable and powerful.
● Computers are dependable and less expensive.
● It’s easier to manufacture in a commercial setting.
● Desktop computers are straightforward to operate.
● Mainframe computers are extremely efficient.

Advantages of Fifth Generation of Computer

● These computers are far quicker than previous generations.
● These computers are simpler to repair.
● These computers are substantially smaller in size than other generation computers.
● They are lightweight and easy to move.
● True artificial intelligence is being developed.
● Parallel Processing has progressed.
● Superconductor technology has progressed.

Disadvantages of Fifth Generation of Computer

● They’re usually sophisticated but could be difficult to use.
● They can give businesses additional power to monitor your activities and potentially infect
your machine.
 The History of Computer

1801 – Joseph Marie Jacquard, a weaver and businessman from France, devised a loom that
employed punched wooden cards to automatically weave cloth designs.
1822 – Charles Babbage, a mathematician, invented the steam-powered calculating machine capable
of calculating number tables. The “Difference Engine” idea failed owing to a lack of technology at
the time.
1848 – The world’s first computer program was written by Ada Lovelace, an English mathematician.
Lovelace also includes a step-by-step tutorial on how to compute Bernoulli numbers using
Babbage’s machine.
1890 – Herman Hollerith, an inventor, creates the punch card technique used to calculate the 1880
U.S. census. He would go on to start the corporation that would become IBM.
Early 20th Century
1930 – Differential Analyzer was the first large-scale automatic general-purpose mechanical
analogue computer invented and built by Vannevar Bush.
1936 – Alan Turing had an idea for a universal machine, which he called the Turing machine, that
could compute anything that could be computed.
1939 – Hewlett-Packard was discovered in a garage in Palo Alto, California by Bill Hewlett and
David Packard.
1941 – Konrad Zuse, a German inventor and engineer, completed his Z3 machine, the world’s first
digital computer. However, the machine was destroyed during a World War II bombing strike on
Berlin.
1941 – J.V. Atanasoff and graduate student Clifford Berry devise a computer capable of solving 29
equations at the same time. The first time a computer can store data in its primary memory.
1945 – University of Pennsylvania academics John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert create an
Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC). It was Turing-complete and capable of
solving “a vast class of numerical problems” by reprogramming, earning it the title of “Grandfather
of computers.”
1946 – The UNIVAC I (Universal Automatic Computer) was the first general-purpose electronic
digital computer designed in the United States for corporate applications.
1949 – The Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator (EDSAC), developed by a team at the
University of Cambridge, is the “first practical stored-program computer.”
1950 – The Standards Eastern Automatic Computer (SEAC) was built in Washington, DC, and it
was the first stored-program computer completed in the United States.
Late 20th Century
1953 – Grace Hopper, a computer scientist, creates the first computer language, which becomes
known as COBOL, which stands for COmmon, Business-Oriented Language. It allowed a computer
user to offer the computer instructions in English-like words rather than numbers.
1954 – John Backus and a team of IBM programmers created the FORTRAN programming
language, an acronym for FORmula TRANslation. In addition, IBM developed the 650.
1958 – The integrated circuit, sometimes known as the computer chip, was created by Jack Kirby
and Robert Noyce.
1962 – Atlas, the computer, makes its appearance. It was the fastest computer in the world at the
time, and it pioneered the concept of “virtual memory.”
1964 – Douglas Engelbart proposes a modern computer prototype that combines a mouse and a
graphical user interface (GUI).
1969 – Bell Labs developers, led by Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, revealed UNIX, an
operating system developed in the C programming language that addressed program compatibility
difficulties.
1970 – The Intel 1103, the first Dynamic Access Memory (DRAM) chip, is unveiled by Intel.
1971 – The floppy disc was invented by Alan Shugart and a team of IBM engineers. In the same
year, Xerox developed the first laser printer, which not only produced billions of dollars but also
heralded the beginning of a new age in computer printing.
1973 – Robert Metcalfe, a member of Xerox’s research department, created Ethernet, which is used
to connect many computers and other gear.
1974 – Personal computers were introduced into the market. The first were the Altair Scelbi & Mark-
8, IBM 5100, and Radio Shack’s TRS-80.
1975 – Popular Electronics magazine touted the Altair 8800 as the world’s first minicomputer kit in
January. Paul Allen and Bill Gates offer to build software in the BASIC language for the Altair.
1976 – Apple Computers is founded by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak, who expose the world to the
Apple I, the first computer with a single-circuit board.
1977 – At the first West Coast Computer Faire, Jobs and Wozniak announce the Apple II. It has
colour graphics and a cassette drive for storing music.
1978 – The first computerized spreadsheet program, VisiCalc, is introduced.
1979 – WordStar, a word processing tool from MicroPro International, is released.
1981 – IBM unveils the Acorn, their first personal computer, which has an Intel CPU, two floppy
drives, and a colour display. The MS-DOS operating system from Microsoft is used by Acorn.
1983 – The CD-ROM, which could carry 550 megabytes of pre-recorded data, hit the market. This
year also saw the release of the Gavilan SC, the first portable computer with a flip-form design and
the first to be offered as a “laptop.”
1984 – Apple launched Macintosh during the Superbowl XVIII commercial. It was priced at $2,500
1985 – Microsoft introduces Windows, which enables multitasking via a graphical user interface. In
addition, the programming language C++ has been released.
1990 – Tim Berners-Lee, an English programmer and scientist, creates HyperText Markup
Language, widely known as HTML. He also coined the term “WorldWideWeb.” It includes the first
browser, a server, HTML, and URLs.
1993 – The Pentium CPU improves the usage of graphics and music on personal computers.
1995 – Microsoft’s Windows 95 operating system was released. A $300 million promotional
campaign was launched to get the news out. Sun Microsystems introduces Java 1.0, followed by
Netscape Communications’ JavaScript.
1996 – At Stanford University, Sergey Brin and Larry Page created the Google search engine.
1998 – Apple introduces the iMac, an all-in-one Macintosh desktop computer. These PCs cost
$1,300 and came with a 4GB hard drive, 32MB RAM, a CD-ROM, and a 15-inch monitor.
1999 – Wi-Fi, an abbreviation for “wireless fidelity,” is created, originally covering a range of up to
300 feet.
21st Century
2000 – The USB flash drive is first introduced in 2000. They were speedier and had more storage
space than other storage media options when used for data storage.
2001 – Apple releases Mac OS X, later renamed OS X and eventually simply macOS, as the
successor to its conventional Mac Operating System.
2003 – Customers could purchase AMD’s Athlon 64, the first 64-bit CPU for consumer computers.
2004 – Facebook began as a social networking website.
2005 – Google acquires Android, a mobile phone OS based on Linux.
2006 – Apple’s MacBook Pro was available. The Pro was the company’s first dual-core, Intel-based
mobile computer.
Amazon Web Services, including Amazon Elastic Cloud 2 (EC2) and Amazon Simple Storage
Service, were also launched (S3)
2007 – The first iPhone was produced by Apple, bringing many computer operations into the palm of
our hands. Amazon also released the Kindle, one of the first electronic reading systems, in 2007.
2009 – Microsoft released Windows 7.
2011 – Google introduces the Chromebook, which runs Google Chrome OS.
2014 – The University of Michigan Micro Mote (M3), the world’s smallest computer, was
constructed.
2015 – Apple introduces the Apple Watch. Windows 10 was also released by Microsoft.
2016 – The world’s first reprogrammable quantum computer is built.

Elements of Computer

Computer Elements
A computer consists of four elements that will make a computer really useful.
These are:
● Hardware
● Software
● Peopleware
● Data

Computer Hardware
➢ Refers to the physical components of a computer (what you can see and touch)
➢ It consists of interconnected devices that control the operations of a computer
➢ Input devices
➢ Output devices
➢ Storage devices
➢ Processor
➢ Other computer peripherals

Input Devices
 An input device is a piece of hardware used to provide data to a computer used for interaction
and control. It allows input of raw data to the computer for processing.
➢ Mouse
➢ Keyboard
➢ Camera
➢ Microphone
➢ Scanner
➢ Web Cam
➢ Joystick

Output Device
An output device is a piece of computer hardware that receives data from a computer and
then translates that data into another form.
➢ Monitor
➢ Printer
➢ Speakers
➢ Headphones
➢ Projector
➢ Plotter
➢ GPS

Storage Devices
A storage device is a piece of hardware that is primarily used for storing data. Every desktop
computer, laptop, tablet, and smartphone will have some kind of storage device within it. There are
also standalone, external storage drives that you can use across devices.
➢ SD card
➢ DVD/CD
➢ Flash Drive

Processor
A processor is an integrated electronic circuit that performs the calculations that run a
computer.

Peripherals
A peripheral or peripheral device is an auxiliary device used to put information into and get
information out of a computer.

Computer Software
Software is a collection of instructions and data that tell a computer how to work. This is in
contrast to hardware, from which the system is built and actually performs the work.
➢ System Software is designed to run a computer's application programs and hardware. System
software coordinates the activities and functions of the hardware and software. In addition, it
controls the operations of the computer hardware and provides an environment or platform
for all the other types of software to work in. The OS is the best example of system software;
 it manages all the other computer programs. Other examples of system software include the
firmware computer language translators and system utilities.
➢ Application Software The most common type of software, application software is a
computer software package that performs a specific function for a user, or in some cases, for
another application. Examples of modern application include office suites, graphics software,
databases and database management programs, web browsers, word processors, software
development tools, image editors and communication platforms.
➢ Driver software. Also known as device drivers, this software is often considered a type of
system software. Device drivers control the devices and peripherals connected to a computer,
enabling them to perform their specific tasks. Every device that is connected to a computer
needs at least one device driver to function. Examples include software that comes with any
nonstandard hardware, including special game controllers, as well as the software that
enables standard hardware, such as USB storage devices, keyboards, headphones and
printers.
➢ Programming software. Computer programmers use programming software to write code.
Programming software and programming tools enable developers to develop, write, test and
debug other software programs. Examples of programming software include assemblers,
compilers, debuggers and interpreters.

Peopleware
Peopleware can refer to anything that has to do with the role of people in the development or
use of computer software and hardware systems, including such issues as developer productivity,
teamwork, group dynamics, the psychology of programming, project management, organizational
factors, human interface design, and human-machine-interaction
➢ IT Specialist
➢ Engineers
➢ Teachers
➢ System Administrator
➢ Business/Product owner
➢ Students
➢ Others
Data
Data is information that has been translated into a form that is efficient for movement or
processing. Relative to today's computers and transmission media, data is information converted into
binary digital form. Data can be classified as formatted data, text, image, audio and video.
➢ Formatted Data- includes the numerical or alphabetical data.
➢ Text- is a series of letters, numbers and other characters.
➢ Image- is data in the form of a picture, a graph or a hand-drawn picture.
➢ Audio- is data in the form of sounds
➢ Video- combined pictures that are displayed to portray action

Parts of a Computer
1. The computer case
This is the part that holds all of the parts of a computer to make up the computer system.
It is usually designed in such a manner to make fitting a motherboard, wiring, and drives as easy as
possible. Some are designed so well that it is easy to make everything look tidy and presentable too.
Cases come in all different sizes and shapes to accommodate various types of computer components
and satisfy the consumer’s needs. Design elements can vary from being plain to highly elaborate.
You can get a plain grey desktop case or one with colored lighting everywhere to make it look
spectacular. Computer cases rely on computer fans inside them to create proper airflow to keep all
the internal parts cool and working reliably. A computer case, like most things, varies in quality. You
can get them made from cheap metals or good quality materials that provide you with a sturdy
design.

2. Motherboard
The CPU, RAM, drives, power supply, and more are connected to it. Its function involves
integrating all the physical components to communicate and operate together. A good motherboard
offers a wide amount of connectivity options. It also has the least amount of bottlenecks possible.
This allows all the components to operate efficiently and to fulfill their maximum potential as they
were designed to do. Obviously, as the physical size is reduced, it begins to limit connectivity
options and functionality.

3. Central Processing Unit (CPU)

The CPU or central processing unit is basically like the brain of computer systems. It
processes all the information on a computational level.
It takes all the processes from the RAM and processes it to perform the tasks required by the
computer system. The central processing unit is usually seated in a socket that utilizes a lever or a
latch with a hinged plate with a cut out in the center to secure the central processing unit onto the
motherboard. It has many copper pads underneath it for the socket contacts to push up against them
to make electrical contact. There are other ways CPUs can be attached to the motherboard.

Here are some common examples:

ZIF (Zero Insertion Force): Although this is a more desirable socket, they are mostly found on
older computer motherboards. A lever-operated mechanism to clamp the pins of the processor.
PGA (Pin Grid Array): It is also a ZIF socket but has a different pin pitch and contains a different
pin count.
LGA (Land Grid Array): More commonly found on motherboards today. A levered hinged plate
with a center cut-out clamps down on the processor.
BGA (Ball Grid Array): The central processing unit is soldered directly onto the motherboard. This
makes it a non-user swappable part. It is susceptible to bad connectivity.

A processor generates a decent amount of heat, especially when it is working under high loads. It
will run even hotter when it is set to a higher clock speed to make it run faster. This is called
overclocking. This is why a heatsink and fan assembly are required to draw the heat away from the
central processing unit and distribute it to thin sheets or fins of metal for the fan to cool down. There
are so many different types of computer processors. The top manufacturers of processors are Intel,
AMD, and NVidia.
4. Random Access Memory (RAM)
RAM or random access memory is a data storage device that can provide fast read and write
access. RAM is volatile memory, meaning it loses all the stored data when power is lost. The RAM
keeps data ready for the CPU to process. The RAM speed is a big contributor to the overall speed of
a computer system. It plugs directly into a long slot that has contacts on either side of the slot. It, too,
has a clock speed, just like a processor. So, it can also be overclocked to deliver increased
performance beyond the intended specification. Certain RAM modules are sold with a heat spreader.
It helps dissipate the heat from the individual memory ICs, keeping them cooler.
RAM has evolved like any other component. RAM used on the motherboard often uses DDR
(Double Data Rate) SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) type memory. RAM
Amount always comes in powers of 2, so you will always see numbers like 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB
of RAM, to mention some examples of memory units.

5. Graphics Card
A graphics card is an output device that processes the data from the motherboard and sends
the appropriate information to the computer’s screen for display. You can connect monitors to it
using HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, or VGA connectors. It can also be referred to as a video or display
card. A video card takes the burden of all the video processing from the main CPU. This gives a
computer a big boost in performance. Because of the large processing requirements for a gaming
GPU, fans are almost a given. A video card plugs into a PCI Express (Peripheral Component
Interconnect Express) slot on the motherboard. It is a serial expansion bus slot capable of high
bandwidth in two directions. A graphics card has a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), the main part of
a computer system that requires cooling. A graphics processing unit is slower than a CPU but is
designed to deal with mathematical operations required for video rendering. The card’s memory
amount varies depending on the manufacturer’s design. Video cards use GDDR (Graphics Double
Data Rate) SDRAM, which is specially designed to optimize graphics performance. GDDR is built
to handle a higher bandwidth compared to plain DDR ram.

6. Sound Card
Most of the time, the sound chip built into the motherboard is used for audio output. But, if
you are a sound enthusiast or prefer high-quality audio output while playing a game, you might be
inclined to use a sound card. Sound cards plug into a computer in multiple ways. It can be through
USB, PCI slot, or PCI Express x 1 slot. External DACs have gained much more popularity and help
deliver clearer and more defined audio or high-definition sound output. They connect up using an IO
cable like a USB cable to your computer or laptop and provide a line out for your speakers or
headphones. A sound processing chip on the card does all of the audio processing and is usually not
a very powerful processor. A sound card can offer a wide range of connectivity with various audio
equipment. A few examples could be optical audio, a 1/4 inch jack, or RCA connectors.

7. Hard Drive
A hard drive is still found in most computers to this day. It’s usually a mechanical drive that
stores all the data. Apart from storing data, it can also be used as a boot drive to run the operating
system from it. You can install operating systems of many different kinds depending on your needs.
An operating system is a software program that’s installed, making a computer useable like
Microsoft Windows, for example. The biggest vulnerability of a mechanical drive is its physically
fragile nature. One bump the wrong way can destroy a whole drive. A mechanical hard drive
contains one or more platters that spin anywhere between 5200 to 10000 RPM (revolutions per
minute). The read and write heads are spaced only about 0.002 (51 micro M) inches away from the
platter. This gives you an idea about the physical limitations regarding its fragile nature. Small areas
on the platter can be arranged to represent a 1 or a 0. It can be changed using the drive head to alter
the material to represent the correct value magnetically. This is how to write data to the drive for
storage. There are various categories of hard drives made for various real-world applications.

Some examples include:

General use for desktops or laptop computers.
Gaming optimized for desktops or laptop computers.
General high capacity storage.
NAS Devices.
Servers.
Video recording.

They can also be purchased as an external drive that usually connects to your computer by USB
cable. An uninterruptible power supply is sometimes used to prevent data loss with mechanical
drives where a sudden power outage is experienced or the power cord is accidentally disconnected
while the computer is running. This allows proper shutdowns for desktop systems that have
experienced sudden power loss.

8. SSD: Solid State Drive

An SSD is also a type of hard drive, but it doesn’t have any moving parts. It consists of a
bank of flash memory that can hold a reasonable amount of data. While SSDs are increasing in size
all the time, they aren’t cost-effective for storing large amounts of data. A mechanical drive has a
cheaper gigabyte to dollar ratio. However, the SSD is a high-performance drive. It’s fast and cannot
be as easily damaged by dropping it or taking a few bumps. SSDs are available as 2.5-inch laptop
encapsulated drives as well as an M.2 SDD as the most commonly used kinds on the market.
That’s why I always recommend SSDs for portable-type computers where possible.

9. PSU: Power Supply Unit

A power supply unit mounts inside the computer case. This converts the AC mains supply
from the power cord from a wall socket and supplies the correct DC voltages to all the components
inside the computer.

A computer power supply supplies the following voltages:

+3.3v: This voltage is supplied to the motherboard.
+5V: This voltage is supplied to the motherboard and other computer hardware.
+12V: This voltage is supplied to the motherboard and other components.
-12V: This voltage is supplied to the motherboard.
It plays an important role in keeping a computer running reliably.
You get different wattage ratings for power supplies. The higher the wattage, the higher the electrical
current that can be made available to many other parts that need it in order to function properly. The
higher you go in Watts, the more the power supply will be likely to cost. A power supply also comes
with its own cooling fan. This helps all the internal components to stay cool when the power supply
is subjected to bigger loads.

10. Monitor or Visual Display Unit (VDU)

A monitor is an output device used to visualize the graphics data sent from the computer’s
GPU.
There are various types of monitors on the market. A LED (Light Emitting Diode) backlit LCD
(Liquid Crystal Display) monitor is the most commonly used with modern computers. There are also
various computer screen sizes with different aspect ratios. The aspect ratio is simply the ratio
between height and width. For example, a 16:9 aspect ratio computer screen will have 16 parts wide
to 9 parts in height. There are also curved monitors, but they are more expensive computer screens.
Monitors also have a fast response time to keep up with the high demands required to eliminate
delays with user input for gaming.

11. Keyboard
A keyboard is an input device that is one of the ways to communicate with a computer.
Typing a key from the keyboard sends a small portion of data to tell the computer which key was
pressed. Once the computer receives input from the keyboard, it can use the keystrokes in digital
form to produce a specific task in any software that’s being used. The computer system can use this
information in many ways. An example could be a command or a character that can be used in a
document. There are two main different types of keyboards. Mechanical and membrane types.

12. Mouse
A mouse is an input device that allows the user to move a pointer displayed on the monitor
and experience a more intuitive interaction with the computer system. These days mice have more
buttons than the common three. However, the three main buttons allow the user to select, grab, scroll
and access extra menus and options. A computer mouse is a handy pointing device that can be wired
or wireless. The latter obviously requires batteries. Optical mice of today allow for very accurate
precision and smooth movement.

Common external peripherals

Printer
A printer can take an image sent by a computer and deliver it onto a sheet of paper. It does
this by using the data from the computer, and by either using toner or ink, it deposits one of these in
a controlled and accurate manner to form the image.
Scanner
A scanner can take anything on paper and scan it to produce a replicated digital image. This
is also handy for saving physical photos you want to preserve. Once the photo is stored digitally, it
won’t decay as a physical photo does over time. The flatbed scanner is the most commonly used
today. Many all-in-one devices, also known as multifunction devices, have printer and scanning
capabilities in one reasonably compact product.

Computer Speakers
Computer speakers can connect up to the sound card at the rear of the computer. Another way
they can be connected is by a monitor that already has built-in speakers. Generally, the sound quality
is poor from a monitor’s speakers. That’s why most people buy a set of computer speakers for their
desk. You can even connect up a 7.1 surround speaker system to certain sound cards. This can add a
nicer experience to gaming, playing music, or watching a film.

Additional Information

Reference
❖ https://byjus.com/question-answer/from-where-was-the-word-computer-derived/
❖ https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4607/computer
❖ https://www.thoughtco.com/history-of-the-slide-rule-1992408
❖ https://history-computer.com/pascaline-calculator/
❖ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Wilhelm_Leibniz
❖ https://www.britannica.com/biography/Joseph-Marie-Jacquard
❖ http://www.columbia.edu/cu/computinghistory/hollerith.html
❖ https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/fifth-generation-of-computers/?ref=lbp
❖ www.youtube.com