Computer Fundamentals Unit 1

Unit 1 Computer Basics

Structure:
1.1 Introduction
Objectives
1.2 Characteristics of a Computer
1.3 Criteria for Using Computers
1.4 History of Computers
1.5 Generations of Computer
1.6 Classification of Computers
1.7 Applications of Computer
1.8 Basic Components of PC
1.9 Computer Architecture
Input Devices
Output Devices
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Functions of various Devices of a Computer
1.10 Summary
1.11 Terminal Questions
1.12 Answers

1.1 Introduction
In the beginning of the civilization, our ancestors used the figures and
pebbles for computing purposes. With the growth in civilization, our need for
computing also grew. The need for a mechanism to perform lengthy and
complex calculations led to the invention of first calculator and then to
computers.
The term ‘computer’ is derived from the word ‘compute’, which means to
calculate. A computer can be defined as an electronic device which
processes the input (data) and displays the desired output. Computer is also
used for storing data. In this unit you will be studying characteristics of
computers and get to know the different classifications of computers. You
will also study the different applications of computers. Further we will
discuss the architecture of computer in which we can explain the different
devices and will know different functions of those devices.

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Objectives:
After studying this unit, you should be able to:
 list the characteristics of computers
 classify various generations of computers
 elaborate the different classifications of computers
 Identify the applications of computers
 explain various components of a computer

1.2 Characteristics of Computer

Nowadays you find computers everywhere like in the offices, home,
automobiles, schools, colleges etc. The world runs on computers and they
have changed our lives for the better. Let us discuss some of the
characteristics of a computer which make them an essential part of every
emerging technology and such a desirable tool in human development.
 Speed: The computers process data at an extremely fast rate. The
speed of a computer is calculated in MHz (Megahertz), that is, one
million instructions per second. The latest computers can perform
billions of operations in just one second.
 Storage: The computers can store large amounts of data and it can
recall the required information almost instantaneously. The main
memory of the computer is relatively small and it can hold only certain
amount of data, therefore, the data is stored on secondary storage
devices like magnetic tapes and disks.
 Accuracy: We can say that computers are accurate because the
computers are capable of doing only what they are instructed to do, so
faulty data for processing automatically lead to a faulty results. The level
of accuracy depends on the instructions and the type of machines being
used.
 Reliability: Reliability generally means the measurement of the
performance of a computer, which is measured against some
predetermined standard for operation without failure.
 Automatic: A computer can automatically perform operations without
interfering the user during the operations. It controls automatically
different devices attached with the computer. It executes automatically
the program instructions one by one.

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 Diligence / Endurance: A computer can continually work for hours

without creating any error. A computer is free from dullness and lack of
concentration. It does not get tired while working after hours of work it
performs the operations with the same accuracy as well as speed as the
first one.
 Versatility: Versatile means flexible. Modern computer can perform
different kind of tasks one by one of simultaneously. It is the most
important feature of computer. At one moment you are playing game on
computer, the next moment you are composing and sending emails etc.
In colleges and universities computers are used to deliver lectures to the
students. The talent of computer is dependent on the software.
Self Assessment Questions
1. The speed of a computer is calculated in ______________.
2. The level of ________ depends on the instructions and the type of
machines being used.

1.3 Criteria for Using Computers

Computer plays an important role in our daily life. Any work that can be
carried out systematically, using a precise step-by-step method, can be
performed by a computer.
Some of the major criteria for using computers are:
 To make quick availability of information:
The computers are used to process raw data and convert it in to
meaningful information. As the computer works at a very high speed, the
information is retrieved quickly and promptly.
 To provide highly accurate and reliable information:
The information produced by the computer is highly accurate, reliable
and dependable. The computers perform their task as per the given
program.
 To prepare reports:
The computers help to generate various types of financial and non-
financial reports required by executives for decision making and control
in short period of time.

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 To reduce paper work:

The use of computers for data processing has helped the management
of business organizations to cope with the increasing problem of paper
handling by not only speeding up the process, but also eliminates the
paper needs, through proper storage of data, in elaborately constructed
data bases and files where they can be retrieved when needed.
 To prepare statements of payroll, income-tax etc.
Computers are used to prepare payroll and to generate various other
statements such as income tax statement, provident fund statement etc.
 To identify problem area: Computer facilities the identification of
business problem by carrying out the analysis data. It helps the
management to take corrective action over the business problem

1.4 History of Computers

Since civilizations began, many of the advances made by science and
technology have depended upon the ability to process large amounts of
data and perform complex mathematical calculations. For thousands of
years, mathematicians, scientists and businessmen have searched for
computing machines that could perform calculations and analyze data
quickly and efficiently. One such device was the abacus. The abacus was
an important counting machine in ancient Babylon, China, and throughout
Europe where it was used until the late middle ages. It was followed by a
series of improvements in mechanical counting machines that led up to the
development of accurate mechanical adding machines in the 1930’s. A
machine capable of making decisions is called a computer.
The first computer like machine was developed by a team from IBM and
Harvard University. It used mechanical telephone relays to store information
and it processed data entered on punch cards. This machine was not a true
computer since it could not make decisions. In June 1943, work began on
the world's first electronic computer. It was built at the University of
Pennsylvania as a secret military project during World War II and was to be
used to calculate the trajectory of artillery shells.
The invention of the transistor made smaller and less expensive computers
possible. Although computers shrank in size, they were still huge by today’s
standards. Another innovation to computers in the 60’s was storing data on

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tape instead of punch cards. This gave computers the ability to store and
retrieve data quickly and reliably.
Self Assessment Questions
3. The first computer like machine was developed by a team from
____________.
4. The invention of the _________ made smaller and less expensive
computers possible.

1.5 Generations of Computer

 First Generation Computers [1942 – 1955]
The first generation computers are vacuum tubes. These computers
used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory. These
computers relied on binary coded language to perform operations and
were able to solve only one problem at a time. They were very large in
size and required a lot of space for installation. These computers lacked
in versatility and speed. Since machine language was used, these
computers were difficult to program and use.
Examples: ENIAC, EDVAC
 Second Generation Computers [1955 – 1964]
The computers used in second generation were transistors. The vacuum
tubes were replaced by transistors which are made up of semiconductor
material like germanium and silicon. The size of transistor is small so the
size of the computers was greatly reduced. These computers used
magnetic cores as primary memory and magnetic disks as secondary
storage devices. Computers became smaller, faster, cheaper and more
reliable than their predecessors. The computational time was reduced to
microseconds from milliseconds.
Examples: IBM1401, IBM7090
 Third Generation Computers [1965 – 1974]
The greatest development of the third generation was integrated circuit
called as IC. It consists of a single chip with the components like
transistors and resistors, fabricated on it. The development of the
transistors helped decrease the size of the computers as they replaced
several individually wired transistors.

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In first and second generation computers punched cards and printouts

were used to interact with the computers. Third generation onwards the
user started interacting through keyboard and monitors and interfaced
with an operating system. The computers became smaller and cheaper
and hence became popular. High level programming language was used
for programming.
Examples: NCR 395, B6500
 Fourth Generation Computers [1975 – Till date]
The fourth generation computers use microprocessor (circuits containing
millions of transistors) as their basic processing device. A
microprocessor is built on a single piece of silicon called chip. The
computers of fourth generation led to the growth of large scale
integration (LSI) and very large scale integration (VLSI) technology. This
technology helped in squeezing thousands of transistors on a single
chip. The ultra-large scale integration (ULSI) increased the number into
millions. In this way the computers became smaller in size and cheaper.
During this period computers became more popular to the mass. This
generation computers also saw the development of the graphical user
interface mouse and handheld devices. IBM worked with Microsoft
during the 1980s to start what we can really call PC (Personal
Computer) life today. IBM PC was introduced in October 1981 and it
worked with the operating system (software) called ‘Microsoft Disk
Operating System (MS DOS) 1.0. Development of MS DOS began in
October 1980 when IBM began searching the market for an operating
system for the then proposed IBM PC and major contributors were Bill
Gates, Paul Allen and Tim Paterson. In 1983, the Microsoft Windows
was announced and this has witnessed several improvements and
revision over the last twenty years.
Examples: Apple II, CRAY – 1.
 Fifth Generation Computers
The goal of the fifth generation computing is to develop devices that
respond to natural language input, and will have the capability of
learning and self-organization. These computers use intelligent
programming (artificial intelligence) and knowledge-based problem
solving techniques. The input and output for these machines will be in
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the form of graphic images or speeches. Presently these computers are

used in field of medicine, treatment planning, monitoring etc. on a very
small scale.
Self Assessment Questions
5. The second generation computers are ___________ and __________.
6. The input and output for the fifth generation machines will be in the
form of _________or ___________.

1.6 Classification of Computers

Computers are available in different shapes and sizes, they are used for
various purposes. The computers can be classified as analog, digital and
hybrid computers.
 Analog computers: These computers work on the principle of
measuring, in which the measurements obtained are translated into
desired output. The inputs to these computers are voltages, pressure
etc., they do not deal directly with the numbers. They measure
continuous physical magnitudes, which are analogous to the numbers
under consideration. Example, computer used in petrol pump.
 Digital computers: The computers which we use these days are the
digital computers which use the binary digits (bits) 0 and 1 to represent
all forms of information internally in digital form. In these types of
computers the analog quantities are converted into digital quantity
before processing. Digital computers can produce the result with more
accuracy and at a faster rate. The desktop PC at your home or laptop is
a classic example of digital computer.
 Hybrid computers: As the name suggest, these types of computers are
the combination of both analog and digital computer. The analog
components are used for the computational purposes and digital for the
storage of intermediate results. The converters are used to bind the
powers of both techniques. We use such computers in scientific
applications and in the various fields of engineering.

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Figure 1.1: a) EAI Analog Computer (1964) b) Digital Computer

c) Hybrid Computer

Self Assessment Questions

7. ______________ Computers are the combination of both analog and
digital computer.
8. __________ computers can produce the result with more accuracy and
at a faster rate.

1.7 Applications of Computer

We use computers to perform mathematical and non-mathematical
operations to achieve desired outputs. They are also used in vast area,
every small or large company depends on the computer for their work to be
done. Some of the areas where we use computers are given below.
 Communication: The messages or letters are sent through e-mail with
the help of computer. The invention of internet has changed the lifestyle
and working environment. The major advantage of this service is that it
saves time, saves papers etc. Nowadays all the facilities are available in
the net, like online booking of the airlines ticket, train tickets, online
shopping and many more.
 Entertainment: The computer is widely used as a mode of
entertainment mostly by the youngsters. We use computers to watch
movies, listen to music, store images etc., the special effects in the
movies would not have been possible without the computer. It also helps
the film industry for adding graphics and animations in the movie.
 Banking: The work of bank has been made easier with computer,
almost all the works are done with computer. The various branches of

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the bank work together through network and the transaction is

completed without any delay through computer. We can withdraw or
deposit cash from any ATM machines of the same bank or other at any
time of the day.
 Science: The computers are used for scientific purposes in order to
develop theories, analyze and test the data. They are used for research,
study of weather pattern, study of solar system and other applications.
They also help in comparative study and allow different scientific
analyses to be carried out.
 Engineering/manufacturing: The engineers use computer for drawing
and designing. Computers create three dimensional objects which can
be viewed as real objects. The manufacturing factories use
computerized robots for the hazardous jobs which we see huge machine
working on its own in the factory; those machines are the robots The
computers help in coordinating the entire manufacturing processes.
 Education: The whole process of education has been changed due to
computers. Computers are used in the classrooms, libraries and
museums to make the education more interesting and interactive.
Self Assessment Questions
9. The invention of ____________ has changed the lifestyle and working
environment.
10. Computers are used in the _________, __________ & __________.

1.8 Basic Components of PC

Different types of Computers
a) Micro Computers: The micro computers are the most common
computers which you find at home, work place, schools and colleges.
They are the smallest in the computer family. These computers are
designed for a single user but they can be used by multiple users when
networked together. Some of the examples are IBM-PC Pentium, Apple
Macintosh, desktop, laptops and hand-held computers like Personal
Digital Assistants (PDA).
b) Mainframe Computers: The mainframe computers are designed to
perform high-volume, processor-intensive computing. They are able to
process and store more data than a mini computer and far more than a

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microcomputer. Mainframes are the second largest (in capability and

size) of the computer family. Main frame computers are used in large
institutions such as government, banks and large corporations.
c) Mini Computers: The mini computers are small digital computers,
which normally process and store less data than mainframe but more
than a microcomputer. Minicomputer systems provide faster operating
speeds and larger storage capacities than microcomputer systems. They
are sometimes called mid-range computers, and are designed to meet
the computing needs for several people simultaneously in a small to
medium size business environment. They are used in industries,
research organizations, colleges and universities.
d) Super Computers: As the name suggests these computers are the
biggest and fastest machines. The computers are designed for special
purpose which requires highest processing speed like solving scientific
and engineering problems. Due to this feature these computers help in
many applications such as information retrieval computer-aided design,
like in nuclear weapon development, accurate weather forecasting and
as host processors for local computer and time sharing networks.
Self Assessment Questions
11. The different types of computers are _________, ___________,
______________ and ______________.
12. Mainframes are the _________________ of the computer family.

1.9 Computer Architecture

The computer architecture consists of Central Processing Unit (CPU), Input
and Output units. The CPU is the brain of the computer and it performs all
major activities that take place within the computer. In the block diagram
given the bold lines represent the flow of data and the other lines represent
the flow of instruction or flow of control.

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Figure 1.2: The block diagram of a Computer

1.9.1 Input devices

The data is feed into the computer with the help of various input devices.
The most commonly used input devices are keyboard and mouse. They
help the users to communicate with the computers and act as medium of
communication. The various other input devices are scanner, light pen,
digital camera, joystick etc.
1.9.2 Output devices: The way human communicate with computers with
the help of input devices, the computers communicate with the help of
output devices. The output devices are instruments of interpretation and
communication between humans and computers. The most commonly used
output devices are monitor, printer and speaker.
1.9.3 Central Processing Unit (CPU): The Central Processing Unit is the
main section of the computer system which interprets, coordinates the
operations and supervises the instructions. Whenever we feed input (data)
to the computer, the data is sent to the CPU for processing and the result is
sent to the output device. The various components of CPU are Main
Memory (MM), Control Unit (CU), Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) [Refer
figure 1.1].

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 Main Memory (MM): It consists of continuous memory cells used to

store data and instructions during the execution of programs and
provides the data as and when required. The main memory is also
called as primary memory. The data given by you to the computer are
stored in the memory before and after processing them. It can be
classified as volatile and nonvolatile memory. Volatile memory is
computer memory that requires power to maintain the stored
information, example RAM. Non-volatile memory is computer memory
that can retain the stored information even when not powered, example
ROM.
 Control Unit (CU): The Control Unit coordinates and directs the
operations of a computer. It fetches the data or instruction given by you
to the computer from the memory, interprets them and ensures correct
execution of them, and sends them to the output device. It controls
directs the overall functioning of other devices of the computer system.
The operation of a computer can be summarized as follows:
 The computer accepts information in the form of programs and data
through an input device.
 Information stored in the memory is fetched, under program control,
into an arithmetic & logic unit, where it is processed.
 Processed information leaves the computer through output unit.
 All activities inside machine are directed by the control unit.
 Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU): All the arithmetic and logical
operations on the stored data are performed by this unit. The data
stored are transferred to arithmetic logic section, processed, and
returned to the memory. These processes are carried out several times
before results are transferred to the output devices.
Self-Assessment Questions
13. The main memory is also called as ____________ memory.
14. ___________ memory is computer memory that requires power to
maintain the stored information.
15. CPU consists of ___________, ___________ and _____________.

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1.10 Summary
You can define a computer as an electronic device that performs
mathematical and non-mathematical operations with the help of instructions
to process the information the information in order to achieve desired
results. We can list out the characteristics of a computer as speed, storage,
accuracy, reliability, automatic, diligence and versatility.
Computer development is divided into five main generations. With every
generation, computer technology has fundamentally changed, resulting in
increasingly smaller, cheaper, more powerful, more efficient and reliable
devices. We now know that according to the basic data handling principle,
computers can be classified as analog, digital and hybrid.
We can categorise computers into micro, mini, mainframe and super
computers based on physical size, performance and application areas. The
input unit involves the receipt of data from the user and output unit supplies
the resulting data to the user. Central Processing Unit (CPU) interprets,
coordinates the operation and supervises the instructions. It has three parts:
arithmetic and logic unit, control unit and memory unit.

1.11 Terminal Questions

1. Discuss the characteristics of computers.
2. Discuss the various computer generations along with key characteristics
of the computers of each generation.
3. List out the various applications of computers.
4. Draw a block diagram to illustrate the architecture of a computer system,
and explain the functions of various units.
5. Discuss the important features of micro, mini, mainframes and super
computers.

1.12 Answers
Self Assessment Questions
1. MHz (Megahertz)
2. Accuracy
3. IBM and Harvard University
4. Transistor
5. IBM1401, IBM70906.

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6. Graphic images, speeches.

7. Hybrid
8. Digital
9. Internet
10. Classrooms, libraries, museums
11. Micro, mainframe, mini, super
12. Second largest
13. Primary
14. Volatile
15. Control Unit, Memory Unit, Arithmetic and Logic Unit

Terminal Questions
1. Refer to 1.2, Characteristics of Computers.
2. Refer to 1.5, Generations of computers.
3. Refer to 1.7, Applications of computers.
4. Refer to 1.9, Computer Architecture.
5. Refer to 1.8, Basic components of PC.

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