Introduction to Computer Applications

CHAPTER 1

Introduction to Computer

Haramaya University
Department of Information Technology
E-mail: lalimitiku@gmail.com
 Definition of computer
 Computer vs Human
 Importance of Computer
 Function of Computer
 Generation of Computer
 Classification of Computer
 Type of Computer
 Characteristics of Computer
 Data Vs Information
 Data processing life cycle
 Types of Data 2/1/2022 2
 The word computer is derived from the Latin word “computare” which means

to compute.

 Computer is an Electronic data processing device which is capable of

performing Arithmetic and Logical operations.

 A computer is a machine that is controlled by internally stored programs and

that can perform operations with minimum human intervention.

 A computer is a device that accepts inputs (in the form of digitalized data) and

manipulates it for some result based on a program or software.

2/1/2022 3
“Ability of a Human to do anything a computer can do but a computer cannot do everything a human can do”

Do you agree ?

2/1/2022 4
 Computer can save your time and money, increase your productivity, and process

information with speed and accuracy.

 Computers are now used in all aspects of education, both administration and teaching.

 The offices where we work, the stores in which we shop, the schools we attend, the banks

that handle our money, even the device we use in our homes are being radically altered by
computers.

2/1/2022 5
Accounting:
Payroll preparation
Accounts payable, invoicing
Airlines and Railways:
Time Keeping
Reservation of Tickets
Hospital:
To store patient information
To store doctors information
Medicine information
Colleges and Universities:
Students Details Maintenance
Staff Details Maintenance
Students Attendance Calculation

2/1/2022 6
 The first large scale electronic computer the grand parent of today’s hand held machines, was the Electronic

Numerical Integrator and Computer/Calculator (ENIAC), which became operational in 1946.

 ENIAC contained approximately 18000 light bulb size electronic vacuum tubes, weighed 30 tons and

occupied about 1500 square feet of floor space

 computers have been developed through four so called generations or stages, each characterized by smaller

size, more powerful and less expensive than its predecessor.

2/1/2022 7
 Computers of this generation were manufactured using vacuum tubes.

 These computers were highly unreliable as the vacuum tubes failed very frequently

 Punched cards were used for input and output.

 These computers were very huge in size, produced enormous amount of heat, very slow and very, very

expensive.

Feature of First Gen.

 They are very large

 They generate a lot of heat

 They consume a lot of power

2/1/2022 8
 They are very expensive
In early 1960s, transistors were developed and used in manufacturing computers

 Transistor is an electronic switching device that alternatively allows or does not allow electronic
signals to pass and it was comparatively smaller than vacuum tube.

 Transistors consumed less power and produced less heat when compared to the vacuum

 This second generation computer tended to be smaller in size, more reliable, and considerably
faster than first generation of computers.

Merit/value of Transistor

It occupies less power, its accurate & its more powerful and can perform work of 1000 vacuum
tubes.

2/1/2022 9
 Integrated Chips very popularly known as ICs, started replacing the usage of individual

transistors in manufacturing computers.

 Integrated Circuit is a complete circuit packed with hundreds of transistors and other

electronic components on a small silicon chip

 The size of the computers still got reduced with improved reliability and speed when

compared to the previous generation of computers.

 The usage of RAM (Random Access Memory) and magnetic disks as the storage media

became wide spread.

2/1/2022 10
 Large Scale Integrated (LSI) and Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits were developed which
contained thousands to millions of transistors on a tiny chip.

 In 1971, Intel developed the microprocessor, which contained the entire CPU (the Control Unit, Memory
Unit, and ALU) on a single chip. leading to the process of miniaturization – the development of smaller and
smaller computers

 As a result, the computers main memory capacity increased, the cost got decreased and speed also
increased, which directly affected the types and usefulness of software that could be used.

 Software applications like Word Processing, Electronic Spreadsheets, Database Management Programs,
Painting and Drawing programs, and so forth became commercially available giving more people reasons to
use a computer

2/1/2022 11
 The fifth generation computers are under development. These computers function with the
Artificial Intelligence provided to it.

 Due to the artificial intelligence the computer will have the ability to learn by itself, can reason

and make decision with the knowledge it posses.

 Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the field of computer science dedicated to developing machines that

will be able to mimic and perform the same tasks just as a human would.

 The case of chess master Garry Kasparov vs IBM's Deep Blue program is a good illustration.

Although Kasparov had the advantage of human intuition, Deep Blue had the ability to calculate
200 million probabilities per second.

 In the end Kasparov was overcome by Deep Blue's super-efficient ability to calculate those
2/1/2022 12
probabilities.
Generation Hardware
Software Technologies Characteristics Systems
(Period) Technologies
1st  Machine Language  Bulky in size  ENAIC
 Vaccume tubes
(1942-1955) Assembly language  Expensive  EDVAC
 Electro-magnetic
 Stored Program  Unreliable  EDSAC
relay memory
concept  Limited  UNIVAC-I
 Punched cards
 Scientific applications commercial  IBM 701
production and use
2nd  Faster  Honeywell-
 Transistors  Batch OS
(1955-1964)  Smaller 400
 Magnetic core  High-Level languages
 Easier to program  IBM 7030
memory  Scientific &
 Difficult  CDC-1604
 Magnetic tapes commercial
commercial  UNIVAC
 Disks applications
production Larc
 Expensive
3rd  ICs with SSI and  Smaller
(1964-1975) MSI  Faster  IBM 360/370
 Larger capacity  Timesharing OS  Easier and cheaper  PDP-8
magnetic disks  Multiprogramming to produce  PDP-11
and magnetic  Easier to upgrade  CDC-6600
tapes than previous
 Mini computers generation

2/1/2022 13
Generation
Hardware Technologies Software Technologies Characteristics Systems
(Period)
 ICs with VLSI
 Larger capacity hard  GUI based OS for PCs  Small
4th disks  Multiprocessing  Affordable
 IBM PC
(1975-1980)  Magnetic tapes and  UNIX OS with C  Reliable
 Apple-II
floppy disks  Object Oriented  Easy to use
 TRS-80
 Personal Computers Languages  General purpose
 VAX-9000
 Mainframe computers  Network based  Easy to upgrade
 Super computers applications
 Computer Networks
 ICs with ULSI
 Larger main memory  IBM
 Multi-threading  Portable
 Hard disks with RAID Notebooks
5th  Distributed OS  Powerful
support  Sun
 Multimedia applications  Cheaper
(1980-  Optical Disks systems
 Internet applications  Reliable
present)  Notebooks  Dell and hp
 General purpose
 Laptops Laptops
 Commercially
 Powerful server  Android
feasible
computers Mobiles
 Easy to upgrade
 Advanced super  Tablets
 Rapid software
computers development
 Internet

2/1/2022 14
2/1/2022 15
• This classification is based on the way physical quantities are represented in a
computer.

• There are three basic types of computer w.r.t their working principal.

 Analog computers

 Digital computers

 Hybrid computers

2/1/2022 16
• They do not require any storage capability because they measure and compare quantities in a single
operation.

• Output of an analog computer is generally in the form of readings ona series of dial or a graph on strip
chart.

2/1/2022 17
• For measuring
Speed (Speedometer)

Temperature (Thermometer)

Weight (Weight machine)

• In specialized engineering and scientific applications for calculation and measurement of analog
quantities

• To control processes found in oil refinery where flow and temperature measurements
are important

2/1/2022 18
• Digital computers operates on digital data such as numbers.

• They use binary number system in which there are only two digits 0 and 1 known as bits.

• They give more accurate and precise results than analog computers.

• They provide long term storage and can store huge amount of information.

• They are well suited for solving complex problems in engineering, business and technology.

2/1/2022 19
2/1/2022 20
• Hybrid computer utilize the best qualities of both analog and digital computers.

• They have the speed of analog and accuracy of digital computers.

• They incorporate the measuring feature of analog and the counting feature of digital computers.

• They are suited for situation where digital processing of data collected in analog form is
desirable.
• These computers are designed to perform special tasks where measurements are converted to
digits.
2/1/2022 21
2/1/2022 22
• Computers can be divided into two types w.r.t purpose.
 General Purpose Computer
 Special Purpose Computer

2/1/2022 23
 These computers can store different programs and can thus be used in countless

applications.
Examples
• Personal computers, tablets, laptops, computer,

 It can perform any kind of job with equal efficiency simply by changing the

application program stored in main memory.

2/1/2022 24
• A Special Purpose Computer is the one that is designed to perform only one special task.

• The program or instructions set is permanently stored in such a machine.

• They are very quick but cannot be used for any other purpose.

• They are also known as dedicated computers.

Examples :- Video game device, calculator, ATM Machine

2/1/2022 25
• Size wise computers can be divided into four types w.r.t size, cost
and speed.

 Micro Computer
 Mini Computer
 Mainframe Computer
 Super computer

2/1/2022 26
• A microcomputer is a computer whose CPU is a microprocessor.

• A microprocessor is a processor all of whose components are built on a single

integrated circuit chip made of silicon.

• Micro computers are designed for personal use, therefore they are also known as
personal computers.

• They are smallest in size, least in price and small in memory as compared to
other types of computer.
2/1/2022 27
• They are used for variety of applications like computer literacy, fun and games,
business applications, programming etc.

• Due to their small size, they are easily accommodatable on table or lap. Some of
its types are handheld also.

2/1/2022 28
2/1/2022 29
• Minicomputers are larger and more powerful than microcomputers but smaller and
less powerful than mainframes.

• They are cheaper in cost, smaller in size and small in memory as compared to
mainframe computers .

• They do not require air conditioning and can be operated in room temperature.

• Generally they are used as servers on networks with personal computers as

nodes.

• Mini computer can serve up to 4000 connected users simultaneously.

2/1/2022 30
• It is normally accessed by users via personal computer or terminal.

• They can execute five million instructions per second.

• Mini computers are often used by small and medium-

sized companies to provide centralized store of information.

2/1/2022 31
2/1/2022 32
• They are very big in size and offer the maximum computing power.

• A large number of peripherals can be attached to them.

• They are generally used as servers in large networks.

• The original mainframes were housed in room-sized metal frames.

• Newer mainframes are about the same size as a large refrigerator.

• They are capable of handling data processing needs of head office of a bank, or a
big multinational company or may be a public utility office.
2/1/2022 33
• They have larger storage and the speed of processing is also very high.

• They can execute 10 to 100 millions of instructions per second and cost
somewhere between 1 to 5 million dollars.

2/1/2022 34
2/1/2022 35
• They are most expensive of all the computers.

• These computers are big general purpose computers .

• They are capable of executing more than 10,000 millions instruction per second and have

largest storage capacities.

• These computers are used to solve complex Mathematical problems related to nuclear physics

and plasma physics ,seismology and aerodynamics etc.

• They are quite expensive and cost somewhere around 10-30 million dollars depending

upon the configuration.

2/1/2022 36
• They are best for highly calculation intensive tasks such as weather
forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling, physical simulation.

• They are mostly used by military and scientific agencies.

2/1/2022 37
2/1/2022 38
• Automatic
• Reprogrammable
• Data Processor
• Speedy
• Accurate
• Diligent
• Versatile
• Power of remembrance
• No IQ
• No feelings
2/1/2022 39
• Automatic
 It carries out instructions with minimum human
intervention.

• Reprogrammable
 It stores instructions in the form of programs which can
be changed to perform other tasks.

• Data Processor
 It carries out operations on data to produce information.

2/1/2022 40
• Speedy
 It can perform its operations at very high speed usually measured in
milliseconds, microseconds, nanoseconds and picoseconds.

• Accurate
 Its accuracy is high and its degree of accuracy depends on its design.
 Computer errors caused by incorrect input or unreliable programs are often
referred to as Garbage-In-Garbage- Out (GIGO).

2/1/2022 41
• Diligent
 It is free from tiredness .
 It can continuously work for hours without creating any
error .

• Versatile
 It is capable of performing almost any task, if the task
can be reduced to a finite series of logical steps.

• Power of remembrance
 It can store and recall any amount of information
whenever desired.
2/1/2022 42
• No IQ
 It does only what it is programmed to do.
 It cannot take its own decision in any regard without
programming.

• No feelings
 Computers have no emotions.
 Their judgment is based on the instructions given to
them in the form of programs that are written by human
beings.

2/1/2022 43
Data
• Datais raw material used as input.
• Anything in raw form not Like necessarily meaningful numbers, words and
facts are known as data.
Information
• Information is processed data obtained as output after data processing.

• Information is that data which has been manipulated and organized in such
a form that it can help people in taking necessary decisions.

44

2/1/2022
Data Input Processing Output Information

2/1/2022 45
• Three types of data

 Alphabetic data ( A –Z)

 Numeric data (0-9)
 Alphanumeric data ( A-Z & 0-9)

2/1/2022 46
47