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UNIT-I

Introduction To Computers

Introduction to Computer
Early days people use fingers for computing purpose. As years go, the computing needs also grew. This leads to the invention of calculators and computers. The term computer is derived from the word compute, it means to calculate.

Definition
Computer is an electronic device. It accepts data, process the data and gives the desired output.

INPUT

COMPUTER

OUTPUT

Basic functions or operations


Input Processing Output Storing Controlling

Basic operations (Cont)


Input It is the process of getting the data from the user or from somewhere else into the computer to process.
Processing It is the process of converting the input to output.

Basic operations (Cont)


Output It is the outcome or result of the process.
Storing It is the process of saving the data. so that it can be retrieved whenever needed.

Basic operations (Cont)


Controlling It is the process of directing the sequence in which the operations to be performed.

Applications of computer:
Business Industry Home Education Printing & publishing Entertainment etc.,

Application Areas Of Computer


1.General Business 2. Process Manufacturing 3. Discrete Manufacturing Purchasing, Accounting 4.Banking Cost Control, ATMs, Portfolio Analysis,Online Transactions, Cash flow analysis 5.Retail Sales Customer Billing, Sales Analysis, Sales forecasting

Application Areas Of Computer


6. Government Budgeting, Elections, Tax collection, Licence & Permit, Welfare, Pollution control, Central Data Bank, Intelligence 7. Insurance Customer Billing, Premium Accounting, Reserve Calculating, Investment Analysis, Cash flow analysis. 8 .Transportation 9. Public Utilities

Application Areas Of Computer


8 .Transportation Reservation system, Automatic rating, Rate calculation,Accounting. 9. Public Utilities Customer Billing, Meter Reading, Rate Analysis, Operational simulation 10.Education Attendence counting, computer based training, computer assisted instructions, Grading & scoring, Alumni Records, Online Library, Student History.

11. Distribution Warehouse control, forecasting 12. Printing and Publishing Automatic Typesetting, Word Processing, CAD/Graphics, Page formatting, classified advertisement 13. Health Care / Medicine Patient Accounting, Diagnosis, Patient History, Health care statistics, Intensive care, Lab/Operation scheduling 14. Entertainment Video games, movies, editing, music visualization.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
Speed Accuracy Diligence or Endurance Versatility Resource sharing Storage

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER (cont) Speed The computer process the data extremely fast. (i.e.) in millions (1,000,000) of instructions and even more per second. A computer can perform a huge task in few sec where a human being may take hours or even days to complete the same task.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER (cont)


Accuracy The degree of accuracy of computer is very high and every calculation is performed with the same accuracy. The accuracy level is determined on the basis of design of computer. The errors in computer are due to human and inaccurate data.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER (cont) Diligence or Endurance A computer is free from tiredness, lack of concentration etc. It can work for hours without creating any error. If millions of calculations are to be performed, a computer will perform every calculation with the same accuracy. Due to this capability it overpowers human being in routine type of work.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER (cont) Versatility It means the capacity to perform completely different type of work. For example At a moment a computer can be used to draft a letter. Next moment it can be used print a document or play a music file etc.,

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER (cont)


Resource sharing In organizations the computers are connected to form a network. The resources such as printers, scanner, plotters are connected to the network and it can be shared by the computers in the network.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER (cont)


Storage Computers are capable of storing huge amount of data and it can be located and retrieved very quickly. It uses storage devices such as hard disk to store huge amount of data.

Secondary Storage Devices

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Evolution of Computers

Evolution of Computers
Abacus The first calculating device called ABACUS was developed by the Egyptian and Chinese people. It consisted of sticks in horizontal positions on which were inserted sets of beads. It has a number of horizontal bars each having ten beads. Horizontal bars represent units, tens, hundreds, etc.

Mechanical computers: The Abacus (c. 3000 BCE)

Evolution of Computers (Cont)


Napiers bones
English mathematician John Napier built a mechanical device for the purpose of multiplication in 1617 A D. The device was known as Napiers bones.

Napiers Bones and Logarithms (1617)

Picture courtesy IBM

Evolution of Computers (Cont)


Slide Rule This machine could perform operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It was widely used in Europe in 16th century.

Oughtreds (1621) and Schickards (1623] slide rule

Evolution of Computers (Cont)


Pascal's Machine Blaise Pascal developed a mechanical calculating machine called Pascals calculating machine. It could add and subtract. The machine consisted of wheels, gears and cylinders. Leibnizs Machine The Pascals calculating machine can perform addition and subtraction but it could not perform multiply and division. Leibniz built a mechanical device that could both multiply and divide.

Blaise Pascals Pascaline (1645)

PUNCHED CARD MACHINE


In 1801, a french weaver Joseph Marie Jacquard invented
the first punched card machine. Jacquard was involved in designing clothes and making patterns or designs on cloth. The punched cards with holes were used to make attractive designs on the fabric. The presence and absence of the punched hole in the card represented two states for raising or lowering of wrap thread. Only those threads whose guiding hook encountered a hole in the card could enter the pattern.

Joseph-Marie Jacquard and his punched card controlled looms (1804)

Charles Babbage (1791-1871) The Father of Computers

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