HISTORY OF

COMPUTERS

A Brief Computer History

 The Computer as we know it today had it’s
beginning with a 19th Century English
Mathematician Professor named Charles Babbage.

 1st Generation: 1937-1946 – in 1937 the first

Electronic Digital Computer was built by Dr. John
V. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry. It was called the
Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC). In 1943 an
Electronic Computer named the Colossus was
built for Military, until in 1946 the first general-
purpose digital computer the Electronic
Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was
built. The ENIAC weighed 30 tons, and had 18,000
Vacuum Tubes which was used for Processing.
 2nd Generation: 1947-1962- This Generation of
Computers used Transistors instead of Vacuum
Tubes which were more reliable. In 1951 the first
computer for Commercial use was introduced to the
public; the Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC
1) In 1953 the International Business Machine (IBM)
650 and 700 series computers made their mark in the
Computer World.

 3rd Generation: 1963-Present- The invention of

Integrated Circuit brought us the third Generation of
Computers.
 In 1980 Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-Dos)
was born and in 1981 IBM introduced the Personal
Computer (PC) for Home and Office use.
MAINFRAMES
 Mainframe Computers (Colloquially referred to as
“Big Iron”) are Computers used primarily by large
organizations for critical Applications; Bulk Data
Processing, such as Census, Industry and Consumer
Statistics, Enterprise Resource Planning, and
Transaction Processing.
 The term originally referred to the Large Cabinets
called “Mainframes” that housed the Central
Processing Unit (CPU) and main Memory of early
Computers. Later the term was used to distinguish
high-end commercial machines from less powerful
units. Most Large-Scale Computer System
Architectures were established in the 1960’s but
continue to evolve. Mainframe Computers are often
used as Servers.
MINICOMPUTERS
 A Minicomputer or Colloquially MINI, is a class
of smaller computers that was developed in the
mid-1960’s and sold for much less than
Mainframe and Mid-Size Computers from IBM
and its Direct Competitors.

 When Single-Chip CPU Microprocessors

appeared, beginning with the Intel 4004 in 1971,
the term “Minicomputer” came to mean a
machine that lies in the middle range of the
Smallest Mainframe Computers and the
Microcomputers.
MICROCOMPUTERS
 A Microcomputer is a small, relatively inexpensive
computer with a Microprocessor as its Central
Processing Unit (CPU). It includes a
Microprocessor Memory and Minimal
Input/Output (I/O) circuitry mounted on a Single
Printed Circuit Board.

 Microcomputers became popular in the 1970’s and

1980’s with the advent of increasingly powerful
Microprocessors.
PC COMPONENTS
 Here are the Pc Components
 Motherboard
 Processor
 Memory (RAM)
 Case/Chassis
 Power Supply
 Floppy Drive
 Hard Disk
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Video Card
 Monitor (Display)
 Sound Card
 Speakers
 Modem
 Motherboard- is the Core of the system. It really is
the PC; everything else is connected to it, and it
controls everything in the system.

 Processor- is often thought of as the “Engine” of

the Computer. It’s also called the Central
Processing Unit (CPU).

 Memory (RAM)- The system memory is often

called Random Access Memory (RAM). This is the
primary memory which holds all programs and
data, also known as System’s short term memory.
It temporarily stores data in the RAM until it is
needed.
 Case/Chassis- is the Frame or Chassis that houses
the Motherboard, Power Supply, Disk Drives,
Adapter Cards, and any other Physical
Components in the system.

 Power Supply- is what FEEDS Electrical Power to

every single part in the pc.

 Floppy Drive- is a simple, Inexpensive, Low-

Capacity, Removable-Media, Magnetic Storage
Device.
 Hard Drive- is the primary Archival Storage
Memory for the system.

 CD-ROM/DVD-ROM- CD-ROM (Compact Disc

Read-Only) and DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc
Read-Only) drives are relatively High-Capacity,
Removable Media, Optical Drives.

 Keyboard- is the primary device on a PC that is

used by a human to Communicate with and
Control a System.
 Mouse- A computer Mouse is a hand-held
Pointing Device that detects Two-Dimentional
Motion Relative to a Surface. This motion is
typically translated into the motion of a pointer on
a display, which allows a smooth control of the
Graphical User Interface.

 Video Card- is an Expansion Card which generates

a FEED of Output Images to a Display. Frequently,
there are advertised as Discrete or Dedicated
Graphic Cards, Emphasizing the Distinction
between these Integrated Graphics.
 Monitor- is an Output Device which Displays
Information in Pictorial Form.

 Sound Card- it enables the PC to Generate

Complex Sounds.

 Speakers- are capable of other audio uses. Most

such speakers have an Internal Amplifiers and
Consequently requires a Power source, which
may be by a Main Power Supply often via an AC
Adapter, Batteries, or a USB Port.
 Modem- (Modulator-Demodulator) is a Network
Hardware Device that Modulates one or more
Carrier Wave Signals to Encode Digital
Information for Transmission and Demodulates
Signals to Decode the Transmitted Information.
INTERNAL COMPONENTS
OF PC
 Here are the Internal Components of a Pc

 Motherboard
 Processor
 RAM
 Power Supply
 Video Card
 Sound Card
 Hard Drive
 Expansion Card
 Network Card
 Bluetooth Card
 Hard Drive- is where your Software, Documents,
and other Files that are Stored. The Hard Drive is
Long-Term Storage, which means the dare is still
saved even if you turn the Computer off or
Unplug it.

 Expansion Card- Most Computers have

Expansion Slots on the Motherboard that allows
you to add various types of Expansion Cards.
These are sometimes called PCI (Peripheral
Component Interconnect) Cards.
 Network Card- the Network Card allows your
Computer to Communicate over a Network and
Access the Internet. It can either connect with an
Ethernet Cable or through a Wireless Connection.

 Bluetooth Card- is a Technology for Wireless

Communication over Short Distances. It’s often
used in computers to communicate with Wireless
Keyboards, Mouse, and Printers. It’s commonly
built into the Motherboard or Included in a
Wireless Network Card.
That Concludes my Report