“Introduction to Computing”

Lecture # 3

Dr. Engr. M Malook Rind

Ph.D (I.T), ME (CSN), MBA (MIS), BE (CS)
CCNA, CCNP, Juniper Certified.
Professor & HoD (Computer Science)
Email:malook.rind@smiu.edu.pk
Generation of Computers
Generation Dates Characteristic
1st 1944-59 Use Valves
(Vacuum tubes)
2nd 1959-64 Use transistors
3rd 1964-75 Large Scale
Integrated Circuits
4th 1975-1985 Very Large Scale
Integrated Circuits
5th Present “Artificial
Intelligence” based
computers
Generation of Computers
Based on the characteristics of various computers developed from time
to time, they are categorized as generation of computers.

Generation
of
Computers

First Second Third Fourth Fifth

Generation Generation Generation Generation Generation
First Generation Computers

Time Period : 1951 to 1959 Technology : Vacuum Tubes

Size : Very Large System Processing : Very Slow

Characterized By:-
Magnetic Drums
• Magnetic Tapes
• Difficult to program
• Used machine
language &
assembly
language

First Generation Computers

Second Generation Computers

Time Period : 1959 to 1963 Technology : Transistors

Size : Smaller Processing : Faster

Characterized By:-
• Magnetic Cores
• Magnetic Disk
• Used high level
language
• Easier to program

Second Generation Computers

Third Generation Computers

Time Period : 1963 to 1975

Technology : ICs (Integrated Circuits)
Incorporated many transistors & electronic
circuits on a single chip
Size : Small as compared to 2nd generation computers
Processing : Faster then 2nd generation computers

Characterized by:-
• Minicomputers accessible by
multiple users from remote
terminals.

IC (Integrated Circuit)
Fourth Generation Computers

Time Period : 1975 to 1985

Technology : VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration)
Incorporated many millions of transistors &
electronic circuits on a single chip
Size : Small as compared to first generation computer
Processing : Faster then first generation computer

Characterized by:
The personal computer and user
friendly micro-programs, very fast
processor chip high level
language, OOP (Object Oriented
Programming)

VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration)

Fifth Generation Computers

Time Period : Future Technology

Technology : AI (Artificial Intelligence)

AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Fifth Generation Computer
 Next Generation Optical Disk

The following formats go beyond the current third-generation discs

and have the potential to hold more than one terabyte (1TB) of data:

• Holographic Versatile Disc (3.9TB=850 DVDs)

• LS-R(Layer-Selection-Type Recordable Optical Disk)
• Protein-coated disc
 Future of Touch Screen

“The future of touch screen seems bright. A company named synaptics is developing a touch
screen called 'ClearPad'. It is a thin, high resolution capacitive touch screen that can be placed
on top of any display where a finger-touch is required. If this technology is mass-accepted then
the need of mechanical keys will be eliminated.”
 Processing Data

Useful
Data output
0101111
1100111
0100001
1000111
Essential Computer Hardware
 Processor
 Memory
 I/O
 Storage
Processing (CPU)

Conversion of raw data into useful information

Central Processing Unit (CPU) accepts input in the
form of data, process it and gives output as
(information).
Input----- Process----- Output-----Storage.
Two basic components:
 Processor

 Memory
I/O Devices
Output Devices
Input Devices
 Monitor
 Mouse  Monochrome
 Keyboard  Color
 Scanner  Printer
 Joystick  Plotter
 Light pen  Speaker
 Mic  Rectangular Screens
 Touchpad  LCD
 Digital camera  LED
 SMD Surface Mount Device
 Laptop Screens (LCD /
LED)
 Touch Screen LCD, LED
Storage Devices

 Magnetic
 Floppy Disk
 Magnetic tape
 Hard Disk
 Optical
 CD (Slower in speed and less data storage)
 DVD (Faster in speed with huge data storage)
 Blue Ray (Fastest medium with very huge data
storage)
Data - Raw facts
• Alphanumeric, audio, video
Information - Meaningful data
(Useful output)
(Processed Data)
 Number Systems:

Decimal Numbers
- Base 10 Notation
Binary Numbers
- Base 2 Notation
 Bits and Bytes:
 Bit = binary digit - Smallest unit of data
 Byte = 8 bits
 1 Nibble = 4 bits
 1 Kilo Byte = 1024 bytes
 1 Mega Byte = 1024 K bytes
• 1 Giga Byte = 1024 M bytes
• 1 Tera Byte = 1024 G bytes
• 1 Peta Byte = 1024 T bytes
Computers represent data with electrical switches.

=1
On-off circuits are simple
and are not prone to errors.
=0

0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0

One byte is made up of 8 bits.

(binary 01001000 = decimal 72)
(ASCII 01001000 = the letter “H”)
Computer parts communicate using binary numbers.

The greater the number of bits moved at

one time, the faster the processing speed.

Note: Two concepts: Serial and Parallel

 Text Codes:
EBCDIC “EB-si-dic”
- (Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code)

ASCII “As-key”
- (American Standard Code for Information Interchange)

Unicode
- (Unicode Worldwide Character Standard)
CPU (Central Processing Unit) - the
brain of the computer
Two parts:
• CU (Control Unit)
• ALU (Arithmetic/Logic Unit)
Control Unit - Controls the flow
of data into and from the Central
Processing Unit.
Arithmetic/Logic Unit - Performs
Arithmetic functions and Logical
operations.
The CU and ALU
are in the CPU.
 Types of Memory:
ROM - Read Only Memory
(contains the basic input output
system or BIOS)

RAM - Random Access Memory

(user programs and data go here)
The ROM is nonvolatile because it will not
loose its contents when powered OFF

RAM plugs into sockets on the motherboard.

Adding RAM often increases system performance.
The CPU can read RAM much faster than it can read the hard disk.
CPU Manufacturers:
• Intel
• Motorola
• AMD
• Cyrix
 CPU Models:
• 8086 1978 • Pentium II
• 8088 1979 1997
• 80286 1982 • Pantium III

• 80386 • Pantium IV
1985
• Dual Core
• 80486 1989
• Core2duo
• Pentium 1993
• Core Technology
• Penium Pro 1995
The CPU may be
i3,i5 or i7 but the generations may
be different

Today is the 6th Generation of Core

technology
 The Pentium II has 7.5 million
transistors, more than double
About MHz: the faster
the clock, the faster the the number included on the
processing speed. original Pentium chip. It
(1 MHz = 1 million clock
can operate from 233 MHz to
cycles per second)
400 MHz and beyond.
Interacting with Your
Computer
Input Devices:
 Keyboard
Touch Screen
 Mouse
Bar Code Reader
 Trackball
Image Scanner
 Trackpad
Microphone
 Pen
Video
Output Devices
 Monitor
 Printer
 Plotter
 Speaker
How CRT creates an image
 Electron gun shoots
streams of electrons
towards the screen.
 Magnetic yoke
guides the streams of
electrons across and
down the screen.
 Phosphor dots on the
back of the screen
glow when the
electron beams hit
them.
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 The picture is scanned
Size is measured
from left to right and
diagonally.
from top to bottom.

One complete set of scan

lines is called a frame.

Refresh rate = number of

Times per second that the electron
gun scans every pixel on the
screen
frames in one second

Resolution = no. of pixels

(i.e. 1024 x 768)
Image clarity or sharpness

1 pixel in a color monitor

Parts of CRT Monitor

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CRT Disadvantages
 Very large

 Very heavy

 Use a lot of electricity

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Factors Affecting
Monitors:
 Size

 Resolution

 Refresh rate
 Dot pitch
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
 Commonly found on laptops.
 Available in desktops too.
 Solve the problems of CRT
 Fluorescent lights provide illumination

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 Flat-Panel Monitors:
• LCD (Liquid Crystal Display)
• Uses two piece of Glass
Plate, like a sandwich
Mechanism.
• Inside filled with Phosphorous
Chemical Material.
• When electricity is passed
Resolution
 Refers to sharpness of image
 Number of pixels on the screen
 Higher number creates sharper images
 Lower number creates smaller images

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 Various Screen Resolution
 Color Graphics Adapter (CGA)
 300 X 200
 Enhanced Graphic Adapter (EGA)
 640 X 350
 Video Graphic Array (VGA)
 640 x 480

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 Refresh Rate
 Number of time the screen is redrawn
 Measured in Hertz (Hz)
 Modern equipment sets this automatically
 Improper settings can cause eyestrain
 Whenever a TV camera films a computer
monitor, the monitor seems to have a line
moving up the screen.
 This is the monitor refreshing the pixels.
 The camera films faster than the eye can
see, which is why the refresh is noticeable.

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