LECTURE 1

Introduction to Computer
System

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 Part 1
Introduction to Computer

Computer System

• Computer basics Computer Software

Computer Viruses

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Introduction to
Computer

1. Computer definition
2. Basic Functions of a computer
3. Characteristics of a computer
4. Advantages and Disadvantages of a Computer
5. Areas where computers are applied
6. Types of computers
7. Computer generations

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 1. Computer definition
Computer is an electronic device which accepts data (input),
process entered data, store them and give out the results (output)

Computer = Input + process + store + Results/output

DATA
CPU OUTPUT
INSTRUCTION

INPUT Output device eg monitor

Input device eg Keyboard
STORAGE/
MEMORY

Storage device eg HDD

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Computer is an electronic device that can
follow instructions to accept input(data),
process the input and then produce
information as the (output).

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 2. Basic Operations of
a computer
▪ Computers can perform four general operations,
which comprise the information processing cycle

❑ Input-Accept data
❑ Processing –Process entered data
❑ Output –Output processed data
❑ Storage-Store processed data

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▪Input
Entering data into the Computer memory

▪Processing
Performing operations on the data

▪Output
Presenting the results

▪Storage
Saving data, program or output for future
use
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 Data and information
⚫ After data been processed it produce information . So
we can define data and information as follows.
⚫ Data is a raw fact or figure used as input to
computer.(Raw facts and figures which can be in form
of text, numbers, image and sound
⚫ Data can be any thing e.g. marks of students used to
prepare results, details of passengers(name, age, sex
etc) used for making airline or railway reservation etc.
⚫ Information is processed data obtained as output of
data processing which are well organized, meaningful
and useful
3. Characteristics of a
computer

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4. Advantages and Disadvantages of
a Computer
ADVANTAGES

1. High processing speed

2. Multitasking
3. Keeps you entertained
4. Communication
5. Data security
6. Accuracy
7. High storage capacity
8. Helps to improve knowledge etc….

NB: CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER CAN ALSO BE REFERED

AS ITS ADVANTAGES

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 DISADVANTAGES

1. Impact on Labor Force (Leads to unemployment)

2. Too much sitting in one posture
3. Can limit learning and create a dependency
4. Potential of loss of privacy
5. You could become anti-social or depressed
6. Health risks.

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5. Areas where computers
are applied

1. Academic institutions
2. Financial institutions
3. Insurance industries
4. Supermarkets.
5. Industries.
6. At home
7. Health institutions
8. In Offices.
9. Government Institutions.
10. In military
11. In transportation
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ETC…
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Types of computer
systems
Types of Computer System
❑Computer systems can be categorized based
on different aspects like purpose,
functionalities as well as the processing
speed, storage, size and cost.

❑We will discuss the categories of computer

system based on their speed, storage,
physical size and their cost starting with the
lowest to highest powerful computer system
 The Types…

❖ Micro/ Personal Computers

❖ Workstations
❖ Minicomputers
❖ Mainframe computers
❖ Supercomputers
[Link]/Personal Computer
❑A small, single-user computer based on a
microprocessor.
❑It can be defined as a small, relatively
inexpensive computer designed for an
individual user.
❑Examples Desktop model, Notebook
computer, Laptop computer , Palmtop ,
PDA.
 Examples
✓Desktop Computer: a personal or micro computer sufficient
to fit on a desk.
✓Laptop Computer: a portable computer complete with
an integrated screen and keyboard. It is generally
smaller in size than a desktop computer and larger than a
notebook computer.
✓Palmtop Computer/Digital Diary /Notebook /PDAs:
a hand-sized computer. Palmtops have no keyboard but
the screen serves both as an input and output device.

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 Micro/ Personal computer Model
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Desktop Laptop Notebook

Desktop_Computers

Subnotebook
Palmtop
Uses of Microcomputer
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❑Word Processing
❑Home entertainment
❑Home banking
❑Printing
❑Surfing over the internet e.t.c
 2. Workstations
❑ A powerful, single-user computer.

❑ A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a

more powerful microprocessor and, in general, a higher-
quality monitor.

❑ Used for engineering applications, desktop publishing,

software development, and other types of applications
that require a moderate amount of computing power and
relatively high quality graphics capabilities.
 [Link] 22

❑It is a midsized multi-user system capable of

supporting up to 200 users simultaneously

❑Desk-sized and also called minis

❑More processing speed and storage capacity than

microcomputers

❑More computing power than PCs

❑Used by medium sized business organizations,

colleges, libraries and banks
 [Link] 23

❑Mainframe is very large in size and expensive

computer capable of supporting hundreds or even
thousands of users simultaneously

❑Mainframe executes many programs concurrently

and supports many simultaneous execution of
programs

❑Mainframes are computers used by organizations like

banks, airlines and railways to handle millions and
trillions of online transactions per second
 Areas where mainframes are used 24

❑Airline reservation
❑Big banks with hundreds of branches located all over
the world
❑Big Universities with thousands of enrollment
❑Animated Cartoon making
❑It is used for space launching, monitoring and
controlling.
❑Some mainframes are designed to be extremely fast and
called super computers.
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 [Link]
❑The fastest and most powerful type of computer

❑Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for

specialized applications that require immense amounts of
mathematical calculations. For example,
❑ weather forecasting Animated graphics,
❑ Fluid dynamic calculations,
❑ Nuclear energy research,
❑ Oil and gas exploration. Requires supercomputers
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Supercomputers
COMPUTER GENERATIONS
 Generations……
❑Referred to in reference to the different generations of
computing devices

❑A generation refers to the state of improvement in the

product development process

❑Computer generations are based on when major

technological changes in computers occurred, like the
use of vacuum tubes, transistors, and the microprocessor.

❑As of 2021, there are five generations of the computer

Generations and their
Technology
 First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes
❑ Used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for
memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms
❑ Very expensive to operate , using a great deal of electricity,
generated a lot of heat.
❑ Relied on machine language, solve one problem at a time
❑ Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output
was displayed on printouts.
❑ The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-
generation computing devices.
❑ It is said that this computer weighed 30 tons, and had 18,000
vacuum tubes which was used for processing.
 Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors
❑ Transistors replaced vacuum tubes, allowing computers
to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient
and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors.
❑ Relied on punched cards for input and printouts for
output.
❑ Moved from cryptic binary machine language to
symbolic, or assembly, languages,.
❑ The first computers of this generation were developed for
the atomic energy industry.
 Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits
❑ Used integrated circuit
❑ Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon
chips, called semiconductors, which drastically
increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
❑ Instead of punched cards and printouts, users
interacted with third generation computers through
keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an
operating system, which allowed the device to run
many different applications at one time with a
central program that monitored the memory.
 Fourth Generation (1972-2010) Microprocessors

❑ Used microprocessor i.e. thousands of integrated

circuits were built onto a single silicon chip.
❑ Small enough to fit in the palm of the hand.
❑ As these small computers became more powerful, they
could be linked together to form networks, which
eventually led to the development of the Internet.
❑ Lead to the development of GUI, the mouse and hand-
held devices.
 Fifth Generation(Present and Beyond)

❑ Based on artificial intelligence, are still in development,

though there are some applications, such as voice
recognition, that are being used today.
❑ The use of parallel processing and superconductors is
helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum
computation and molecular and nanotechnology will
radically change the face of computers in years to come.
❑ The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop
devices that respond to natural language input and are
capable of learning and self-organization
QUESTIONS????