Applications of ICT (THEORY)
BS English | 2nd Semester
Credit Hours Instructor
2-0 Dr. Adam Khan
Department of Computer Science/IT
Sarhad University of Science and Information Technology, Peshawar
Week
Brief history of Computer,
Four Stages of History,
03 Classification of Computers
Course Learning Outcome
CLO-01
Early Calculating Devices
Abacus Napier's Bones
The First Computing Tool Multiplication Made Easy
Origin: Ancient Babylon (3000 BC) Year: 1617
Inventor: Unknown (Multiple civilizations) Inventor: John Napier (Scottish mathematician)
Purpose: Counting and basic arithmetic operations Purpose: Simplify multiplication and division calculations
(addition, subtraction)
How it Set of numbered rods with multiplication tables
How it works: inscribed, allowing complex calculations by
Uses beads on rods to represent numbers and
works: perform calculations by moving beads arranging rods
Early Calculating Devices - Part 2
Pascaline Leibniz Calculator
1642 | Blaise Pascal
1673 | Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Historical representation of Pascaline mechanical calculator Historical representation of Leibniz's stepped reckoner
Inventor Inventor
Blaise Pascal (French mathematician) Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (German mathematician)
Purpose Purpose
First mechanical calculator to perform addition and subtraction Mechanical calculator capable of performing all four arithmetic
automatically operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
How It Worked How It Worked
Used geared wheels with digits 0-9. When a wheel completed a full Used a stepped drum mechanism (cylinder with teeth of varying lengths)
rotation, it automatically advanced the next wheel by one. to perform calculations more efficiently than Pascaline.
Significance Significance
Introduced the stepped drum principle still used in some mechanical
Foundation for modern mechanical calculators and computing devices calculators today
Charles Babbage - The Father of Computing
Revolutionary Inventions
Difference Engine (1822)
Mechanical calculator to compute polynomial functions. Designed to eliminate
errors in mathematical tables.
Analytical Engine (1837)
First general-purpose computer concept. Featured an arithmetic logic unit, control
flow, and memory - principles of modern computers.
Why "Father of Computer"?
Babbage's Analytical Engine contained all fundamental elements of modern
Charles Babbage computers: input, storage, processing, and output. His visionary ideas laid the
(1791 - 1871) foundation for today's computing technology.
Father of the Computer
Ada Lovelace - First Computer Programmer
Contributions to Computing
Algorithm for Engine Vision Beyond Numbers
Wrote the first algorithm intended to Recognized computers could
be processed by a machine - the manipulate symbols beyond
Analytical Engine calculations
Mathematical Notes Translation Work
Published extensive notes on Translated Italian article about the
Babbage's Analytical Engine Engine, adding her own notes
Interesting Facts
Daughter of famous poet Lord Byron
Augusta Ada Lovelace
The U.S. Department of Defense named programming language "Ada" in her honor
(1815 - 1852)
Her work remained largely unknown until the 1950s
First Computer Programmer
Evolution Toward Modern Computers
The journey from ancient calculating devices to modern computers spanned several
technological eras, each bringing significant advancements
ERA 1 ERA 2 ERA 3
Mechanical Electro-Mechanical Electronic
Pre-1940s 1930s-1940s 1940s-Present
Gears and levers Electrical switches Vacuum tubes/ICs
Manual operation Faster processing Electronic circuits
Basic arithmetic Limited storage Large storage
Example: Pascaline Example: Mark I Example: ENIAC
First Generation Computers (1940-1956)
Vacuum Tube Era
Key Characteristics
The Dawn of Electronic Computing Vacuum Tube Technology Used vacuum tubes for
circuitry and magnetic drums for memory
Pioneering machines that laid the foundation for modern Enormous Size Room-sized machines occupying entire floors
technology of buildings
High Heat Generation Produced excessive heat requiring air
conditioning systems
Heavy Power Consumption Consumed large amounts of
electricity for operation
Unreliable, frequent breakdowns, limited commercial use,
expensive to operate
Vacuum tubes - the core technology of first generation computers
First Generation Examples
Comparison
Feature ENIAC UNIVAC
Year 1946 1951
Purpose Military Business
Users Scientists Businesses
Punched Magnetic
Storage
cards tape
ENIAC UNIVAC
Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer Size 1,800 sq ft Large room
Universal Automatic Computer (1951)
(1946)
First commercially produced computer. Used for
First general-purpose electronic computer.
business data processing and famously predicted
Developed at University of Pennsylvania for military
election results.
calculations.
Weight Size Memory Speed
30 tons Room-sized 1000 words 2,000 ops/sec
Vacuum Tubes Power Cost Usage
17,468 150 kW $1.5 million Business
Second Generation Computers (1956-1963)
Transistor Era
Transistor Revolution
The invention of transistors marked a significant leap in computer technology,
replacing bulky vacuum tubes with smaller, more reliable components.
Smaller Size Faster Speed Transistor - The revolutionary component of second generation computers
Transistors reduced computer Processing speed increased
size from room-sized to cabinet- significantly compared to
sized vacuum tubes Key Innovation
Transistors (Transfer + Resistor) were invented in 1947 at Bell
Labs. They replaced vacuum tubes and became the fundamental
Less Power More Reliable building blocks of modern electronics.
Reduced electricity consumption Transistors were more durable
and heat generation and less prone to failures
Did You Know?
Cost Effective New Languages
Second generation computers were the first to use magnetic
Lower manufacturing and Introduction of high-level core memory instead of magnetic drums for storage.
operational costs programming languages like
FORTRAN
Second Generation Examples & Features
IBM 1401 Key Features
1959 | IBM Corporation
Transistors replaced vacuum tubes
Most popular second-generation computer. Widely
used for business applications and data processing Smaller size, reduced from room to cabinet
tasks.
Faster processing speed
Memory Speed
4K bytes Microseconds Lower cost and power consumption
Assembly and high-level languages (COBOL, FORTRAN)
CDC 1604
1960 | Control Data Corporation Comparison with First Generation
Designed for scientific calculations. Used in
research institutions and universities for 10x smaller in size 10x faster speed
complex computations.
More reliable
Purpose Storage
50% less power consumption operation
Scientific 32K words
Third Generation Computers (1964-1971)
Integrated Circuits Revolution
Key Features & Advancements
1964 - 1971
Integrated Circuits (ICs) Integrated Circuits Faster Processing
Multiple transistors on single chip Nanosecond speed operations
Third generation computers marked a significant leap with the
introduction of Integrated Circuits, where multiple transistors
were combined onto a single silicon chip, making computers
smaller, faster, and more reliable than ever before. Better Storage Minicomputers
Magnetic core memory expansion Smaller, affordable systems
Size Comparison
1st Gen 2nd Gen 3rd Gen
Room Cabinet Desk
Microscopic view of an integrated circuit (IC) chip
Third Generation Applications & Impact
Notable Examples
Key Impact & Advancements
Smaller & Faster: Integrated circuits reduced size dramatically while
IBM System/360 increasing speed
Revolutionary family of computers compatible with each other. First to Cost Reduction: Computers became more affordable for businesses
use integrated circuits extensively. and universities
Speed Storage Software Revolution: Introduction of operating systems and time-
Nanoseconds Megabytes sharing
Wider Adoption: Expanded use in business, science, and education
Memory Language
Up to 8MB COBOL, FORTRAN
Real-World Applications
PDP-8
First commercially successful minicomputer. Affordable for small
businesses and laboratories. Business Research Education
Price Size
$18,000 Refrigerator-sized
Engineering Banking Data Processing
Fourth Generation Computers (1971-Present)
1971 - Present Key Features
Microprocessors & Personal Computing Era
Microprocessors High Speed
Fourth generation computers revolutionized computing with
Entire CPU on a single chip Nanosecond to picosecond speed
microprocessors - entire CPU on a single chip. This era brought personal
computers from large institutions to homes and offices worldwide.
Large Storage Personal Devices
Gigabytes to Terabytes Affordable for everyone
Networking GUI Interface
Desktop PCs Laptops
Internet and connectivity User-friendly visual interface
Evolution of Storage
1st Gen 2nd Gen 3rd Gen 4th Gen
KB KB MB GB-TB
Smartphones Tablets
Fourth Generation: Impact & Evolution
Revolutionary Impact
Personal Computing Revolution
Computers moved from institutions to homes and offices The Digital Age Begins
Fourth generation computers democratized computing power, making
Diverse Form Factors technology accessible to billions of people worldwide and fundamentally
transforming how we live, work, and communicate.
Desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones became ubiquitous
Internet & Connectivity
Global networking transformed communication and access to
information
User-Friendly Interfaces
Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) made computers accessible to
everyone
Classification by Size
Four Categories
Highest
High
Microcomputer Processing Power Comparison
Personal computers designed for individual use. Includes Moderate
desktops, laptops, and tablets.
Lowest
Minicomputer
Mid-range computers supporting multiple users. Used in small
businesses and laboratories. Microcomputer Minicomputer Mainframe Supercomputer
Mainframe Computer
Large-scale computers for enterprise-level processing. Supports
thousands of users simultaneously. Classification Basis
Computers are primarily classified by size, processing power,
storage capacity, and cost. Larger systems serve more users and
handle more complex tasks.
Supercomputer
Most powerful computers for complex calculations and scientific
research.
Microcomputers & Minicomputers
Microcomputers Minicomputers
Small, relatively inexpensive computers designed for individual Mid-range computers capable of supporting multiple users
use. Based on microprocessor technology. simultaneously. Used in business and research environments.
Desktop PCs Laptops PDP-11 IBM System/36
Tablets Smartphones VAX Systems HP 3000
Education Home Use Office Work Internet Browsing Gaming Multi-user Support Laboratories Data Processing Network Servers
Small Business Scientific Research University Computing
Mainframe Computers
What is a Mainframe?
Examples
Latest generation, used by banks and
IBM System z
corporations worldwide
UNIVAC First commercial mainframe computer (1951)
Burroughs Pioneered virtual memory and
B5000 multiprogramming
Modern mainframe computer system in a data center
Large, powerful computers used by large organizations for bulk data Common Uses
processing, enterprise resource planning, and transaction processing.
Banking & Finance E-commerce
High Performance Massive Storage Large Corporations Scientific Research
High Security 1000+ Users Healthcare Systems Airlines & Reservations
Supercomputers - Overview
Key Applications
What are Supercomputers?
Scientific Research Weather Forecasting
Drug Discovery Nuclear Simulations
The most powerful computing systems designed for handling extremely Artificial Intelligence Space Exploration
complex calculations and massive data processing at unprecedented
speeds.
Interesting Facts
Billions of operations per second
Cost hundreds of millions of dollars to build
Require specialized cooling systems to prevent overheating
Petabytes of storage capacity
Can perform calculations that would take regular computers thousands of years
Consumes megawatts of electricity Used by governments and research institutions worldwide
Supercomputer Examples
Performance Comparison
Fugaku Japan
Performance 415 PFLOPS 148 PFLOPS
Cores 7.3 million
Summit
Architecture ARM-based
415 PFLOPS
World's fastest supercomputer (2021-2022). Used for COVID-19 drug
discovery research.
Fugaku
Summit USA
Performance 148 PFLOPS 1.1 EFLOPS
Cores 2.4 million
Frontier
Location Oak Ridge, TN
Used for climate modeling, materials science, and AI research.
EFLOPS = Exaflops Massive Scale
1 quintillion operations per Contains millions of processor
second cores
Exponential Growth Global Competition
Performance doubles every ~2 USA, Japan, China lead
years development
Classification by Purpose
VERSATILE SPECIALIZED
General Purpose Computers Special Purpose Computers
Designed to perform a wide variety of tasks. Can run different Designed and built to perform specific, dedicated tasks. Optimized
software programs for multiple applications. Most computers we for particular operations with high efficiency. Cannot be used for
use daily fall into this category. general computing tasks.
Daily Life Examples Specific Applications
Desktop PCs Laptops ATM Machines Traffic Lights
Tablets Smartphones Medical Equipment Aircraft Systems
Classification by Data Handling
Analog Computers Modern Digital Computers
Process continuous data represented in physical form (voltage, Today, most computers we use are digital computers that
temperature, pressure). Used for measuring and monitoring. process binary data (0s and 1s) for high accuracy and
reliability.
Thermometer Speedometer Analog Clock
Digital Computers
Process data in binary format (0s and 1s). Most common type today.
High accuracy and programmable.
Laptops Smartphones Tablets
Hybrid Computers
Combine features of both analog and digital computers. Used in
specialized applications.
Petrol Pumps Medical Equipment Industrial Control
Emerging Technologies
Artificial Intelligence Quantum Computing
Uses quantum mechanics to process information exponentially faster than
Machines that can learn, reason, and make decisions like humans. AI powers
classical computers. Solves complex problems in seconds.
virtual assistants, recommendation systems, and autonomous vehicles.
Machine Learning Natural Language Drug Discovery Cryptography
Computer Vision Neural Networks Optimization Simulations
Applications Applications
Virtual Assistants Healthcare Self-driving Cars Smart Home Molecular Modeling Financial Analysis Climate Research
Robotics AI Enhancement
Emerging Technologies
Robotics Cloud Computing
Intelligent machines designed to perform tasks autonomously or with
On-demand delivery of computing services over the internet. Enables
minimal human intervention. From manufacturing to healthcare.
remote access to powerful resources and data storage.
Manufacturing & Assembly Data Storage & Backup
Surgical Robots Virtual Desktops
Warehouse Automation Business Applications
Space Exploration Online Learning
Future of Computers
Artificial General Intelligence
AI systems that can understand, learn, and apply knowledge across
diverse tasks like human intelligence
2030-2050
Quantum Supremacy
Quantum computers will revolutionize drug discovery, cryptography,
and complex simulations
2025-2040
Future Predictions
Biological Computing
Quantum computers will solve complex problems in
seconds DNA-based computing and bio-hybrid systems that combine living
organisms with electronic components
AI will become more intelligent and autonomous
2040-2060
Brain-computer interfaces will emerge
Ubiquitous computing everywhere
Neuromorphic Computing
Computer architecture inspired by the human brain, enabling more
efficient AI and machine learning
Questions
Short Questions
1 What is the difference between analog and digital
computers?
2 Name three characteristics of modern computers.
3
What technology was used in third generation computers?
4 Give an example of a general purpose computer.
5 What is the purpose of a supercomputer?
Discussion Questions
Think critically about the role of computers in modern society and their future impact
Question 1 Question 2
Should artificial intelligence be regulated? What ethical
How have computers transformed the education system? What
concerns arise from AI development?
are the positive and negative impacts of online learning?
Consider both accessibility and social interaction Think about privacy, bias, and job displacement
Question 3 Question 4
How might quantum computing change our approach to In what ways has increased dependence on computers
complex problems like climate change or drug discovery? affected human relationships and social skills?
Compare with traditional computing methods Consider communication patterns and screen time
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Additional Resources
Recommended resources for further learning about computers and technology
Books Websites Online Courses Video Tutorials
Computer Fundamentals
Khan Academy Coursera
Introduction to
Computers [Link] edX
Computer Science W3Schools Udemy
Illuminated
GeeksforGeeks MIT OpenCourseWare
Structure & Interpretation
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