Introduction to Computer
A computer is an electronic device used to store, retrieve and manipulate data, most computers rely on a binary
system that uses two variables, 0 and 1 for computation. A computer is also defined as a programmable
electromechanical device that accepts instruction (program) to perform specified operations. Modern day
computers are specifically designed for multitasking (multiple operations at the same time). Some basic
functions of a Computer are,
Store: To put data somewhere for safe keeping
Retrieve: To get and bring the data back.
Process: To calculate, compare and arrange.
Note - Switching ON a computer is known as ‘Logging ON’, while Turning it OFF is known as ‘Logging OFF’
Speed of a Computer:
Time taken by the Computer to perform an Operation is directly related to its Speed and performance. The less
time taken, the better the speed & performance of the Computer. The total number of instructions that can be
performed by a Computer is measured using frequency, which is inverse of the speed. For example, if the
Computer Frequency is 1 MHz (1 x 10^6 Hz), then it can process a Million instructions per second, ie; the
number of cycles performed per second.
Processing Time Frequency Performance
Millisecond (ms) = 1/1000 (or) 0.001sec KiloHertz (KHz) =1000 Hz
Thousand Instructions per Second (IPS)
Microsecond (μs) = 1 millionth of a sec MegaHertz (MHz) = 1 million Hz Million IPS
Nanosecond (ns) =1 billionth of a sec GigaHertz (GHz) = 1 billion Hz Billion IPS
Picosecond (ps) =1 trillionth of a sec TeraHertz (THz) = 1 trillion Hz Trillion IPS
Femtosecond (fs) = 1 quadrillionth of a sec PetaHertz (PHz) = 1quadrillion Hz Quadrillion IPS
Note - Time is inversely proportional to Frequency or Speed.
To perform the intended tasks, all general-purpose computers require the following hardware components:
Central processing unit (CPU)
Memory
Mass storage device
Input device
Output device
What is Data?
Data is a set of organised information, that includes characters, numerics & special characters which are stored
and formatted in a way that is efficient for processing. Whereas, unprocessed information is known as ‘raw
data’.
Computers can be generally classified by size and power as follows:
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Personal computer:
It is a small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor.
Personal computer is also known as Microcomputer.
It is the smallest in size among all types of computers.
This includes Desktop, Laptop, Palmtop, PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) devices.
A typical computer uses Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or Solid State Drive (SSD) as its mass storage device, here are
some of the key differences between them.
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Solid State Drive (SSD)
A HDD contains a magnetic tape for storage and multiple moving parts.
SSD have no moving parts, while they are replaced through electronic components like ICs.
Physical Size & Weight are larger Physical size & weight are lower
Uses Sequential Data Transfer Uses Random access Data Transfer
Slower Boot time
Faster Booting, takes typically 10 sec for booting a computer
Workstation:
It is a much more 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.
Specifically designed to perform Computation intensive technical and scientific applications.
It has a faster microprocessor, a large amount of RAM and high speed graphic adapters.
Types – Graphics workstation, Music workstation and Engineering design workstation.
Minicomputer:
It is a multi-user computer capable of supporting up to hundreds of users simultaneously.
It consists of two or more processors and can support 4 to 200 users at one time.
It is smaller than the mainframe but larger than a microcomputer.
Server – A computer that maintains the entire network resources and distributes to any user connected within
the network. Server performs no other task besides resource management.
Mainframe:
It is a powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of users
simultaneously.
They can support multiple programs also allowing hundreds or thousands of users to perform tasks
simultaneously.
Supercomputer:
Supercomputers are the biggest and fastest computers, they are nicknamed as ‘Number Crunchier’.
They are designed to process huge amounts of data through thousands of interconnected processors.
A supercomputer can process trillions of instructions in a second.
Supercomputers are particularly used in scientific and engineering applications such as weather forecasting,
scientific simulations and nuclear energy research.
Speed of Supercomputers are measured in Floating-point Operations Per Second (FLOPS) instead of Million
Instructions Per Second (MIPS) that is used in Mainframe computers
Note - ‘Fugaku’, a supercomputer from Japan, built by Fujitsu is the World’s Fastest Supercomputer that
operates at 415.53 petaflops, which is 2.8 times faster than USA’s Summit (148.6 petaflops) the 2nd fastest
supercomputer.
Quantum Computer:
These are machines that use the properties of quantum physics to store data and perform computations.
This can be extremely advantageous for certain tasks where they could vastly outperform even the world’s best
supercomputers.
Quantum computers are highly energy efficient.
Instead of conventional 0s & 1s, quantum computers use ‘Qubits’ (Quantum bits). Qubit is the basic unit of
quantum information, they can be of 0 & 1 both at the same time.