Agritech GE Elect 3 1

I. Chapter 1: Introduction to Computer

II. Introduction

A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data. It is designed to

process data, provide useful information and solve problems. It has the ability to store and
retrieve data.
Through the use of computer, you can create presentations, type documents, prepare letters,
sending mails, edit or create videos and spreadsheets, internet banking services and browse the
web.
This will help you understand how computers evolved, explains the major functions of computer,
learn the characteristics of computer and classification of computer.

III. Learning Outcome

By the end of this module, students will be able to:

• Discuss and define what is computer, functions and characteristics
• Explain how computer came into existence.
• Enumerate and define the classifications of computer.

IV. Learning Content

What is Computer?

- a programmable electronic device that accepts raw data as input and processes it with
a set of instructions (a program) to produce the result as output.
- The term "computer" is derived from the Latin word "computare" which means to calculate.
- a machine that performs processes, calculations and operations based on instructions
provided by a software or hardware program.
- They are also designed to execute applications.
- Charles Babbage is also known as the “father of the computer”.
Benefits of Using a Computer:
▪ Increases your productivity: A computer increases your productivity. For example, after
having a basic understanding of a word processor, you can create, edit, store, and print the
documents easily and quickly.
▪ Connects to the Internet: It connects you to the internet that allows you to send emails,
browse content, gain information, use social media platforms, and more.
▪ Storage: A computer allows you to store a large amount of information.
▪ Organized Data and Information: It not only allows you to store data but also enables you to
organize your data.
▪ Improves your abilities: It helps write good English if you are not good at spelling and
grammar.
▪ Assist the physically challenged: It can be used to help the physically challenged, e.g.,
Stephen Hawking, who was not able to speak used computer to speak. It also can be used
to help blind people by installing special software to read what is on the screen.
▪ Keeps you entertained: You can use the computer to listen to songs, watch movies, play
games and more.

The computer has become a part of our life. There are plenty of things that we do in a day that
are dependent on a computer. Some of the common examples are as follows:

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▪ ATM: While withdrawing cash from an ATM, you are using a computer that enables the ATM
to take instructions and dispense cash accordingly.
▪ Digital currency: A computer keeps a record of your transactions and balance in your
account and the money deposited in your account in a bank is stored as a digital record or
digital currency.
▪ Trading: Stock markets use computers for day to day trading. There are many advanced
algorithms based on computers that handle trading without involving humans.
▪ Smartphone: The smartphone that we use throughout the day for calling, texting, browsing is
itself a computer.
▪ VoIP: All voice over IP communication (VoIP) is handled and done by computers.

Four Basic Functions of a Computer

The following diagram shows an example of these functions.

1. Input Function
- The input computer function accepts data from input devices and sends it to the
computer processor.
- The raw information entered into a computer from the input devices.
- Common input peripherals include the keyboard, mouse, stylus and touchscreen. -
Digital cameras, microphones, scanners and joysticks can also be used to input
information into a computer.

2. Data Processing Function

- Data processing is the most basic function of a computer.
- The operation of data as per given instruction.

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- This function is performed by the central processing unit (CPU), which consists of
electronic circuits that can read and execute code instructions to perform a wide range
of tasks, from performing complex mathematical calculations to sorting the entries in a
database.
- The CPU can be seen as the brain of the computer, accepting input data and
instructions, executing commands, storing results in memory and sending data to output
devices.
- It controls the sequence of operations and the use of data storage.

3. Output Function
- The process of producing the useful information for the user after processing input data
- After processing the input data, the CPU, auxiliary processor, or the process function
sends the processed data to the output function or to the default or configured output
device.
- Each output device presents the processed data in a different form, for example, a
monitor, a printer, and a speaker displays, prints, and plays the processed data,
respectively.

4. Data Storage Function

- One of the most useful functions of a computer is data storage. Besides storing data that
has been input through peripherals, computers also need a way to save the results of
data processing.

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To store data and information, a computer uses two types of storage components: temporary
and permanent.

Temporary storage components are used to store data temporarily. Data stored in a temporary
storage component is erased when the system is shutdown. RAM is a compulsory temporary
storage component. A computer uses the ram to store the running applications and their data.

Permanent storage components are used to store data permanently. Data stored in a
permanent storage component is not erased when the system is shutdown. The hard disk is the
most common permanent storage component. Usually, all computers have at least one hard
disk to store data. Other common permanent storage components or devices are external
drives, USB drives, and CD/DVD.

Characteristic of a Computer
▪ Speed: - As you know computer can work very fast. It takes only few seconds for calculations
that we take hours to complete. You will be surprised to know that computer can perform
millions (1,000,000) of instructions and even more per second.
▪ Accuracy: - The degree of accuracy of computer is very high and every calculation is
performed with the same accuracy. The errors in computer are due to human and
inaccurate data.
▪ Diligence: - A computer is free from tiredness, lack of concentration, fatigue, etc. It can work
for hours without creating any error. If millions of calculations are to be performed, a
computer will perform every calculation with the same accuracy.
▪ Versatility: - It means the capacity to perform completely different type of work. You may
use your computer to prepare payroll slips. Next moment you may use it for inventory
management or to prepare electric bills.
▪ Power of Remembering: - Computer has the power of storing any amount of information or
data. Any information can be stored and recalled as long as you require it, for any numbers
of years. It depends entirely upon you how much data you want to store in a computer and
when to lose or retrieve these data.
▪ No IQ: - Computer is a dumb machine and it cannot do any work without instruction from
the user. It performs the instructions at tremendous speed and with accuracy. It is you to
decide what you want to do and in what sequence. So a computer cannot take its own
decision as you can.
▪ No Feeling: - It does not have feelings or emotion, taste, knowledge and experience. Thus it
does not get tired even after long hours of work. It does not distinguish between users.

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▪ Storage: - The Computer has an in-built memory where it can store a large amount of data.
You can also store data in secondary storage devices such as floppies, which can be kept
outside your computer and can be carried to other computers.

History of Computers

The first counting device was used by the primitive people. They used sticks, stones and bones as
counting tools. As human mind and technology improved with time more computing devices
were developed. Some of the popular computing devices starting with the first to recent ones
are described below;

Abacus
The history of computer begins with the birth of
abacus which is believed to be the first computer. It is
said that Chinese invented Abacus around 4,000 years
ago.

It was a wooden rack which has metal rods with

beads mounted on them. The beads were moved by
the abacus operator according to some rules to
perform arithmetic calculations. Abacus is still used
in some countries like China, Russia and Japan.

Napier's Bones
It was a manually-operated calculating device which was
invented by John Napier (1550-1617) of Merchiston. In this
calculating tool, he used 9 different ivory strips or bones
marked with numbers to multiply and divide. So, the tool
became known as "Napier's Bones. It was also the first
machine to use the decimal point.

Pascaline
Pascaline is also
known as Arithmetic Machine or Adding Machine. It was
invented between 1642 and 1644 by a French
mathematician-philosopher Biaise Pascal. It is
believed that it was the first mechanical and
automatic calculator.

Pascal invented this machine to help his father, a tax

accountant. It could only perform addition and
subtraction. It was a wooden box with a series of gears
and wheels. When a wheel is rotated one revolution, it
rotates the neighboring wheel. A series of windows is given on the top of the wheels to read the
totals.

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Stepped Reckoner or Leibnitz wheel

It was developed by a German mathematician-philosopher
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibnitz in 1673. He improved Pascal's invention to
develop this machine. It was a digital mechanical calculator which
was called the stepped reckoner as instead of gears it was made of
fluted drums. See the following image;

Difference Engine
In the early 1820s, it was
designed by Charles Babbage who is known as "Father of
Modern Computer". It was a mechanical computer which could
perform simple calculations. It was a steam driven
calculating machine designed to solve tables of numbers like
logarithm tables.

Analytical Engine
This calculating machine was also developed by Charles Babbage
in 1830. It was a mechanical computer that used punch-cards as
input. It was capable of solving any mathematical problem and
storing information as a permanent memory.

Tabulating
Machine
It was invented in 1890, by Herman Hollerith, an
American statistician. It was a mechanical
tabulator based on punch cards. It could
tabulate statistics and record or sort data or
information. This machine was used in the 1890 U.S.
Census. Hollerith also started the Hollerith?s
Tabulating Machine Company which later
became International Business Machine (IBM) in 1924.

Differential Analyzer
It was the first electronic computer introduced in the
United States in 1930. It was an analog device invented by
Vannevar Bush. This machine has vacuum tubes to switch
electrical signals to perform calculations. It could do 25
calculations in few minutes.

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Mark I
The next major changes in the history of computer began in 1937
when Howard Aiken planned to develop a machine that could
perform calculations involving large numbers. In 1944, Mark I
computer was built as a partnership between IBM and Harvard. It was
the first programmable digital computer.

Generations of Computers

A generation of computers refers to the specific improvements in computer technology with

time. In 1946, electronic pathways called circuits were developed to perform the counting. It
replaced the gears and other mechanical parts used for counting in previous computing
machines.

In each new generation, the circuits became smaller and more advanced than the previous
generation circuits. The miniaturization helped increase the speed, memory and power of
computers.

There are five generations of computers which are described below.

First Generation Computers

The first generation (1946-1959) computers were slow, huge and expensive. In these computers,
vacuum tubes were used as the basic components of CPU and memory. These computers were
mainly depended on batch operating system and punch cards. Magnetic tape and paper tape
were used as output and input devices in this generation;

Some of the popular first generation computers are;

• ENIAC ( Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)
• EDVAC ( Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer)
• UNIVACI( Universal Automatic Computer)
• IBM-701
• IBM-650

Second Generation Computers

The second generation (1959-1965) was the era of the transistor computers. These computers
used transistors which were cheap, compact and consuming less power; it made transistor
computers faster than the first generation computers.

In this generation, magnetic cores were used as the primary memory and magnetic disc and
tapes were used as the secondary storage. Assembly language and programming languages
like COBOL and FORTRAN, and Batch processing and multiprogramming operating systems were
used in these computers.
Some of the popular second-generation computers are;
• IBM 1620
• IBM 7094
• CDC 1604

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• CDC 3600
• UNIVAC 1108

Third Generation Computers

The third-generation computers used integrated circuits (ICs) instead of transistors. A single IC
can pack huge number of transistors which increased the power of a computer and reduced
the cost. The computers also became more reliable, efficient and smaller in size. These
generation computers used remote processing, time-sharing, multi programming as operating
system. Also, the high-level programming languages like FORTRON-II TO IV, COBOL, PASCAL PL/1,
ALGOL-68 were used in this generation.
Some of the popular third generation computers are;
• IBM-360 series
• Honeywell-6000 series
• PDP (Personal Data Processor)
• IBM-370/168
• TDC-316

Fourth Generation Computers

The fourth generation (1971-1980) computers used very large scale integrated (VLSI) circuits; a
chip containing millions of transistors and other circuit elements. These chips made this
generation computer more compact, powerful, fast and affordable. These generation
computers used real time, time sharing and distributed operating system. The programming
languages like C, C++, DBASE were also used in this generation.
Some of the popular fourth generation computers are;
• DEC 10
• STAR 1000
• PDP 11
• CRAY-1 (Super Computer)
• CRAY-X-MP (Super Computer)

Fifth Generation Computers

In fifth generation (1980-till date) computers, the VLSI technology was replaced with ULSI (Ultra
Large Scale Integration). It made possible the production of microprocessor chips with ten
million electronic components. This generation computer used parallel processing hardware
and AI (Artificial Intelligence) software. The programming languages used in this generation
were C, C++, Java, .Net, etc.
Some of the popular fifth generation computers are;
• Desktop
• Laptop
• NoteBook
• UltraBook
• ChromeBook

Classification of Computers

The computer systems can be classified on the following basis:

1. On the basis of purpose
2. On the basis of data handling.
3. On the basis of size.

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Classification on the basis of purpose
▪ General purpose computers are designed to perform a range of tasks. They have the ability to
store numerous programs, but lack in speed and efficiency.

▪ Specific purpose computers are designed to handle a specific problem or to perform a specific
task. A set of instructions is built into the machine.

Classification on the basis of data handling

1. Analog Computer
An analog computer (spelt analogue in British English) is a form of computer that
uses continuous physical phenomena such as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic quantities
to model the problem being solved.

2. Digital Computer
A computer that performs calculations and logical operations with quantities
represented as digits, usually in the binary number system

3. Hybrid Computer (Analog + Digital)

A combination of computers those are capable of inputting and outputting in both
digital and analog signals. A hybrid computer system setup offers a cost effective method of
performing complex simulations.

Classification on the basis of size

▪ Super Computer
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 requires
a supercomputer. Other uses of supercomputers
include animated graphics, fluid dynamic
calculations, nuclear energy research, and
petroleum exploration.
The chief difference between a supercomputer and
a mainframe is that a supercomputer channels all its
power into executing a few programs as fast as possible, whereas a mainframe uses its power
to execute many programs concurrently.

▪ Mainframe Computer
A very large and expensive computer capable of
supporting hundreds, or even thousands, of users
simultaneously. In the hierarchy that starts with a
simple microprocessor (in watches, for example)
at the bottom and moves to supercomputers at
the top, mainframes are just below
supercomputers. In some ways, mainframes are
more powerful than supercomputers because

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they support more simultaneous programs. But supercomputers can execute a single program
faster than a mainframe.

▪ Mini Computer
A midsized computer. In size and power, minicomputers lie
between workstations and mainframes. In the past decade, the distinction between large
minicomputers and small mainframes has blurred, however, as has the distinction between
small minicomputers and workstations. But in general, a minicomputer is a multiprocessing
system capable of supporting from 4 to about 200 users simultaneously.

▪ Micro Computer or Personal Computer

✓ Desktop Computer: a personal or micro-mini 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.

▪ Workstations
A terminal or desktop computer in a network. In this context, workstation is just a generic
term for a user's machine (client machine) in contrast to a "server" or "mainframe."

V. Teaching and Learning Activities

Conduct internet research using any search engine like [Link] for a photo or picture
showcasing a brief timeline of the evolution or history of computing.

VI. Recommended Learning Materials and Resources for Supplementary Reading

Browse [Link] in your web browser and see
the history of computing in a brief timeline.

VII. Flexible Teaching Learning Modality (FTLM) Adopted

In this module, the online and remote FTLM is adapted using Edmodo and Zoom application. For
the online modality, the Zoom video conferencing application shall be used for the purpose of
delivering a lecture and allowing a synchronous discussion with the students. For the remote
modality, Edmodo shall be used to upload and download the module, and to allow
asynchronous discussion with the students. This will also be used as a platform for the submission
of the requirements.

VIII. Assessment Task

Please visit your Edmodo class and take the quiz pertaining to this module.

Ms. Lorime R. Montanes / Subject Teacher