(Mark I, ENIAC, EDSAC):
- *Mark I*:
- Designed by Howard H. Aiken in 1944.
- 15 meters long.
- Wires were about 800 kilometers long.
- First fully automatic calculator.
- Took 3-5 seconds per calculation.
- *ENIAC*:
- Developed by John Presper Eckert & John W. Mauchly in 1946.
- First fully electronic digital computer.
- Consisted of 18,000 vacuum tubes.
- Occupied 63 square meters.
- Weighed more than 27,000 kilograms.
- Added two large numbers in 200 microseconds.
- Built to help army launch bombs/missiles accurately.
- Programmed by manual wiring for each task.
- *EDSAC*:
- Designed by Professor M. Wilkes in 1949.
- Slightly faster than ENIAC.
- Weighed about 6000 kilograms.
- Occupied 20 square meters.
- First electronic computer to use stored programs.
- *EDVAC*:
- Proposed by John P. Eckert and John W. Mauchly in 1944.
- Completed in 1948 with help from John von Neumann.
- Weighed ~8000 kg, covered 45.5 square meters.
- Could hold stored programs and data.
- *UNIVAC I*:
- Developed in 1951 by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly.
- Weighed ~13,000 kg, occupied 35.5 square meters.
- First commercially available electronic computer.
- Handled numeric and text data.
- *Limitations of First-Generation Computers*:
- Slow operating speed.
- High power consumption.
- Required large space.
- Limited programming potential.
- Solved one problem at a time.
- Expensive to build.
- *Second-Generation Computers (1959-1964)*:
- Used transistors.
- Smaller, faster, cheaper, more efficient.
- Had components like printers, storage, OS.
- Used punched cards for input.
- COBOL and FORTRAN were used.
- Examples: IBM 1401, RCA 501.
Third-Generation Computers (1964-1970)
- Used integrated circuits (ICs) or chips.
- Smaller in size compared to second-generation computers.
- Had greatly enhanced storage capacities.
- Used a keyboard for input and a monitor for output.
- Much cheaper than second-generation computers.
- Examples: IBM 360 and 370 series.
Fourth-Generation Computers (1971-present)
- Use microprocessors (very-large-scale integrated circuits).
- Greater computing power and storage capacity.
- Use improved, cheaper storage devices.
- Can be networked.
- Examples: IBM PC and Apple Macintosh.
- Include desktops, laptops, palmtops, tablets.
Five Generations of Computers:
1. *First Generation (1940-58)*
- Main component: Vacuum tubes
- Characteristics: Large size, small storage, slow speed, high power
consumption
- Examples: EDSAC, EDVAC
2. *Second Generation (1959-64)*
- Main component: Transistors
- Characteristics: Smaller, faster, cheaper; contained components of
modern computers
- Examples: IBM1401, RCA 501
3. *Third Generation (1964-70)*
- Main component: Integrated circuits (chips)
- Characteristics: Smaller size, increased storage capacity
- Examples: IBM 360 series and 370 series
4. *Fourth Generation (1971-present)*
- Main component: Microprocessors
- Characteristics: Greater computing power, storage capacity; use of
cost-effective storage devices; can be networked
- Examples: Modern day PCs, laptops, palmtops
5. *Fifth Generation (1989-future)*
- Main component: Artificial intelligence
- Characteristics: High speed, storage capacity; sophisticated
operations; might overcome lack of thinking power
- Examples: CRAY CS300 series
I’ve included the info on PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) along with
everything else from the page on “The Computer System”:
The Computer System
Classification of computers by size
- Computers are classified into four groups based on size: mobile
computers, microcomputers, mainframes, and supercomputers.
-
- Mainframes
- - Big, powerful, expensive multi-user computers.
- - Used for bulk data processing in large organizations like
government offices, airlines, banks.
- - Process billions of instructions per second (BIPS).
- - Examples: IBM Z16, NEC 610.
-
- Supercomputers
- - Biggest and most powerful computers.
- - Occupy whole rooms.
- - Process trillions of instructions per second (TIPS).
- - Used by government organizations and large industries for
tasks requiring lots of numeric calculations (e.g., weather
forecasting).
- - Examples: Frontier, Fugaku Computers.
-
-
Mobile Computers
- Smallest computers designed to be carried around.
- Include Laptops/Ultrabooks, notebooks, tablets, e-book readers,
smartphones, PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), and PMPs (Portable
Media Players).
- *Laptops*: Portable versions of desktop PCs.
- *Notebooks*: Smaller than laptops.
- Both laptops and notebooks can run same software; notebooks usually
don’t have DVD drives.
- *Ultrabook*: Slimmer and lighter laptop with same performance.
- *Tablets*: Operated via touchscreen, no keyboard/mouse.
- *E-book readers*: Store and read books, newspapers, magazines (e.g.,
Kindle).
- *Smartphones*: Phones with wireless Internet; can function like palmtop
computers.
- *PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)*: Handheld device for personal
organization, can connect to Internet.
- *PMP (Portable Media Player)*: Plays audio, images, videos.
Microcomputers
- Small computers used by one person.
- Include desktop computers seen in offices, schools, colleges, homes.
- Desktop computers are also called personal computers or PCs.
- Computers classified into 4 groups by size:
- Mobile computers
- Microcomputers
- Mainframes
- Supercomputers
Mobile Computers
- Smallest computers designed to be carried
- Examples:
- Laptops/Ultrabooks
- Notebooks
- Tablets
- E-book readers
- Smartphones
- PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants)
- PMPs (Portable Media Players)
Details on Mobile Computers
- Laptops: portable like desktops
- Notebooks: smaller than laptops, focus on Internet
- Ultrabooks: slim & light like laptops
- Tablets: touchscreen, no keyboard/mouse
- E-book readers: for reading books, etc.
- Smartphones: phones with wireless Internet
- PDAs: like palmtop computers, organize & connect
- PMPs: play audio, images, videos
Microcomputers
- Small computer for one person
- Examples: Desktop computers (PCs)
- Found in offices, schools, colleges, homes
- ICT is used to *access information, transfer data, and enable
electronic communications*.
- In manufacturing, ICT makes the process *efficient and effective*,
enables *mass production*, and reduces *production costs* by
minimizing human labor.
- In business, ICT is used for *e-commerce, communication,
advertisement, trading, customer care*, and collecting opinions
through surveys and polls.
- ICT devices are used in *weather stations to measure temperature,
pressure, humidity*, and in *navigation systems for online maps*.
Advantages of ICT
- Contributed to economic growth and improved quality of life
- Created new jobs
- Made communication faster and cheaper
- Enabled online buying, selling, working, and studying
- Saved costs for businesses by reducing need for office spaces
Disadvantages of ICT
- Huge dependency on ICT devices
- System breakdown or network failure causes problems
- Reduced social interaction
- Misleading information can cause unrest
- Increased risk of cyber attacks and hacks
Data and Information
- *Data*: collection of facts
- *Information*: organization and interpretation of facts
- Raw data doesn’t carry meaning until processed into information
- Example:
- Collected data on students’ favorite books
- Processed data shows “Harry Potter” is the most favorite book (7
students like it)
Hardware
- Physical components of a computer system that we can see and touch.
Components of Hardware
1. Input
2. Output
3. System Unit
4. Storage
5. Communication devices
Input Devices
- Accept input from the user and convert it into a form the computer can
understand.
- Examples: Mouse, keyboard, scanner, microphone, digital cameras.
- Used in supermarkets, banks, etc. to collect large amounts of data
rapidly.
- Include barcode readers, magnetic ink character readers, optical
character readers, card readers, and biometric sensors.
Specific Input Devices
- *Mouse*: Commonly used input device with two or more buttons for
different functions and a scroll wheel.
- Can be clicked, double-clicked, or right-clicked.
- Used to select objects/text and draw pictures.
- *Scanner*: Reads an image and converts it into a digital file.
- Connected to a computer through USB.
- *Microphone*: Allows users to input audio.
- Used in computer gaming, online chatting, recording musical
instruments, etc.
- *Keyboard*: The most commonly used input device for entering data or
text into a computer.
- *Digital cameras*: Capture still photographs and videos with sound in
digital form.
- *Barcode Reader*: Scans barcodes on products to input information into
a computer.
- *Biometric sensors*: Identify and authenticate individuals through
physical attributes like fingerprints, facial recognition, voice, and iris
recogised .
1. *Magnetic Ink Character Reader (MICR)*:
- Uses magnetic ink with iron oxide particles.
- Scans characters on cheques.
- Used in banks for security (hard to forge).
2. *Optical Character Reader (OCR)*:
- Inputs printed or handwritten text.
- Converts text to digital image then to character codes.
3. *Optical Mark Reader (OMR)*:
- Reads marks (boxes/circles) on printed forms.
- Used for objective exams.
.”
Card Readers
- Used for reading info stored on cards like magnetic strip cards and smart
cards.
- Info on magnetic strip cards can be destroyed by magnetic fields,
physical damage, or certain liquids.
- Smart cards have a chip instead of a magnetic strip, store more data,
and can read/write data.
Output Devices
- Convey info from computer to user.
- Examples: printers, speakers, multimedia projectors.
- Discusses LCD projectors and LEDs for displaying presentations and
projecting images/videos.
- *Printer*: prints texts and images onto paper in black and white or color.
- *Speaker*: allows you to hear sound from the computer.
- *Multimedia projector*: projects images onto a screen, wall, or another
surface.
-*Braille Printer*: produces Braille printouts for visually impaired people.
- *Plotter*: creates high-quality graphics like charts, graphs, and diagrams
using ink pens or ink jets.
The image shows a page from a textbook discussing plotters and
computer system units.
- *Plotters*: Used in CAD/CAM for printing plans of houses, car parts,
machinery, etc. There are four types: drum plotters, micrographic plotters,
inkjet plotters, and flatbed plotters.
- *System Unit*: Comprises motherboard, CPU, memory, ports, and
expansion slots.
- *Memory Types*:
- *RAM (Random Access Memory)*: Short-term memory for reading,
writing, and erasing data multiple times.
- *ROM (Read Only Memory)*: Pre-recorded data that can only be read.
Key points include:
- *RAM vs ROM*:
- RAM offers temporary storage, is volatile, and used in normal
operations.
- ROM offers permanent storage, is non-volatile, and used for startup
processes.
- *CPU (Central Processing Unit)*:
- The brain of the computer.
- Consists of the Control Unit and Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU).
- Control Unit directs tasks, ALU executes arithmetic/logical operations.
- *How a computer processor works*:
- Control unit fetches, decodes instructions.
- ALU executes operations.
- Results stored in memory/register.
Here’s what the page covers about storage:
- *Types of Storage*: HDD (Hard Disk Drives), SSD (Solid State Drives),
and External storage.
- *Hard Disk Drives (HDD)*:
- Use magnetic fields to magnetize tiny sections on a spinning disk.
- Fairly cheap with high capacity and durable.
- Susceptible to damage if dropped.
- *Solid State Drives (SSD)*:
- Use non-volatile RAM to store data.
- More durable and shock-resistant than HDDs.
- Smaller, faster, noiseless, and allow for thinner/lighter PCs.
- *External Storage*: Devices like USB flash drives that store data outside
the computers.
- *System Software includes:*
- Operating Systems (OS)
- Language Translators
- System Utilities
- *Operating Systems (OS):*
- Manages and controls the computer
- Examples: Windows, Mac OS, Android, iOS
- Loaded into RAM when computing device starts up
- *Language Translators:*
- Compiler translates high-level language to machine language
- Reports errors with line numbers
- Saves translated program as object code
- *Assembler*: Translates assembly language into machine language.
- *Interpreter*: Translates and executes high-level language statements
one by one.
- *System Utilities*: Help manage, maintain, and control computer
resources.
- *Defragmentation software*: Combines fragmented files on a hard
disk for faster access.
- *Data compression software*: Reduces file size for easier transmission
and storage.
- *Backup software*: Creates copies of data to prevent loss.
- *Device Drivers*: Small instructions for devices attached to a system,
helping the computer understand device functionality.
- *Application Software*: Includes word processing, excel sheets, web
browsers, etc. It requests the OS to load and save files.
- *General purpose software vs. Special purpose software*: General
purpose software (like office apps) does various tasks, while special
purpose software (like a scientific calculator) does specific tasks.
- *Differences between software and hardware*: Hardware is physical
components (monitor, mouse); software is instructions for tasks.