Course Title: Computer

Fundamentals and
Applications
COURSE CODE: BCA101
YEAR/SEMESTER: I/I
CLASS LOAD: 6 HRS. / WEEK (THEORY: 3HRS., PRACTICAL: 3 HRS.)
Course Description
This course offers fundamental concepts of computer and computing
which includes introduction to computer system, computer software
& database management system, operating system, data
communication & computer network and contemporary
technologies. It also aims at helping students convert theoretical
concept into practical skill through the use of different application
packages including word processor, spreadsheet package,
presentation package.
Course Objectives
The general objectives of this course are to provide fundamental
concepts of information and communication technology and to make
students capable of using different application packages in their
personal as well as professional life.
Syllabus Summary
Unit - 1 Introduction to Computer System --16 Hrs.
Unit - 2 Computer Software --3 Hrs.
Unit - 3 Operating System --4 Hrs.
Unit - 4 Database Management System --8 Hrs.
Unit - 5 Data Communication and Computer Network --11 Hrs.
Unit - 6 Internet and WWW --6Hrs.
Unit - 7 Contemporary Technologies --13 Hrs.
Practical
❑Operating System
❑Word Processor
❑Spreadsheet
❑Presentation Package
Unit 1 Introduction to Computer ( Hrs)
Introduction to Computer, Characteristics of Computer. Applications
of Computer, Classification of Computer, Mobile Computing.
Anatomy of a Digital Computer, Computer Architecture, Memory &
Its Classification, Input devices, Output Devices, Interfaces.
 What are computers?
➢ A computer is an electronic device designed to accept data as input,
process it according to a set of instructions (a program), produce results as
output, and store these results for future use.
➢ A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to
automatically carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations
(computation) by executing instructions stored in its memory.
➢ 1613 → 1940s: “Computer” = a person whose job is to perform
calculations.
➢ 1940s → today: “Computer” = the programmable electronic machine that
replaced those human calculators.
Key Properties That Distinguish Computers
Programmability A computer isn’t built to do just one fixed task (like a washing
machine or calculator). Instead, it can load and execute any sequence of
instructions (a program) from its memory.
Electronic operation Modern computers are digital and electronic: they
represent all information (numbers, letters, images, instructions) as binary
states (0 and 1)
Automatic execution: Once started, a program runs without continuous human
intervention.
Generality One single computer can pretend to be any other computer or
machine if you give it the right program. For example, your phone can act like a
calculator, a game console, a camera, or even a tiny supercomputer—just by
running different software.
 Characteristics of Computer
1. Speed: Computers can perform millions of calculations in a second. Tasks that take humans hours can be done in a
few seconds.
2. Accuracy: Computers give very accurate results. Errors only occur if the input or program is wrong.
3. Storage Capacity: Computers can store a large amount of data, files, programs, and media. Information can be
retrieved instantly whenever needed.
4. Automation: Once a program is given, computers work automatically without needing human intervention until
the task is completed.
5. Diligence: Computers do not get tired, bored, or lose concentration. They can perform the same task repeatedly
with the same accuracy.
6. Versatility: Computers can perform different types of tasks — calculations, gaming, programming, designing,
communication, etc.
7. Reliability: Computers give consistent and dependable results. They do not make mistakes due to fatigue or
emotions.
8. Fast Decision Making: With proper input and software, computers can analyze data and make decisions quickly.
Anatomy of Computer
❑A digital computer is made up of several interconnected
components that work together to process data, perform
calculations, and provide output.
❑It consists of :
1. Hardware- I/O Devices, Memory Units, CPU, BUS
2. Software- OS, Applications
Classification of Computers Based on Size and
Performance
Supercomputers
◦ Most powerful and fastest computers.
◦ Handle complex scientific calculations and simulations.
◦ Used in weather forecasting, nuclear research, space exploration.
◦ Very expensive and require special cooling systems.
Mainframe Computers
◦ Large, powerful, used by organizations to process huge volumes of data.
◦ Can support many users simultaneously.
◦ Used in banks, airlines, government departments.
Classification of Computers Based on Size
and Performance
Minicomputers
◦ Mid-sized computers, smaller than mainframes.
◦ Cheaper and used in medium-sized businesses.
◦ Often used for engineering, scientific applications, and manufacturing processes.
Microcomputers (Personal Computers)
◦ Small, inexpensive, for individual use.
◦ Types include:
◦ Desktop Computers: For office/home use.
◦ Laptop/Notebook Computers: Portable, battery-operated.
◦ Tablet Computers: Touch-based, lightweight.
◦ Smartphones: Pocket-sized computers with high computing capability.
Classification Based on Purpose
1. General-purpose Computers
◦ Can perform a variety of tasks.
◦ Examples: PCs, laptops, workstations.

2. Special-purpose Computers
◦ Designed for a specific task.
◦ Examples: ATM machines, calculators, embedded systems in vehicles.
Based on Functionality
1. Analog Computers
• Work with continuous data.
• Used for measuring physical quantities like temperature, pressure, speed.
• Example: Old speedometers, industrial process controllers.
2. Digital Computers
• Work with discrete data (binary 0s and 1s).
• Most modern computers are digital.
• Example: PCs, laptops, smartphones.
3. Hybrid Computers
• Combine features of analog and digital computers.
• Useful in medical applications like ECG machines.
Applications of Computer
Field Applications
Education Online classes, digital libraries, tutorials.
Business Payroll, accounting, billing, communication.
Healthcare Patient records, diagnosis, medical imaging.
Banking ATM, online banking, fund transfers.
Science & Engineering Modeling, simulation, research tools.
Communication Email, chats, video meetings, social media.
Entertainment Games, movies, music, animation.
Transport Ticketing, GPS, traffic monitoring.
Government E-governance, tax systems, census.
Defense Radar, intelligence, weapon control.
Input Devices
❖ Input devices are electronic hardware components that
allow a user to send data, instructions, and control
signals to a computer.
❖ They act as a communication channel between the user
and the computer system.
❖ A computer cannot understand human language directly,
so input devices convert human-readable data (like text,
sound, movement, or images) into a machine-readable
format (binary form) that the computer can process.
Functions of Input Devices
❖ Accept data from the user
Example: Keyboard accepts text, mouse accepts pointer
movements.
❖ Convert data into binary signals
Example: Microphone converts sound waves into digital signals.
❖ Send data to the CPU for processing
Example: Scanner sends scanned image data to the computer.
❖ Control the operations of software
Example: Mouse clicks, touchscreen gestures.
Anatomy of Computer
❑A digital computer is made up of several interconnected
components that work together to process data, perform
calculations, and provide output.
❑It consists of :
1. Hardware- I/O Devices, Memory Units, CPU, BUS
2. Software- OS, Applications
Evolution of Computers
1. Pre-20th Century: Mechanical Calculators (1600s–1800s)
2. First Generation: Vacuum Tubes (1940s–mid-1950s)
3. Second Generation: Transistors (mid-1950s–mid-1960s)
4. Third Generation: Integrated Circuits (mid-1960s–1970s)
5. Fourth Generation: Microprocessors & Personal Computers
(1970s–present)
1. Pre-20th Century: Mechanical &
Electromechanical Era
Devices: Abacus, slide rule, Pascaline (1642), Leibniz wheel, Difference Engine
(Babbage, 1822), Analytical Engine (Babbage + Ada Lovelace, 1837), Hollerith
punched-card machines (1890)
How they worked: Gears, levers, or electromechanical relays; no electricity for
processing in early ones.
Key idea: Automation of calculation, but still human-powered or very slow.
Importance: Proved complex calculations could be mechanized; introduced
programming (via punched cards).
 2. First Generation (1940s – mid-1950s):
Vacuum Tube Computers
Technology: Thousands of vacuum tubes (glass bulbs acting as
switches/amplifiers)
Characteristics:
◦ Enormous (filled entire rooms)
◦ Consumed massive electricity (like hundreds of homes)
◦ Generated huge heat → needed air conditioning
◦ Broke down often (tubes burned out every few hours)
Famous machines:
◦ 1941 Z3 (Germany) – first programmable digital computer
◦ 1944 Colossus (UK) – broke Nazi codes
◦ 1946 ENIAC (USA) – 18,000 tubes, reprogrammed by rewiring plugs and
switches
◦ 1951 UNIVAC I – first sold commercially
Programming: Machine language (binary) or plugboards
 3. Second Generation (mid-1950s – mid-
1960s): Transistor Computers
Technology: Transistors (invented 1947) replaced vacuum tubes
Advantages:
◦ Much smaller (refrigerator-sized instead of room-sized)
◦ Far less power and heat
◦ Much more reliable
◦ Cheaper to build
Key developments:
◦ Magnetic core memory (instead of delay lines or drums)
◦ High-level languages appear: FORTRAN (1957), COBOL (1959)
◦ First minicomputers (DEC PDP-8, 1965 – suitcase-sized)
Examples: IBM 7094, PDP-1
 4. Third Generation (mid-1960s – early
1970s): Integrated Circuits (ICs)
Technology: Many transistors printed on a single silicon
chip
Advantages:
❑Even smaller, faster, cheaper
❑Multitasking operating systems
❑Keyboards and monitors replace punch cards and
printers
Landmark:
❑1964 IBM System/360 – first “family” of compatible
computers (small to huge machines ran same software)
❑1968 Intel founded
Programming: More user-friendly languages (BASIC, Pascal)
5. Fourth Generation (1971 – present): Microprocessor
& Personal Computing
➢Breakthrough: Entire CPU on one chip (microprocessor)
➢1971 Intel 4004 – first commercial microprocessor (used in calculators)
➢1974–1975: First personal computers appear
➢Altair 8800 (1975) – first commercially successful kit computer (ordered from Popular Electronics
magazine)
➢1976 Apple I (Steve Wozniak & Jobs)
➢1977 “Trinity” of ready-to-use PCs: Apple II, TRS-80, Commodore PET
➢1981 IBM PC – open architecture → thousands of clone makers
➢1984 Apple Macintosh – first mass-market GUI + mouse
➢1985 Microsoft Windows
➢1990s–2000s: Internet, laptops, smartphones (iPhone 2007), tablets (iPad 2010)
6. Fifth Generation (ongoing, roughly 2010–present): AI, Parallel
Processing, Quantum, and Beyond
➢There is no strict official “fifth generation,” but people generally use it for:
➢Massive parallelism (thousands of cores)
➢Artificial intelligence & machine learning built into hardware
➢Cloud + edge computing
➢New paradigms: quantum, neuromorphic, photonic
Key milestones in Modern era:
2006–2010: Multi-core CPUs become standard
2012: AlexNet wins ImageNet → deep learning revolution
2017: Google TPU, Bitcoin mining ASICs, NVIDIA GPUs dominate AI training
2018: Apple A12 Bionic – first phone chip with dedicated Neural Engine
2020: Apple M1 – ARM chips beat Intel in laptops
2022–2025: Explosion of generative AI (ChatGPT, Grok, Gemini, etc.)
2024–2025: AI PCs with powerful NPUs (Neural Processing Units) – Intel Core Ultra, AMD Ryzen AI
300, Snapdragon X Elite
Quantum: IBM, Google, IonQ, Rigetti offering cloud quantum computers (50–400+ qubits by 2025)
Neuromorphic chips: Intel Loihi, IBM TrueNorth – mimic brain structure
Quick Comparison Table
Core
Generation Years Size Programming Example
Technology
Machine code,
1st 1940–1955 Vacuum tubes Entire room ENIAC, UNIVAC
plugs
Refrigerator- FORTRAN, IBM 7094, PDP-
2nd 1955–1965 Transistors
sized COBOL 8
Integrated IBM
3rd 1965–1971 Desk-sized BASIC
circuits System/360
Pocket to
4th 1971–2010+ Microprocessor C, Python, etc. IBM PC, iPhone
desktop
M4, RTX 5090,
AI accelerators, Python +
5th 2010–now Pocket to cloud Quantum
Quantum frameworks
processors
Applications of Computer
Field Applications
Education Online classes, digital libraries, tutorials.
Business Payroll, accounting, billing, communication.
Healthcare Patient records, diagnosis, medical imaging.
Banking ATM, online banking, fund transfers.
Science & Engineering Modeling, simulation, research tools.
Communication Email, chats, video meetings, social media.
Entertainment Games, movies, music, animation.
Transport Ticketing, GPS, traffic monitoring.
Government E-governance, tax systems, census.
Defense Radar, intelligence, weapon control.
Mobile Computing
➢Mobile computing refers to the ability to perform computing tasks while being mobile,
without being tied to a fixed location.
➢It combines wireless communication, portable devices, and computing capabilities to allow
access to data and services anytime, anywhere.
Key Components of Mobile Computing
Mobile Devices
◦ Smartphones, tablets, laptops, wearable devices.
◦ Equipped with processors, memory, storage, and networking capabilities.
Wireless Communication
◦ Enables connectivity without physical cables.
◦ Technologies include Wi-Fi, 4G/5G, Bluetooth, NFC, Satellite communication.
Mobile Infrastructure
◦ Cellular networks, Wi-Fi hotspots, cloud servers.
◦ Provides access to data, applications, and services on the go.
Mobile Software and Applications
◦ Apps designed for mobile devices (Android, iOS, cross-platform apps).
◦ Examples: Email apps, banking apps, social media apps, GPS navigation.
Characteristics of Mobile Computing
❑Universal Access
▪ Users can access services anytime, anywhere.

❑Portability
▪ Devices are lightweight, small, and easy to carry.

❑Connectivity
▪ Always connected via wireless networks.

❑Real-time Data Access

❑Location Sensitivity
▪ Uses GPS and location-based services for personalized information.