Topic: Introduction to Computer

Parts of a Computer



Personal Computer System

Computer System usually refers to a computer and all of the input, output, and storage devices that are connected to it.

Input Devices
Keyboard the primary input device
Pointing Devices such mouse, joystick and game controller ( i.e WII controller) an alternative input
device to manipulate on-screen graphical objects and controls.
Scanner allows a user to scan hard documents, pictures, or graphics to view on a computer
Digital Camera are used to take pictures which can be used directly by a computer
Microphone used to put sound into a computer and this needs sound recording software
CD/ DVD ROM a drive that uses laser technology to read data that is permanently stored on computer
or audio CDs

Output Devices used to display information on a screen, can create printed copies or generate a sound
Monitors/ Display Device a separate monitor or a flat panel LCD (liquid crystal display) screen
Printer an output device that produces computer-generated text or graphical images on paper
o Dot Matrix
o Ink Jet
o Laser
Speakers Desktop computers built-in speakers are mostly limited to playing beeps
Sound Card a small circuit board, is necessary for high-quality music, narration, and sound effects.
CD Writers can be used to create and copy CDs
Modem can be used to establish an internet connection using a standard telephone line
Common I/O Peripherals
Keyboard
Mouse
Monitor
Hard disk
Printer
Other I/O Devices
CD-ROM Drive
Modem
Sound Card
Scanner

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Storage Devices
Computer System Unit the case that holds the main circuit boards, microprocessor, power supply, and
storage devices
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) a storage device that can store billions of character of data and is usually
mounted inside the computers system unit
Floppy Disk Drive reads data from and writes data to floppy disks
Storage Component
Memory
o Random Access Memory (RAM) is a type of computer memory chip that allows instructions
and data to be stored, changed and retrieved by the user
o Read Only Memory (ROM) is a memory chip that allows only readout capability
o Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM) enables the user to add special information to the
ROM supplied by the manufacturer as part of the system
o Virtual Memory is an imaginary memory area supported by the software in conjunction with
the hardware.
Mass Storage Device
o Floppy Disks
o Compact Disks (CD)/ Digital Videodisk (DVD)
o Zip Disk
o Flash Disk/ Pen Drive

Topic: History of Computer
Abacus
- ultimate ancestor of todays computer
- Became the arithmetic tool of early merchant
- The only relation that can be claimed between the abacus and computer is that they are both used to aid in
handling numerical/logical computations.
Charles Babbage
- Called the Father of Computing
- Invented the Analytical and Difference Engines
- Born on December 26, 1791 in Teignmouth, Devonshire in the UK
- Had an interest in various fields, from statistics to philosophy and religion to machines, having accredited to
him numerous publications in these fields.
- His conceptualization of his engines began with an analysis of the calculations of tables of Greenwich star
positions
Difference Engine
- Conceived to perform quick tabular calculations, the workings if which were based on the Methods of
Differences, an algorithm that lent itself to the easy creation of a wide range of mathematical table
- Was powered by steam
- Embodied the basic concepts and elements of a modern general-purpose computer
Analytical Engine
- Utilized I/O media called Jacquard punched cards, originally used to lay down thread arrangements in weaving
- Used the punch cards for storing operating instructions (programs), and would have been able to store around
1,000 numbers of up to 50 decimal places
- Also allowed output devices for displaying results

Generation of Computer
The First Generation
- Computers that were based on the use of wired circuits containing vacuum tubes, and which utilize punch
cards as the main storage medium and designed for a specific task.
- Used binary codes of machine language
o Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), a hulk of machinery consist of 18,000 vacuum
tubes, 70,000 resistors, and 5 million soldered joints, and occupied a space equal to a small warehouse.
o Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC), a pioneer in implementing von Neumanns
architecture, the key to which was the Central Processing Unit (CPU), which allowed all computer
functions to be coordinated through a single source.

Example of Computer from the First Generation (1940-1956):
ABC Computer (1942) John Atanasoff & Clifford Berry
Z3 (1941) Konrad Zuse
Colossus computer (1944) Tommy Flowers
Harvard Mark I Computer (1944) Howard Aiken & Grace Hopper
ENIAC 1 Computer (1946) John Presper Eckert & John W. Mauchly
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Manchester Baby Computer & The Williams Tube (1948) Frederic Williams & Tom Kilburn
LEO I/ Lyons Electronic Office I (1951) Oliver Standingford & Raymond Thompson of J. Lyons and Co.
UNIVAC (1951) J ohn Presper Eckert & John W. Mauchly

The Second Generation (1956-1963)
- Development of the transistor
o Smaller size and increase reliability
o Resulted to a smaller and smaller computers, which were faster and more energy efficient than their
predecessors
o The first transistor computer was created at the University of Manchester in 1953.
- The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper,
more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors.
- Used a more specialized with easier abbreviated programming codes called assembly language

Example of Computer from the Second Generation (1955-1960):
IBM 1401

The Third Generation (1964-1971)
- integration, a process in which numerous electronic components are brought together to compose a
system unit (an integrated circuit) that combines them in a dynamic, coordinated manner

DID YOU KNOW...?
An integrated circuit (IC) is a small electronic device made out of a semiconductor material.
The first integrated circuit was developed independently in the 1950s by
Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments, and
Robert Noyce of Fairchild Semiconductor

Example of Computer from the Second Generation (1955-1960):
IBMs System/360

The Fourth Generation (1971 present)
- Development of user-friendly software packages that offered non-technical users many of the advantages of
computer applications
- Characterized the application of advanced engineering techniques that allow very-large-scale-integration
(VLSI), and ultra-large-scale-integration (ULSI), which allow for the placement of millions of electronic
components in a single chip.
- The first single-chip CPU, or a microprocessor, was Intel 4004.

Types of Computers and Example Under Fourth Generation Computer
1. First Generation of Microcomputers (1971 1976)
CTC Datapoint 2200
- based on a multi-chip CPU design
- its multi-chip CPU architecture actually became a basis for the x86 architecture later
used in IBM PC
Micral N
- uses Intel 8008 microprocessor
MOS Technology KIM-1
Altair 8800
Apple I
Altair 8800

2. Second Generation Microcomputers (1977 present)
Commodore PET
Apple II
80s the IBM PC

3. Graphical User Interface (GUI)
- Doug Engelbart and his team at the Stanford Research Lab developed the first mouse, and a
graphical user interface, demonstrated in 1968.
- Xerox PARC research center, which in 1973 developed Xerox Alto, the first computer with a mouse-
driven GUI
- Introduction of DOS or Disk Operating System to the IBM PC by Microsoft
Altair 8800
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Apple introduced the Macintosh, 1984, the first mass-market computer with a graphical user
interface and a mouse.

4. Portable Computers
Dynabook
Laptop-like portable computer
Developed at Xerox PARC by Alan Kay
Intended it for children.
Xerox Notetaker
o First portable computer
o Only 10 were produced
Osborne 1 (1981)
o First commercialized laptop
o With a small 5 CRT monitor and a keyboard that sits inside of the lid when closed
o It ran CP/M (the OS that Microsoft bought and based DOS on)
Apples Powerbooks
o The first portable computers which resemble modern laptops in features

The Fifth Generation
- Computers that can understand human speech, can recognize patterns faces and complex images
o Artificial intelligence
o Expert system
o Natural language processing

For the brief timeline of computers, visit http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/timeline.asp for more more details.


Topic: Computer Application
Business they use computers to store information, easy interface with customers, and facilitate
processing and presentation of data
Mathematics and Science Watson and Cricks discovery of the structure of the DNA
Engineering degrees of miniaturization and integration have multiplies n-fold
Medicine more reliable artificial hearts are being offered to those with heart problems
Education ease of use in the creation of presentation materials and documents
Entertainment interactive games and virtual simulations, computer-generated effects
Topic: Computer Basics
- A device that accepts input, processes data, stores data, and produces output, all according to a series of stored
instructions
- Information Processing Cycle
o Accepts data input
o Process data processing
o Produces output output
o Stores result storage
- Beginning terms:
o Hardware these are the physical part of a computer
o Software these are the instructions or programs that commands the computer what to do
o Data individual facts such as name, price, quantity ordered
o Information - these are information that were sent into a useful form like a complete mailing address
o Default original settings
- A computer is powerful because of three functions that it has:
o Speed, because it does billions of actions per second
o Reliability, because most failures are done by human errors, one way or another
o Storage, because it can store huge amount of data

Personal Computer Systems
- computer system usually refers to a computer and all of the input, output, and storage devices that are
connected to it
- Input Devices
o Keyboard -the primary input device
o Pointing devices such as mouse, joystick, and game controller - an alternative input device to
manipulate on-screen graphical objects and controls
o Scanner -allows a user to scan hard document, pictures, or graphics to view on a computer
o Digital Cameras -are used to takes pictures which can be used directly by a computer
o Microphone -used to put sound into a computer and this needs sound recording software
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o CD/DVD ROM -a drive that uses laser technology to read data that is permanently stored on computer
or audio CDs
- Output Devices used to display information on a screen, can create printed copies or generate a sound
o Monitors / Display Device -a separate monitor or a flat panel LCD (liquid crystal display) screen
o Printer -an output device that produces computer-generated text or graphical images on paper
Dot Matrix printer uses metal pins to strike an inked ribbon that make dots on a paper and is
considered as the lowest print quality.
Ink Jet printers use drops of magnetic ink that produces highest quality print at a reasonable price.
Laser printers use a toner stick where the dots are made and produce the highest quality printout
and are the most expensive printer.
o Speakers. Some are built-in speakers that are mostly limited to playing beeps.
o Sound card, a small circuit board, is necessary for high-quality music, narration, and sound effects.
o CD-writers are used to create and copy data to CDs.
o Modem is used to establish an internet connection using a standard telephone line.
- Storage Devices
o Computer System Unit -the case that holds the main circuit boards, microprocessor, power supply, and
storage devices
o Hard Disk drive -a storage device that can store billions of characters of data and is usually mounted
inside the computers system unit
o Floppy Disk drive -reads data from and writes data to floppy disks
o Optical Media
Compact Disk(CD)
Digital Videodisk(DVD)
o Flash Disk - is a data storage device that includes flash memory with an integrated Universal Serial Bus
(USB) interface





Computer Terminologies
Data -the symbols that represent people, events, things, and ideas
Information -data presented in a format that people can understand and use
Bit -binary codes used by computers consisting of either 1 or 0
Byte -eight bits and are used to represent one character
Character -may be a letter, number, or punctuation mark
File - a named collection of data that exists on a storage medium, such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, or a CD
Data file -files which are regarded as passive, the data does not instruct the computer to do anything
Executable file -files which are considered as active, the instructions stored in the file cause the computer to
carry out some action
Data refers to the symbols that represent facts, objects, and ideas.
Computers manipulate data in various ways, and this manipulation is referred to as processing.
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Simply called a program, or a computer program, is the series of instructions that tell a computer how to carry
out processing tasks.
These programs form the software that sets up computer to do a specific task. Some of the ways that a
computer can process data include modifying documents and pictures, sorting lists of words and numbers,
drawing graphs, and performing calculations.
Most processing takes place in a component called the central processing unit (CPU), and is sometimes
described as the brain of the computer.
Memory is an area of a computer that temporarily holds data that is waiting to be processed, stored, or output.
Storage is the area where data can be left on a permanent basis when it is not immediately needed for
processing is called.
The results produced by a computer are known as the output. Examples of these are reports, documents, music,
graphs, and pictures. An output device displays, prints, or transmits the results of processing.

Information Size Measurements
- Kilobyte (KB)
One kilobyte equals about 1024 bytes
1KB is about 140 words, about a half page of typed double-spaced text (words only)
- Megabyte (MB)
One megabyte equals about 1000 KB
One megabyte equals about 1,000,000 bytes
One megabyte equals about 500 pages of text, or one large book
- Gigabyte (GB)
One gigabyte equals about 1000 MB
One gigabyte equals about 1,000,000 KB
One gigabyte equals about 1,000,000,000 bytes
One gigabyte equals over 1,000 books of text

Whats the significance of a computers ability to store instructions?
In a modern computer, the concept of a stored program means that a series of instructions for a computing task
can be loaded into a computers memory. These instructions can easily be replaced by a different set of instructions
when it is time for the computer to perform a different task.
The stored program idea allows a user to use computer for one task, like sending an email message, and then
easily switch to a different type of computing task such as editing a photo. It is the single most important characteristic
that distinguishes a computer from other simpler and less versatile devices, such as hand-held electronic dictionaries,
singing fish and calculators.


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