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Assignment CHAP NO 1 Computer Fundamentals by PK Sinha
Assignment CHAP NO 1 Computer Fundamentals by PK Sinha
CHAPTER NO 1
EXERCISE
ANS:
A computer is normally considered to be a calculating device, which can perform arithmetic
operations at enormous speed. It is also known as a data processor since it not only computes in
the usual sense, but also performs other functions with the data.
ANS:
The activity of processing data using a computer is called data processing.
Data is the raw material used as input to data processing and information is the processed data
obtained as the output of data processing,
Information is more useful to the people because they can’t get information from data as it is in
raw form.
ANS:
Being automatic
Speed
Accuracy of computing
Diligence
Versatility
Power of remembering
Lack of intelligence& feelings
Automatic: computers are automatic machines because i=once started on a job, they carry on,
until the job is done, normally without any human resistance.
Speed: a computer is a very fast device; it can perform in a few seconds, the amount of work that
a human being can do in a entire year.
Accuracy: in addition to being very fast, computers are very accurate. The accuracy of a
computer is very high and the degree of accuracy of a particular computer depends upon its
design,
ANS:
Whenever a wrong input is given to computer , the answer will be wrong. These wrong answers
are referred to as GIGO
ANS:
CHARLES BABBAGE is considered to be the father of modern digital computer, because
modern digital computers were based on his theory.
ANS:
Dr. John Neumann introduced the “stored program”. This concept is very important because due
to this feature, we often refer to modern digital computer as stored program digital computers.
ANS:
Due to the “stored program” concept, which considerably influenced the development of modern
digital computer, modern digital computers are often referred to as stored program digital
computers.
ANS:
UNIVAC (the universal automatic computer) was the first digital computer, which was not “one
of a kind”. Many UNIVAC machines were produced, the first of which was installed in the
Census Bureau in 1951 and was used continuously for 10 years
Q 9: GIVE THE FULL FORM OF THESE ABBRIVATIONS: IBM, ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC,
and UNIVAC?
ANS:
IBM: International Business Machines
ENIAC: Electronic Numerical Integer and Calculator
EDVAC: Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer
EDSAC: Electronic Delay Storage Automatic calculator
UNIVAC: Universal Automatic calculator
ANS:
Generation in computer talk is a step in technology.
There are total five computer generations.
Q 11: LIST OUT THE VARIOUS COMPUTER GENERATIONS ALONG WITH THE KEY
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE COMPUTERS OF EACH GENERATION?
ANS:
First generation (1942-1955):
They were the fastest calculating devices of their time
They were too bulky in size, requiring large rooms for installation
These computers were difficult to use, the had limited commercial use
Q 12: LIST OUT THE KEY HARDWARE TECHNOLOGIES USED IN BUILDING THE
COMPUTERS IN EACH OF FIVE GENERATIONS?
ANS:
First: vacuum tubes, electromagnetic relay memory, punched cards secondary storage
Second: Transistors, magnetic core memory, magnetic tapes and disks secondary storage
Third: ICs with SSI & MSI technologies, larger magnetic core memory, larger capacity disks and
magnetic tapes storage, minicomputers
Fourth: ICs with VLSI technology, microprocessors, semiconductor memory, larger capacity
hard disks as in-built secondary storage, magnetic tapes and floppy disks as portable storage
media, personal computers, spread of high-speed computer networks.
Fifth: ICs with ULSI technology, larger capacity hard disks, optical disks as portable read-only
storage media, notebook computers, powerful desktop PCs & workstations, very powerful
mainframes, internet
Q 13: LIST OUT THE KEY SOFTWARE TECHNOLOGIES USED IN BUILDING THE
COMPUTERS IN EACH OF FIVE GENERATIONS?
ANS:
First:
Machine & assembly languages; stored program concept; mostly scientific
applications
Second:
Batch operating system; high-level programming languages; scientific &
commercial applications
Third:
Timesharing operating system; standardization of high-level programming
languages; unbundling of software from hardware
Fourth:
Operating systems for PCs; GUI multiple windows; UNIX operating system; C
programming language; PC- based applications; network-based applications
Fifth:
World Wide Web; multimedia applications; internet-based applications
Q 16: WHAT IS AN IC? HOW DOES IT HELP IN REDUCING THE SIZE OF COMPUTERS?
ANS: ICs are consisting of several electronic components like transistors, resistors and capacitors
grown on a single chip of silicon. It made possible to integrate larger number of circuit
components into very small (less than 5 mm sq) surface of silicon, known as “chip”.
ANS:
ICs were much smaller
Less expensive to produce
More ragged and reliable
Faster in operation
Dissipated less heat and
Consumed much less power than circuits built by wiring electronic components
manually
Q 18: GIVE THE FULL FORM OF THESE ABBRIVATIONS: GIGO, IC, SSI, MSI, LSI, VLSI
and ULSI?
ANS:
GIGO: Garbage-in-garbage-out
IC: Integrated circuits
SSI: Small scale integration
MSI: Medium scale integration
LSI: Large scale integration
VLSI: Very large scale integration
ULSI: Ultra large scale integration
Q 19: WHY WERE 1ST AND 2ND GENERATION COMPUTERS MORE DIFFICULT &
COSTILLER TO PRODUCE COMMERCIALLY THAN THE COMPUTERS OF
SUBSEQUENT GENERATION?
ANS: In the first generation electro magnetic relay memory, in the second generation magnetic
cores memory, in the third generation larger magnetic core memory and in the fourth generation
semiconductor memory .
ANS: microprocessor contains all the circuits needed to perform arithmetic logic and control
functions, the core activities of all computers, on a single chip
It becomes possible to build a computer with a microprocessor, a few additional primary storage
chips. It started a new social revolution-the PC revolution
ANS:
FIRST:
ENIAC
EDVAC
EDSAC
UNIVAC 1
IBM 701
SECOND:
Honeywell 400
IBM 7030
CDC 1604
UNIVAC LARC
THIRD:
IBM 360/37
PDP-8
PDP-11
CDC 6600
FOURTH:
IBM PC and its clones
Apple 2
TRS-80
VAX 9000
CRAY-1
CRAY-2
CRAY-X/MP
FIFTH:
IBM notebooks
Pentium PCs
SUN workstations
IBM SP/2
SGI Origin 2000
PARAM 10000