CS1 - COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS

# What is a computer?
A computer is an electronic device which stores and processes data to give meaningful information.

# Characteristics of a Computer

 Speed: It can perform several billion, even trillion, simple operations per
second

 Accuracy: Computer provides a high degree of accuracy

 Diligence: A computer is free from tiredness, lack of concentration, fatigue, etc.

 Versatility: It can perform a variety of tasks

 Memory: Large volumes of data and information can be stored in the computer
and also retrieved whenever required

 No I.Q.: It cannot take its own decisions

 No Feelings: It does not have feelings or emotion, taste, knowledge and experience.

# Generations of Computer
First Generation  Vacuum tube technology was used
(1946-1959):  Unreliable due to frequent fusing problem
 Generated a lot of heat
 Huge size, Non-portable
 Consumed a lot of electricity
Second Generation  Transistors were used
(1959-1965):  Increased reliability
 Smaller size
 Generated less heat
 Consumed less electricity
Third Generation  IC (Integrated Chip) used
(1965-1971):  More powerful than 2nd generation computers
 Much smaller in size
 Lower maintenance cost
Fourth Generation  VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) technology was used
(1971-1980):  Concept of internet was introduced
 Very cheap
 Portable and reliable
 Very small size
Fifth Generation  ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology is used
(1980-present):  Development of artificial intelligence
 Development of Natural language processing
 More user-friendly interfaces with multimedia features
# Basic Computer Organization/Computer Components
All types of computers follow the same basic logical structure and perform the following five basic operations
for converting raw input data into information useful to their users. They are

1. Inputting 2. Storing 3. Processing 4. Outputting 5. Controlling

Consequently a computer has 5 basic components.

Input Unit  It accepts (or reads) instructions and data from outside world
 It converts these instructions and data in computer acceptable
form
 It supplies the converted instructions and data to the computer
system for further processing
Output Unit  It accepts the results produced by the computer
 It then converts the result into human readable form.
 It supplies the converted results to outside world
Storage Unit  Stores data and instructions required for processing (received from
input devices)
 Holds Intermediate results of processing
 Final results of processing, before they are released to an output
device
Arithmetic Logic Unit  Arithmetic Logic Unit of a computer system is the place
(ALU) where the actual executions of instructions takes place during
processing operation
Control Unit (CU)  Control Unit of a computer system manages and coordinates
the operations of all other components of the computer
system

ALU and CU of a computer system are together known as the Central Processing Unit (CPU). It is the brain of
a computer system.

Figure 1: Basic organization of a computer system

# Types of Computer
Notebook Computers  Portable computer
 Designed to operate with chargeable batteries
 Normally run MS Windows or Linux operating system

Personal Computers  Non-portable, general-purpose computer

 Designed to meet personal computing needs of individuals
 Popular OS are MS-DOS, MS-Windows, Windows-NT, Linux,
and UNIX
Workstations  Powerful desktop computer designed to meet the computing
needs of engineers, architects, and other professionals
 Provides greater processing power, larger storage, and better
graphics display facility than PCs
 Commonly used for computer-aided design, multimedia
applications, engineering problems simulation etc.
Mainframe  Mainly used by large organizations
Computers  Used in such environments where a large number of users
need to share a common computing facility
 Bulk data processing, such as industry and consumer
statistics, enterprise resource planning; and transaction
processing.
Supercomputers  Most powerful and most expensive computers available
 Primarily used for processing complex scientific applications
that require enormous processing power
Client-server  In such a computing environment, there are multiple clients,
computers one/more servers, and a network
 Client is a computer that sends service requests to the server
 Server is generally a relatively large computer that manages
a shared resource and provides a specific services to the
clients
Handheld Computers  Small computing device that are used by holding in hand
 Tablet PC, PDA, Smartphones