Computer

Programming
ENGR. BASHIR KH AN (LECT URER)
Department Of Civil Engineering
Sarhad University (SUIT) Peshawar
Email: bashir.civil@s uit.edu.pk

1
Outline

‣ Introduction to computer
‣ Data & Information
‣ Characteristics of Computer
‣ Computer Generations
‣ Computer Organizations
‣ Types of Computer
Introduction to computer
Computer
‣ In Today’s world its necessary for everyone to
know about computers
‣ In the current world, it’s almost impossible to
imagine that someone can live without computers
‣ Now a days computers are used in every field
• Engineering
• Medical
• Business
Computer
๏ The word Computer comes from the word
Compute which means to Calculate
๏ People consider computer as a Calculating
device which will perform calculation
(Arithmetic Operations) at a high speed
๏ Objective of inventing computer was to create
a fast Calculating device
Computer
๏ Today more than 80% of work done by
computers are Non-Mathematical and Non-
Numerical
๏ To define computer as a calculating device is to
ignore over 80% of its functions
๏ So we can define computer as a device that
Operates upon data (Processes the data)
Data Processing
๏ Computer processes the data so many people have
started calling it a Data Processor
๏ The activity of processing data using computer is
called Data Processing
๏ Data Processing consists of three steps
‣ Capture the input data
‣ Processes/manipulates input data
‣ Displays/manages output results
Data Processing
๏ Data Processing consists of three steps
‣ Capture the input data
‣ Processes/manipulates
input data
‣ Displays/manages
output results
Data Processing
๏ Data Processing is the sequence of operations
performed to convert raw data into usable
form
Computer Definition
❑ Computer is an electronic device that
‣ Takes raw data as an input from the user
‣ Processes it
‣ Produces a result (output)
‣ And saves it for future use
Computer
Data & Information
Data & Information
❑ Data is a collection of unprocessed items
‣ Text, Numbers

‣ Bio data of applicants to shortlist candidates

for recruiting
‣ Marks obtained by students when preparing

results
‣ Passenger details (name, age, etc.) for

airline reservations
Whats Data & Information
๏ Computers process Data into Information
๏ Information conveys meaning and is
useful to people
๏ Data is raw input material and information
is output processed data
Whats Data & Information
Characteristics of Computer
❑ Automatic
❑ Speed
❑ Accuracy
❑ Diligence
❑ Versatility
❑ Power of Remembering
❑ No IQ
❑ No Feeling
Characteristics of Computer
❑ Automatic
‣ Automatic machines work by itself without
human intervention
‣ Computers are automatic machines because
once started on a job, it carry out until its
finished
‣ A computer cant start and find a solution to a
problem
‣ We will instruct the computer through (Programs)
what to do with the problem
Characteristics of Computer
❑ Speed
‣ A computer is a very fast device
‣ It takes only few seconds for calculations
that we take hours to complete
‣ A computer can perform millions
(1,000,000) of instructions per second
‣ It also performs billion (109) simple
arithmetic operations per second
Characteristics of Computer
❑ Diligence
‣ A computer is free from tiredness,
lack of concentration
‣ It can work for hours without
creating any error
‣ If millions of calculations are to be
performed, a computer will perform
every calculation with the same
accuracy
Characteristics of Computer

❑ Versatility
‣ The capacity to perform completely
different type of work
‣ One moment it will preparing the
result of examination next moment
it will busy in preparing electricity
bills
Characteristics of Computer

❑ Power of Remembering
‣ Computer has the power of storing
any amount of information or data
Characteristics of Computer
❑ Power of Remembering
‣ Computer has the power of storing
any amount of information or data
‣ Any information can be stored and
recalled as long as you require it,
even after numbers of years
Characteristics of Computer
❑ No IQ
‣ A Computer is a dumb machine
‣ Its not a magical device
‣ It cannot do any work without instruction
from the user
‣ We will instruct the computer what to do
and in what sequence
‣ So a computer cannot take its own
decision as we can
Characteristics of Computer
❑ No Feeling
‣ It does not have feelings or emotion,
taste, knowledge and experience
‣ Thus it does not get tired even after
long hours of work
‣ They make judgment
based on the
instructions given to them
in the form of programs