Chapter 1

Introduction to Computer
I. History of Computer
 How it began?
o The history of computing began with an analog machine. In 1623 German scientist Wilhelm Schikard invented a
machine that used 11 complete and 6 incomplete sprocketed wheels that could add, and with the aid of logarithm
tables, multiply and divide.

o French philosopher, mathematician and physicist Blaise Pascal invented a machine in 1642 that added and subtracted
automatically carrying and borrowing digits from column to column. Pascal built 50 copies of his machine, but most
served as curiosities in parlors of the wealthy. Seventeenth-century German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz designed
a special gearing system to enable multiplication on Pascal’s Machine.

 Precursor to the modern Computer

o Another early mechanical computer was the Difference Engine, designed in the early 1820s by British mathematician
and scientist Charles Babbage it was able to compute mathematical tables although the device did not have a
memory.

o Babbage also made plans for another machine, the Analytical Engine, considered the mechanical precursor of the
modern computer. Conceived in 1833 but only a part of which was ever constructed it was learned to have been
capable of storing instructions, performing mathematical operations and even using punched cards as a form of
permanent memory. Unfortunately, there was no way to build the machine with 19 th-century technology. Babbage
was considered as the Father of the modern computer and is credited with conceiving the first true computer with
the help of his partner Augusta Ada Byron.

 The First programmer

o Augusta Ada Byron, countess of Lovelace, the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron and one of only a few woman
mathematicians of her time. She was a pioneer in the field of computers; she conceptualized programs for Babbage’s
Analytical Engine which led to the naming of a programming language (Ada) to her honor. ADA is a procedural
programming language designed under the direction of the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) in the late 1970s and
intended to be the primary language for DOD software development.

o Programming languages allow people to communicate with computers. Once a job has been identified, the
programmer must translate or code it into a list of instructions that the computer will understand. A computer
program for a given task may be written in several different languages.

 Advent of Computing
o Herman Hollerith an American inventor combined the use of punch cards with devices that created and electronically
read the cards. His tabulator was used for the 1890 U.S. census which the computational time three to four times
shorter than previously needed for the hand counts. Hollerith’s Tabulating Machine Company eventually merged with
two companies to form the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company and in 1924 the company changed its name to
International Business Machines (IBM)

 Early Computing Machines

o The IBM 010 punch was one of the first devices designed to perforate cards. A hole or the lack of a hole in a card
represented information that could be read by early computers. Modern optical storage devices, such as CD-ROMs,
use microscopic pits instead of punched paper holes to store information.
 o Turing Machine was developed by Alan Turing in 1936, proposed initially as an idea of a a machine that could process
equations without human direction. It is a mathematical model of hypothetical computer that can modify its
instructions and read from, write on, or erase a potentially infinite tape. It was instrumental in the evolution of
computer theory and soon the machine was the theoretical precursor to the modern digital computer.

 Early Electronic Calculating Machines

o In the 1930s American mathematician Howard Aiken developed the Mark I calculating machine, which was built by
IBM. This electronic calculating machine used relays and electromagnetic components to replace mechanical
components. His later machines was used with vacuum tubes and solid state transistors (tiny electrical switches) since
the transistor was developed during 1948 at Bell Telephone Laboratories by American physicists Walter H. Brattain,
John Bardeen, and William B. Shockley which ultimately replaced the vacuum tubes in computers and calculators.

o EDVAC - the Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer was the first electronic computer designed in 1945 to
incorporate a program stored entirely within its memory. It was developed at the institute for Advanced Study in
Princeton, New Jersey by Hungarian-American mathematician John von Neumann. EDVAC was used to solve problems
in mathematics, meteorology, economics and hydrodynamics.

o ENIAC was introduced in 1946, Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer was the first general-purpose
electronic computer. Initially proposed by the physicist John Mauchly and then built along with American engineer
John Presper Eckert, Jr. at the Moore School of Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia It was
built for the United States military to calculate the paths of artillery shells. Physically, ENIAC was enormous, weighing
more than 27,000 kilograms (60,000 pounds) and filling a large room. To process data, ENIAC used about 18,000
vacuum tubes, each the size of a small light bulb. The tubes burned out easily and had to be constantly replaced.

o Eckert and Mauchly Eventually formed their own company and produced the Universal Automatic Computer. The
UNIVAC was used for a broader variety of commercial applications. One was used by the United States Census Bureau
1951.

 Development of Circuits
o The Transistor - In 1948 at Bell Telephone Laboratories, American Physicists Walter Houser Brattain, John Bardeen
and William Bradford Shockley developed the transistor, a device that can act as an electric switch. The transistor had
a tremendous impact on computer design, energy efficient and replacing costly unreliable vacuum tubes.

o Circuit Board and Transistors – A close-up on a smoke detector’s circuit board reveals its components, which include
transistors, resistors, capacitors, diodes and inductors. Rounded silver containers house the transistors that make the
circuit work. Transistors are capable of serving many functions, such as amplifier, switch and oscillator. Each transistor
consists of a small piece of silicon that has been “doped”, or treated with impurity atoms to create N-type and P-type
semiconductors. Invented in 1940, transistors are a fundamental component in nearly all modern electronic devices.

o Integrated Circuits – In the late 1960s integrated circuits (tiny transistors and other electrical components arranged on
a single clip of silicon) replaced individual transistors in computers. As integrated circuits became miniaturized more
components could be designed into a single computer circuit. In the 1970s refinements in integrated circuit
technology led to the development of the modern microprocessor, integrated circuits that contained thousands of
transistors. Modern microprocessors can contain more the 40 million transistors.
II. What are Computers?
Computers are machines that perform tasks or calculations according to a set of instructions, or programs. The first fully electronic
computers, introduced in the 1940s, were huge machines that required teams of people to operate. Compared to those early
machines, today's computers are amazing. Not only are they thousands of times faster, they can fit on your desk, on your lap, or even
in your pocket.

Computers work through an interaction of hardware and software. Hardware refers to the parts of a computer that you can see and
touch, including the case and everything inside it. The most important piece of hardware is a tiny rectangular chip inside your
computer called the central processing unit (CPU), or microprocessor. It's the "brain" of your computer—the part that translates
instructions and performs calculations. Hardware items such as your monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and other components are
often called hardware devices, or devices.

Software refers to the instructions, or programs, that tell the hardware what to do. A word-processing program that you can use to
write letters on your computer is a type of software. The operating system (OS) is software that manages your computer and the
devices connected to it. Windows is a well-known operating system.

III. Uses of Computers

In the workplace, many people use computers to keep records, analyze data, do research, and manage projects. At home, you can use
computers to find information, store pictures and music, track finances, play games, and communicate with others—and those are just
a few of the possibilities.

You can also use your computer to connect to the Internet, a network that links computers around the world. Internet access is
available for a monthly fee in most urban areas, and increasingly, in less populated areas. With Internet access, you can communicate
with people all over the world and find a vast amount of information.

Here are some of the most popular things to do with computers:

 The Web

The World Wide Web (usually called the web, or web) is a gigantic storehouse of information. The web is the most popular part of the
Internet, partly because it displays most information in a visually appealing format. Headlines, text, and pictures can be combined on a
single webpage—much like a page in a magazine—along with sounds and animation. A website is a collection of interconnected
webpages. The web contains millions of websites and billions of webpages.

Surfing the web means exploring it. You can find information on the web about almost any topic imaginable. For example, you can
read news stories and movie reviews, check airline schedules, see street maps, get the weather forecast for your city, or research a
health condition. Most companies, agencies, museums, and libraries have websites with information about their products, services, or
collections. Reference sources, such as dictionaries and encyclopedias, are also widely available.

The web is also a shopper's delight. You can browse and purchase products—books, music, toys, clothing, electronics, and much more
—at the websites of major retailers. You can also buy and sell used items through websites that use auction-style bidding. Famous
example of a website is Facebook.

 E-mail

E-mail (short for electronic mail) is a convenient way to communicate with others. When you send an e-mail message, it arrives almost
instantly in the recipient's e-mail inbox. You can send e-mail to many people simultaneously, and you can save, print, and forward
e-mail to others. You can send almost any type of file in an e-mail message, including documents, pictures, and music files. And with
e-mail, you don't need a postage stamp!

 Instant messaging
Instant messaging is like having a real-time conversation with another person or a group of people. When you type and send an instant
message, the message is immediately visible to all participants. Unlike e-mail, all participants have to be online (connected to the
Internet) and in front of their computers at the same time. Communicating by means of instant messaging is called chatting.

 Pictures, music, and movies

If you have a digital camera, you can move your pictures from the camera to your computer. Then you can print them, create slide
shows, or share them with others by e-mail or by posting them on a website. You can also listen to music on your computer, either by
importing music from audio CDs or by purchasing songs from a music website. Or, you can tune in to one of the thousands of radio
stations that broadcast over the Internet. If your computer comes with a DVD player, you can watch movies too.

 Gaming

Do you like to play games? Thousands of computer games in every conceivable category are available to entertain you. Get behind the
wheel of a car, battle frightening creatures in a dungeon, or control civilizations and empires! Many games allow you to compete with
other players around the world through the Internet. Windows includes a variety of card games, puzzle games, and strategy games.

IV. Types of Computers

 Supercomputers

Supercomputers are very large computers with thousands of linked microprocessors that perform extremely complex calculations
commonly used for storage of vast amounts of information. Commonly used by Program Developing companies making servers and
database for their users and customers.

 Desktop computers

Desktop computers are designed for use at a desk or table. They are typically larger and more
powerful than other types of personal computers. Desktop computers are made up of separate
components. The main component, called the system unit, is usually a rectangular case that sits
on or underneath a desk. Other components, such as the monitor, mouse, and keyboard, connect to
the system unit.

 Laptop computers and small notebook PCs

Laptop computers are lightweight mobile PCs with a thin screen. Laptops can
operate on batteries, so you can take them anywhere. Unlike desktops, laptops
combine the CPU, screen, and keyboard in a single case. The screen folds down
onto the keyboard when not in use.

Small notebook PCs (often referred to asmini-notebooks), are small, affordable

laptops that are designed to perform a limited number of tasks. They're usually
less powerful than a laptop, so they're used mainly to browse the web and check
e-mail.

 Smartphones
Smartphones are mobile phones that have some of the same capabilites as a computer. You can use a smartphone to make telephone
calls, access the Internet, organize contact information, send e-mail and text messages, play games, and take pictures. Smartphones
usually have a keyboard and a large screen.

 Handheld computers

Handheld computers, also called personal digital assistants (PDAs), are battery-powered computers small
enough to carry almost anywhere. Although not as powerful as desktops or laptops, handheld computers
are useful for scheduling appointments, storing addresses and phone numbers, and playing games. Some
have more advanced capabilities, such as making telephone calls or accessing the Internet. Instead of
keyboards, handheld computers have touch screens that you use with your finger or a stylus (a pen-
shaped pointing tool).

 Tablet PCs

Tablet PCs are mobile PCs that combine features of laptops and handheld computers. Like laptops, they're powerful and have a built-in
screen. Like handheld computers, they allow you to write notes or draw pictures on the screen, usually with a tablet pen instead of a
stylus. They can also convert your handwriting into typed text. Some Tablet PCs are “convertibles” with a screen that swivels and
unfolds to reveal a keyboard underneath.