COMPUTER

0 . GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Talking about the introduction of our work , a computer has many things such as the definition of a
computer , characteristics, and limitations of a computer , Functional blok diagram of digital computers ,
Function of control unit and ALU inCPU ,Concept of Primary memory ,( RAM , ROM ) and secondary
memory ,Magnetic Hard disks ,Magnetic Tapes , Floppy disk ,CD - ROM ,input / output devices ,but our
work is focused on the following parts :

1 .Origin of a computer

2 .Meaning of a computer

3 . Definition of a computer

4 .Three mains operations of a computer

5 .Characteristics of a computer

6 .Elements of a computer

7 . Types or classification of a computer

8 . General conclusion

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 1 . ORIGIN OF A COMPUTER

Charles Babbage, an English polymath, is often thought of as "the man who invented computers.” From
1822 until his death in 1871, he designed three computers, but never actually constructed any of them
due to lack of funding.

In 1822 Babbage started working on a Difference Engine its purpose was to compute polynomial
functions. If completed, it would have had some 25,000 parts, weighed 13,600 kg (15 short tons), and
been 2.4 m (8 ft) tall.

Between 1847--1849 Babbage created drawings for the Difference Engine No. 2, a second "computer".
Finally, In 1991, the British Science museum constructed the design from Babbage's original plans.
Amazingly, it worked! It took six years to build, weighs 4535.92kg (five short tons), measures 2.1 m,
3.4m, 0.5m (6'11" x 11'2" x 1'8") , and has 800 parts .

2. Meaning of a Computer:

A Computer is a machine that can solve probems by accepting data performing certain operations and
presenting the results of those operations under the direction of detailed step-by-step nstructions. Such
a set of sequenced instructions, which cause a computer to perform particular operations,is called a
program.The term computer has been derived from the word “COMPUTE” which means calculate.

3. Definition of a computer

Computer is an electronic device, used for performing calculations and controlling

operations that be either expressed in logical or numerical terms.

It stores and process data in binary form according to instructions given to it

in a variable program.

Computer need to be told exactly what to do and how to do to accomplish a

task . It is a combination of hardware and software .

. Software is the set of instructions given to the computer to perform a task

The physical parts that make up computer are called hardware, which are

made of circuits and transistors .

4 . The three main operations of computer are

1)Takes in data and instructions (input)

2)works with the data (processing)

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3)puts out information (output)

5 . Characteristics of a Computer:

The following are the main characteristics of a computer

1.Speed:Computer is able to process the data and give the output in fractions of

seconds such that required information is available to the user on time and

hence enables him to take right decisions at the right time.

2.Accuracy: Computer is error free. There is no scope for inaccuracy in the results

given by the computer. Incorrect calculations, errors, mistake do not take place

in a computer system. If there errors they are due to the errors in the

instructions given by the programmer, inaccurate data, inconsistent data or

defective programs as well as defective system designs. Since the computer is

capable of doing only what it is instructed to do, fault instructions for data

processing may lead to faulty results this is known as GIGO (Garbage in Garbage

Out)

3.Reliable:Today, computer is extensively used because of their reliability. The

output generated by the computer is very reliable to the extent that the input

is reliable.

4.Storage capacity:Another important characteristic of a computer is that it has

brain of its own with brilliant memory. It can accept and store any information

for a long time. It stores large amount of data and can recall information

instantly. The main memory of the computer is relatively small and holds certain

amount of information. Therefore, the data is stored in secondary memory

5.Versatile:The computer performs three basic operations. It accepts information

from the user; secondly it performs the basic arithmetic operations and logical

operations and finally generates the desired output in the desired form.

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6.Automatic (Programmable):Computer is a device, which is more than a

calculator. Once instructions are given to the system it works automatically

without any human intervention until the completion of program until it meets

logical instruction to terminate the job.

7.Diligent:A computer is a device, which is indefatigable (untiring) and therefore

does not feel tired nor gets distracted like a human being. All the instructions

are performed at same speed and accuracy

6 . ELEMENTS OF A COMPUTER

A computer consists of three basic elements/components such as hardware,

software and memory.

A. Hardware:

The physical devices that make up a computer are referred to as hardware.

It includes the tangible aspects of computers and can be touched such as

mouse, printers, monitor, microphone, scanner etc.

Hardware is usually used for input and output purposes. It takes instructions

from the user from input devices such asmouse, key board etc and displays the

output (after processing) on the other hardware devices such as monitor, LCDs,

scanner, printers etc.

C .Software:

The software of the computer includesoperating system which executes all

the programs and instructions given by the user.

The computer software itself is categorized into two

1. System Software

It is collection of programs designed to operate, control, and extend the

processing capabilities of the computer itself. System software are generally

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prepared by computer manufactures. These software products comprise of

programs written in low-level languages which interact with the hardware at a

very basic level. System software serves as the interface between hardware and

the end users.

Includes the software execution by the computer itself such as Windows and

DOS.

2.Application Software

Application software products are designed to satisfy a particular need of a

particular environment.

Application software may consist of a single program, such as a Microsoft's

notepad for writing and editing simple text. It may also consist of a collection of

C . MEMORY

Memory is the most essential element of a computing system because without it

computer can’t perform simple tasks. Computer memory is a generic term for all of

the different types of data storage technology that a computer mayuse, including

RAM, ROM. There are two types of memory:

1.Primary Memory

2.Secondary Memory

7 . TYPES OR CLASSIFICATION OF A COMPITER

A . personal computer:

often referred to as a PC, is a computer designed for individual use.[1] It is typically used for tasks such
as word processing, internet browsing, email, multimedia playback, and gaming. Personal computers are
intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than by a computer expert or technician.

B .Desktops A desktop is a computer display area that represents the kinds of objects found on top of a
physical desk, including documents, phone books, telephones, reference sources, writing and drawing
tools, and project folders.A desktop can be contained in a window that is part of the total display area or

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can be full screen, taking up the total display area. Users can have multiple desktops for different
projects and work environments, and they can switch between them

C .Laptops A laptop is a computer which is easy to carry around. A modern laptop is self-contained, with
a screen, keyboard and pointing device (like a touchpad or pointing stick), plus usually, speakers, a
microphone and a camera (webcam). This is all powered by a built-in rechargeable battery, however, the
user can also plug the laptop in, to use it and recharge the battery at the same time. Also, most other
external devices can be attached if required. The laptop screen folds down over the keyboard, along a
hinge, for carrying.

D .Hand-held handheld personal computer (PC), typically built around either a clamshell form factor or a
gaming form factor with a gamepad integrated for video games, is a mobile device that is significantly
smaller than any standard personal computer (PC), but based on the same principles as PCs. The
clamshell form factor is sometimes referred to as a palmtop computer, not to be confused with Palmtop
PC which was a name used mainly byE. ServesA server is a computer that provides information to other
computers called "clients" on computer network.[1] This architecture is called the client–server model.
Servers can provide various functionalities, often called "services", such as sharing data or resources
among multiple clients or performing computations for a client

E .Workstations are computers specifically designed and configured to meet power users’ technical
computing requirements, including high performance, data integrity, reliability, and
manageability.Workstations are computers that are specifically configured to meet the most demanding
technical computing requirements.To be considered a workstation, systems must include key
capabilities related to performance, reliability, data integrity, scalability, and expandability.Workstations
are most frequently used in creative, engineering, scientific, and financial services industries.Intel®
Core™ and Intel® Xeon® processors enable workstations to meet the most demanding workloads.F

F .Mainframe computer :is a large computer capable of rapidly processing massive amounts of data at
high speeds. Mainframe computers by definition are computers that have a lot of memory and
processors, so they can do billions of transactions and simple calculations in real time. A mainframe is
used for transaction servers, commercial databases, and applications that need ample reliability,
security, and speed.

G .Wearable computer : Wearable Computer is a small computing device designed to be worn as an

accessory on a user’s body, for example, on the wrist. We often refer to them as ‘Smart Wearables’ or
simply ‘Wearables.’Wearable computers can have specific uses, such as fitness trackers, or have a wide
array of features, such as a smartwatch with many “smart” functions similar to those found on a
smartphone.

H . supercomputers include testing mathematical models for complex physical phenomena or designs,
such as climate and weather, evolution of the cosmos, nuclear weapons and reactors, new chemical
compounds (especially forfor pharmaceutical purposes), and cryptology. As the cost of supercomputing
declined in the 1990s, more businesses began to use supercomputers for market research and other
business-related models..

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I .Tablet computer: that is intermediate in size between a laptop computer and a smartphone. Early
tablet computers used either a keyboard or a stylus to input information, but these methods were
subsequently displaced by touch screens.

J .Quantum computers: A quantum computers is a type of computer based on the principle of quantum
mechanics, which could potentially solve certain problems much fasten than classical Computers.

CONCLUSION

To conclude , this work has talked about the general introduction , the origin of a computer ,
meaning ,the definition ,the three main operations ,Characteristics , elements and the classifications or

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types of computer ,so what to keep in mind is ,if we do not know the usage of a computer ,it means that
there is no way to talk about technology or evolution of a computer ,they can think the matter of you as
an nothing do ,because of a computer ,no way to use a computer ,no way to move from analphabet to
letiracy .