Chapter 1

Introduction to
Computers
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Understand what Computers can be used for

Identify the various parts of a computer and their

functionalities
History of Computers

Hardware Components of a Computer

 What Is a Computer?

How is a computer defined?

 Electronic device operating under the control of
instructions stored in its own memory

Processes data into

Accepts data information
Raw facts, figures, and
Data that is organized,
symbols
meaningful, and useful

Produces and stores results

p. 6 Next
 What Is a Computer?
What is the information processing cycle?
 Input
 Process
 Output
 Storage
 Communication

p. 6 Fig. 1-2 Next

 The Components of a Computer
What is an input device?
 Hardware used
to enter data
and instructions

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p. 7 Fig. 1-3 Next
 The Components of a Computer
What is an output device?
 Hardware that
conveys
information
to one or more
people

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p. 8 Fig. 1-3 Next
 The Components of a Computer
What is the system unit?
 Case
containing
electronic
components
used to process
data

p. 8 Fig. 1-3 Next

 The Components of a Computer
What are two main components on the motherboard?

Processor
Also called a Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The electronic component that interprets and carries
out the basic instructions that operate the computer

Memory
Consists of electronic components that store
instructions waiting to be executed and data needed by
those instructions

p. 8 Next
 The Components of a Computer
What is storage?
 Holds data, instructions, and information
for future use

Storage
Storagemedia
media
Physical
Physicalmaterial
materialon
onwhich
whichdata,
data,instructions,
instructions,
and
andinformation
informationare
arestored
stored

Storage
Storagedevice
device
Records
Recordsand
andretrieves
retrievesitems
itemstotoand
andfrom
from
storage
storagemedia
media

p. 8 Next
 The Components of a Computer
What is a floppy disk and USB flash drive?
Floppy
FloppyDisk
Disk USB
USBFlash
FlashDrive
Drive
Thin, circular, flexible Provides much
Thin, circular, flexible Provides much
disk
diskenclosed
enclosedininaasquare-
square- greater
greaterstorage
storage
shaped
shapedplastic
plasticshell
shell capacity
capacitythan
thanaa
Stores up to about 1.4
Stores up to about 1.4 floppy
floppydisk
diskor
or
million
millioncharacters
characters Zip®
Zip®disk
disk
Small and lightweight
Small and lightweight
enough
enoughtotobe
betransported
transported
on
onaakeychain
keychainororin
inaa
pocket
pocket

p. 8 Next
 The Components of a Computer
What is a hard disk?
 Provides greater storage
capacity than a
floppy disk, Zip disk, or
USB flash drive

 Most are housed inside

of the system unit

p. 8 Fig. 1-4 Next

 The Components of a Computer
What is a compact disc?
 Flat, round, portable metal disc
 CD-ROM
 DVD-ROM

p. 9 Fig. 1-5 Next

GENERATION AND CLASSIFOCATION OF
COMPUTERS

Since the invention of the first electronic computer in

the early 1940s, there has been significant improvement

especially in the physical size, cost and the processing

speed of these computers. There are different

generations of Computers but for the purpose of this

course we shall concentrate on the first four

generations.
First Generation Computers (1946-1954)

The main material used in the first generation of

Computers was the vacuum tubes (electronic
valves).
 Huge in physical size. For example, ENIAC – which
was developed in 1946 measured 18 feet by 80 feet
and weighed 30 tons. Instructions were written in
machine language. Their computation time was in
milliseconds. Slow in terms of processing speed.
Generate a lot of heat needs an air-conditioned
rooms.
The heat generated actually affected the life span of
the computers
VACUUM TUBES
 First Generation Computers (1946-1954)

Figure 1.1 First Generation computers (1946-1954) Figure .2 Vacuum Tubes

 Second Generation of Computers (1954-1962)

The vacuum tubes used in the first generation was

replaced with transistors. Which were much smaller
in size and more reliable as compared to the vacuum
tubes.
 They were smaller in size, less expensive and required
less maintenance than the first generation computers
They were much faster in terms of processing speed.
Less expensive and also generated less heat.
o They used the stored program concept. Programs
were written in assembly language..
 The computation time was in microseconds.
TRANSISTORS
Second Generation of Computers (1954-1962)

Second generation computers started showing the

characteristics of modern day computers as they
came with utilities such as printers, disk storage
and operating systems.
The instructions (program) could be stored inside
the computer's memory.
High-level languages such as COBOL (Common
Business-Oriented Language) and FORTRAN
(Formula Translator) were ran on these computers.
 Second Generation of Computers (1954-1962)

Figure 1.3 Second Generation of Computers (1954-1962)

Third generation of Computers (1963 – 1972)
Transistors were replaced with Integrated Circuits
(ICs, semiconductor devices with several transistors
built into one physical component). The first ICs
were based on small-scale integration (SSI) circuits,
which had around 10 devices per circuit.
High computational power, consumed less power,
generated less heat. This generation of Computers
were cheaper and smaller in size. Faster in data
processing. Required low maintenance compared to
their predecessors. High-level languages were used for
programming. The computation time was in
nanoseconds. These computers were produced
commercially.
 Third generation of Computers (1963 – 1972)

Figure 1.4Third Generation Computers (1963-1972)

Fourth generation Computers (1972 – 1984)

Technically speaking these are the modern day

computers.
Made of Very Large Integrated Circuits (VLICs).
The VLICs (100,000 devices per chip) ensured that
millions of components could be fit into a small chip.
As such, these computers were cheaper
Smaller in size
Faster in data processing
Generated less heat
SSI, MSI and LSI
INTEGRATED CIRCUITS
Fourth generation of Computers (1972 – 1984)

What appears to be the next generation of computers

which people are referring to as the fifth generation
computers are those equipped with hundreds of
processors that could all be working on different parts
of a single program.
The scale of integration in semiconductors continued
at an incredible pace around 1990.
Modern technology makes it possible to build chips
with a million components.
Fourth generation of Computers (1972 – 1984)

Semiconductor memories have now become

standard on all computers. Other new developments
were the widespread use of computer networks and
the increasing use of single-user.
Fifth generation of computers is supposed to be
intelligent but these types of computers are still in
the developmental stage. The goal of the fifth
generation is to develop computers that can respond
to natural language of man and with the ability to
learn and self organized.
 Classification of Computers
Basically, there are three ways of
classifying Computers and these are

by Data Representation

by Purpose

by processing speed & storage capacity

p. 19 Next
Classification by Data Representation
 Computers represent data either in continuous
form or discrete form.
 Under classification by data representation, there
are three types of Computers and these are

 Digital

 Analogue

 Hybrid.
Classification by Data Representation
 A digital computer represents data in discrete form
(using 0s and 1s)
 Analogue computer represents data in a continuous form
(uses continuously variable voltages rather than limiting
itself to 0 and 1).
 Analogue computers are measuring devices for
measuring quantities such as temperature, pressure,
speed and voltages.
 The hybrid computer on the other hand can represent
data in both continuous and discrete forms
Classification by Purpose
 Computers can be classified as being either a
special or a general computer.
 Special computers are computers that have been
designed for a specific purpose.
 Apart from this purpose the Computer cannot be used
for anything else. For example, an ATM machine
 General computers, on the other hand, are
computers that are multi-purpose. For example a
typical desktop computer can be used for all
manner of tasks.
Classification by processing speed and
storage capacity
 Modern day Computers are often classified into
general types based on processing speed and
storage capacity.

 As technology advances, lines of divisions among

these types become thinner and thinner.

 Computers come in variety of types and with a

variety of processing and storage capabilities. We
may classify computers as follows:
 Computer Types

We may classify computers as follows:

Microchips (or Microcontrollers)

Microcomputers

Workstations and servers)

Minicomputers

Mainframes

Supercomputers

p. 19 Next
Microchips
 Also known as microcontrollers or simply chips
 They are dedicated micro programmed computers
embedded in host machines or appliances like
microwave ovens, washing machines, pocket
calculators, stereo sound systems, or even traffic
lights.
 These host appliances are often referred to as
“computerized” or “smart” appliances.
 Microchips are dedicated to performing a
restricted number of tasks.
 Embedded Computers
What is an embedded computer?
 A special-purpose computer that functions as a
component in a larger product

p. 24 Fig. 1-26 Next

Microcomputers (Personal Computers)
 Small computers that can only be used by one
person at a time.
 Microcomputers come in various sizes and shapes
 They can be categorized as desktops, towers,
laptops and palmtops
 PCs are used as stand-alone machines or connected
to a network such as Intranet or a Local Area
Network (LAN)
 Microcomputers (Personal Computers)

What are the two most popular series of personal

computers?
 Apple Macintosh
 PC and compatibles uses the Macintosh
use the Windows operating system
operating system (Mac OS)

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p. 19 Figs. 1-15–1-16 Next
Minicomputers
 These were the main type of computers available in
the late 1950s.
 Minis – as they are often called – are multi-user and
multi-tasks computers.
 Minis are often larger in size than PCs and possess
more than one processor that is also more powerful
and faster than those found in personal computers.
 A typical mini can accommodate up to 100 users or
more and within a radius of up to 200 meter square
area making them suitable for Local Area Networks.
Mainframes
 Mainframes are an improvement on minis.
 Very fast medium-to-large size, large-capacity
computers introduced in the late 1960s.
 Their size varies depending on how many people or
concurrent users they serve – from few hundred to
thousands of people.
 They are used in Wide Area Network connecting
locations across cities and even countries.
 Mainframes are used by banks, airlines, insurance
companies, mail-order houses, universities and some
governmental agencies and organizations.
Mainframes

Figure 1.7 A Mainframe Computer

Supercomputers
 These types of computers were first developed in
the 1970s.
 Supercomputers are the fastest and the highest
capacity computers.
 Their cost ranges from hundreds of thousands to
millions of dollars.
Supercomputers

Figure 1.8 A Supercomputer Sandia National Lab., Albuquerque, New Mexico, U.S.A
A Supercomputer Sandia National Lab., ,
New Mexico, U.S.A
 Servers
What types of servers are there?
A server controls access to network
resources and provides centralized
storage
Mainframe Very powerful,
expensive computer that supports
thousands of computers
Supercomputer The fastest, most
powerful, most expensive
computer. Used for applications
requiring complex mathematical
calculations

p. 23 Figs. 1-23–1-25 Next