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FUNDAMENTAL OF COMPUTERS

ASSIGNAMENT=1

CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF JHARKHAND

SUBMITTED BY:
PAWAN KUMAR

SUBMITTED TO:
Dr. BHAGWAN SINGH SIR

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION


CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF JHARKHAND, RANCHI
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INTRODUCTION
• A computer is a machine that accepts data as input,
processes that data using programs and outputs the
processed data as information.
• Initially, computers were developed to perform
mathematical operations, but later on, they were used to
store the result of those operations, which with the time
leads to the storage of other data or information.

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS
(FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER,
2022)
The history of computer development is often referred to in
reference to the different generations of computing devices.
Each generation of computer is characterized by a major
technological development that fundamentally changed the
way computers operate, resulting in increasingly smaller,
cheaper, more powerful, efficient and reliable devices.
First Generation - 1940-1956: Vacuum Tubes
The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and
magnetic drums for memory, and were often enormous,
taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate
and in addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated
a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions. First
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generation computers relied on machine language to


perform operations, and they could only solve one problem
at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape,
and output was displayed on printouts. The UNIVAC and
ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing
devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer
delivered to a business client. It was used in the 1951U.S.
Bureau Census.
Second Generation - 1956-1963: Transistors
Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the
second generation of computers. The transistor was invented
in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until
the late 50s. The transistor was a vast improvement over the
vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster,
cheaper, more energy- efficient and more reliable than their
first-generation predecessors. Second-generation computers
still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for
output. Second-generation computers moved from cryptic
binary machine language to symbolic, or assembly,
languages, which allowed programmers to specify
instructions in words. High-level programming languages
were also being developed at this time, such as early versions
of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers
that stored their instructions in their memory, which moved
from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology. The first
computers of this generation were developed for the atomic
energy industry.

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Third Generation - 1964-1971: Integrated Circuits


The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark
of the third generation of computers. Transistors were
miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called
semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and
efficiency of computers. Instead of punched cards and
printouts, users interacted with third generation computers
through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an
operating system, which allowed the device to run many
different applications at one time with a central program that
monitored the memory. Computers for the first time became
accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and
cheaper than their predecessor.
Fourth Generation - 1971-Present: Microprocessors
The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of
computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built
onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled
an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. In 1981
IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in
1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also
moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many
areas of life as more and more everyday products began to
use microprocessors. As these small computers became more
powerful, they could be linked together to form networks,
which eventually led to the development of the Internet.
Fourth generation computers also saw the development of
GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

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Fifth Generation - Present and Beyond: Artificial Intelligence


Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial
intelligence, are still in development, though there are some
applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used
today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is
helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum
computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically
change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of
fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that
respond to natural language input and are capable of
learning and self- organization.
• In the process of converting data to
HARDW information, a computer uses hardware
and software. At the simplest level, all
ARE computers consist of these two basic
components; the hardware and the
AND software.
• Hardware is the term given to the
SOFTW physical components of a computer: e.g.
keyboard, monitor, system box or floppy
ARE disk drive. Software, on the other hand,
is electronic information: files, operating
system, graphics, computer programs are all example of
software. The difference between hardware and software
reflects the duality between the physical and mental worlds:
for example, your brain is hardware, whereas your mind is
software.

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• Software is the stuff that makes your computer do things


for you. The computer without software would be like a
home entertainment system with no tapes, CD’s, or movies -
you have the machine, but there’s nothing to play on it.
Software is continually developed. Each time the software
maker (Microsoft, Adobe, Corel, etc) develops a new version
of their software they assign it a version number. Before
Microsoft Word 7, there was Microsoft Word 6.0.1, and
before that Word 6.0. The larger the developments made to
the software, the larger the version number changes. Usually
a large change will result in a whole number upgrade ; a small
change may result in a tenth of a decimal place.
DIFFERENT PARTS OF A COMPUTER AND THEIR
USES
The standard computer consists of a monitor, a keyboard, a
mouse and the system unit. One can attach accessories such
as printers and scanners by means of ports. Increasingly in
the workplace, computers are connected to printers and
other computers by means of a network.

The monitor:-
This is the Visual Display Unit (VDU). There are various
technologies for the display unit, cathode ray tube (CRT) or
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) or electro luminescent screens or
the projector. The monitor or screen displays your work.
Facing it down reduces reflected glare from room lights. This
reflection may affect your sight. Monitors come in different
sizes. The (most important) size of the monitor is measured
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diagonally on the screen (in inches). Based on this, the


monitors range in sizes of 12", 14", 15", 17", 19", 21", 29",
etc. Monitors are also characterized by the flatness of their
screen. The flatter and the wider screens are usually the
better.

The system box or computer console:-


The system box is where all the computations that the
computer performs take place. Inside are the CPU processor,
the motherboard, the hard disk, any network or sound cards,
memory chips (RAM), printer ports (at the back) and the
drive bays for floppy disks, Zip disks or CDs. Outside the
casings are the power buttons (ON/OFF and Restart) with
some additional facilities like the casing USB ports, Webcams,
etc.

The keyboard (Pressing):-


This is the basic input device. It is one of the ways you can tell
the computer what to do. It consists of the standard
typewriter keys as well as a numeric keypad and function
keys. You can use it to give the computer commands, name
folders and files, and type text in word processing
documents. The keyboard is made of three main categories
of keys with each used for a different purpose.

The Mouse (Clicking and Dragging):-


This is another input device used to move a small white
arrow pointer-the Cursor (but the shape will change
depending on the context in which the mouse is being used)
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on the screen. By pointing and clicking you can carry out


commands. The computer may ask you to verify that you are
sure to rename a file, by clicking on the ëOkí button. A mouse
is primarily made of three parts: the buttons, the handling
area, and the sensor (rolling object or light). There are either
one, two or three mouse buttons. By default, a mouse has
two buttons: left and right. Most mice nowadays are also
equipped with a wheel on top of the middle button called the
Scroll Button.

TYES OF COMPUTERS
Analog computer
These systems were the first type to be produced. It is an
electronic machine capable of performing arithmetic
functions on numbers which are represented by some
physical quantities such as temperature, pressure, voltage,
etc. Analog refers to circuits or numerical values that have a
continuous range. Popular analog computer used in the 20th
century was the slide rule.

Digital Computers
Virtually all modern computers are digital. Digital refers to
the processes in computers that manipulate binary numbers
(0s or 1s), which represent switches that are turned on or off
by electrical current. A bit can have the value 0 or the value
1, but nothing in between 0 and 1. A desk lamp can serve as
an example of the difference between analog and digital. If
the lamp has a simple on/off switch, then the lamp system is
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digital, because the lamp either produces light at a given


moment or it does not. If a dimmer replaces the on/off
switch, then the lamp is digital, because the amount of light
can vary continuously from on to off and all intensities in
between. Digital computers are more common in use and it
will be our focus of discussion.

Hybrid Computer
This is when a computer make is of both analog and digital
components and techniques. Such computer require analog
to digital and digital to analog converter which will make
analog and digital data palatable to it. The basic classification
nowadays uses the following.

1. The Desktop
A computer is referred to as "desktop" when it is
relatively small enough to be positioned on top of a
table where a person is working. Such a computer can
also be placed on the floor or somewhere under, or
aside of, the table, in which case the monitor would
be placed on top of the table. This is the most
common type of computers used in the office or at
home. A desktop computer is made of different parts
that are connected with cables.

2. The Laptop
A computer is called laptop when it combines the
CPU, the monitor, the keyboard, and the mouse in

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one unit to be so small that you can carry it on your


laps when traveling or commuting. A laptop is also
called a notebook. Other parts, such as an external
mouse, an external keyboard, or peripherals such as a
printer or a projector, can be connected to the laptop.
A laptop is only physically smaller than a desktop but,
everything considered, it can do anything that a
desktop can do.
3. The Server
A server is a computer that holds information that
other computers, called workstations, can retrieve.
Such workstations are connected to the server using
various means. This means that they could be
connected using cable, wireless connection, etc. Only
computers that maintain a type of connection with
the server can get the information that is stored in
the server. Normally, although not particularly
recommended, any computer, including a desktop or
even a laptop can be used as a server, as long as it can
do the job required. A server is more defined by the
program (called an operating system) that is installed
in it, not how the machine looks. Any type of
computer, including a desktop, a laptop, a CD or DVD
machine, etc can be connected to a server. The
person who sets up a server also defines the types of
connections it is made for.
4. The Mainframe

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A mainframe is a computer, usually physically big,


that does almost all the jobs for other types of
computers that are connected to it. This is a broad
definition but other aspects are involved. Like a
server, the program (operating system) that runs in
the mainframe defines its role.

INPUT DEVICES
Input unit consists of external devices that is, components
outside the computer’s CPU. It provides or fetches
information and instructions to the computer. These include
keyboard, mouse (mechanical/ opto- mechanical/opticals),
light pen, joystick, scanner, microphones (voice recognition
modules), Optical Character Reader (OCR), Magnetic Ink
Character Reader Recognition (MICR), bar code reader,
badge reader, digitizer, touch screen and optical mark reader
(OMR).

A. Light pen: This is a stylus with a light sensitive tip that


is used to draw directly on a computer’S video screen or to
select information on the screen by pressing a clip in the light
pen or by pressing the light pen against the surface of the
screen. The pen contains light sensors that identify which
portion of the screen it is passed over. It is mostly used with
Laptop.

B. Mouse: This is a pointing device designed to be


gripped by one hand. It has a detection device (usually a ball)
on the bottom that enables the user to control the motion of

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an on-screen pointer, or cursor, by moving the mouse on a


flat surface. As the device moves across the surface, the
cursor moves across the screen. To select items or choose
commands on the screen, the user presses a button on the
mouse.

C. Joystick is a pointing device composed of a lever that


moves in multiple directions to navigate a cursor or other
graphical object on a computer screen.

D. Keyboard: Keyboard is typewriter-like devices that


allows the user to type in text, numeric and execute
commands with the aid of the functional keys on the
keyboard.

E. Optical Scanner: This is light-sensing equipment


that converts images such as a picture or text into electronic
signals that can be manipulated by a computer. For example,
a photograph can be scanned into a computer and then
included in a text document created on that computer. The
two most common scanner types are the flatbed scanner,
which is similar to an office photocopier, and the handheld
scanner, which is passed manually across the image to be
processed.

F. Microphone: This is a device for converting sound


into signals that can then be stored, manipulated, and played
back by the computer. A voice recognition module is a device
that converts spoken words into information that the
computer can recognize and process.

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G. Modem: It stands for modulator-demodulator, is a


device that connects a computer to a telephone line or cable
television network and allows information to be transmitted
to or received from another computer. Each computer that
sends or receives information must be connected to a
modem.

OUTPUT DEVICES

Output devices consists of hardware that transfer


information from the computer’s CPU to the computer user.
This includes the monitor, Printer, plotters, or speaker.

Video Graphic Adapter: This is a device that


converts information generated by the computer into visual
information called Monitor. It looks similar to a television set.
Information from the CPU is displayed on the screen of the
monitor.

Printers: Information and graphics processed or


produced with the aid of computer are printed out as
hardcopy with the aid of printer. There are different types of
printers; Dot-matrix printers, Laser printers, Inkjet, etc.

Plotters: Computer output to microfilm or fiche (COM)


which process information on rolls of film (drum plotter) or
slide of film (flatbed plotter).

SYSTEM MEMORY
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Memory refers to the computer chips that store information


for quick retrieval by the CPU. They are basically divided into
two ROM and RAM.

Random Access Memory (RAM) is used to store


information and instructions that operate the computer’s
programs. Typically, programs are transferred from storage
on a disk drive to RAM. RAM is also known as volatile
memory because the information within the computer chips
is lost when power to the computer is turned off or the
computer hanged.

Read-Only Memory (ROM) contains critical


information and software that must be permanently
available for computer operation, such as the operating
system that directs the computer’s actions from start up to
shut down. ROM is called non-volatile memory because the
memory chips do not lose their information when power to
the computer is turned off.

What is Network?
• A network consists of two or more computers that are
linked in order to share resources (such as printers and CDs),
exchange files, or allow electronic communications.
• The computers on a network may be linked through cables,
telephone lines, radio waves, satellites, or infrared light
beams.

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Different Types of Networks (TYPES OF


NETWORKS, 2022)
• Depending upon the geographical area covered by a
network, it is classified as:
– Local Area Network (LAN)
– Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)
– Wide Area Network (WAN)
– Personal Area Network (PAN)

REFERENCES
(TYPES OF NETWORKS, 2022)

(FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER, 2022)

THANK YOU SIR

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