INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS

Topic 1

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DEFINITION
 A computer can be defined as an electronic
device that accepts user input (data) and
processes it under the influence of a set of
instructions referred to as programs to
produce the desired output (information).
 A computer is a general purpose machine

which can receive/accept data (inputting),

process it, stores it and output information
(outputting)
 Computer is an electronic data processing

device which accepts and stores data input,

processes the data input, and generates the
output in a required format. 2
OTHER TERMINOLOGIES
 Data: are the raw facts that may include alphabets,
numbers and symbols which may not make much meaning
to the user.
Data can also be defined as unprocessed information.
 Information: this is data that has been turned into a more

meaningful form that would make immediate sense to any

user, i.e.it’s the processed data.
Information can also be defined as the processed data
which makes meaning to the user and which can form a
basis for decision making.
 Programs: are a set of computer instructions that enable

the computer hardware to accomplish a task.

 Data processing: is the process (method) where data is

transformed into information.

 Information Communication Technology (ICT): Is the

scientific means of sending and receiving information using

scientific means (computers, network, internet, etc) which 3

requires sending understanding and sending feedbacks

ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER
 High speed: computers work at tremendous
speed in processing/manipulating and transfer
of data and information than humans. A
computer can perform billion of calculation
in a second which can take a man a hundred
years manually with a pen and paper.
 Accuracy: means to provide results without

any error. Computer can process large amount

of data and generate error-free results. A
modern computer performs millions of
operations in one second without any error.
 Flexible: computers are flexible they can do

work of other machine like radio, movie player

etc. 4
CONT’ED
 Diligence: unlike humans, computers are capable of
doing repetitive routines over and over without
getting bored or tired and so do not make errors.
 Versatile: computers are capable of performing
almost any task provided they have reduced to the
series and logical tasks (i.e. it can solve many
problems that can be broken down into simple logical
steps)
 Storage capability: a computer can store large
amount of data permanently. User can use this data at
any time. We can store any type of data in a computer
i.e. text, graphic, audio and video.
 A computer uses binary system in which the digits are either
zero or one. One digit is known as a bit (binary digit).
 A group of eight bits is called a byte. A byte is the amount
of space it takes to store a character. 5
 Computer usually handle data in a fixed size group of bytes
called words.
CONT’ED
8 bits =1 byte
 1 kilobyte (KB) =1024 bytes - 1 thousand
 1 megabyte (MB) = 10,048,576 bytes -1
million
 1 Gigabyte (GB) =1,073,741,824 bytes – 1
billion
 1 Terabyte (TB) = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes
– 1 trillion

 Other advantages includes:

 Reliability
 Automation
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 Reduction of paperwork
 Reduction of cost
DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER
 Depends on electricity
 Unemployment; because it can perform some of the
work that these people could be able to do.
 Health problem i.e. especially resulting from the sitting
posture, too much light from the monitor screen etc.
 Expensive; it is costly to buy and more to that the cost
of its maintenance is high. In addition bill will increase
because of its consumption.
 Technology changes; the computer world is always full
of changes. The technology always changes and
therefore there is no guarantee that the already bought
machine will not become outdated in the next few
months.
 Computers can’t think alone- no I.Q i.e. need
instructions to operate
 Literate people; it is used by people who can read and 7
write, in other words it requires a person to be computer
literate in order to use.
CONT’ED
 Immoral activities; the computer is a source of immorality
since some people use it to promote pornography.
 Laziness; computers lead people to become lazy and hate
to do work because of the various games that come along
with it.
 Delicate; a computer like any machine can break down. This
means in order to maintain it in good working condition extra
care should be taken.
 Death rate increase through wars; the death rate is
increased as result of the use of advanced computer-driven
fighting devices. This is as result of the often changing
technology.
 Sources of computer viruses; computer viruses are
program designed to damage and disorganize the proper
functioning of the computer system.
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 Hardware and software theft.
 Hackers and crackers.
APPLICATION OF COMPUTERS
 Business; supermarket, cyber café etc.
 Communication; email,chat,sms

 Education and research

 Health care; electro-cardiogram screening

and monitoring
 Police and defence; detection and tracking of

target, warning system and military laser

 Multimedia Applications

 Home and leisure

 employment
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CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS

 Computers can be classified in many ways.

The most common methods of classification
are by:
 physicalsize
 processing power
 purpose and functionality.

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CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO
PHYSICAL SIZE
 Supercomputers are the most powerful
computers. They are used for problems requiring
complex calculations. Because of their size and
expense, supercomputers are relatively rare.
 Supercomputers: are widely used in scientific
applications such as weather forecasting,
aerodynamic design simulation, processing
of geological data. Supercomputers are also,
used by universities, government agencies,
and large businesses.
 Supercomputers have the following
characteristics; the largest in physical size,
greatest processing power, fastest processor 11
speed and largest memory capacity.
MAINFRAME COMPUTERS:
 Mainframe Computers: are usually faster,
smaller, less powerful and less expensive than
supercomputers.
 Mainframes are used by banks and many
businesses to update inventory etc. Mainframes
are also used as e-commerce servers, handling
transactions over the Internet.
Mainframe computers can support hundreds or
thousands of users, handling massive amounts of
input, output, and storage.
 Mainframe computers are used in large
organizations where many users need access to
shared data and programs. A technique that allows
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many people at terminals, to access the same
computer at one time is called time sharing.
MINICOMPUTERS:
 Also referred to as a small scale
mainframe.
 Are smaller than mainframe,

 Cheaper than mainframe computers,

general purpose computers, and give
computing power without adding the
prohibitive expenses associated with larger
systems.
 It is generally easier to use.

 Minicomputers usually have multiple

terminals (upto 250 users) and are used as
network servers and Internet servers.
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MICROCOMPUTERS:
 Microcomputers: also known as personal computers (PC),
the term "PC" is applied to IBM-PCs or compatible computers
are the smallest in size, cheapest and slowest compared
to the other three types. They a re called microcomputers
because their processor is tiny.
 Microcomputers are further classified into three categories
namely:
• Desktop computers are the most common type of PC
because they are relatively cheaper than other
microcomputers. They are called desktop computers because
they are usually placed on a table or desk.
• Notebook (laptop) computers are used by people who
need the power of a desktop system, but also portability.
They are more expensive compared to desktop PCs.
• Palmnote and pocket PCs are the smallest PCs. They are
so small that they can fit into the pocket. Examples of palmnote
or pocket PCs include personal digital assistants (PDAs) 14
and modern smart phones.
CLASSIFICATION ACCORDING TO PURPOSE
 Computer can be classified as either special
purpose (dedicated) or general purpose.
 Special purpose computers: are designed

to perform a single task only or a few related

tasks. Examples are calculators, routers and
robots.
 General purpose computers: can be
programmed by the user to perform many
tasks such as word processing, desktop
publishing, multimedia applications,
accounting, etc.

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CLASSIFICATIONS ACCORDING TO
FUNCTIONALITY
 Computers can also be classified according to the
type of data they can process. The three types of
computers according to functionality are:
 Analog computers: process data that is
continuous in nature. This type of data is called
analog data. Examples of analog data include
speed, temperature, volume and weight.
 Digital computers: process data that is discrete
in nature. This type of data is called digital data.
Digital data changes from one value to another
without a time transition. It is usually represented
using two states, on represented by 1 and off
represented by 0.
 Hybrid Computers: computers that process both
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analog and digital data are known as hybrid
computers.
CLASSIFICATION BY COMPUTER
GENERATIONS

 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 and more efficient and
reliable devices.
 Electronic computers are classified into five
generations.
 First Generation 1946-1959. Vacuum tube based.
 Second Generation 1959-1965. Transistor based.
 Third Generation 1965-1971. Integrated Circuit based.
 Fourth Generation The period of fourth generation:
1971-1990. VLSI microprocessor based.
 Fifth Generation 1991-onwards.ULSI microprocessor 17
based
FIRST GENERATION COMPUTERS
(1946-1959)
 The first computers used vacuum tubes or
thermionic valves for circuitry and magnetic
drums for memory. These tubes, like electric
bulbs, produced a lot of heat and were prone to
frequent fusing of the installations,
therefore, were very expensive and could
be afforded only by very large
organizations.
Characteristics of first generation computers
 They were often enormous, taking up entire

rooms.
 They were very expensive to operate and in
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addition to using a great deal of electricity
CONT’ED
 Generated a lot of heat, which was often the
cause of malfunctions.
 First 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 (UNIVersal Automatic
Computer), EDVAC (Electronic Discrete
Variable Automatic Computer) and ENIAC
(Electronic Numeric Integrator and
Calculator) computers are examples of first-
generation computing devices. The UNIVAC was
the first commercial computer delivered to a 19
business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.
SECOND GENERATION (1959-
1965)
 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.
Characteristics of Second generation
computers
 The transistor was far superior to the vacuum

tube, allowing computers to become smaller,

faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more
reliable than their first-generation predecessors.
 Though the transistor still generated a great deal

of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it

was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube.
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 Second-generation computers still relied on
punched cards for input and printouts for output.
CONT’ED
 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 F O RT RA N.
 These were also the first computers that stored

their instructions in their memory, which moved

from a magnetic drum to magnetic core
technology.
 Examples of second generation computers
include IMB 1401, IBM 7070, and UNIVAC 21
1107
THIRD GENERATION (1965-1971)
 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.
Characteristics of third generation computers
 Semiconductors drastically increased the speed and

efficiency of computers.
 Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted

with third generation computers through keyboards and

monitors .
 Introduction of an operating system, which allowed the

device to run many different applications at one time

 Introduction of high level language.

 Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass

audience because they were smaller and cheaper than

their predecessors.
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 Examples of third generation computers include IBM 360

and ICL 19000 series.

FOURTH GENERATION (1971-
1990)
 Fourth generation computers used Very Large Scale
Integration Circuits (VLSI) or the microprocessor.
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.
 The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the
components of the computer - from
the central processing unit and memory to input/output
controls - on a single chip.
 Introduced of microprocessors.
 As these small computers became more faster, powerful.
 The development of the network and Internet.
 Fourth generation computers also saw the development
of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.
 Examples of fourth generation computers include IBM 23
370, IBM 4300, and Burroughs 7700.
FIFTH GENERATION COMPUTERS (1991-
PRESENT)
 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.
Characteristics of fifth generation computers
 Use artificial intelligence

 Use of parallel processing and superconductors is

helping to make artificial intelligence a reality.

 Massive connectivity to internet and intranet.

 Superior hardware and software products that is small

in size.
 Emit negligible heat.

 Examples of fifth-generation computers include

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portable computers, artificial intelligence and
natural language processing systems.
BOOTING A COMPUTER
 Booting is the start up procedure that the
computer goes through after it’s been switched
on.
 It’s the turning on or the switching on of the

computer.
Types of booting
 Cold Booting: it’s the starting of the computer

from the main switch, which begins with turning

on the computer’s power.
 Warm booting: is resetting/restarting a
computer system when the power is already on.
It is a protective measure for resetting any
hanging computer or for switching from one
program to another. It can be accomplished by 25

CTRL+ALT+DELETE keys simultaneously.

SHUTTING DOWN THE COMPUTER
 Shut off every window one by one.
 Make sure all CD/DVDDRIVES are out of your

PC.
 Click Start>Turn Off Computer>Turn Off.

 Wait till the computer is completely off.

 Switch off the monitor.

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COMPUTER CARE
 Computer need to be covered after use using dust
covers.
 Computer need not to be in very hot environment.
 Eats and drinks should not be taken to the computer
laboratory to avoid them getting into some parts like
keyboard which might make it unfunctional.
 Switch off the computer after every use.(use right shut
down procedure)
 Regular virus scanning e.g. floppies, hard disk etc.
 Servicing the computer regularly.
 Don’t open the computer if you are not experienced.
 Keep updating your computer software i.e. antivirus must
be updated every year.
 Use a stabilizer or UPS(uninterrupted Power Supply) to
stabilize your power supply.
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 Avoid use of command unsure of, e.g. DELETE,CLS,EXIT
etc.
EXERCISE 1
 List and discuss the various applications of
computer systems

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