Introduction to Computers

Chapter 1

Chp01_Introduction to Computers

by. Shafiq Ahmed Chachar

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
Automatic: A machine is said to be automatic , if it works by itself without human intervention. Computer are automatic machines because once started on a job, they carry on, until the job is finished, normally without a human assistance. A computer works from a program of coded instructions, which specify exactly how a particular job is to be done. Speed: A computer is a very fast device. It can perform in a few seconds, the amount of work that a human being can do in an entire year if he worked day and night and did nothing else. While talking about the speed of computer, we do not talk in terms of seconds or even milli seconds (10-3). Our unit of speed are the microseconds (10-6), the nanoseconds (10-9), and even the picoseconds (10-12). A powerful computer is capable of performing several billion (109) simple arithmetic operations per second.
Chp01_Introduction to Computers

by. Shafiq Ahmed Chachar

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
Diligence: Unlike human beings, a computer is free from repetitiveness, tiredness and lack of concentration. It can continuously work for hours, without creating any error and without complaining. Hence, computers score over human beings in doing routine type of jobs, which require great accuracy. If ten million calculations have to be performed, a computer will perform the ten millionth calculation with exactly the same accuracy and speed as the first one Accuracy: In additional to being fast , computer are very accurate. The accuracy of a computer is consistently high and the degree of accuracy of a particular computer depends upon its design. Error can occur in a computer. However, these are mainly due to human rather than technological weaknesses.. Computer errors caused due to incorrect input data or unreliable programs are often referred to as garbage-in-garbage-out (GIGO).
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CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
Versatility: Versatility is one of the most wonderful things about the computer. One moment, it is preparing the results of an examination, the text moment, it is busy preparing electricity bills, and in between it may be helping an office secretary to trace an important letter in seconds. All that is required to change its talent is to slip in a new program ( a sequence of instructions for the computer) into it. Briefly a computer is capable of performing almost any task, if the task can be reduced to a series of logical steps. Power of Remembering: As a human being acquires new knowledge, the brain subconsciously selects what it feels to be important and worth retaining in its memory, and relegates unimportant details to the back of the mind or just forgets them. This is not the case with computers. A computer can store and recall any amount of information because of its secondary storage ( a type of detachable memory) capability. Every piece of information can be retained as long as desired by the user, and can be recalled, as and when required. Even after several years, the information recalled would be as accurate as on the day when it was fed to the computer.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
No I.Q: A computer is not a magical device. It possesses no intelligence of its own . It I.O is zero, at least until today. It has to be told what to do and in what sequence. Hence only the user can determine what tasks a computer will perform. A computer cannot take its own decision in this regard. No Feeling: Computers are devoid of emotions. They have no feelings and no instincts because they are machine. Based on our feelings, taste knowledge, and exercise, we often make certain judgment is based on the instructions given to them in the form of programs that are written by us.
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Systems Theory
When studying organizations, it is useful to be able to analyze what they do and how they behave in abstract terms. This enables management to structure their organizations in an effective way, and to make sure that alt of the constituent parts of the organization work together in a unified way. A body of theory which helps in this process is systems theory.
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What is System?
A system is a group of related elements or activities which are organized for a specific purpose. The key parts of this definition are that:
the system has interconnected parts the whole is planned towards the achievement of a specific objective or group of objectives.

Chp01_Introduction to Computers

by. Shafiq Ahmed Chachar

 Subsystems
All systems are made of up subsystems, which are given goals which work towards the achievement of the overall system objectives. These subsystems will work individually, but need to relate closely to other subsystems - the outputs from one system are the inputs to the other subsystems. T The area of contact between subsystems is known as the interface, which will often take the form of communications and the passing of information.

Chp01_Introduction to Computers

by. Shafiq Ahmed Chachar

Components of System
The three basic components of a system are Input
Input may take the form of people, energy, materials, equipment, money or data. These inputs may be received individually or in combination and can originate from a number o diverse sources.

Chp01_Introduction to Computers

by. Shafiq Ahmed Chachar

Components of System
Process
Some form of activity is carried out as a result of receiving input, with the aim of adding value to that input to produce an output. These processing activities many include the following:
Assembling Machining Sorting Storing Calculating

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Components of System
Outputs
Once processing is complete, the finished, processed product or service is passed out to the environment. This may involve the delivery of goods to a customer or the transition of goods or information to a new system or sub-system. Typically the value of the output is greater than the value of input (i.e. the system adds value to the resources used). For example an organization will take raw materials and labor, will utilize that to produce a product to sell to a customer, who then pays for that output, normally at a higher price than the original cost of the raw material.

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Types of Systems
Closed Systems Open Systems

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Closed systems
In this type of system there are no relationships between the system and the environment. The system therefore exists in isolation and has no effect on, and is not affected by, its environment. In reality such systems do not exist, but we might be able to create a system that appeared closed in the short term, for example a chemical experiment or a meeting.
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Open systems
Open systems have a complex relationship with their environment. The environment is a source of support to, and constraints on, the operation of the system. This makes open systems much more complex to study and manage. An example of an open system is a business organization, as it is affected by such factors as politics and fashion.
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Examples of systems
Types of System Example
Closed A scientific experiment

Open

A business

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Computer Systems work

Keep track of bank transactions and credit card purchases Are cornerstone of airlines massive reservations systems Control direct production in factories Provide business executives with up to date information Create illusion of a real situation Are embedded in watches, television sets, phones, fax machines, kitchen appliances etc.
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Computers in the Workplace

Multipurpose workstation Design The Internet Home Based Business Music Wireless Communications

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Data and Information

Data are essentially raw, unorganized facts. Four types of data
text graphics audio video

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Data and Information

Information, in the language of computers, refers to data that have processed into a meaningful form Information is a relative term Conversion of data into information is called information processing Data + meaning = Information

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Data Versus Information

Data are
Stored facts Inactive (they exist) Technology based Gathered from various sources
Chp01_Introduction to Computers

Information is
Presented facts Active (it enables doing) Business based Transformed from data
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Desirable Qualities of Information

Quality Availability Description Is accessible to those who need it Comprehensibility Is understandable to those who need it Relevance Has bearing on matters pertaining to the performance of the organization Usefulness Is in a form that makes it capable of being used
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Desirable Qualities of Information

Quality Timeliness Reliability Accuracy Consistency Description Is available at the right time Can be counted on to be trustworthy Is correct Is not self - contracdictory

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Digital Computers
Digital computers are devices that counts. Digital computers convert data and programs into strings of 0s and 1s, which they manipulate at lightning speed. Four main categories are micro, mini, main and super computers.

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Speed of a Computer
Microcomputer - megahertz (MHz). Each MHz represents 1 million clocks ticks per second. Mainframe - mips million of instructions per second Super computers - mflops millions of floating point operations per second

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Analog Computers
Analog computer are devices that measure. A car has an analog computer that measures rotation of a transmission shaft and converts this reading into speedometer output.

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Hybrid Computers
A hybrid computer is part analog, part digital. Simulators, such as pilot trainers. The display representing the outside world may be generated by a special digital graphics computer, whereas, physical movement of the cockpit, instruments, control levers are controlled by the analog part of the computer.

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Hardware
Physical equipment in a computing environment, such as the computer and its peripheral devices. For e.g. monitor, printer, speakers, mouse, hard - disk drive, diskettes, diskette drive, CD-ROM drive, CD-ROM disks

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Organizing Data and Programs

Document - Any single piece of work thats created with software and, then, given a name by which it may be accessed. Folder - A container for documents. A folder can contain a mixture of subfolders and documents.

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Organizing Data and Programs

Field - A collection of related characters. Record - A collection of related fields. File - A collection of related records. Database - A collection of related files.

Be aware, a word processed file and a word processed document generally refer to the same thing.
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Users and the Experts

User (end users) - A person(s) who needs the results that a computer produces. Programmer - A person who writes computer programs.

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Computer Networks
Networks allow workers in an organization to communicate with each other, share expensive devices like printers, and send and receive materials to and from the outside world. To access a computer network, you need two kinds of resources hardware (network adapter) e.g. modem communication software

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Computer Networks
Online - A state that allows a device to send data to or receive data from other devices. Offline - A state that does not allow a device to send data to or receive data from other devices.

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Desktop Units
Desktop model
the system unit case is designed to rest on a desk

Tower model
the system unit case stands upright on either a desktop or floor more room to fix secondary storage units leave more work space on the desktop the system unit case often sit at a distance may not provide as convenient way to mount and dismount disks from drives.

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Platform
Platform is a foundation technology be which a computer system operates. Two major platforms are PC compatibles (IBM design, Intel
microprocessor & Microsoft Windows applications)

Macintosh compatibles (Apple design,

Motorola, Umax, Power Computing microprocessor & Macintosh applications)
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Network Computers
Network computers (NCs) are diskless microcomputers with features that optimize them for use on the Internet and intracompany networks. Network computers offer
lower purchase and support costs better control over employee computing activities central control prevent users from storing material on their own system which prevents corruption of the system.

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Types of Computer System

Small or Micro computers Medium sized or Midrange computers

Large or Mainframe computers

Superlarge or Super computers

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Microcomputers
A computer system driven by a microprocessor chip. Also known as microcomputer, or micro. A microcomputer system designed to be used by one person at a time. Also known as a personal computer system (PC).

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Sizes of Microcomputer Systems

Desktop Units
Desktop model Tower model

Portable Units
Laptop (8 - 15 pounds) Notebook (6 - 8 pounds) Subnotebook (2 - 6 pounds) Palmtop / Handheld / Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs)
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Chp01_Introduction to Computers

Midrange Computers
Also called minicomputers or minis An intermediate sized and medium priced computer More expensive than microcomputers. Can interact with hundreds of users. Useful a small company or department of a company

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Mainframes
A large computer that performs extensive business transaction processing. Operates 24 hours a day Serves thousands of users Used for tracking customer purchases and payments, sending out bills and reminder notices & paying employees e.g. IBS ES/9000

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Supercomputers
The fastest and most expensive type of computer. Sending astronauts into space, testing safety & aerodynamics features on cars and aircraft and weather forecasting. Massively Parallel Processors (MPPs)

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Supercomputers
At the high end of supercomputing are computers like IBM's "Blue Pacific," announced on October 29, 1998. Built in partnership with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California., Blue Pacific is reported to operated at 3.9 teraflop (trillion operations per second), 15,000 times faster than the average personal computer. It consists of 5,800 processors containing a total of 2.6 trilllion bytes of memory and interconnected with five miles of cable.

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COMPUTER GENERATIONS
Generation (Period) First (1942-1955) Second (1955-1964) Key hardware Technologies
Vacuum tubes: Electromagnetic really memory; punched cards secondary storage.

Key software technologies

Machine and assembly languages; stored program concept; mostly scientific applications Batch operating system; high level programming languages; scientific and commercial applications

Key Characteristics

Some representative systems

ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC, UNIVAC I IBM701. Honeywell 400, IBM 7030, CDC 1604, UNIVAC LARC

Bulky in size; highly unreliable; limited commercial use; commercial production difficult and costly; difficult to use Faster, smaller, more reliable and easier to program than previous generation systems; commercial production was still difficult and costly Faster, smaller, more reliable, easier and cheaper to produce commercially, easier to upgrade than previous generation systems; scientific, commercial and interactive online applications.

Transistors; magnetic cores memory, magnetic tapes and disks secondary storage.

Third (1964-4975)

ICs with SSI and MSI technologies, larger magnetic cores memory; larger capacity disks and magnetic tapes secondary storage, minicomputers

Timesharing operating system; standardization of high-level programming languages; unbundling of software from hardware.

IBM 360/370, PDP -8, PDP 11, CDC 6600

Fourth (1975-1989)

ICs with VLSI technology; microprocessors, semi conductor memory, larger capacity hard disks as in built secondary storage, magnetic tapes and floppy disks as portable storage media personal computer, spread of high speed computer networks.
ICs with ULSI technology larger capacity main memory; larger capacity hard disk; optical disks as portable read-only storage media, notebook computers; powerful desktop PCs and workstations; very powerful mainframes; internet.

Operating systems for PCs; GUI, multiple windows on a single terminal screen; UNIX operating system; C programming language; PC-based applications; network based applications

Small, affordable, reliable, and easy to use PCs; more powerful and reliable mainframe systems; totally general purpose machines; easier to produce commercially.

IBM PC And its clones , Apple II, TRS-80, VAX 9000,CRAY-1, CRAY-2, CRAY-X/MP.

Fifth (1989-Present)

World Wide Web; multimedia applications internet-based applications.

Portable computers; more powerful; cheaper, reliable and easier to use desktop machines; very powerful mainframes; very high uptime due to hot pluggable components; totally general purpose machines; easier to produce commercially.

IBM notebooks, Pentium PCs, SUN Workstations, IBM SP/2, SGI Origin 2000, PARAM 10000

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Acronym
ENIAC =Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator EDVAC=Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer EDSAC=Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator UNIVAC=Universal Automatic Computer IBM= International Business Machine CDC= Control Data Corporation PDP= Programmed Data Processor TRS=Technical Report Server SGI=Silicon Graphics Image SSI= Small Scale Integration MSI= Medium Scale Integration DEC= Digital Equipment Corporation ANSI= American National Standard Institute LSI=Large Scale Integration VLSI=Very large scale Integration

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