BC101-COMPUTER APPLICATION (DFP1A)

Monday, August 6, 2012

COMPUTER OF CLASSIFICATION

COMPUTER OF CLASSIFICATION

1.6. Classification of Computer

The digital computers that are available nowadays vary in their sizes and types. The computers are broadly classified into four categories (Figure 1.8) based on their size and type—(1) Microcomputers, (2) Minicomputers, (3) Mainframe computers, and (4) Supercomputer.

Figure 1.8. Classification of computers based on size and type

1.6.1. Microcomputers

Microcomputers are small, low-cost and single-user digital computer. They consist of CPU, input unit, output unit, storage unit and the software. Although microcomputers are stand-alone machines, they can be connected together to create a network of computers that can serve more than one user. IBM PC based on Pentium microprocessor and Apple Macintosh are some examples of microcomputers. Microcomputers include desktop computers, notebook computers or laptop, tablet computer, handheld computer, smart phones and netbook, as shown in Figure 1.9.

Figure 1.9. Microcomputers

Desktop Computer or Personal Computer (PC) is the most common type of microcomputer. It is a stand-alone machine that can be placed on the desk. Externally, it consists of three units—keyboard, monitor, and a system unit containing the CPU, memory, hard disk drive, etc. It is not very expensive and is suited to the needs of a single user at home, small business units, and organizations. Apple, Microsoft, HP, Dell and Lenovo are some of the PC manufacturers.
Notebook Computers or Laptop resemble a notebook. They are portable and have all the features of a desktop computer. The advantage of the laptop is that it is small in size (can be put inside a briefcase), can be carried anywhere, has a battery backup and has all the functionality of the desktop. Laptops can be placed on the lap while working (hence the name). Laptops are costlier than the desktop machines.
Netbook These are smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost, and are designed for accessing web-based applications. Starting with the earliest netbook in late 2007, they have gained significant popularity now. Netbooks deliver the performance needed to enjoy popular activities like streaming videos or music, emailing, Web surfing or instant messaging. The word netbook was created as a blend of Internet and notebook.
Tablet Computer has features of the notebook computer but it can accept input from a stylus or a pen instead of the keyboard or mouse. It is a portable computer. Tablet computer are the new kind of PCs.
Handheld Computer or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is a small computer that can be held on the top of the palm. It is small in size. Instead of the keyboard, PDA uses a pen or a stylus for input. PDAs do not have a disk drive. They have a limited memory and are less powerful. PDAs can be connected to the Internet via a wireless connection. Casio and Apple are some of the manufacturers of PDA. Over the last few years, PDAs have merged into mobile phones to create smart phones.
Smart Phones are cellular phones that function both as a phone and as a small PC. They may use a stylus or a pen, or may have a small keyboard. They can be connected to the Internet wirelessly. They are used to access the electronic-mail, download music, play games, etc. Blackberry, Apple, HTC, Nokia and LG are some of the manufacturers of smart phones.

1.6.2. Minicomputers

Minicomputers (Figure 1.10) are digital computers, generally used in multi-user systems. They have high processing speed and high storage capacity than the microcomputers. Minicomputers can support 4–200 users simultaneously. The users can access the minicomputer through their PCs or terminal. They are used for real-time applications in industries, research centers, etc. PDP 11, IBM (8000 series) are some of the widely used minicomputers.

Figure 1.10. Minicomputer

1.6.3. Mainframe Computers

Mainframe computers (Figure 1.11) are multi-user, multi-programming and high performance computers. They operate at a very high speed, have very large storage capacity and can handle the workload of many users. Mainframe computers are large and powerful systems generally used in centralized databases. The user accesses the mainframe computer via a terminal that may be a dumb terminal, an intelligent terminal or a PC. A dumb terminal cannot store data or do processing of its own. It has the input and output device only. An intelligent terminal has the input and output device, can do processing, but, cannot store data of its own. The dumb and the intelligent terminal use the processing power and the storage facility of the mainframe computer. Mainframe computers are used in organizations like banks or companies, where many people require frequent access to the same data. Some examples of mainframes are CDC 6600 and IBM ES000 series.

Figure 1.11. Mainframe computer

1.6.4. Supercomputers

Supercomputers (Figure 1.12) are the fastest and the most expensive machines. They have high processing speed compared to other computers. The speed of a supercomputer is generally measured in FLOPS (FLoating point Operations Per Second). Some of the faster supercomputers can perform trillions of calculations per second. Supercomputers are built by interconnecting thousands of processors that can work in parallel.

Figure 1.12. Supercomputer

Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks, such as, weather forecasting, climate research (global warming), molecular research, biological research, nuclear research and aircraft design. They are also used in major universities, military agencies and scientific research laboratories. Some examples of supercomputers are IBM Roadrunner, IBM Blue gene and Intel ASCI red. PARAM is a series of supercomputer assembled in India by C-DAC (Center for Development of Advanced Computing), in Pune. PARAM Padma is the latest machine in this series. The peak computing power of PARAM Padma is 1 Tera FLOP (TFLOP).

COMPUTER COMPONENTS

COMPUTER COMPONENTS

When discussing about computer hardware it is very important to be mentioned the fact that it includes important components which can be seen and touched within the computer. The main components of computer hardware are considered to be the computer case, the motherboard, the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, the central processing unit, the random access memory, the hard drive, the basic input output system, the CD drive, the DVD drive, the floppy disk drive, the modem, the printers and many others. There are numerous and various components of computer hardware and they are all important in one way or another for the computer in which they are included. They influence its performance and in this way the results achieved by users while working with their computers. These computer hardware components need to be well functioning ones in order to enable the system to operate. They are connected between them and, in this way they influence the performance of each other and in the end the performance of the computer system.

Among the components of computer hardware, very important ones are considered to be the components included within the category of storage devices. This is because computer users need to be have stored as much information as possible so that they might be able to access it whenever this is required and change it as well when they have to. We all use computers in order to work with all sorts of data which are very important for us. This is why storage devices are very important and users should assure themselves that they have good storage devices within their computers so that they might avoid taking the risk of loosing important data. This is because there are not very few the cases in which users have lost important data having been stored on such devices because they had not been maintained and checked on a regular basis. It is very important for users to be aware of the performance of these devices so that they might actually be able to store the necessary information and to be certain that it will not be lost.

Among the storage components of computer hardware important to be mentioned and analyzed are the hard disks drives, the Blu-Ray disk drives, the random access memory drive which includes flash drives and random access memory sticks, the CD and the DVD drives. The hard drives have been very much appreciated by users in the last few years because the modern ones are said to offer users the opportunity to store great amounts of data which can be accessed very fast. This is very important for users because we all need to have access to as much information as possible sometimes without having to waste too much time, which is very precious for us these days. In the last few years many changes have been made to old models of hard drives so that users might have the opportunity in present to use much better hard drives which can improve the performance of our computers and of our work with them. Among the changes having been made to hard drives, the size is maybe the most familiar one. It is also important to be mentioned the fact that the most important change is within the performance of these devices which have been improved very much. The capacity of the modern hard drives is a much better one and the types of technologies included within these devices have definitely determined them to be much more useful to users than they used to be.

In what concerns this component of computer hardware and its construction it is important to be mentioned the fact that hard drives consists of rigid type of platters which are known to consists of a substrate and a magnetic medium. In order for these devices to be used for storing data both sides of each of the two platters included within them have to be coated with a magnetic type of medium. Nowadays this medium is in fact a layer of metal which has become familiar among users as a thin film type of medium. It is a very important aspect which needs to be taken in account when discussing about all sorts of changes that have been made to this component of computer hardware, the hard drive. What is very important to be discussed as well when analyzing the hard drive is its performance because it is very important for the computer system because it highly influences its speed and performance.

Computers are very important for all of us because we all need to use them for certain purpose, more or less often nowadays. They represent an important part of latest technology and we cannot ignore their importance within our lives. This is why it is also essential for us to learn as much as possible about our computers. They have been very much improved because the components of computer hardware have been improved and they can really be helpful for us if we just have the necessary knowledge to use them properly and to maintain and improve them.

Components are the accouterments accessories that accomplish up the system. Elements are body to bear Electrostatic discharge. If your apparatus are bad or you ambition to up-grade you should buy new elements for your computer. Finding bargain componenets deals care to be simple back activities that charge high-quality video are popular. Keep in apperception back arcade for these elements is that you crave to accomplish abiding they're accordant with your program.

You are able to acting old styles of computer elements with new ones. With the advance of computer elements in quality, barter are encouraged to acquirement new appearance computers. As a result, manufacturers anticipate about the wants of barter in reguards to advancing materials, assembling, testing and stocks. These producers should accommodate assorted options of computer apparatus with assorted grades for customers, depending on customer demands.

Pc apparatus are meant to abide aerial temperatures; the manufacturers apperceive that best of them are activity into under-ventilated instances. The address in which computer apparatus are placed are in abutting adjacency to one addition so that the ends of abutting computer apparatus are anchored to the abandon by force. The arrangement pc apparatus are in the anatomy of attainable anatomy blades which are rectangular. The apparatus are affiliated to one addition by coffer circuits to blazon a capital board.

In instances absolutely area the pc apparatus are distributed, the apparatus are attainable to one addition through advice links. The antecedent set of elements are army in the base. the 2nd set are army aural the top portion. The anatomy aural the arch and basal portions abide of panels which set calm back the top allocation and the basal allocation are in a bankrupt place, and area the antecedent elements are nested side-by-side with the additional elements,and the top and basal portions are in the bankrupt position. All pc apparatus are affiliated to the motherboard either via input/output ports, slots,or adapter cards.

COMPUTER OF CLASSIFICATION

COMPUTER OF CLASSIFICATION

1.6. Classification of Computer

Figure 1.8. Classification of computers based on size and type

1.6.1. Microcomputers

Figure 1.9. Microcomputers

Desktop Computer or Personal Computer (PC) is the most common type of microcomputer. It is a stand-alone machine that can be placed on the desk. Externally, it consists of three units—keyboard, monitor, and a system unit containing the CPU, memory, hard disk drive, etc. It is not very expensive and is suited to the needs of a single user at home, small business units, and organizations. Apple, Microsoft, HP, Dell and Lenovo are some of the PC manufacturers.
Notebook Computers or Laptop resemble a notebook. They are portable and have all the features of a desktop computer. The advantage of the laptop is that it is small in size (can be put inside a briefcase), can be carried anywhere, has a battery backup and has all the functionality of the desktop. Laptops can be placed on the lap while working (hence the name). Laptops are costlier than the desktop machines.
Netbook These are smaller notebooks optimized for low weight and low cost, and are designed for accessing web-based applications. Starting with the earliest netbook in late 2007, they have gained significant popularity now. Netbooks deliver the performance needed to enjoy popular activities like streaming videos or music, emailing, Web surfing or instant messaging. The word netbook was created as a blend of Internet and notebook.
Tablet Computer has features of the notebook computer but it can accept input from a stylus or a pen instead of the keyboard or mouse. It is a portable computer. Tablet computer are the new kind of PCs.
Handheld Computer or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) is a small computer that can be held on the top of the palm. It is small in size. Instead of the keyboard, PDA uses a pen or a stylus for input. PDAs do not have a disk drive. They have a limited memory and are less powerful. PDAs can be connected to the Internet via a wireless connection. Casio and Apple are some of the manufacturers of PDA. Over the last few years, PDAs have merged into mobile phones to create smart phones.
Smart Phones are cellular phones that function both as a phone and as a small PC. They may use a stylus or a pen, or may have a small keyboard. They can be connected to the Internet wirelessly. They are used to access the electronic-mail, download music, play games, etc. Blackberry, Apple, HTC, Nokia and LG are some of the manufacturers of smart phones.

1.6.2. Minicomputers

Figure 1.10. Minicomputer

1.6.3. Mainframe Computers

Figure 1.11. Mainframe computer

1.6.4. Supercomputers

Figure 1.12. Supercomputer

COMPUTER HISTORY & GENERATION

COMPUTER HISTORY AND GENERATIONS

In the beginning ...
A generation refers to the state of improvement in the development of a product. This term is also used in the different advancements of computer technology. With each new generation, the circuitry has gotten smaller and more advanced than the previous generation before it. As a result of the miniaturization, speed, power, and memory of computers has proportionally increased. New discoveries are constantly being developed that affect the way we live, work and play.

The First Generation: 1946-1958 (The Vacuum Tube Years)
The first generation computers were huge, slow, expensive, and often undependable. In 1946two Americans, Presper Eckert, and John Mauchly built the ENIAC electronic computer which used vacuum tubes instead of the mechanical switches of the Mark I. The ENIAC used thousands of vacuum tubes, which took up a lot of space and gave off a great deal of heat just like light bulbs do. The ENIAC led to other vacuum tube type computers like the EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) and the UNIVAC I (UNIVersal Automatic Computer).

The vacuum tube was an extremely important step in the advancement of computers. Vacuum tubes were invented the same time the light bulb was invented by Thomas Edison and worked very similar to light bulbs. It's purpose was to act like an amplifier and a switch. Without any moving parts, vacuum tubes could take very weak signals and make the signal stronger (amplify it). Vacuum tubes could also stop and start the flow of electricity instantly (switch). These two properties made the ENIAC computer possible.

        The ENIAC gave off so much heat that they had to be cooled by gigantic air conditioners. However even with these huge coolers, vacuum tubes still overheated regularly. It was time for something new.
The Second Generation:  1959-1964 (The Era of the Transistor)
        The transistor computer did not last as long as the vacuum tube computer lasted, but it was no less important in the advancement of computer technology. In 1947 three scientists, John Bardeen,

William Shockley, and Walter Brattain working at AT&T's Bell Labs invented what would replace the vacuum tube forever. This invention was the transistor which functions like a vacuum tube in that it can be used to relay and switch electronic signals.

There were obvious differences between the transisitor and the vacuum tube. The transistor was faster, more reliable, smaller, and much cheaper to build than a vacuum tube. One transistor replaced the equivalent of 40 vacuum tubes. These transistors were made of solid material, some of which is silicon, an abundant element (second only to oxygen) found in beach sand and glass. Therefore they were very cheap to produce. Transistors were found to conduct electricity faster and better than vacuum tubes. They were also much smaller and gave off virtually no heat compared to vacuum tubes. Their use marked a new beginning for the computer. Without this invention, space travel in the 1960's would not have been possible. However, a new invention would even further advance our ability to use computers.
The Third Generation: 1965-1970 (Integrated Circuits - Miniaturizing the Computer)

Transistors were a tremendous breakthrough in advancing the computer. However no one could predict that thousands even now millions of transistors (circuits) could be compacted in such a small space. Theintegrated circuit, or as it is sometimes referred to as semiconductor chip, packs a huge number of transistors onto a single wafer of silicon. Robert Noyce of Fairchild Corporation and Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments independently discovered the amazing attributes of integrated circuits. Placing such large numbers of transistors on a single chip vastly increased the power of a single computer and lowered its cost considerably.

Since the invention of integrated circuits, the number of transistors that can be placed on a single chip has doubled every two years, shrinking both the size and cost of computers even further and further enhancing its power. Most electronic devices today use some form of integrated circuits placed on printed circuit boards-- thin pieces of bakelite or fiberglass that have electrical connections etched onto them -- sometimes called a mother board.

        These third generation computers could carry out instructions in billionths of a second. The size of these machines dropped to the size of small file cabinets. Yet, the single biggest advancement in the computer era was yet to be discovered.
The Fourth Generation:  1971-Today (The Microprocessor)
        This generation can be characterized by both the jump to monolithic integrated circuits(millions of transistors put onto one integrated circuit chip) and the invention of the microprocessor (a single chip that could do all the processing of a full-scale computer). By putting millions of transistors onto one single chip more calculation and faster speeds could be reached by computers. Because electricity travels about a foot in a billionth of a second, the smaller the distance the greater the speed of computers.

However what really triggered the tremendous growth of computers and its significant impact on our lives is the invention of the microprocessor. Ted Hoff, employed by Intel(Robert Noyce's new company) invented a chip the size of a pencil eraser that could do all the computing and logic work of a computer. The microprocessor was made to be used in calculators, not computers. It led, however, to the invention of personal computers, or microcomputers.

It wasn't until the 1970's that people began buying computer for personal use. One of the

earliest personal computers was the Altair 8800 computer kit. In 1975 you could purchase this kit and put it together to make your own personal computer. In 1977 the Apple II was sold to the public and in 1981 IBM entered the PC (personal computer) market.

Today we have all heard of Intel and its Pentium^® Processors and now we know how it all got started. The computers of the next generation will have millions upon millions of transistors on one chip and will perform over a billion calculations in a single second. There is no end in sight for the computer movement.

Processors of old and new


One of the first ICs	386 Processor	Pentium Processor	The New Processors