Introduction to

Computers
FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTING Syllabus
Objective: The objective of the paper is to facilitate the student with applied working knowledge of computers. This is the first course of computing and does
not assume any pre-requisite.

UNIT-I

Five Component Model of a Computer, System and Application software ( introduction ) storage devices , primary (RAM, ROM, PROM, EPROM, cache )
Memory and secondary (magnetic tape, hard disk, Compact disks) memory , peripheral devices , printers. [T1], [T2][8 Hours]

UNIT-II

Operating Systems: DOS Internal, External commands, Windows ( 2000 and NT) , Overview of architecture of Windows, tools and system utilities including
registry , partitioning of hard disk , Overview of Linux architecture , File system , file and permissions , concept of user and group , installation of rpm and
deb based packages. [T1], [T2][8 Hours]

UNIT-III

Basics of programming through flow chart , Networking Basics - Uses of a network and Common types of networks , Network topologies and protocols ,
Network media and hardware , Overview of Database Management System. [T1],[T2],[R1][8 Hours]

UNIT-IV

Libre / Open Office Writer : Editing and Reviewing, Drawing, Tables, Graphs, Templates Libre / Open Office Calc : Worksheet Management , Formulas,
Functions, Charts Libre / Open Office Impress: designing powerful power-point presentation [R2][R3] [8 Hours]

Text:

[T1] Peter Norton, Introduction to computers, Sixth Edition Tata McGraw Hill (2007).

[T2] Andrews Jean, A+Guide to Managing & Maintaining Your PC, Cengage Publication 6/e

References:

[R1] Anita Goel, Computer Fundamentals, Pearson Education.

[R2] Joiner Associates Staff, Flowcharts: Plain & Simple: Learning & Application Guide , Oriel Inc

[R3] http://www.openoffice.org/why/

[R4] http://www.libreoffice.org/get-help/documentation/
Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Learning Objectives

In this chapter you will learn about:

 Computer
 Data processing
 Characteristic features of computers
 Computers’ evolution to their present form
 Computer generations
 Characteristic features of each computer generation

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Computer

 The word computer comes from the word “compute”,

which means, “to calculate”

 Thereby, a computer is an electronic device that can

perform arithmetic operations at high speed

 A computer is also called a data processor because it can

store, process, and retrieve data whenever desired

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Data Processing

The activity of processing data using a computer is

called
data processing
Data
Capture Data

Manipulate Data

Output Results

Information
Data is raw material used as input and information is
processed data obtained as output of data
processing

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Characteristics of Computers

1) Automatic: Given a job, computer can work on it

automatically without human interventions

2) Speed: Computer can perform data processing jobs

very fast, usually measured in microseconds (10-6),
nanoseconds (10-9), and picoseconds (10-12)

3) Accuracy: Accuracy of a computer is consistently high

and the degree of its accuracy depends upon its design.
Computer errors caused due to incorrect input data or
unreliable programs are often referred to as Garbage-
In-Garbage-Out (GIGO)

(Continued on next slide)

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Characteristics of Computers
(Continued from previous slide..)

4) Diligence: Computer is free from monotony, tiredness,

and lack of concentration. It can continuously work for
hours without creating any error and without grumbling

5) Versatility: Computer is capable of performing almost

any task, if the task can be reduced to a finite series of
logical steps

6) Power of Remembering: Computer can store

recall any and
amount of information because of its
secondary storage capability. It forgets or looses certain
information only when it is asked to do so

(Continued on next slide)

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Characteristics of Computers
(Continued from previous slide..)

7) No I.Q.: A computer does only what it is programmed

to do. It cannot take its own decision in this regard

8) No Feelings: Computers are devoid of emotions. Their

judgement is based on the instructions given to them in
the form of programs that are written by us (human
beings)

(Continued on next slide)

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Evolution of Computers

 Blaise Pascal invented the first mechanical adding

machine in 1642
 Baron Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz invented the
first
calculator for multiplication in 1671
 Keyboard machines originated in the United States
around 1880
 Around 1880, Herman Hollerith came up with the concept
of punched cards that were extensively used as input
media until late 1970s

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Evolution of Computers
(Continued from previous slide..)

 Charles Babbage is considered to be the

father of modern digital computers

 He designed “Difference Engine” in 1822

 He designed a fully automatic analytical engine in

1842 for performing basic arithmetic functions

 His efforts established a number of principles that

are fundamental to the design of any digital
computer

(Continued on next slide)

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/17
Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Some Well Known Early Computers

 The Mark I Computer (1937-44)

 The Atanasoff-Berry Computer (1939-42)
 The ENIAC (1943-46)
 The EDVAC (1946-52)
 The EDSAC (1947-49)
 Manchester Mark I (1948)
 The UNIVAC I (1951)

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Computer Generations

 “Generation” in computer talk is a step in technology. It

provides a framework for the growth of computer industry

 Originally it was used to distinguish between various

hardware technologies, but now it has been extended to
include both hardware and software

 Till today, there are five computer generations

(Continued on next slide)

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Computer Generations
(Continued from previous slide..)

Key hardware Key software Key Some

Generation
representative
(Period) technologies characteristics systems
technologies
First  Vacuum tubes  Machine  Bulky in size  ENIAC
(1942-1955)  Electromagnetic and assembly  Highly unreliable  EDVAC
relay memory languages  Limited  EDSAC
 Punched  Stored commercial use and  UNIVAC I
cards secondary program concept costly  IBM 701
storage  Mostly  Difficult
scientific commercial production
applications  Difficult to use
Second  Transistors  Batch  Faster, smaller, more  Honeywell 400
(1955-1964)  Magnetic operating system reliable and easier to  IBM 7030
cores memory  High-level program than previous  CDC 1604
 Magnetic tapes programming generation systems
 UNIVAC LARC
 Disks for secondary languages  Commercial production
storage  Scientific was still difficult and
and commercial costly
applications

(Continued on next slide)

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Computer Generations
(Continued from previous slide..)

Generation Key hardware Key software Key Some rep.

(Period) technologies characteristics systems
technologies
Third  ICs with SSI and  Timesharing  Faster, smaller, more  IBM 360/370
(1964-1975) MSI operating reliable, easier and  PDP-8
technologies system cheaper to produce  PDP-11
 Larger magnetic  Standardization  Commercially, easier
 CDC 6600
cores memory of high-level to use, and easier
 Larger capacity programming to upgrade than
disks and languages previous generation
magnetic tapes  Unbundling of systems
secondary software  Scientific, commercial
storage from and interactive on-
 Minicomputers; hardware line applications
upward
compatible family
of computers

(Continued on next slide)

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Computer Generations
(Continued from previous slide..)

Generation Key hardware Key software Key Some rep.

(Period) characteristic systems
Technologies technologies s
Fourth  ICs with  Operating systems for  Small, affordable,  IBM PC and
(1975-1989) VLSI technology PCs with GUI and reliable, and easy its clones
 Microprocessors; multiple windows on a to use PCs  Apple II
semiconductor memory single terminal screen  More powerful  TRS-80
 Larger capacity hard  Multiprocessing and  VAX 9000
disks as in-built OS with reliable
 CRAY-1
secondary storage concurrent mainframe
programming systems  CRAY-2
 Magnetic tapes and
floppy disks as portable languages and  CRAY-X/MP
storage media  UNIX operating system supercomputers
 Personal computers with C programming  Totally
 Supercomputers based language general purpose
 Object-oriented design machines
on parallel
vector processing and programming  Easier to produce
and symmetric  PC, Network-based, commercially
multiprocessing and supercomputing  Easier to upgrade
technologies applications  Rapid
 Spread of high- software
speed computer development
networks possible (Continued on next slide)

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Computer Generations
(Continued from previous slide..)

Generation Key hardware Key software Key Some rep.

(Period) technologies characteristics systems
technologies
Fifth  ICs with ULSI  Micro-kernel based,  Portable computers  IBM notebooks
(1989- technology multithreading,  Powerful, cheaper,  Pentium PCs
Presen  Larger capacity distributed OS reliable, and easier  SUN
t) main memory,  Parallel to use desktop Workstations
hard disks with programming machines  IBM SP/2
RAID support libraries like MPI &  Powerful  SGI Origin
 Optical disks as PVM supercomputers 2000
portable read-only  JAVA  High uptime due to
 PARAM
storage media  World Wide Web hot-pluggable
10000
 Notebooks,  Multimedia, components
powerful Internet  Totally
desktop PCs applications general purpose
and  More machines
workstations complex  Easier to
 Powerful supercomputing produce
servers, applications commercially,
supercomputers easier to upgrade
 Internet  Rapid
 Cluster computing software
development
possible

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Electronic Devices Used in Computers of Different Generations

(a) A Vacuum Tube (b) A Transistor (c) An IC Chip

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Computer Fundamentals: Pradeep K. Sinha & Priti Sinha

Key Words/Phrases

 Computer  Integrated Circuit (IC)

 Computer generations  Large Scale Integration (VLSI)
 Computer Supported Cooperative  Medium Scale Integration (MSI)
Working (CSCW)  Microprocessor
 Data  Personal Computer (PC)
 Data processing  Second-generation computers
 Data processor  Small Scale Integration (SSI)
 First-generation computers  Stored program concept
 Fourth-generation computers  Third-generation computers
 Garbage-in-garbage-out (GIGO)  Transistor
 Graphical User Interface (GUI)  Ultra Large Scale Integration
 Groupware (ULSI)
 Information  Vacuum tubes

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