Lecture 1 Computer Principles

University of Technology
Computer Engineering Department
Computer Principles

Lecture 1
Introduction to Computer Systems

Lecture Layout:

• Introduction to Computer System

• Types of Computers
• Historical Background
• Computer Generations
• Information System

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 Information is any form of communication that provides

understandable and useful knowledge for the person receiving it.
 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.
The activity of processing data using a computer is called data processing

Data is raw material used as input and information is processed data

obtained as output of data processing.
 Types of Computers
1- Super computers are most powerful and expensive. They have
extremely large storage capacities and processing speed is at least 10
times faster than other computers. It can calculate about 400 million
numbers every second, and result is always exactly correct.

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2- Mainframe computers are medium or large machines, powerful,

expensive computers made of several units connected together.
Mainframe computers are generally used in big organizations and
government departments for large-scale date processing. Their
processing capabilities vary from computers to computers ranging to
millions of bytes per second. Organizations such as large insurance
companies would use the mainframe to keep track of their
policyholders and send out renewal notices.

3- Mini computers are like small mainframes, they consist of a few

separate units connected together. minicomputer is a class of multi-
user computers that lies in the middle range of the computing
spectrum, in between the large multi-user systems (mainframe
computers) and the smallest single-user systems (microcomputers or
personal computers).

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4- Microcomputers or Personal Computer (PC) are the most common

type of computers in existence today, whether in a workplace, at
school or on the desk at home. The term “microcomputer” was
introduced with the advent of single chip microprocessors. These
computers include Desktop computers, Laptops, notebook computers,
Palmtop computers, Smart phones and PDAs (personal digital
assistants).

 Historical Background
The personal computer was introduced in 1975, a development that
made the computer accessible to individuals. Up to that time
computers had been very large and expensive, operated mainly by big
companies. The first modern computers were created in the 1950s and

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have a long theoretical and technical background. It was the result of

advances in technologies and man's need to quantify. Some of the
earlier mechanical counting machines lacked the technology to make
the design work. For instance, some had parts made of wood prior to
metal manipulation and manufacturing.
• 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.

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• Around 1880, Herman Hollerith came up with the concept of punched

cards that were extensively used as input media until late 1970s.

• Charles Babbage is considered to be the father of modern digital

computers:
1- He designed “Difference Engine” in 1822.

2- He designed a fully automatic analytical engine in 1842 for

performing basic arithmetic functions.

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3- His efforts established a number of principles that are fundamental

to the design of any digital computer.
• In 1944, the Mark I was completed by a team from International
Business Machines (IBM) and Harvard University under the
leadership of Howard Aiken. The Mark I used mechanical telephone
relay switches to store information and accepted data on punched
cards. Because it could not make decisions about the data it processed,
the Mark I was not a computer but instead a highly sophisticated
calculator.

• The first electronic computer was built between 1939 and 1942 at
Iowa State University by John Atanasoff, a math and physics
professor, and Clifford Berry, a graduate student. The Atanasoff-
Berry Computer (ABC) used the binary number system of 1s and 0s

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that is still used in computers today. It contained hundreds of vacuum

tubes and stored numbers for calculations by electronically burning
holes in sheets of paper. The output of calculations was displayed on
an odometer type of device.

 Computer Generations
Computer generation 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. There are five computer generations
which are:
1- 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 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

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displayed on printouts. The ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integration

and Calculator) is an example of first-generation computing devices. It
was originally a secret military project which began during World War II
to calculate the trajectory of artillery shells. Built at the University of
Pennsylvania, it was not finished until 1946, after the war had ended. The
ENIAC weighed 30 tons and occupied 1500 square feet, the same area
taken up by the average three bedroom house. It contained over 17,000
vacuum tubes.

2- Second Generation -1956-1963:Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes in the first generation of
computers. The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see
widespread use in computers until the late 50s.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 subjected the computer to damage, it
was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation
computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for
output. Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary

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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.

3- Third Generation -1964-1971:Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hall mark 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 predecessors.

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4- Fourth Generation -1971-Present: Microprocessors

In 1970, Marcian Hoff, an engineer at Intel Corporation, invented the
microprocessor, an entire CPU on a single chip. made possible the
fourth generation of computers. The small microprocessor replaces
several large components by one microprocessor which made it
possible to build a computer called a microcomputer, which was small
enough to fit on a desktop. The first one was the Altair built in 1975.
In 1976, Stephen Wozniak and Steven Jobs designed and built the first
Apple computer. The Apple Macintosh set new standards for ease use
of computer with its Graphical User Interface (GUI). In 1981, IBM
introduced the IBM–PC. The computer was an instant success because
of the availability of spreadsheet, accounting, and word processor
software. Desktop computers are referred to as either PCs or Macs.
Advances in technology made personal computers inexpensive and
therefore available to many people. Because of these advances almost
anyone could own a machine that had more computing power and was
faster and more reliable than either the ENIAC.

5- Fifth Generation -Present and Beyond: Artificial Intelligent

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

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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 the
coming years. The goal of fifth generation computing is to develop
devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of
learning and self-organization.

 Information systems
An information system (IS) is a computerized system that processes data
(facts) and produces information. This process is defined as an information
processing cycle (IPC). IS has five parts: people (users), procedures,
software, hardware and data. Connectivity allows computers to connect and
share information, thereby greatly expanding the capability and usefulness
of an information system.
1- People: People are the computer operators, also known as users. It can
be argued that some computer systems are complete without a
person’s involvement; however, no computer is totally autonomous.
Even if a computer can do its job without a person sitting in front of it,
people still design, build, program and repair computer systems. This
lack of autonomy is especially true of personal computer systems,
which are designed especially for use by people.
2- Procedures: The rules or guidelines for people to follow when using
software, hardware and data are procedures. These procedures are
typically documented in manuals written by computer specialists.
Software and hardware manufactures provide manuals with their

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products. These manuals are provided either in printed or electronic

form.
3- Software: A program consists of step by step instructions that tell the
computer how to do its work. Software is another name for a program
or programs. The purpose of software is to convert data (unprocessed
facts) into information (processed facts).
4- Hardware: The equipment that processes the data to create
information is called hardware. It includes the keyboard, mouse,
monitor, system unit and other devices. Hardware is controlled by
software.
5- Data: The raw, unprocessed facts, including text, numbers, images
and sounds are called data. Processing data creates information. Four
common file types are document, worksheet, database and
presentation.
 Document files: Created by word processors to save documents
such as term papers and letters.

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 Worksheet files: Created by electronic spreadsheets to analyze

things like budgets to predict sales.

 Database files: Typically created by database management

programs to contain highly structured and organized data. For
example, an employee database file might contain all workers’
names, social security numbers, job titles and other related
pieces of information.

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 Presentation files: Created by presentation graphics programs

to save presentation materials. For example, a file might contain
speaker notes and electronic slides.

Almost all of today’s computer systems add an additional part of

information system. This part, called connectivity, allows computers to
connect and to share information. These connections, including Internet
connections can be by telephone lines, by cable or through the air.
Connectivity allows users to greatly expand the capability and usefulness of
their information systems.
In large computer systems, there are specialists who write procedures,
develop software and capture data. In microcomputer systems, however, end
users often perform these operations.

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