COMP 201- Introduction to Computer Dilla University

Chapter 1-Introduction

I. INTRODUCTION  It is a study of information handling and its use in society by means of

modern technology; this includes acquisition, processing, storage and
What is computer Science? communication of information in any by appropriate means.

Computer Science is a science concerned with information, that is, Components of IT

representation, storage, manipulation or processing and presentation of
information. Like any other science, which uses different devices and lab Information Technology is divided in to three primary components:
equipment, computer science uses a special device called COMPUTER. 1. Computer
2. Communication Network
Data versus Information 3. Know-how

DATA- Facts concerning people, objects, events or other entities. Data are 1. Computer
raw facts which can be manipulated. Data is required in operation of
any organization. Databases store data. A computer is any calculating device or machine, which is electrical,
mechanical or electromechanical. But that doesn’t mean that computer
INFORMATION- Data presented in a form suitable for interpretation. Data performs only calculation. The name computer comes from a Latin word
can be manipulated to produce information. Information is the summarization computer, meaning “to recon” or “to compute” and can be applied to abacus
of data in presentable form. Data is converted into information by programs or any adding machine as to the modern computer. However, the term
and queries. Data may be stored in files or in databases. “computer” has come to mean a special electronic device having certain
Example: If orders and payments are data, then balance due and quantity in definite characteristics.
hand would be information.
Computer, in simple terms, is an electronic machine that can be instructed to
Information is backbone of any organization. It apprizes, and notifies, accept, process, store and present data and information.
surprises and stimulates, reduce uncertainty, reveals additional It processes data (raw facts or figures) into useful information that gives
alternatives, helps to eliminate irrelevant, influence people. It is used meaning to users.
to make appropriate and good decision. Quality information provides
good decision making. Quality information is timely, accurate and Computer is programmable that can do virtually anything provided it is given
reliable. the right set intervention to do the job other that other machine may do a set
of intervention to do the job other that other machine may do a set of
Information Technology- is the use of modern technology to aid the predefined tasks, nothing more, nothing less.
capture, processing, storage and retrieval and communication of information
whether in the form of numeral data, text, sound or image. Storage and retrieval – unlike other machines, computer can store data for
 It refers to wide variety of items and abilities used in creation, storage, indefinite period of time and makes the data available for later use (retrieval).
dispersal of information.
 It is a system designed together, process or distribute information 2. Communications Network
 It is a technology that facilitates transmission, collection, processing,
interpretation and dissemination of information. An integral part of IT is the ability to communicate such as send & receive data
 It is a study, design, development, implementation, support or and information over a communication network
management of computer-based information systems, particularly A communications Network is the connection of station at different location
computer applications and computer hardware through a medium that enables people to send and receive data and
information.

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COMP 201- Introduction to Computer Dilla University
Chapter 1-Introduction

Telephone wires and cables are common media. Data communication is the
transmission of data and information over communication medium.  Storage
You can image how much space a paper of seconds or data of a census
3. Know- how it needs. Not only the space, also the time it took to get or retrieve
Although computers and data communication are very important parts of IT, specific information from such vast amount of data is not negligible.
an equal critical part of IT is the ability to draw on the power of IT to solve
problems to take advantage of the opportunities it create. But a computer can store such amount of information in a few
Therefore, IT requires or implies know-how, knowing how to do something numbers of disks. And the time it took to retrieve or process single
well. It includes the following: information is not more than a micro or nanoseconds. In general a
 Familiarity with the tools of IT. computer has a capacity to store a very large amount of information in
 The skills needed to use these tools organized manner so that accessing information is very fast.
 Understanding when to use IT to solve problems.
 Accuracy
Now a day’s computers are being used for surgical purposes which
II.CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTERS need almost hundred percent accuracy. From this we can understand
that computer is accurate and consistent .Unless there is an error in
The Characteristics of a computer shows the capability and the potential of the the input data or unreliable program the computer processes with a
computer for processing data. This saves time, space, money, labor etc. all very accurate.
computer have certain common characteristics irrespective of their size and Errors in hardware can occur, but error detecting and correcting
type. Computers are not just adding machines; they are capable of doing techniques will prevent false results. In most case the errors are due
complex activities and operations, if they are programmed to do so. The to the human factor rather than technological flaws. For example, if a
following are some of those characteristics. program is wrongly coded, if the data is corrupted or if the program
logic is flawed. Error also occur in data entry, people often make
 Word length mistakes when data is keyed in and the computer accepts what ever
A digital computer operates in binary form (1’s and 0’s). It can only that is keyed in so if wrong in put is given, the out put will be wrong
understand information in the form of a machine language using GIGO (garbage in garbage out)
binary. The number of bits that computer can process at a time in
parallel is called its Word length commonly used is 16-bites, 32-bits  Automatic
or 64 bits. Word length is the measurement of the computing power of Once necessary information and program is feed to the computer, it
computer. The longer the word length the more powerful the computer performs processing without human intervention
is. A binary digit is called a bit. A group of 8-bit is called byte
e.g In (01011100) the first 0 is a bit also 1 in the second place  Versatility
having 8 bit Computer has the potential to perform or solve varieties of tasks and
problems, as the problem or the task can be put or reduced in the
 Speed form of logical steps. They can perform activities ranging form simple
The most important characteristic of a computer is speed. Computer calculations to performing complex CAD modeling and simulation to
works only one step at a time. Its speed is measured by the amount of navigating missiles and satellites
time it took to perform or carry out a basic operation. Computer speed  Diligence – computer is free from monotony, tiredness, lack of
measured in terms of millisecond (10-3) microsecond (10-6 one concentration, etc.
millionths), nanosecond(10-9 billionths),and Picoseconds(10-12 one
trillionths),  No power to remember-computer do not remember like humans

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COMP 201- Introduction to Computer Dilla University
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Digital computers deal with discrete variables; they operate by counting rather
 No IQ- computer do not have intelligence of their own. than measuring. They operate directly up on numbers (or digits) that
represent numbers, letters, or other special symbols.
 No feeling-devoid of emotions, feeling and instinct as they are Examples:
machines.  Abacus
 Desk & pocket computers
IV. TYPES OF COMPUTERS  The general purpose computers

There are different types of computers. Their difference depends on different Digital computers have very high accuracy and speed than the analog ones.
categories of characteristics. For example, some computers are designed for
use by one person, some are meant to be used by group of people, and some 3. Hybrid computers
are not used by people at all. They also can be categorized by their power, by
which type of data they operate and types of task they handle The best features of analog and digital computers can be combined in to a
single device to form a hybrid computer. Hybrid computers process the
A.] Classification by the method of operation (Processing) information by collecting input data with analog method, convert it into digital
Computers are classified by the type of data they are designed to process. quantities, process the digital values and convert the output from digital to
They are classified into three: analog form.

1. Analog Example:
In hospital insensitive-care unit analog devices may measure a
Analog computers operate by measuring. They deal with continuous variables; patient’s heart function, temperature and other vital signs. These
they don’t compute directly with numbers, rather, they operate by measuring measurements may then be converted into numbers and supplied to a
physical magnitude such as pressure, temperature, voltage, current, etc. digital component in the system. This component is used to monitor
Examples the patient’s vital signs and to send an immediate signal to the nurse’s
 Thermometer station if any abnormal readings are detected.
 Voltmeter
 Speedometer B.] Classification by purpose of application
 Gasoline pomp-contains an analog computer that converts the
flow of pumped fuel in to two measurements the price of the Computers can be applied or used for different purposes. Based upon their
delivered gas and the quantity of pumped fuel. application, they are classified as special purpose or general purpose
They are special purpose computers. computers.
However, analog computers have limited accuracy.
1. Special purpose computers

They are designed to solve a single type of problem, that is their components
and their functions are uniquely adapted to a specific situation involving
specific application.
2. Digital computers

Examples:
 The public telephone box

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 Traffic control system They are mainly applicable by insurance companies, bank, airlines and railway
 Ticket machines (used in grocery, supermarket, etc) reservation systems, etc. an advanced mainframe made by IBM is S/390.
 Pocket calculators etc
 Counters 3. Mini Computers: Have relatively lower speed, can handle multi-users (ten
Most analog computers are special purpose computers. to hundreds of users simultaneously), are smaller in size than the main frame
computers. They use terminals for inputs and output. They were first
2. General purpose computers developed as special purpose mainframe computers, for instance, to control
machines in a manufacturing unit.
They are designed to solve variety of problems through the use of “stored
program concept”. A program or set of instructions designed to solve a 4. Micro computers:-Are the most widely used type of computers. They are
problem is read and stored into the memory and then executed by the single users, can fit on desktops, are of varying capacity and easy to
computer one by one. The same computer can be applied to solve another set handle. Microcomputers are sometimes referred to as personal computers.
of problem using different program. General purpose computers are more They have video display unit for output purpose. Data is entered through
flexible and versatile. the keyboard and by the help of floppy disk.
Examples:
 Micro computers  Personal computer
 Mini computers A term that refers to any computer system that is
 Super computers designed for use by a single person. They are desktop or
portable machines. They are nearly similar to
workstations but they did not have the processing power
C.] Classification by physical size, price, capacity and performance that workstations did and less sophisticated video display
screens. E.g. Acer’s aspire, Compaq Presario, etc
At this stage, by a computer, we mean a general-purpose digital computer.
General-purpose digital computers are then classified as follows by their  Workstations
capacity and size. Is a specialized single user computer that typically has
more power and features than standard desktop pc.
1. Super computers: is the fastest, largest and most potential type of These machines are popular among scientists,
computer. They have speed of hundreds of millions of operations per second, a engineers, and animators who need a system with
primary memory capacity of about 80 million characters, a secondary memory greater than average speed and the power to perform
of capacity of about 20 times its primary memory. They are multi-user sophisticated tasks
systems in intercontinental range. They can carryout enormously complex E.g. Sun, Apollo, Hewlett-Packard, Next and IBM
scientific calculations. They are used to process huge amount of data and are
commonly used in space technology centers, meteorology stations, and NB: The more powerful workstations are called Super micros
astronomical observatories, intercontinental communications, airline
organizations. Types of portable computer

2. Mainframe computers: Smaller than in size and capacity, lower in speed 4.1. Lap top- The smaller version of micro computers. Design for
and memory capacity than the supercomputers. However, they are multi-user portability and mobility. It does not have detachable component such
systems and handle hundreds of users, usually used in large organizations. as include all their components in single unit (except their printer).
The older ones used punched card for data input.
Subnote book: are for frequent flyers and life-on-the-road professionals.

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The 1880 census had taken over seven years to complete by manual method
They are fit easily into any briefcase like that of laptop; but subnote and by then the young country’s population had increased nearly 24%. It was
books are small when compared to laptops. They typically have an at this time, Herman Hollerith, a government statistician provided the
external floppy disk drive and monochrome monitor; although of late solution with a punched card system of collecting and tabulating the data. His
color models are available an example of a color subnote book is strong and tabulating equipment or machine was extremely successful and
Toshiba protégé allowed the 1890 census to be completed in less than two years. Hollerith
continued to develop his card methods for railroad accounting and founded the
4.3. Palmtop: - The smallest micro computer; the same size as tabulating Machine Company which later changed to International Business
pocket calculator. Used for limited number of functions such as Machine Corporation (IBM).
maintaining personal calendar, address book, or electronic work sheet.
Popular among the latest development in microcomputer market. In 1945, two university of Pennsylvania scientists, John Mauchly and
Presfer Eckert, designed the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator
III. HISTORY OF COMPUTERS (ENIAC) the first general purpose electronic digital computer.
It had over 18,000 vacuum tubes and 500,000 soldered joints and it weighed
The computer technology being the youngest and the most dynamic industry more than 30 tones and it occupied over 15,000 Ft 2. It consumes enormous
evolved and dominated the world in nearly half century. The development of amounts of power (140 kilowatts of power).
computer through generation evolved in the following areas:
 Reducing cost  ENIAC did not use internally stored programs. Programs were wired
 Reducing size on boards similar to telephone switch board.
 increase speed  One of the major drawbacks of ENIAC was that it had to be
 Improving reliability programmed manually by setting switches and plugging and
unplugging cables.
The invention of computers is dated back to 3000 B.C when the first
computing device Abacus was created. Eckert and Mauchly subsequently developed the UNIVAC-I (Universal
Automatic Computer), the first electronic computer offered as a commercial
The French mathematician, physicist and religious philosopher Blaise Pascal product.
developed the first mechanical adding machine in 1642 to help his father, a
civil servant in tax calculations. Blaise’s adding machine used gears with teeth John Van Neuman, a mathematician genius at Princeton, is sometimes
to represent numbers. called the intellectual father of computer. He has been credited with
developing highly significant stored program theory and his 1946 paper
In 1842 an English mathematician, Charles Babbage was attempting to entitled “A preliminary discussion of the logical design of an electronic
develop an automatic computing device for calculation called “difference computing instrument” is the authoritative statement on strong data and
engine” but it was never finished. With the aid of Lady August Ada instruction in computers. He also defined and promoted flowcharts as logic
Lovelace, Babbage turned his talents to the development of an analytical aids.
machine to compute astronomical tables for the navy. The analytical machine
was to be a digital machine capable of one addition per second with data
entered from punched cards and a built in storage unit. Though the project Generation of computers
suffered from financial and tooling limitations (It was 100 years head of its Although computer professionals do not agree on exact dates or
time). Babbage & Lovelace left special schematic symbols, sketches and specifics computer developments are often categorized by generations.
detailed drawing of the machine. Actually there are five generations and major characteristics that
distinguish these generations are the following :

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Dominant type of electronic circuit elements used. Transistors were the main circuit components. Invented by Bell Labs, the
Major secondary storage media used transistor was smaller, faster and more reliable than the vacuum tube.
Computer language used Magnetic cores, used for main storage, could be concerned in microseconds
Types or characteristic of operating system used (millionths of a second) with more than 200,000 additions possible each
Memory access time (a time to store or retrieve a word or data from second. Business applications become more common place, with large data
memory ) files stored on magnetic tape and disk. Credit sides of transistors are as
follows
Computer generations are usually categorized by dramatic improvement in the  Smaller more reliable
hardware, typically tenfold or better increases in speed and reliability.  More reliable
 Less electric energy
First generation (1945-1958)  Generate little dissipated heat

This generation computers used vacuum tubes as components for the The most widely used second generations were
electronic circuit. Punched cards were the main source of inputs, and magnetic Examples
grams were used for internal storage. They operate in a speed of millisecond  IBM 1620- small scientific computers
(thousands of second) and could handle more than 10,000 additions each  IBM 1401-small to medium commercial computers
second. Most applications were scientific calculations.  IBM 7094-large scientific computer
 Large in their very nature
 Consume great deal of electricity
 Produce a lot of heat and prone to failure.

Thus the computer constructed of these electronic components has the Third generation (1964-1975)
following inherent problems.
 Too big in size and hence very expensive It was characterized by solid-state logic and integrated circuit
 Very slow in regards with functionality (IC).Computer storage switched from magnetic cores to integrated
 Unreliable because the vacuum tubes were relatively cannot operate circuit boards that provide modularity (expandable storage) and
continuously for more than a few hours at a time. compatibility (interchangeable equipment). Software become more
 Had high machine break down rate and fault finding was very difficult. important with sophisticated operating systems, improved programming
 Had high power consumption resulting in a very high running cost. languages, and new input/out methods such as optical scanning and
plotters.
The most important representatives of this age are:
 IBM 650 Integrated circuit served the purpose of reducing the cost, size and
 ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrations, 1947) power requirements and increasing the operating speed and reliability
 EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer 1949- of the machine substantially.
1952) Example
 EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator 1949)  IBM system/ 360 series was the dominant
 UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer, 1951)  IBM 1130

Second generations (1960-1964) The other advantage of this generation over the previous ones includes

 Access time in nano seconds

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 Better storage device such as magnetic disk storage The following are some of the capabilities and potential of computers, which
 Improved input devices are reasons for using computers.
 Low cost of auxiliary memory or storage devices  Store and process large amount of information with high speed and
accuracy;
Fourth generation (late 1970s early 1989s)  Transmit information across continents via communication channels;
 Simulate events;
It has greatly expanded storage capabilities and improved circuitry. It has  Perform complex mathematical computations and make
large scale integrated Circuits (LSI) and very large scale integrated comparisons;
Circuits (VLSI) which has several hundred thousands transistors placed on  Monitor ongoing industrial operations;
one tiny silicon chip. Computer memory operates at speeds of nano-seconds  Perform repetitive processes with great ease, aped and reliability;
(billionths of a second) with large computers capable of adding 15 million
numbers per second. Therefore, computers are applicable for any functions, task or process that
Other advantages of this generation are as follows: requires these abilities.
 More compact size (miniaturized)
 Much faster than ever The computer applications are:
 More accurate and storage capacity
 Better interface between the user and the computer such as a) Commercial or business applications
introduction of windows operating system  Covers the use of computers for clerical, administrative, production
 Virtual operating system was introduced for multiple users and business use.
 Text processing
 Accounting and finance management
Fifth Generation computer (1990-present)  Inventory control
 Database management
It is in process. An architecture, which makes use of the changes in technology  Statistical analysis
and allows a simple and natural methodology for solving problems, is being
sought. b) Scientific, Engineering and Research applications
 Using computers for scientific research, complex mathematical
These computers will have: calculations, design work, and analysis and control of physical
 Intelligent processors, i.e. processors which can draw inferences systems.
 Users will also be able to interact with them in natural languages such  Examples are:
as English, German, etc  Space technology
 Learn from experience (Heuristic devices)  Meteorological observatory systems
 Incorporate artificial intelligence (AI)  Astronomical investigations
 ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) rather than VLSI  Design of machines and
 Better speed, memory, etc  Control of manufacturing process
 Nuclear control systems
Japans are working intensively on the project for developing the 5 th
generation. c) Computer communication
Computers can be used for communication purpose, for example airline
APPLICATION OF COMPUTERS reservation system.

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Example: Ethiopian Airline is a member of world-wide reservation system

called Gabriel system.
 The main database is located at Atlanta, Georgia
 More than 48 airlines including EAL share/extract/transmit
information using Gabriel.

Facilities included:
 Booking of passengers on Domestic and International flight on
EAL or other carrier (Ex. Lufthansa).
 Making hotel reservation for the travelers (i. e. the system is
connected with major hotels & travel agents)
 Message correspondence with all stations which are members of
Gabriel (i.e. reconfirmation space availability, etc)
Elements involved in the reservation system are:
 Computer network;
 Computer terminal;
 Communication channels (telephone lines, satellites, etc)
 Modems;

d). Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The computer’s normal way of solving problems is by carrying out instructions

which is designed based on an algorithm, and many of those that can be
solved would take a very long period of time.
Some of the research areas in AI are:
 To learn more about the way the human brain works by making a
computer model of it;
 To teach the computer solved problems in the way human brain
does;
 To teach the computer to understand natural languages;
 To develop the computer’s ability to receive & interpret sensor
data and to generate some appropriate physical response to that
data.

An expert system is a computer program that can solve problems from a

specific knowledge base that is a body of knowledge in specialized field, Ex.
Mycin, dendral, prospector (Evaluation of sites for potential mineral deposits)

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