Chapter 1

Introduction to computer

Course Instructor :Zerihun T

SELALE UNIVERSITY

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 What is Computer ?

 Computer is an Electronic data processing device

which is capable of performing Arithmetic and
Logical operations.
• Arithmetic operations are:
Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, etc.
• Logical operations are:
And, Or, Not, Compare, etc.

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 Con…
• An electronic symbol manipulating system that’s
designed and organized to automatically accept and store
input data, process them and produce the output, that
results under the direction of a detailed step-by-step
stored program
• A computer is a device that accepts information (in the
form of digitalized data) and manipulates it for some
result based on a program or sequence of instructions
on how the data is to be processed.

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 Computers Vs Human beings

“Ability of a Human to do anything a computer can do but a computer cannot do

everything a human can do”

Do you agree ?

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Con..

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 Importance of Computer
• Whether it is for school or home, work or play, computer can
save your time and money, increase your productivity, and
process information with speed and accuracy.
• Computers are now used in all aspects of education, both
administration and teaching.
• The offices where we work, the stores in which we shop, the
schools we attend, the banks that handle our money, even the
device we use in our homes are being radically altered by
computers.

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 What Computers can do for you?
Accounting:
Payroll preparation
Accounts payable, invoicing
Airlines and Railways:
Time Keeping
Reservation of Tickets
Hospital:
To store patient information
To store doctors information
Medicine information
Colleges and Universities:
Students Details Maintenance
Staff Details Maintenance
Students Attendance Calculation 7
 Generations and Classification of
Computers
• Generations of Computers
The first large scale electronic computer the grand parent of today’s hand held
machines, was the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer/Calculator
(ENIAC), which became operational in 1946.

 ENIAC contained approximately 18000 light bulb size electronic vacuum tubes,
weighed 30 tons and occupied about 1500 square feet of floor space

 computers have been developed through four so called generations or stages, each
characterized by smaller size, more powerful and less expensive than its
predecessor.

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 Summary Generation of Computers
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th

1951 to 1959 to 1963 to 1975 1975-1989 1989-

1959 : 1963 : ICs (Integrated Personal presnet AI –
Very Large Circuits) computer Artificial
Transistors
System Incorporated Intelligence
Vacuum Tubes many
transistors &
electronic
circuits on a
single chip

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1.6.Classification of computer

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Types of computer w.r.t working
principal
• This classification is based on the way physical quantities
are
represented in a computer.

• There are three basic types of computer w.r.t their working principal.
 Analog computers
 Digital computers
 Hybrid computers

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 Continued
…
• They do not require any storage capability because they measure
and compare quantities in a single operation.

• Output of an analog computer is generally in the form of readings on

a series of dial or a graph on strip chart.

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 Analog
Computers

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 Applications of analog
computers
• For measuring
 Speed (Speedometer)
 Temperature (Thermometer)
 Weight (Weight machine)
• In specialized engineering and scientific applications for
calculation and measurement of analog quantities

• To control processes found in oil refinery where flow and

temperature measurements are important

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 Digital Computers
• Digital computers operates on digital data such as numbers.

• They use binary number system in which there are only two digits 0
and 1 known as bits.

• They give more accurate and precise results than analog

computers.

• They provide long term storage and can store huge amount of
information.

• They are well suited for solving complex problems in engineering,

business and technology.

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Digital computers

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 Hybrid Computers
• Hybrid computer utilize the best qualities of both analog and
digital computers.

• They have the speed of analog and accuracy of digital computers.

• They incorporate the measuring feature of analog and the

counting feature of digital computers.

• They are suited for situation where digital processing of

data collected in analog form is desirable.

• These computers are designed to perform special tasks

where
measurements are converted to digits.

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 Hybrid
Computers

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 Types of computer w.r.t
purpose
• Computers can be divided into two types w.r.t purpose.
 General Purpose Computer
 Special Purpose Computer

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 General Purpose Computer
• These computers can store different programs and
can thus be used in countless applications.
Examples
• Personal computers, tablets, laptops, computer,

• It can perform anykind of job with equal

efficiency simply by changing the application
program stored in main memory.
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 Special Purpose Computer
• A Special Purpose Computer is the one that is designed to perform
only one special task.

• The program or instructions set is permanently stored in

such a machine.

• They are very quick but cannot be used for any other purpose.

• They are also known as dedicated computers.

Examples :-
• Video game device, calculator, ATM Machine

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Types of Computer w.r.t size, cost and
speed
• Size wise computers can be divided into four
types w.r.t size, cost and speed.

 Micro Computer
 Mini Computer
 Mainframe Computer
 Super computer

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 Micro Computer
• A microcomputer is a computer whose CPU is a
microprocessor.

• A microprocessor is a processor all of whose components

are built
on a single integrated circuit chip made of silicon.

• Micro computers are designed for personal use, therefore

they are also known as personal computers.

• They are smallest in size, least in price and small in

memory as compared to other types of computer.

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 Continued…
• They are used for variety of applications like computer
literacy, fun and games, business applications,
programming etc.

• Due to their small size, they are easily accommodatable

on table or
lap. Some of its types are handheld also.

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Types of Micro
Computers

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 Mini computers
• Minicomputers are larger and more powerful than
microcomputers but smaller and less powerful than mainframes.

• They are cheaper in cost, smaller in size and small in

memory as compared to mainframe computers .

• They do not require air conditioning and can be operated in

room
temperature.

• Generally they are used as servers on networks with

personal computers as nodes.

• Mini computer can serve up to 4000 connected users 26

 Continued
• … via personal computer or
It is normally accessed by users
terminal.

• They can execute five million instructions per second.

• They cost somewhere between Rs.5 to 15 lac depending

upon the configuration.

• Mini computers are often used by small and

medium-sized companies to provide centralized store of
information.

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Minicomputers

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 Mainframe Computer
• They are very big in size and offer the maximum computing power.

• A large number of peripherals can be attached to them.

• They are generally used as servers in large networks.

• The original mainframes were housed in room-sized metal frames.

• Newer mainframes are about the same size as a large refrigerator.

• They are capable of handling data processing needs of head

office of a bank, or a big multinational company or may be a
public utility office.

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 Continued
•
…
They have larger storage and the speed of processing is also
very high.

• They can execute 10 to 100 millions of instructions per second

(MIPS), and cost somewhere between 1 to 5 million dollars.

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Mainframe Computers

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 Super computers
• They are most expensive of all the computers.

• These computers are big general purpose

computers .
• They capable of executing more than 10,000 millions
are
instruction per second and have largest storage
capacities.
• These are used to solve mathematical
problems
computers related complex
to nuclear physics and plasma
,seismology and aerodynamics etc. physics

• They are quite expensive and cost somewhere around

10-30
million dollars depending upon the configuration

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 Continued…
• They are best for highly calculation intensive tasks such as
weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling,
physical simulation.

• They are mostly used by military and scientific agencies.

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Super Computers

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 Characteristics of a computer
• Automatic
• Reprogrammable
• Data Processor
• Speedy
• Accurate
• Diligent
• Versatile
• Power of remembrance
• No IQ
• No feelings

Prepared by Zerihun T. 35
 Continued
…
• Automatic
 It carries out instructions with minimum human
intervention.

• Reprogrammable
 It stores instructions in the form of programs which can
be changed to perform other tasks.

• Data Processor
 It carries out operations on data to produce
information.
Prepared by Zerihun T. 36
 Continued
• Speedy …
 It can perform its operations at very high speed usually
measured in milliseconds, microseconds, nanoseconds
and picoseconds.

• Accurate
 Its accuracy is high and its degree of accuracy depends
on its design.
 Computer errors caused by incorrect input or unreliable
programs are often referred to as Garbage-In-Garbage-
Out (GIGO).

Prepared by Zerihun T. 37
 Continue
…
• Diligent
 It is free from tiredness .
 It can continuously work for hours without creating
any error .

• Versatile
 It is capable of performing almost any task, if the
task can be reduced to a finite series of logical steps.

• Power of remembrance
 It can store and recall any amount of
information whenever desired.
Prepared by Zerihun T. 38
 Continued
• No IQ
…
 It does only what it is programmed to do.
 It cannot take its own decision in any regard without
programming.
• No feelings
 Computers have no emotions.
 Their judgment is based on the instructions given to
them in the form of programs that are written by human
beings.

Prepared by Zerihun T. 39
 Data Vs. Information

Data Information
• Data is raw material used as
• Information is processed data
input. obtained as output after data
processing.
• Anything in raw form not
Like necessarily meaningful • Information is that data which
numbers, words and facts are
has been manipulated and
known as data.
organized in such a form that
it can help people in taking
necessary decisions.

Prepared by Zerihun T. 40
 Electronic Data Processing

Data Input Processing Output Information

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 Types of
Data
• Three types of data

 Alphabetic data ( A –Z)

 Numeric data (0-9)
 Alphanumeric data ( A-Z & 0-9)

Prepared by Zerihun T. 42