Computer Hardware &

Networking& Server
Configurations
Introduction to Computer Hardware, PC Components and Functionalities
Unit 01

Achira Dasanayaka (Beng Hons in SE)

Basic
Components Of A
Computer System
• A computer system has four
basic components. They are,

1. Hardware

2. Software
3. Liveware
4. Firmware
Hardware
Components
• A simple definition of computer hardware is any
physical parts or components that contribute to a
computer system.
• While hardware is thought of as the body of the
computer, software is like the mind.

• Ex:-
1. Motherboard
2. Storage drive (HDD or SSD)
3. Graphics processing unit (GPU)
4. Keyboard, mouse, & monitor
Software
• Software is a collection of
instructions, data, or computer
programs that are used to run
machines and carry out particular
activities.

• Ex:-
1. Windows
2. Photoshop
3. VLC player
4. Microsoft Office
5. Google Chrome
Liveware
• When used in the context of a computer system,
"liveware" most likely refers to the human
component, specifically the users, operators, and
programmers who interact with the computer
system.

• Ex:-
1. Office workers
2. Engineers and scientists
3. Teachers and educators
4. developers
Firmware
• Firmware is a type of low-level software
embedded within a hardware device to provide
basic control and functionality.

• Ex:-
• Wireless Network Card Firmware
• BIOS (Basic Input/Output System)
Computer Overview

Today's world is an information rich world, and it has become an essential

need for everyone to know about computers.

A computer is a programmable device that stores, retrieves, and

processes data. It can perform a wide range of tasks, from simple
calculations to complex simulations.

The purpose of this lecture is to introduce you to Computers and its

fundamentals.
Functionalities
of a Computer
• Following are the main functions of a computer,
1. Takes data as input.
2. Stores the data/instructions in its memory and
uses them as required.
3. Processes the data and converts it into useful
information.
4. Generates the output.
Input
• Input refers to any data or instructions provided to a computer
system.
• A computer uses input devices to receive data as input.

• Ex:-
1. Keyboard (for typing text, commands, and numbers)
2. Mouse (for navigating the graphical interface and
selecting items.)
3. Scanner (for digitizing physical documents and
images.)
4. Microphone (for recording audio or using voice
commands.)
Output
• This is the final result of the computer's processing. This is the exact
opposite of input.
• A computer uses output devices to send data as output.

• Ex:-
1. Printers: Printers take digital data and
create physical copies of it on paper.
2. Speakers and headphones: Speakers and
headphones produce sound from digital
data.
3. Monitors: These are the most common type
of output device, and they display
information visually on a screen.
Process

• processing takes the input and

manipulates it according to the
instructions provided. This might
involve calculations,
comparisons, manipulations, or
other operations depending on
the specific task.
• A computer uses processers to
process there data.
Storage
• Store refers to the data that is saved or stored in a computer system.
This data can be stored in various forms, such as files, databases, or
memory. The stored data can be retrieved and used at a later time.

• Ex:-
1. Hard disk
2. pen drive
3. cd/ dvd
4. floppy disk
The evolution of computer

The development of computers has been a journey that has covered

several centuries and is defined by a number of inventions and
advancements made by our greatest scientists.

The evolution of computers can be divided into main five generations

based on substantial advancements in hardware, software, and
computing capabilities.
Before the
introducing of
computers

• Before the invention of

computers, people used several
mechanical devices to help them
with calculations.
• One of the more commonly-used
devices for performing
calculations was the abacus,
which was used as far back as
2700 B.C. in Mesopotamia.
 • Pascal invented the Pascaline between 1642-1644 to help his
father, who was a tax collector, perform tedious calculations.

Pascaline • It was one of the first mechanical calculators capable of

performing addition and subtraction directly, without the need
for a human to manually manipulate counters.
Before the
introducing of
computers
• Charles Babbage, an English
mathematician and inventor, is widely
regarded as the father of computing
technology.
• He designed two machines in the 19th
century that are considered to be the
precursors to modern computers:

1. The Difference Engine

2. The Analytical Engine

 The Difference Engine was designed to calculate or tabulate the
polynomial function.

The Difference
It could calculate in a way to tabulate the polynomial functions
by using the small sets of coefficients. It was designed to be
highly accurate, capable of performing complex mathematical
calculations with a high degree of precision.

The machine was capable of performing calculations much faster

than humans could, which made it a valuable tool for scientific
Engine

research, engineering, and other fields that required rapid

computation.

It was designed to be fully automatic, eliminating the need for

manual calculation and reducing the possibility of errors .
 The Analytical Engine was a fully controlled
general-purpose computer that included
The Analytical automatic mechanical digital computer into it.

It was designed to be programmable, which gave it

a much wider range of functionality and made it
adaptable to a variety of tasks.

It also had a "memory" in the form of punched

Engine

cards, which allowed it to store and recall data for

future use.

The machine had the potential to be fully

automatic, which would have made it even more
efficient and accurate than the Difference Engine .
 Purpose: The Difference Engine was designed to calculate
polynomial functions, while the Analytical Engine was
intended to be a general-purpose computer capable of
performing a wide range of calculations.

Operations: The Difference Engine could only perform basic

Difference

Analytical
Engine vs

arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction,

multiplication, and division, whereas the Analytical Engine
could perform more complex operations like logarithmic
operations and trigonometric operations.
Engine

Design: The Analytical Engine was even more complex than

the Difference Engine, which made it even more expensive
to build and maintain. The technology of the time was not
advanced enough to fully realize the potential of the
Analytical Engine, which made it difficult to build and test .
 Designed by Howard Aiken and built by IBM, it
became operational in 1944.
Harvard Mark I
It was one of the first large-scale electromechanical
computers, weighing 5 tons and measuring over 50
feet long.

The Mark I used over 3,000 electromechanical relays

and 750,000 individual components to perform
complex calculations.

It was capable of performing a wide range of

mathematical operations including addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division, and logarithms.
• The Mark I was primarily used for scientific,
engineering, and military calculations during
WWII
• It was originally called the "Automatic Sequence
Controlled Calculator" (ASCC) by IBM, and was also
known as the "Harvard Calculator"
First Generation Computer
(1940-1956)
The first generation of computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for main
memory.
They were enormous, expensive to operate, and could only solve one problem at a time.

The maximum internal storage capacity was 20,000 characters1

They were used for scientific calculations and military purposes.

• Ex:-
• ENIAC
• Colossus
• UNIVAC I
Second Generation Computer
(1956-1963)

The second generation of They were smaller, faster, Magnetic core memory was They were used for
computers used transistors and more reliable than used for storage. business and scientific
instead of vacuum tubes. their predecessors. purposes.

• Ex:-
• IBM 1401
• IBM 7090
• CDC 6600
Third Generation Computer
(1964-1971):
The third generation of computers used integrated circuits (ICs) instead of transistors.

ICs were smaller, faster, and more reliable than transistors.

They also consumed less power and generated less heat.

They were used for scientific, business, and personal purposes.

•Ex:-
1. IBM System/360
2. DEC PDP-11
3. Apple II
Fourth Generation Computer (1971-
Present):
• The fourth generation of computers used microprocessors instead of
ICs.
• Microprocessors were faster, cheaper, and more powerful than ICs.
• They also allowed for the development of personal computers.
• They were used for personal, business, and scientific purposes.

•Ex:-
1. IBM PC
2. Apple Macintosh
3. smartphones
4. laptops
Fifth Generation Computer (Present
and Beyond):
• The fifth generation of computers is characterized by the
development of artificial intelligence (AI).
• These computers are designed to mimic human intelligence and are
used for a variety of purposes such as natural language processing,
image recognition, and robotics.

•Ex:-
1. Siri
2. Alexa
3. Google Assistant
4. autonomous vehicles
 Example
Generation Time Period Main Technology Key Characteristics Machines

Limited functionality, punch cards

1st Generation (1940s- for input, high energy ENIAC, Colossus,
1956) Vacuum Tubes Bulky, slow, unreliable consumption UNIVAC I

Increased functionality, magnetic

2nd Generation (1956- tape storage, punch cards and IBM 1401, IBM 7090,
1963) Transistors Smaller, faster, more reliable keyboards CDC 6600

Mass production, transistors

Miniaturized, even faster, lower organized on silicon chips, IBM System/360, DEC
3rd Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits (ICs) power consumption keyboards become standard PDP-11, Apple II

Personal computers emerge,

graphical user interfaces, IBM PC, Apple
4th Generation (1971- Microscopically small CPUs, highly networking and storage Macintosh,
Present) Microprocessors integrated advancements smartphones, laptops

Siri, Alexa, Google

Intelligent personal assistants, self- Assistant, autonomous
5th Generation (Present Machine learning, natural language driving cars, personalized vehicles, medical
and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence (AI) processing, advanced robotics medicine, quantum computing diagnostic AI