What is Computer?

A computer is a programmable electronic device that accepts raw data as

input and processes it with a set of instructions (a program) to produce
the result as output. It renders output just after performing mathematical
and logical operations and can save the output for future use. It can
process numerical as well as non-numerical calculations. The term
"computer" is derived from the Latin word "computare" which means to
calculate.

A computer is designed to execute applications and provides a variety of

solutions through integrated hardware and software components. It works
with the help of programs and represents the decimal numbers through a
string of binary digits. It also has a memory that stores the data, programs,
and result of processing. The components of a computer such as
machinery that includes wires, transistors, circuits, hard disk are called
hardware. Whereas, the programs and data are called software.

It is believed that the Analytical Engine was the first computer which was
invented by Charles Babbage in 1837. It used punch cards as read-only
memory. Charles Babbage is also known as the father of the computer.

The basic parts without which a computer cannot work are as

follows:

o Processor: It executes instructions from software and hardware.

o Memory: It is the primary memory for data transfer between the
CPU and storage.
o Motherboard: It is the part that connects all other parts or
components of a computer.
 o Storage Device: It permanently stores the data, e.g., hard drive.
o Input Device: It allows you to communicate with the computer or
to input data, e.g., a keyboard.
o Output Device: It enables you to see the output, e.g., monitor.

Computers are divided into different types based on different criteria.

Based on the size, a computer can be divided into five types:

1. Micro Computer

2. Mini Computer

3. Mainframe Computer

4. Super Computer

5. Workstations

1. Micro Computer:

It is a single-user computer which has less speed and storage capacity

than the other types. It uses a microprocessor as a CPU. The first
microcomputer was built with 8-bit microprocessor chips. The common
examples of microcomputers include laptops, desktop computers,
personal digital assistant (PDA), tablets, and smartphones.
Microcomputers are generally designed and developed for general usage
like browsing, searching for information, internet, MS Office, social
media, etc.

2. Mini Computer:

Mini-computers are also known as "Midrange Computers." They are not

designed for a single. They are multi-user computers designed to support
multiple users simultaneously. So, they are generally used by small
businesses and firms. Individual departments of a company use these
computers for specific purposes. For example, the admission department
of a University can use a Mini-computer for monitoring the admission
process.

3. Mainframe Computer:

It is also a multi-user computer capable of supporting thousands of users

simultaneously. They are used by large firms and government
organizations to run their business operations as they can store and
process large amounts of data. For example, Banks, universities, and
insurance companies use mainframe computers to store the data of their
customers, students, and policyholders, respectively.

4. Super Computer:

Super-computers are the fastest and most expensive computers among all
types of computers. They have huge storage capacities and computing
speeds and thus can perform millions of instructions per second. The
super-computers are task-specific and thus used for specialized
applications such as large-scale numerical problems in scientific and
engineering disciplines including applications in electronics, petroleum
engineering, weather forecasting, medicine, space research and more. For
example, NASA uses supercomputers for launching space satellites and
monitoring and controlling them for space exploration.

5. Work stations:

It is a single-user computer. Although it is like a personal computer, it has

a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor than a
microcomputer. In terms of storage capacity and speed, it comes between
a personal computer and minicomputer. Work stations are generally used
for specialized applications such as desktop publishing, software
development, and engineering designs.

Benefits of Using a Computer:

o Increases your productivity: A computer increases your

productivity. For example, after having a basic understanding of a
word processor, you can create, edit, store, and print the documents
easily and quickly.
o Connects to the Internet: It connects you to the internet that
allows you to send emails, browse content, gain information, use
social media platforms, and more. By connecting to the internet,
you can also connect to your long-distance friends and family
members.
o Storage: A computer allows you to store a large amount of
information, e.g., you can store your projects, ebooks, documents,
movies, pictures, songs, and more.
o Organized Data and Information: It not only allows you to store
data but also enables you to organize your data. For example, you
can create different folders to store different data and information
and thus can search for information easily and quickly.
o Improves your abilities: It helps write good English if you are not
good at spelling and grammar. Similarly, if you are not good at
math, and don't have a great memory, you can use a computer to
perform calculations and store the results.
 o Assist the physically challenged: It can be used to help the
physically challenged, e.g., Stephen Hawking, who was not able to
speak used computer to speak. It also can be used to help blind
people by installing special software to read what is on the screen.
o Keeps you entertained: You can use the computer to listen to
songs, watch movies, play games and more.

The computer has become a part of our life. There are plenty of things
that we do in a day are dependent on a computer. Some of the common
examples are as follows:

1. ATM: While withdrawing cash from an ATM, you are using a

computer that enables the ATM to take instructions and dispense

cash accordingly.
2. Digital currency: A computer keeps a record of your transactions

and balance in your account and the money deposited in your

account in a bank is stored as a digital record or digital currency.
3. Trading: Stock markets use computers for day to day trading.

There are many advanced algorithms based on computers that

handle trading without involving humans.
4. Smartphone: The smartphone that we use throughout the day for

calling, texting, browsing is itself a computer.

5. VoIP: All voice over IP communication (VoIP) is handled and

done by computers.

History of Computers

The first counting device was used by the primitive people. They used
sticks, stones and bones as counting tools. As human mind and
technology improved with time more computing devices were developed.
Some of the popular computing devices starting with the first to recent
ones are described below;

Abacus

The history of computer begins with the birth of abacus which is believed
to be the first computer. It is said that Chinese invented Abacus around
4,000 years ago.

It was a wooden rack which has metal rods with beads mounted on them.
The beads were moved by the abacus operator according to some rules to
perform arithmetic calculations. Abacus is still used in some countries
like China, Russia and Japan. An image of this tool is shown below;

Napier's Bones

It was a manually-operated calculating device which was invented by

John Napier (1550-1617) of Merchiston. In this calculating tool, he used
9 different ivory strips or bones marked with numbers to multiply and
divide. So, the tool became known as "Napier's Bones. It was also the
first machine to use the decimal point.

Pascaline

Pascaline is also known as Arithmetic Machine or Adding Machine. It

was invented between 1642 and 1644 by a French
mathematician-philosopher Biaise Pascal. It is believed that it was the
first mechanical and automatic calculator.
Pascal invented this machine to help his father, a tax accountant. It could
only perform addition and subtraction. It was a wooden box with a series
of gears and wheels. When a wheel is rotated one revolution, it rotates the
neighboring wheel. A series of windows is given on the top of the wheels
to read the totals. An image of this tool is shown below;

Stepped Reckoner or Leibnitz wheel

It was developed by a German mathematician-philosopher Gottfried

Wilhelm Leibnitz in 1673. He improved Pascal's invention to develop this
machine. It was a digital mechanical calculator which was called the
stepped reckoner as instead of gears it was made of fluted drums. See the
following image;
Difference Engine

In the early 1820s, it was designed by Charles Babbage who is known as

"Father of Modern Computer". It was a mechanical computer which
could perform simple calculations. It was a steam driven calculating
machine designed to solve tables of numbers like logarithm tables.
Analytical Engine

This calculating machine was also developed by Charles Babbage in 1830.

It was a mechanical computer that used punch-cards as input. It was
capable of solving any mathematical problem and storing information as
a permanent memory.

Tabulating Machine

It was invented in 1890, by Herman Hollerith, an American statistician. It

was a mechanical tabulator based on punch cards. It could tabulate
statistics and record or sort data or information. This machine was used in
the 1890 U.S. Census. Hollerith also started the Hollerith?s Tabulating
Machine Company which later became International Business Machine
(IBM) in 1924.
Differential Analyzer

It was the first electronic computer introduced in the United States in

1930. It was an analog device invented by Vannevar Bush. This machine
has vacuum tubes to switch electrical signals to perform calculations. It
could do 25 calculations in few minutes.
Mark I

The next major changes in the history of computer began in 1937 when
Howard Aiken planned to develop a machine that could perform
calculations involving large numbers. In 1944, Mark I computer was built
as a partnership between IBM and Harvard. It was the first programmable
digital computer.

Generations of Computers

A generation of computers refers to the specific improvements in

computer technology with time. In 1946, electronic pathways called
circuits were developed to perform the counting. It replaced the gears and
other mechanical parts used for counting in previous computing
machines.

In each new generation, the circuits became smaller and more advanced
than the previous generation circuits. The miniaturization helped increase
the speed, memory and power of computers. There are five generations of
computers which are described below;
First Generation Computers

The first generation (1946-1959) computers were slow, huge and

expensive. In these computers, vacuum tubes were used as the basic
components of CPU and memory. These computers were mainly
depended on batch operating system and punch cards. Magnetic tape and
paper tape were used as output and input devices in this generation;

Some of the popular first generation computers are;

o ENIAC ( Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)

o EDVAC ( Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer)
o UNIVACI( Universal Automatic Computer)
o IBM-701
o IBM-650

Second Generation Computers

The second generation (1959-1965) was the era of the transistor

computers. These computers used transistors which were cheap, compact
and consuming less power; it made transistor computers faster than the
first generation computers.

In this generation, magnetic cores were used as the primary memory and
magnetic disc and tapes were used as the secondary storage. Assembly
language and programming languages like COBOL and FORTRAN, and
Batch processing and multiprogramming operating systems were used in
these computers.

Some of the popular second generation computers are;

 o IBM 1620
o IBM 7094
o CDC 1604
o CDC 3600
o UNIVAC 1108

Third Generation Computers

The third generation computers used integrated circuits (ICs) instead of

transistors. A single IC can pack huge number of transistors which
increased the power of a computer and reduced the cost. The computers
also became more reliable, efficient and smaller in size. These generation
computers used remote processing, time-sharing, multi programming as
operating system. Also, the high-level programming languages like
FORTRON-II TO IV, COBOL, PASCAL PL/1, ALGOL-68 were used in
this generation.

Some of the popular third generation computers are;

o IBM-360 series
o Honeywell-6000 series
o PDP(Personal Data Processor)
o IBM-370/168
o TDC-316

Fourth Generation Computers

The fourth generation (1971-1980) computers used very large scale

integrated (VLSI) circuits; a chip containing millions of transistors and
other circuit elements. These chips made this generation computers more
compact, powerful, fast and affordable. These generation computers used
real time, time sharing and distributed operating system. The
programming languages like C, C++, DBASE were also used in this
generation.

Some of the popular fourth generation computers are;

o DEC 10
o STAR 1000
o PDP 11
o CRAY-1(Super Computer)
o CRAY-X-MP(Super Computer)

Fifth Generation Computers

In fifth generation (1980-till date) computers, the VLSI technology was

replaced with ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration). It made possible the
production of microprocessor chips with ten million electronic
components. This generation computers used parallel processing
hardware and AI (Artificial Intelligence) software. The programming
languages used in this generation were C, C++, Java, .Net, etc.

Some of the popular fifth generation computers are;

o Desktop
o Laptop
o NoteBook
o UltraBook
o ChromeBook