‫‪INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER‬‬

‫‪LECTURE S 1+2‬‬

‫‪IT1+ IS1‬‬ ‫‪By:‬‬

‫‪.‬ﻧﺒﻴﻞ اﻟﺸﻮﻳﻊ ‪ ..‬د‬
‫أﺳﺘﺎذ ﻣﺴﺎﻋﺪ ﺟﺎﻣﻌﺔ ﺻﻨﻌﺎء‬
‫ﻛﻠﻴﺔ اﻟﺤﺎﺳﻮب‬
 The word computer comes from the word” compute", which
means “to calculate”.
• Thereby, A computer is an electronic device
that can perform Arithmetic operations as
well as logical operations at high speed.

A computer is an electronic data processing device, which

accepts and stores data input, processes the data input, and
generates the output in a required format.
Generation in computer terminology is a change in technology
a computer is/was being used.
Initially, the generation term was used to distinguish between
varying hardware technologies.
Nowadays, generation includes both hardware and software,
which together make up an entire computer system.
There are five computer generations known till date. Each
generation has been discussed in detail along with their time
period and characteristics. In the following table, approximate
dates against each generation has been mentioned, which are
normally accepted.
Following are the main five generations of computers.
GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS
•The period of first generation was from 1946-1959.
•The computers of first generation used vacuum tubes as
the basic components formemory and circuitry for CPU
(Central Processing Unit).
•These tubes, like electric bulbs, produced a lot of heat and
the installations used to fuse frequently.
• Therefore, they were very expensive and only large
organizations were able to afford it.
•In this generation, mainly batch processing operating
system was used.
•Punch cards, paper tape, and magnetic tape was used as
input and output devices.
• The computers in this generation used machine code as
the programming language.
The main features of the first
generation are:
Vacuum tube technology
Unreliable
Supported machine language
only
Very costly
Generated a lot of heat
Some computers of this
generation were:
ENIAC
EDVAC
UNIVAC
IBM-701
IBM-650
The period of second generation was from1959-1965.
In this generation, transistors were used that were cheaper,
Consumed less power, more compact in size, more reliable and faster
than the first generation machines made of vacuum Tubes.
In this generation, magnetic cores were used as the primary memory
and magnetic tape and magnetic disks as secondary storage devices.
In this generation, assembly language and some high-level
programming language like FORTRAN, COBOL were used. The
computers used batch processing and multiprogramming operating
system.
 The main features of second generation are:
•Use of transistors
•Reliable in comparison to first generation computers
•Smaller size as compared to first generation computers
•Generated less heat as compared to first generation
computers
•Consumed less electricity as compared to first generation
computers
•Faster than first generation computers
•Still very costly
•assembly language and some high-level programming
Supported machine and assembly languages Some computers of
this generation were:
•IBM 1620
•IBM 7094
•CDC 1604
•CDC 3600
•UNIVAC 1108
 The main features of third generation are:
• IC used
• More reliable in comparison to previous two generations
• Smaller size
• Generated less heat
• Faster
• Lesser maintenance
• Costly
• Consumed lesser electricity
• Supported high-level language
Some computers of this generation were:
• IBM-360 series
• Honeywell-6000 series
• PDP (Personal Data Processor)
• IBM-370/168
• TDC-316
 The main features of fourth generation are:
•VLSI technology used
•Very cheap
•Portable and reliable
•Use of PCs
•Very small size
•Pipeline processing
•Concept of internet was introduced
•Great developments in the fields of networks
•Computers became easily available
Some computers of this generation were:
•DEC 10
•STAR 1000
•PDP 11
•CRAY-1(Super Computer)
•CRAY-X-MP(Super Computer)
The main features of fifth generation are:
• ULSI technology
• Development of true artificial intelligence
• Development of Natural language processing
• Advancement in Parallel Processing
• Advancement in Superconductor technology
• More user-friendly interfaces with multimedia
features
• Availability of very powerful and compact computers
at cheaper rates
Some computer types of this generation are:
• Desktop
• Laptop
• NoteBook
• UltraBook
• ChromeBook
 Information Processing System
 DATA is a collection of independent and
unorganized facts.
 INFORMATION is the processed and
organized data presented in a meaningful
form.
 DATA PROCESSING is the course of doing
things in a sequence of steps.
Information Processing System
 COMPUTER is an electronic machine that
follows a set of instructions in order that it
may be able to accept and gather data and
transform these into information.

PROCESSING
SYSTEM
DATA
INFORMATION
Functions of an Information
Processing System
1 It accepts and gather data. (INPUT)
2 It processes data to become information.
(PROCESSING)
3 It stores data and information. (STORE)
4 It presents information. (OUTPUT)
Three Major Components of an
Information Processing System
 HARDWARE is the tangible part of a
computer system.
 SOFTWARE is the non-tangible part that
tells the computer how to do its job.
 PEOPLEWARE refer to people who use and
operate the computer system, write
computer programs, and analyze and
design the information system.
Basic Units of Measurement
 BIT is a unit of information equivalent to
the result of a choice between only 2
possible alternatives in the binary number
system.
 BYTE is a sequence of 8 bits (enough to
represent one character of alphanumeric
data) processed as a single unit for
information.
Basic Units of Measurement
 A byte can be used to represent a single
character, which can be:
A letter
 A number
 A special character or symbol, or
 A space
Basic Units of Measurement

 1,024bytes =1 kilobyte (K or KB)

1,024 KB =1 megabyte (MB)
1,024 MB =1 gigabyte (GB)
1,024 GB =1 Terabyte (TB)
BASIC PC HARDWARE
HARDWARE is the tangible part of a computer system.
Basic hardware of a PC system
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
 Memory Unit
 Input Devices
 Output Devices
 Secondary Storage Devices
1. Central Processing Unit
 Brain of the computer.
 It directs and controls the entire computer
system and performs all arithmetic and
logical operations.
 2. Memory Unit
 Where the programs and data are
stored .
 READ ONLY MEMORY (ROM)
contains the pre-programmed
computer instructions such as the
Basic Input Output System (BIOS).
 RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM)
is used to store the programs and
data that you will run. Exists only
when there is power.
3. Input Devices
 Allows data and programs to be sent to
the CPU.
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Joystick
 Microphone
 Webcam
 Scanner
Keyboard
 Traditional keyboards
 Flexible keyboards
 Ergonomic keyboards
 Wireless keyboards
 PDA keyboards
Two Types of Mouse
 Mechanical - a type of
computer mouse that has
a rubber or metal ball on its
underside and it can roll in
every direction.
 Optical: This type uses a
laser for detecting the
mouse's movement.
How a Mouse Hooks Up to a PC

 PS/2 Mouse

 Serial Mouse

 USB/Cordless Mouse
Other Pointing Devices
 Trackball

 Track point

 Touch pad

 Touch Screen
 Joystick – input device
for computer games

 Light Pens – light-

sensitive penlike device

 Stylus – penlike device

commonly used with
tablet PCs and PDAs.
Scanning Devices
 Optical scanners
 Card readers
 Bar code readers
 Character and mark recognition devices
Image Capturing Devices
 Digital Cameras

 Digital Video Cameras

Types of Monitor
 Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

 Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

Printers
 IMPACT PRINTERS uses pressure by
physically striking the paper. Ex. Daisy
wheel printers, line printers, dot matrix
printers & band printers.
 NON-IMPACT PRINTER does not apply
pressure on the paper but instead
produces character by using lasers, ink
spray, photography or heat.
 Dot matrix
printer

Laser Inkjet printer

printer
5. Secondary Storage Devices
 Attached to the computer system to allow
you to store programs and data
permanently for the purpose of retrieving
them for future use.
 Floppy disk, Hard disk, CD Rom
Floppy Disk
 The most common secondary storage
device
 3.5” disk – 1.44MB
High-Capacity Floppy Disks
 Floppy disk cartridges
 3 ½ inches in diameter
 Stores more information
 Zip disks
Hard Disk Drive or Hard Disk
 Made of rigid materials unlike floppy disks
 Holds a greater amount of data
Optical Discs
 A standard part of modern desktop
machines, especially used for multimedia
purposes and preferred in loading
applications.
Kinds
 Blue Ray Disk – 40G
 Digital Versatile Disk
 DVD-R – write once, 3.95G
 DVD RW – rewritable, 3G
 Single Layer and Double Layer

 Compact Disk
 CD-R– write once, 650MB
 CD-RW – rewritable, 700MB
 Optical Drives
 CD-ROM read CDs
 CD-Writer read/write CDs
 DVD-Combo read/write CDs, read DVD
 DVD Writer read/write CDs
read/write DVDs
Other Secondary Storage
 Solid-State Storage
 No moving parts
 Flash memory cards

 USB flash drives

Parts that Build Up A System Unit

 Casing or cover  Sound card

 Power Supply  Floppy disk drive
 Motherboard  Hard disk drive
 Microprocessor  CD-ROM drive
 Memory  MODEM
 Video Card
Casing or cover
 The box or outer shell
that houses most of the
computer, it is usually
one of the most
overlooked parts of the
PC.
 Protects the computer
circuits, cooling and
system organization.
Power Supply
 Responsible for powering every device in your
computer.
 Parts of a Power supply:
 Disk drive connectors
 Motherboard connector
 Power supply fan
 Power switch
 Input voltage selector
 Cover
 Power plugs receptacle
Motherboard
 The physical arrangement in a computer that
contains the computer’s basic circuitry and
components.
 Components are:
 Microprocessor
 (Optional) Coprocessors
 Memory
 Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)
 Expansion Slot
 Interconnecting circuitry
Expansion Slots
 Graphic cards
 Sound cards
 Modem cards
 Network interface cards/network adapter
Software
 Instructions that tell the computer how to
process data into the form you want.
 Software and programs are
interchangeable.
 Two major types:
 System and Applications
 2 Kinds of Software
1. System Software enables the application
software to interact with the computer
hardware.
 Operating Systems are programs that coordinate
computer resources, provide an interface between
users and the computer; and run applications.
 Utilities perform specific tasks related to managing
computer resources.
 Device drivers are specialized programs designed
to allow particular input or output devices to
communicate with the rest of the computer system.
Functions of a System Software
 Managing resources (memory, processing,
storage, and devices like printer).
 Providing user interface
 Running applications
2 Kinds of Software
2 Applications Software - provides the real
functionality of a computer. It help you
use your computer to do specific types
of work.
 Basic Applications, widely used in all career
areas.
 Specialized Applications, more narrowly
focused on specific disciplines and
occupations.
DOS and GUI Operating System
Disk Operating System
 DOS was the first widely installed operating system for
personal computers.
 Command-driven
MS-DOS Commands
A COMMAND is the name of a special program that makes
your computer carry out a task.
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
 Thru GUI, users can interact directly with
the operating system.
 Microsoft Windows
 Icons, Menus, Dialog boxes
FILES
 FILE is simply a collection of information
that you store on a disk or diskette.
 Must have a unique name
 Two parts: the filename and extension
separated by a period.
RECIPE.DOC
EXTENSIONS
 Use extension to make your filenames
more descriptive.
 .DOC – word documents
 .XLS – excel documents
 .PPT – powerpoint documents
DIRECTORIES
 One way of organizing the files on your
computer Hard Disk
 ROOT – one basic directory
 Subdirectories
Following are certain advantages of computers:-
High Speed
•Computer is a very fast device.
•It is capable of performing calculation of very large amount of data.
•The computer has units of speed in microsecond, nanosecond, and even
the Pico second.
•It can perform millions of calculations in a few seconds as compared to
man who will spend many months to perform the same task
Accuracy
•In addition to being very fast, computers are very accurate.
•The calculations are 100% error free.
•Computers perform all jobs with 100% accuracy provided that the input is
correct.
Storage Capability
•Memory is a very important characteristic of computers.
•A computer has much more storage capacity than human beings.
•It can store large amount of data.
•It can store any type of data such as images, videos, text, audio, etc.
Diligence
•Unlike human beings, a computer is free from monotony, tiredness, and
lack of concentration.
•It can work continuously without any error and boredom.
•It can perform repeated tasks with the same speed and accuracy.
Versatility
•A computer is very flexible in performing the jobs to be done.
•This machine can be used to solve the problems related to various
fields.
•At one instance, it may be solving a complex scientific problem and the
•very next moment it may be playing a card game.
•A computer is a very versatile machine.
 Reliability
•A computer is a reliable machine.
•Modern electronic components have long lives.
•Computers are designed to make maintenance easy.
Automation
Computer is an automatic machine.
Automation is the ability to perform a given task automatically. Once the
computer receives a program i.e., the program is stored in the computer
memory, then the program and instruction can control the program
execution without human interaction.
Reduction in Paper Work and Cost
The use of computers for data processing in an organization leads to
reduction in paper work and results in speeding up the process.
As data in electronic files can be retrieved as and when required, the
problem of maintenance of large number of paper files gets reduced.
Though the initial investment for installing a computer is high, it
substantially reduces the cost of each of its transaction.
Following are certain disadvantages of computers.
No I.Q.
A computer is a machine that has no intelligence to perform any task.
Each instruction has to be given to the computer.
A computer cannot take any decision on its own.
Dependency
It functions as per the user’s instruction, thus it is fully dependent on
humans.
Environment
The operating environment of the computer should be dust free and
suitable.
No Feeling
Computers have no feelings or emotions.
It cannot make judgment based on feeling, taste, experience, and
knowledge unlike humans
 ‫‪Cache‬‬
‫ﻫﻨﺎك ﻗﻄﻌﺔ ﺻﻐﻴﺮة ﺟﺪا اﻟﻜﻞ ﻳﺴﻤﻊ ﻋﻦ ﻫﺎ وﻫﻲ ال ‪Cache L‬‬
‫وﻳﺮﻣﺰ اﻟﺤﺮف ‪ L‬إﻟﻰ ﻛﻠﻤﺔ ‪Level‬‬
‫‪ • L1 Cache‬ﻟﻜﻨﻬﺎ أﺳﺮع ‪ L2 cache‬ﻫﻲ اﺻﻐﺮ ﻣﻦ ‪ Level 1 cache‬و أل‬
‫‪ • L2 Cache‬إﻻ أﻧﻬﺎ إﺑﻄﺎ ﻧﺴﺒﻴﺎ ‪ L1 cache‬اﻛﺒﺮ ﻣﻦ ‪Level 2 cache‬‬
‫ﺟﺪا ﻳﺆﺛﺮ ﻋﻠﻰ أداء اﻟﻨﻈﺎم ﻛﻜﻞ ﻳﺪﻋﻰ أﻳﻀﺎ ﺟﺰء ﻣﻬﻢ‪Front Side Bus‬‬
‫اﻟﺠﺰء اﻟﺬي ﻳﺮﺑﻂ اﻟﻤﻌﺎﻟﺞ ﺑﺎل ‪ Memory‬او ال ‪RAM‬‬
‫‪FSB‬‬