 Basic of computer :

A computer is an electronic device that receives input, stores or processes the input as per user
instructions and provides output in desired format. Computers have become an integral part of
our lives because they can accomplish easy tasks repeatedly without getting bored and complex
ones repeatedly without committing errors. We will also discuss about microprocessors, the brain of
computers, which actually do all the assigned tasks.

Being a modern-day kid you must have used, seen, or read about computers. This is because
they are an integral part of our everyday existence. Be it school, banks, shops, railway stations,
hospital or your own home, computers are present everywhere, making our work easier and
faster for us. As they are such integral parts of our lives, we must know what they are and how
they function.

 Input-Process-Output Model
Computer input is called data and the output obtained after processing it, based on
user’s instructions is called information. Raw facts and figures which can be processed
using arithmetic and logical operations to obtain information are called data.

The processes that can be applied to data are of two types −

 Arithmetic operations − Examples include calculations like addition, subtraction,

differentials, square root, etc.

 Logical operations − Examples include comparison operations like greater than,

less than, equal to, opposite, etc.
  Input Unit − Devices like keyboard and mouse that are used to input
data and instructions to the computer are called input unit.

 Output Unit − Devices like printer and visual display unit that are used
to provide information to the user in desired format are called output
unit.

 Control Unit − As the name suggests, this unit controls all the functions
of the computer. All devices or parts of computer interact through the
control unit.

 Arithmetic Logic Unit − This is the brain of the computer where all
arithmetic operations and logical operations take place.

 Memory − All input data, instructions and data interim to the processes
are stored in the memory. Memory is of two types – primary memory
and secondary memory. Primary memory resides within the CPU
whereas secondary memory is external to it.

Control unit, arithmetic logic unit and memory are together called the central processing unit or CPU.
Computer devices like keyboard, mouse, printer, etc. that we can see and touch are the hardware
components of a computer.

 Characteristics of Computer

To understand why computers are such an important part of our lives, let us look at some of its
characteristics −

Speed − Typically, a computer can carry out 3-4 million instructions per second.

Accuracy − Computers exhibit a very high degree of accuracy. Errors that may occur are usually due to
inaccurate data, wrong instructions or bug in chips – all human errors.

Reliability − Computers can carry out same type of work repeatedly without throwing up errors due to
tiredness or boredom, which are very common among humans.

Versatility − Computers can carry out a wide range of work from data entry and ticket booking to
complex mathematical calculations and continuous astronomical observations. If you can input the
necessary data with correct instructions, computer will do the processing.

Storage Capacity − Computers can store a very large amount of data at a fraction of cost of traditional
storage of files. Also, data is safe from normal wear and tear associated with paper.
Earliest computers used vacuum tubes for processing, were huge and broke down frequently. However, as
vacuum tubes were replaced by transistors and then chips, their size decreased and processing speeds
increased manifold.

All modern computers and computing devices use microprocessors whose speeds and storage capacities are
skyrocketing day by day. The developmental benchmark for computers is now their size. Computers are now
classified on the basis of their use or size −

 Desktop
 Laptop
 Tablet
 Server
 Mainframe
 Supercomputer

Let us look at all these types of computers in detail.

 Desktop
Desktop computers are personal computers (PCs) designed for use by an individual at a fixed location.
IBM was the first computer to introduce and popularize use of desktops. A desktop unit typically has a CPU
(Central Processing Unit), monitor, keyboard and mouse.

Riding on the wave of desktop’s popularity many software and hardware devices were developed specially
for the home or office user. The foremost design consideration here was user friendliness.

 Laptop
Despite its huge popularity, desktops gave way to a more compact and portable personal computer called
laptop in 2000s. Laptops are also called notebook computers or simply notebooks. Laptops run using
batteries and connect to networks using Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity) chips. They also have chips for energy
efficiency so that they can conserve power whenever possible and have a longer life.
Modern laptops have enough processing power and storage capacity to be used for all office work, website
designing, software development and even audio/video editing.

 Tablet
After laptops computers were further miniaturized to develop machines that have processing power of a
desktop but are small enough to be held in one’s palm. Tablets have touch sensitive screen of typically 5 to
10 inches where one finger is used to touch icons and invoke applications.

Keyboard is also displayed virtually whenever required and used with touch strokes. Applications that run on
tablets are called apps. They use operating systems by Microsoft (Windows 8 and later versions) or Google
(Android). Apple computers have developed their own tablet called iPad which uses a proprietary OS
called iOS.

 Server
Servers are computers with high processing speeds that provide one or more services to other systems on
the network. They may or may not have screens attached to them. A group of computers or digital devices
connected together to share resources is called a network.
Servers have high processing powers and can handle multiple requests simultaneously. Most commonly
found servers on networks include −

 File or storage server

 Game server
 Application server
 Database server
 Mail server
 Print server

 Mainframe
Mainframes are computers used by organizations like banks, airlines and railways to handle millions and
trillions of online transactions per second. Important features of mainframes are −

 Big in size
 Hundreds times Faster than servers, typically hundred megabytes per second
 Very expensive
 Use proprietary OS provided by the manufacturers
 In-built hardware, software and firmware security features

Supercomputer
Supercomputers are the fastest computers on Earth. They are used for carrying out complex, fast and time
intensive calculations for scientific and engineering applications. Supercomputer speed or performance is
measured in teraflops, i.e. 1012 floating point operations per second.

Chinese supercomputer Sunway TaihuLight is the world’s fastest supercomputer with a rating of 93
petaflops per second, i.e. 93 quadrillion floating point operations per second.

Most common uses of supercomputers include −

 Molecular mapping and research

 Weather forecasting
 Environmental research
 Oil and gas exploration
First Generation
 The period 1940 to 1956, roughly considered as the First Generation of Computer.
 The first generation computers were developed by using vacuum tube or thermionic valve machine.
 The input of this system was based on punched cards and paper tape; however, the output was
displayed on printouts.
 The first generation computers worked on binary-coded concept (i.e., language of 0-
1). Examples: ENIAC, EDVAC, etc.

Second Generation
 The period 1956 to 1963 is roughly considered as the period of Second Generation of Computers.
 The second generation computers were developed by using transistor technology.
 In comparison to the first generation, the size of second generation was smaller.
 In comparison to computers of the first generation, the computing time taken by the computers of
the second generation was lesser.
Third Generation
 The period 1963 to 1971 is roughly considered as the period of Third Generation of computers.
 The third generation computers were developed by using the Integrated Circuit (IC) technology.

 In comparison to the computers of the second generation, the size of the computers of the third
generation was smaller.
 In comparison to the computers of the second generation, the computing time taken by the
computers of the third generation was lesser.
 The third generation computer consumed less power and also generated less heat.
 The maintenance cost of the computers in the third generation was also low.
 The computer system of the computers of the third generation was easier for commercial use.

Fourth Generation
 The period 1972 to 2010 is roughly considered as the fourth generation of computers.
 The fourth generation computers were developed by using microprocessor technology.

 By coming to fourth generation, computer became very small in size, it became portable.
 The machine of fourth generation started generating very low amount of heat.
 It is much faster and accuracy became more reliable.
 The production cost reduced to very low in comparison to the previous generation.
 It became available for the common people as well.
Fifth Generation
 The period 2010 to till date and beyond, roughly considered as the period of fifth generation of
computers.
 By the time, the computer generation was being categorized on the basis of hardware only, but the
fifth generation technology also included software.
 The computers of the fifth generation had high capability and large memory capacity.
 Working with computers of this generation was fast and multiple tasks could be performed
simultaneously.
 Some of the popular advanced technologies of the fifth generation include Artificial intelligence,
Quantum computation, Nanotechnology, Parallel processing, etc.

 Secondary memory
Secondary memory, also known as secondary storage, refers to the
storage devices and systems used to store data persistently, even when the
computer is powered off. Unlike primary memory (RAM), which is fast and
temporary, secondary memory is slower but offers much larger storage
capacities.
Some Examples of secondary memory include hard disk drives (HDDS),
solid-state drives (SSDS), optical disks (CDS/DVDS), and external
storage devices like USB drives.

Use of Secondary Memory

Secondary memory is used for different purposes, but the main purposes of using secondary
memory are:
 Permanent storage: As we know that primary memory stores data only when the power supply
is on, it loses data when the power is off. So we need a secondary memory to store data
permanently, even if the power supply is off.
 Large Storage: Secondary memory provides large storage space so that we can store large
data like videos, images, audios, files, etc, permanently.
 Portable: Some secondary devices are removable. So we can easily store or transfer data from
one computer or device to another.
Types of Secondary Memory
There are two types of secondary memory:
1. Fixed Devices
2. Removable Devices

. Fixed Devices
Fixed devices in secondary memory are storage devices that are permanently installed in a
system and cannot be easily removed, like internal hard drives or solid-state drives (SSDs).
They store data that is always accessible by the system.
Some examples of fixed devices are:
Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
 A Hard Disk Drive (HDD) is a traditional storage device that stores data on spinning magnetic
disks. It's commonly used because it offers large storage space at a low cost. However, it’s
slower than newer storage technologies.
Solid-State Drive (SSD)
 A Solid-State Drive (SSD) is a faster and newer type of storage. It uses flash memory instead
of spinning disks, so it has no moving parts. This makes it more reliable and much faster for
reading and writing data compared to an HDD.
External Hard Drives (If used as a fixed device in some cases)
 Although it’s technically external, if an external hard drive is kept connected to a device
permanently, it may be considered fixed.
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
 Network Attached Storage (NAS) is a storage device that is connected to a network, allowing
multiple users to access and share data. It’s commonly used in homes and businesses for
backing up files and sharing data across different devices.

2. Removable Devices
Removable devices in secondary memory are storage devices that can be easily disconnected
and used on different systems, like USB drives or external hard drives. They allow for easy data
transfer and backup.
 Some examples of removable devices are:

Optical Discs (CD, DVD, Blu-ray)

 CD (Compact Disc): Holds up to 700 MB of data, often used for music, software, or small files.
 DVD (Digital Versatile Disc): Can store more data than a CD, typically 4.7 GB or more, and is
commonly used for videos or larger data files.
 Blu-ray Disc: Designed for high-definition video, Blu-ray discs can hold from 25 GB (single
layer) to 50 GB (dual layer), making them great for movies and large files.

USB Flash Drives

 USB Flash Drives are small, portable devices that use flash memory to store data. They’re
commonly used to transfer files between computers or as backup storage. They are durable,
easy to carry, and come in various sizes, ranging from a few gigabytes to several terabytes.