Module 1: History and Fundamental Functions of the Computer
History of the Computer
The history of computers started about 2000 years ago in Babylonia (Mesopotamia) with the birth of the abacus, a wooden rack holding two horizontal wires with beads strung on them. Blaise Pascal is usually credited for building the first digital computer in 1642.
Who is the father of the computer? Charles Babbage, an English mechanical engineer and polymath, originated the concept of a programmable computer. Considered the “father of the computer,” he conceptualized and invented the first mechanical computer in the early 19th century.
What is the first history of the computer? The first substantial computer was the giant ENIAC machine created by John W. Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert at the University of Pennsylvania. ENIAC (Electrical Numerical Integrator and Calculator) used a word of 10 decimal digits instead of binary ones like previous automated calculators/computers.
What is the first computer name? ENIAC, designed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert, occupied 167 m2, weighed 30 tons, consumed 150 kilowatts of electricity, and contained some 20,000 vacuum tubes. ENIAC was soon surpassed by other computers that stored their programs in electronic memories.
What is a computer?
A computer is an electronic device used to operate on raw data as per instructions given by a user. The word “computer” comes from “compute,” which means calculating. So, a computer is usually considered a calculating device that performs arithmetic operations with enormous speed. More accurately, a computer may be defined as a device that operates upon information or data. More than 80% of the work done by computers today is of a non-mathematical or non-numerical nature. The hardware is all the plugged with computer system (e.g.: keyboard, mouse, printer, CPU etc.). In contrast, the software is the language, instruction, and data.
Components of the computers:
Five parts of a computer:
· Motherboard
· Central Processing Unit (CPU)
· Graphics Processing Unit (GPU), also known as a video card
· Random Access Memory (RAM)
· Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
Gyaan, V. (2018). Computer. What is a Computer? Characteristics and Limitations of Computer http://www.vidyagyaan.com/computer-knowledge/what-is-computer-characteristics-and-limitations-of-computer/
What are the basics of a computer? The five basic operations that a computer performs are input, storage, processing, output, and control.
Characteristics or Features of the Computer
· Speed: a computer is a high-speed device. The computer takes a fraction of seconds to perform any operation. The speed of a computer is measured in microseconds (10-3), milliseconds (10-6), nanoseconds (10-9), and even picoseconds (10-12). A powerful computer can perform about 3-4 million simple operations per second.
· Accuracy: The accuracy of a computer is very high, and the degree of accuracy of a particular computer depends upon its design. But if a particular computer, every calculation is performed with the same accuracy. Errors occur in a computer, mainly due to human rather than technological weakness.
· Storage capacity: Computers can store data and instruction with a lot of volume and very high efficiency.
· Diligence: Unlike human beings, a computer is free from monotony, tiredness, lack of concentration, and hence can work for hours without creating any errors. A computer can perform the last calculation with precisely the same accuracy and speed as the first one.
· Automation: once a program is in the computer’s memory, the CPU follows the instructions until it meets the last instruction.
· Reliability: Because a computer is an electronic device, it can perform operations with 100% accuracy and reliability. Errors can only be produced by humans.
· Versatility: Versatility is one of the most wonderful things about the computer. A computer is capable of performing almost any task according to given instructions. ne moment t can do any one operation and next moment if can perform any other function.
Gyaan, V. (2018). Characteristics/Features of Computer. What is a Computer? Characteristics and Limitations of Computer http://www.vidyagyaan.com/computer-knowledge/what-is-computer-characteristics-and-limitations-of-computer/
Why is a computer necessary? Computers are now a fact of life. They have created a very effective information system to help streamline the management of an organization. This makes it a much-needed tool for business, banking, government, entertainment, daily life, industry, education, and administration. Input is the information (data) entered into a computer. Its into bytes every letter, number, or picture entered into the computer as a combination of bits (0 or 1).
References
Emergent Learning. (2019). Introduction to computers and information technology (2nd ed.). Pearson Education.
Gyaan, V. (2018). What is computer ? Characteristics and Limitations of Computer. VidyaGyaan. Retrieved from http://www.vidyagyaan.com/computer-knowledge/what-is-computer-characteristics-and-limitations-of-computer/Links to an external site.
Zakari, I. (2019). History of computer and its generations. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/336700280_History_of_computer_and_its_generationsLinks to an external site.
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