Introduction to computer and its application

Chapter 1
Introduction
Data versus information

Data: is anything which can be observed using our sense organs. In digital age data can be found in the form of
sound, animation, text, picture, photograph or the combination of these.
Information: is a collection of meaningful facts and figures that can be used as basic for guidance and decision
making. These facts are called data.
In other word, data is a collection of raw facts that represent features or details about something. Like people,
object, place, ideas or events. We must process and organize data in some way to produce information. Hence,
Information is a processed and an organized data, In short, data is the raw material for information.
In general, Data is defined as raw facts or observations represented by characters such as letters, numbers and
others.
Data takes a variety of forms including numeric, text, voice and images.
Information: is defined as data that has been transformed into a meaningful and useful context for specific end
users. It is a refined or processed data.

Data Process Information

Data Processing
Data processing is the manipulation of data into a more useful form. Data processing includes not only
numerical calculation but also operations such as the classification of data and the transmissions of data from
one form to another.
Methods of Data Processing
Depends on the volume of task to be accomplished, there are two ways of data processing.
I. Manual data processing: Brain, pen and paper are the main tools.
 Disadvantage : It is exposed for human error and it is time consuming,
Limited productivity of employees,
Lack of control, and dishonesty

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 Introduction to computer and its application

II. Electronic (Computer): Electronic devices such as computers are used as the main processing tools. The
basic advantage is Accuracy and speed.

WHAT IS A COMPUTER?
Computer is an Electronic data processing device which is capable of performing Arithmetic and
Logical operations. More than that a computer can choose, copy, move, position and perform other non-
arithmetic operations on the many alphabetic, numeric and other symbols that humans use to represent things.

Arithmetic operations are:

Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division, etc.

Logical operations are:

And, OR, Not, Compare, etc.

And also, we can define computer as a device that transforms data. Data can be anything like marks obtained by
you in various subjects. It can also be name, age, sex, weight, height, etc. of all the students in your class or
income, savings, investments, etc., of a country. Computer can be defined in terms of its functions. It can accept
data, store data, process data as desired, as and when required and print the result in desired format.

Computers Vs. Human beings

“Computer is similar to human being but, without thinking power ".

That means computer can think equivalent to human being in certain aspects, the major difference between
computer and human being is thinking power, by giving this power as set of instructions to computer, called
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, human can find solution to any of his problems.

Differences between Human Attitude and computer Attitudes

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 Introduction to computer and its application

Human Computer

Can Think Cannot think by itself

Gets Mental Tiredness Never gets Tiredness

May do mistake Can’t do mistake by itself

Has limited speed Very High Speed

Has limited Memory More Amount of memory

Accuracy may be missing Never missing

“Ability of a Human to do anything a computer can do but a computer cannot do everything a human can do” is
a true statement based on the following table.

Operations Performed Corresponding Actions

Performed by a Human
by a Computer

Hold instruction in internal storage Remember a set of instructions

Read data in machine readable form Read data in written or printed

form and memorize it or file it.

Perform arithmetic Computations Can perform arithmetic operations

Make comparisons Can make comparisons

Retrieve any data from internal Remember data or retrieve data

memory or secondary storage from file

Output the results on an output Speak or Write the result on paper

device

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 Introduction to computer and its application

Information Technology

Information technology is technology that merges computing with high-speed communications links carrying
data, sound, and video. The most important consequence of information technology is that it is producing a
gradual fusion of several important industries in a phenomenon that has been called technological
convergence.

Technological convergence is derived from a combination of two recent technologies: computers and
communications.

 Computer technology

A computer is a programmable, multiuse machine that accepts data, raw facts and figures and processes,
or manipulates, it into information we can use, such as summaries or totals. Its purpose is to speed up
problem solving and increase productivity.

 Communications technology

Communications, or telecommunications, technology consists of electronic and electromagnetic devices

and systems for communicating over long distances.

Examples are telephone, radio, broadcast television, and cable TV.

Why we use Computers?

The following are some of the capabilities and potential of Computers, which are reasons for using Computers.

 Store and process large amount of information with high speed and accuracy;
 Transmit information across continents via communication channels;
 Simulate events;
 Perform complex mathematical computations and make comparisons;
 Monitor ongoing industrial operations;
 Perform repetitive processes with great ease, speed, and reliability;

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 Introduction to computer and its application

COMPUTER GENERATIONS

The evolution of computer started from 16th century and resulted in the form that we see today. The present day
computer, however, has also undergone rapid change during the last fifty years. This period, during which the
evolution of computer took place, can be divided into five distinct phases known as Generations of Computers.
Each phase is distinguished from others on the basis of the type of switching circuits used.

I. First Generation Computers

First generation computers used vacuum tubes. These computers were large in size and writing programs on
them was difficult since they use low level languages (machine languages and assembly languages). They used
punched card as a major secondary storage media. The memory access time of these computers was in
milliseconds. Some of the computers of this generation were:

ENIAC: It was the first electronic computer built in 1946 at University of Pennsylvania, USA by John Eckert
and John Mauchy. It was named Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC). The ENIAC was
3050 feet long, weighed 30 tons, contained 18,000 vacuum tubes, 70,000 registers, 10,000 capacitors and
required 150,000 watts of electricity. Today any computer is many times as powerful as ENIAC, still size is
very small.

EDVAC: It stands for Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer and was developed in 1950. The
concept of storing data and instructions inside the computer was introduced here. This allowed much faster
operation since the computer had rapid access to both data and instructions. The other advantage of storing
instruction was that computer could do logical decision internally.

Limitations of First Generation Computer

Followings are the major drawbacks of First generation computers.

 The operating speed was quite slow.

 Power consumption was very high.

 It required large space for installation.

 The programming capability was quite low.

 The tubes produced a lot of heat and so they require ventilation

 They were unreliable because when the vacuum tubes get hot they would corrupt.

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 Introduction to computer and its application

II. Second Generation Computers

Around 1955 a device called Transistor replaced the bulky electric tubes in the first generation computer.
Transistors are smaller than electric tubes and have higher operating speed. They have no filament and require
no heating. Manufacturing cost was also very low. Thus the size of the computer got reduced considerably.

It is in the second generation that the concept of Central Processing Unit (CPU), memory, programming
language and input and output units were developed. The dominant memory media was magnetic tape. The
operating system used was batch operating system. The programming languages such as COBOL, FORTRAN
were developed during this period. Second generation computers were faster than the first generation computers
(the memory access time was in micro seconds). Some of the computers of the Second Generation were

1. IBM 1620: Its size was smaller as compared to First Generation computers and mostly used for
scientific purpose.

2. IBM 1401: Its size was small to medium and used for business applications.

3. CDC 3600: Its size was large and is used for scientific purposes.

Limitations of Second Generation Computer

- Air conditioning was still required.

- Huge in size.
- Due to component failure, continuous maintenance was required.
- For business purpose, production was still costly.

III. Third Generation Computers

The third generation computers were introduced in 1964. They used Integrated Circuits (ICs). These ICs are
popularly known as Chips. A single IC has many transistors, registers and capacitors built on a single chip (thin
slice of silicon). The dominant storage media was magnetic disc. The operating system of these generation
computers is interactive operating system. The memory access time was in nanoseconds. So it is quite obvious
that the size of the computer got further reduced. Some of the computers developed during this period were
IBM-360, ICL-1900, IBM-370, and VAX-750. Higher level language such as BASIC (Beginners All-purpose
Symbolic Instruction Code) was developed during this period.

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 Introduction to computer and its application

Computers of this generation were small in size, low cost, large memory and processing speed is very high.

Limitations of Third Generation Computer

 Air conditioning was still required for cooling of IC chips

IV. Fourth Generation Computers

The present day computers are the fourth generation computers that started around 1975. It uses large scale
Integrated Circuits (LSIC) built on a single silicon chip called microprocessors. Due to the development of
microprocessor it is possible to place computer’s central processing unit (CPU) on single chip. These computers
are called microcomputers. Later very large scale Integrated Circuits (VLSIC) replaced LSICs.

Thus the computer which was occupying a very large room in earlier days can now be placed on a table.

Limitations of Fourh Generation Computer

- Increased cost of software.

- Required skilled manpower.

- Highly sophisticated technology

V. Fifth Generation Computer

The computers of 1990s are said to be Fifth Generation computers. The speed is extremely high in fifth
generation computer. Apart from this it can perform parallel processing. The concept of Artificial intelligence
has been introduced to allow the computer to take its own decision. It is still in a developmental stage.

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 Introduction to computer and its application

Features Generations of computers

First Second Third Fourth Fifth
Circuit Vacuum tubes Transistors IC (Integrated LIC (Large Scale VVLSICs,
element Circuit) Integrated UVICs, Bio
Circuit) & organic
Secondary Punched cards & Magnetic tape Magnetic disk Mass storage Most massive
storage Magnetic drum devices storage
Operating Primitive or Batch Time sharing, User-friendly Unknown
system operators control processing Parallel
processing, real-
time
Computer Machine & COBOL, Structured Application Natural
language assembly FORTRAN etc languages oriented languages
Size largest larger Medium Smallest The smallest
Speed Slowest Slower Medium Faster The fastest
Availability Obsolete Obsolete Obsolete Current Most
Reliability Unreliable Less reliable More reliable Most reliable Most

Characteristics of Computers

The increasing popularity of computers has proved that it is a very powerful and useful tool. Computers have
the following characteristics:

 Automatic. Computers are automatic; once started on a job, they carry on until the job is finished, normally
without any human intervention.

 Speed. A computer is a very fast device. Units of time are microseconds (10-6 second), nanoseconds (10-9
second) or even picoseconds (10-12). A powerful computer is capable of performing several billion (10 9)
simple arithmetic operations per second.

 Accuracy. The accuracy of a computer is consistently high and the degree of accuracy of a particular
computer depends upon its design.

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 Introduction to computer and its application

 Diligence. Unlike human beings, a computer is free from boredom, tiredness, lack of concentration, etc.,
and hence can work for hours without creating any error and without grumbling.

 Versatility. Versatility is one of the most wonderful things about the computer. A computer is capable of
performing almost any task provided that the task can be reduced to a series of logical steps.

 Power of Remembering. A computer can store and recall huge amount of information because of its
secondary storage capability.

 No I.Q.(intelligence quotient) A computer is not a magical device. It can only perform tasks that a human
being can. The difference is that it performs these tasks with unthinkable speed and accuracy. It possesses
no intelligence of its own. Its I.Q. is zero. It has to be told what to do and in what sequence. Hence, only the
user can determine what tasks a computer will perform.

 No Feelings. Computers are devoid of emotion. They have no feelings and no instincts because they are
machines. Computers cannot make judgments on their own. Their judgment is based on the instructions
given to them in the form of programs that are written by us.

TYPES OF COMPUTERS

There are different types of computers. Their differences depend on different categories of characteristics.

1. Classification – By Type of Data

Based on the type of data they process, computers can be classified into three types:

1. Analog Computers
Computers that use analog signals for calculating and transmitting data are called analog computers. It can be
defined as “A device that operates on data in the form of continuously varying physical quantities.” The values
of the analog signals are continuously changing with states in between high and low. Analog data is calculated
using the concept of “measuring values” like magnitude in terms of voltage, length, current, etc. The analog
data is transmitted in a continuous form that closely reassembles the information it represents. Electrical signals
on a telephone line are nothing but analog data representing the original voice.
e.g. Slide Rule, Thermometer, Hydrodynamics, Speedometer

2. Digital Computers
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 Introduction to computer and its application

The computers that use digital signals to calculate and transmit data are called digital computers. The word
digital is derived from the word “digit”. The word digit simply means numeral. The digital signal has only two
states in which it can be represented. They are ON and OFF or HIGH and LOW or 1 and 0. Digital data is
calculated using the concept of “counting values”. The result obtained from the digital computer is more
accurate when compared to the analog computers. These computers manipulate digital data and perform
arithmetic and logical operations on these data.
Examples:
 Abacus
 Desk & pocket computers
 The general purpose computers
Digital computers have very high accuracy and speed than the analog once.

3. Hybrid Computers
Computer systems that use both analog and digital mechanisms are called hybrid computers. Desirable features
of analog and digital computers are combined to develop a hybrid computer. In hospitals, the intensive care
unit, an analog device measures a patient’s heart function, temperature and other vital signs, these
measurements are then converted into numbers and supplied to a digital component that monitors the patient’s
vital signs and signals to a nurse’s station.

2. Classification – Capacity and size of Microprocessor

Now let us discuss the varieties of computers that we see today. They can be divided into different categories
depending upon the size, efficiency, memory and number of users. Broadly they can be divided into the
following four categories.

1. Microcomputer: Microcomputer is at the lowest end of the computer range in terms of speed and storage
capacity. Its CPU is a microprocessor. The first microcomputers were built of 8-bit microprocessor chips.
The most common application of personal computers (PC) is in this category. The PC supports a number of
input and output devices. An improvement of 8-bit chip is 16-bit and 32-bit chips. Examples of
microcomputer are IBM PC, PC-AT.

2. Mini Computer: This is designed to support more than one user at a time. It possesses large storage
capacity and operates at a higher speed. The mini computer is used in multi-user system in which various

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 Introduction to computer and its application

users can work at the same time. This type of computer is generally used for processing large volume of
data in an organization. They are also used as servers in Local Area Networks (LAN).

3. Mainframes: These types of computers are generally 32-bit microprocessors. They operate at very high
speed, have very large storage capacity and can handle the work load of many users. They are generally
used in centralized databases. They are also used as controlling nodes in Wide Area Networks (WAN).
Example of mainframes are DEC, ICL and IBM 3000 series.

4. Supercomputer: They are the fastest and most expensive machines. They have high processing speed
compared to other computers. They have also multiprocessing technique. One of the ways in which
supercomputers are built is by interconnecting hundreds of microprocessors. Supercomputers are mainly
being used for weather forecasting, biomedical research, remote sensing, aircraft design and other areas of
science and technology. Examples of supercomputers are CRAY YMP, CRAY2, NEC SX-3, CRAY XMP
and PARAM from India.

3. Classification – By application

General-purpose computers can be used for different purposes. We need only have appropriate software to
use a general-purpose computer to perform a particular task. For example, the personal computers (PCs)
currently in wide use are general-purpose computers.

 A general purpose computer is one that has the ability to store different programs of instructions

 Performs a variety of operations

 It is designed to do a wide variety of jobs rather than perform a specific activity.

 It is also called personal computers (PC’s)

Special-purpose computers are specifically designed to perform one particular task. A computer that guides a
missile is, for example, a special-purpose computer.

Special purpose computers:

 Designed to perform one specific task

 Instructions is built into, or permanently stored in the machine

 Specialization results in the given task being performed very quickly and efficiently

 It is inflexible and cannot be easily used to perform other operations.

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 Introduction to computer and its application

 Past, it was expensive.

APPLICATION OF COMPUTERS
Main Application Areas:
1 Commercial application-The emphasis is on data processing: it covers the use of computers for
clerical, administrative and business uses
2 Scientific, engineering and research application -The emphasis is on scientific processing: it covers
the use of computers for complex calculations, design, analysis and control of physical system and
analysis of experimental data or results
3 Computer in Education
The use of computers in education ranges from assisting teaching and learning process to managing
it. Hence the terms CAL (Computer Aided Learning) and CAI (Computer Aided Instruction).Multiple
choice questions can be processed.
4 Computer in Medicine:
In medicine, computers are used
 for analyzing medical research
 to aid in diagnosis
 to hold details of patients
5 Computers in Manufacturing
 Stock and production control (CAM-Computer Aided Manufacturing)
 Engineering design (CAD -Computer Aided Design e.g. Auto CAD)

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