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1
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS
UNIT – 1: INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS
1. Definition of Computer: Electronic Data Processing device capable of receiving input,
storing sets of instructions for solving problems and generating output with high speed
and accuracy.
2. Five Generations of Computers:
2.1 First Generation - employed Vacuum Tubes
2.2 Second Generation - employed transistors and others solid state devices
2.3 Third Generation - employed Integrated Circuits
2.4 Fourth Generation - employed Large Scale Integrated Circuit (LSI)
2.5 Fifth Generation - employed Artificial Intelligence and Parallel Data
Processing (PDP)
3. Various Types of Computer based on the working principal, size and data
processing capability
3.1 Analog Computer - It is a form of computer that uses continuous physical
phenomena such as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic quantities to model the
problem being solved.
3.2 Digital Computer - A computer that performs calculations and logical operations
with quantities represented as digits, usually in the binary number system.
3.3 Hybrid Computer - A combination of computers those are capable of inputting
and outputting in both digital and analog signals.
3.4 Super Computer - Largest and fastest computer used in specialized areas such
as in Defense, Aircraft design, Movies, Weather research. Examples are CRAY,
CDC, and PARAM 10000.