system.
A system of interconnected computers that share a central storage system and various peripheral devices such as a printers, scanners, or routers. Each computer connected to the system can operate independently, but has the ability to communicate with other external devices and computers.
How Do Computers Work?
Computer Basics
To accomplish a task using a computer, you need a combination of hardware, software, and input.
Hardware consists of devices, like the computer itself, the monitor, keyboard, printer, mouse and speakers. Inside your computer there are more bits of hardware, including the motherboard, where you would find the main processing chips that make up the central processing unit (CPU). The hardware processes the commands it receives from the software, and performs tasks or calculations.
Software is the name given to the programs that you install on the computer to perform certain types of activities. There is operating system software, such as the Apple OS for a Macintosh, or Windows 95 or Windows 98 for a PC. There is also application software, like the games we play or the tools we use to compose letters or do math problems.
You provide the input. When you type a command or click on an icon, you are telling the computer what to do. That is called input.
How They Work Together
First, you provide input when you turn on the computer. Then the system software tells the CPU to start up certain programs and to turn on some hardware devices so that they are ready for more input from you. This whole process is called booting up.
The next step happens when you choose a program you want to use. You click on the icon or enter a command to start the program. Let's use the example of an Internet browser. Once the program has started, it is ready for your instructions. You either enter an address (called a URL, which stands for Uniform Resource Locator), or click on an address you've saved already. In either case, the computer now knows what you want it to do. The browser software then goes out to find that address, starting up other hardware devices, such as a modem, when it needs them. If it is able to find the correct address, the browser will then tell your computer to send the information from the web page over the phone wire or cable to your computer. Eventually, you see the web site you were looking for.
If you decide you want to print the page, you click on the printer icon. Again, you have provided input to tell the computer what to do. The browser software determines whether you have a printer attached to your computer, and whether it is turned on. It may remind you to turn on the printer, then send the information
What is Computer Network?
COMPUTER NETWORK
Two or more computers connected together through a communication media form a computer network.
The computers are connected in a network to exchange information and data. The computers connected in a network can also use resources of other computers.
Computer Network Components
There are different components of a network. Following are the basic components of network.
1. Server:
Powerful computers that provides services to the other computers on the network.
2. Client:
Computer that uses the services that a server provides. The client is less powerful than server.
3. Media:
A physical connection between the devices on a network.
4. Network Adopter:
Network adopter or network interface card (NIC) is a circuit board with the components necessary for sending and receiving data. It is plugged into one of the available slots on the Pc and transmission cable is attached to the connector on the NIC.
5. Resources:
Any thing available to a client on the network is considered a resource .Printers, data, fax devices and other network devices and information are resources.
6. User:
Any person that uses a client to access resources on the network.
8. Protocols:
These are written rules used for communications. They are the languages that computers use to talk to each other on a network
COMPUTER NETWORK
Two or more computers connected together through a communication media form a computer network.
The computers are connected in a network to exchange information and data. The computers connected in a network can also use resources of other computers.Computer Network Components
There are different components of a network. Following are the basic components of network.
1. Server:
Powerful computers that provides services to the other computers on the network.
2. Client:
Computer that uses the services that a server provides. The client is less powerful than server.
3. Media:
A physical connection between the devices on a network.
4. Network Adopter:
Network adopter or network interface card (NIC) is a circuit board with the components necessary for sending and receiving data. It is plugged into one of the available slots on the Pc and transmission cable is attached to the connector on the NIC.
5. Resources:
Any thing available to a client on the network is considered a resource .Printers, data, fax devices and other network devices and information are resources.
6. User:
Any person that uses a client to access resources on the network.
8. Protocols:
These are written rules used for communications. They are the languages that computers use to talk to each other on a network
- Networks allow data transmission among far areas also wit hin local areas.
- Networks allow different users share the processing characteristics of different computers.
- Network allows users to share common set of data files and software stored in a main system.
- Network allows users to share common hardware resources such as printers, fax machines, modem etc.
- The cost of computing is reduced to each user as compared to the development and maintain of each single computer system.
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Evolution Of Computers
You use the computer so many times, don't you? But what do you know about its history? Do you know how computers evolved from being small calculators to becoming the intelligent machines that they are? Read on for information on the evolution of computers.
- Abacus was invented in 2400 BC.
- Pingala introduced the binary number system, which would later form the core of computing systems.
- Later in 60 AD, Heron of Alexandria invented machines that could follow instructions. Who knew back then that this idea would evolve into intelligent machines!
- The 1600s witnessed the invention of slide rules, the system of movable rods based on logarithms used to perform basic mathematical calculations, and a mechanical adding machine, which in some way, laid the foundation of modern-day calculating machines or computers.
- A punching card system was devised by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801.
- Charles Babbage designed the first mechanical computer in 1822 and the Analytical Engine in 1834.
- Morse code was invented in 1835 by Samuel Morse.
- George Boole invented the Boolean algebra in 1848, which would later be at the heart of programming.
- IBM, today a big name in the list of computer technology industries, was founded in 1911.
- It was in 1937 that Alan Turing came up with the concept of a theoretical Turing machine. In the same year, John V. Atanasoff devised the first digital electronic computer. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry came up with the ABC prototype in the November of 1939. Its computations were based on a vacuum tube and it used regenerative capacitor memory.
- Konrad Zuse's electromechanical 'Z Machines', especially the Z3 of 1941 was a notable achievement in the evolution of computers. It was the first machine to include binary and floating-point arithmetic and a considerable amount of programmability. Since it was proved to be Turing complete in 1998, it is regarded as world's first operational computer.
- In 1943, the Colossus was secretly designed at Bletchley Park, Britain to decode German messages. The Harvard Mark I of 1944 was a large-scale electromechanical computer with less programmability. It was another step forward in the evolution of computers.
- The U.S. Army's Ballistics Research Laboratory came up with the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC) in 1946. It came to be known as the first general purpose electronic computer. However, it was required to be rewired to change its programming thus making its architecture inflexible. Developers of ENIAC realized the flaws in the architecture and developed a better one. It was known as the stored program architecture or von Neumann Architecture. It got this name after John von Neumann, who for the first time described the architecture in 1945. All the projects of developing computers taken up thereafter have been using the von Neumann Architecture. All the computers use a 'stored program architecture', which is now a part of the definition of computers.
- The U.S. National Bureau of Standards came up with Standards Electronic/Eastern Automatic Computer (SEAC) in 1950. Diodes handled all the logic making it the first computer to base its logic on solid devices.
- American mathematician and engineer, known as the 'Father of Information Theory', Claude Shannon published a paper Programming a Computer for Playing Chess, wherein he wrote about a machine that could be made to play chess!
- IBM announced the IBM 702 Electronic Data Processing Machine in 1953. It was developed for business use and could address scientific and engineering applications.
- Stanford Research Institute brought out ERMA, Electronic Recording Machine Accounting Project, which dealt with automation of the process of bookkeeping in banking.
- In 1959, General Electric Corporation delivered its ERMA computing system to the Bank of America in California.
- In 1968, DEC launched the first mini computer called the PDP-8.
- In 1969, the development of ARPANET began with the financial backing of the Department Of Defense.
- Intel produced large-scale integration circuits in 1971. Microprocessors came up during the 1970s. Ted Hoff, working for Intel introduced 4-bit 4004.
- In 1972, Intel introduced the 8080 microprocessors.
- In 1974, Xerox came up with Alto workstation at PARC. It consisted of a monitor, a graphical interface, a mouse, and an Ethernet card for networking.
- Apple Computers brought out the Macintosh personal computer on January 24 1984.
- By 1988, more than 45 million computers were in use in the United States. The number went up to a billion by 2002.
computer of classification
Computers are available in different shapes, sizes and weights, due to these different shapes and sizes they perform different sorts of jobs from one another.
They can also be classified in different ways. All the computers are designed by the qualified computer architectures that design these machines as their requirements.
A computer that is used in a home differs in size and shape from the computer being used in a hospital. Computers act as a server in large buildings, while the computer also differs in size and shape performing its job as a weather forecaster.
A student carrying a laptop with him to his college is different in shape and size from all the computers mentioned above.
Here we are going to introduce different classifications of computers one by one. We will discuss what are in classifications and what job they perform.
Super computer
The biggest in size, the most expensive in price than any other is classified and known as super computer. It can process trillions of instructions in seconds. This computer is not used as a PC in a home neither by a student in a college.
Governments specially use this type of computer for their different calculations and heavy jobs. Different industries also use this huge computer for designing their products.
In most of the Hollywood's movies it is used for animation purposes. This kind of computer is also helpful for forecasting weather reports worldwide.
Mainframes
Another giant in computers after the super computer is Mainframe, which can also process millions of instruction per second and capable of accessing billions of data.
This computer is commonly used in big hospitals, air line reservations companies, and many other huge companies prefer mainframe because of its capability of retrieving data on a huge basis.
This is normally to expensive and out of reach from a salary-based person who wants a computer for his home.
This kind of computer can cost up to thousands of dollars.
Minicomputer
This computer is next in he line but less offers less than mainframe in work and performance. These are the computers, which are mostly preferred by the small type of business personals, colleges, etc.
Personal computers
Almost all the computer users are familiar with the personal computers. They normally know what the personal computer is and what are its functions.
This is the computer mostly preferred by the home users. These computers are lesser in cost than the computers given above and also, small in size; they are also called PCs in short for Personal computers.
This computer is small in size and you can easily arrange it to fit in your single bedroom with its all accommodation. Today this is thought to be the most popular computer in all.
Notebook computers
Having a small size and low weight the notebook is easy to carry to anywhere. A student can take it with him/her to his/her school in his/her bag with his/her book.
This is easy to carry around and preferred by students and business people to meet their assignments and other necessary tasks.
The approach of this computer is also the same as the Personal computer. It can store the same amount of data and having a memory of the same size as that of a personal computer. One can say that it is the replacement of personal desktop computer.
COMPUTER COMPONENTS
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