Definition of computer
A computer is sophisticated electronic device. It manipulates information or data. It has the ability to store, retrieve, and process data Computer comes from the Latin “computare”. The word computer literally means a calculating instrument. The computer can perform mathematical functions like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as well as logical and decision making function.
In fact, it is not possible to define a computer in one word.
How the computer the work
Each instruction has its own way of working. Computer cannot do anything on their own. Computer efficiently follow instruction given distant humans. Computer work through electrical current signal. The computer has to provide the necessary data for whatever we do on the computer. After receiving the data or input the computer works or processing with that data as instructed by the user. When the processing is done, the computer users informs the result of that work.
In short, the process making a computer work is as follows:
Features of Computer
Like every device, a computer has its own unique features. The main features of the computer is that it can work every fast and accurately with the help of programming and memory lives.
The features of a computer are discussed below:
Fast speed: Computer work incredibly fast. The reason it travels so fast is that it works by traveling at the same speed as the speed of light through electronic signals.
Credibility: Although the computer works so fast but its work is 100% perfect. Modern computer has proven that humans make mistakes but computers do not.
Lack of Fatigue: Even if it work continuously for a long time, the computer does not get tired.
Memory: Computer memory is so huge. Billions of data and instructions can be stored in it.
Automation: Computers work automatically.
History of computer making
The computer was born not for entertainment or email but out of a requirement to unravel a significant number-crunching crisis. By 1880, the U.S. population had grown so large that it took quite seven years to tabulate the U.S. Census results. the govt sought a faster thanks to get the work done, giving rise to punch-card based computers that took up entire rooms.
Today, we feature more computing power on our smartphones than was available in these early models. the subsequent brief history of computing may be a timeline of how computers evolved from their humble beginnings to the machines of today that surf the web , play games and stream multimedia additionally to crunching numbers.
Abacus
The history of computer begins with the birth of abacus which is believed to be the primary computer. it’s said that Chinese invented Abacus around 4,000 years ago.
It was a wooden rack which has metal rods with beads mounted on them. The beads were moved by the abacus operator consistent with some rules to perform arithmetic calculations. Abacus remains utilized in some countries like China, Russia and Japan. a picture of this tool is shown below.
Napier’s Bones
It was a manually-operated calculating device which was invented by Napier (1550-1617) of Murchison. during this calculating tool, he used 9 different ivory strips or bones marked with numbers to multiply and divide. So, the tool became referred to as “Napier’s Bones. it had been also the primary machine to use the percentage point .
Pascaline
Pascaline is additionally referred to as Arithmetic Machine or totalizer . it had been invented between 1642 and 1644 by a French mathematician-philosopher Blaise Pascal. it’s believed that it had been the primary mechanical and automatic calculator.
Pascal invented this machine to assist his father, a tax accountant. It could only perform addition and subtraction. it had been a wooden box with a series of gears and wheels. When a wheel is rotated one revolution, it rotates the neighboring wheel. A series of windows is given on the highest of the wheels to read the totals. a picture of this tool is shown below.
he slips tick , also known colloquially within the us as a slips tick, may be a mechanical analogue computer . As graphical analog calculators, slide rules are closely associated with nomograms, but the previous are used for general calculations, whereas the latter are used for application-specific computations.
The lipsticks is employed primarily for multiplication and division, and also for functions like exponents, roots, logarithms, and trigonometry, but typically not for addition or subtraction. Though similar in name only and appearance to a typical ruler, the lipsticks isn’t meant to be used for measuring length or drawing straight lines.
A difference engine, a calculator designed within the 1820s, was first created by Charles Babbage. Difference engines are automatic mechanical calculators designed to tabulate polynomial functions. The name, the difference engine, springs from the tactic of divided differences, how to interpolate or tabulate functions by employing a small set of polynomial co-efficient. a number of the foremost common mathematical functions utilized in engineering, science and navigation, were, and still are ready to be computed with the utilization of the difference engine’s capability of computing logarithmic and trigonometric functions, which may be approximated by polynomials, so a difference engine can compute many useful tables of numbers.
Charles Babbage began to construct little difference engine in c. 1819 and had completed it by 1822 (Difference Engine 0). He announced his invention on 14 June 1822, during a paper to the Royal Astronomical Society, entitled “Note on the appliance of machinery to the computation of astronomical and mathematical tables”. This machine used the decimal numeration system and was powered by cranking a handle. British government was interested, since producing tables was time-consuming and expensive and that they hoped the difference engine would make the task more economical.
Classification of computer
Analog Computer
Analog computers were the earliest computer machines developed and were the among the foremost complicated machines for analog computation and process control. Analog data isn’t discrete, but rather is of a nonstop nature. samples of such data are pressure, temperature, voltage, speed and weight. An analog computer makes use of continuous values and not discrete values. due to this, processes with an analog computer can’t be repeated for exact equivalent results. Unlike digital computers, analog computers are resistant to quantization noise. a number of the common computing elements found in analog computers are function generators, integrators, comparators and multipliers. depending on the application, other specialized components also can be used. Programming on an analogue computer involves transformation of the problematic equations into the analog computer circuit.
There are certain advantages related to analog computers. real-time processing and simultaneous computation is feasible with the assistance of analog computers. Analog computers also can provide the insight of the issues and errors just in case of analog issues for users.
Digital Computer
Digital Computer may be a machine or a tool that helps to process any quite information. These are the devices through which we offer some input and obtain the output within a fraction of seconds. The operations that are conducted internally within the device happens using the binary numeration system since the pc understands only digits ie 0’s and 1’s.
All the content that’s written in English are going to be converted to binary language and thus computers and humans communicate with one another . a number of the essential samples of digital devices are Personal computers, Desktops, Laptops, Smartphones, and Mobiles.
There are mainly three parts during a computer and it consists of –
Input: The user normally provides the info to the device that’s referred to as input.
Processing: The input that’s provided by the user is processed internally using some defined sequence.
Output: Once the processing is completed, supported the input, the output is showed the user.
Hybrid Computer
A hybrid computer may be a sort of computer that gives the functionalities of both a digital and an analogue computer . it’s designed to incorporate a working analog unit that’s powerful for calculations, yet features a readily available digital memory. In large industries and businesses, a hybrid computer are often wont to incorporate logical operations also as provide efficient processing of differential equations.
Hybrid computers are documented for his or her ability to blend analog and digital features of computers. Advantages include the supply of both analog and digital computations within one unit and an efficient processing speed. A hybrid computer is individually designed and integrated, taking into consideration the sector of its application and processing requirements. A hybrid computer is made in such how that its components make the device fast and accurate.
However, a hybrid system isn’t an equivalent as a hybrid computer; it’s the physical machinery that defines whether a computer unit is hybrid or not, and hybrid systems typically only use analog-to-digital converters.
Generation of Computer
There are five generation of computer. Such as:
|
Generations of computers |
Generations timeline |
Evolving hardware |
|
First generation |
1940s-1950s |
Vacuum tube based |
|
Second generation |
1950s-1960s |
Transistor based |
|
Third generation |
1960s-1970s |
Integrated circuit based |
|
Fourth generation |
1970s-present |
Microprocessor based |
|
Fifth generation |
The present and the future |
Artificial intelligence based |
Characteristics of Computer Generation
- First Generation
The period of first generation: 1946-1959. tube based.
The first generation computers were developed by using tube or tube machine.
The input of this technique was supported punched cards and paper tape; however, the output was displayed on printouts. the primary generation computers worked on binary-coded concept (i.e., language of 0-1). Examples: ENIAC, EDVAC, etc.
- Second Generation
The period of second generation: 1959-1965. Transistor based.
The second generation computers were developed by using transistor technology.
In comparison to the primary generation, the dimensions of second generation was smaller.
In comparison to computers of the primary generation, the computing time taken by the computers of the second generation was lesser.
- Third Generation
The period of third generation: 1965-1971. microcircuit based.
In comparison to the computers of the second generation, the dimensions 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 within 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 of fourth generation: 1971-1980. VLSI microprocessor based.
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 warmth .
It is much faster and accuracy became more reliable.
The production cost reduced to very low as compared to the previous generation.
It became available for the folk also .
- Fifth Generation
The period of fifth generation: 1980-onwards. ULSI microprocessor based. By the time, the pc generation was being categorized on the idea of hardware only, but the fifth generation technology also included software. The computers of the fifth generation had high capability and enormous memory capacity. Working with computers of this generation was fast and multiple tasks might be performed simultaneously. Some of the favored advanced technologies of the fifth generation include AI , Quantum computation, Nanotechnology, multiprocessing, etc.
At last, we can say that the computer history is a comprehensive chapter that cannot be describe briefly.
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Writer By: Md. Imran Mollah…