COMPUTER HARDWARE

Computer hardware is defined as the entire physical component of the machine itself.

HISTORY OF COMPUTERS

            1943

v  The first digital computer, called “COLOSSUS  MARK  I” was build.

v  Bell  laboratories was working on the development of a computer , as were 2 scientists  at the University of Pennsylvania,  J. Presper Eckert and  John Mauchly,  later founders of  Eckert-Mauchly Corporation.

               

                1950

v   The Remington Rand Corporation bought Eckert and Mauchly‘s company.

                                               

                1951

v   The first large scale commercial computer system called the “UNIVAC-I” was marketed.

                               

                 1955

v   The Sperry Corporation merged with the Remington Rand forming the giant “Sperry Rand Corporation”. 

v  This year the age of business computing was born.

v  The American recognized the value of the machine that this could do thousands of repetitive mathematical calculations.

v  In response companies such as BELL labs, National Cash Register (NCR), Burroughs, and International Business Machine (IBM) began to develop their business computer products. Today, these early computers are called First generation computers.

First Generation Computers

ž  Used vacuum tubes as a design. Those computer ran hot and thus required a great cooling. Vacuum tubes got hot easily, and when they get hot, they failed regularly.

ž  First generation computers were physically huge (one computer took up a large room), but their power was much less than that of the average desktop computer of the 1900’s.

Second Generation Computers

ž  They use transistors instead of vacuum tubes. This meant less heat, improved reliability, and much greater speeds.

ž  Second generation CPU access speeds were measured in millionths rather than thousandths of a second (microseconds). They still quite large, but transistors were smaller and more durable than vacuum tubes. They also allowed for the development of much more powerful computers.

1960’s

·        The Third generation computers were introduced.

·         In this generation, they used microminiature, solid state components.

·         Third generation CPU access speeds were measured in billionths of a seconds (nanoseconds)

·         IBM 360 these were the classic computers in this generation

·         IBM 370

  THE RISE OF THE MODERN PERSONAL COMPUTER

                        November 1972

v   Intel Corporation introduced the first commercial microprocessor, called “Intel 8008”. This invention made the PC, also known as a microcomputer possible.

2 teenaged boys:

ž  Steve  Jobs

ž  Steve Wozniak

                                 They share their intense interest in electronics. They bought microprocessor for $ 25 and build a very simple computer called “APPLE”.

                                May of 1976 

v  They introduced their first computer at a meeting of the Homebrew computer club, at which, PAUL TERRYL president of The BYTE shop chain ordered 50 units. The Apple computer Company and the first PC were born.

Analog computer

v  operates on continuous  physical or electrical magnitudes, measuring, ongoing continuous  analog quantities  such as voltage , current, temperature and pressure.

Digital computer

v  operates on discrete discontinuous numerical digits using the binary numbering system. It represents data using discrete values for all data.

v   most of the computers use in the health care industry for charting  and decision support are digital computers.

Hybrid Computers

v  As its name implies, contains features of both the analog and the digital computer. It is used for specific applications, such as complex signal processing and other engineering-oriented applications. It is also found in some monitoring equipment that converts analog into digital ones for data processing.

Types of Computers

Supercomputers

v  This is a computational-oriented computer specially designed for scientific applications requiring gigantic amount of calculations.

v  The supercomputer is truly a world class “number cruncher”, and this is also designed primarily for analysis of scientific and engineering problems and for tasks requiring millions or billions of computational operation and calculations.

Mainframes

v  This is the fastest, largest, and most expensive type of computer used in corporate America for processing, storing and retrieving data. It is a large multiuser central computer that meets the computing needs.

v  Mainframe can serve a large number (hundreds) of users at the same time. Typically there are also phone lines into the computer so that remote users can gain access to the mainframe.

v  As compared to the desktop PC,  a mainframes has an extremely large memory  capacity and fast operating and processing time, and it can process a large number of functions at one time.

Microcomputers or Personal Computer (PC)

v  Desktops can serve as stand-alone workstation and can be linked to a network system to increase the capabilities. This advantage, since software multiuser licensing fees are usually less expensive per use than having each user purchases his or her own copy.

Handheld Computers

v  Handheld computers are small, special function computers .Even though of smaller size than standard desktop microcomputers, some have claimed to have almost the same function and processing capabilities as the standard desktop microcomputer.

Computer Hardware Fundamentals

v  Central processing unit

v  Motherboard

v  Memory

v   Input and Output devices

v  Storage devices