Assignment-1

Q. No1.

a) Define the term ICT. Describe it with the help of proper examples.

ANSWER.

ICT:

ICT (Information and Communication Technology) generally is the use of technology for storing and processing
information and communication at various scales.

EXPLANATION: Our everyday communication, telecommunication (both on social media and in general as
in using phones), our economic systems, business, digital marketing, and many more are simply the use of
ICT.ICT is everywhere. In this modern world, ICT has become an essential part of our lives. Even our economy is
now almost impossible without it. So, ICT is simply the use of technology in any kind of communication.

EXAMPLE:

Examples of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) :

Personal Use

Smartphones: Devices that combine communication (calls, texts) with internet access, apps, and
multimedia capabilities.

Business and Industry

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems: Integrated software platforms used by

companies to manage business processes and information.

Education

Learning Management Systems (LMS): Platforms like Moodle and Blackboard that facilitate
online learning, assignment submission, and communication between students and teachers.

Government and Public Services:

Digital Identification Systems: ICT solutions for managing citizens' identification data, like
biometric passports and national ID cards.

b) Write down the advantages and disadvantages of “Information and communication

technology”

ANSWER:

In the era of technological industry, the luxury of life has become impossible without ICT. The comfort it has
brought to our lives tells us how important it is. Let’s look into some of the advantages of ICT.

ADVANTAGES:
1. ICT has made this world a global village (We are connected to the whole world 24/7 as if living in a small
village).

2. Raising a voice on an international matter has become easier.

3. Easy access to a large amount of information about almost everything.

4. ICT has supported and enhanced remote working.

5. It has enabled businesses to reach new markets and has improved the economic system of countries.

6. Public services like helpline centers are developed and maintained by ICT.

Overall, ICT has transformed various aspects of life, offering significant advantages in communication,
education, business, healthcare, and beyond.

DISADVANTAGES:

1. Breaching of data and exposition of secret or private information.

2. Cyber-crime (crimes carried out using digital devices) has shaken the world with its intense damaging effects
on many lives and mental health.

3. Overuse of social media and internet addiction can lead to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, and
social isolation.

4. Excessive dependence on ICT can reduce critical thinking and problem-solving skills(like using AI).

5. Disruptions or failures in ICT systems can cause significant disruptions in business operations and daily life.

6. Globalization of ICT can lead to cultural homogenization and loss of cultural diversity.

c) Internet is a well-known example of ICT. How it enables people to communicate easily through different
communication mediums?

ANSWER:

The Internet is a linkage of networks of communication and information. Internet being a well-known source of
ICT is nowadays being widely used at all scales. Most ICT systems like computers and mobile phones use
emails, instant messaging, video conferencing, and social media and many other ICT devices work with
the internet. Let’s look into some mediums that use the internet for information and communication.
1. Electronic Mailing:
E-mail is a widely used information and communication media chiefly used in administration offices,
educational institutions, businesses, commerce entertainment etc.

2.Social-Media: WhatsApp, twitter, instagram,facebook,snapchat and all other social media networking
platforms operate with internet .

3. Video-Conferencing:
It enables real-time video and audio communication, making remote meetings and virtual events possible.
Mostly used platforms are Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Google Meet.

Question #.2

a) Explain the first four generations of computers with proper examples.

ANSWER:

FIRST GENERATION COMPUTER: This generation falls between 1940-1956. Computers of this
generation used vacuum tubes for circuitry (more than a thousand tubes in one computer) and magnetic
drums for the storage of information. Those computers occupied lots of space and consumed a mega
amount of electricity. Computer or Machine language was first used and designed for these very first-
generation computers.

EXAMPLE:

ENIAC(Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was the first computer of the first generation. It was
developed by J.Presper Eckert and John Mauchly. This was the first general-purpose and fully electronic
digital computer. Some other examples of first-generation computers are EDVAC(Electronic Discrete
Variable Automatic Computer), UNIVAC-1 IBM-701 and IBM-650.

SECOND GENERATION COMPUTERS: This generation spans between 1956-63. Computers of this
generation used transistors for circuitry and magnetic cores and magnetic tapes for data storage (also used
magnetic disks as secondary storage devices). They were comparatively smaller in size and faster in
processing than the Ist generation. High-level programming languages like COBOL(Common Business-
Oriented Language) and FORTRAN(Formula Translation ) were the most used languages.

EXAMPLE: UNIVAC-3 also designed by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly was one of the renowned
computers of second generation. Other examples are IBM-1401,IBM-700,NCR-300 series, Burroughs
B5000 and IBM-7094.

THIRD GENERATION COMPUTERS: This generation falls between 1964- 1971.Those computers
used IC(Integrated Circuits) that were made of semiconductors (invented by Jack Kirby).Languages used
in those computers are FORTRAN II – FORTRAN IV, COBOL,Pascal and BASIC. They consumed less
power and were cheap. Interestingly it was this generation computers that were made available to general
public. Hardware like mouse and keyboards were introduced in this generation of computers.

EXAMPLE: UNIVAC-900 series, ICL-1900,IBM-360 series, Honeywell-6000 series and Burroughs-6700

design are some of the computers of third generation.

FOURTH GENERATION COMPUTERS: This generation spans from 1972- 1980.Those computers had
VLSI(very large scale integration) and 5000 transistors on a small chip. First micro processor was used in
ac computer designed by Intel was of fourth generation. Languages used were more advanced like C,
C+,C++,DBASE etc. Computers of this generation for energy-efficient and easy to operate in many ways.

EXAMPLE: First personal computer designed by IBM-5150 belongs to the fourth generation

STAR-1000,CRAY-X-MP Super Computer,DEC-10,PDP-11 and CRAY-1 were highly used computers of this
generation.

b) List the hardware components of a computer. Explain at least five of them in detail.

ANSWER:
HARDWARE COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER: Hardware is the physical component of
computer system. Following are the hardware components of a computer:

1. CPU
2. Mother board
3. RAM(Random Access Memory)
4. ROM(Read Only Memory)
5. Hard Drive Disk
6. Power Supply Unit
7. Keyboard
8. Mouse
9. Monitor
10. GPU(Graphics Processing Unit)
And many more.
Let’s discuss a few of them in detail.
1.CPU: The Central Processing Unit is the part of computer hardware that takes inputs from
other hardware devices and processes it and then instructs the required hardware or
software for the desired output. It’s also known as the heart of a computer because a
computer is not alive(working) without its CPU. A CPU in general has three main units
namely; the ALU(Arithmetic logic unit), Control Unit and Registers (deal with temporary
memory).
2. Motherboard: It is the connection hub, communication pathway and power distributor of a
computer. This tells us how important this hardware device is. It connects all the hardware and
distributes electrical power from the PSU to CPU, RAM and other devices connected.
3. PSU: A power Supply Unit is a power conversion device that converts electricity into any needed
form of energy. It regulates voltage and distributes power among various input and output devices is
crucial for a computer to operate properly.
4. GPU:
Graphics Processing Unit is designed to accelerate computer graphics and image processing. It is
mainly used for gaming and video editing these days.
5.RAM:
Random Access Memory (RAM) is a device inside CPU that expeditiously stores and operates data. It is
preferable over all other storage devices because it quickly stores and recalls memory. Interestingly, It
has volatile memory (lost when power is turned off).
6.ROM:
Read Only Memory is a non-volatile data storing device in computers. In ROM data stored can’t be
altered easily so it helps saving software information and many other information reliably.

Question #.3
 Discuss the purpose of speech recognition device?

ANSWER:

SPEECH RECOGNITION DEVICE:

It’s a device used to convert voice into digital data and process it according to need.

This kind of device was first designed 50 years ago and now has advanced into unexpectedly helpful tool.

In the beginning its purpose was to help physically challenged people who couldn’t use digital devices. But with
time it has enhanced and has become a helping partner in our daily works. Now this device is being used a lot
in many fields and for many different operations. Let’s look into some of them:
 People with physical impairment use these devices to control devices and perform tasks using voice
commands.
 It enables drivers to work along with driving without getting their hands of the wheel.
 It can be used in different laboratories, workshops, or medical fields where hands are occupied and no
one else is around to assist.
 These devices allow for faster transcription of spoken words into text, useful for writers, journalists,
and professionals who need to produce written content quickly.
 Allows users to control lights and other home appliances using voice commands.
 It is also used for voice biometric security systems and has enhanced surveillance system.

b) Clarify the difference between OCR and OMR.

ANSWER:
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a system that converts hard documents into soft that
can be searched and edited while an Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) is a system that detects marks
on a hard text and allocate to grades and tabulates it. Following are the clear differences between the
two:
 OMR only detects the presence of a mark but OCR needs to discern it.
 OCR requires a complex engine to operate while OMR doesn’t.
 OMR detects marks (bubbles or checkboxes) and converts them into data while OCR takes image of a
hard document, scans it and then converts it into desirable form of soft document (like pdf).
 OCR uses pattern recognition, machine learning, and artificial intelligence to identify and
convert characters while OMR uses image scanning and simple pattern detection to identify
marked areas on a form.
 OCR scans the entire document, processes the image to recognize individual characters, and
converts them into text while OMR Scans the document, detects the marks in specific
locations, and translates these marks into corresponding data entries.