GCE FOR ALL

Operating Systems

COMPUTER SCIENCE
ADVANCE LEVEL
Introduction
Over the years technology has evolved making computers smaller and more
efficient. From a machine which could fill a room to a gadget we now hold on the
palms of our hands. This great machine plays a major role in our life. We see it
everywhere we go; in schools, cyber cafes, offices, and even in our houses. Do we
know how this smart gadget came to existence? We are here to tell more about how
this gadget came about.

COMPUTER GENERATIONS
The generations of computer involves 5 main generations which are;

● The first generation: The vacuum tube generations (1940-1956)

Characterised by vacuum tubes, these computers were very large in size and
could fill a very large building. It used punch cards to store data. These
computers were very slow and consumed high electricity which led to
emissions of a lot of heat. The vacuum tube computers were operated by
machine language. Examples on some vacuum tubes computers includes the
ENIAC (Electronic Numeric Integrator and Calculator and the UNIVAC
(Universal Automatic Calculator)

● The second generations: The transistors generation (1956-1963)

Transistors ushered in the second generation of computers which replaced
the vacuum tube. They were smaller in size (could fill a room), more reliable
and cheaper than vacuum tubes computers. Nevertheless, they produced a
lot of heat that caused the computers to malfunction. Here, data were stored
in magnetic media and the computer were operated using assembly
language and earlier versions of high level languages. Examples include; the
UNIVAC II and IBM 1401 (International Business Machines).

● The third generation: IC (Integrated circuit) (1964-1971)

Followed by, we got the integrated circuits which marked the beginning of
the third generation of computers. ICs are single complete electronics
semiconductors contained on a piece of silicon called chips. This was far
cheaper, smaller and efficient than the computers that existed before it.
During this generation, keyboards and monitors were invented to provide an
interface with an operating system. High level languages like RPG (Report
Program Generator) and BASIC (Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction
Code) were used by ICs.

● The fourth generation: The Microprocessors (1971-present)

In this generation, the Large Scale of Integration (LSI) of transistors on the
chip was used. As a result, microprocessors were developed. Thousands of
integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first
generation filled an entire building now fits in the palm of the hand. The Intel
4004 chip, developed in 1979 located all the components of the computer
from the processing unit and the memory to input/output control on a single
chip.
In 1981, IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984
Apple introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm
 of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more
everyday products began to use microprocessors.
As these computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to
form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet.
Examples of such computers are the microprocessors and the desktop.

● The fifth generation: Artificial Intelligence (AI) (present and beyond)

In this generation, computers are based on artificial intelligence which is still
under development though there are some applications such as voice
recognition that are being used. It is operated by natural language and is the
fastest ever made computer.

Classification of computers

❖ According to data handling: They are made up of analogue, digital and hybrid
computers.

⮚ Analogue computer;
An analogue computer is one which works on continuous form of data and gives
continuous form of output. Analogue computers store data in the continuous
form of the physical quantities and perform calculations with the help of
measured quantities like temperature, pressure, telephone lines amongst others.
Such computers are suitable for audio and video transmissions but are heavy
and very expensive. Examples of analogue computers include planimeters,
nomograms, and operational amplifiers mechanically integrated.

⮚ Digital computers;
This are one which performs calculations and logic operations with quantities
represented as digits usually in binary systems. Digital computers use 1s and 0s
based on the size and type of device. It is divided into four types, namely; micro
computers, mini computers, mainframe computers and super computers.
Examples include calculators, digital clocks, weighing machines, smart phones,
laptops and ATM machines. These computers are very accurate and can store
enormous amount of data, nevertheless, privacy is not at its best when this
computer is concerned.

⮚ Hybrid computers;
These are computers exhibiting features of both analogue and digital computers.
The 1st hybrid computer was the Hycomp-250 by Packard Bell in 1916 and
another by EAL in 1963 called HYDAC-2450. These computers are very costly
notwithstanding their rapidity and accuracy.

❖ According to purpose: They are subdivided into general purpose and specific
purpose.

✔ Special purpose;
These are computers designed to perform a specific type of task and use to
process a particular task or problem. The size , storage, capacity and cost of
 such computers mainly depends on the nature and size of the work. The function
of these computers is consistent with any particular task. These computers are
used for special purposes in weather forecasting, space research, meteorology,
traffic controls and so on. Examples of such computers are Automatic Teller
Machines(ATM), washing machines and oil-exploration applications.

✔ General purpose computers;

General computers can do various everyday tasks such as writing a word
processing letter, document preparation, recording and creating databases. In
short, these are computers designed to carry out different kind of tasks. The size,
storage capacity and the cost of such computers are mainly less. Examples of
these computers are desktops, laptops, smartphones and tablets.

❖ According to size and performance; here, computers can also be classified

according to their sizes and performance. Following this criteria, there exist 4
types of computers;

I. Supercomputer;
There are very fast and powerful and are the most expensive types of computer
for processing data. Their sizes and capacity are very huge. They are designed to
process vast amounts of data in a short time with high productivity. They are
specially made to perform multi-specific tasks and carry out parallel processing
(many CPUs work in parallel). Examples of supercomputers include IBM blue
Gene.

II. Mainframe computer;

They’re multi-programming, high performance computers and multi-user which
means they can handle the workload of more than 100 users at a time on the
computer. Storage capacity is enormous with a high speed data process as well.
It is a highly efficient computer capable of simultaneously solving complex
calculations and continuously for a long time. Examples of such computers
include the IBM E5000 series and CDC 6600. Interestingly enough, these
computers are used in large institutions such as the government, banks and large
corporations.

III. Minicomputers;
It's a digital and multi-user computer system with the connection of more than
one CPU. It can be processed with accessories like printers and plotters. They are
medium types of computers that have more functionality and are expensive than
micro computers. The size, storage and speed of minicomputers are large but less
than mainframe and supercomputers. Examples of minicomputers are PDP 11,
IBM 8000 series.

IV. Micro computers;

With the invention of microprocessors during the year 1970, it became possible
for people to use computers for personal use at a low cost and reasonable price.
Such computers were known as Digital personal computers (PC). They are
minimal in size and storage capacity. They consist of many parts like input and
output devices, software, operating systems and so on...
 The primary purpose of microcomputers is to keep and process the everyday
tasks and needs of people. Only one person can work on the pc at a time, but its
operating system is multi-tasking. Examples of micro computers are desktops,
tablets and smartphones.
Micro computers have three basic categories;
a. Programmable computers (PDA); they are designed to carry out the day's task
related to sharing or exchange of information by connecting to desktop
computers regardless of location. They are used as notepads and address books.
b. Laptops/desktops /personal computers; these are microcomputers which are
designed to carry out our day to day personal task. They are used tin businesses
and at home.
c. Workstations; these are computers which are similar to personal computers but
have greater memory and processing capabilities. They are generally used in
industrial, business and scientific environments that require high levels of
computational capabilities.

The general characteristics of computers

Generally, computers are characterised under; accuracy, diligence, reliability,

versatility, storage capacity, automatic and quick decision.

1) Speed;
Their first generation computers were very slow in processing data. Their first
generation computers were measured in milliseconds. The ENIAC and UNIVAC used
5000 vacuum tubes to process data and a magnetic drum for storage which was
very slow and many times unreliable. To proceed, the second generation of
computer’s speed was improved by the use of transistors. It could process hundreds
of thousand operations per second. Even better, the speed of the third generation
computers increased drastically because many transistors were brought together on
a single chip which could operate more than the second generation.
Notwithstanding, the fourth generation computers were even faster because it had
thousands of transistors which permitted it to process tons of data. To finalise, the
fifth generation, the fastest amongst all, has millions of transistors embedded on
cheap single silicon. It is capable of processing 1.5 billion bytes per second and 10
million floating points.

2) Storage;
From the first to the third generation, we see an increase in capacity from 2000 to
100000 to 5000000 characters respectively. The fourth generation computer’s
capacity increased to 1M characters. Presently, some of us use the fifth generation
computer which stores above 1M characters.

Computer science jobs

We have discussed computers from generation to the type and we now want to
conclude with the different jobs which you apply for as a computer science student
now as in the future.
 To begin with, there are many different job possibilities as a computer science
student because of the increasing rate of computer technology in our society and
beyond nowadays. Listen up to the top eight computer science jobs.

1. Computer system analyst: computer system analyst involves organisations of

computer systems and mostly recommends changes to hardware and software to
enhance the efficiency of companies. As a computer analyst, you need to have
strong interpersonal skills because this job requires regular communication between
managers and employers.

2. Web developers: a web developer creates the technical structure of a website and
ensures the accessibility and easy download of web pages when used on a variety
of interfaces and browsers.

3. Software developer: they create software programmes allowing users to perform

specific tasks on various devices such as mobiles phones and computers. They are
responsible for the structure, development, maintenance and testing of software.
Such people need to be fluent when writing the computer languages used in writing
programmes.

4. Computer and information system managers: these people analyse a computer’s

technology and implement systems. They need to be able to evaluate hardware,
software, networking and other technology resources to purchase development.

5. Computer hardware engineers: they are responsible for the development, designing
and testing computer components such as memory devices, circuit boards, routers
amongst others. A computer hardware engineer needs to be creative and technically
expertise.

6. IT project manager: project managers coordinate and control a team made up of

programmers and analysts for a project. They also analyse technical problems for a
company or a private/client organisation and propose a solution when necessary.
Problem solving skills and a knowledge of computer science major to excel in this
job.
7. Computer network architect: computer architect design, implement and maintain
networking and data communication systems. They assess the need of
organisations for communications and data sharing including LAN, WAN, Intranet
and Extranets. Computer network architects test systems before implementation
and resolve the problem after their setup is put in place.

8. Computer and information Research Scientist: they invent and design new
approaches to computing technology and find innovative ideas for the technology,
they study and resolve problems because they work in fields such as medicine,
business, science and a lot more.