Overview of Computer

A computer is an electronic device (machine) that’s used for manipulating data i.e. store,
process and retrieve the information/ data.
A computer is defined as an Electronic device operating under the control of instructions stored
in its own memory.
• Accepts data, Raw facts, figures, and symbols
• Processes data into information; Data that is organized, meaningful, and useful
• Produces and stores results
It’s can also be described as a device used to process, correct, and analyze enormous amounts
of information at high speeds and with a high degree of accuracy.
The computer system is composed of Hardware and Software sub system
➢ Input
➢ Process
➢ Output
➢ Storage
➢ Communication

Primary Memory

Input CPU Output

Units (Central Processing Unit) Units

Auxiliary/ Secondary Storage

This model of the typical digital computer is often called the von Neumann computer.
Another Model Diagram,
Components of a Computer
◦ Hardware
 Refers to the physical (tangible) components of a computer and its
peripheral devices e.g., Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse etc.
 Hardware functions includes all devices for input, processing, output
and storage.
◦ Software
 Software refers to the logical components; They are sets of programs/
commands/ instructions that cause hardware to work e.g. System
software, application software
 Software is the set of programs and associated documentation that is
needed to operate the computer system.
Computers without S/W are merely electronic devices incapable of doing anything.
Personal Computers
The two most popular types of personal computers are
➢ PC and compatibles use the Windows operating system
 ➢ Apple Macintosh uses the Macintosh operating system (Mac OS)

A desktop computer is Designed so all of the components fit entirely on or under a desk or
table

Mobile Computers and Mobile Devices

A notebook computer is
• Portable, small enough to fit on your lap
• Also called a laptop computer.
• Generally, more expensive than a desktop computer
A Tablet PC
• Resembles a letter-sized slate
• Allows you to write on the screen using a digital pen
• Especially useful for taking notes

Mobile devices are

• Small enough to carry in a pocket
• Internet-enabled telephone is a “smart phone”

A handheld computer is
• Small enough to fit in one hand
• Used by mobile employees such as meter readers and delivery people
A personal digital assistant (PDA
Provides personal organizer functions:
• Calendar
• Appointment book
• Address book
• Calculator
• Notepad
What are smart phones and smart watches?
A smart phone is an Internet-enabled telephone that usually provides PDA capabilities

A smart watch is an Internet-enabled watch that automatically adjusts to time zone changes
and stores personal information

Servers
• Midrange server: Powerful, large computer that supports up to a few thousand
computers
 • Mainframe: Very powerful, expensive computer that supports thousands of computers

• Supercomputer: The fastest, most powerful, most expensive computer. Used for
applications requiring complex mathematical calculations

Embedded Computers
An embedded computer is a special-purpose computer that functions as a component in a larger
product.
Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Computers
• Speed
• Reliability
• Consistency
• Storage
• Communications
Disadvantages of Using Computers
• Violation of Privacy
• Impact on Labor Force
• Health Risks
• Impact on Environment
Networks and the Internet
A network is a collection of computers and devices connected together.
Communications Device: Enables a connection between computers eg : modem
Transmission Media
➢ Cables
➢ Telephone lines
➢ Cellular radio
➢ Satellites
A server
➢ manages the resources on a network
➢ Clients access the resources on the server
Internet: Worldwide collection of networks that connects millions of businesses, government
agencies, educational institutions, and individuals.

Why do users access the Internet?

1. Communications
2. Information
3. Shopping
4. Banking and Investing
5. Classes
6. Entertainment
What is the Web?
Billions of documents, called Web pages, available to anyone connected to the Internet
➢ A Web site is a collection of related Web pages
➢ A Web page contains text, graphics, sound, video, and links to other Web pages
➢ You can share information by creating Web pages or posting photos on a photo
sharing community

Classification of Computer
History and Classification of Computer
The word ‘computer’ is an old word that has changed it meaning several times in the last few
centuries. Originating from the Latin, by the mid-17th century it meant ‘someone who
computes. The American Heritage Dictionary (1980) gives its first computer definition as “a
person who computes.” The computer remained associated with human activity until about the
middle of the 20th century when it became applied to “a programmable electronic device that
can store, retrieve, and process data” as Webster’s Dictionary (1980) defines it. Today, the
word computer refers to computing devices, whether they are electronic, programmable, or
capable of ‘storing and retrieving’ data. A system is a group of computer components that work
together as a unit to perform a common objective.
Vacuum tube: an electronic device that controls the flow of electrons in a vacuum. It used as
a switch, amplifier, or display screen in many older model radios, televisions, computers, etc.

Transistor – an electronic component that can be used as an amplifier or as a switch. It is used

to control the flow of electricity in radios, televisions, computers, etc.

Integrated circuit (IC) – a small electronic circuit printed on a chip (usually made of silicon)
that contains many its own circuit elements (e.g. transistors, diodes, resistors, etc.).
Microprocessor – an electronic component held on an integrated circuit that contains a
computer’s central processing unit (CPU) and other associated circuits.

CPU (central processing unit) – It is often referred to as the brain or engine of a computer
where most of the processing and operations take place (CPU is part of a microprocessor).

Magnetic drum – a cylinder coated with magnetic material, on which data and programs can
be stored.
Machine language – a low-level programming language comprised of a collection of binary
digits (ones and zeros) that the computer can read and understand.
Assembly language is like the machine language that a computer can understand, except that
assembly language uses abbreviated words (e.g. ADD, SUB, DIV…) in place of numbers (0s
and 1s).
Artificial intelligence (AI) – an area of computer science that deals with the simulation and
creation of intelligent machines or intelligent behave in computers (they think, learn, work, and
react like humans).

Punched Card

Classification by Age
The Computer Evolution
The computer evolution is indeed an interesting topic that has been explained in some different
ways over the years, by many authors. According to The Computational Science Education
Project, US, the computer has evolved through the following stages:
The Mechanical Era (1620s-1940s)
Trying to use machines to solve mathematical problems can be traced to the early 17th century.
Wilhelm Schickhard, Blaise Pascal, and Gottfried Leibnitz were among mathematicians who
designed and implemented calculators that were capable of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division included. The first multipurpose or programmable computing
device was probably Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine, which was begun in 1823 but never
completed. In 1842, Babbage designed a more ambitious machine, called the Analytical Engine
but unfortunately it also was only partially completed. Babbage, together with Ada Lovelace
recognized several important programming techniques, including conditional branches,
iterative loops and index variables.
Babbage designed the machine which is arguably the first to be used in computational science.
In 1933, George Scheutz and his son, Edvard began work on a smaller version of the difference
engine and by 1853 they had constructed a machine that could process 15-digit numbers and
calculate fourth-order differences. The US Census Bureau was one of the first organizations to
use the mechanical computers which used punch-card equipment designed by Herman
Hollerith to tabulate data for the 1890 census. In 1911 Hollerith’s company merged with a
competitor to find the corporation which in 1924 became International Business Machines
(IBM).
First Generation Electronic Computers (1940s- 1950s)
These devices used electronic switches, in the form of vacuum tubes, instead of
electromechanical relays. The earliest attempt to build an electronic computer was by J. V.
Atanasoff, a professor of physics and mathematics at Iowa State in 1937. Atanasoff set out to
build a machine that would help his graduate students solve systems of partial differential
equations. By 1941 he and graduate student Clifford Berry had succeeded in building a machine
that could solve 29 simultaneous equations with 29 unknowns. However, the machine was not
programmable, and was more of an electronic calculator. A second early electronic machine
was Colossus, designed by Alan Turing for the British military in 1943.
The first general purpose programmable electronic computer was the Electronic Numerical
Integrator and Computer (ENIAC), built by J. Presper Eckert and John V. Mauchly at the
University of Pennsylvania. Research work began in 1943, funded by the Army Ordinance
Department, which needed a way to compute ballistics during World War II. The machine was
completed in 1945 and it was used extensively for calculations during the design of the
hydrogen bomb. Eckert, Mauchly, and John von Neumann, a consultant to the ENIAC project,
began work on a new machine before ENIAC was finished. The main contribution of EDVAC,
their new project, was the notion of a stored program. ENIAC was controlled by a set of
external switches and dials; to change the program required physically altering the settings on
these controls. EDVAC was able to run orders of magnitude faster than ENIAC and by storing
instructions in the same medium as data, designers could concentrate on improving the internal
structure of the machine without worrying about matching it to the speed of an external control.
Eckert and Mauchly later designed what were arguably the first commercially successful
computer, the UNIVAC; in 1952. Software technology during this period was very primitive.
The main characteristics of first generation of computers
• Main electronic component – vacuum tube
• Main memory – magnetic drums and magnetic tapes
• Programming language – machine language
• Power – consume a lot of electricity and generate a lot of heat.
• Speed and size – very slow and very large in size (often
• taking up entire room).
• Input/output devices – punched cards and paper tape.
• Examples – ENIAC, UNIVAC1, IBM 650, IBM 701, etc.
• Quantity – there were about 100 different vacuum tube computers produced
• between 1942 and1963.
Second Generation (1940s- 1950s) 1950-1960
The second generation witnessed several important developments at all levels of computer
system design, ranging from the technology used to build the basic circuits to the programming
languages used to write scientific applications. Electronic switches in this era were based on
discrete diode and transistor technology with a switching time of approximately 0.3
microseconds. The first machines to be built with this technology include TRADIC at Bell
Laboratories in 1954 and TX-0 at MIT’s Lincoln Laboratory. Index registers were designed for
controlling loops and floating-point units for calculations based on real numbers. A number of
high-level programming languages were introduced, and these include FORTRAN (1956),
ALGOL (1958), and COBOL (1959). Important commercial machines of this era include the
IBM 704 and its successors, the 709 and 7094. In the 1950s the first two supercomputers were
designed specifically for numeric processing in scientific applications.
The main characteristics of first generation of computers
• Main electronic component – transistor
• Memory – magnetic core and magnetic tape / disk
• Programming language – assembly language
• Power and size – low power consumption, generated less heat, and
• smaller in size (in comparison with the first generation computers).
 • Speed – improvement of speed and reliability (in comparison with the first-generation
computers).
• Input/output devices – punched cards and magnetic tape.
• Examples – IBM 1401, IBM 7090 and 7094, UNIVAC 1107, etc.
Third Generation (1960s-1970s)
Technology changes in this generation include the use of integrated circuits (ICs)
semiconductor devices with several transistors built into one physical component,
semiconductor memories, microprogramming as a technique for efficiently designing complex
processors and the introduction of operating systems and timesharing. The first ICs were based
on small-scale integration (SSI) circuits, which had around 10 devices per circuit (‘chip’), and
evolved to the use of medium-scale integrated (MSI) circuits, which had up to 100 devices per
chip. Multilayered printed circuits were developed and core memory was replaced by faster,
solid state memories. In 1964, Seymour Cray developed the CDC 6600, which was the first
architecture to use functional parallelism. By using 10 separate functional units that could
operate simultaneously and 32 independent memory banks, the CDC 6600 was able to attain a
computation rate of one million floating point operations per second (Mflops). Five years later
CDC released the 7600, also developed by Seymour Cray. The CDC 7600, with its pipelined
functional units, is considered to be the first vector processor and was capable of executing at
ten Mflops. The IBM 360/91, released during the same period, was roughly twice as fast as the
CDC 660. Early in this third generation, Cambridge University and the University of London
cooperated in the development of CPL (Combined Programming Language, 1963). CPL was,
according to its authors, an attempt to capture only the important features of the complicated
and sophisticated ALGOL. However, like ALGOL, CPL was large with many features that
were hard to learn. In an attempt at further simplification, Martin Richards of Cambridge
developed a subset of CPL called BCPL (Basic Computer Programming Language, 1967). In
1970 Ken Thompson of Bell Labs developed yet another simplification of CPL called simply
B, in connection with an early implementation of the UNIX operating system. comment).
The main characteristics of third generation of computers
• Main electronic component – integrated circuits (ICs)
• Memory – large magnetic core, magnetic tape / disk
• Programming language – high level language (FORTRAN, BASIC, Pascal, COBOL,
C, etc.)
 • Size – smaller, cheaper, and more efficient than second generation computers (they
were called minicomputers).
• Speed – improvement of speed and reliability (in comparison with the second
generation computers).
• Input / output devices – magnetic tape, keyboard, monitor, printer, etc.
• Examples – IBM 360, IBM 370, PDP-11, UNIVAC 1108, etc.
Fourth Generation (1970s-Present)
Large scale integration (LSI - 1000 devices per chip) and very large-scale integration (VLSI -
100,000 devices per chip) were used in the construction of the fourth generation computers.
Whole processors could now fit onto a single chip, and for simple systems the entire computer
(processor, main memory, and I/O controllers) could fit on one chip. Gate delays dropped to
about 1ns per gate. Core memories were replaced by semiconductor memories.
Large main memories like CRAY 2 began to replace the older high speed vector processors,
such as the CRAY 1, CRAY X-MP and CYBER In 1972, Dennis Ritchie developed the C
language from the design of the CPL and Thompson’s B. Thompson and Ritchie then used C
to write a version of UNIX for the DEC PDP-11. Other developments in software include very
high-level languages such as FP (functional programming) and Prolog (programming in logic).
IBM worked with Microsoft during the 1980s to start what we can really call PC (Personal
Computer) life today. IBM PC was introduced in October 1981 and it worked with the
operating system (software) called ‘Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS DOS) 1.0.
Development of MS DOS began in October 1980 when IBM began searching the market for
an operating system for the then proposed IBM PC and major contributors were Bill Gates,
Paul Allen and Tim Paterson. In 1983, the Microsoft Windows was announced, and this has
witnessed several improvements and revision over the last twenty years.
The main characteristics of Fourth generation of computers
• Main electronic component – very large-scale integration (VLSI) and microprocessor.
• VLSI– thousands of transistors on a single microchip.
• Memory – semiconductor memory (such as RAM, ROM, etc.)
• Programming language – high level language (Python, C#, Java, JavaScript, Rust,
Kotlin, etc.).
• A mix of both third- and fourth-generation languages
• Size – smaller, cheaper and more efficient than third generation computers.
 • Speed – improvement of speed, accuracy, and reliability (in comparison with the third
generation computers).
• Examples – IBM PC, STAR 1000, APPLE II, Apple Macintosh, etc.
Sixth Generation (Future and the present)
Most of the developments in computer systems since 1990 have not been fundamental changes
but have been gradual improvements over established systems. This generation brought about
gains in parallel computing in both the hardware and in improved understanding of how to
develop algorithms to exploit parallel architectures. Workstation technology continued to
improve, with processor designs now using a combination of RISC, pipelining, and parallel
processing. Wide area networks, network bandwidth and speed of operation and networking
capabilities have kept developing tremendously. Personal computers (PCs) now operate with
Gigabit per second processors, multi-Gigabyte disks, hundreds of Mbytes of RAM, colour
printers, high-resolution graphic monitors, stereo
sound cards and graphical user interfaces. Thousands of software (operating systems and
application software) are existing today and Microsoft Inc. has been a major contributor.
Finally, this generation has brought about micro controller technology. Micro controllers are
’embedded’ inside some other devices (often consumer products) so that they can control the
features or actions of the product. They work as small computers inside devices and now serve
as essential components in most machines.
The main characteristics of fifth generation of computers
• Main electronic component: based on artificial intelligence, uses the Ultra Large-Scale
Integration (ULSI) technology and parallel processing method.
o ULSI – millions of transistors on a single microchip
o Parallel processing method – use two or more microprocessors to run tasks
simultaneously.
• Language – understand natural language (human language).
• Power – consume less power and generate less heat.
• Speed – remarkable improvement of speed, accuracy and reliability (in comparison
with the fourth generation computers).
• Size – portable and small in size, and have a huge storage capacity.
• Input / output device – keyboard, monitor, mouse, trackpad (or touchpad), touchscreen,
pen, speech
• input (recognise voice / speech), light scanner, printer, etc.
 • Example – desktops, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.
Classification by Size
Computers can be classified according to their capacity. The term ‘capacity’ refers to the
volume of work or the data processing capability a computer can handle. Their performance is
determined by the amount of data that can be stored in memory, speed of internal operation of
the computer, number and type of peripheral devices, amount and type of software available
for use with the computer. The capacity of early generation computers was determined by their
physical size - the larger the size, the greater the volume. Recent computer technology however
is tending to create smaller machines, making it possible to package equivalent speed and
capacity in a smaller format. Computer capacity is currently measured by the number of
applications that it can run rather than by the volume of data it can process. This classification
is therefore done as follows:
Super Computers: The supercomputers are the biggest and fastest machines today and they
are used when billion or even trillions of calculations are required. These machines are applied
in nuclear weapon development, accurate weather forecasting and as host processors for local
computer and time-sharing networks. Super computers have capabilities far beyond even the
traditional large-scale systems. Their speed ranges from 100 million-instruction-per-second to
well over three billion. Because of their size, supercomputers sacrifice a certain amount of
flexibility. They are therefore not ideal for providing a variety of user services. For this reason,
supercomputers may need the assistance of a medium-size general purpose machines (usually
called front-end processor) to handle minor programs or perform slower speed or smaller
volume operation.
A Supercomputer is the very powerful, and expensive type of computer for processing data.
Supercomputers’ size and storage capacity are also huge (can occupy huge premises) designed
to process vast amounts of data in a short time with high productivity. These are specially made
to perform multi-specific tasks multi-specific tasks. Therefore, many CPUs work in parallel
order on these supercomputers. This function of a Supercomputer is called Multiprocessing or
Parallel Processing.
A supercomputer’s design is complicated, like it can be heterogeneous, combining Better Tools
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computers. This made this machine an ultra-high-performance supercomputer. Each part of a
supercomputer is responsible for its own specific task, such as structuring and solving the most
complex problems requiring an incredible number of calculations.
Super Computers
➢ The largest computers are Super Computers.
➢ They are the most powerful, the most expensive, and the fastest.
➢ They are capable of processing trillions of instructions per second.
It uses governmental agencies, such as:
➢ Chemical analysis in laboratory
➢ Space exploration
➢ National Defense Agency
➢ National Weather Service
➢ Bio-Medical research
➢ Design of many other machines
Applications: The uses of supercomputers use of supercomputers are dedicated to:
➢ In research and study of energy and nuclear weapons and designing the aircraft,
airplanes, and flight simulators.
➢ Climate research and Weather Forecasting and Prediction of Natural Disasters.
➢ Spaceship and Satellite Launching.
➢ Used in scientific research laboratories.
➢ Used in Chemical and Biological research and for highly calculation complex tasks.
➢ Examples: IBM Roadburner, IBM Blue Gene, Intel ASI Red. PARAM-1000, and
CRAY-XMP14.
➢ Good to Know Good to Know ~ World’s &rst supercomputer is the Control Data
Corporation Control Data Corporation (CDC) 6600 invented by Seymour Cray.
Mainframe computers are multi-programming, high-performance 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. The storage capacity of the mainframe is enormous,
with a high-speed data process as well. As well as handling hundreds of input and output
devices at a time. The mainframe is a highly efficient computer capable of simultaneously
solving complex calculations and continuously for a long time solving complex calculations
and continuously for a long time. These computers have several microprocessors that have the
ability to function the data at too high performance and speed.
The mainframe is ahead of our conventional modern Personal computers in almost every
metric. The possibility of their “hot” replacement in the mainframe computer ensures
continuity of operation. And the standard amount of processor utilization effortlessly exceeds
85% of the total power. Somehow mainframes can be more powerful than supercomputers
because the mainframe supports many processes simultaneously. On the other hand,
supercomputers can run a single program but faster than a mainframe. In the past, Mainframes
requires entire rooms or even doors of whole buildings for set up. In today, IBM company is
leading the production of mainframe computers. Mainframe reliability is increased reliability
is increased with development in the past 60 years. These computers can &x most of the
hardware and software bugs.
Mainframe Computer
➢ Large computers are called Mainframes.
➢ Mainframe computers process data at very high rates of speed, measured in the millions
of instructions per second.
➢ They are very expensive than microcomputer and minicomputer.
➢ Mainframes are designed for multiple users and process vast amounts of data quickly.
Examples: - Banks, insurance companies, manufacturers, , mail-order companies, and airlines
are typical users.
Applications: Uses of Mainframe Computer:
➢ Mainframe computers are mainly used by departmental and commercial organizations
like Banks, Companies, Scientific research centers, and governmental departments like
railways. These computers can work for 24 hours. Hundreds of users can work on these
computations simultaneously.
➢ Using the mainframe completes the tasks, such as keeping details of payments, research
centres, advertising, sending bills and notices, paying employees, ticket booking,
maintaining details of purchases by users, keeping detailed tax details, etc. Examples:
IBM Es000 series, ICL39 Series, and CDC 6600.
Minicomputers: In the 1960s, the growing demand for a smaller stand-alone machine brought
about the manufacture of the minicomputer, to handle tasks that large computers could not
perform economically. Minicomputer systems provide faster operating speeds and larger
storage capacities than microcomputer systems. Operating systems developed for
minicomputer systems generally support both multiprogramming and virtual storage. This
means that many programs can be run concurrently. This type of computer system is very
flexible and can be expanded to meet the needs of users. Minicomputers usually have from 8k
to 256k memory storage location, and a relatively established application software. The PDP-
8, the IBM systems 3 and the Honeywell 200 and 1200 computer are typical examples of
minicomputers.
Minicomputer is a digital and multi-user digital and multi-user computer system with the
connection of more than one CPU. Thus, many people can work on these computers
simultaneously instead of a single person. Also, it can process with other accessories like a
printer, plotter, etc. Minicomputers are the medium type of computers that have more
functionality power and 14 3400 Laptop Ad 02/09/2021, 2:35 PM Page 7 of 24 are expensive
than microcomputers. On the other hand, the size, storage, and speed of minicomputers are
large but less than large but less than the mainframe and supercomputers.
Minicomputers are made for performing multiple computing tasks at a single point of time,
instead of assigning many microcomputers for a single task, which will be time-consuming and
expensive. In general, a minicomputer is a multi-threaded system (several processes at a time)
capable of supporting from one to up to 200 users simultaneously: these computers are
currently used to store large databases, multi-user applications, and the automation industry.
Applications: The uses of Minicomputers:
The minicomputers are used as real-time applications in Industries, bookings, and Research
Centres. Banks also use minicomputers for preparing payroll for employees’ salaries, records,
tracking of financial accounts, etc. As well as in the &eld of Higher Education and Engineering.
Examples: PDP 11 and IBM (8000 Series).
Good to Know ~ PDP--1 was the world’s first minicomputer, small and interactive, introduced
in 1960 by the Digital Equipment Corporation.
➢ Minicomputer is a small and general-purpose computer.
➢ It is more expensive than a microcomputer.
➢ It has more storage capacity and speed.
➢ It designed to simultaneously handle the needs of multiple users.
Microcomputer Today we are using many computers at home is also the most common
microcomputer. With this invention of the microprocessors in the year 1970, it became possible
to use computers for people personally at a low cost and reasonable price known as Digital
Personal Computer Personal Computer. The design of microcomputers is minimal in size and
storage capacity. These computers consist of many parts like Input and Output devices,
Software, operating systems, networks, and Servers all these need to connect to form a
complete Personal Digital Computer. There is not only a PC or laptop are examples of
microcomputers. Other examples of the microcomputer are smartphone, Tablet, PDA, server,
palmtop, and workstation. This can be installed in any work area or even at home for personal
use.
The primary purpose of microcomputers is to keep and process the everyday tasks and needs
of the people. Only one person can work on a single PC at a time, but its operating system is
multitasking. The PC can be connected to the Internet to take benefits and enhance the user
experience. The development of multimedia, small equipment, optimized energy consumption,
and the LAN made the microcomputers increase in demand for every &eld. The increase in the
demand and need for microcomputers between the people leads to the tremendous development
tremendous development of each part related to the microcomputers.
The Microcomputer has the lowest level capacity. The machine has memories that are generally
made of semiconductors fabricated on silicon chips. Large-scale production of silicon chips
began in 1971 and this has been of great use in the production of microcomputers. The
microcomputer is a digital computer system that is controlled by a stored program that uses a
microprocessor, a programmable read-only memory (ROM) and a random-access memory
(RAM). The ROM defines the instructions to be executed by the computer while RAM is the
functional equivalent of computer memory. The Apple lle, the Radio Shack TRS-80, and the
Genie III are examples of microcomputers and are essentially fourth generation devices.
Microcomputers have from 4k to 64k storage location and are capable of handling small,
single-business application such as sales analysis, inventory, billing and payroll.
➢ Microcomputers are connected to networks of other computers.
➢ The price of a microcomputer varies from each other depending on the capacity and
features of the computer.
➢ Microcomputers make up most computers.
➢ Single user can interact with this computer at a time.
Applications: The uses of Microcomputer:
➢ PC is being widely used in many &elds like home, office, data collection, business,
education, entertainment, publishing, etc.
➢ It keeps the details and prepares letters for correspondence in small businesses, creating
bills, accounting, word processing, and operation of the &ling systems in a large
company.
➢ Some of the major PC manufacturers are IBM, Lenovo, Apple, HCL, HP, etc.
Examples: Desktops, tablets, smartphones, and Laptops.
The fast development of microcomputers with technology. As a result, today, microcomputers
coming in the form of a book, a phone, and even a clock in the name of a digital clock.
Classification by Type
Using this classification technique, computers can be divided into Analog, Digital and Hybrid
systems. They are explained as follows:
Analog Computers: Analog computers were well known in the 1940s although they are now
uncommon. In such machines, numbers to be used in some calculation were represented by
physical quantities - such as electrical voltages. According to the Penguin Dictionary of
Computers (1970), “an analog computer must be able to accept inputs which vary with respect
to time and directly apply these inputs to various devices within the computer which performs
the computing operations of additions, subtraction, multiplication, division, integration and
function generation.” The computing units of analog computers respond immediately to the
changes which they detect in the input variables. Analog computers excel in solving differential
equations and are faster than digital computers.
Example: Thermometer, speedometer.
Digital Computers: Most computers today are digital. They represent information discretely
and use a binary (two-step) system that represents each piece of information as a series of
zeroes and ones. The Pocket Webster School & Office Dictionary (1990) simply defines Digital
computers as “a computer using numbers in calculating.” Digital computers manipulate most
data more easily than analog computers. They are designed to process data in numerical form
and their circuits perform directly the mathematical operations of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division. Because digital information is discrete, it can be copied exactly
but it is difficult to make exact copies of analog information.
Example: Mobile Phones, Laptop.
Hybrid Computers: These are machines that can work as both analog and digital computers.
Example: Gasoline Station, ECG machine, Ultra Sound Machine.

The computer – this amazing technology went from a government/business-only

technology to being everywhere from people’s homes, work places, to people’s pockets in
less than 100 years.