In this article, I will give you an introduction to the computer as the first part to learn computer technology.
What is a computer?
A computer is an electronic device (digital) that stores, retrieves, and processes the data, and can be programmed with instructions. A computer is composed of hardware and software and can exist in a variety of sizes and configurations. A computer is a physical device that takes data as input, transforms this data by running a stored program, and generates information about multiple devices.
The use of the computer is no longer optional. In companies, the computer has been used for a while to prolong human capabilities to make their jobs. In this age of information, the company strongly depends on digital information resulting from the processing of the computer.
Generation of computers
IT technology has undergone major progress over the last 8 decades. IT historians have attempted to classify the different technological advances in "generations", that is, eras of computing technology grouped by age and technological advancement. Although the exact number of generations is unclear, the best known that has led to the development of modern computers include:
First-generation 1946 - 1958
A first-generation computer has been able to perform a one-day computer task that would require a 300-day manual operation. They used vacuum tubes instead of relays and had a weight of about 30 tons. They covered 15,000 square feet of ground space and were used more than 18,000 vacuum tubes. Due to the use of vacuum tubes, first-generation computers have created a lot of heat during treatment. The demand for a cooling system (air conditioning) was high. They used the storage of perforated card data.
The rate of treatment was measured in terms of milliseconds (thousandths of one second (1/1000). In this generation, computers were huge, slow, and expensive. They were very unreliable, necessitated a lot of power to run, and produce so much heat that adequate air conditioning was essential to protect the parts of the computer.
Second generation: 1959 - 1964
In the second generation, transistors were used instead of vacuum tubes. The transistors were able to conduct electricity more quickly and efficiently than the vacuum tubes I.e. A transistor could work with about 40 vacuum tubes. The transistors were cheaper, were faster, smaller, more reliable and accurate, required less power, and generated less heat. Thus, the prices of computers have dropped. The processing speeds and storage capacity of the computer have increased due to the use of small and durable transistors. During this period, high-speed card readers, printers, and magnetic units were also introduced.
The processing speeds were measured in millionths of a second (microseconds). Symbolic languages (editing languages) were used instead of the language and compiler languages started.
The first generations of computers have been possible due to vacuum tubes, while the second generations depended on the use of transistors.
Third generation (1964 - 1970)
In the third generation of the computer, small integrated circuits (ICS) were introduced. Consumers have had a low cost, high reliability, small size, low power consumption, and rapid speed of transistors. This led to the development of minicomputers.
The processing speeds were in terms of nanoseconds (millionth of a second). The use of Operating even and computers were able to perform many different programs at the same time.
Fourth generation (1971-1984)
In the fourth generation, Large Scale Integration (LSI) and Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) were introduced. They used a silicon chip in which the entire computer (processor, main memory, and I / O controllers) can fit on a single chip. Since the chip of the microprocessor is very small, the price is getting lower and lower, which is why even the computers keep on shrinking in size and getting cheaper year by year. Microcomputers were introduced in this generation. Computers of all sizes and for all purposes have been made using the silicon chip. In 1982, the laptop computer was invented. The introduction of programming languages like Prolog, C ++, C, and object-oriented C, C ++, Java, etc., has also been introduced.
Fifth Generation: Computers of Tomorrow: (1985 to present)
While generations 0 to 4 are reasonably well defined, the scope of the fifth generation of computer technology is still active. Many IT innovations are taking place in the IT world. The main problems are parallel processing and networking. The fifth-generation is seen as more conceptual than real. It includes artificial intelligence (AI) and the use of robotic systems. Robots don't tire, they don't eat, they don't even demand a salary, they don't go on strike, and they don't care about benefits.