A BRIEF COMPUTER HISTORY

The computer as we know it today had its beginning with a 19th century English mathematics
professor name Charles Babbage. He designed the Analytical Engine and it was this design
that the basic framework of the computers of today are based on. Generally speaking,
computers can be classified into three generations. Each generation lasted for a certain period
of time,and each gave us either a new and improved computer or an improvement to the
existing computer.

First generation: 1937 – 1946 - In 1937 the first electronic digital computer was built by Dr. John
V. Atanasoff and Clifford Berry. It was called the Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC). In 1943 an
electronic computer name the Colossus was built for the military. Other developments
continued until in 1946 the first general– purpose digital computer, the Electronic Numerical
Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) was built. It is said that this computer weighed 30 tons, and
had 18,000 vacuum tubes which was used for processing. When this computer was turned on
for the first time lights dim in sections of Philadelphia. Computers of this generation could only
perform single task, and they had no operating system.

Second generation: 1947 – 1962 - This generation of computers used transistors instead of
vacuum tubes which were more reliable. In 1951 the first computer for commercial use was
introduced to the public; the Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC 1). In 1953 the
International Business Machine (IBM) 650 and 700 series computers made their mark in the
computer world. During this generation of computers over 100 computer programming
languages were developed, computers had memory and operating systems. Storage media
such as tape and disk were in use also were printers for output.

Third generation: 1963 - present - The invention of integrated circuit brought us the third
generation of computers. With this invention computers became smaller, more powerful more
reliable and they are able to run many different programs at the same time. In1980 Microsoft
Disk Operating System (MS-Dos) was born and in 1981 IBM introduced the personal computer
(PC) for home and office use. Three years later Apple gave us the Macintosh computer with its
icon driven interface and the 90s gave us Windows operating system.

As a result of the various improvements to the development of the computer we have seen
the computer being used in all areas of life. It is a very useful tool that will continue to
experience new development as time passes.

Hardware and Software

A computer system consists of two major elements: hardware and software.
Computer hardware is the collection of all the parts you can physically touch.
Computer software, on the other hand, is not something you can touch. Software is a set of
instructions for a computer to perform specific operations. You need both hardware and
software for a computer system to work.
Computer - an electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form,
according to instructions given to it in a variable program.
Types of Computer
CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors
These monitors employ CRT technology, which was used most commonly in the manufacturing
of television screens. With these monitors, a stream of intense high energy electrons is used to
form images on a fluorescent screen. A cathode ray tube is basically a vacuum tube
containing an electron gun at one end and a fluorescent screen at another end.
While CRT monitors can still be found in some organizations, many offices have stopped using
them largely because they are heavy, bulky, and costly to replace should they break. While
they are still in use, it would be a good idea to phase these monitors out for cheaper, lighter,
and more reliable monitors.
LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors
The LCD monitor incorporates one of the most advanced technologies available today.
Typically, it consists of a layer of color or monochrome pixels arranged schematically between
a couple of transparent electrodes and two polarizing filters. Optical effect is made possible
by polarizing the light in varied amounts and making it pass through the liquid crystal layer. The
two types of LCD technology available are the active matrix of TFT and a passive matrix
technology. TFT generates better picture quality and is more secure and reliable. Passive matrix,
on the other hand, has a slow response time and is slowly becoming outdated.
The advantages of LCD monitors include their compact size which makes them lightweight.
They also don’t consume much electricity as CRT monitors, and can be run off of batteries
which makes them ideal for laptops.
Images transmitted by these monitors don’t get geometrically distorted and have little flicker.
However, this type of monitor does have disadvantages, such as its relatively high price, an
image quality which is not constant when viewed from different angles, and a monitor
resolution that is not always constant, meaning any alterations can result in reduced
performance.
LED (light-emitting diodes) monitors
LED monitors are the latest types of monitors on the market today. These are flat panel, or
slightly curved displays which make use of light-emitting diodes for back-lighting, instead of
cold cathode fluorescent (CCFL) back-lighting used in LCDs. LED monitors are said to use much
lesser power than CRT and LCD and are considered far more environmentally friendly.
The advantages of LED monitors are that they produce images with higher contrast, have less
negative environmental impact when disposed, are more durable than CRT or LCD monitors,
and features a very thin design. They also don’t produce much heat while running. The only
downside is that they can be more expensive, especially for the high-end monitors like the new
curved displays that are being released.

Input and Output Devices

input/output device, any of various devices (including sensors) used to enter information and
instructions into a computer for storage or processing and to deliver the processed data to a
human operator or, in some cases, a machine controlled by the computer. Such devices make
up the peripheral equipment of modern digital computer systems.

System Unit - The computer system unit is the enclosure for all the other main interior
components of a computer. It is also called the computer case, computer chassis, or computer
tower. Cases are typically made of steel or aluminum, but plastic can also be used. While most
computer cases are rather dull, black, metal boxes, some manufacturers try to give the unit
some flair with color and special design elements.
Components of a system unit
1. Motherboard – a system core. Actually, it is a heart of computer. Other system
elements are connected to motherboard, and the whole system is managed and
controlled by it. Motherboard contains special chips on which some ICs (Integrated
circuits) are etched.

2. Processor – a computer engine, its brain. CPU (central processing unit) manages most
of computer operations. Processors can be with pins or pin-less. It contains a control
unit and a logic unit.

3. RAM (random access memory) – primarily memory. It storages all data processed by
programs and apps on the computer. There are dynamic and static RAMs.

4. Hard Drive – a system memory that storages data in a form of archives. Here all our
files, folders, operating system, programs, and applications are saved. Hard driver can
be of two type: PATA (Parallel Attachment Packet Interface) and SATA (Serial
Attachment Packet Interface).

5. Video Card (graphics adapter) – with its help the outputs from a computer are
displayed on the screen. Modern video cards support HDMI (high-definition
multimedia interface), VGA (video graphics array) and DVI (digital visual interface).

6. Power Supply – provides every part of PC with electrical power.

Motherboard – a system core. Actually, it is a heart of computer. Other system elements

are connected to motherboard, and the whole system is managed and controlled by it.
Motherboard contains special chips on which some ICs (Integrated circuits) are etched.

Processor Socket

The processor socket is the central piece of a motherboard, usually being located near the
center of the motherboard. It’s also the central piece because it holds the processor – the
brain of your computer.

Power Connectors

No computer component can operate without power, and a motherboard is no exception.

The power connector, commonly a 20 or 24-pin connector, can be situated either near the
right edge of the motherboard, or somewhere close to the processor socket on older
motherboards. This is where the power supply’s main connector gets attached, providing
power to the motherboard and all the other components.
Newer motherboards have an additional 4-pin or 8-pin connector near the processor, used
to supply additional power directly to the processor.

Memory Slots

Located in the upper-right part of the motherboard, the memory slots are used to house the
computer’s memory modules. The number of slots can vary, depending on motherboard,
from 2, in low-end motherboards, all the way up to 8 memory slots, on high-end and gaming
motherboards.

It is important to pay close attention to the type of memory a motherboard supports, in order
to buy the appropriate memory modules. Newer motherboards support DDR3 memory, the
current industry standard memory architecture, but motherboards with DDR2 memory slots
and even DDR1 memory slots are still present on the market. An interesting aspect is that there
are some older motherboard models that supported different types of memory, and usually
come with two DDR1 memory slots and 2 DDR2 memory slots, or two DDR2 slots and two DDR3
slots. These motherboards were great options for people that wanted to upgrade a
motherboard without having to upgrade all the other components as well.

The number of memory slots should be an important criterion to take into account when
choosing a motherboard, as it will determine the maximum amount of memory you can
install. You may plan to take an online course to learn video editing or learn 3d modeling and
rendering from this online course – do you really want to be limited by your motherboard in
the process?

Video Card Slot

This is the type of slot that doesn’t need an explanation, as its name doesn’t leave much
room for interpretation as to what its role is. Coming in the form of a PCI-Express slot on newer
motherboards or AGP on older ones, the video card slot is situated right below the processor.

It is not uncommon for older motherboards, especially those that target the office segment,
to lack this slot, meaning that you won’t be able to install a discrete video card, thus having
to rely on the integrated one. At the opposite pole, high-end gaming motherboards come
with multiple video card slots, allowing the installation of multiple video cards in a SLI or
CrossFire configuration.

Expansion Slots

Expansions have the role of letting you install additional components to enhance or expand
the functionality of your PC. You can install a TV tuner, a video capture card, a better
soundcard, etc. – you get the idea. These ports are located under the video card slot, and
come in the form of PCI slots (on older motherboards) or a scaled-down version of PCI-Express
slots (on newer motherboards). Some motherboards come with both types of expansion slots.
The number of slots is usually dependent on the format of the motherboard – larger
motherboards (full ATX) have more, while smaller formats (micro-ATX) have fewer, if any.
IDE and SATA Ports

IDE and SATA ports are used to provide connectivity for the storage devices and optical
drives. The IDE interface is somewhat outdated, so you shouldn’t be surprised if you see a lot
of new motherboards coming without this type of port. It was replaced by the smaller and
much faster SATA interface, which currently reached its 3 rdrevision, being able to achieve
maximum speeds of up to 600 MB/s, as opposed to the IDE interface, which can reach a
maximum of 133 MB/s.

It is not uncommon for manufacturers to include SATA ports of different revisions, such as two
SATA2 ports and two SATA3 ports. Considering the fact that most optical drives on the market
come with a SATA connector, and these devices are not bandwidth-hungry, using a SATA2
port for an optical drive is perfectly acceptable. In fact, most mechanical hard drives cannot
achieve SATA3 speeds due to mechanical limitations, so unless you plan to use multiple high-
performance solid state drives in your PC, which can benefit of the higher speeds of SATA3,
a combination of SATA2 and SATA3 shouldn’t make much of a difference. If you’re not
familiar with the differences between classical hard drives and solid state drives, check out
this computer essentials online course – you might find out some more interesting information
about computers along the way.

BIOS Chip and Battery

The BIOS chip contains the basic code needed to take your computer through the boot
process, up to the point where the operating system takes over. Since the BIOS code is stored
on a memory chip that needs constant power to function, a battery is also present to keep
the chip powered when the computer is unplugged.

Northbridge and Southbridge

If you have a look at your motherboard, chances are you’ll see a square metal component
somewhere in the lower-right part of the board. This metal component is actually a heatsink,
and its role is to provide thermal protection for the Northbridge – one of the most important
components of a motherboard. The northbridge is responsible for coordinating the data flow
between the memory, the video card and the processor. A secondary chip, known as
Southbridge, has a similar function, coordinating the data flow between the processor and
peripherals such as sound cards or network cards.

Front Panel Connectors, USB Headers and Audio Header

The front panel connector is where all the elements present on the front of your case are
connected. Power button, reset button, power led, audio connectors and USB connectors –
they are all connected to the front panel or the corresponding headers.
Rear Connectors

These connectors are the bridge between the outside of your computer and the inside. The
name is a bit misleading, as the connectors are actually located on the left edge of the
motherboard; however, since these connectors are accessible from the outside, the name
simply implies where they are accessible from – the rear of the PC case. External peripherals
such as keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers and so on are all connected via these
connectors.

Windows Desktop - Desktop Window Manager (DWM, previously Desktop Compositing

Engine or DCE) is the window manager in Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8 and
Windows 10 that enables the use of hardware acceleration to render the graphical user
interface of Windows.

Keyboard(Computer) - In computing, a computer keyboard is a typewriter-style device[1] which

uses an arrangement of buttons or keys to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches.
Following the decline of punch cards and paper tape, interaction via teleprinter-style keyboards
became the main input method for computers.
Keyboard keys (buttons) typically have characters engraved or printed on them, and each press
of a key typically corresponds to a single written symbol. However, producing some symbols may
require pressing and holding several keys simultaneously or in sequence. While most keyboard keys
produce letters, numbers or signs (characters), other keys or simultaneous key presses can produce
actions or execute computer commands.
In normal usage, the keyboard is used as a text entry interface for typing text and numbers into
a word processor, text editor or any other program. In a modern computer, the interpretation of
key presses is generally left to the software. A computer keyboard distinguishes each physical key
from every other key and reports all key presses to the controlling software. Keyboards are also used
for computer gaming — either regular keyboards or keyboards with special gaming features, which
can expedite frequently used keystroke combinations. A keyboard is also used to give commands
to the operating system of a computer, such as Windows' Control-Alt-Delete combination, which
brings up the system security options screen. A command-line interface is a type of user
interface navigated entirely using a keyboard, or some other similar device that does the job of
one.