The word computer is derived from Greek word compute. The meaning of compute is calculation. Computer is an electronic programmed device, which is use to process huge amount of raw data into a meaningful form which is called information/result or output.
• Charles Babbage was known as the father of computer
• Lady Ada Lovelace was known as the mother of computer.
What is processing?
Processing is a Technique which mixes raw data in a discipline manner and arranges them in an organized form.
The computer processing have 3 steps.
• Input
• Process
• Output
What is data?
Data can be defined as the collection of facts and figures of any set that are process to produce in the meaningful form in shape of numbers, words, symbols, graphics….etc.
High bar data can be divided by two types.
1. Qualitative data (character)
2. Quantitative data (numeric)
What is information?
When data is converted into useful form or meaningful form is called information. Very shortly you can say that the process of data is called information.
Information is divided into 4 types.
1. Classifying
2. Calculating
3. Shorting
4. Summarizing
Advantages of computer
• Better job opportunities.
• Better service to the people.
• Benefit at working place.
• Better efficiency and increased productivity.
• Faster information retrieval.
• Improvements in the quality of product.
• Highest memory capacity.
Limitation of computer
• Depends on human instruction.
The computer does what it is programmed, nothing else. It always depends on user. So it is dependable. That means computer always depends on human instruction or command
• Lake of common sense
Computer do not have common sense. They operate in a way in which they are programmed to operate. They do not have their own logic.
• Inability to correct
The computer can only process jobs, which can be expressed. Whatever instruction you give should correct. Computer has no capacity to correct it. If the instruction is incorrect the result will also be incorrect.
• Need of special language.
Computer can only understand one language that is binary language. For which computer cannot understand any other language.
• Inability to judge
Computer has no judging power it always depends on user’s judgement.
History of computer
• ABACUS
This was the first mechanical device develop in about 3500 BC. A modern ABACUS consists of wooden frame with beads on parallel wires and cross bar oriented by moving appropriate beads represent various number ABACUS could perform simple addition and subtraction.
The ABACUS is still used in china, japan and India.
• Pascal’s adding machine
This device introduced by Bless Pascal known as Pascal’s adding machine in the year 1642, which was operated by dialing wheels. It could add and subtract automatically carrying and burying digits from column to column.
• Punch card
The great Mathematician Joseph Marry Jacquard developed and automatic weaving system/ machine in the year 1801 using fiber cards with punched holes. This was the beginning of the concept of punch cards, later on Herman borrowed the concept to build a device known as senses machine, which was first use to tabulate censor data in the year 1890.
This invention used by world’s largest company IBM (International Business Machine Corporation).
• Analytical engine
In the year 1883 the great mathematician Charles Babbage develop the concept of analytical engine. This machine could perform arithmetic operations for any mathematical problem on data reading from punch card.
• MARK-1
In the year 1934 Howard Professor G.Evan build an automatic calculating machine which was called MARK-1 digital computer. Its internal operations were automatically control.
• ENIAC
ENIAC, it stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator. It has the capacity to do 300 multiplications per second making it 300 times faster than any other machine of the era.
• UNIVAC
UNIVAC stands for Universal Automatic Computer, It was the first commercial data processing machine, which was developed in the year 1951 and used in U.S. Bureau.
Functions of computer
There are mainly two special branch in computer function.
• Computer hardware
• Computer software