PC TECH PLANET: COMPUTER A Brief History

The history of computers is very long. Human beings always try to find ways to make their work easier and faster. Previously they did not have to perform complex calculations. As they began to change their lifestyle and their needs grew more and more they had to calculate much more complex calculations and the need for better calculating devices arose. Some of the devices which was developed are being described here.

• ABACUS : ABACUS was the first calculating device which was invented in China about 3000 years ago. It was used for counting. ABACUS consists of wooden frame in which wires are attached and beads are stung on these wires. Calculations were done by moving beads up and down. It is still used in some of the countries.
• PASCAL'S ADDING MACHINE : This was the first mechanical device made from gears, wheels and dials. This was invented by Blaise Pascal, a young Frenchman in 1642. It was used to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
• JACQUARD'S LOOM : Jacquard was a weaver who invented automatic loom. This loom used punched cards to produce and designs on a cloth.

• CHARLES BABBAGE ENGINE : in 1833, Charles Babbage invented an engine called Differential Engine on which modern computers are based. This machine was able to do all the calculations like subtraction, division, and multiplication automatically. Charles Babbage is called as father of computers.
• MARKS-I : It was the first electromechanical computer developed by Professor Haward Aiken of Harvard University in 1944. Mark-I was the first machine which could perform automatically, according to the instructions without any manual interference. This machine performed three addition operations, one subtraction operation and one multiplication operation per second.
• ENIAC : ELECTRONIC NUMERICAL INTEGRATION AND CALCULATOR, popularly known as ENIAC was developed by J.P. Eckert and J. Mauchty in 1946. It was the first electronic and digital computer. This could perform calculations at a very high speed , was huge in size and needed a large amount of power which produced a lot of heat.
• UNIVAC-1 : UNIVERSAL AUTOMATIC COMPUTER-1, was the first commercial computer by United States. It was effectively, an updated version of ENIAC. Data could be input using magnetic computer tape. It also used vacuum tubes.

PC TECH PLANET: Anatomy of digital computer

We should keep in mind that a computer is a programmable machine. The two main characteristics of a computer are:

• It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner.
• It can execute a pre-recorded list of instructions (a program). Modern computers are electronic and digital.

The actual machinery - wires, transistors and circuits is called hardware; the instructions and data are called software. All general purpose computers require the following hardware components:

• Central Processing Unit (CPU): The ‘brain’ of the computer, the component that actually executes instructions.
• Memory : It enables a computer to store, at least temporarily, data and programs.
• Input device : Usually a keyboard or mouse is used to read data and programs into the computer.
• Output device: A display screen, printer, etc. that lets you see what the computer has accomplished.
• Mass storage device: It allows a computer to permanently store large amounts of data. Common mass storage devices include disk drive and tape drive.

In addition to these components, many others make it possible for the basic components of a computer to work together efficiently.

PC TECH PLANET: What is a Computer?

A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or "data" in discrete units and performs arithmetical and logical operations at a very high speed. It can store, retrieve, and process data.It processes data according to a set of instructions.

A computer can be used to create documents, send emails, and browse the internet. It is used  to handle spreadsheets, accounting, database management, presentations, games, and more. It can be also used as an entertainment device as you can play movies, hear songs ,play video games and so on.  Thus a computer has a lot of applications in our life.

A Computer consists of two basic parts:

• Hardware is any part of your computer that has a physical structure, such as monitor,mouse or keyboard.
• Software is the set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do.It tells a hardware how to accomplish each task. Some examples of software are web browsers, games, and word processors such as Microsoft Word.

The first electronic computer, was the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC) developed in 1946. It took up 1,800 square feet and weighed 30 tons.