Computer Basics

Computer Definition and Function

• A computer is a machine that can be programmed to automatically carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations.

Computer Capabilities

• Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs.
• These programs enable computers to perform a wide range of tasks.

Computer System

• A computer system may refer to a nominally complete computer that includes the hardware, operating system, software, and peripheral equipment needed and used for full operation.
• A computer system can also refer to a group of computers that are linked and function together, such as a computer network or computer cluster.

Industrial and Consumer Products

• A broad range of industrial and consumer products use computers as control systems.
• Examples include simple special-purpose devices like microwave ovens and remote controls, and factory devices like industrial robots.

General-Purpose Devices

• Computers are at the core of general-purpose devices such as personal computers and mobile devices like smartphones.

Internet and Networking

• Computers power the Internet, which links billions of computers and users.

History of Computers

• Early computers were meant to be used only for calculations.
• Simple manual instruments like the abacus have aided people in doing calculations since ancient times.

Development and Revolution

• Early in the Industrial Revolution, some mechanical devices were built to automate long, tedious tasks.
• The first digital electronic calculating machines were developed during World War II, both electromechanical and using thermionic valves.
• The first semiconductor transistors in the late 1940s were followed by the silicon-based MOSFET (MOS transistor) and monolithic integrated circuit chip technologies in the late 1950s.
• This led to the microprocessor and the microcomputer revolution in the 1970s.
• The speed, power, and versatility of computers have been increasing dramatically ever since, with transistor counts increasing at a rapid pace (Moore's law noted that counts doubled every two years).
• This led to the Digital Revolution during the late 20th to early 21st centuries.