Computer Basics

Study Notes

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.