Introduction to Computer System and Its History

The verb compute, which meaning to calculate, is the root of the term "computer." The computer was formerly only employed as a tool for performing arithmetic calculations. But today, computers are employed to tackle a wide range of problems in every industry and facet of our daily lives. A computer is an electronic device that consumes data for information and manipulates it to produce results, to put it precisely. A computer has the ability to store data and information, much like human physiology does. A computer can be programmed, meaning that it depends entirely on the software it is running. A program is a set of guidelines that tells the computer "what to do." Hardware for computers is made to be as adaptable as feasible.One can turn this adaptable hardware into tools for a particular purpose by employing software, which is a type of computer program. Regardless of the application being used, a computer only has the ability to carry out the four basic functions depicted in figure. The following operations are included in the definitions of computers that are the most generally used.

• Input: A computer accepts data input via a mouse, keyboard, scanner, and other input devices.
• Processing: A computer carries out operations on data to somehow change it into information.
• Output: A computer generates output through devices like a printer and a monitor that display the outcomes of processing activities.
• Storage: For later use, a computer saves the outcomes of processing processes to storage media.

Definitions:

• A computer is an electronic device that uses data or information that has been digitally altered and manipulates it to produce a result according to a set of predetermined instructions.
• A computer is an input-output device that transforms unprocessed data into information and stores that information in storage devices for later use.

A computer is used for many tasks, including creating grocery bills and bank ATMs. It is also utilized by writers, television producers, singers, educators, poets, graphic illustrators, scholars, and other professionals for a variety of tasks. A computer can be used in a variety of disciplines, including business, medicine, education, engineering, the military, government, music, and film, among others.

Characteristics of Computers:

Computers are clever machines that carry out tasks accurately, quickly, and efficiently. This extra free time can be employed for activities requiring creativity and judgment. The following are some traits that computers frequently have:

• Automatic Machine
• High processing speed
• High accuracy
• High storage capacity
• Repetitiveness
• Versatility
• Diligence
• Consistency
• Arithmetical and logical operations
• Communications

Even though computers are now the most powerful instrument, they operate on the 'Garbage In, Garbage Out' premise. It acts entirely according to the directions we give. If we don't tell it how to do something, it can't do anything.

History:

A man's stock of cows, sheep, goats, and horses might be calculated at first using stones, thread knots, sticks, and other simple tools. With the passage of time, various calculating gadgets have advanced the computation process. Modern computers have finally advanced today.

Abacus (3000 BC):

Abacuses are mathematical instruments with a rectangular frame, a number of rods or wires, and a disk. Each of these rods is divided into two separate parts by a central bar. For calculations, the rods and disk are movable up and down on a series of sticks or strings inside a typically wooden frame. The abacus is merely a tool or machine for aiding human computation of huge numbers by remembering what has been counted; it does not compute itself.

Pascal’s Calculator (16th centaury):

Pascal's calculator, also known as the Pascaline, was created by French scientist Blaise Pascal in 1642 and is regarded as the first mechanical calculator. Only the digits can be added and subtracted with this mechanical calculator. Pascal employed a wheel with ten gears, each wheel mounted close to the next. It was particularly effective in the design of its carry mechanism, which adds 1 to 9 on one gear and carries 1 to the following gear when it shifts from 9 to 0. His work on this allowed many carriers to flow quickly from one digit to the next regardless of the machine's capacity by separating each digit from the condition of the others.

Babbage’s Analytical Engine and Differential Engine (1833 and 1812):

The Differential Engine was created by English mathematician and computer pioneer Charles Babbage. It is based on a table of differences between integers in squares. He intends to use the method of differences to calculate polynomial functions, but such a machine would require hundreds of gears, shafts, and counters. He spent the full ten years working on his difference engine until losing interest in 1833 due to a better concept. His fresh concept was the creation of a mechanical counting computer that could be programmed for any purpose. "Analytical Engine" is how Babbage referred to his device.

The concept of the analytical engine was seen as a significant development in the history of the creation of the modern computer. This concept makes the vision of a modern computer come true in our minds. This computer could calculate up to twenty decimal places at a rate of around 60 additions per minute while operating on some sort of charge. It could also store information, make judgments, and execute instructions depending on those decisions.

Babbage simply designed the analytical engine; it was never constructed due to the lack of exact technical part production capability. The dream could not come true in his lifetime. As a result of his achievements, he was recognized as the father of the computer.