Some interesting facts about computers & its Operating
Systems
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The first digital computers were developed between 1940 to 1945.
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Konrad Zuse, In 1941 developed “Z3”,
the first modern computing machine.
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Konrad Zuse is regarded as “the
inventor of computers”.
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ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator & Computer) was
the first US-built electronic computer.
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ENIAC was developed by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert.
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The world’s first stored-program computer was “Manchester Baby”
developed in 1948.
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The “Manchester Baby” was a small-scale experimental computer
developed in Victoria university of Manchester.
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In the 1st generation
of computers, Computers were built with vacuum tubes.
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In 1957, FORTRAN (Formula Translator) was introduced.
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Computers were built with Transistors in the 2nd generation
of computers.
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In the 3rd generation
of computers, Transistors were replaced with Integrated Circuits.
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In the 4th generation
of computers, Microprocessors were used to built Computers.
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In 1981, IBM PC with Intel processors and MS-Dos were
introduced.
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In 1984, Macintosh Computers were introduced.
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In 1985, Microsoft Windows GUI was introduced.
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In 1989, Intel 486 computers were introduced.
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In 1990, Windows 3.0 operating System for PCs was launched.
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In 1991, the World Wide Web was introduced to the general
public.
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In 1991, Linux operating was developed.
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In 1993, Intel’s Pentium was introduced.
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In 1995, windows 95 operating system was made released.
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In June, 1996 Windows 4.0 operating system was released.
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On February 17, 2000, Windows 2000 was released.
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Windows XP was released on 25th October,
2001.
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On November 30th, 2006
Windows Vista was released.
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On July 22nd 2009,
Windows 7 was introduced.
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On Windows 8, the successor of Windows 7 was released on October
28th, 2012.
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"Computer
system" redirects here. For other uses, see Computer
(disambiguation) and Computer system (disambiguation).
Computer
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Computers and computing devices from different
eras
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·
A computer is
a device that can be instructed to carry out arbitrary sequences
of arithmetic or logical operations automatically. The ability of computers to
follow generalized sets of operations, called programs, enables them to perform an extremely wide range of tasks.
·
Such computers are
used as control systems for a very wide variety of industrial and consumer devices. This includes simple special purpose devices
like microwave ovens and remote controls, factory devices such as industrial robots and computer
assisted design, but also in general
purpose devices like personal computers and mobile devices such as smartphones. The Internet is run on computers and it connects millions of other
computers.
·
Since ancient times,
simple manual devices like the abacus aided people in doing calculations. Early in the Industrial Revolution, some mechanical devices were built to
automate long tedious tasks, such as guiding patterns for looms. More sophisticated
electrical machines did specialized analog calculations in the early 20th century.
The first digital electronic calculating machines were
developed during World War II. The speed, power, and versatility of computers has increased
continuously and dramatically since then.
·
Conventionally, a
modern computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a central processing
unit (CPU), and some
form of memory. The processing element carries out
arithmetic and logical operations, and a sequencing and control unit can change
the order of operations in response to stored information. Peripheral devices include input devices (keyboards, mice, joystick,
etc.), output devices (monitor screens, printers, etc.), and input/output
devices that perform both functions (e.g., the 2000s-era touchscreen). Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an
external source and they enable the result of operations to be saved and
retrieved.
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Computer
Classification: By Size and Power
·
Most people associate
a personal computer (PC) with the phrase computer. A PC is
a small and relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual use. PCs
are based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers to put an
entire CPU on one chip.
·
Personal computers at
home can be used for a number of different applications including games, word
processing, accounting and other tasks.
·
Computers are
generally classified by size and power as follows, although there is
considerable overlap. The differences between computer classifications
generally get smaller as technology advances, creating smaller and more
powerful and cost-friendly components.
·
· Personal computer: a small, single-user computer based on a
microprocessor. In addition to the microprocessor, a personal computer has a
keyboard for entering data, a monitor for displaying information, and a storage
device for saving data.
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· Workstation: a powerful, single-user computer. A workstation
is like a personal computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a
higher-quality monitor.
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· Minicomputer: a multi-user computer capable of supporting from
10 to hundreds of users simultaneously.
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· Mainframe: a powerful multi-user computer capable of
supporting many hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously.
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· Supercomputer: an extremely fast
computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per second.
