CPS 111 – Introduction to Information Communication Technology

1. CPS 111 – Introduction to Information Communication Technology Lecture 1 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS Lecturer: Mr. B. SINGHATEH 1

2. CPS 111 Class Syllabus may be Subject to Change 2

3. What is your Previous Experience with Computers? • How often do you use a computer? • What are the main reasons you use a computer? • Why do you want to learn more about computers? • What else do you already know about computers? 3

4. Computers are Everywhere: At work, at school and at home • Work • Email, memos and letters • Numerical and financial analysis • School • Instructions and grading • Assignments and research • Home • Play games and surf the internet • Communicate with friends and family How many people have a computer in their home? School? Work? Other locations? 4

5. A computer is… • A collection of hardware components that function together as a system • An electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory, that can… • Accept data (input) • Process the data according to specified rules (process) • Produce results (output) • Store results for future use (storage) 5

6. Information processing cycle is comprised of four basic operations • Information processing cycle: Input, process, output and storage • People who use computers directly are called computers users or end users 6

7. Why are computers so powerful? • A computer derives its power from its • Capability to perform the information processing cycle with amazing speed, reliability (low failure rate), and accuracy • Capacity to store huge amounts of data and information • Ability to communicate with other computers 7

8. How does a computer know what to do? • Software – Set of instructions used to tell a computer what to do (computer program) • E.g. Microsoft Windows and Office etc. • Hardware – A physical component of a computer • E.g. keyboard, monitor, etc. How many other examples of hardware and software can you think of? 8

9. There are six major components of a computer • Input devices – Hardware components that allow you to enter data, programs, commands and user responses to a computer • Processor (central processing unit, CPU) – Interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer • Memory (random access memory, RAM) – Electronic components that temporarily store instructions waiting to be executed by the processor Can you give an example of these components? 9

10. There are six major components of a computer • Output devices – Make the information resulting from processing available for use • Storage devices – Store instructions, data and information when they are not being used in memory • Communication devices – Enables user to send (transmit) and receive data, instructions and information to and from one or more computers Can you give an example of these components? 10

11. The processor, memory and storage devices are called the system unit Processor Communication Devices Instructions Data Information Data Information Input Devices Memory Output Devices Instructions Data Information Storage Devices 11

12. Introduction of personal computer • What is a computer? • Brief history of the computer • Market competitors • Future innovations 12

13. The first computers were people! • Electronic computers were given this name because they performed the work that had previously been assigned to people • "Computer" was originally a job title: it was used to describe those human beings (predominantly women) whose job it was to perform repetitive calculations 13

14. The next breakthrough occurred in America as a result of the 1880 census • The U.S. Constitution states that a census should be taken of all U.S. citizens every 10 years • While the very first census of 1790 had only required 9 months, by 1880 the U.S. population had grown so much that the count for the 1880 census took 7.5 years • The census bureau offered a prize for an inventor to help with the 1890 census and this prize was won by Herman Hollerith 14

15. The Harvard Mark I computer was the first programmable digital computer • One early success was the Harvard Mark I computer which was built as a partnership between Harvard and IBM in 1944 • The machine weighed 5 tons, incorporated 500 miles of wire, was 8 feet tall and 51 feet long, and had a 50 ft rotating shaft running its length, turned by a 5 horsepower electric motor 15

16. Harvard Mark I computer 16

17. Harvard Mark I computer 17

18. The microelectronics revolution • The microelectronics revolution is what allowed the amount of hand-crafted wiring seen in the prior photo to be mass-produced as an integrated circuit which is a small sliver of silicon the size of your thumbnail 18

19. Advantages of an integrated circuit • The primary advantage of an integrated circuit is not that the transistors are miniscule but rather that millions of transistors can be created and interconnected in a mass-production process • All the elements on the integrated circuit are fabricated simultaneously • This speeds up the process of fabricating the computer -- and hence reduces its cost 19

20. Computers had been around for 20 years before the first microprocessor was developed at Intel in 1971 • Invention of the microprocessor. A microprocessor (mp) is a computer that is fabricated on an integrated circuit (IC) • The micro in the name microprocessor refers to the physical size. Intel didn't invent the electronic computer. But they were the first to succeed in fitting an entire computer on a single chip (IC) 20

21. The Beginnings of Microsoft • A Harvard freshman, Bill Gates, decided to drop out of college so he could concentrate all his time writing programs with his childhood friend Paul Allen • Since they didn't actually have one, Allen worked on a simulator while Gates developed the interpreter • The interpreter worked flawlessly when they demonstrated the interpreter to MITS • MITS agreed to distribute it and Gates and Allen officially established Microsoft on April 4, 1975 21

22. The Beginnings of Apple • Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak are building and selling "blue boxes" in Southern California in 1971 • 1977: Apple is selling its Apple II for $1,195, including 16K of RAM but no monitor • Jobs and several Apple employees visited Xerox PARC in 1979. They were granted three days of access in return for the option to buy 100,000 shares of Apple. Jobs was immediately convinced that all future computers would use a graphical user interface. 22

23. Apple is selling its Apple II for $1,195, including 16K of RAM but no monitor 23

24. Microsoft and Apple became market leaders in the 1980’s and 1990’s • By 1980 Apple has captured 50% of the personal computer market • In 1980 Microsoft is approached by IBM to develop BASIC for its personal computer project • The IBM PC is released in August, 1981 • The Apple Macintosh debuts in 1984 (has a built-in 9-inch B/W screen) • Microsoft Windows 1.0 ships in November, 1985 • Microsoft's sales for 1989 reach $1 billion, the first year to do so 24

25. Historically, strong market competition has been a large driver of innovation • Microsoft vs. Apple What do the names Microsoft and Apple mean to you? 25

26. What are some trends that you see in the computer market today? • Wireless technology • Touch screen • Information access (kindle, face book, constant availability, etc.) • Speed and size of memory • Mobility • …? What innovations and trends do you foresee in the future? 26