What is a computer? Definition of computer

Hello friends and welcome to NayaSeekhon. Today we will know what is computer and when and how it was invented? I hope there is hardly anyone in the world who has not heard the name of the word Computer till now. You will also keep all the information about the computer, but do you see this unique electronic machine just like a computer used in home and office. It may be that the definition of the word computer is too small for you, but I want to tell you in one thing that a computer is not just a device, but it is like a magical gem developing today’s mordern technology.

 

Just think, today you contact a person in another country sitting at home through mobile. Watch any program on television as per your wish. With a simple card, you withdraw money from anywhere. Now you do not even have to go out to do shopping. Because of which such facilities have been possible and no matter how much impossible is going to happen in future, no one knows.

So if you think that computer is not a thing worth knowing, then you are totally wrong. I can assure you that if you understand closely what is computer, then it will not take long for you to understand today’s technology. I am saying this because there is as much development at the level of technology. All of them are the result of experiments done on this machine.

Perhaps now you have understood that I am not going to tell about a device, but actually what is a computer? I am going to give full information about this. If you are an IT student then this post will be very informative for you. So let’s start this post and know what is computer?

Table of contents

What is a computer?

What is a computer? In simple words, “Computer” is an electronic device, which performs various types of arithmetic and logical tasks. The computer organizes many types of data appropriately using various types of instructions. If this is to be explained in easy words, then a computer is an electronic device that receives input from a user, then performs processing based on that input and provides the collected result as output.

Different computer programs are made to work in one way of computer. Today, in every place, computers are used, such as for industrial and customer devices, and all the technical devices available with you, even all the developmental and productive work done by computers in the world. A special type of programing is done to do their work.

Initial computers were only recognized as calculating devices. This simple manual device used to help us in conducting the census. But in the recent past, there has been a lot of development in this field, due to which you can see a computer in this form today.

If you want to understand how a calculating device becomes today’s mordern computer. So for this you will have to read the history of computer, this will give you a more in-depth knowledge about today’s computer.

history of computer

According to books, the history of computer started from about 1940 but if you consider it as a computer machine rather than hitech machine today, its history is about 3000 years old. Probably many of you will not be interested to know such old history, but the truth is, without understanding how a simple machine is a modern day computer, it is incomplete to know what a computer is.

The history of computers begins when Abacus was developed. It is a mechanical device. The functions like adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing from Abacus were easily done. Looking at this device in 1645, a Mathematician from France named Blaise paskal invented a mechanical digital calculator named Pascaline Pascline. This machine could only add and subtract. This technique is also used today in odometer of trains. This machine is also called Adding machine.

The development of the computer took a flight when in 1801 Joseph Marie Jacquard, a French weaver, invented a loom that could design different patterns in clothes. Its special point was that it did not require any external help to design in clothes. It used to give patterns to clothes itself. All these patterns were controlled by cardboard card punch cards.

Seeing the model of this punch card helped a lot in the development of the computer. This led to the conclusion that any information can be stored in a device like a punchcard and they can also be used as instructions for performing any work.

The best era of computer history came when English mathematicians had to face a lot of difficulty in calculating based on manual arrays. In 1882, Charles Babbage built a mechanical calculating machine to solve these problems. This machine was named Analytical engine.

This powerful machine was capable of many calculations. It could also store the information in a punchcard and the store also used to work on the information. This Analytical engine machine became the origin of the mordern computer itself. Now if you have a question, who is the father of computer? So the answer is Charles Babbage. Because of this invention, he was also called Father of Computer.

Although initially people did not consider this machine to be of any use. But Ada Augusta, the daughter of the famous poet Lord Byron, supported Charles Babbage and helped him in computer development. He is also called the first computer programmer of the science world. The programing language ‘Ada’ is also named after him.

An important turning point in the development of computers came when Herman Hellerith, an American teacher, founded a tabulating machine to conduct the US census in the 1840s. This machine was very fast to calculate. This Hellerith machine operated punch cards by electricity. The mordern punch cards made for the machine were later painted and the Tabulating machine company was established in 1896.

By 1940, electro mechanical computing had developed greatly. In 1944 Howard Aiken, together with I.B.M Scientist, built the world’s first electro mechanical computer. Which was named Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator. After it was built, it was taken to Howard University where it was named Mark-1. The total weight of this computer was 4500 kg. Its capacity was 1 times in 6 seconds and 1 part in 12 seconds. After this, frequent experiments were done in it.

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Eventually, between 1937 and 1942, John Vincent Atanasoff and Clifford Berry built the world’s first digital computer and named it the Atanasoff-Berry Computer, although this computer did not gain much fame and in 1960 I relaunched it in a new form. This is the history of computers that is not talked about much. But these people have the biggest hand in making a computer so complete.

Now it starts after this, the fastest development of computer which we also called Generation of Computer. So let’s see what was special about which generation computer.

Generations of computers

First Generation: 1946 – 1956

The first generation began in 1946 when John Mouchly and Eckent developed the first generation Computer Eniac (ENIAC). Vacuum tubes were used in this computer. The first generation computers were based on punchcards. They used a magnetic drum for memory. Only machine language and assembly language could be used for programing. Many air conditioners were used to cool computers. They were quite large in size. They had 1000 circuits in one cubic feet. Some first generation computers like ENIAC, EDVAC, UNIVAC, IBM etc.

 

Second Generation: 1956 – 1964

Second generation computers started using transistor instead of vacuum tubes. Storage devices, printers and operating systems were used in them. They were much smaller than the first generation computers and also cost less to maintain and operate. High-level language like Cobol and Fortran started being used. Now 1 lakh circuits took place in one Cubic feet. Some second generation computers like IBM, CDC UNIVAC etc.

Third Generation: 1964 – 1971

The third generation was better than the previous two generations. Because integrated circuit was developed here. The IC significantly reduced the size of the computer. Now computers were very hot. Remote processing, time sharing, multiprogramming operation system started being used in third generation computers. High-level languages ​​such as Fortran, Cobol and pascal etc. were used during this generation. There were about 1 crore circuits in 1 sqft in this generation. Some third generation computers like IBM, Honey Well, PDP, TDC etc.

Fourth Generation: 1971 – 1980

The fourth generation which started in 1971, these computers used very large scale integrated circuits (VLSI). The VLSI Circuit consisted of about 5000 transistors and other circuit elements with circuits connected on a single chip. This made it possible to have a Micro Computer in the fourth generation. This generation of computers became more powerful, compact, reliable and affordable than the previous generation. Fourth Generation gave us personal computer.

High-level languages ​​like C, C ++, D Base etc. were used in this generation. Now Arbo circuits came in one square foot of it. In this generation, time sharing, real time network, oprating system were used. Some fourth generation computers like DEC 10, STAR 1000, PDP 11, CRAY-1, CRAY-X-MP etc.

Fifth Generation: Since 1980

The fifth generation started from 1980 till now. In this generation VLSI technology has been changed to ULSI (Ultra large scale integration). This generation is based on Parallel processing hardware and Artificial intelligence (AI). Its purpose is that the computer can solve any difficulty and think like a human. Computers of this generation have become much smaller in size. All high-level languages ​​such as C and C ++, Java, .Net etc. are used in this generation. Some computers of the fifth generation Desktop, Laptop, Notebook, Ultrabook, Chromebook etc.

The beginning of the computer age in India

The computer era in our country India began in 1952. When the Indian Statistical Institute established an Analog Computer. India then established its first Digital Computer HEC-2M in 1956 after which India became the second country in Asia to adopt computer technology. In 1958 another computer URAL was installed at ISI. After this, India went on to adopt the new technologies of Computer. Today, India is a developmental country because of this.

Types of computers

Computer is mainly divided into three types.

• Machanism
• Purpose
• Size

Computer based on Machanism

Analog Computer

An analog computer is a computer that is used to continuously process different data. This variable continuous stream of data is called Analog data. Analog Computer is used in scientific and industrial applications such as pressure, temperature, length etc. Examples of this are temperature, telephone lines, speedometer, pressure etc.

Digital Computer

Digital computers are those that are commonly used to compute data with quantities using the Binary number system. The results obtained from these computers are very accurate. An example of a digital computer is the Mackbook, the electronic odometer.

Hybrid Computer

This computer is a mixed form of analog and digital computers. Its analog part displays the results by comparison in equations. Whereas the digital part performs logical calculations and provides results and works as a controller.

Computer based on Purpose

General Purpose Computer

A general-purpose computer is one that will be able to perform most of the simple computing tasks, given the appropriate application and the time required. Personal computers that include Desktop, Notebook, Smartphone and Tablet are examples of General Purpose Computer.

Special Purpose Computer

Computers that were built for a particular purpose. These include Naviar-stokes hydrodynanic solvers, Classic molecular and Ising model computer. Most of these computers take time to solve a single problem. They are also called dedicated computers because they are dedicated to do the same task over and over again.

Computer Based on Size

Microcomputer

In the category of microcomputers, the computers that we use the most in our lives. Some examples of Micro Computer are Desktop, Notebook and Laptop etc. Because they are much smaller in size than all other catagory computers. Hence they were named microcomputers. The micro processor was a revolutionary innovation in the world of technology.

Workstation

Workstations and microcomputers are almost the same in size and appearance. But Workstation is most powerful than microcomputer. These types of computers are used to perform certain complex tasks. Such as Animation, Scientific research, Engineering etc.

Mini Computer

Mini computer is a multi user computer system. Which is used to work with multiple workers in a company simultaneously. These computers have most of the features and capabilities of a large computer. But they are smaller in size.

Main Frame Computer

Mainframe computers are computers that are generally known for their large size, high storage, processing power and high degree of reliability. These are used by companies that require higher volumes for data processing. Main frame computers have the ability to host many oprating systems. These also support multi user environment, due to which more than 100 users can use it at one time.

Super Computer

A supercomputer has Architecture resources and components to achieve Massive Computing Power. Today’s super computer has thousands of processors which are capable of calculating arbo-trillion per second. Supercomputers are the largest of all other categories of computers. These computers are used for weather forecasting or satellite usage. Being very large and most powerful in size, they also cost a lot. Therefore, they are used by international companies only.

Component of computer system in hindi

Many components are behind the work of a computer. Such as Input Devices, Output Devices, Storage Devices and Central Processing Unit etc. So let’s know, what are the components necessary for a computer.

Input Device

An input device is any hardware device. Its job is to send data to the computer. For example, we type words into the computer using the keyboard. So here we are using the keyboard as an input device. Some of the main Input devices described below.

Keyboard

Mouse

Touchpad

Remote

Scanner

Joystick

Track ball

Microphone

Output Device

The output device is any peripheral. Which receives the data from the computer, and performs the task of displaying it to the user. For example, a monitor is an output device that displays the output of any data received from the computer in the screen. Some examples of output devices are given below.

Monitor

Printer

Speaker

Projector

Headset

Storage Device

Storage device is an important part of computer. Computer storage device is any type of hardware that stores data. An example of this is hard drive and RAM. Computer hard drive stores oprating system, application and files and folder for users. There are mainly two types of storage device.

Primary Storage Devices are usually built to hold data temporarily in size and are internal to the computer. They have the fastest data access speed. Examples of these are Ram and Cash Memory etc.

Secondary Storage Device They have large storage capacity. This keeps the data stored permanently. It can be internal or external on the computer. Examples include hard disk, optical disk drive and USB storage device.

Central Processing Unit

Central processing unit, which we also call CPU, is the brain of the computer. We also know CPU as a Processor, Central processor, or Microprocessor. It is the central unit of computer. Its job is to handle all the instructions received from hardware and software. All types of devices like desktop, laptop and computer use CPU. CPU mainly consists of two parts.

ALU Arithmetic logic unit: is the part of a computer that performs all the arithmetic computation such as addition, multiplication, and all equivalent operations.

CU Control Unit: The task of a computer is to direct the operation of the processor. In modern computers, the control unit is the internal part of the CPU.

Motherboard

The motherboard that we know as main board or main circuit board is the foundation of a computer. It is a board in the Central Processing Unit (CPU) of desktop, laptop, etc., which provides energy to all parts of the computer. All computer hardware such as CPU, RAM, Keyboard, Monitor or Mouse etc. are attached to it. The motherboard is also called the Narvous System of the computer.

How does the computer work

Today computers are all around us. Most people find this quite complicated. But if you understand their basic things, then understanding how the computer works will be quite easy. So let’s explain in simple language how computer works.

A computer is a type of machine that receives data according to the instructions of the input device. Then stores the received data in memory and processes it and finally delivers the result to us through the output device. See the image below for an example.

The Input device can be a keyboard, mouse, or scanner to instruct the computer, or a software in the form of programmed instructions.

Processing of data is done by the central processing unit (CPU) after giving instructions. After that the data is sent to the output device (monitor, printer, speaker). After which you can see, hear or print it. This is a very simple method. To understand the work of computer, I did not explain to you in complex language because it uses a lot of technical language which you might not understand easily.

Conclusion

Now if we conclude this post, then the conclusion is, Computer is an electronic machine. The father of whom is called Charles Babbage. Its function is to store information, find and organize information, calculate and control other machines. In this post, we shared the complete information about the history of computers and how computers work.

Hope you did not have any problem in understanding this post of ours. Our aim is always that we can convey any information to you in very simple words. Hope this post is a computer, when and how was it invented? Would have been helpful for you.

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