Introduction To Computing (Evolution of Computers)

Introduction to Computing

Lecture # 2

Introduction to Computing

Lecture # 2

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Outline

• Timeline: The Evolution of Computers

• The Computer Generations

• Varieties of Computers

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Timeline: The Evolution of Computers

• 3000 BCE: Abacus invented in Babylonia

• 1642: first mechanical adding machine (Blaise Pascal)

• 1666: first mechanical calculator that can add and subtract (Samuel Morland)

• 1833: Babbage’s Difference Engine (automatic calculator)

• 1944: first electro-mechanical computer (Mark-I)

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Timeline: The Evolution of Computers

• 1945: John Von Neumann introduces the concepts of a stored-program

• 1946: first programmable electronic computer in united states (ENIAC)

• 1967: handheld calculator

• 1975: first microcomputer (MIT’s Altair 8800)

• 1981: IBM introduces personal computer (with 8088 CPU and 16KB RAM)

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Timeline: The Evolution of Computers

• 1982: portable computers

• 1985: Intel’s 80386 32-bit microprocessor is introduced

• 1993: multimedia desktop computers; Intel introduces its first Pentium chip; Motorola releases the PowerPC CPU

• 1995: Intel’s Pentium Pro

• 1997: Intel’s Pentium II

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Timeline: The Evolution of Computers

• 1999: Intel’s Pentium III; AMD’s Athlon CPU (800 MHz); Power Mac G4 available

• 2000: Intel’s Pentium 4: AMD’s Athlon CPU reaches 1 GHz

• 2001: Pentium IV reaches 2 GHz

• 2002: Pentium IV reaches 3.06 GHz; Power Mac has 2.1 GHz Power PC CPUs

• 2003: Intel’s Pentium M/Centrino for mobile computing; 64-bit processors

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The Computer Generations

• The term “Generation” is used to distinguish between varying hardware and software technologies.

• It provides a framework for the growth of the computer industry.

• There are five computer generations.

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First Generation (1942-1955)

• Key Hardware Technologies – Vacuum tubes (in thousands), electromagnetic

relay memory, punched cards secondary storage

• Key Software Technologies – Machine and assembly languages, stored-program

concept, mostly scientific applications

• Key Characteristics– Bulky in size, computations in milliseconds, highly

unreliable, limited commercial use, commercial production difficult and costly, difficult to use

• Some Representative Systems– ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC, UNIVAC-1, IBM 701

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Second Generation (1955-1964)• Key Hardware Technologies

– Transistors (ten times faster switching than tubes), magnetic cores memory, magnetic tapes and disks secondary storage

• Key Software Technologies – Batch operating system, high-level programming languages

(like FORTRAN, COBOL, ALGOL), scientific and commercial applications (like payroll, inventory control, marketing)

• Key Characteristics– Faster, smaller, more reliable and easier to program than

previous generation systems, commercial production was still difficult and costly (thousands of transistors to be assembled manually)

• Some Representative Systems– Honeywell 400, IBM 7030, CDC 1604, UNIVAC LARC

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Third Generation (1964-1975)• Key Hardware Technologies

– ICs (consists of several transistors, resistors, capacitors) with SSI and MSI technologies, larger magnetic cores memory, larger capacity disks and magnetic tapes secondary storage, minicomputers

– SSI (Small Scale Integration): 10 to 20 components– MSI (Medium Scale Integration): up to 100 components

• Key Software Technologies – Timesharing operating system, standardization of high-level

programming languages, unbundling of software from hardware

• Key Characteristics– Faster, smaller, more reliable and easier and cheaper to

produce commercially, easier to use, and easier to upgrade than previous generation systems; scientific, commercial, and interactive online applications (like airline reservation systems)

• Some Representative Systems– IBM 360/370, PDP-8, PDP-11, CDC 6600

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Fourth Generation (1975-1989)• Key Hardware Technologies

– ICs with VLSI technology, microprocessors, semiconductor memory, larger capacity hard disks as built-in secondary storage, magnetic tapes and floppy disks as portable storage media, PCs, spread of high-speed computer networks

– LSI (Large Scale Integration): 30,000 components– VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration): 1 million components

• Key Software Technologies – Operating systems for PCs, GUI, multiple windows on a

single terminal screen, UNIX operating system, C programming language, PC-based applications, networking-based applications

• Key Characteristics– Small, affordable, reliable, and easy to use PCs, more

powerful and reliable mainframe systems, totally general purpose machines, easier to produce commercially

• Some Representative Systems– IBM PC and its clones, Apple II, TRS-80, VAX 9000, CRAY-

1, CRAY-2, CRAY-X/MP

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Fifth Generation (1989-Present)• Key Hardware Technologies

– ICs with ULSI technology, larger capacity main memory, larger capacity hard disks, optical disks as portable read-only storage media, notebook computers, powerful desktop PCs and workstations, very powerful mainframes, internet

– ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration): 10 million components• Key Software Technologies

– World Wide Web, multimedia applications, internet-based applications

• Key Characteristics– Portable computers, more powerful, cheaper, reliable, and

easier to use desktop machines, very powerful mainframes, very high uptime due to hot-pluggable components, totally general purpose machines, easier to produce commercially

• Some Representative Systems– IBM notebooks, Pentium PCs, SUN Workstations, IBM SP/2,

SGI Origin 2000, PARAM 10,000

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The Varieties of Computers

• Computers come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

• Computers can be classified according to their processing power.

• In decreasing order of size:

1. Supercomputers

2. Mainframes

3. Workstations

4. Microcomputers

5. Microcontrollers

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The Varieties of Computers

Supercomputer

1. Supercomputers

• Typically priced from $500,000 to more than $350 million.

• High-capacity machines with thousands of processors that can perform more than several trillion calculations per second.

• The fastest computer in the world, which cost $350 million and looks like rows of refrigerator-size boxes, is the NEC Earth Simulator in Yokohama, Japan.

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The Varieties of Computers

1. Supercomputers

• Fastest, most powerful, most expensive among the categories

• Suitable for intensive calculations and processing

• e.g. Deep Blue, Blue Gene, IBM ASCI (Accelerated Strategies Computing Initiative) White

• Example Application: weather forecasting, simulating explosions of nuclear bombs, finding oil, designing aircrafts, etc.

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The Varieties of Computers

Mainframe

2. Mainframes

• Water- or air-cooled computers that cost $5000 - $5 million and vary in size from small, to medium, to large, depending on their use.

• Small mainframes used to be called minicomputers; today, they’re more frequently called midsize computers.

• Terminal - means often used to access a mainframe. Consists of a display screen and a keyboard. A terminal can input and output data but cannot by itself process data.

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2. Mainframes• Allows hundreds of people to have simultaneous computer usage• Used in large business environment (e.g., bank)• Processing speed: billions of instructions per second

The Varieties of Computers

VP2400 mainframe

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The Varieties of Computers

Workstation: Sun Ultra450

3. Workstations

• Workstations - expensive, powerful computers usually used for complex scientific, mathematical, and engineering calculations and for computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing.

• Workstations provide capabilities comparable to midsize mainframes. They are used for tasks such as prescription drugs and movie special effects (such as 3D life in The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter).

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The Varieties of Computers

HP Compaq Business d220 tower microcomputer

4. Microcomputers

• Microcomputers - also called personal computers. Cost $500 - $5000. Can fit next to a desk or on a desktop, or can be carried around.

• Tower PC - PC in which the case sits as a “tower,” often on the floor beside a desk, thus freeing up desk space.

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Compaq Evo desktop microcomputer

4. Microcomputers

• Desktop PC - those in which the case or main housing sits on a desk, with keyboard in front and monitor (screen) often on top.

The Varieties of Computers

Apple i-Mac computer

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The Varieties of Computers

4. Microcomputers

• In addition to the desktop PC, microcomputers can also be notebook computers and PDAs

• Notebook computers are also called laptop computers

• Laptop computers are lightweight portable computers with built-in monitor, keyboard, hard-disk drive, battery, and AC adapter.

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The Varieties of Computers

Personal Digital Assistant

4. Microcomputers

• Personal digital assistants (PDAs) are also called handheld computers or palmtops.

• PDAs combine personal organization tools--schedule planners, address books, to-do lists--with the ability in some cases to send e-mail and faxes.

• Well-known makers of PDAs include Palm, Handspring, Sony, and Compaq.

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The Varieties of Computers

DSP: Digital Signal Processor

5. Microcontrollers

• Microcontrollers - also called embedded computers.

• They are the tiny, specialized microprocessors installed in “smart” appliances and automobiles.