Computer Analysis Lecture Notes - Computer Analysis January...

Computer Analysis
January 28
 People to know
o 1937- John Atanasoff & Clifford Berry designed and built the first digital
computer, called ABC
o 1943- Alan Turing designed computer to break German codes
o 1945 – John Von Neuman memory hold data & programs
o 1946 – John Mauly & J. Presper Eckert, Jr. completed the first large-scale,
general purpose computer called the ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Ingrator and
Computer)
o 1951 - UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer) first commercially available
computer
o 1952 – Grace Hopper paper that documents the idea of higher level
programming language
 What is a Computer?
o A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions
stored in its own memory.
o Information Processing Cycle
 Collects data (input)
 Processing
 Produces information (output)
 The Components of a Computer
o A computer contains many electric, electronic, and mechanical components
known as hardware
 Input Device – allows you to enter data and instructions into a computer
 Output Device – hardware component that conveys information to one
ore more people
 System Unit – Case that contains the electronic components of the
computer that are used to process data
 Storage Device – holds data, instructions, and information for future use
 Communications Device – enables a computer to send and receive data,
instructions, and information to and from one or more computers or
mobile devices.
 The Components inside the System Unit
o Motherboard (aka System-board) – CPU (Central Processing Unit, Processor,
Micro Processor), RAM (random access memory ) (aka primary memory)
o Video Display Adapter Card – what interfaces to the monitor.
 Card = board, PCB (printer circuit board)
o Disk Controller Card – control peripherals
o Power Supply
o Fan
o Ethernet Card – focus on network. NIC (network interface card)
o Disk Drives – Hard, Floppy, CD, USB, DVD
 The Components of a Computer
o Central Processing Unit (CPU)
 Also called a processor