Computer Types

Electromechanical computers

In the early part of the 20th century,tabulating machine were growing rapidly.In 1944 August next important event occured in the history.The electromechanical computer was born with the development of Mark I by Howard Aiken at the Harvard University under the sponsorship of IBM.

The Mark I also known as automatic sequence controlled calculator (ASCC) was 50ft. long 8ft.high.It used electronic tubes and electrical relays.Mark I took 4.5sec to multiply to 23 digit numbers.It was able to produce ballastus table that were used in connection with second world war.Punched paper tape was used as input devices.

Electronic computer

The age of electronic computer began after 1980 when vacuum tubes were introduced.Such tubes were thousands of times faster than the earlier electromechanical devices.The first electronic digital computer was developed by John V. Attansoff and his student Glifford Berry.It was called Attansoff Berry Computer (ABC) .ABC computer used vacuum tubes instead of electromechanical relays.ABC computer could not become popular because it could solve only certain type of problem and used advanced electronic technology of that time.

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator)

In the true sense the first electronic computer was developed by John Mauchly and John Presper Eckert.It was developed at the university of Pennsylvania and called ENIAC.ENIAC used high speed vacuum tubes.The high speed operation of the computer in the world was first experience with ENIAC.It could add two numbers in 200 micro seconds and multiply two numbers in 2800 micro seconds.19000 vacuum tubes were used.It occupied an area of 150 sq.m.

ENIAC was the result of the efforts made by U.S. armed force to complete new trajectory tables for used in world war II.But ENIAC was completed in 1946, so they could not make use in the war.

EDVAC(Electronic Discrete Variable and computer)

In 1945, a noticeable improvement in the development of the computer took place where John Von Neumann a Hungarian mathematician genius developed the idea of stored program concept.He proposed a new computer called EDVAC which would utilize his stored program concept.

According to Neumann EDVAC would use binary number system instead of decimal number system used in ENIAC.

Applications of Multimedia

Multimedia plays a vital role in the different sectors of the society.Due to its capabilities,it has become very popular from small business sector to the big industries.It can be used for entertainment,software training,education,web page designing,office work,hospital,networks and so on.Let us discuss some of the common fields of multimedia.

1.Multimedia in Entertainment:

One of the earliest applications of multimedia was for computer game.At that time most of people believed that multimedia can be used only for computer games.With the improvement in multimedia,today it is being extensively used in making movies.Now, the moviemakers have the possibility of creating what they want to create.

2.Multimedia with New Software:

Nowadays,software is becoming very complex.So,the software companies are binding the multimedia with their software to give the instructions and training for the new software.It has reduced the large number of technical personnel,which is needed for the training.The individual or group of users can learn the new software with the help of multimedia.

3.Multimedia in Education:

Multimedia is playing a vital role in education.It is able to assist both the student and teacher in new ways.It provides a means of putting across information and ideas for the teachers while it can represent a one to one teaching environment which moves at the required pace for the student.

4.Multimedia in Production and Sales:

Multimedia can be used to promote the sales of a company.Nowadays presentation of different goods of a company can be designed in an attractive way with attractive text sound and moving picture,which effectively helps in promoting sales.

5.Multimedia on the Web Page:

When the web page was introduced,the information was in text.Web page with just the text makes the presentation dull.The origin of multimedia has changed the face of web pages.Nowadays web pages display animations,graphics,and sound.It also allows the user to interact with them.

WAIS AND DNS

PROGRAMMING LANGUAGE

Whatis C?

C is a programming language developed at AT and T's Bell laboratories in USA in 1972.It was designed and written by Dennis Ritchie.In late seventees and began to replace the more familiar language of the time like PL/I,ALGOL.

Why 'C' is useful?
There are several excellent language but due to the following reason many computer professional feels that C is at the top of the list.

1.C is a powerful and flexible language.C can follow your
imagination.C is used for projects as diverse as operating system
word processor,graphics and even compilers for other languages.

2.C is a popular language prefer by professional programmers.As a
result a wide variety of C compilers and helpful accessories are
available.

3.C is a portable language.Portable means that a program written for
one computer system can be compiled and run on another system with
title or no modification portability is enhanced by ANSI standard
for C.

4.C is language of few word containing only a handful of terms
called by word.

5.C is modular.C code can be written in routine called
functions.These function can be re used in other application or
programs.

NECESSITY OF DEVELOPING A COMPUTER PROGRAM

Why it is necessary to develop a computer program in a systematic way and what are the different kinds of programming tools used in a program design process?


A program development requires systematic methods because there are different phases of system or program development which we should follow in a stepwise manner.

At the very first phase detailed analysis of the system is done.Without knowing the requirement of the user or without preparing a detailed system specification we cannot develop a program.We should know what can be the probable inputs and possible outputs of the system.If a program is developed with knowing these requirements then the program may not meet the objective of the user an be useless.

After preparing system specification if with prior planning like the technical manpower needed to make the system,its duration and money required we cannot start making the program.If it is impossible to make such system or there is no manpower to make the system then it would be useless to start developing it.The system should not take proposed time and money otherwise the developer may be in loss after making the system.

At the third phase designing of the system is very important.A good design leads to a good program.Without designing we cannot start coding the program.A bad design leads to bad programming and we will thus suffer later while coding.

After designing coding is done and then the testing of the system is done to verify whether the system fulfills the needs of a user or not.Without a system is ready we cannot test it only test cases can be prepared.Hence all the steps should be followed strictly in a stepwise manner.We cannot escape any step while making a system.

The different programming tools used in program design are pseudocode,algorithm or flowchart.