FSC113

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SCIENCE

Course Instructors:
Dr. U. C. Ogude (Chapter 1-5)
Mrs. D. Afolabi (Chapter 6-9)

Department of Computer Science

University of Lagos

•Lectures:
Venue: DLI Block B Rm 1
– Mondays (12-2pm): Faculty of Management Sciences
– Tuesdays (8-10am): Department:
Biochemistry, Chemistry, Computer Sciences, Geosciences,
Mathematics, Physics
 Chapter Two:
Generations and Classification of Computers
▪Generations of Computers
✔First generation of computers
✔Second generation (1959-1971) (Transistors)
✔Third Generation Computer (1964-1971) (Integrated Circuit)
✔Fourth Generation (1974-1984) (Very Large Integrated Circuit)
✔Fifth\future Generation (Present and beyond) (Artificial Intelligence)
▪Classification of Computers
✔Classification according to purpose
▪ General-purpose Computers
▪ Specific-purpose Computers
✔Classification according to type of data-handling techniques
▪Analog Computers
▪Digital Computers
▪Hybrid Computers
✔Classification according to functionality
▪Microcomputers
▪Minicomputers
▪Mainframe computers
▪Supercomputers
Introduction
The history of computer development could be linked to different generations

of computing devices.

Each generation of computer is characterized by a major breakthrough and the

materials used in older generations are improved upon in the subsequent

generations.

For instance, in the second generation transistors replaced vacuum tubes.

Introduction cont…
The development of computers from one period (i.e. time) to another is what is

known as Generation(s) of computers.

The growth of computer development has been divided into five distinct

generations.

Each generation reflects the progress made so far in improving the

performance of the machine.

First Generation of Computer (1946-1959)

Vacuum Tube

UNIVAC
First Generation of Computer (1946-1959)
The period of first generation was from 1946-1959.

It used vacuum tubes as the basic components for memory and

circuitry for CPU (Central Processing Unit).

Characteristics\Features of First Generation
Computers include:
Use of vacuum tubes to make circuits.
Use of magnetic drums.
Use of machine language.
Very small amount of storage space.
Use of punch cards as I/O devices.
Huge in size
Very slow and less reliable output.
Very expensive
Used much Energy and generated much heat
The UNIVAC, ENIAC and EDVAC computers were examples of first
generation computing devices.
The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a
business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.
Main Features
▪ Major Innovation: Vacuum Tubes

▪ Main Memory: Punched Cards

▪ Input Output Devices: Punched cards and papers

▪ Languages: Low level machine language

▪ Operating System: No operating system, human operators to set

switches

▪ Size: Main frame for example ENIAC, EDVAC, UNIVAC

Advantages of First Generation
1. Vacuum tubes were used as electronic component.
2. Electronic digital computers were developed for the first time.
3. These computers were the fastest calculating devices of their time.
4. Computations were performed in millisecond.

Disadvantages of First Generation

1. Too large in size.
2. They were unreliable.
3. Induce a large amount of heat due to the vacuum tubes.
4. Not portable.
5. Limited commercial use.
Second Generation of Computers (1959-1971)

Transistor

IBM-1600
Second Generation of Computers (1959-1971)
(Transistors)
Second Generation Computers were available between 1959- 1971.

William Shockley invented transistors in 1947.

Transistor replaced vacuum tube in this generation, as result of this

improvement, computer becomes smaller, faster, cheaper, more

energy-efficient and reliable. Punched card was used for input and

printout.
Characteristics of Second Generation
Computers
The wires and thermionic values of the first generation were replaced
with diodes and transistors.
Higher-Capacity internal storage compared with first generation.
Processors operated in micro seconds (i.e. one millionth of a second)
Reduced size
Invention and use of high level language such as FORTRAN and COBOL.
Programs could be written in High Level languages and assembler e.g.
BASIC
Communication by using telephone line.
Improvement of speed and reliability.
Example: Honeywell 200, IBM 1620, IBM 1400 etc.
 Main Features
❑Major Innovation: Transistors as main component.

❑Main Memory: RAM and ROM.

❑External Storage: Magnetic tapes and Magnetic Disk.

❑Input Output Devices: Magnetic tapes and Magnetic Disk.

❑Languages: Assembly language, some high level languages for Example

BASIC, COBOL, FORTRAN.

❑Operating System: Human handles punched card.

❑Size: Mainframe for example IBM-1400, NCR-300, IBM-1600,

UNIVAC-III, etc…
Advantages of Second Generation
1. Smaller in size as compares to 1st generation
2. Much more reliable
3. Less heat generated
4. Computation was performing in micro second
5. Less hardware and maintenance problem
6. Could be used for commercial use

Disadvantages of Second Generation

1. Very costly for commercial use
2. It still required frequent maintenance
3. Frequent cooling also required
Third Generation of Computers (1964-1971)

Integrated Circuit
(ICs)

Computer
in 3rd Generation
Third Generation of Computers (1964-1971) –
(Integrated Circuit (IC))
The integrated circuit was invented by Jack Kilby and Robert
Noyce.
Integrated Circuit replaced transistor.
The technology is based on the use of semi-conductor device
called silicon, chips or micro processors.
The introduction of integrated circuit drastically increased the
speed and efficiency of computer.
The era of punched cards and printouts was phased out; it is now
possible for user to interact with the computer through keyboards
and monitors with the aid of operating system.
For the first time computer becomes accessible to a large
audience.
Characteristics of Third Generation
Computers
Higher capacity internal storage.
Processors operated in nano seconds (i.e. one billionth of a second).
Remote communication facilities.
Multi programming facilities.
Smaller in size.
Used Integrated circuit (IC) to replace Transistors.
Generated less heat.
Use of operating system: This generation saw the introduction of the
use of operating system. An operating system may be designed as a
set of control programs that supervise the work of a computer
system.
Characteristics of Third Generation
Computers cont.....
Use of Communication Cable: They were able to use communication
cable for Local Connections and Lines for Local Area Network
(LAN).
Reduction in the cost of storage: The cost of storage was
drastically reduced.
Introduction of mini Computers. Use of monitors and line printers

Examples: IBM 360, IBM 370, PDP-11 etc

 Main Features
❑Major Innovation: Integrated circuit (ICs) as basic electronic component

(SSIC and MSIC)

❑Main Memory: PROM and DRAM

❑External Storage: Improve disk (Floppy Disk)

❑Input and Output Devices: Keyboard for input, monitor for output

❑Languages: More high level languages

❑Operating System: Complete operating systems were introduced

❑Size: Mainframe and Mini Computer, for example: IBM SYSTEM /360,

ICH-360, HONEY WELL-316, etc…

Advantages of Third Generation
1. Smaller in size as compared to second generation
2. More reliable
3. Portable
4. Less electricity consumption
5. Heat generation was rare
6. General purpose computer

Disadvantages of Third Generation

1. Air conditioning was required in many cases due to ICs
2. Very advance technology was required to make the ICs
Fourth Generation of Computers (1974-1984)

Computer
In 4th Generation

Apple II -1977

VLSI
Very large scale integrated circuit
Fourth Generation of Computers (1974-1984)
(Very Large Integrated Circuit)
These materials appeared in the early 70s.

Their technology is based on the use of semiconductor device called

silicon chips or micro processors.

One of the most important results of large scale integration was the

introduction of the micro processors.

A micro processor is a central processing unit fabricated on a chips.

The introduction of micro processor led to the production of micro

computer
Fourth Generation of Computers (1974-1984)
Over time, larger units were introduced to generate an improved

performance.

These were LSI, VLSI, and ULSI. This modification further reduced

the size of computer components leading to the manufacturing of small

gadgets, such as digital wristwatches, pocket size calculators and hand

held electronic devices.

External storage devices such as CD-ROM drive optical disk, floppy disk

etc. were all part of this new system.

Characteristics of fourth generation of
computers
Network Facilities and introduction of micro computer
Micro-Computers.
Introduction of Non-Procedural Language.
Wide variety of software tools like database management systems, word
processing packages, spreadsheet packages, graphics packages, and
computer games packages
Flexible internal and external storage.
Use of Very Large Scale Integrated Circuit (VLSI).
They have large storage capacity
Introduction of electronic mail, and office automation system

Examples: CRAY 1/2 Pentium 1,2,3etc

Main Features
▪Major Innovation: LSIC and VLSIC (Micro Processor)

▪Main Memory: EPROM and SRAM.

▪External Storage: Floppy Disk and Hard Disk.

▪Input and Output Devices: Monitor for output.

▪Languages: Languages and application software.

▪Operating System: MS-DOS and PC-DOS

▪Size: Microcomputer e.g. IBM-PC, Apple Macintosh etc..

Advantages of Fourth Generation
1. Smaller in size and much reliable
2. No cooling system required in many cases
3. Much faster computation
4. Portable and cheap
5. The heat generated was negligible
6. Totally general purpose computer

Disadvantages of Fourth Generation

1. Very advanced technology was required to fabricate to the ICs
Fifth Generation (Present - Beyond)
Computer
In 1990

Computer
In 1995
Fifth Generation (Present - Beyond)

2005

2010 2012
Fifth\Future Generation (Present - Beyond)
(Artificial Intelligence) (AI)
From 1990s upward, the fifth generation computers entered into the

computer world by the application of fibre optics technology.

This generation of computers evolved a result of the need for

computers to take decision in various circumstances.

This generation is witnessing the influx of super micro computers

through AI whose main attraction over previous computer is speed

and power.

Expert systems have capacity of making decisions and judgment.

Fifth\Future Generation (Present - Beyond)
These generations of computers will concentrate on advance in the way

computers are used not on electronic refinement that featured in the

previous generation.

They are data driven and not control-driven and artificial intelligence

play a leading role in the full development of these new set of computers

especially in the areas of software.

They are capable of performing functions of human experts, solving

problems that require human intelligent, judgment, insight and

experience.
Fifth\Future Generation (Present - Beyond)
Presently, we have computers which through the use of Artificial
Intelligence [AI] Software help physicians to diagnose disease, lawyers
to plan litigation etc.
In this case of medical diagnosis, the Artificial Intelligence Software
reproduces the knowledge of over 10,000 medical experts through its
data base of diseases, rules of diagnosis and treatment given.
The user holds a kind of dialogue with the system under the control of
the AI software by supplying all facts about the case on hand and
symptoms into the computer system.
He performs all suggested laboratory tests and reports all results back
to the system.
The system displays possible causes of the problem and one or two
methods for effective treatment; this is known as Expert system.
Characteristics of Fifth Generation of
Computer
Artificial Intelligence: The ability of the computer to exhibit behavior just
like an intelligent person e.g. Robot.
Expert System: A system feature that is capable of making judgment and
decision like an expert.
That is an interactive feature that asks user quest and the answers supplied
is used to determine what next actions are to be taken
Speech Synthesis: production of sounds that resemble human speech by
electronic methods.
The fifth generation of computer systems is characterized mainly by
acceptance of parallel processing backed up by hardware in the industry
This generation witnessed the introduction of machines with hundreds of
processors that could all be working on different parts of a single program
Main Features
Major Innovations: ULSIC (Ultra large scale integrated circuit)
Main Memory: EEPROM, SIMM and DIMM.
External Storage: Modified magnetic and Optical disks.
Input/output Devices: Keyboard, Pointing Device, Scanner as input and
Monitor as main output.
Languages: AI (Artificial Intelligence) Expert systems.
Operating System: GUI based e.g. Windows (95, 98, 2000, NT, XP,
Vista, Seven and Eight)
Size: Very small in size example: Laptop, Note book, Digital Diary,
Palmtop and Pocket PC.
Advantages of Fifth Generation
Very large storage capacity
Long bit processor builds
Artificial Intelligence Language developed

Computer Lab. In
1985
Generation of Computer at a glance:

First Second Third Fourth Fifth

(Early 50’s) (Late 50’s) (60’s) (70’s) (90’s till date)

Technology Vacuum Transistor Integrated VLSI VVLSI

Circuit (IC)

Related 1 100 100 1,000,000 Billion

Speed
RAM 1,000 – 4,000 – 32,000 – 32,000 8GB
Capacity 8,000 64,000 4,000,000
(Byte)

External Storage Card Tape Magnet disk Mass storage

Operating Single Single Multiple Multiple user Multiple user

System user user user
Classification of computers
Computers are available in different sizes and types. Some computers are

designed to be used by a single user only, whereas some computers can

handle the needs of many users simultaneously.

Computers also differ based on their data-processing abilities. In general,

the computers can be classified according to

▪purpose,

▪data handling and

▪functionality
Classification of computers
Classification according to functionality
Based on physical size, performance and application areas, the

computers are generally classified into four major categories:

▪Microcomputers

▪Minicomputers

▪Mainframe computers

▪Supercomputers
 Classification of computers
1. Microcomputers
2. Minicomputers

3. Mainframe computers 4. Supercomputers

39
Super Computer (monster)
Super Computer (monster)
An extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of
millions of instructions per second.
Classification of computer by size
Super Computer (monster)
▪The most powerful of the four categories
▪Used by very large organizations, particularly for very math-intensive types of
tasks
▪These are the largest, fastest, and most expensive computers.
▪They have more than 1 CPU which contains instructions so that it can interpret
instructions and execute arithmetic and logical operations.
▪The cost ranges from $100 million to $250 million for design and assembly,
apart from the maintenance cost.
▪The speed of super computer is generally measured in “FLOP” (Floating Point
Operation Per Second), instead of million instructions per second (MIPS)
▪Thousands of users can be connected
Super Computer (monster)
As per 19 April 2018, it has a total of 40PB of internal memory and
requires 15,371,00KW of power to operate.
Have storage capacities of millions of bits per chip.

Examples of Super Computer: Crayl, Cray2, Cray 3, Titan, Roadrunner

Uses: Super computer plays a crucial role in the following fields:

•Quantum mechanics,
•Weather forecasting,
•Climate research,
•Oil and gas exploration,
•Molecular modeling etc.
Mainframe computer
▪ Larger machines with special wiring and environmental controls
▪ Faster processing and greater storage than minicomputers
▪ Typical machine in large organizations
▪ A powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds
or thousands of users simultaneously.
Mainframe computer
▪A mainframe computer is next to super computer in terms of prize,
size of internal memory and speed.
▪A main frame cost from $200,000 to several millions of dollars. It has
a variety of peripheral devices such as printers, plotters, terminals etc.
and large amount of external storage.
▪A mainframe computer is used to process the large and huge amount of
data in petabytes.
▪They are used mostly in large establishment (e.g. Universities, banks,
commercial houses, Organization, factories etc.).
▪They operate at a speed measured in nano second.
▪Thousands of users can be connected to it.
Uses of mainframe:
▪They are mainly used by government institutions and large companies for
tasks such as large data processing, census, financial transaction
processing etc.

▪Airline system (in this case, a mainframe is installed at the head office
where all the information about flight are recorded, small computers are
installed in their various booking office, these computers are attached to
central data bank so that up to date information are readily available

Examples: Uivac 1100/10. Univac 1100/60, Honey well DSP88/ 86 IBM

Mini computer
▪ Desk-sized
▪ More processing speed and storage capacity than microcomputers
▪ General data processing needs at small companies
▪ Larger companies use them for specific purposes
▪ A multi-user computer capable of supporting up to hundreds of users
simultaneously.
Mini computer
Is a medium sized computer that is more powerful than micro computer?
▪It is between mainframe and micro computer.
▪The speeds are rated between one and fifty million instructions per
second (MIPS).
▪They have primary storage in hundred to three hundred megabytes
range with access storage device.
▪It is designed to serve many users simultaneously.

Uses
▪They are generally used as mid-range servers.
▪Also for scientific and engineering computations, business
transaction handling and data base management etc.
Example: TDC 316, P1W 11/70
Micro computer
▪ Microcomputer =>Personal Computer => PC: A small, single-user computer
based on a microprocessor.
▪ There are 3 types of the Microcomputers :
1.Laptop
2.Desktop
3.Workstation
Personal Computer: Workstation: A powerful, single-user computer. A
workstation is like a personal computer, but it has :
a more powerful microprocessor and, in general, a higher-quality
monitor.
Micro computer
It is defined as a computer that has microprocessor as its CPU. The first

microprocessor computer was built of 8-bit chip.

This implies that 8-bit of data can be sent for process into CPU, later 16

bits system was introduced (8088, 80486).

The latest computers are of 32-bits and are known as Pentium.

These types of computer are the smallest, least expensive and the

commonest.

It has a small memory and less processing power.

Types of microcomputer (personal computers)
There are many different types of microcomputers, such as personal
computers, tablet computers, Smartphone, many types of handheld
devices including mobile phones, pocket, calculator, personal digital
assistant and servers.
However they are grouped under the following:

Portable and Desktop:

Portable: Laptop, notebook and palmtop, handheld device
Desktop: This is a type of microcomputer placed on desk. The system unit
can either be flatbed or slim line. Desktop consists of all the features of a
complete system (input, processing, output and storage).
Mobile Computer: Laptop, Notebook, Palmtop