Module 1 Flashcards
What is a computer?
An electronic device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program.
Definition from the Oxford dictionary.
What are the components of a computer system?
Hardware and systems software that work together to run application programs.
Source: Bryant R. E., O’Hallaron D. R; Computer Systems, A Programmer’s Perspective.
What is data?
A collection of discrete or continuous values that convey some characteristic/property/feature/attribute of a target subject.
What is information?
Processed data that is organized or structured to provide context and meaning.
What criteria must data meet to ensure reliable information?
- Accurate
- Adequate
- Applicable / relevant for the context
What is knowledge?
The accumulation of past experiences and insights that shape how we interpret and assign meaning to information.
What was one of the earliest methods of counting used by primitive communities?
Counting through fingers, stones, sticks, and bones.
When was the Salamis Tablet, a precursor to the abacus, found?
300 BC.
What is the significance of the Abacus?
Believed to be the first computer, it is a wooden rack with metal rods and beads used for arithmetic calculations.
Who invented Napiers Bones?
John Napier.
What was the purpose of Wilhelm Schickard’s mechanical calculator?
To simplify multiplications and divisions.
What is Pascaline?
A mechanical calculator invented by Blaise Pascal.
What was the purpose of the Stepped Reckoner designed by Gottfried Liebniz?
To perform arithmetic calculations using a stepped drum.
What was Charles Babbage’s Difference Engine designed to do?
It was a huge automatic mechanical calculator powered by a steam engine to tabulate polynomial functions.
What notable contribution did Herman Hollerith make in 1887?
Developed a tabulating system using punch cards for the 1890 U.S. Census.
What was the significance of the ENIAC developed in 1945?
It was an early digital computer designed to help Army gunners aim their weapons with accuracy.
What important component was developed by Bell Labs in 1947?
The first transistor.
What is an integrated circuit?
Also known as a computer chip, it was designed by Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce.
What was the first microprocessor introduced by Intel?
The Intel 4004.
What computer is considered by many to be the first personal computer?
The Altair 8800.
Who founded Microsoft?
Bill Gates and Paul Allen.
What year did the World Wide Web get introduced?
1991.
What are some areas where computers have adapted in contemporary society?
- Records management
- Education
- Health
- Social life
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Religion
What is the significance of understanding computer evolution?
It helps reflect on computing history, related disciplines, motivations for innovations, and the influence of computing on other fields.
Fill in the blank: The term ‘computer’ is derived from the Latin word _______.
computare
