Part 2 - The Evolving Computer Flashcards
What does programmable mean?
Programmable means instructions can be input and also changed to give different results.
What does binary mean and why is it important in computers?
Binary means representing numbers as either a combination of 1’s or 0’s. This allows you to program a computer using switches.
How did the First Generation computers operate switches?
They used vacuum valves which were unreliable broke often.
What were some of the First Generation computers?
Colossus used by the English in world war 1 to crack german codes using paper with holes in it.
Eniac used by the USA for military applications, operated by plugs and wires.
What is the difference between First Generation computers and Second Generation Computers?
First Generation computers used valves as the switches and were typically only used for code breaking and military applications.
Second Generation computers by comparison used transistors as switches and they could store data using the same binary switch process. They became much smaller and more energy efficient and became available for businesses (albeit at extremely high cost).
What was introduced by Third Generation computers?
The Integrated Circuit (IC) or silicon chip which allowed many transistors to be held on one chip. This gave huge improvements in speed, size and cost and made them available for commerce. This period also saw the introduction of floppy disks used for storage of information.
What was introduced on Fourth Generation computers?
A CPU was now used which allowed the rapid retrieval of stored data and certain components to no longer be required.
What are 4 types of Fourth Generation computers were introduced during the 1980s / 90s?
- Small personal computers for running applications
- Larger workstations used by multiple users sharing computing power for processor intensive tasks
- Minicomputers used similarly to workstations but for academic activities such as mathematical modelling
- Supercomputers used by governments and the defence sector to do complex and numerically intensive work
What are the main components inside a desktop computer?
- The CPU
- The main memory, sometimes called RAM
- The motherboard on which the CPU and connections for other peripheral devices are kept
- The hard disk drive which provides persistent storage
- A CD/DVD disk drive
What external peripheral devices might be on a desktop computer?
- Keyboard
- Mouse
- Monitor
- Printer
- Speakers
What is Moores Law?
An example of exponential growth - Moore predicted the size of computer components (transistors) would half every year for 10 years. This became a target for the tech industry.
What is an embedded computer? Give an example.
It is sometimes called a microprocessor and is a computer within a system for a very specific function e.g. a microwave has a computer control chip in it, the chip and pin card readers when you pay for things
