Introduction to Computer Basics and History

Abacus

Earliest recorded computing device for calculations.

Slide Rule

Analog device for mathematical calculations, invented in 1632.

Punched Card System

Used for data input in early computers, developed in 1801.

ENIAC

First electronic general-purpose computer, announced in 1946.

UNIVAC I

First commercial computer, designed in 1951 using magnetic tapes.

IBM 702

First computer to use magnetic-core memory, announced in 1953.

SAGE

Radar tracking system designed for the US Air Force in 1954.

Cray-1

Famous supercomputer designed by Cray Research in 1976.

Apple I

First desktop computer by Apple, hand-built by Steve Wozniak in 1976.

IBM PC

Personal computer model 5150, created in 1981.

Apple Lisa

First home computer with a graphical user interface.

TRS-80 Model 1

First computers used by USC-TC electronics students.

Aurora

World's fastest computer, achieving 1.012 Exaflops speed.

Information Technology (IT)

Field focused on managing and processing information.

Input Devices

Peripherals used to send data to a computer.

Output Devices

Peripherals used to receive data from a computer.

CPU

Central Processing Unit, the brain of the computer.

Control Unit

Part of CPU where decisions are made.

ALU

Arithmetic Logic Unit, performs computations in CPU.

RAM

Volatile memory, data erased when powered off.

ROM

Non-volatile memory, retains data without power.

External Storage

Storage devices not permanently fixed inside a computer.

Flash Drive

Portable storage device using flash memory technology.

Flash Memory

Non-volatile storage medium used in various devices.

HDD

Hard Disk Drive, traditional storage device for computers.

ASCII Code

Character encoding standard for electronic communication.

Binary

Base-2 numeral system, uses 0s and 1s for data.

Octal

Base-8 numeral system, uses digits 0-7 for data.

Hexadecimal

Base-16 numeral system, uses digits 0-9 and A-F.

SSD

Solid State Drive with no moving parts.

WAN

Wide Area Network covering large geographical areas.

LAN

Local Area Network for small geographic areas.

WLAN

Wireless Local Area Network for mobile connectivity.

MAN

Metropolitan Area Network covering an entire city.

SAN

Storage Area Network for remote storage devices.

CAN

Controller Area Network for microcontroller communication.

PAN

Personal Area Network for close-range device communication.

GAN

Global Area Network for mobile communications.

Internetworking

Connecting multiple distinct computer networks.

PC

Personal Computer designed for individual use.

Desktop

PC designed for stationary use on desks.

Workstation

Computer for engineering and high-quality graphics.

Minicomputer

Midsize computer supporting up to 250 users.

Mainframe

Large computer supporting hundreds of users.

Supercomputer

Fastest computers for complex calculations.

1st Generation

1946-1959, vacuum tube-based computers.

2nd Generation

Transistor-based, more reliable and compact.

3rd Generation

1965-1971, Integrated Circuits replaced transistors.

4th Generation

1971-1980, Very Large Scale Integrated circuits.

5th Generation

1980-present, ULSI technology and AI software.

FORTRAN

High-level programming language from 2nd generation.

COBOL

Business-oriented programming language from 2nd generation.

VLSI

Very Large Scale Integration with thousands of transistors.

ULSI

Ultra Large Scale Integration with millions of components.

ASCII

Character encoding standard for text representation.

Moore's Law

Computing power doubles approximately every two years.

Hardware

Physical components of a computer system.

Software

Programs and procedures for computer tasks.

System Software

Manages hardware and software interactions.

Utility Software

Maintains and protects computer systems.

Application Software

Programs for specific user tasks.

Programming Language

Syntax and vocabulary for instructing computers.

Compiler

Converts entire program into machine language.

Interpreter

Executes program line by line.

Computer Bug

Error or flaw in a computer program.

Bit

Smallest unit of digital information.

Byte

8 bits, represents a single character.

Nibble

4 bits, half a byte.

Word

2 or more bytes, varies by architecture.

Binary System

Base-2 number system using 0 and 1.

Octal System

Base-8 number system using digits 0-7.

Hexadecimal System

Base-16 number system using digits 0-9 and A-F.

4GL (Fourth Generation Language)

High-level language with English-like syntax.

Decimal System

Base-10 number system using digits 0-9.

Debugging

Process of finding and fixing bugs.

Data Representation

Methods to encode information in computers.

Flowchart

Visual representation of an algorithm.

Pseudocode

Informal high-level description of programming logic.

Machine Language

Binary code understood by a computer's CPU.

Digital Information

Data represented in binary form.

Analog Information

Continuous data representation, unlike digital.

Computer Memory

Storage for data and instructions.

Data Conversion

Changing data from one format to another.