L02 :

NURSING
COMPUTING SYSTEM GENERATION

1ST GEN 2ND GEN

(1940-56) (1956-63)

4TH GEN 3RD GEN

(1972- 1980) (1964-71)

5TH GEN
(1980-Present)
NEXT
1ST GEN (1940-1956) BACK

The first generation computers

used vacuum tubes & machine
language was used for giving the
instructions. These computers were
large in size & their programming
was difficult task. The electricity
consumption was very high. Some
computers of this generation are
ENIAC, EDVAC, EDSAC & UNIVAC-1.

In this generation, mainly batch processing operating system was used. Punch cards,
paper tape, and magnetic tape was used as input and output devices. The computers in
this generation used machine code as the programming language.
2ND GEN (1956-1963) BACK

In 2nd generation computers,

vacuum tubes were replaced by
transistors. They required only 1/10 of
power required by tubes. This
generation computers generated
less heat & were reliable. The first
operating system developed in this
generation. IBM 1620, IBM 7094,
CDC 1604 are the examples of this
generations computers.

In 2nd generation, magnetic cores were used as the primary memory and magnetic tape
and magnetic disks as secondary storage devices.
3RD GEN (1964-1971) BACK

The 3rd generation computers

replaced transistors with Integrated
circuit known as chip. From Small
scale integrated circuits which had
10 transistors per chip, technology
developed to MSI circuits with 100
transistors per chip. These
computers were smaller, faster &
more reliable. High level languages
invented in this generation. The IC
was invented by Jack Kilby.

This development made computers smaller in size, reliable, and efficient. In this generation
remote processing, time-sharing, multiprogramming operating system were used. High-level
languages (FORTRAN-II TO IV, COBOL, PASCAL PL/1, BASIC, ALGOL-68 etc.) were used during this
generation. IBM-360 series, Honeywell-6000 are some examples of computers in 3rd generation
4TH GEN (1972- 1980) BACK

LSI & VLSI were used in this

generation. As a result
microprocessors came into existence.
The computers using this technology
known to be Micro Computer. High
capacity hard disk were invented.
There is great development in data
communication. Fourth generation
computers became more powerful,
compact, reliable, and affordable.

As a result, it gave rise to Personal Computer (PC) revolution. In this generation, time sharing,
real time networks, distributed operating system were used. All the high-level languages like C,
C++, DBASE etc., were used in this generation.
5TH GEN (1980-Present) BACK

Fifth generation computing devices,

based on artificial intelligence, are still
in development, though there are
some applications, such as voice
recognition, that are being used
today. The use of parallel processing
and superconductors is helping to
make artificial intelligence a reality.

Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of
computers in years to come. Some computer types of this generation are − Desktop, Laptop,
Note Book and Ultra Book
INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER SYSTEMS
Basically, a computer system is a combination of hardware and software devices that help
computers to receive data or information by communicating with each other. It is a set of integrated
devices that accept data (input), Then process it and finally give us a result (output) This is known as
the”Computer System”

The computer system work with the help of the main four basic work ‘INPUT’, ‘OUTPUT’, ‘STORAGE’,
and ‘PROCESSING’. These four words define the meaning of Computer systems.

It includes a CPU, monitor, keyboard, mouse, etc, and many other components, etc.

The computer system is generally classified by its performance, Their performance is judged by the:

TYPES OF COMPUTER
● MICRO COMPUTERS
● MINI COMPUTERS
● LARGE COMPUTERS
● MAINFRAME COMPUTERS
● SUPERCOMPUTERS
COMPUTER HARDWARE
A computer's hardware consists of its PHYSICAL PARTS, including its internal pieces and
connected external devices. Hardware components perform a computer's tasks like
calculating data, storing information, processing input, and providing output. Any part of a
computer that you can physically touch is hardware.

All hardware devices, whether INTERNAL or EXTERNAL, include chips on a circuit board to
perform a function. All hardware also requires a way to interface with the rest of the
computer, usually by connecting to a port, socket, or wireless radio. After that, pieces of
hardware will include other parts that help them fulfill their function, like buttons, sensors,
protective cases, or even cooling fans to prevent overheating.

COMPUTER SOFTWARE
Software is a set of programs, which is designed to perform a well-defined function. A program is a
sequence of instructions written to solve a particular problem.

There are two types of software:

● System Software
● Application Software
SYSTEM SOFTWARE
The system software is a collection of programs designed to operate, control, and extend the processing
capabilities of the computer itself. System software is generally prepared by the computer
manufacturers. These software products comprise of programs written in low-level languages, which
interact with the hardware at a very basic level. System software serves as the interface between the
hardware and the end users.

Some examples of system software are Operating System, Compilers, Interpreter, Assemblers, etc.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE
Application software products are designed to satisfy a particular need of a particular environment. All
software applications prepared in the computer lab can come under the category of Application
software.

Application software may consist of a single program, such as Microsoft's notepad for writing and
editing a simple text. It may also consist of a collection of programs, often called a software package,
which work together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet package.

Some examples of Application software are Photoshop, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel and etc.), Inventory
Software, Payroll System etc.
COMPUTING PROCESS

INPUT SOFTWARE

PROCESS

HARDWARE OUTPUT
 IMPORTANT COMPUTER PARTS

KEYBOARD CPU MONITOR

MOUSE PRINTER

OTHER ?? OTHER??

OTHER ?? RAM OTHER ??

HDD / SSD CD \ FD
CPU
It is the BRAIN of the computer. All major
calculation and comparisons are made inside
the CPU and it is also responsible for activation
and controlling the operation of other unit. This
unit consists of two major components, that
are arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and control unit
(CU).
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) Arithmetic logic
unit performs all arithmetic operations such as
addition, subtraction, multiplication and 10 CPU SPECIFICATIONS TO CHECK
division. It also uses logic operation for
comparison like comparison or decision ● CORE COUNT
making (>, <, <=, >=, = etc.). ● BASE CLOCK and TURBO CLOCK SPEED
● HYPERTHREADING SUPPORT
Control Unit (CU) The control unit of a CPU ● OVERCLOCKING SUPPORT
controls the entire operation of the computer.
● CACHE SIZE (L1, L2 and L3)
It also controls all devices such as memory,
input/output devices connected to the CPU. ● MEMORY SUPPORT AND CHANNELS
CU fetches instructions from memory, decodes ● TDP RATING (Watts)
the instruction, interprets the instruction to ● GENERATION and ARCHITECTURE
know what the task are to be performed and ● SOCKET TYPE (AM4*, LGA*)
sends suitable control signals to the other ● INTEGRATED GRAPHICS SUPPORT
components to perform for the necessary
steps to execute the instruction.
CPU SPECIFICATIONS EXAMPLE
MOTHERBOARD
A motherboard provides connectivity between
the hardware components of a computer, like
the processor (CPU), memory (RAM), hard drive,
and video card. There are multiple types of
motherboards, designed to fit different types
and sizes of computers.

Each type of motherboard is designed to work

with specific types of processors and memory,
so they don't work with every processor and
type of memory. However, hard drives are
mostly universal and work with most
motherboards, regardless of the type or brand.

8 MOTHERBOARD SPECIFICATIONS TO CHECK

● PLATFORM \ SOCKETS and CHIPSETS ● STORAGE SUPPORT
● BOARD FORM FACTOR (ITX , Mini ITX **) ● CONNECTIVITY ( Ports and Adapters)
● EXPANSION OPTION (Upgrade) ● MANUFACTURER
● GPU SUPPORT
● RAM SUPPORT
MOTHERBOARD PARTS EX.
RAM
RAM (Random Access Memory) is the hardware in a computing device where the operating system (OS),
application programs and data in current use are kept so they can be quickly reached by the device's
processor. RAM is the main memory in a computer. It is much faster to read from and write to than other
kinds of storage, such as a hard disk drive (HDD), solid-state drive (SSD) or optical drive.

Random Access Memory is volatile. That means

data is retained in RAM as long as the computer
is on, but it is lost when the computer is turned
off. When the computer is rebooted, the OS and
other files are reloaded into RAM, usually from an
HDD or SSD.

Function of RAM 4 RAM SPECIFICATIONS TO CHECK

Because of its volatility, RAM can't store ● RAM GENERATION \ CLASSIFICATION (DDR)
permanent data. RAM can be compared to a
person's short-term memory, and a hard disk drive ● RAM FREQUENCY ( MHZ )
to a person's long-term memory. Short-term ● RAM MEMORY SIZE (8, 16, 32**)
memory is focused on immediate work, but it can ● RAM COMPATIBILITY
only keep a limited number of facts in view at any
one time. When a person's short-term memory fills
up, it can be refreshed with facts stored in the
brain's long-term memory.
RAM EXAMPLE
STORAGE
HDD
HDD means Hard Disk Drive, it’s the oldest of
these three storage drive types. The name refers
to the actual magnetic disk that stores the data. 3 STORAGE SPECIFICATIONS TO CHECK
The data is then written and read from the disk
with a magnetic head. Hard disk drives are still ● MANUFACTURER
very commonly used in computers. In desktops ● DISK SIZE
the size of an HDD drive is usually 3.5” and in ● COMPATIBILITY \ CONNECTOR
laptops 2.5” and the capacity varies depending on
the computers age.
M.2 NVMe drives
SSD M.2 drives are also solid-state drives (SSD), this means that they
SSD means Solid-State Drive, it is a newer storage are faster than hard disk drives (HDD). The difference to
type. There are no moving parts inside the drive, common SSDs is that M.2 drives are a lot faster than normal
unlike in HDDs. This makes solid-state drives more SSDs attached with SATA cables. This is possible because the
durable than hard disk drives. In SSDs the data is M.2 drives are connected directly to the motherboard. M.2
stored in flash memory chips. Flash memory is drives replaced the mSATA drives, which were also connected
used in USB drives as well, but the type is directly to the motherboard.
different, SSDs flash memory is more reliable and
faster. Solid-state drives for computers fit the 2.5” To be clear, M.2 is the connection type, modern M.2 connectors
slots, many laptops use the same sized SSDs. include PCIe 3.0, SATA 3.0 and USB 3.0 in the connector. Since it
However, some laptops might have even M.2 is connected into a PCIe slot, the protocols to transfer data are
NVMe drives to save space and make it faster. AHCI and NVMe. From these two protocols, NVMe is more used
and the drives are often also called as M.2 NVMe drives.
 MONITOR
A monitor is an electronic visual computer display that includes a screen, circuitry and the case in which that
circuitry is enclosed. Older computer monitors made use of cathode ray tubes (CRT), which made them large, heavy
and inefficient. Nowadays, flat-screen LCD monitors are used in devices like laptops, PDAs and desktop computers
because they are lighter and more energy efficient.

1. Resolution 2. Screen Size

Every modern display is made up of millions of pixels (short for I find the 21.5"-27" inch range to be the sweet spot for most people.
“picture element”) that create the visual image that you see on Anything smaller than 22” and you risk not taking advantage of the
your screen. benefits of a larger display.

The resolution determines the number of pixels on the screen. Displays that are larger than 27" are used by professionals for specific
tasks and need larger spaces and more complex setups to handle.
MONITOR
3. ASPECT RATIO
A monitor's aspect ratio refers to the shape of the display. Its a number representing the ratio of the width to its
height and can be measured from the resolution directly.

Some common aspect ratios are:

● 16:9 - Wide
● 21:9 - UltraWide
● 32:9 - Super Wide
MONITOR
4. Display Panel Types - IPS, VA, TN

LCDs have been around longer than OLED displays, are

cheaper to produce, and are the most realistic option for
most people. There are three main LCD technologies to
choose from - TN, VA, and IPS.

TN (twisted nematic) displays have been on the market for a

long time now and are the most affordable of the three. TN
panels suffer the worst from poor viewing angles and may
not be the best option for professionals who do color
grading or photo editing. However, the strength of TN
panels lies in high refresh rates and low response times,
making them a decent option for gamers or casual use.

IPS (in-plane switching) panels have better color reproduction and viewing angles than TN and are probably the most common
non-budget displays out there. Over the years, responsiveness and contrast have improved and these displays are great options for
casual users, gamers, and professionals alike.

VA panels could be considered as a compromise between IPS and TN technologies. VA panels have great contrast, colors, and
viewing angles. Where VA suffers is response time, however, this is something that has improved over the years.
MONITOR

5. Refresh Rate
Refresh rate refers to how many times a display can update in one second and is measured in hertz or Hz.

Common refresh rates:

● 60Hz
● 75Hz
● 90Hz
● 120Hz - Gaming
● 144Hz - Gaming