Ministry of Higher Education and

Scienti ic Research
University of Basrah
College of Engineering
Department of Architecture

The Evolution of
Computers
Prepared by: Abrar Ahmed Abdelhafiz
Stage: First Year
Supervised by: Dr. Khetam Mula Kawam
Hassan

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 Personal Computers (Pcs):

These Are Computers Designed To Serve A Single User At A

Time. They Are Considered The Smallest, Least Powerful, Least

Ef cient, And Least Expensive. Prices For Personal Computers

Range From $100 To $1000. They Are Typically Used By Ordinary

People For Personal Or Home Purposes, Such As:

• Personal Computers (Pc)

• Desktop Computers

• Laptops

• Handheld Computers And Smartphones

Workstations:

These Computers Resemble Personal Computers But Offer

More Than One Processor And Additional Peripherals. They Are

Used By Specialists Like Engineers And Scientists In Laboratories

And Factories.

Control Computers:

These Computers Are Used For Monitoring And Controlling

Medical Devices, Factories, And Transportation Systems Such As

Airplanes. They Also Resemble Personal Computers But Include

More Processors And Additional Peripherals. They Are Typically

Used By Professionals In Fields Like Engineering And Science In

Laboratories And Factories.

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 Classi cation Of Computers Based On Operation Technology:

1. Digital Computers:

Digital Computers Process Only Digital Data, Which Are

Values That Are Discrete, Such As Numbers Or Letters. They Are

Used To Solve Complex Computational Problems, Organize Files,

And Manage Databases In Fields Like Education, Management,

And Accounting.

2. Analog Computers:

Analog Computers Process Continuous Data That Can Take

Any Value Within A Given Range. They Are Used To Calculate

Variables Such As Pressure, Temperature, Or Sound Intensity In

Medical, Scienti c, And Meteorological Centers.

3. Hybrid Computers:

Hybrid Computers Combine Both Digital And Analog

Operations. The Data Input Is In Analog Form, But The Processing

Is Done Digitally.

Computer Components:

1. Hardware:

Hardware Refers To The Physical Parts Of The Computer

That Can Be Seen And Touched. These Include The Screen,

Keyboard, Processor, Motherboard, And Other Physical

Components.

2. Software:

Software Refers To The Programs Stored In The Computer’s

Memory. These Are Intangible, But Their Effects Can Be Observed

In The Form Of Images, Designs, Printed Materials, Or Sounds,

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Such As Operating Systems Like Windows, Word Processors Like

Microsoft Word, Or Drawing Programs Like Paint.

Key Hardware Components:

1. Input Units:

These Are Devices Used To Enter Data Into The Computer.

Depending On The Type Of Data, Different Input Devices Are

Used, Such As:

• Keyboard For Text Input

• Microphone For Audio Input

• Scanner For Images

• Mouse For Controlling The Computer

Other Specialized Devices Include Barcode Readers,

Cameras, And Joysticks.

2. Output Units:

These Devices Are Used To Display Or Produce The Results

After Data Processing. Depending On The Type Of Result, The

Output Device Could Be:

• Screen For Displaying Images Or Text

• Printer For Producing Printed Materials

• Speakers For Sound Output

• Plotter For Producing Graphical Results

• Industrial Machines Controlled By The Computer

3. Central Processing Unit (Cpu):

The Cpu Is The Brain And Heart Of The Computer. It

Processes The Data Entered Into The Computer And Performs

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The Necessary Calculations And Logical Operations To Produce

Useful Information. It Also Executes Programming Instructions.

The Cpu’s Speed Is Measured In Megahertz (Mhz) Or Gigahertz

(Ghz), And Plays A Critical Role In Determining The Computer’s

Effectiveness And Cost. The Faster The Processor, The Better

The Computer’s Performance And The Higher The Price.

4. Memory Unit:

The Memory Unit Is Where Information Is Stored And Can Be

Retrieved When Needed. It Has Two Main Types:

• Ram (Random Access Memory): This Is Temporary

Memory Used By The Computer To Hold Data During Processing.

The Information Is Stored As Electrical Signals And Is Erased

When The Power Is Turned Off. Users Are Advised To Save Their

Files Frequently To Avoid Losing Data In Case Of A Power

Failure.

• Cache Memory: This Is A Small But Fast Memory

Used To Store Frequently Accessed Data For Quicker Retrieval.

Secondary Memory:

Secondary Memory Is Called Permanent Because It

Retains Information Even When The Power Is Off. The

Data Is Stored In The Form Of Magnetized Areas On

Storage Media. Users Of Computers Store Their Files

And Programs On These Media.

Examples Of Secondary Memory:

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 1. Floppy Disk:

• External Storage With A Speci c Port.

• Limited Capacity Of 1.44 Mb And Is

Relatively Inexpensive.

• Can Be Erased And Reused For New Data

Storage.

• Prone To Damage.

2. Compact Discs (Cd-Rom):

• External Storage With A Speci c Port.

• Medium Capacity, Up To 800 Mb.

• Affordable But Typically Read-Only, Although

It Can Be Written On If A Cd Writer Is Available.

• Some Newer Versions Are Erasable.

3. Flash Memory (Removable Disks):

• Portable Storage With High Capacity.

• Uses A Usb Port.

• Prices Vary Based On Storage Capacity—

Larger Capacity Means Higher Price.

4. Hard Disk Drive (Hdd):

• Fixed Inside The Computer.

• High Storage Capacity And Relatively Higher

Price.

• Typically Ranges From 60Gb To 300Gb.

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 • External Hard Drives Are Available To

Increase Storage.

Units Of Memory Storage:

• Bit (B): A Single Electrical Pulse, Either 0 Or

1.

• Byte (B): 8 Bits, Represents A Single

Character Or Symbol.

• Kilobyte (Kb): 1024 Bytes.

• Megabyte (Mb): 1024 Kilobytes.

• Gigabyte (Gb): 1024 Megabytes.

• Terabyte (Tb): 1024 Gigabytes.

Motherboard:

The Motherboard Is The Main Circuit Board Inside

The Computer Where All Components Are Connected. It

Manages The Communication Between Different Units Of

The Computer And Connects Them Together.

Key Features Of The Motherboard:

• Contains The Cpu (Central Processing Unit)

And Memory.

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 • Has Ports For Connecting External Devices

(E.G., Usb, Audio, Etc.).

Ports:

Ports Are Slots Found On The Motherboard And Are

Visible On The Exterior Of The Computer Case. Types

Of Ports Include:

1. Parallel Port: Used For Devices Like Printers

And Monitors.

2. Serial Port: Used For Devices Like The

Mouse And Keyboard.

3. Usb Port: The Most Important Port Today,

Used For Connecting A Wide Range Of Devices Such

As The Mouse, Keyboard, Printers, Cameras, And

Smartphones.

4. Network Port: For Internet Or Local Network

Connections.

Operating System (Os):

The Operating System Is The Core Software That

Manages And Operates The Computer. It Serves As The

Interface Between The User And The Computer,

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Controlling All The Functions And Tasks The Computer

Performs.

It Is Stored In Rom (Read-Only Memory), Making It

Non-Erasable, Or It May Be Stored On The Hard Drive,

Allowing It To Be Replaced With Another System. When

The Computer Starts, The Os Is Loaded Into Ram

(Random Access Memory) And Begins Its Work.

Types Of Operating Systems:

• Ms-Dos, Windows (98, 7, 8, Xp, Vista), Unix,

Macos

Example: Windows Operating System

Windows Is A Graphical, Multitasking Operating

System That Allows Running Multiple Programs

Simultaneously. For Example, One Can Run Word,

Paint, And Calculator Together. One Of Its Key Features

Is Its User-Friendly Graphical Interface, Which Uses

Icons, Windows, And Dialogue Boxes—Making It Much

Easier For Users To Interact With The Computer

Compared To Older Command-Line Systems Like Dos.

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 Types Of Software:

1. Application Software:

• These Are Programs Designed To Perform

Speci c Tasks And Are Ready For Direct Use. Examples

Include Word Processors, Spreadsheets, Database

Programs, Drawing And Design Software, And Web

Browsers.

2. Programming Languages:

• These Are Languages Used To Communicate

With The Computer And Write Programs. Specialized

Individuals (Programmers) Write Programs In These

Languages, Which The Computer Can Understand.

Programming Languages Contain Various Commands

And Instructions To Perform A Speci c Task.

Examples:
• Visual Basic, Java, C++, Oracle

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 References

1. Zobel, J., & Miller, A. (2018). Introduction to

Computer Science and Programming. Oxford University Press.

2. Tanenbaum, A. S. (2016). Structured Computer

Organization. Pearson Education.

3. Stallings, W. (2017). Computer Organization and

Architecture: Designing for Performance. Pearson.

4. Kurose, J. F., & Ross, K. W. (2017). Computer

Networking: A Top-Down Approach. Pearson.

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