Chapter 1 An Overview of Personal Computers Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE Chapter 1 An Overview of Personal Computers 1.1 The Roles of Computers 1.2 History of Modern Computers 1.3 Family of Computers DVEP

Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.1 The Roles of Computers Three characteristics of computers speed reliability storage capacity DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer First Generation Computers Time: 1946 - 1957 based on vacuum tube DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer First Generation Computers Example: ENIAC Characteristics enormous, expensive, unreliable generate a large amount of heat magnetic drums for memory relied on machine language DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer First Generation Computers First commercial computer: UNIVAC DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer Second Generation Computers Time: 1958 - 1964 based on transistor DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer Second Generation Computers Generate a great deal of heat Early supercomputers were developed using transistors. handle enormous amount of data expensive for commercial organisations Characteristics use assembly language consisted of all components associated with modern computers DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer Third Generation Computers Time: 1958 - 1964 based on small-scale Integrated Circuit (IC) miniaturised transistors placed on semiconductor greatly increase the computational power, efficiency and reliability IC chip DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer Third Generation Computers Characteristics Smaller and cheaper than predecessors Operating systems are used to run different programs simultaneously DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer Fourth Generation Computers Time: 1971 - Present Large-Scale Integration (LSI): hundreds of components could be fit onto a chip Very Large-Scale Integration (VLSI): hundreds of thousands of components are squeezed onto a chip VLSI chip DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer Fourth Generation Computers microprocessor released by Intel in 1971 incorporated CPU, memory, I/O controls on a single chip low cost used in many everyday household items DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer Fourth Generation Computers Development IBM introduced Personal Computer (PC) in 1981 Macintosh offered an operating system with Graphical User Interface (GUI) Direct wiring (Local Area Network) and communication data lines Internet: Users can exchange information throughout networked terminals DVEP

1.2 History of Modern Computer Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.2 History of Modern Computer Fifth Generation Computers based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) making computer think and behave like humans applications: voice recognition Parallel processing: increase the computational power Superconductor technology: improve the speed of data flow DVEP

Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.3 Family of Computers Four categories personal computers minicomputers mainframe computers supercomputers DVEP

Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.3 Family of Computers DVEP

Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.3 Family of Computers Personal Computers (microcomputers) Portable PC palmtop computer tablet PC notebook subnotebook DVEP

Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.3 Family of Computers Personal Computers (microcomputers) Non-portable PC workstations desktop computer DVEP

Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.3 Family of Computers Servers share files, software applications and other resources (printers, storage device) over a computer network large memory capacity and secondary storage server DVEP

Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.3 Family of Computers minicomputers Minicomputers for specific tasks (e.g. engineering calculations and process control applications) DVEP

Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.3 Family of Computers Mainframe Computers handle thousands of users store large amounts of data process transaction at a very high rate mainframe computers DVEP

Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE 1.3 Family of Computers supercomputers Supercomputers for special applications that require high computation capability e.g. weather forecasting, engineering design and testing DVEP

Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE END Computer and Information Technology for HKCEE DVEP