Introduction, Continued; Computer Hardware

Tom Kelliher, CS14F

Sept. 5, 1996

Network Accounts

1. Do you have yours yet?
2. What's a bad password?
3. What's a good password?
4. How do I use e-mail?
5. How do I send e-mail to someone on the Internet?
6. Send e-mail to Send mail to kelliher AT DOMAIN abacus.westminster.edu. Include your e-mail address and phone number.
7. How do I print lecture outlines from the web browser?
8. What's a bookmark?

The IPOS Cycle

• Input --- Gathering data and bringing it to the computer.
• Processing --- Manipulating data: calculating, comparing, searching, rearranging. (Information)
• Output --- Sending information from computer to outside world.
• Storage --- Stores information for later use; retrieves ``old'' information.

Real life examples.

Five Elements of the Computing Process

1. Hardware --- Something you can touch.
   • Memory: RAM (memory) vs. disk (storage). A computer's versatility.
   • Digital processing: binary, bits, bytes (characters).
   • Kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, terabyte.
2. Software --- Pattern of bits stored somewhere --- no inherent meaning.
   • Programming languages: HLL, assembly, machine. Examples.
   • System and Application software.
3. Data --- Examples. Useful data (as opposed to garbage):
   • Relevant.
   • Timely.
   • Accurate.
   • Concise.
   • Complete.
4. People --- hackers, gurus, power users, newbies.
5. Procedures --- How a person ``relates'' (uses) to the computer.

Computer Jargon

What are the consequences?

Historical perspective

Computing generations:

• The first generation (1951--1959)
  • Vacuum tubes.
  • Machine language.
  • Punched cards, magnetic tape.
• The second generation (1959--1963)
  • Transistors.
  • Core memory.
  • Magnetic disks, tape.
• The third generation (1963--1975)
  • Integrated circuits.
  • Minicomputers.
  • Solid-state memory.
• The fourth generation (1975--present)
  • The microprocessor. Intel. VLSI.
  • Apple
  • Visicalc
  • Bill Gates gets into the OS business.
  • The IBM PC.

More history information.

Computer Hardware: User Interface I/O Devices

I/O = Input/Output.

1. Input Devices:
   1. Keyboards:
      • QWERTY --- key summary.
      • DVORAK.
      • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.
   2. Pointing Devices:
      • Mouse --- ``mouse elbow.''
      • Trackball.
      • Pointing stick.
      • Touch pad.
      • Joy stick.
      • Pen, digitizer.
   3. Scanning equipment:
      • Scanners: bed, hand-held.
      • OCR software.
      • Bar code reader.
   4. Digital cameras: still, video.
   5. Voice recognition.
2. Output Devices:
   1. Monitors:
      • Pixels, resolutions (VGA, SVGA); color depth.
      • CRTs.
      • LCDs.
      • Graphics adapter board.
   2. Printers:
      • Dot-Matrix --- inexpensive, loud.
      • Ink Jet --- color.
      • Laser --- b/w, highest quality.
   3. Plotters.
   4. Audio output.

Why so many???