Thou shalt not interfere with other people's computer work. Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files. Thou shalt not use a computer to steal. Thou shalt not use a computer to bear false witness. Thou shalt not copy or use proprietary software for which you have not paid. Thou shalt not use other people's computer resources without authorization or proper compensation. Thou shalt not appropriate other people's intellectual output.
Thou shalt think about the social consequences of the program you are writing or the system you are designing.
Thou shalt always use a computer in ways that ensure consideration and respect for your fellow humans. And like human language, there are many different computer languages.
Essentially, computer software can be divided into three main groups depending on their use and application. These are system software or operating system referred simply as the OS, application software and programming languages. Usually most of us interact with a computer using application software. System Software: System software or operating system is the software used by the computer to translate inputs from various sources into a language which a machine can understand.
Basically, the OS coordinates the different hardware components of a computer. There are many OS in the market. The most popular OS are from the stable of Microsoft. We have all heard, used and wondered at the Windows software, which is an OS. Starting with Windows, Microsoft has migrated to Vista, its latest offering in the market.
It may come as a surprise to some that there are other operating systems used by others. Among these UNIX is used for large office setups with extensive networking. XENIX is software which has now become redundant. Apache OS is quite popular with web servers. IBM still uses proprietary operating systems for its main frames. Proprietary systems are generally built with the help of a variant of UNIX operating system. Application software: A normal user rarely gets to see the operating system or to work with it.
But all of us are familiar with application software which we must use to interact with a computer. Popular examples of application software are the Microsoft office suite which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint. We have used these applications extensively. Internet explorer, Mozilla Firefox is two applications used to access the internet. E-mail software like Outlook express is used to manage Emails. It is obvious that all software utilized for working on a computer is classified as application software.
In fact, all user interfaces are an application. The anti-virus is an application and so is the Media player. Programming languages: Now this is a kind of computer software which is used exclusively by computer programmers. Unless we are also programmers, we are unlikely to come across programming languages. A simple way to understand programming languages is to think of them as bricks which can be used to create applications and operating system.
Generally, Java is used for internet applications. PHP is another language used for internet applications. There is a new class of languages which are being utilized for the mobiles.
These are light weight, modular languages which are used to design mobile applications. Computer software falls under three basic categories; System software or operating system, application software and programming languages. We usually use applications on a day to day basis.
These applications are themselves created using programming languages. Computer: Definition A computer is a machine that can be programmed to manipulate symbols. Therefore, computers can perform complex and repetitive procedures quickly, precisely and reliably. Modern computers are electronic and digital.
The actual machinery wires, transistors, and circuits is called hardware; the instructions and data are called software. Common mass storage devices include disk drives and tape drives. In addition to these components, many others make it possible for the basic components to work together efficiently. For example, every computer requires a bus that transmits data from one part of the computer to another.
A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and, in general, a higher-quality monitor. Supercomputer and Mainframe Supercomputer is a broad term for one of the fastest computers currently available.
Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for specialized applications that require immense amounts of mathematical calculations number crunching. For example, weather forecasting requires a supercomputer. Other uses of supercomputers scientific simulations, animated graphics, fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy research, electronic design, and analysis of geological data e. Perhaps the best known supercomputer manufacturer is Cray Research. Mainframe was a term originally referring to the cabinet containing the central processor unit or "main frame" of a room-filling Stone Age batch machine.
After the emergence of smaller "minicomputer" designs in the early s, the traditional big iron machines were described as "mainframe computers" and eventually just as mainframes.
Nowadays a Mainframe is a very large and expensive computer capable of supporting hundreds, or even thousands, of users simultaneously. The chief difference between a supercomputer and a mainframe is that a supercomputer channels all its power into executing a few programs as fast as possible, whereas a mainframe uses its power to execute many programs concurrently.
In some ways, mainframes are more powerful than supercomputers because they support more simultaneous programs. But supercomputers can execute a single program faster than a mainframe.
The distinction between small mainframes and minicomputers is vague, depending really on how the manufacturer wants to market its machines. Minicomputer It is a midsize computer. In the past decade, the distinction between large minicomputers and small mainframes has blurred, however, as has the distinction between small minicomputers and workstations.
Main Features. Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence and still in Storage: Computers can store a lot of information in the form of files, which can Oct 21, - 4. History of Computers. Earliest Computer. As of , there are five generations of the computer.
Types of Computer Thou shalt not snoop around in other people's computer files. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips , called semiconductors , which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers. Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating system , which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory.
Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors. Did You Know…? An integrated circuit IC is a small electronic device made out of a semiconductor material. The microprocessor ushered in the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. In , IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in Apple introduced the Macintosh.
Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors. As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet.
Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs , the mouse and handheld devices. 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. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization. Related Links. Webopedia is an online information technology and computer science resource for IT professionals, students, and educators.
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