Download Mainframe computers are those which can handle 100 of user at a

1.A computer is an electronic device which manipulates or transforms data. it accepts data, stores data,
process data according to a set of instructions, and also retrieve the data when required. Hence it is
known as a data processor.
2.The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and were often
enormous, taking up entire rooms, very expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of
electricity, generated a lot of heat resulting to malfunctions and relied on machine language which is the
lowest-level programming language understood by computers for its perform operations. And they
could only solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output
was displayed on printouts. Example Is the univac and eniac.
Second generation.
they involved us of transistors which were far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to
become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation
predecessors. Though the transistor still generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to
damage, it was a vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still relied on
punched cards for input and printouts for output. They were able to store their instructions in their
memory from that of magnetic drum to magnetic core. Used symbolic or assembly language that
allowed programmers to specify instructions in word.
Third generation
They used integrated circuit. Transistors were minimized and placed on silicon chips, called
semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
They had keyboards and monitors 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.
Fourth generation
The microprocessor brought 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. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the
computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls—on a single chip.
This lead to reduction in size of any description.
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.
3Fifth Generation. Will be based on artificial intelligence. will be respond to natural language input and
are capable of learning and self-organization. The speed will be extremely high , will be using ultra large
scale integration (ULSI) technology, will perform large number of parallel processing, will use biochips
and gallium arsenide as memory devices and will be able to think and take decisions.
Will be based on artificial intelligence and 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 fifthgeneration computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of
learning and self-organization. The speed will be extremely high , will be using ultra large scale
integration (ULSI) technology, will perform large number of parallel processing, will use biochips and
gallium arsenide as memory devices and will be able to think and take decisions.
4. Low cost: The cost of a chip has remained almost constant while the chip density (number of gates
per chip) is ever increasing. It implies that the cost of computer logic and memory circuitry has been
reducing
rapidly.
greater operating speed: the more the density, the closer are the logic or memory elements which
implies shorter electrical paths and hence the higher operating speed.
Were made more portable due to the small size.
There was reduction in power and cooling requirements.
Reliability: The integrated circuit interconnections are much more reliable than soldered connections. In
addition, densely packed integrated circuits enable fewer inter-chip connections. Thus, the computers
are more reliable.
5. Versatility: - It means the capacity to perform completely different type of work. You may use your
computer to prepare payroll slips. Next moment you may use it for inventory management or to prepare
electric bills
Storage: - The Computer has an in-built memory where it can store a large amount of data. You can also
store data in secondary storage devices such as floppies, which can be kept outside your computer and
can be carried to other computers..
Analytical Engine was a proposed mechanical general-purpose computer designed by English
mathematician incorporated an arithmetic logic unit, control flow in the form of conditional branching
and loops, and integrated memory, making it the first design for a general-purpose computer that could
be described in modern terms as Turing-complete.
Babbage designed the analytical engine
The slide rule, also known colloquially in the United States as a slipstick, is a mechanical analog
computer. The slide rule is used primarily for multiplication and division, and also for functions such as
roots, logarithms and trigonometry, but is not normally used for addition or subtraction.
6. Micro computer
Micro computer are general purpose computer also called Pc. They are used at our homes. Micro
computer can handle one user at a time. These computer are used for documentation, making power
point presentation , printing tasks and other usual tasks that u all know.
Mainframe
Mainframe computers are those which can handle 100 of user at a time. That mean we cannot run Pc
operating system on mainframe. Mainframe computers have special operating system that can handle
parallel user processing, transactions and time sharing. These computers run best run on linux operating
system. In mainframe computers there are many processors working and integrating with each other.
Like host processor, back-end processor and front-end processor. Host processor give instructions to
back-end and front-end processors. Back end processor get record from the storage. Front-end
processor sends the data to the interconnected users.