Page 25 - DCAP101_BASIC_COMPUTER_SKILLS

Basic Computer Skills

Notes 1.6 Keywords

Data processing: The activity of processing data using a computer is called data processing.
Generation: Originally, the term “generation” was used to distinguish between varying
hardware technologies but it has now been extended to include both hardware and software
that together make up a computer system.
Integrated circuits: They are usually called ICs or chips. They are complex circuits which
have been etched onto tiny chips of semiconductor (silicon). The chip is packaged in a plastic
holder with pins spaced on a 0.1" (2.54 mm) grid which will fit the holes on stripboard and
breadboards. Very fine wires inside the package link the chip to the pins.
Medium scale integration (MSI): Medium-Scale Integration is a term used in electronic chip
manufacturing industry. An integrated circuit which contained hundreds of transistors on
each chip, called Medium-Scale Integration (MSI).
Small-scale integration” (SSI): The first integrated circuits contained only a few transistors.
Called “Small-Scale Integration” (SSI), they used circuits containing transistors numbering
in the tens.
Storage unit: The storage unit of the computer holds data and instructions that are entered
through the input unit, before they are processed. It preserves the intermediate and final
results before these are sent to the output devices.
Very-large-scale integration (VLSI): It is the process of creating integrated circuits by
combining thousands of transistors into a single chip.

1. Explain all computer generation.

1.7 Self-Assessment Questions

1. Computer’s third generation is from…………. to …………
(a) 1955-1964 (b) 1964-1975
(c) 1942-1955 (d) 1975-1989
2. Developed an electronic machine to solve certain mathematical equations.

(a) Dr John Atanasoff (b) Herman Hollerith
(c) Professors J. Presper Eckert (d) All of these
3. The activity of processing data using a computer is called Data handling.
(a) True (b) False

4. ULSI stands for…………
(a) Ultra Located Scale Integration
(b) Ultra Large Scale Itegartion
5. Portable PCs also called ……………

(a) Book computer (b) Notebook computers

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