Computer Questions for Competitive Exams Part-1

• The word “computer” comes from the word “compute” which is derived from the Latin word ‘computare’, which means ‘to calculate’, ‘to count’, ‘to think’, or ‘to sum up’.
• The full form of the Computer is Common Operating Machine Purposely Used for Technological and Educational Research.

• Charles Babbage was an extraordinarily talented scientist who was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer.
• Babbage originated the concept of a digital programmable computer.
• He is considered the father of the computer because of his inventions.
• He invented the first mechanical computer name the Difference Engine in the 1820s which can calculate polynomial functions after that he also introduced another mechanical device named the Analytical engine which was the first mechanical general-purpose programmable computing machine. It can perform arithmetic logic unit (ALU) functions like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.

• A bit is a binary digit and it is the smallest unit of data that a computer can process and store.
• A bit can hold only one of two values: 0 or 1 (like yes/no, on/off, or true/false).

Input Devices

• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Joy Stick
• Light pen
• Track Ball
• Scanner
• Microphone

• Raw data (sometimes called source data, atomic data, or primary data) is data that has not been processed for use. We can find raw data in databases, files, spreadsheets, and even on source devices, such as a camera, etc.
• Processed data means when data is collected and translated into usable information.

• Abacus is a mechanical device that is used to calculate or count by using sliding counters and a rod.
• Abacus is one of the first calculating devices made by man.
• Before the abacus, the only methods people had to use for their mathematical calculations were their fingers and toes, or stones in the dirt.
• It is still unknown who invented and built the first abacus and when it was built. but it is believed that the abacus was first used by the Babylonians as early as 2,400 B.C.1

• Charles Babbage is considered the father of the computer because of his inventions.
• He invented the first mechanical computer name the Difference Engine in the 1820s which can calculate polynomial functions.
• after that, he also introduced another mechanical device named the Analytical engine which was the first mechanical general-purpose programmable computing machine. It can perform arithmetic logic unit (ALU) functions like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Unfortunately, because of a lack of funding, the Analytical Engine was never built while Babbage was alive.
• It wasn’t until 1910 that Henry Babbage, Charles Babbage’s youngest son, was able to complete a portion of this machine which was able to perform basic calculations.

• UNIVAC means full Universal Automatic Computer, is one of the earliest commercial computers.
• UNIVAC machines were huge mainframe computers the size of vehicles or large pieces of equipment.
• The UNIVAC I was designed as a commercial data-processing computer, intended to replace the punched-card accounting machines of the day.
• The first model, UNIVAC 1, cost $1 million in 1950s-era money.
• The original UNIVAC was developed for the U.S. Census Bureau, but ended up being used to accurately predict the U.S. presidential election (Dwight Eisenhower) in the year 1952.

• IBM (International Business Machines) is one of the biggest technology companies worldwide, with operations in over 170 countries and more than 345,000 employees worldwide.
• IBM is best known for manufacturing and selling computer hardware and software, as well as cloud computing and data analytics.
• The company has also served as a major research and development corporation over the years, with significant inventions like the floppy disk, the hard disk drive, and the UPC barcode.

• Bill Gates, full name William Henry Gates III, (born October 28, 1955, Seattle, Washington, U.S.), American computer programmer and entrepreneur who cofounded Microsoft Corporation, the world’s largest personal-computer software company.