a) Some examples of microcomputers i.e. PC (Personal Computers) are:

>        Desktop PC                                                                                               

>        Laptop PC

>        Tower PC

>        Handheld PC                                                                                                 

>        Palmtop PC

b) An embedded computer or microcontroller is a type computing machine with a specialize microprocessor but is not an independent computer. Some examples of embedded computers are calculators, watches, digital camera, digital television, microwave ovens, photocopiers etc.

a) Some examples of microcomputers i.e. PC (Personal Computers) are:

>        Desktop PC                                                                                               

>        Laptop PC

>        Tower PC

>        Handheld PC                                                                                                 

>        Palmtop PC

b) An embedded computer or microcontroller is a type computing machine with a specialize microprocessor but is not an independent computer. Some examples of embedded computers are calculators, watches, digital camera, digital television, microwave ovens, photocopiers etc.

a)

> Classification of computers based on generation: here we have five main generations which are first, second, third, fourth and fifth generations.

>        Classification of computers based on application: here computers can be grouped into general purpose and dedicated computéis.

NB: Differentiate between general purpose and dedicated computers. (2marks)

General purpose computers are designed to carry out a wide variety of tasks such as word processing, accounting, database etc. while dedicated computers are designed to carry out only one task or job for example weather forecasting.

>        Classification of computers based on data representation: here computers can be grouped into digital, analog and hybrid computers.

>        Classification of computers based on function: here computers can be grouped into centralized computer systems (i.e. resources are centralized on one machine or computer), stand-alone computers (i.e, computers do not share it resources) and distributed computing systems (i.e. each user has access to the computing power of the machine they are using and certain resources can be shared for example files and printing senders.

>        Classification of computers based on size or performance:

b) Supercomputers

Mainframes

Minicomputers

Microcomputers

Embedded computers

a)     i) ENIAC stands for Electronic Numerical Integrator And Calculator or (Computer).

->First operational electronic digital computer developed for the US Army by John Eckert and John Mauchly.

ii)    UNIVAC refers to Universal Automatic Calculator or Computer.

-> It was the first commercial available electronic computer

b)     The First Generation. ENIAC and UNIVAC are examples of First generation computers.

c)       i) ED VAC stands for Electrical Discrete Variable Automatic Computer

EDSAC stands for Electronic Delay Storage Automatic Calculator or Computer

a)        The mechanical era and the electronic era.

b)        Some characteristics of the mechanical era are:

>      The Abacus was invented — which is an instrument that was used to perform arithmetic calculations. -

>      Invention of the Napier’s bones in 1617 by John Napier. Hie Napier’s bones was a calculating rod that was used to multiply sizeable numbers.

>      Invention of the Pascal's Arithmetic Machine or the Pascaline by Blaise Pascal in 1642. The Pascaline was used to add and Substract numbers.

NB: the Pascaline was one of the first ever machine that could actually do computing.

> invention of the step Reckoner in 1694 by the German Mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Von Leibnitz. — The Step Reckoner was an advanced calculating device which could perform addition and subtraction along with multiplication and division.

>      Introduction of Punched cards by Joseph Jacquard of France is ISOL Punched cards were used by a loom for weaving clothes where it commands the operations of the loom.

NB: the idea of using punched cards to store information was to be used by a number of computers in later years.

c)       The electronic era.