MCQ Test: Computer Generations - 2 - Bank Exams MCQ

Peripheral devices in a computer system allow information to be retrieved from an external source.

The correct answer is D, during the late 19th century. The first digital electronic calculating machines appeared during this time period. One notable example is the invention of the "Difference Engine" by Charles Babbage in the early 19th century, although it was never fully completed. However, the first fully functional digital electronic calculating machine was the "Atanasoff-Berry Computer" (ABC), invented by John Atanasoff and Clifford Berry in the late 1930s and early 1940s. It laid the groundwork for subsequent developments in electronic computing and was an important precursor to the modern digital computer.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known use of the term computer was in a 1613 book called The Yong Mans Gleanings by the English writer Richard Brathwait.

Moore's law is a prediction made by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore in 1965 that the number of transistors in a microprocessor would double roughly every two years. This prediction has held true for several decades and has been a driving force behind the rapid advancement of computer technology.

A computer system is a complete computer that includes the hardware, operating system, and peripheral equipment needed for full operation. It can also refer to a group of computers that are linked and function together, such as a computer network or computer cluster.

Moore's law is a prediction made by Gordon Moore, co-founder of Intel, in 1965, which states that the number of transistors on a microchip will double approximately every two years, leading to an exponential increase in processing power and decrease in cost per transistor.

The operating system (OS) is the main software that manages the computer hardware and software resources and provides common services for computer programs. It is a set of programs that control and manage the computer's hardware and software resources, and allows applications to run on the computer.

Robotics is the branch of engineering and science that deals with the design, construction, operation and use of robots as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback and information processing.

Special Purpose Computer
Special purpose computers are those computers which are used to solve a single and dedicated types of problem. e.g. Automatic aircraft landing, multimedia computer, etc.

Quantum computer was first introduced by Richard Feynman. It uses quantum mechanical phenomena. It is the fastest computer imitating brain working.
Nano computer is a general team used to describe a computer smaller than a microcomputer, usually about the size of a credit card. e.g. Raspberry Pi which could be used in schools to teach science to children.
Pratyush India’s fastest and first multi-petaflops (PF) supercomputer named Pratyush was unveiled at Pune based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
Pratyush has 6.8 PF computational power installed at two MoES Institutes. 4.0 Peta Flops HPC facility at IITM, Pune and 2.8 Peta Flops facility at NCMRWF, Noida. Pratyush is fourth fastest supercomputer in the world dedicated for weather and climate research.
Note PF is a measure of a computer’s processing speed.

Hybrid Computer
These are a combination of analog and digital computers. Machines used in hospitals like ECG and DIALYSIS are the commonly used hybrid computers.

Microcomputer A microprocessor-based computer, consisting of an CPU, internal semiconductor memory, input and output sections and a system bus, all on one, or several monolithic IC chips inserted into one or several PC boards.

Minicomputer Considered to be more capable than a microcomputer but less powerful than a mainframe.

Supercomputer The largest mainframe computer featuring exceptionally high speed operation while manipulating huge amounts of information.

Analog computers work on the supply of A, continuous electrical pulses. These computers use continuously variable physical quantities, such as voltage or current, to represent and manipulate data. By utilizing electrical signals that can vary smoothly and continuously, analog computers can perform calculations and solve mathematical equations using physical quantities as inputs and outputs. This is in contrast to digital computers that operate on discrete values, represented by binary digits (bits).

Pratyush India’s fastest and first multi-petaflops (PF) supercomputer named Pratyush was unveiled at Pune based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM).
Pratyush has 6.8 PF computational power installed at two MoES Institutes. 4.0 Peta Flops HPC facility at IITM, Pune and 2.8 Peta Flops facility at NCMRWF, Noida. Pratyush is fourth fastest supercomputer in the world dedicated for weather and climate research.

Note: PF is a measure of a computer’s processing speed.

Supercomputer
These are the fastest and most expensive machines. They have high processing speed compared to other computers. Supercomputers are most powerful, large in size and memory, compared to all other computers. The speed of supercomputers are measured in FLOPS (Floating Point Operations Per Second).

Supercomputers are used for highly calculation intensive tasks, such as weather forecasting, nuclear research, military agencies and scientific research laboratories.

(i) CRAY-1 was the world’s first supercomputer introduced by Seymour R CRAY in 1976.
(ii) PARAM was the first supercomputer developed in India in 1990.
(iii) PARAM ISHAN is the latest machine in the series of PARAM made by C-DAC and IIT Guwahati on 20th September, 2016.

The correct answer is B, Supercomputers. Supercomputers are specially designed computers that are built to handle and process large amounts of data and perform complex calculations at extremely high speeds. They are specifically optimized for tasks that require substantial computational power, such as scientific simulations, weather forecasting, cryptography, and advanced research computations. Supercomputers typically consist of multiple processors and parallel processing capabilities to achieve their high-performance computing capabilities. Servers, laptops, and mainframes, while they may have varying levels of computational power, are not typically designed to perform complex calculations at the same scale and speed as supercomputers.

The correct answer is D, Mainframe. Mainframe computers are generally costlier than servers, notebook computers, and personal computers. Mainframes are large-scale computing systems designed to handle extensive data processing and support multiple concurrent users. They are built for high reliability, availability, and scalability, often used by large organizations for critical applications and data processing. Mainframes typically have powerful hardware configurations, advanced security features, and specialized software. Due to their high-end specifications, extensive scalability, and robust infrastructure, mainframe computers tend to have higher costs compared to servers, notebook computers, and personal computers, which are designed for different usage scenarios and typically have lower price points.

The correct answer is D, server. A server is a central computer that holds collections of data and programs for many PCs, workstations, and other computers. It serves these computers by responding to their requests, managing network resources, and providing various services, such as file sharing, data storage, email hosting, web hosting, and more. Servers are designed to be reliable, scalable, and capable of handling multiple client connections simultaneously. They are a critical component in networked environments, where they provide centralized resources and facilitate communication and data sharing among multiple devices and users.

The correct answer is C, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant). A PDA is a handheld device that is designed for personal organization and information management. PDAs typically use a handheld operating system, such as Palm OS, Windows CE, or BlackBerry OS, to provide functionality for tasks like scheduling, contact management, note-taking, and sometimes communication capabilities like email and web browsing. PDAs have been largely replaced by smartphones in recent years, which also use handheld operating systems but offer additional features such as cellular connectivity and app ecosystems.

On the other hand, supercomputers, personal computers (including laptops), and mainframes typically use desktop or server-class operating systems that are not specifically designed for handheld devices.

The correct answer is C, Personal computer. A personal computer (PC) is a small microprocessor-based computer designed to be used by one person at a time. PCs are general-purpose computers that are commonly used for various tasks such as word processing, internet browsing, multimedia playback, gaming, and more. They typically consist of a CPU (central processing unit), memory, storage, input/output devices, and an operating system. Personal computers come in different form factors, including desktop computers and laptop/notebook computers, which offer portability. Netbooks, while a previous category of portable computers, are less commonly used today, and laptops/notebooks have largely replaced them. Supercomputers, on the other hand, are high-performance computers designed for complex calculations and data processing on a large scale, far beyond the capabilities of a personal computer.

The correct answer is D, fifth generation computer.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. It involves the development of computer systems that can perform tasks that would typically require human intelligence, such as speech recognition, natural language processing, problem-solving, and decision-making.

The concept of AI emerged in the mid-20th century and has evolved over time with advancements in computer science and technology. The term "fifth generation computer" specifically refers to a concept that originated in the 1980s, which aimed to develop computers capable of AI and parallel processing. While the concept of fifth generation computers did not materialize as originally envisioned, AI has continued to progress and has become a significant field of research and application in modern computing.