Tuesday, March 1, 2011

History of computing

Main article: History of computing hardware

The first use of the word "computer" was recorded in 1613, referring to a person who carried out calculations, or computations, and the word continued with the same meaning until the middle of the 20th century. From the end of the 19th century onwards, the word began to take on its more familiar meaning, describing a machine that carries out computations.[3]
Limited-function ancient computers
The Jacquard loom, on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, England, was one of the first programmable devices.

The history of the modern computer begins with two separate technologies—automated calculation and programmability—but no single device can be identified as the earliest computer, partly because of the inconsistent application of that term. Examples of early mechanical calculating devices include the abacus, the slide rule and arguably the astrolabe and the Antikythera mechanism, an ancient astronomical computer built by the Greeks around 80 BC.[4] The Greek mathematician Hero of Alexandria (c. 10–70 AD) built a mechanical theater which performed a play lasting 10 minutes and was operated by a complex system of ropes and drums that might be considered to be a means of deciding which parts of the mechanism performed which actions and when.[5] This is the essence of programmability.

The "castle clock", an astronomical clock invented by Al-Jazari in 1206, is considered to be the earliest programmable analog computer.[6][verification needed] It displayed the zodiac, the solar and lunar orbits, a crescent moon-shaped pointer travelling across a gateway causing automatic doors to open every hour,[7][8] and five robotic musicians who played music when struck by levers operated by a camshaft attached to a water wheel. The length of day and night could be re-programmed to compensate for the changing lengths of day and night throughout the year.[6]

The Renaissance saw a re-invigoration of European mathematics and engineering. Wilhelm Schickard's 1623 device was the first of a number of mechanical calculators constructed by European engineers, but none fit the modern definition of a computer, because they could not be programmed.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

HP laptop

HP launched a latest small and medium business Notebook, HP ProBook 4520s that is designed to replace the last year 4510s laptop. This newest model has some new and unique features that separate this computer from the line of other laptops in the market.

HP Pro book laptop assures the more better performance and durability power than that of previous models like HP nx7300. The dimensions of this laptop are 14.64 x 9.83 x 1.09-inches while the weight of ProBook model starts from5.27lbs.

This forthcoming laptop 4520 HP loaded with new and fastest Intel Core line that includes the Core i3, i5 and i7 processors. It runs on Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (32-bit) and therefore the user will find effective and efficient programming capabilities in these HP laptops. HP offers only limited 1-year standard parts and labor warranty

HP ProBook 4520s is styled with 15.6-inch LED-backlit anti-glare HD display; the screen resolution is1366 x 768 pixels. The storage capacity of HP ProBook is 4GB DDR2 800MHz RAM and 320GB 7200RPM HDD; it also has LightScribe DVD+/-RW Optical Drive. The exceptional graphics can be seen through Hi-Fi Intel GMA HD Integrated Graphics means it offer beautiful and colorful picture quality than that of its predecessor HP Pavilion dv6t notebook. HP ProBook 4520 offer fastest connectivity and data sharing ability as it integrates Atheros AR9285 BGN Wifi, Bluetooth 2.1 and 1 GB LAN.

HP 4520s ProBook laptop is combined with stylish and chiclet design keyboard. The brushed metal finish of this notebook gives a stronger look, all this done to enhance the protection of delicate screen of HP 4520s model.


Brief Histort

Introduction and Brief History:

The advent of cheap and powerful computers over the last few decades has allowed for the development of innovative software applications for the storage, analysis, and display of geographic data. Many of these applications belong to a group of software known as Geographic Information Systems (GIS). Many definitions have been proposed for what constitutes a GIS. Each of these definitions conforms to the particular task that is being performed. Instead of repeating each of these definitions, I would like to broadly define GIS according to what it does. Thus, the activities normally carried out on a GIS include:

The measurement of natural and human made phenomena and processes from a spatial perspective. These measurements emphasize three types of properties commonly associated with these types of systems: elements, attributes, and relationships.
The storage of measurements in digital form in a computer database. These measurements are often linked to features on a digital map. The features can be of three types: points, lines, or areas (polygons).
The analysis of collected measurements to produce more data and to discover new relationships by numerically manipulating and modeling different pieces of data.
The depiction of the measured or analyzed data in some type of display - maps, graphs, lists, or summary statistics.
The first computerized GIS began its life in 1964 as a project of the Rehabilitation and Development Agency Program within the government of Canada. The Canada Geographic Information System (CGIS) was designed to analyze Canada's national land inventory data to aid in the development of land for agriculture. The CGIS project was completed in 1971 and the software is still in use today. The CGIS project also involved a number of key innovations that have found their way into the feature set of many subsequent software developments.

From the mid-1960s to 1970s, developments in GIS were mainly occurring at government agencies and at universities. In 1964, Howard Fisher established the Harvard Lab for Computer Graphics where many of the industries early leaders studied. The Harvard Lab produced a number of mainframe GIS applications including: SYMAP (Synagraphic Mapping System),CALFORM, SYMVU, GRID, POLYVRT, and ODYSSEY. ODYSSEY was first modern vector GIS and many of its features would form the basis for future commercial applications. Automatic Mapping System was developed by the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the late 1960s. This project then spawned the CIA's World Data Bank, a collection of coastlines, rivers, and political boundaries, and the CAM software package that created maps at different scales from this data. This development was one of the first systematic map databases. In 1969, Jack Dangermond, who studied at the Harvard Lab for Computer Graphics, co-founded Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) with his wife Laura. ESRI would become in a few years the dominate force in the GIS marketplace and create ArcInfo and ArcView software. The first conference dealing with GIS took place in 1970 and was organized by Roger Tomlinson (key individual in the development of CGIS) and Duane Marble (professor at Northwestern University and early GIS innovator). Today, numerous conferences dealing with GIS run every year attracting thousands of attendants.

In the 1980s and 1990s, many GIS applications underwent substantial evolution in terms of features and analysis power. Many of these packages were being refined by private companies who could see the future commercial potential of this software. Some of the popular commercial applications launched during this period include: ArcInfo, ArcView, MapInfo, SPANS GIS, PAMAP GIS, INTERGRAPH, and SMALLWORLD. It was also during this period that many GIS applications moved from expensive minicomputer workstations to personal computer hardware.

Components of a GIS

A Geographic Information System combines computer cartography with a database management system. Figure 2f-1 describes some of the major components common to a GIS. This diagram suggests that a GIS consists of three subsystems: (1) an input system that allows for the collection of data to be used and analyzed for some purpose; (2) computer hardware and software systems that store the data, allow for data management and analysis, and can be used to display data manipulations on a computer monitor; (3) an output system that generates hard copy maps, images, and other types of output.


  • Figure 2f-1: Three major components of a Geographic Information System. These components consist of input, computer hardware and software, and output subsystems.


Two basic types of data are normally entered into a GIS. The first type of data consists of real world phenomena and features that have some kind of spatial dimension. Usually, these data elements are depicted mathematically in the GIS as either points, lines, or polygons that are referenced geographically (or geocoded) to some type of coordinate system. This type data is entered into the GIS by devices like scanners, digitizers, GPS, air photos, and satellite imagery. The other type of data is sometimes referred to as an attribute. Attributes are pieces of data that are connected or related to the points, lines, or polygons mapped in the GIS. This attribute data can be analyzed to determine patterns of importance. Attribute data is entered directly into a database where it is associated with element data.

The difference between element and attribute data can be illustrated in Figures 2f-2 and 2f-3. Figure 2f-2 shows the location of some of the earthquakes that have occurred in the last century. These plotted data points can be defined as elements because their main purpose is to describe the location of the earthquakes. For each of the earthquakes plotted on this map, the GIS also has data on their depth. These measurements can be defined as attribute data because they are connected to the plotted earthquake locations in Figure 2f-2. Figure 2f-3 shows the attribute earthquake depth organized into three categories: shallow; intermediate; and deep. This analysis indicates a possible relationship between earthquake depth and spatial location - deep earthquakes do not occur at the mid-oceanic ridges.

    
                                


  • Figure 2f-2: Distribution of earthquake events that have occurred over the last century.        

                                

  • Figure 2f-3: Earthquake events organized according to depth (yellow (shallow) = surface to 25 kilometers below the surface, red (intermediate) = 26 to 75 kilometers below the surface, and black (deep) = 76 to 660 kilometers below the surface).


Within the GIS database a user can enter, analyze, and manipulate data that is associated with some spatial element in the real world. The cartographic software of the GIS enables one to display the geographic information at any scale or projection and as a variety of layers which can be turned on or off. Each layer would show some different aspect of a place on the Earth. These layers could show things like a road network, topography, vegetation cover, streams and water bodies, or the distribution of annual precipitation received. The output illustrated in Figure 2f-4 merges data layers for vegetation community type, glaciers and ice fields, and water bodies (streams, lakes, and ocean).    
                                    


Figure 2f-4: Graphic output from a GIS. This GIS contains information about the major plant communities, lakes and streams, and glaciers and ice fields found occupying the province of British Columbia, Canada. The output shows Vancouver Island and part of the British Columbia mainland.

Sonic Book

The ViewBook Pro has the same configuration as the ViewBook 130, however it offers some additional features. First and foremost is the inclusion of an 8X DVD writer drive which is hot-swappable. The drive can be removed without needing any tools, and replaced with an additional battery which extends the power supply from 8hrs to 12 hrs. The ViewBook Pro also features a fingerprint sensor for more security.

The new Netbooks launched are the ViewSonic NetBook 100 and 101, both of which are quite similar in features. The NetBook VNB 100 sports a wide 10" screen with a resolution of 1024x600. It runs on an Intel Atom N270 1.6GHz processor with 1GB RAM, and a 160GB HDD. The NetBooks come with a 1.3MP webcamera, a 5-in-one card reader, and a standard touchpad. The 101 comes with a faster Intel Atom N280 1.66GHz processor, and a multi touch touchpad. The NetBooks run Windows XP home shunning the newer Windows 7.

Buy HP Compaq Desktop Pc Get Creative Zen Mp3 Player Free


Purchase any Hp Compaq Presario Desktop PC Models SG3510IL, SG3530IL, SG3540IL, SG3550IL & SG3570IL and get a Creative 2Gb Mp3 Player with Built-in speakers for free of cost. This offer is currently available for Indians who need to submit a online claim registration form.


Offer Details :
Offer Valid only on “Presario Desktop PC’s” only
Purchased between 7th Oct 2008 – 31st Oct 2008
Last date of Registration for Offer: – 10th November 2008
Last Date of Receiving Claims: – 20th November 2008 Redemption Process





2 Simple Steps to Avail the Offer -
Step 1
Fill In an online Claim Registration From, available after you read and accepts the terms & conditions of the offer and click “Register” button. On Successful Completion of the Registration Process you shall receive a Redemption Code on your registered e-mail (please ensure you provide an active e-mail address , as it shall be used for all communications with regard to this offer).

Step 2
Post Registration send the following documents to the REDEMPTION CELL ADDRESS on the address as mentioned below:
Copy of Invoice
Original Bar Coded Product Serial Number, from the packaging of the product
Processing Charges of Rs. 500/- (Rs. Five Hundred Only) Payable in the shape of Demand Draft Only favoring “Innovative Incentives & Events Pvt Ltd” Payable at “Chandigarh”.

Check out HP Offers Website for more details

Latest Dell XPS 420 Multimedia PC With Microsoft Windows Sideshow And Xcelerator Technology

The famous manufacturers of computers, Dell has announced the launch of its Latest Dell XPS 420 premium multimedia desktop PC that will go to compete with HP (Hewlett-Packard) and Apple for the multimedia enthusiast. Furthermore, the new Dell XPS PC is also able to convert the videos to a format suitable for sharing and uploading to social networking sites such as Youtube, with Dell’s Xcelerator technolog
Besides, the new Dell XPS which comes with an 20-inch LCD display is also the first desktop PC from any major OEM to feature Microsoft’s Windows Sideshow technology, aiming to show the user supplemental customizable information. In addition, these PCs also comes equipped with pretty cool pre-installed Adobe Elements Studio software, which includes Adobe Photoshop Elements 6, Premiere Elements 4 software and Adobe Soundbooth CS3.

“Our goal is to help people turn their digital lifestyle dreams into reality, whether it’s viewing family moments and memories, telling your story with photos and videos, creating videos for social networking sites like YouTube, recording TV shows or converting vinyl album libraries to digital files,” said Karen Plotkin, director of consumer desktop marketing. “The combination of the XPS 420 and the Adobe Elements Studio software makes it easy to harness creativity and imagination and share ideas, style and personality.”

“We are delighted that Dell has integrated Adobe Elements Studio software into the XPS 420,” said Jim Mohan, director of product management for consumer digital imaging and digital video at Adobe. “Now, customers have the hardware and software they need to unleash their creativity and easily personalize photos, videos and audio at home.”

The new Dell XPS 420 premium multimedia PC that available in 3 configurations including Media Powerhouse, Performance and Productivity and Ultimate Entertainment will available with prices from $1,500 to $2,500.

Apart from that, Dell has also announced its all in one printer and 20 inch LCD monitor (SP2008WFP) with a built-in webcam and microphone. Both of them are available now for $149 and $280, respectively. Check Dell’s official site to see more details of latest Dell XPS 420 and other multimedia devices!