MERDEKA!!!MERDEKA!!!MERDEKA!!!

MERDEKA!!!MERDEKA!!!MERDEKA!!! 

Kebiasaanya apabila tibanya tanggal 31 Ogos pada setiap tahun, pelbagai acara diadakan bagi memperingati dan meraikan tarikh keramat Malaysia bebas daripada cengkaman penjajah.  

Namun demikian, dalam meraikan sambutan berkenaan, sejauh manakah rata-rata kita sebagai rakyat Malaysia menghayati roh kemerdekaan dalam erti kata yang sebenar? Adakah pengisian program sambutan kemerdekaan yang dilaksanakan sejak lebih lima dekad yang lampau benar-benar mampu menzahirkan sebuah kerangka masyarakat yang bukan sahaja negaranya merdeka, bahkan juga merdeka dari pelbagai aspek seperti ekonomi, politik, sosial dan paling utama merdeka dari segi sikap dan tinglahlaku?

Apabila menyentuh mengenai kemerdekaan dari sudut ekonomi, politik dan sosial, ia pastinya berbalik kepada persoalan tunjang yakni sikap dan tingkahlaku yang terlebih dahulu perlu dimerdekakan. Ini kerana, apalah ertinya kita berada dalam sebuah negara yang merdeka dan berdaulat sekiranya sikap dan tingkahlaku kita masih lagi dibelenggu dan dijajah oleh sifat-sifat mazmumah yang pastinya sekali gus boleh merencatkan proses pembangunan sosial, ekonomi dan politik yang sewajarnya seiring dengan kerangka Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara Islam.

Seharusnya, setelah berdekad-dekad lamanya negara kita mengecapi nikmat kemerdekaan, pemikiran dan tingkahlaku kita juga perlulah jauh lebih merdeka dan terkehadapan selari dengan tempoh merdekanya negara daripada cengkaman penjajah. Namun, malangnya didapati pemikiran, sikap dan tingkahlaku segelintir kita pada hari ini masih lagi belum mencapai kemerdekaan dalam erti kata sebenar yakni berpaksikan acuan sebagaimana yang telah digariskan oleh syariat Islam.

Buktinya, kita masih lagi terkepung dengan pelbagai masalah sosial seperti perzinaan, pembuangan bayi, penagihan dadah, peningkatan kadar jenayah dan sebagainya sehingga ia dilihat sedikit sebanyak mencalarkan imej negara sebagai sebuah negara merdeka yang sewajarnya juga bebas daripada permasalahan-permasalahan sosial seumpama ini.

 

Tugu Peringatan Negara (atau juga dikenali sebagai Tugu Negara) telah disiapkan pada 8 Februari 1966 sebagai penghormatan kepada lebih 11 ribu perajurit yang gugur dalam Perang Dunia Pertama (1914-1918), Perang Dunia Kedua (1935-1942) dan semasa Darurat (1948-1960). Ia terletak di ibu negara, Kuala Lumpur berhampiran dengan bangunan Parli

http://ms.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tugu_Negara

 

The History of the Computer Generations

Punched Card System

Source: Wikipedia

The evolution of computers

It is very hard to believe but computer's era begins in ancient times. The first mechanical devices that somewhat can be called a limited function computers appeared in 2500 BC. Well, Sumerian abacus cannot be called a real computer, but it's goal was helping in various calculations. The slide rule, that can be called a mechanical analog computer appeared in 1620. Looking deeply in the ancient history many interesting and useful machines, that can be referred as primitive computers can be found. There were machines which calculated the astronomical positions of stellar bodies. Various devices, such as astolabe also can be called computers.

The main idea is that the human is such a creature, whose aim is to create some devices to help him solving various problems. The main aim of every computer is to help us in calculations. The definition of the "computer" says that a computer is a programmable machine designed to automatically carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations. The history of computer generations is very interesting field to explore, because since the 1946, when first real computers were created, they evolve very rapidly. In the short period computer becomes more powerful in enormous steps.

ENIAC

Source: Wikipedia

The First Generation: Vacuum Tubes

The first computer generation appeared in 1946-1958. It is the era of vacuum tubes. The computers of this era were huge, very expensive, slow and had limited application capabilities. The first computer that had vacuum tubes was constructed in 1946 by J. P. Eckert and J. Mauchly. Their machine was called ENIAC (Electronc Numerical Integrator and Computer). ENIAC had thousands of vacuum tubes.

IBM 701

Source: Wikipedia

The Second Generation: Transistors

The second generation of computers lasted from 1959-1964. It was a very short era. The vacuum tubes were replaced by transistors. Actually, the invention of a transistor had a huge influence on the development of electronics.

The invention of transistor allowed computer to became smaller, faster and cheaper. These computer also were more efficient and more reliable that the computers of the first generation. The first symbolic (assembly) programming languages appeared in this generation. Also, the backgrounds of high level programing languages were developed. The first versions of COBOL and FORTRAN appeared.

The computer instructions storage also changed. The step from magnetic drum to magnetic core technology was made.

Integrated Circuit - 8 bit microcontroller

Source: Wikipedia

The Third Generation: Integrated Circuits

The invention of integrated circuits were another great step in developing semiconductors technologies. The third computer generations appeared. The third generation lasted from 1964 to 1971.

The appearance of integrated circuits allowed to place miniaturized transistors on silicon chips. This technological invention allowed computers to increase speed and to become more efficient.

The human interaction with the computer had changed much in this generation. The keyboards and monitors appeared instead of punched cards and printouts. In this generation computers had first operating systems that allowed to run multiple applications on the computer.It was the first time when computer became accessible to a mass audience. they become much smaller and more cheaper, so the usual customer can afford them.

Intel 4004 microprocessor

Source: Wikipedia

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The Fourth Generation: Microprocessors

The appearance of microprocessor allowed the fourth generation of computers to appear. This happed in 1971. At the moment we still have fourth generation computers. Microprocessor is a device that have thousand integrated circuits (millions of transistors) built in one silicon chip. The fourth generation was started by Intel 4004 chip that was developed in 1971. The greatest thing in computer evolution was that the whole computer that in first generation filled the whole room, now was integrated into a small chip.

4004 had all computer components integrated on one chip. This chip contained CPU, memory and input/output controls.

Ten years later (in 1981), IBM introduced the first computer that was dedicated to home user. Tree years later Apple introduced Macintosh. The era of mass usage of computers began. The use of microprocessors expanded and in our days, mostly all electronic devices use microprocessors or micro-controllers.

In the fourth generation the development of computer networks began. This lead to invention of the Internet. Many other great thing were developed during these years. Now it is very hard to imagine using computer without mouse, GUI or other features.

The fourth computer generation is a generation of computers as we know them now. Off course, during these years computers became more powerful, smaller, cheaper and so on. But the main idea is the same - microprocessor.