TABLE OF CONTENTS After completing this lesson, you will be able to:
Understand basic computer terms.
Understand what CAD means.
Determine what computer to purchase.
Know the system requirements for AutoCAD.
Start AutoCAD four ways.
Use AutoCAD s Help system
The first computers were developed in the 1950s, shortly after the transistor was invented. In the mid 1960s General Motors, Boeing and IBM began developing CAD programs, but the development was slowed by the high cost of computer hardware and programming.
In 1971, Ted Hoff developed the first microprocessor. All circuitry of the central processing unit (CPU) was now on one chip. This started the era of the personal computer (PC). In the 1980s, additional improvements to the microprocessor changed the mainframe computers to powerful desktop models.
Of course, computer software was advancing along with the computer hardware. CAD started as a simple drafting tool and has now evolved into a powerful design tool. CAD has progressed from two-dimensional (2-D) to three-dimensional (3-D), to surface modeling and to solid modeling with animation. Each generation has become more powerful and more user friendly.
Microprocessor
The complex procedure that transforms raw input data into useful information for output is called processing . The processor is the brain of the computer. The processor interprets and carries out instructions. In personal computers the processor is a single chip plugged into a circuit board. This chip is called a microprocessor.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
