Introduction to Computer PDF

**INTRODUCTION** A computer is a machine that can be programmed to automatically carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These programs enable computers to perform a wide ran...

**INTRODUCTION** A computer is a machine that can be programmed to automatically carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical operations (computation). Modern digital electronic computers can perform generic sets of operations known as programs. These programs enable computers to perform a wide range of tasks. The term computer system may refer to a nominally complete computer that includes the hardware, operating system, software, and peripheral equipment needed and used for full operation; or to a group of computers that are linked and function together, such as a computer network or computer cluster. Man replacing one vacuum tube out of hundreds in early computer room with multiple computer cabinets and operating panel Smartphone with rainbow-like display held in a hand Black desktop computer with monitor on top and keyboard in front Purple video game console with attached controller Rows of large, dark computer cabinets in warehouse-like room Computers and computing devices from different eras left to right, top to bottom: Early vacuum tube computer (ENIAC) Mainframe computer (IBM System 360) Smartphone (LYF Water 2) Desktop computer (IBM ThinkCentre S50 with monitor) Video game console (Nintendo GameCube) Supercomputer (IBM Summit) A broad range of industrial and consumer products use computers as control systems, including simple special-purpose devices like microwave ovens and remote controls, and factory devices like industrial robots. Computers are at the core of general-purpose devices such as personal computers and mobile devices such as smartphones. Computers power the Internet, which links billions of computers and users. Early computers were meant to be used only for calculations. Simple manual instruments like the abacus have aided people in doing calculations since ancient times. Early in the Industrial Revolution, some mechanical devices were built to automate long, tedious tasks, such as guiding patterns for looms. More sophisticated electrical machines did specialized analog calculations in the early 20th century. The first digital electronic calculating machines were developed during World War II, both electromechanical and using thermionic valves. The first semiconductor transistors in the late 1940s were followed by the silicon-based MOSFET (MOS transistor) and monolithic integrated circuit chip technologies in the late 1950s, leading to the microprocessor and the microcomputer revolution in the 1970s. The speed, power, and versatility of computers have been increasing dramatically ever since then, with transistor counts increasing at a rapid pace (Moore\'s law noted that counts doubled every two years), leading to the Digital Revolution during the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Conventionally, a modern computer consists of at least one processing element, typically a central processing unit (CPU) in the form of a microprocessor, together with some type of computer memory, typically semiconductor memory chips. The processing element carries out arithmetic and logical operations, and a sequencing and control unit can change the order of operations in response to stored information. Peripheral devices include input devices (keyboards, mice, joysticks, etc.), output devices (monitors, printers, etc.), and input/output devices that perform both functions (e.g. touchscreens). Peripheral devices allow information to be retrieved from an external source, and they enable the results of operations to be saved and retrieved. ***INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER*** **1.0 Computer** A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory that can accept data (input), process the data according to specified rules, produce information (output), and store the information for future use. **1.1 Functionalities of a computer** Any digital computer carries out five functions in gross terms:  **1.2 Types of Computers.** - **Supercomputers** - **Minicomputers** - **Microcomputers** - **Laptops/notebooks** - **Mainframe computer** - **Embedded computers** - **Terminals** - **Cloud computing.** Any kind of computers consists of Hardware and Software. **2.0 HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE**. **2.1 Hardware:** Computer hardware is the collection of physical elements that constitutes a computer system. Computer hardware refers to the physical parts or components of a computer such as the monitor, mouse, keyboard, computer data storage, hard drive disk (HDD), system unit (graphic cards, sound cards, memory, motherboard and chips), etc. all of which are physical objects that can be touched. **2.1.1 Input Devices** Input device is any peripheral (piece of computer hardware equipment to provide data and control signals to an information processing system such as a computer or other information appliance. Input device Translate data from **form** that humans understand to one that the computer can work with. Most common are keyboard and mouse  **2.1.2 Example of Input Devices: -** 1\. Keyboard 2\. Mouse (pointing device) 3\. Microphone ----------------------------- ----------------------------- ----------------- 4\. Touch screen 5\. Scanner 6\. Webcam 7\. Touchpads 8\. MIDI keyboard 9. 10\. Graphics Tablets 11\. Cameras 12\. Pen Input 13\. Video Capture Hardware 14\. Microphone 15\. Trackballs 16\. Barcode reader 17\. Digital camera 18\. Joystick 19\. Gamepad 20\. Electronic Whiteboard 21. **Note:** The most common use keyboard is the QWERTY keyboard. Generally standard Keyboard has 104 keys. **2.1.2.1 Central Processing Unit (CPU)** A CPU is brain of a computer. It is responsible for all functions and processes. Regarding computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system. The CPU is comprised of three main parts : - ***Arithmetic* *Logic* *Unit (ALU)***: Executes all arithmetic and logical operations. Arithmetic calculations like as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Logical operation like compare numbers, letters, or special characters ***\** *Control* *Unit (CU):*** controls and co-ordinates computer components. 1. Read the code for the next instruction to be executed. 2. Increment the program counter so it points to the next instruction. 3. Read whatever data the instruction requires from cells in memory. 4. Provide the necessary data to an ALU or register. 5. If the instruction requires an ALU or specialized hardware to complete, instruct the hardware to perform the requested operation. - ***Registers***: Stores the data that is to be executed next, \"very fast storage area\". **\`2.1.2.2 Primary Memory: -** 1. **RAM**: Random Access Memory (RAM) is a memory scheme within the computer system responsible for storing data on a temporary basis, so that it can be promptly accessed by the processor as and when needed. It is volatile in nature, which means that data will be erased once supply to the storage device is turned off. RAM stores data randomly and the processor accesses these data randomly from the RAM storage. RAM is considered \"random access\" because you can access any memory cell directly if you know the row and column that intersect at that cell. 2. **ROM** (Read Only Memory): ROM is a permanent form of storage. ROM stays active regardless of whether power supply to it is turned on or off. ROM devices do not allow data stored on them to be modified. **2.1.2.3 Secondary Memory: -** Stores data and programs permanently: its retained after the power is turned off 1. Hard drive (HD): A hard disk is part of a unit, often called a \"disk drive,\" \"hard drive,\" or \"hard disk drive,\" that store and provides relatively quick access to large amounts of data on an electromagnetically charged surface or set of surfaces. 2. Optical Disk: an optical disc drive (ODD) is a disk drive that uses laser light as part of the process of reading or writing data to or from optical discs. Some drives can only read from discs, but recent drives are commonly both readers and recorders, also called burners or writers. Compact discs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are common types of optical media which can be read and recorded by such drives. Optical drive is the generic name; drives are usually described as \"CD\" \"DVD\", or \"Bluray\", followed by \"drive\", \"writer\", etc. There are three main types of optical media: CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disc. CDs can store up to 700 megabytes (MB) of data and DVDs can store up to 8.4 GB of data. Blu-ray discs, which are the newest type of optical media, can store up to 50 GB of data. This storage capacity is a clear advantage over the floppy disk storage media (a magnetic media), which only has a capacity of 1.44 MB. **2.1.2.4 Flash Disk** A storage module made of flash memory chips. A Flash disks have no mechanical platters or access arms, but the term \"disk\" is used because the data are accessed as if they were on a hard drive. The disk storage structure is emulated. **2.1.3 Output devices** An output device is any piece of computer hardware equipment used to communicate the results of data processing carried out by an information processing system (such as a computer) which converts the electronically generated information into humanreadable form.  **2.1.4 Example on Output Devices:** 1\. Monitor 2\. LCD Projection Panels -------------------------- ------------------------------------- 3\. Printers (all types) 4\. Computer Output Microfilm (COM) 5\. Plotters 6\. Speaker(s) 7\. Projector **Note Basic types of monitors are:** a\. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). b\. Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD). c\. light-emitting diode (LED). etc **2.1.4.1 Printer types:** 1-Laser Printer. 2-Ink Jet Printer. 3-Dot Matrix Printer **etc** **2.2 Software** Software is a generic term for organized collections of computer data and instructions, often broken into two major categories: system software that provides the basic nontask-specific functions of the computer, and application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks. ***2.2.1 Types of Software*** **System software** is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the individual hardware components of a computer system so that other software and the users of the system see it as a functional unit without having to be concerned with the low-level details such as transferring data from memory to disk, or rendering text onto a display. Generally, system software consists of an operating system and some fundamental utilities such as disk formatters, file managers, display managers, text editors, user authentication (login) and management tools, and networking and device control software. A. **Application software** is used to accomplish specific tasks other than just running the computer system. Application software may consist of a single program, such as an image viewer; a small collection of programs (often called a software package) that work closely together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet or text processing system; a larger collection (often called a software suite) of related but independent programs and packages that have a common user interface or shared data format, such as Microsoft Office, which consists of closely integrated word processor, spreadsheet, database, etc.; or a software system, such as a database management system, which is a collection of fundamental programs that may provide some service to a variety of other independent applications. **Comparison Application Software and System Software** +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | | System Software | Application Software | +=======================+=======================+=======================+ | | Computer software, or | Application software, | | | just software is a | also known as an | | | general term | application or an | | | primarily used for | \"app\", is computer | | | digitally stored data | software designed to | | | such as computer | help the user to | | | programs and other | perform specific | | | kinds of information | tasks. | | | read and written by | | | | computers. App comes | | | | under computer | | | | software though it | | | | has a wide scope now. | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Example: | 1. Microsoft Windows | 1. Opera (Web | | | | Browser) | | | 2. Linux | | | | | 2. Microsoft Word | | | 3. Unix | (Word Processing) | | | | | | | 4. Mac OSX | 3. Microsoft Excel | | | | (Spreadsheet | | | 5. DOS | software) | | | | | | | | 4. MySQL (Database | | | | Software) | | | | | | | | 5. Microsoft | | | | PowerPoint | | | | (Presentation | | | | Software) | | | | | | | | 6. Adobe Photoshop | | | | (Graphics | | | | Software) | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Interaction: | Generally, users do | Users always interact | | | not interact with | with application | | | system software as it | software while doing | | | works in the | different activities. | | | background. | | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ | Dependency: | System software can | Application software | | | run independently of | cannot run without | | | the application | the presence of the | | | software. | system software. | +-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+ **Unit of Measurements** ***Storage measurements***: The basic unit used in computer data storage is called a bit (binary digit). Computers use these little bits, which are composed of ones and zeros, to do things and talk to other computers. All your files, for instance, are kept in the computer as binary files and translated into words and pictures by the software (which is also ones and zeros). This two number system, is called a "binary number system" since it has only two numbers in it. The decimal number system in contrast has ten unique digits, zero through nine. Computer Storage units Bit BIT 0 or 1 ---------- ----- ---------------- Kilobyte KB 1024 bytes Megabyte MB 1024 kilobytes Gigabyte GB 1024 megabytes Terabyte TB 1024 gigabytes **SIZE EXAMPLE:** - 1 bit - answer to an yes/no question - 1 byte - a number from 0 to 255. - 90 bytes: enough to store a typical line of text from a book. - 4 KB: about one page of text. - 120 KB: the text of a typical pocket book. - 3 MB - a three minute song (128k bitrate) - 650-900 MB - an CD-ROM - 1 GB -114 minutes of uncompressed CD-quality audio at 1.4 Mbit/s 8-16 GB - size of a normal flash drive **Speed measurement**: The speed of Central Processing Unit (CPU) is measured by Hertz (Hz), Which represent a CPU cycle. The speed of CPU is known as Computer Speed. CPU SPEED MEASURES -------------------- ----------------------------------------- 1 hertz or Hz 1 cycle per second 1 MHz 1 million cycles per second or 1000 Hz 1 GHz 1 billion cycles per second or 1000 MHz **3.0 Computers Classification** Computers can be generally classified by size and power as follows, though there is Considerable overlap: - **Personal computer:** A small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. In addition to the microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a monitor for displaying information, and a storage device for saving data. - **workstation:** A powerful, single-user computer. A workstation is like a personal computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor. - **minicomputer:** A multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to hundreds of users simultaneously. - **mainframe**: A powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds or thousands of users simultaneously. - **supercomputer:** An extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions of instructions per second. **3.1 Laptop and Smartphone Computers** **3.1.1 Laptop**: A laptop is a battery or AC-powered personal computer that can be easily carried and used in a variety of locations. Many laptops are designed to have all of the functionality of a desktop computer, which means they can generally run the same software and open the same types of files. However, some laptops, such as netbooks, sacrifice some functionality in order to be even more portable. **3.1.2 Netbook:** A netbook is a type of laptop that is designed to be even more portable. Netbooks are often cheaper than laptops or desktops. They are generally less powerful than other types of computers, but they provide enough power for email and internet access, which is where the name \"netbook\" comes from. **3.1.3 Mobile Device:** A mobile device is basically any handheld computer. It is designed to be extremely portable, often fitting in the palm of your hand or in your pocket. Some mobile devices are more powerful, and they allow you to do many of ***3.1.4 Tablet Computers:*** Like laptops, tablet computers are designed to be portable. However, they provide a very different computing experience. The most obvious difference is that tablet computers don\'t have keyboards or touchpads. Instead, the entire screen is touch-sensitive, allowing you to type on a virtual keyboard and use your finger as a mouse pointer. Tablet computers are mostly designed for consuming media, and they are optimized for tasks like web browsing, watching videos, reading e-books, and playing games. For many people, a \"regular\" computer like a desktop or laptop is still needed in order to use some programs. However, the convenience of a tablet computer means that it may be ideal as a second computer. **3.1.5 Smartphones:** A smartphone is a powerful mobile phone that is designed to run a variety of applications in addition to phone service. They are basically small tablet computers, and they can be used for web browsing, watching videos, reading e-books, playing games and more. **4.1 Data, Information and Knowledge** **4.1.1 Data**: Facts and figures which relay something specific, but which are not organized in any way and which provide no further information regarding patterns, context, etc. So data means \"unstructured facts and figures that have the least impact on the typical manager.\" **4.1.2 Information**: For data to become information, it must be contextualized, categorized, calculated and condensed. Information thus paints a bigger picture; it is data with relevance and purpose. It may convey a trend in the environment, or perhaps indicate a pattern of sales for a given period of time. Essentially information is found \"in answers to questions that begin with such words as who, what, where, when, and how many\". **4.1.3 Knowledge**: Knowledge is closely linked to doing and implies know-how and understanding. The knowledge possessed by each individual is a product of his experience, and encompasses the norms by which he evaluates new inputs from his surroundings. - **The content of the human mind can be classified into four categories:** 1. Data: symbols 2. Information: data that are processed to be useful; provides answers to \"who\", \"what\", \"where\", and \"when\" questions 3. Knowledge: application of data and information; answers \"how\" questions 4. Wisdom: evaluated understanding. We need to understand that processing data produced Information and process Information produces Knowledge and so on **4.2 Characteristics of Computer** Speed, accuracy, diligence, storage capability and versatility are some of the key characteristics of a computer. A brief overview of these characteristics are: **4.2.1 Speed:** The computer can process data very fast, at the rate of millions of instructions per second. Some calculations that would have taken hours and days to complete otherwise, can be completed in a few seconds using the computer. For example, calculation and generation of salary slips of thousands of employees of an organization, weather forecasting that requires analysis of a large amount of data related to temperature, pressure and humidity of various places, etc. **4.2.2 Accuracy:** Computer provides a high degree of accuracy. For example, the computer can accurately give the result of division of any two numbers up to 10 decimal places. **4.2.3 Diligence:** When used for a longer period of time, the computer does not get tired or fatigued. It can perform long and complex calculations with the same speed and accuracy from the start till the end. **4.2.4 Storage Capability:** Large volumes of data and information can be stored in the computer and also retrieved whenever required. A limited amount of data can be stored, temporarily, in the primary memory. Secondary storage devices like floppy disk and compact disk can store a large amount of data permanently. **4.2.5 Versatility:** Computer is versatile in nature. It can perform different types of tasks with the same ease. At one moment you can use the computer to prepare a letter document and in the next moment you may play music or print a document. Computers have several limitations too. Computer can only perform tasks that it has been programmed to do. Computer cannot do any work without instructions from the user. It executes instructions as specified by the user and does not take its own decisions. **4.3 Computer Viruses** - - - - **What are some tips to avoid viruses and lessen their impact?** - Install anti-virus software from a reputable vendor. Update it and use it regularly. - In addition to scanning for viruses on a regular basis, install an \"on access\" scanner (included in most anti-virus software packages) and configure it to start each time you start up your computer. This will protect your system by checking for viruses each time you run an executable file. - Use a virus scan before you open any new programs or files that may contain executable code. This includes packaged software that you buy from the store as well as any program you might download from the Internet. - If you are a member of an online community or chat room, be very careful about accepting files or clicking links that you find or that people send you within the community. - Make sure you back up your data (documents, bookmark files, important email messages, etc.) on disc so that in the event of a virus infection, you do not lose valuable work. **4.4 CONCLUSION** The introduced six major application software, namely, word processor, Spreadsheets, databases software, presentation software, CAD, and accounting software. The lesson has concentrated more on the word processor window. Various features and functions of the word processor have been explained. Tool bars, status bars, creating and formatting in word processor have been demonstrated and practiced. Students have been led through formatting, space setting, inserting bullets and numbering. Students have learnt how to create columns, do footnoting and print a document. computer network has been defined and advantages and disadvantages of installing a network in an institution assessed. The LAN, WAN, MAN and INTERNET have been identified as types of computer networks. Ways computer networking helps in communication, teleconferencing resource sharing and conservation have equally been addressed.