COMP1-Lec-1-Intro-to-Computer.pdf

COMP1 - INTRO TO COMPUTER By: Benedic C. Mallari, MIT What is 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 (...

COMP1 - INTRO TO COMPUTER By: Benedic C. Mallari, MIT What is 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. Functionalities of a Computer Any digital computer carries out five functions in gross terms: Takes data as input. Stores data/instructions in its memory and use them when required. Processes the data and converts it into useful information. Generates the output. Controls all the above four steps. Computer Components - Hardware Computer Input devices Keyboard: Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device which helps to input data to the computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional typewriter, although there are some additional keys provided for performing additional functions. Mouse: Mouse is the most popular pointing device. It is a very famous cursor- control device having a small palm size box with a round ball at its base, which senses the movement of the mouse and sends corresponding signals to the CPU when the mouse buttons are pressed. Joystick : Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to move the cursor position on a monitor screen. It is a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. The lower spherical ball moves in a socket. The joystick can be moved in all four directions. Light pen: Light pen is a pointing device similar to a pen. It is used to select a displayed menu item or draw pictures on the monitor screen. It consists of a photocell and an optical system placed in a small tube. Computer Components - Hardware Computer Input devices Track ball: Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop computer, instead of a mouse. This is a ball which is half inserted and by moving fingers on the ball, the pointer can be moved. Scanner : Scanner is an input device, which works more like a photocopy machine. It is used when some information is available on paper and it is to be transferred to the hard disk of the computer for further manipulation. Microphone : Microphone is an input device to input sound that is then stored in a digital form. Bar Code Reader: Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in the form of light and dark lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labelling goods, numbering the books, etc. It may be a handheld scanner or may be embedded in a stationary scanner. Computer Components - Hardware Computer Output Devices - Monitors Monitors: Monitors, commonly called as Visual Display Unit (VDU), are the main output device of a computer. There are two kinds of viewing screen used for monitors. Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Flat-Panel Display The CRT display is made up of small picture elements called pixels. The smaller the pixels, the better the image clarity or resolution. The flat-panel display refers to a class of video devices that have reduced volume, weight and power requirement in comparison to the CRT. Computer Components - Hardware Computer Output Devices - Printers Dot Matrix Printer: In the market, one of the most popular printers is Dot Matrix Printer. These printers are popular because of their ease of printing and economical price. Laser Printers: These are non-impact page printers. They use laser lights to produce the dots needed to form the characters to be printed on a page. Ink-jet Printers: Inkjet printers are non-impact character printers based on a relatively new technology. They print characters by spraying small drops of ink onto paper. Inkjet printers produce high quality output with presentable features. Computer Components - Software Software is a set of programs, which is designed to perform a well-defined function. A program is a sequence of instructions written to solve a particular problem. The two main categories of software are application software and system software. An application is software that fulfills a specific need or performs tasks. System software is designed to run a computer's hardware and provides a platform for applications to run on top of. Application Software Examples Word processors: A word processor allows you to write a letter, design a flyer, and create many other types of documents. The most well-known word processor is Microsoft Word. Web browsers: A web browser is the tool you use to access the Internet. Most computers come with a web browser pre- installed, but you can also download a different one if you prefer. Examples of browsers include Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Safari. Media players: If you want to listen to MP3s or watch movies you've downloaded, you'll need to use a media player. Windows Media Player and iTunes are popular media players. Games: There are many types of games you can play on your computer. They range from card games like Solitaire to action games like Halo. Many action games require a lot of computing power, so they may not work unless you have a newer computer. System Software Examples Microsoft Windows: Microsoft created the Windows operating system in the mid-1980s. There have been many different versions of Windows, but the most recent ones are Window 11 (Released 2021), Windows 10 ( 2015), Windows 8 (2012), Windows 7 (2009), and Windows Vista (2007). Windows comes pre-loaded on most new PCs, which helps to make it the most popular operating system in the world. Linux: Linux (pronounced LINN-ux) is a family of open-source operating systems, which means they can be modified and distributed by anyone around the world. This is different from proprietary software like Windows, which can only be modified by the company that owns it. The advantages of Linux are that it is free, and there are many different distributions—or versions—you can choose from.Examples of Linux OS- LINUX MINT, MANJARO, DEBIAN, UBUNTU, ANTERGOS, SOLUS, FEDORA etc. macOS: macOS (previously called OS X) is a line of operating systems created by Apple. It comes preloaded on all Macintosh computers, or Macs. Some of the specific versions include Mojave (released in 2018), High Sierra (2017), and Sierra (2016)