Introduction to Computer Week 1 PDF

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER BY: AISHA LAWAL COMPUTER OVERVIEW  Today’s world is an information-rich world and it has become a necessity for everyone to know about computers. A computer is an electronic data processing device, which accepts and stores data inp...

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER BY: AISHA LAWAL COMPUTER OVERVIEW  Today’s world is an information-rich world and it has become a necessity for everyone to know about computers. A computer is an electronic data processing device, which accepts and stores data input, processes the data input, and generates the output in a required format.  The purpose of this lecture is to introduce you to Computers and its fundamentals. FUNCTIONALITIES OF A COMPUTER  If we look at it in a very broad sense, any digital computer carries out the following five functions  Step 1 − Takes data as input.  Step 2 − Stores the data/instructions in its memory and uses them as required.  Step 3 − Processes the data and converts it into useful information.  Step 4 − Generates the output.  Step 5 − Controls all the above four steps. ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS High Speed  Computer is a very fast device.  It is capable of performing calculation of very large amount of data.  The computer has units of speed in microsecond, nanosecond, and even the picosecond.  It can perform millions of calculations in a few seconds as compared to man who will spend many months to perform the same task. ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS Accuracy  In addition to being very fast, computers are very accurate.  The calculations are 100% error free.  Computers perform all jobs with 100% accuracy provided that the input is correct. ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS Storage Capability  Memory is a very important characteristic of computers.  A computer has much more storage capacity than human beings.  It can store large amount of data.  It can store any type of data such as images, videos, text, audio, etc. ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS Diligence  Unlike human beings, a computer is free from monotony, tiredness, and lack of concentration.  It can work continuously without any error and boredom.  It can perform repeated tasks with the same speed and accuracy. ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS Versatility  A computer is a very versatile machine(able to adapt or be adapted to many different functions or activities).  A computer is very flexible in performing the jobs to be done.  This machine can be used to solve the problems related to various fields.  At one instance, it may be solving a complex scientific problem and the very next moment it may be playing a card game. ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS Reliability  A computer is a reliable machine.  Modern electronic components have long lives.  Computers are designed to make maintenance easy. Automation  Computer is an automatic machine.  Automation is the ability to perform a given task automatically. Once the computer receives a program i.e., the program is stored in the computer memory, then the program and instruction can control the program execution without human interaction. ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS Reduction in Paper Work and Cost  The use of computers for data processing in an organization leads to reduction in paper work and results in speeding up the process.  As data in electronic files can be retrieved as and when required, the problem of maintenance of large number of paper files gets reduced.  Though the initial investment for installing a computer is high, it substantially reduces the cost of each of its transaction. DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS No I.Q.  A computer is a machine that has no intelligence to perform any task.  Each instruction has to be given to the computer.  A computer cannot take any decision on its own. Dependency  It functions as per the user’s instruction, thus it is fully dependent on humans. Environment  The operating environment of the computer should be dust free and suitable. DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS  Health Issues − Working long hours on computers leads to health issues. Student's playing games and accessing related applications for long periods of time cause serious health problems.  Spread of Pornography − The growing trend of the internet has spread pornography. In today's time, pornography is a big threat to society and the youth.  Virus and hacking attacks − Viruses are unwanted programs that enter computers through networks or the internet. These programs may steal information or damage computers. Sometimes these lock the application programmes of the computer to affect its working.  No IQ − Computers cannot make their own decisions. Its functioning depends on human interventions. DISADVANTAGES OF COMPUTERS  Online cybercrimes − the practice of using a computer to facilitate unlawful activities including fraud, the trafficking of child pornography and other items of intellectual property, identity theft, and privacy violations The relevance of cybercrime, particularly over the Internet, has increased as the computer is most widely used in business, entertainment, and government.  Data and information violation − A breach of confidentiality occurs when information is given to a third party without the data owner's authorization. The owner of the data has the right to file for legal action to recover the potential losses. SUMMARY  A computer is an electronic device. It performs computation on input data by processing it. It is a cutting-edge device that can store large amounts of data, process it, and give desired results. Its results are accurate if the inputted data is correct, which makes it more popular at this time. In today’s time, computers are almost used in every domain, like education, research, medicine, law, retail, companies, etc.  Due to the popularity and usage of computers, there is no shelter in saying that today everyone has become dependent on them. ASSIGNMENT  Define what a computer is. Include its basic functions (input, processing, output, storage).  Explain the difference between data and information. Provide examples to illustrate your points.