I. What is a computer?

A computer is a machine or device that performs processes, calculations and operations

based on instructions provided by a software or hardware program. It is designed to execute
applications and provides a variety of solutions by combining integrated hardware and
software components.
II. Uses of computer
 Education: Getting the right kind of information is a major challenge as is getting
information to make sense. Research shows that computers can significantly enhance
performance in learning. Students exposed to the internet say they think the web has
helped them improve the quality of their academic research and of their written work.
 Health and Medicine: Computer technology is radically changing the tools of medicine.
All medical information can now be digitized. Software is now able to computer the risk
of a disease.
 Science: Scientists have long been users of it. A new adventure among scientists is the
idea of a “collaboratory”, an internet based collaborative laboratory, in which
researchers all over the world can work easily together even at a distance.
 Business: Business clearly see the interest as a way to enhance productivity and
competitiveness. Some areas of business that are undergoing rapid changes are sales
and marketing, retailing, banking, stock trading, etc. Sales representatives not only
need to be better educated and more knowledgeable about their customer’s
businesses, but also must be comfortable with computer technology. The internet has
become a popular marketing tool. The world of cybercash has come to banking – not
only smart cards but internet banking, electronic deposit, bill paying, online stock and
bond trading, etc.
 Recreation and Entertainment: Our entertainment and pleasure-time have also been
affected by computerization.
 Government: Various departments of the Government use computer for their planning,
control and law enforcement activities. To name a few – Traffic, Tourism, Information &
Broadcasting, Education, Aviation and many others.
 Defense: There are many uses computers in Defense such as:
o Controlling UAV or unmanned air-crafts an example is Predator. If you have
cable, I would recommend watching the shows “Future Weapons" and “Modern
Marvels". The show future weapon gives an entire hour to the predator.
o They are also used on Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) that uses GPS
and Computers to help the missile get to the target.
o Computers are used to track incoming missiles and help slew weapons systems
onto the incoming target to destroy them.
o Computers are used in helping the military find out where all their assets are
(Situational Awareness) and in Communications/Battle Management Systems.
o Computers are used in the logistic and ordering functions of getting equipment to
and around the battlefield.
o Computers are used in tanks and planes and ships to target enemy forces, help
run the platform and more recently to help diagnose any problems with the
platforms.
o Computers help design and test new systems.
  Sports: In today's technologically growing society, computers are being used in nearly
every activity.
 Recording Information: Official statistics keepers and some scouts use computers to
record statistics, take notes and chat online while attending and working at a sports
event.
 Analyzing Movements: The best athletes pay close attention to detail. Computers can
slow recorded video and allow people to study their specific movements to try to
improve their tendencies and repair poor habits.
 Writers: Many sportswriters attend several sporting events a week, and they take their
computers with them to write during the game or shortly after while their thoughts are
fresh in their mind.
 Scoreboard: While some scoreboards are manually updated, most professional sports
venues have very modern scoreboards that are programmed to update statistics and
information immediately after the information is entered into the computer.
 Safety: Computers have aided in the design of safety equipment in sports such as
football helmets to shoes to mouth guards
III. Types of computers
1. Supercomputer: The most powerful computers in terms of performance and data
processing are the Supercomputers. These are specialized and task specific computers
used by large organizations. These computers are used for research and exploration
purposes, like NASA uses supercomputers for launching space shuttles, controlling
them and for space exploration purpose. The supercomputers are very expensive and
very large in size. It can be accommodated in large air-conditioned rooms; some super
computers can span an entire building.
2. Mainframe Computer: Although Mainframes are not as powerful as supercomputers,
but certainly they are quite expensive nonetheless, and many large firms & government
organizations uses Mainframes to run their business operations. The Mainframe
computers can be accommodated in large air-conditioned rooms because of its size.
Super-computers are the fastest computers with large data storage capacity,
Mainframes can also process & store large amount of data. Banks educational
institutions & insurance companies use mainframe computers to store data about their
customers, students & insurance policy holders.
3. Minicomputers: Minicomputers are used by small businesses & firms. Minicomputers
are also called as “Midrange Computers”. These are small machines and can be
accommodated on a disk with not as processing and data storage capabilities as super-
computers & Mainframes. These computers are not designed for a single user.
Individual departments of a large company or organizations use Mini-computers for
specific purposes. For example, a production department can use Mini-computers for
monitoring certain production process.
4. Microcomputer: Desktop computers, laptops, personal digital assistant (PDA), tablets
& smartphones are all types of microcomputers. The micro-computers are widely used
& the fastest growing computers. These computers are the cheapest among the other
three types of computers. The Micro-computers are specially designed for general
usage like entertainment, education and work purposes. Well known manufacturers of
Micro-computer are Dell, Apple, Samsung, Sony & Toshiba. Desktop computers,
Gaming consoles, Sound & Navigation system of a car, Netbooks, Notebooks, PDA’s,
Tablet PC’s, Smartphones, Calculators are all type of Microcomputers.
IV. Basic parts of a computer and their functions
 System Unit
The system unit, also known as a "tower" or "chassis," is the main part of a desktop
computer. It includes the motherboard, CPU, RAM, and other components. The system
unit also includes the case that houses the internal components of the computer.
 Monitor
The monitor is the piece of computer hardware that displays the video and graphics
information generated by the computer through the video card.
o CRT: These monitors employ CRT technology, which was used most commonly
in the manufacturing of television screens. With these monitors, a stream of
intense high energy electrons is used to form images on a fluorescent screen. A
cathode ray tube is basically a vacuum tube containing an electron gun at one
end and a fluorescent screen at another end.
o LCD: The LCD monitor incorporates one of the most advanced technologies
available today. Typically, it consists of a layer of color or monochrome pixels
arranged schematically between a couple of transparent electrodes and two
polarizing filters. Optical effect is made possible by polarizing the light in varied
amounts and making it pass through the liquid crystal layer.
o LED: LED monitors are the latest types of monitors on the market today. These
are flat panel, or slightly curved displays which make use of light-emitting diodes
for back-lighting, instead of cold cathode fluorescent (CCFL) back-lighting used
in LCDs. LED monitors are said to use much lesser power than CRT and LCD
and are considered far more environmentally friendly.
 Mouse: A computer mouse is a handheld hardware input device that controls a cursor
in a GUI (graphical user interface) and can move and select text, icons, files, and
folders on your computer.
 Keyboard: A computer keyboard is one of the primary input devices used with a
computer. Similar to an electric typewriter, a keyboard is composed of buttons that
create letters, numbers, and symbols, as well as perform other functions.
 Speaker: A computer speaker is an output hardware device that connects to a
computer to generate sound. The signal used to produce the sound that comes from a
computer speaker is created by the computer's sound card.
 Printer: A printer is an external hardware output device that takes the electronic data
stored on a computer or other device and generates a hard copy of it.
V. Other peripheral devices of a computer and their functions
 Headset: A headset is a hardware device that connects to a telephone or computer that
allow the user to talk and listen while keeping their hands free.
 Smartboard: A SMART Board is one brand of interactive whiteboard. At its simplest, an
interactive whiteboard allows you to project an image and 'interact' with it by writing on it
or moving it around. The SMART Board is connected to a computer and works with a
projector. The projector displays what is open on the computer and, rather than using a
mouse or keyboard (although you can use those also), the SMART Board is a touch
screen, which allows you to manipulate anything on the screen using your fingers. It is
similar to how you would use a tablet or iPad. Special pe ns are included in a
SMART Board to make writing in different colors quick and easy.
  Digitizer Tablet: An input device that enables you to enter drawings and sketches into
a computer. A digitizing tablet consists of an electronic tablet and a cursor or pen. A
cursor (also called a puck) is similar to a mouse, except that it has a window with cross
hairs for pinpoint placement, and it can have as many as 16 buttons. A pen (also called
a stylus) looks like a simple ballpoint pen but uses an electronic head instead of ink.
The tablet contains electronics that enable it to detect movement of the cursor or pen
and translate the movements into digital signals that it sends to the computer.
 Touch Screen: A touch screen is a display device that allows the user to interact with a
computer by using their finger or stylus. They can be a useful alternative to a mouse or
keyboard for navigating a GUI (graphical user interface). Touch screens are used on a
variety of devices, such as computer and laptop display, smartphones, tablets, cash
registers, and information kiosks.
 Projector: A projector is an output device that can take images generated by a
computer or Blu-ray player and reproduce them by projection onto a screen, wall, or
another surface. In most cases, the surface projected onto is large, flat, and lightly
colored.
 Bar code reader: A BCR (barcode reader) or scanner, also known as a POS (point of
sale) scanner is a hardware input device capable of reading a barcode using a laser. It
can also print out the details of the product or log information about that product into a
database. A perfect example of a barcode reader is a supermarket barcode scanner
that reads and logs the price of a product.
 Web Camera: A webcam is a camera that connects to a computer. It captures either
still pictures or motion video, and with the aid of software, can transmit its video on the
Internet in real-time.
VI. Parts of a system unit and their functions
The system unit is the box-like case that contains the electronic components of a
computer. Many people erroneously refer to this as the CPU. Here you will find devices
like the power supply, different drives, the fan, the connectors, and the motherboard.
Note that in most cases, the monitor, keyboard, and mouse will not be found inside the
system unit layout. Other names for the system unit include the computer chassis,
cabinet, box, tower, enclosure, housing, or simply case.
 The Motherboard: The motherboard is sometimes called the system board or main
board. It is the main circuit board of a microcomputer. This component contains the
connectors for attaching additional boards. All other parts connect in one way or another
to the motherboard. This part typically contains the CPU, BIOS, memory, mass storage
interfaces, serial and parallel ports, expansion slots, and all the controllers required to
control standard peripheral devices, such as the display screen, keyboard, mouse, and
disk drive. When you are reading about motherboards, you won't fail to come across the
term motherboard form factors, which describes the general shape, the type of case,
and the power supply it can use. It also describes the physical organization of the
motherboard.
 Hard Disk Drive: A hard disk drive is a high capacity, non-volatile, magnetic data
storage device with a volume (disk) that is usually non-removable. Data is magnetically
read and written on the platter by read/write heads that float on a cushion of air above
the platters.
 Power Supply Unit: The power supply unit (PSU) is used to convert AC currents from
the main supply to the different DC voltages required by various computer components.
Power supplies are quoted as having a certain power output specified in watts, A
standard power supply would typically be able to deliver around 350 watts. You will
need more power from the power supply if your PC has more operating components.
 CD-ROM Drive: This is a high capacity optical data storage device with a removable
disk. It writes data onto or reads data from a storage medium. A CD-ROM drive may be
connected to the computer via an IDE (ATA), SCSI, S-ATA, Firewire, or USB interface
or a proprietary interface.