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NAME: ……………………………………………………………….. CLASS: …………………………….

FIRST TERM E-LEARNING NOTE

SUBJECT: COMPUTER STUDIES CLASS: SS 1
SCHEME OF WORK
WEEK TOPIC
THEME: FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER
1. Overview of Computer System: (a) Definition of a computer (b) Two main constituents of a
computer (i) computer hardware
(ii) Computer software
2. Overview of Computer System: (c) Computer hardware (i) System unit (ii) Peripherals (d)
Computer software (i) Systems software (ii) Applications software (e) Characteristics of a
Computer.
3. Data and Information: (a) Definition of data and information (b) Differences between data
and information (c) Examples of data and information.
THEME: COMPUTER EVOLUTION.
4. Computing devices I (Pre-computer age to 19 th century): Features, components and uses
of: (i) Abacus (ii) Slide rule
(iii) Napier’s bone (iv) Pascal’s calculator (v) Leibnitz multiplier
5. Computing devices I (cont’d): (vi) Jacquard’s loom (vii) Charles Babbage (viii) Analytical
Engine (xi) Hollerith Census Machine (x) Burroughs’s Machine.
6. Computing devices II (20th Century to date): Features, components and uses of (i)ENIAC (ii)
EDVAC (iii)UNIVAC 1
7. Computing devices II (cont’d): (iv) Desktop Personal Computers (v) Laptop &Notebook
computers (vi) Palm Top computer.
THEME: COMPUTER HARDWARE
8. Input Devices: (a) Definition of input devices (b) Types of input devices (i) Keyboard (ii)
Mouse (iii) Scanner (iv) Microphone (v) Joystick (vi) Card readers (vii) Light pen (viii) Digital
camera etc.
9. Input Devices (cont’d): (c) Keyboard (i) Structure and function (ii) Keys on the Keyboard –
Function keys, Numerical keys, Alphabetic keys, Special character keys, cursor control keys,
Command keys etc. (d) Mouse- features, functions and operation.
10. Revision.
11. Examination.

REFERENCES:
 New Computer Studies for senior secondary schools 1 by J.O.E. Otuka; A.F. Akande; S.L.
Iginla
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WEEK 1 & 2
TOPIC: OVERVIEW OF COMPUTER SYSTEM
CONTENT:
1. Definition of a Computer
2. Two main constituents of a computer
SUBTOPIC 1: DEFINITION OF A COMPUTER

DEFINITION 1:
A Computer is an electronic device which under the control of a stored program can accept
process, store, retrieve data and output the result as information in a specified form.
DEFINITION 2:
A Computer is an advanced electronic device that takes raw data as input from the user, processes these
data under the control of set of instructions (called program), gives the result (output) and saves output for
future use.
DFINITION 3:
A Computer can be defined as a programmable electronic device designed for performing
prescribed operations on data at high speed. It can also be linked to other devices for inputting,
storing, retrieving, and output of information.

The three basic operations of the computer are:

Input (Data)
Input is the raw data entered into a computer from the input devices. It is the collection of letters,
numbers, images etc.
Process
Process is the operation of data as per given instruction. It is totally internal process of the
computer system.
Output
Output is the processed data given by computer after data processing. The output is known as
Information. We can save these results in the storage devices for the future use.

A system is a set of connected parts forming a complex whole. Therefore a computer system is a functional
unit of interconnected parts or devices working together to achieve a common output.
It is made up of the CPU, memory and related electronics (main cabinet), all the peripheral devices
connected to it and its operating system.
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The computer system can be grouped into two namely:

1. Computer Hardware
2. Computer Software

EVALUATION:
(i) Give a comprehensive definition of a Computer
(ii) List the three basic operations of a computer.
(iii) State two broad classes of a computer system.
(iv) Define a computer system
(v) Outline 5 parts of a computer system

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Study the topic ‘COMPUTER SYSTEM’ using your students’ textbook

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT:
OBJECTIVE TEST:
1. In defining a computer, the following points should be noted except
(a) It works under the control of stored instruction (b) It is radical in operation (c) it can
accept data in a prescribed form (d) It supply the results as information in a specified form
2. Another name for programs is ................................
3. A collection of components that work together to achieve a goal is known as
(a) Computer (b) System (c) Collector (d) Device
4. The parts of the computer system we can see with our eyes and touch with our hands
is called the computer ...............
(a) Software (b) Hardware (c) Hardwood (d) Hardcopy
5. The ability of the computer to hold data, instructions and information for future use
is referred to as (a) Storage (b) Output (c) Input (d) Process

ESSAY QUESTIONS:
1. What is the actual difference between Computer and Computer system
2. Mention the components of a computer system
SUB-TOPIC 2: COMPUTER HARDWARE
Computer hardware is the collection of physical elements that constitute a computer system.
Computer hardware refers to the physical parts or components of a computer such as monitor,
keyboard, hard drive disk, mouse, CPU (graphic cards, sound cards, memory, motherboard and
chips), etc. all of which are physical objects that you can actually touch.
Computer hardware is divided into two main categories namely:
 System unit, and
 Peripherals
The System Unit is the electronic components such as CPU, primary memory and other devices
that are used to process and store data, It is the computer casing or cabinet that contains the
Central Processing Unit (CPU) and many other electronic components. It contains many hardware
components that can be seen only when the case or cabinet is open.

A Peripheral device is any piece of hardware attached to the computer’s system unit to facilitate or
enhance input and output operations. Those devices which are not an integral part of the CPU are
referred to as peripherals. These attachments increase the capabilities of the computer.
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Input devices are hardware devices which take information from the user of the computer
system, convert it into electrical signals and transmit it to the processor. The primary function of
input devices is to allow humans to interact with the computer system.
Output devices take data from the computer system and convert it to a form that can be
interpreted by humans.
Processing devices are the components responsible for the processing of information
within the computer system. This includes devices such as the CPU, memory and motherboard.
Storage devices are components which allow data to be stored within a computer system.
This includes devices such as hard disk drives and compact disk drives.

EVALUATION
(i) Define computer hardware
(ii) Highlight the two major categories of Computer Hardware

SUB-TOPIC 3: COMPUTER SOFTWARE:

Computer software (often called just software) is a set of instructions and associated documentation that
tells a computer what to do or how to perform a task or it can mean all the software on a computer,
including the applications and the operating system
It is also a set of instructions (programs) that commands the computer hardware what to do, how
to do and as well as when to do. Without the software, the computer becomes useless and an idle
piece of metal.
In contrast to hardware, software is intangible, meaning it ‘it cannot be touched’.
Software as a whole can be divided into a number of categories based on the types of work done
by programs. The two primary software categories are;
1. SYSTEM SOFTWARE:
 This is a collection of computer software designed to operate the computer hardware and
to provide and maintain a platform for running application software.
 Systems software includes the programs that are dedicated to managing the computer itself, such
as the operating system and file management utilities which control the workings of the
computer.

 System software is generally prepared by the computer manufacturers. System software

serves as the interface between the hardware and the end users.

Types of System software includes:

1. Operating systems : An operating system is a program that acts as an interface between the
software and the computer hardware e.g Windows OS, Linux OS, Disk operating system, android OS,
Symbian OS, etc.
2. Device drivers : is a computer program that operates or controls a particular type of device that is
attached to a computer e.g. scanner driver, printer drivers, network drivers, graphics driver, sound
card drivers, etc.
3. Utility software : designed to help analyze, configure, optimize or maintain a computer. It is used to
support the computer infrastructure in contrast to application software, which is aimed at directly
performing tasks that benefit ordinary users. Examples are: anti-virus, clipboard managers, disk
checkers, disc cleaner, disk defragmenters, file managers, etc
4. Translators : is a software that converts high level language(human language or source code) to
machine language
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2. APPLICATION SOFTWARE:
An application program (app for short) is a computer program designed to perform a group of
coordinated functions, tasks, or activities for the benefit of the user.
This consists of programs that instruct the computer to accomplish specific tasks for the
user, such as word processing, operating a spreadsheet, managing accounts in inventories,
record keeping, or playing a video game. Some examples of this category of software
includes;

o Accounting software e.g Peachtree Complete Accounting

o Computer-aided design e.g. Corel Draw
o Databases e.g. Microsoft access
o Decision making software e.g. Microsoft project
o Educational software e.g. Microsoft Encarta
o Image editing e.g. Adobe photo-shop
o Mathematical software e.g. SAGE
o Word processor e.g. Microsoft word
o Spreadsheets e.g. Microsoft excel
o Media players and database applications

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SYSTEM SOFTWARE AND APPLICATION SOFTWARE

SYSTEM SOFTWARE APPLICATION SOFTWARE
(i) Can run independently of the application (i) It cannot run without the presence of the
software system software
(ii) It gets installed when the operating system (ii) It is installed according to the
is installed on the computer requirements of the user
(iii) They are programs that run and control (iii) They are programs designed to meet
the hardware units of the system specific needs of users
(iv) It provides a platform for running the (iv) It helps the user to perform single or
application software multiple tasks
(v) Some examples of system software are (v) Some examples of application software are
computer operating systems like Windows XP, Microsoft Word, Accounting software like
Linux, MacOs and Ubuntu Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access
(vi) They are intricately(carefully) programmed (vi) They are programmed by applications
by system programmers programmers.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A COMPUTER
The following are the major characteristics of a computer, depending on their types and
application:
• Speed
A computer works at amazing speed. It can carry out instructions at a very high speed because it
uses an electronic signal which runs at the speed of light. It can perform in a few seconds the
amount of work that a human being can do in an entire year – if he works day and night and does
else. The speed of computer is calculated in MHz (megahertz), that is one million instructions per
second.
• Accuracy
The accuracy of a computer is consistently high. The degree of accuracy depends on the
instructions and the type of processor. It performs operations at fast rate, gives the result of
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division of any number up to 10 decimal points without errors such that the accuracy is beyond
expectation. Since it is programmed, the result can only be wrong if the input is wrong.
• Versatility
Versatility is one of the most wonderful things about computer. Multi-processing features of
computer makes it quiet versatile in nature. One moment, it is preparing the results of particular
examination, the next moment it is busy preparing electricity bills, and in between it may be
helping an office secretary to trace an important letter in seconds.
• Reliability
Computer provide very high speed accompanied by an equality high level for reliability. Thus
computers never make mistakes of their own accord.
• High Storage and Retrieval Capacity
A computer can store and recall any amount of information because of its secondary storage
capability. Every piece of information can be retain as long as desired by the user and it can be
recalled information almost instantaneously.
• Diligence
The computer is a machine, does not suffer from the human traits of tiredness. Nor does it loses
concentration even after working continuously for a long time.
This characteristic is especially useful for those jobs where same tasks is done again and again. It
can perform long and complex calculations with same speed and accuracy from the start till the
end.
. Automation
Once the instructions are fed into computer it works automatically without any human intervention
until the completion of execution of program until it meets logical instructions to terminate the job.

EVALUATION:
(i) Define and mention the major types of Computer Software
(ii) List FIVE characteristics of computers

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Study the topic ‘DATA AND INFORMATION’ using your students’ textbook

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT:
OBJECTIVE TEST:
1. .................... is a collection of computer programs that drives the hardware.
(a) All Programs (b) Applications (c) Firmware (d) Hardware
2. .......................... consists of programs that instruct the computer to accomplish specific
tasks for the user
(a) Computer (b) Application software (c) System software (d) Network
software
3. The computer casing that contains the Central processing Unit (CPU) is called the .......
(a) Input unit (b) System unit (c) Memory unit (d) CPU unit
4. A computer is said to be capable of performing almost any task provided that the task can
be reduced to a series of logical steps, this characteristics is known as...................
(a) Speed (b) Reliability (c) Versatility (d) Accuracy
5. The software that controls the basic internal operations of the computer is known as ...........
(a) system software (b) application software (c) software (d) internal software
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ESSAY QUESTIONS:
1. Itemize FIVE differences between System software and Application software.
2. Highlight THREE other characteristics of the computer NOT mentioned in the note above.
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WEEK: 3
TOPIC: DATA AND INFORMATION

CONTENT:
1. Definition of Data and Information
2. Differences between data and Information
3. Examples of Data and Information

SUB-TOPIC 1: Definition of Data and Information

DATA Can be defined as basic facts about a place someone or something. Data are raw facts. Data
are unprocessed facts. Data can also mean facts, events, activities and transactions that have been
recorded. Examples of data are names, scores, words, figures etc. Data can also be referred to as
raw facts that have not been processed. As a result such data is not meaningful yet, since it has not
yet been processed by the computer system. Data is the plural of datum.

INFORMATION: Can be defined as data that have been converted into a more meaningful and
useful form unlike data. Information is the end-product of a processed data. Information may
however be used as an input data for further processing. Therefore Data and Information are often
used interchangeably. Information is organized and meaningful unlike data. Examples of
information are Processed examination score arranged according to grade levels or positions in
class.

EXAMPLES OF DATA AND INFORMATION

Examples of data are: Height, name, sex, age of students, numbers etc., while examples of
information is examination scores arranged according to grade, level or position.

EVALUATION:
1. Define the term data and information, giving examples for each.

SUB-TOPIC 2: DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DATA AND INFORMATION

The differences between data and information are given below;

No. DATA INFORMATION
1. They are unprocessed facts They are processed
2. They are not meaningful They are Related and meaningful
3. They serve as computer input They serve as computer output
4. They are unorganized They are organized
5. They do not make meaning They make meaning.

EVALUATION:
1. State five differences between data and information

GENERAL EVALUATION:
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1. Explain how data and information and information can be used interchangeably.
2. Explain the term “ raw data”

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Students are expected to read ‘Computing Devices’ in page 15 of Handbook on Computer studies
for SS1.

WEEKEND ASSIGNMENT:

1. Personal data includes all these except

(a) Age (b) gender (c) surname (d) room number
2. Which of these is common to both data and information?
(a) They are both processed facts
(b) They are both computer results
(c) They can both be displayed on the screen
(d) They are both computer input
3. Information can be defined as
(a) Analyzed data
(b) Gathered data
(c) Meaningful data
(d) Gathered analyzed, processed data
4. --------- is not a difference between information and data
(a) Information are processed data
(b) Information are meaningful unlike data
(c) Information are usually more than one item
(d) Information are unorganized
5. Which of the following is not an example of data?
(a) Age (b) height (c) scores (d) arranged students examination scores
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TOPIC: COMPUTING DEVICES I

SUB-TOPIC 1: FEATURES, COMPONENTS AND USES OF COMPUTING DEVICES
ABACUS: Abacus is an instrument used in performing arithmetic calculations. It is probably the first
calculating device. This device was discovered in China, and because of its success it spread from
China to other countries. A modern abacus consists of wooden frame with beads on parallel wires,
and a crossbar oriented perpendicular to the wires that divides the beads into two groups. Each
column or wire represents one place in the decimal system. The Abacus was used for addition and
subtraction. It could not carry out complex mathematics operation.
SLIDE RULE: Slide rule is a mechanical analog computer.It is also known as slipstick. It is used
primarily for multiplication and divisions, and also for functions such as roots, logarithms, and
trigonometry. It is not normally used for addition and subtraction. Slide rule come in a diverse
range of style and generally appear in a linear or circular form with standardised set of
markings(scales) essential to perform mechanical operations.
The slide rule was developed by William Oughtred, an English mathematician. The slide rule looks
much like a heavily caliberated ruler with a movable mid section.
NAPIER’S BONES: Napier's bones is a device created by John Napier for calculation of products
and quotients of numbers, in 1600. John Napier was a Scottish mathematician who invented
logarithms and the decimal point. The device consists of a set of graduated rods based on the
principle of logarithms. It was then used as a multiplication aid.
PASCAL’S CALCULATOR: Blaise Pascal a French Mathematician, Physicist and a religious
philosopher, invented the Pascal’s calculator in 1642. Pascal’s calculator was called the Pascaline.
This machine was invented as a result of trying to help his father who was a tax collector and had
the need for subtraction, addition, multiplication and division.
LEIBNIZ MULIPLIER: The Step Reckoner (or Stepped Reckoner) was a digital mechanical
calculator invented by German mathematician Gottfried William Leibniz around 1672 and completed in
1694.The name comes from the translation of the German term for its operating
mechanism; staffelwalze meaning 'stepped drum'. It was the first calculator that could perform all
four arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
JACQUARD LOOM: The Jacquard loom is a mechanical loom, invented by Joseph Marie
Jacquard, first demonstrated in 1801. The loom was controlled by a "chain of cards", a number
of punched cards, laced together into a continuous sequence. Multiple rows of holes were punched
on each card and each row of punched holes corresponded to one row of the design.
CHARLES BABBAGE: was an English polymath, a mathematician, philosopher, inventor and
mechanical engineer, who is best, remembered now for originating the concept of a programmable
computer.
Considered a "father of the computer", Babbage is credited with inventing the first mechanical
computer that eventually led to more complex designs.

DIFFERENCE ENGINE: Difference engine is an automatic mechanical calculator designed to

tabulate polynomial functions. The name derives from the method of divided differences, a way to
interpolate or tabulate functions by using a small set of polynomial coefficients.
The historical difficulty in producing error free tables by teams of mathematicians and human
"computers" spurred Charles Babbage's desire to build a mechanism to automate the process.

ANALYTICAL ENGINE: The Analytical Engine was a proposed mechanical general-

purpose computer designed by English mathematician Charles Babbage.
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It was first described in 1837 as the successor to the Difference engine. The Analytical Engine
incorporated an arithmetic logic unit, control flow in the form of conditional branching and loops,
and integrated memory, making it the first design for a general-purpose computer that could be
described in modern terms as Turing-complete.
Babbage was never able to complete construction of any of his machines due to conflicts with his
chief engineer and inadequate funding. It was not until the 1940s that the first general-purpose
computers were actually built.

HOLLERITH CENSUS MACHINE: Herman Hollerith (February 29, 1860 – November 17,
1929) was an American statistician and inventor who developed a mechanical tabulator based
on punched cards to rapidly tabulate statistics from millions of pieces of data. He was the founder
of the Tabulating Machine Company that later merged to become IBM. Hollerith is widely
regarded as the father of modern automatic computation.

TOPIC: COMPUTING DEVICE II (20TH CENTURY TO DATE)

Sub-Topic 1: FEATURES, COMPONENTS AND USES OF ENIAC
INTRODUCTION:
The twentieth century computers are mechanical and electro-mechanical devices that possesses
input unit, memory unit, processing etc and can as well perform automatic operations. Among the
early computing device the twentieth century are Mark1, ENIAC, EDVAC, UNIVAC and Von Newman
machine etc.
FEATURES, COMPONENTS AND USES OF ENIAC:
ENIAC, in full Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, the first programmable general-
purpose electronic digital computer, built during World War II by the United States. In the United
States, government funding during the war went to a project led by John Mauchly, J. Presper
Eckert, Jr. ENIAC was something less than the dream of a universal computer. Designed for the specific
purpose of computing values for artillery range tables, it lacked some features that would have made it a
more generally useful machine. The disadvantage was that it took days to rewire the machine for each new
problem. This was such a liability that only with some generosity could it be called programmable.
Nevertheless, ENIAC was the most powerful calculating device built to date. It was the first
programmable general-purpose electronic digital computer.
ENIAC ran continuously (in part to extend tube life), generating 150 kilowatts of heat, and could
execute up to 5,000 additions per second, several orders of magnitude faster than its
electromechanical predecessors. It and subsequent computers employing vacuum tubes are known
as first-generation computers.
EDVAC
EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) was one of the
earliest electronic computers. Unlike its predecessor the ENIAC, it was binary rather than decimal,
and was a stored program computer.
The EDVAC was a binary serial computer with automatic addition, subtraction, multiplication,
programmed division and automatic checking with an ultrasonic serial memory capacity of 1,000
44-bit words (later set to 1,024 words, thus giving a memory, in modern terms, of 5.5 kilobytes).
EDVAC's addition time was 864 microseconds (about 1.16 kHz) and its multiplication time was 2900
microseconds (about 0.38 kHz).
The computer had almost 6,000 vacuum tubes and 12,000 diodes, and consumed 56 kW of power.
It covered 490 ft² (45.5 m²) of floor space and weighed 17,300 lb (7,850 kg). The full complement of
operating personnel was thirty people per eight-hour shift.
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UNIVAC I
The UNIVAC I (Universal Variable Automatic Computer I) was the second commercial computer
produced in the United States. It was designed principally by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly,
the inventors of the ENIAC.
The UNIVAC I was the first American computer designed at the outset for business and
administrative use (i.e., for the fast execution of large numbers of relatively simple arithmetic and
data transport operations, as opposed to the complex numerical calculations required by scientific
computers). As such the UNIVAC competed directly against punch-card machines (mainly made by
IBM).

Sub-Topic 2
Desktop Personal Computer
A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location,
as opposed to a mobile, laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lie
flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright. Most modern desktop computers have
separate screens and keyboards.
Laptop Computer
A laptop is a portable personal computer with a clamshell form factor, suitable for mobile use. A
laptop has most of the same components as a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a
pointing device such as a touchpad (also known as a trackpad) and/or a pointing stick, and speakers
into a single unit. Laptops are also sometimes called notebook computers or notebooks.

Palmtop Computers
Palmtop is a computer that has asmall screen and compressed keyboard and is small enough to be
heldin the hand, often used as a personal organizer.
TOPIC: INPUT DEVICES
CONTENT:
i. Definition of input devices
ii. Types of input devices
Sub-Topic 1: DEFINITION OF INPUT DEVICES
An input device is any computer hardware equipment used to send data into the main storage of
the computer for processing.
It is the part of the computer or any device that is used to invoke a command or instructions into
the computer to obey in order to accomplish its task.
EXAMPLES OF INPUT DEVICES
(i) Keyboard (ii) Mouse (iii) Scanner (iv) Microphone (v) Joystick (vi) Card readers (vii) Light pen (viii)
Digital camera etc.
Keyboard
A keyboard is an input device which is used to input data into the computer system. It remains the
most vital interface device between the user and the computer. It is the most common input device
for entering data into the computer. It is also an electronic device with several groups of keys
electronically linked to the processor when attached to the computer.
There are two main types of keyboard:
a. Standard Keyboard
b. Enhanced Keyboard
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Mouse
This is a small device moved with the hand to control the movement of the pointer on a computer
screen. It is an input device which can be used by clicking and dragging. Mouse is used for drawing
as well as pointing images.
Mice are grouped into two:
i. Optical mouse
ii. Ball track mouse
Basic function of the mouse includes:
 Clicking
 Double clicking
 Dragging
 Pointing
Scanner
It is an input device which uses light-sensing equipment to convert images such as pictures or text
into electronic signals that can be manipulated by a computer. It can be used to store, change and
send image or text into the system unit.
Joystick
Joysticks are used mainly for playing computer games. It is a pointing device composed of a lever
that moves in multiple directions to navigate a cursor or other graphical objects on a computer
screen. A button on the top of the joystick sends command to the computer.
Card Readers
Card readers as the name implies, can read data from a memory card. It is highly used in
exchanging data among different digital products such as camera, MP3, MP4, mobile phones and
computer.
Light Pen
It is a stylus with a light-sensitive tip that is used to draw directly on a computer’s video screen, or
to select information on the screen by pressing a clip in the light pen or by pressing the light pen
against the surface of the screen.
Digital Cameras
These are digital devices that capture pictures and video, and send them into the computer
through a connected specialized cable such as USB (Universal Serial Bus). A good example of this is
the common webcam which are used for recording videos and for taking pictures that are shared
live on the internet.

TOPIC: INPUT DEVICES (Cont’d)

Sub-Topic 1: KEYBOARD
A Keyboard is an input device which is used to input data into the computer system. Keyboard is an
electronic device with several groups of keys electronically linked to the processor when attached
to a computer system.

Structure and Function

The keyboard is structure in such a way that makes typing easy and easily accessible by the fingers.
It has different sets of Keys for performing various functions in controlling the computer. In
General, there are three types of arrangement of letters on the keyboard, namely:
i. Qwerty ii. Azerty iii. Dvorak
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The standard layout of letters, numbers, and punctuation is known as a QWERTY keyboard because
the first six keys on the top row of letters spell QWERTY. This keyboard was designed in the 1800s
for mechanical typewriters and was actually designed to slow typists down to avoid jamming the
keys. The AZERTY keyboard is the French version of the standard QWERTY keyboard. Another
keyboard design, which has letters positioned for speed typing, is the DVORAK keyboard. Unlike
the traditional QWERTY keyboard, the Dvorak keyboard is designed so that the middle row of keys
includes the most common letters.
Keys on the Keyboard
Keyboard is basically divided into seven
i. Function Keys
ii. Numerical Keypad
iii. Alphabetic keys
iv. Special Character Keys
v. Alphanumeric keys
vi. Cursor Control keys
vii. Command Keys
FUNCTION KEYS
This contains button labeled F1 to F12 that can be used as special command which can perform
some operations that are included in the operating system or application. A program is capable of
not only using each of the function keys, but also combining the function keys with the
ALT or CTRL key, for example, Microsoft Windows users can press ALT + F4 to close the program
currently active.
NUMERIC KEYPAD
This is a special section of the keyboard that contains numbers and functions to enter data in the
form of numbers and arithmetic operations. Numeric keypads usually operate in two modes: when
Num Lock is off, keys 8, 6, 2, 4 act like arrow keys and 7, 9, 3, 1 act like Home, PgUp, PgDn
and End; when Num Lock is on, digits keys produce corresponding digits.
ALPHABETIC KEYS
This is a section of the keyboard that contains the alphabets A to Z for typing text. These keys can
be used in conjunction with some other control keys to perform certain functions in window
applications.
SPECIAL CHARACTER KEYS
Special character keys are those keys that cannot be found on the keyboard. They are inserted by
pressing a combination of keys on the keyboard, or using the character map. They may be letters,
fonts, or symbols. To access the character map in Windows, click through the ff links:
“Windows Button > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Character Map”
ALPHANUMERIC KEYS
These keys include the same letter, number, punctuation, and symbol keys on a traditional
typewriter. A-Z and 0-9. The alphabetic characters become uppercase when the shift key or Caps
Lock key is depressed. The numeric characters become symbols or punctuation marks when the
shift key is depressed.
CURSOR CONTROL KEYS
These keys provide control over the cursor and display on the computer screen.
COMMAND KEYS
These are keys on the keyboard that perform certain actions in windows once they are pressed.
They are Escape, Enter, Delete, Backspace, Print Screen/SysRq, Scroll Lock, Pause/Break, Insert and
Delete.
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MOUSE
This is a common pointing device used with a computer system with GUI (Graphic User Interface). It
enables the computer user to select or activate items on screen by placing pointer arrow on items
and performing required action. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the
user's hands, with one or more buttons.
There are three basic types of mice:
1. Mechanical: Has a rubber or metal ball on its underside that can roll in all directions.
Mechanical sensors within the mouse detect the direction the ball is rolling and move the screen
pointer accordingly.
2. Optomechanical: Same as a mechanical mouse, but uses optical sensors to detect motion of the
ball.
3. Optical: Uses a laser to detect the mouse's movement. You must move the mouse along a
special mat with a grid so that the optical mechanism has a frame of reference. Optical mice have
no mechanical moving parts. They respond more quickly and precisely than mechanical and
optomechanical mice, but they are also more expensive.
Other types of mouse
1. Serial Mouse
2. Ps/2 Mouse
3. Wireless Mouse
Features of the Mouse
1. Button: The mouse typically has two buttons – a primary button (usually the left button)
and a secondary button (usually the right button).
2. Wheel: It is located in between the two buttons. It is used to scroll up and down, zoom in
and zoom out in some application.
3. Motion Technique: They are used in controlling cursor movement on the screen. There are
three types: i. Mechanical Technique ii. Optomechanical iii. Optical
4. Battery Life: If you go wireless, you're going to be replacing those batteries from time to
time. To extend the battery life of your mouse, look for one that comes with an on/off
switch and use it.
Operations of the Mouse
To use the mouse, you need just two fingers; your right thumb and third finger. Your fist finger
should be on the left button while the third finger should also rest on the right button, ready to
click.