INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER

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 the 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 steps

Computer Components
Any kind of computers consists of Hardware and Software.
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.

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 the form that humans understand to one that the computer can work
with. Most common are keyboard and mouse

Note: The most common use keyboard is the QWERTY keyboard. Generally standard Keyboard has
105 keys.
The Keyboard
We use a pencil or pen to write in a book. We use chalk or a marker to write on the board in class. We
can’t use any of these to write on a computer, so we use the keyboard to enter information and
instructions to the computer.

This is a keyboard. It has many buttons on it called keys. We use these keys to type something on the
computer. Different keyboards have different numbers of keys, but most standard keyboards have
about 105 keys. Different keys perform different tasks.
The different types of keys are:
  Alphabet keys  Special keys
 Number keys  Function keys
Alphabet keys
The alphabet keys are marked A – Z. There are 26 alphabet keys on the keyboard. These are used to
type letters, words, and sentences. Due to its first row of letters Q W E R T Y, it is called a QWERTY
keyboard.
Number keys
The number keys are placed above the alphabet keys and on the right side of the keyboard. There are
ten number keys marked 0 – 9. We use them to type numbers on the screen. The numeric keypad on
the right may only be used when the Num Lock is ON.
Function keys
These keys are used for different functions in different programs. These are found at the top of the
keyboard.
Special keys
 Space bar – the space bar key is the longest key on the keyboard. We use it to give space
between numbers, letters, and words.
 Enter – there are two Enter keys on the keyboard. This key is used to move the cursor to the
next line. We also use this key to give instructions to the CPU (Central Processing Unit)
 Backspace – this key is above the enter key. We use it to erase mistakes to the left of the
cursor.
 Caps Lock – this key is used to type capital letters. When we press this key, the Caps Lock
light turns ON. When it is ON and you press an alphabet key, letters appear in upper case
(capital). When it is OFF, letters appear in lower case (small).
 Arrow – these keys are also called cursor control keys or cursor moving keys. There are four
of them to indicate directions UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT. They are used to move around
a document without using the computer mouse.
 Delete – this key erases mistakes to the right of the cursor.
 Shift – this key is used to type special symbols (!, @, #, $, etc.) written on the upper side of
the number keys and some other keys. It is also used to type a single upper case (capital)
letter.
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, read the code for the
next instruction to be executed, increment the program counter so it points to the next
instruction, read whatever data the instruction requires from cells in memory, Provide the
necessary data to an ALU or register, 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".
Memory Unit
Primary Memory
 RAM (Random Access Memory): 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.
 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.
Secondary Memory
Stores data and programs permanently; data is retained after power is turned off. Examples:
 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.
 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.
 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.
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 human- readable form.

Note:
Basic types of monitors are: Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD), and Light-
Emitting Diode (LED)
Printer types: 1-Laser Printer. 2-Ink Jet Printer. 3-Dot Matrix Printer
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 non- task-specific functions of the
computer, and application software which is used by users to accomplish specific tasks.
Software Types
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.
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 just software is a Application software, also known as
general term primarily used for digitally an application or an "app", is
stored data such as computer programs and computer software designed to help
other kinds of information read and the user to perform specific tasks.
written by
computers. App comes under computer
software though it has a wide scope now.
Example: Microsoft Windows Opera (Web Browser)
Linux Microsoft Word (Word Processing)
Unix Microsoft Excel (Spreadsheet
Mac OSX software)
DOS MySQL (Database Software)
Microsoft PowerPoint (Presentation
Software)
Adobe Photoshop (Graphics
Software)
Interaction: Generally, users do not interact with Users always interact with
system software as it works in the application software while doing
background. different activities.
Dependency: System software can run independently of Application software cannot run
the without the
application software. presence of the 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 a 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 - a 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

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.
Laptop and Smartphone Computers
 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.
 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.
 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 the same things you can do
with a desktop or laptop computer. These include tablet computers, e-readers, and
smartphones.
 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.
 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
Data, Information and Knowledge
  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."
 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".
 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.
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:
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
 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.
Computer Viruses
Viruses: A virus is a small piece of software that piggybacks on real programs. For example, a virus
might attach itself to a program such as a spreadsheet program. Each time the spreadsheet program
runs, the virus runs, too, and it has the chance to reproduce (by attaching to other programs) or wreak
havoc.
E-mail viruses: An e-mail virus travels as an attachment to e-mail messages, and usually replicates
itself by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people in the victim's e-mail address book. Some e-
mail viruses don't even require a double-click -- they launch when you view the infected message in
the preview pane of your e-mail software [source: Johnson].
Trojan horses: A Trojan horse is simply a computer program. The program claims to do one thing (it
may claim to be a game) but instead does damage when you run it (it may erase your hard disk).
Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically.
Worms: A worm is a small piece of software that uses computer networks and security holes to
replicate itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for another machine that has a specific security
hole. It copies itself to the new machine using the security hole, and then starts replicating from there,
as well.
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.