GENERAL EDUCATION

Area: Introduction to Computers

LET Competencies:

1. Manifest mastery of fundamental concepts, principles and operations of

information and communication technology (ICT).

2. Identify varied and appropriate use of technology.

3. Analyze the effect / impact of ICT on the environment.

Content

 A computer is an electronic machine which can take instructions, and perform

computations based on those instructions. It can be programmed and performs
high-speed mathematical or logical operations or that assembles, stores and
retrieves data and processes data.

 Data Processing is a process that involves transformation of data into

information through classifying, sorting, merging, recording, retrieving,
transmitting, or reporting. Data processing can be manual or computer based.

HISTORY OF COMPUTING
"Who invented the computer?" is not a question with a simple answer. The real answer
is that many inventors contributed to the history of computers and that a computer is a
complex piece of machinery made up of many parts, each of which can be considered a
separate invention.

Historical records show that man has invented three age group of devices to
assist him in calculating and processing data. These devices are classified as: 1)
manual-mechanical device 2) electromechanical and 3) electronic

 Manual Mechanical – is a tool or a device with simple mechanism powered by the

hand. Devices of this type required some sort of physical effort from the user when
used. The earliest data processing devices were all manual mechanical devices due
to the absence of electricity and adequate industrial technology. Some examples of
these devices were the:

 Abacus – A counting device for making calculations consisting of a frame

mounted with rods along which beads or balls are moved. It is the first manual
mechanical data processing device which was developed in China in 3000 B.C.

 Napier’s Bones - Napier's bones, also called Napier's rods, are numbered rods
which can be used to perform multiplication of any number by a number 2-9. By
placing "bones" corresponding to the multiplier on the left side and the bones
corresponding to the digits of the multiplicand next to it to the right, and product
can be read off simply by adding pairs of numbers (with appropriate carries as
needed) in the row determined by the multiplier. This process was published by
Napier in 1617 in a book titled Rabdologia, so the process is also called
rabdology.

 Oughtred’s Slide Rule - A device consisting of two logarithmically scaled rules

mounted to slide along each other so that multiplication, division, and other more
complex computations are reduced to the mechanical equivalent of addition or
subtraction. The first slide rule was a joint effort of two Englishmen Edmund
Gunter and William Oughtred. This was based on Napier’s logarithms and has
become the first analog computer (of the modern ages).
 Pascaline – invented by the famous French mathematician, Blaise Pascal in
1642. Although limited to addition and subtraction, the toothed counting wheel is
still used in adding machines. Several wheels with teeth numbered from 0 to 9
are arranged in a row representing ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, and so on.
  Leibniz’s Calculator – was invented by Baron Gottfried Wilhelm Von Leibniz in
1874. It utilizes the same techniques for addition and subtraction as the
Pascaline but could also perform multiplication, division and square roots.
 Babbage’s Analytical Engine – was invented by Charles Babbage in 1822. He
is known as the “Father of Modern Computers” as a result of his contributions to
the basic design of the computer.
 Electromechanical – An electromechanical device is usually powered by an electric
motor and uses switches and relays. Household electrical appliances, desk
calculations and punched – card data processing equipment all fall under this
category. Some examples of these devices were the:

 Hollerith’s Punched Card Machine – It was invented by Herman Hollerith in

1880. He used punched cards, read electronically to keep and transfer data.
The cards were transported between brass rods, and when there were holes in
the cards, the rods made contact and an electric current could flow. This was a
machine to tabulate census data in 1890 more efficiently than the manual
method.

 Jacquard’s Loom – used punched cards to create patterns on fabric woven on a

loom. It was the forerunner of the keypunch machine. It was invented by Joseph
Marie Jacquard in 1804.

 Mark I – was a 51 x 8 x 2 feet machine. It could perform the four basic arithmetic
operations and could locate information stored in tabular form. It was invented
by Howard Aiken in 1943 but was put into use in 1944 up to 1959 at Harvard. It
was fully automatic and could complete long computations without human
intervention. Its official name was Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator.

 Electronic Devices – are devices which use electrical switches and circuitry.

 Atanasoff-Berry Computer – invented by John Atanasoff in 1942 and was the

first digital computer that used binary logic circuitry and had regenerative
memory.

 Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator (ENIAC) – was invented by

Presper Eckert and John Mauchly in 1943 to 1946. It was the first large-scale
general purpose digital electronic computer. It consisted of over 18,000 vacuum
tubes and required the manual setting of switches to achieve desired results. It
could perform 300 multiplication problems per second.

 Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC) – was invented

by John Von Neumann in 1945. This was designed as a stored-program
computer.

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS

The history of computer development is often referred to in reference to the different

generations of computing devices. Each generation of computer is characterized by a
major technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers
operate, resulting in increasingly smaller, cheaper, and more powerful and more efficient
and reliable devices.

 First Generation - 1940-1956: Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for
memory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very
expensive to operate and in addition to using a great deal of electricity,
generated a lot of heat, which was often the cause of malfunctions.

First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level

programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and
they could only solve one problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards
and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
 The UNIVAC and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing
devices. The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business
client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

 Second Generation - 1956-1963: Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of
computers.. The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing
computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more
reliable than their first-generation predecessors. Though the transistor still
generated a great deal of heat that subjected the computer to damage, it was a
vast improvement over the vacuum tube. Second-generation computers still
relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.

Second-generation computers moved from cryptic binary machine language to symbolic,

or assembly, languages, which allowed programmers to specify instructions in words.
High-level programming languages were also being developed at this time, such as early
versions of COBOL and FORTRAN. These were also the first computers that stored
their instructions in their memory, which moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core
technology.

The first computers of this generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

 Third Generation - 1964-1971: Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation
of computers. Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called
semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of
computers.

Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation
computers through keyboards and monitors and interfaced with an operating
system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time
with a central program that monitored the memory. Computers for the first time
became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper
than their predecessors.

 Fourth Generation - 1971-Present: Microprocessors

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of
integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first
generation filled an entire room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel
4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer - from
the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls - on a single
chip.

In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple
introduced the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop
computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began
to use microprocessors.

As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together
to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth
generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld
devices.

 Fifth Generation - Present and Beyond: Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in
development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that
are being used today. The use of parallel processing and superconductors is
helping to make artificial intelligence a reality. Quantum computation and
molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in
years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that
respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-
organization.

 CLASSIFICATIONS OF COMPUTERS
 Computers are available in different shapes, sizes and weights, due to these
different shapes and sizes they perform different sorts of jobs from one another.
 They can also be classified in different ways. All the computers are designed by the
qualified computer architectures that design these machines as their requirements.
 A computer that is used in a home differs in size and shape from the computer being
used in a hospital. Computers act as a server in large buildings, while the computer
also differs in size and shape performing its job as a weather forecaster.

The Super Computer

 The biggest in size, the most expensive in price than any other is classified and
known as super computer. It can process trillions of instructions in seconds. This
computer is not used as a PC in a home neither by a student in a college.
 Governments specially use this type of computer for their different calculations and
heavy jobs. Different industries also use this huge computer for designing their
products.
 In most of the Hollywood’s movies it is used for animation purposes. This kind of
computer is also helpful for forecasting weather reports worldwide.

Mainframes

 Another giant in computers after the super computer is the Mainframe, which can
also process millions of instruction per second and capable of accessing billions of
data.
 This computer is commonly used in big hospitals, air line reservations companies,
and many other huge companies prefer mainframe because of its capability of
retrieving data on a huge basis.
 This is normally to expensive and out of reach from a salary-based person who
wants a computer for his home.

Minicomputer

 This computer is next in the line but offers less than mainframe in work and
performance. These are the computers, which are mostly preferred by the small type
of business personals, colleges, etc.

Personal computers

 Almost all the computer users are familiar with the personal computers. They
normally know what the personal computer is and what are its functions.

 This is the computer mostly preferred by the home users. These computers are
lesser in cost than the computers given above and also, small in size; they are also
called PCs in short for Personal computers.

 This computer is small in size and you can easily arrange it to fit in your single
bedroom with its all accommodation.

Laptops/Notebooks/Netbooks

 Having a small size and low weight the notebook/netbook is easy to carry to
anywhere. A student can take it with him/her to his/her school in his/her bag with
his/her book.

 This is easy to carry around and preferred by students and business people to meet
their assignments and other necessary tasks.

 The approach of this computer is also the same as the Personal computer. It can
store the same amount of data and having a memory of the same size as that of a
personal computer. One can say that it is the replacement of personal desktop
computer.
The Tablet PCs

At some point, most people end up in front of their desktop or laptop computers to
search for something in the Internet, file a document or create a presentation for work.
But not anymore, technology has evolved to be more accessible even when you are on
the go. Mobility has been a key standard set by the emerging wireless computing
devices in the recent years, and these devices and gadgets have progressed from the
biggest down to the smallest, from the thickest to the thinnest, and from the heaviest to
the lighter ones.

One of these more popular wireless and handheld devices are the tablet PCs which
dominated the market in 2011. Tablets of different brands, kinds and sizes were
launched following the first series of the iPad sold in the market early in 2011. Tablet
PCs are known as wireless, portable personal computers with a touchscreen interface.
The tablet form factor is typically smaller than a notebook computer but larger than a
smartphone. This form of device was initially developed to replace the bulky and heavy
laptops and immobile desktop computers. Tablets offered mobility and faster
connectivity in a single touch of a finger.

Mobile Phones

On the other hand, mobile phones which have considerably larger screens that also
functions as a personal computer gained popularity in the recent years. A number of
mobile phone brands developed their own smartphones that are said to be at par or a
better choice over a tablet PC. Smartphones have functions and features similar to a
tablet PC, only integrated in a mobile phone.

THE COMPUTER SYSTEM

The computer is a system which consists of the hardware, software and the peopleware.
Without each one the computer cannot function at all. The term, "computer hardware"
refers to all the parts of the computer that you can touch.  "Computer software" generally
refers to those computer related things that you can't touch.

HARDWARE COMPONENTS

The hardware components are further categorized as input and output devices.
An input device is any peripheral (piece of computer hardware equipment) used to
provide data and control signals to an information processing system (such as a
computer). Input and output devices make up the hardware interface between a
computer as a scanner or 6DOF controller.

Many input devices can be classified according to:

 the modality of input (e.g. mechanical motion, audio, visual, etc.)

 whether the input is discrete (e.g. keypresses) or continuous (e.g. a mouse's

position, though digitized into a discrete quantity, is fast enough to be considered
continuous)

 the number of degrees of freedom involved (e.g. two-dimensional traditional

mice, or three-dimensional navigators designed for CAD applications)

Pointing devices, which are input devices used to specify a position in space, can further
be classified according to:

 Whether the input is direct or indirect. With direct input, the input space coincides
with the display space, i.e. pointing is done in the space where visual feedback or
the cursor appears. Touchscreens and light pens involve direct input. Examples
involving indirect input include the mouse and trackball.

 Whether the positional information is absolute (e.g. on a touch screen) or relative

(e.g. with a mouse that can be lifted and repositioned)
 A keyboard is a human interface device which is represented as a layout of
buttons. Each button, or key, can be used to either input a linguistic character to a
computer, or to call upon a particular function of the computer. Traditional keyboards use
spring-based buttons, though newer variations employ virtual keys, or even projected
keyboards.

A pointing device is any human interface device that allows a user to input
spatial data to a computer. In the case of mice and touch screens, this is usually
achieved by detecting movement across a physical surface. Analog devices, such as 3D
mice, joysticks, or pointing sticks, function by reporting their angle of deflection.
Movements of the pointing device are echoed on the screen by movements of the
cursor, creating a simple, intuitive way to navigate a computer's GUI. Other pointing
devices are:

 Trackball operates with a rotating metal ball inset in a small boxlike

device and does not require a desktop

 Touchpad a pressure sensitive pad that is smaller, more accurate, thinner

and is less expensive to build than a trackball

 Trackpad a small, touch- sensitive pad, usually a couple of inches square

which acts as an alternative to a mouse on some notebook/palmtop
computers. It works by sensing fingertip pressure

 Joystick a manual control consisting of a vertical handle that can move

freely in two directions; used as an input device to computers or to
devices controlled by computers.

 Touch Screen a type of display screen that has a touch-sensitive

transparent panel covering the screen. Instead of using a pointing device,
you can use your finger to point directly to objects on the screen. This is
used nowadays in tablet pcs, television sets and even cell phones.

 Light Pen utilizes a light-sensitive detector to select objects on a display

screen

 Stylus a pointing device shaped like a pen. You use this with a digitizing
tablet or touch screen.

Imaging and Video input devices

Video input devices are used to digitize images or video from the outside world into the
computer. The information can be stored in a multitude of formats depending on the
user's requirement.

 Webcam
 Image scanner
 Fingerprint scanner
 Barcode reader
 Digitizing Tablet
 3D scanner
 Laser rangefinder
 Optical Character Recognition
 Optical Mark Reader
 Voice-Recognition System

Audio input devices

Audio devices are used to either capture or create sound. In some cases, an audio
output device can be used as an input device, in order to capture produced sound.

 Microphone
 MIDI keyboard or other digital musical instrument
Output Devices

An output device displays information on a screen, creates printed copies or generates

sound. A monitor, printer and speakers are examples of output devices.

Monitors and Displays

 Shows the processed information on a screen
o A monitor uses a picture tube like a television with the image displayed on
the front of the tube, which is called the screen
o Displays are flat and use plasma, LCD, LED, active-matrix, or some other
technology
 Monitors used to be called Cathode Ray Tubes (CRTs) because of the picture
tube which was a large vacuum tube.
 A monitor or display produces a soft copy. When the device is turned off the
information disappears.
 Monitors are rapidly being replaced by flat panel or LCD monitors.

Printers – produce a hard copy (also called as printout). The information is printed on
paper and can be used when the device is off.
 Dot-matrix printers use metal pins to strike an inked ribbon to make dots on a
piece of paper
 Ink jet printers (non-impact printer) – use drops of magnetic ink to produce dots
on a page to produce text or images
 Laser printers (non-impact printer) – a laser or LEDS make dots on a light
sensitive drum. A toner (very tiny particles of plastic) sticks to the drum where
the dots are made. The paper is pressed against the drum and the toner is
placed on the paper. The paper is then heated and the toner melts into the
paper.
Plotter a device that draws pictures on paper based on commands from a computer.
Plotters differ from printers in that they draw lines using a pen. As a result they can
produce continuous lines
Input/Output Devices
These are pieces of hardware that is used for both providing information and receiving
information.
 Disk Drive reads and writes information on it
 Hard Disk Drive a rigid magnetic disk mounted permanently in a drive unit
 Optical Disk a direct - access disk which has recorded informationon it with a
laser beam that burns pits into its surface.
 Modem modulates the computer output to an acceptable signal for transmission
and then demodulates the signal back for computer input
Speakers
 Used to output sound.

Parts of the System Unit

Motherboard – is the main circuit board of a microprocessor. It is also known as the

main board or system board.

Central Processing Unit (CPU) – is the central electronic chip that determines the
processing power of the computer. Its speed is measured in hertz (one cycle per
second). It has three basic parts:
 The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) –does all the arithmetical and logical operations
of the computer
 The Control Unit – directs the flow of information into the CPU and or/memory or
storage and controls the instructions the CPU will do next.
 Registers – used to store data and instructions inside the processor.

Memory - consists of silicon chips, usually uses either VLS or VLSI technology to create
the chips. There are two forms of memory:

 Read Only Memory (ROM) – stores information which is used by the CPU.
o It can also hold programs that are directly accessed by the CPU.
 o The instructions cannot be erased nor altered.
o These instructions are built into the electronic circuits of the chips and
are called firmware.
o The instructions in the ROM are nonvolatile. They stay there even
when the computer is turned off.
o Access to information is either random or sequential access:
 Random access means that any piece of information in the
ROM can be accessed at any given time without accessing
other information first.
 The other kind of access is sequential access.

 Random Access Memory (RAM)

o The instructions here are constantly changing, depending on the
needs of the CPU.
o Instructions are volatile. When the computer is turned off, the
information in the RAM disappears.
o Hence, the information in the RAM needs to be saved to a secondary
storage device before the computer is turned off.
o Access to information is random access.

 Computer data storage, often called storage or memory, refers to computer

components, devices, and recording media that retain digital data used for
computing for some interval of time. Computer data storage provides one of the
core functions of the modern computer, that of information retention.

 Other forms of fast but temporary storage today more commonly refers to mass
storage - optical discs, forms of magnetic storage like hard disks, and other types
slower than RAM, but of a more permanent nature. Historically, memory and
storage were respectively called primary storage and secondary storage.

 The computer stores information as a string of zeros (0) and ones (1)

o The standard string length is eight 0’s or 1’s in a row called a byte

o A byte equals one character ( a letter, number or symbol)

o There are 256 standard characters used by almost all computers

Megabytes, Gigabytes, Terabytes... What Are They?

These terms are usually used in the world of computing to describe disk space, or data
storage space, and system memory.

o 1 Kilobyte (KB) = 1024 bytes

o 1 megabyte (MB) = 1000 KB

o 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1000 MB

o 1 terabyte = 1000 GB

 Hard Drive is the primary device that a computer uses to store information. It
stores programs, data files, saves and organizes files. It is usually located inside
the computer case, although there are now USB drives which are connected
externally. The hard drive magnetically stores data on stacks of rotating disks
called platters.

 Floppy drive – stores and retrieves information on a floppy disk

 CD/DVD ROM drive – a device that reads information stored on a disc

  USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash drive - also known as Pen Drive is the next
revolution in secondary portable storage device. Initially emerged with couple of
MB storage capacity, it quickly gained attraction due to its solid state rugged
construction, being very handy and can now accommodate large capacity of files
and its capability of being used on any computer equipped with USB port.

 Zip drive – a removable disk that holds a large amount of information. It can be
used to archive and protect large amount of data.

Communication Devices

For communication to take place between two people from widely different countries or
cultures, an electronic or human translator is required to act as an interface between
them. Similarly for a computer to communicate with another completely different system,
this will also require an interface of some kind.

An interface is usually provided by a card which contains ports for input and output
devices, plus processing and memory microchips. In effect it translates one form of
communication from an external input device into that which can be understood by the
computer and then, if necessary, into another that can be sent to any special output
device, or another computer. An interface card may be inserted in one of the slots
provided inside the computer or it may be external with its own power supply and
plugged into the computer's serial communication port.

Here are some common examples:

MODEM (MODulator-DEModulator) - needed for Internet, email, fax and video-

conferencing communications using telephone cables. It converts outgoing digital
signals from the computer into analogue audio tones which can travel along the
telephone wires, and the reverse for incoming signals.

Sound Card - for music or speech from programs, CD-ROMs, and microphone. It
usually includes a MIDI interface for input from musical instruments.

MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) - needed to connect musical instruments

to a computer so that the music played can be stored as a file, displayed on screen,
edited, printed or played back.

Network Card - enables the computer to communicate with other computers linked
together by cable through the interface. Used for shared storage of programs and work
files, and for sharing printers.

Peripheral devices – any piece of hardware attached to a computer. A few examples

of peripheral devices are scanners, printers, and digital cameras.

Computer software

Computer software or just software is a general term used to describe a collection of

computer programs, procedures and documentation that perform some tasks on a
computer system. This provides instructions that tell the computer how to operate.
Software also includes video games and the logic systems of modern consumer devices
such as automobiles, televisions, toasters, etc.

Types of Software

System software

System software helps run the computer hardware and computer system. It includes:

 device drivers
 operating systems
 servers
 utilities
  windowing systems,

The purpose of systems software is to unburden the applications programmer from the
details of the particular computer complex being used, including such accessory devices
as communications, printers, readers, displays, keyboards, etc. And also to partition the
computer's resources such as memory and processor time in a safe and stable manner.

Programming software

Programming software usually provides tools to assist a programmer in writing computer

programs, and software using different programming languages in a more convenient
way. The tools include:

 compilers
 debuggers
 interpreters
 linkers
 text editors

An Integrated development environment (IDE) is a single application that attempts to

manage all these functions.

Application software

Application software allows end users to accomplish one or more specific (not directly
computer development related) tasks. Typical applications include:

 industrial automation
 business software
 computer games
 telecommunications, (ie the internet and everything that flows on it)
 databases
 educational software
 medical software

Ways of acquiring software:

public domain software are programs that are uncopyrighted because their authors
intended to share them with everyone else are in the public domain. Programs in the
public domain can be used without restriction as components of other programs. When
reusing such code, it is good to understand its history so that you can be sure it really is
in the public domain
Shareware is software that is distributed free on a trial basis with the understanding that
the user may need or want to pay for it later. Some software developers offer a
shareware version of their program with a built-in expiration date (after 30 days, the user
can no longer get access to the program). Other shareware (sometimes called liteware)
is offered with certain capabilities disabled as an enticement to buy the complete version
of the program. Programming that is offered at no cost is called freeware. However, it is
copyrighted so that you can't incorporate its programming into anything you may be
developing. Free to use and make copies of. Cannot be changed or used in another
program without the copyright holder’s permission.

Commercial software requires payment before it can be used, but includes all the
program's features, with no restrictions or time limits. Commercial software programs
typically come in a physical box, which is what you see displayed in retail stores. While
it's true that the software boxes are not as big as they used to be, they still contain the
software CD or DVD and usually a "getting started" manual along with a registration key
used for registering the product. Most commercial software programs ask that the user
to register the program so the company can keep track of its authorized users. Some
commercial software programs, such as newer versions of Microsoft and Adobe
programs, require the user to register the programs in order to continue using them after
30 days. While most commercial software programs are sold in the physical box, many
software titles are now available as downloads. These downloads are typically made
available from the company's website. The user pays for the program directly on the
website and instead of receiving the software in the mail, the user downloads it to his
computer. Another popular way of purchasing commercial software online is simply
paying for a registration key, which unlocks the features of a shareware program. This
upgrades the shareware program to the commercial version, which removes any feature
limitations from the shareware version.

Computer Security Ethics and Privacy

Today, many people rely on computers to do homework, work, and create or store
useful information. Therefore, it is important for the information on the computer to be
stored and kept properly. It is also extremely important for people on computers to
protect their computer from data loss, misuse, and abuse. For example, it is crucial for
businesses to keep information they have secure so that hackers cannot access the
information. Home users also need to take means to make sure that their credit card
numbers are secure when they are participating in online transactions.

A computer security risk is any action that could cause lost of information, software,
data, processing incompatibilities, or cause damage to computer hardware, a lot of these
are planned to do damage. An intentional breach in computer security is known as a
computer crime which is slightly different from a cybercrime. A cybercrime is known as
illegal acts based on the internet. There are several distinct categories for people that
cause cybercrimes, and they are referred as hacker, cracker, cyberterrorist, cyberbully,
cyberextortionist, unethical employee, script kiddie and corporate spy.

The term hacker was actually known as a good word but now it has a very negative
view. A hacker is defined as someone who accesses a computer or computer network
unlawfully. They often claim that they do this to find leaks in the security of a network.
The term cracker has never been associated with something positive this refers to
someone who intentionally accesses a computer or computer network for evil reasons.
They access with the intent of destroying, or stealing information. Both crackers and
hackers are very advanced with network skills.

A cyberterrorist is someone who uses a computer network or the internet to destroy

computers for political reasons. A cyperextortionist is someone who uses emails as an
offensive force. They would usually send a company a very threatening email stating
that they will release some confidential information, exploit a security leak, or launch an
attack that will harm a company’s network.

An unethical employee is an employee that illegally accesses their company’s network

for numerous reasons. One could be the money they can get from selling top secret
information, or some may be bitter and want revenge. A script kiddie is someone who is
like a cracker because they may have the intentions of doing harm, but they usually lack
the technical skills. They are usually silly teenagers that use prewritten hacking and
cracking programs. A corporate spy has extremely high computer and network skills and
is hired to break into a specific computer or computer network to steal or delete data and
information. Shady companies hire these type of people in a practice known as
corporate espionage. They do this to gain an advantage over their competition an illegal
practice. Business and home users must do their best to protect or safeguard their
computers from security risks.

The typical network attacks that puts computers at risk includes viruses, worms,
spoofing, Trojan horses, and denial of service attacks. Every unprotected computer is
vulnerable to a computer virus which is a potentially harming computer program that
infects a computer negatively and altering the way the computer operates without the
user’s consent. Once the virus is in the computer it can spread throughout infecting other
files and potentially damaging the operating system itself. It’s similar to a bacteria virus
that infects humans because it gets into the body through small openings and can
spread to other parts of the body and can cause some damage. The similarity is, the
best way to avoid is preparation.

A computer worm is a program that repeatedly copies itself and is very similar to a
computer virus. However the difference is that a virus needs to attach itself to an
executable file and become a part of it. A computer worm doesn’t need to do that. It
sends copies to itself and to other networks and eats up a lot of bandwidth. A Trojan
Horse named after the famous Greek myth and is used to describe a program that
secretly hides and actually looks like a legitimate program but is a fake. A certain action
usually triggers the Trojan horse, and unlike viruses and worms they don’t replicate
itself. Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses are all classified as malicious-logic
programs which are just programs that deliberately harm a computer. You know when a
computer is infected by a virus, worm, or Trojan horse if one or more of these acts
happen:

 Screen shots of weird messages or pictures appear.

 You have less available memory then you expected
 Music or sounds plays randomly.
 Files get corrupted
 Programs or files don’t work properly
 Unknown files or programs randomly appear
 System properties fluctuate

Computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses deliver their payload or instructions
through common ways.

 when an individual runs an infected program so if you download a lot of things

you should always scan the files before executing, especially executable files.

 when an individual runs an infected program.

 when an individual boots a computer with an infected drive

 when it connects an unprotected computer to a network.

 when one opens an unsecured email attachment.

Intellectual Property

 Intellectual property refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic
works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce.
 Intellectual property is divided into two categories: Industrial property, which
includes inventions (patents), trademarks, industrial designs, and geographic
indications of source; and Copyright, which includes literary and artistic works
such as novels, poems and plays, films, musical works, artistic works such as
drawings, paintings, photographs and sculptures, and architectural designs.
Rights related to copyright include those of performing artists in their
performances, producers of phonograms in their recordings, and those of
broadcasters in their radio and television programs.

Computer Ethics

Ethics is a set of moral principles that govern the behavior of a group or individual.
Therefore, computer ethics is set of moral principles that regulate the use of computers.
Some common issues of computer ethics include intellectual property rights (such as
copyrighted electronic content), privacy concerns, and how computers affect society.
The legal aspects of computing are complex and multilayered. Teachers can help
society by practicing ethical computer use, avoiding software piracy, and providing direct
instruction on ethical computing practices.

INTERNET

The Internet, sometimes called simply "the Net," is a worldwide system of computer
networks - a network of networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have
permission, get information from any other computer (and sometimes talk directly to
users at other computers).

Why do users access the Internet?

 1. Communications

2. information

3. Shopping

4. banking

5. Online classes

6. entertainment

What is the Web?

 Billions of documents, called Web pages, available to anyone connected

to the Internet

 A Web site is a collection of related Web pages

 A Web page contains text, graphics, sound, video, and links to

other Web pages

 You can share information by creating Web pages or posting

photos on a photo sharing community

A Web browser is a software application used to locate and display Web pages. The
two most popular browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer and Firefox. Both of these are
a graphical browser, which means that they can display graphics as well as text. In
addition, most modern browsers can present multimedia information, including sound
and video, though they require plug-ins for some formats.

Search engine - A program that searches documents for specified keywords and
returns a list of the documents where the keywords were found. Although search engine
is really a general class of programs, the term is often used to specifically describe
systems like Google,  Alta Vista and Excite that enable users to search for documents
on the World Wide Web and USENET newsgroups.
Directories – like yahoo, uses human editors to place the site into a hierarchy or outline
of topics so that users can find it by selecting the appropriate category.
URL (Uniform Resource Locator) – is the global address of documents and other
resources on the World Wide Web.

The first part of the address is called a protocol identifier and it indicates what protocol to
use and the second part is called a resource name and it specifies the IP address or the
domain name where the resource is located. The protocol identifier and the resource
name are separated by a colon and two forward slashes.

Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered
as a service over a network (typically the Internet). The name comes from the use of a cloud-
shaped symbol as an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it contains in system diagrams.
Cloud computing entrusts remote services with a user's data, software and computation.

Google Apps is a cloud-based productivity suite that helps you and your team connect
and get work done from anywhere on any device. It's simple to setup, use and manage,
allowing you to work smarter and focus on what really matters.

Cloud computing is the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered
as a service over a network (typically the Internet). The name comes from the use of a cloud-
shaped symbol as an abstraction for the complex infrastructure it contains in system diagrams.
Cloud computing entrusts remote services with a user's data, software and computation.
World Wide Web (www) – refers to all the publicly accessible web sites in the world, in
addition to other information sources that web browsers can access. These other
sources include FTP sites, USENET newsgroups and a few surviving Gopher sites.

Email - Short for electronic mail, the transmission of messages over communications
networks. The messages can be notes entered from the keyboard or electronic files
stored on disk.
What is a network?

A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on

facilitating the building of social networks or social relations among people who, for
example, share interests, activities, backgrounds, or real-life connections. A social
network service consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social
links, and a variety of additional services. Most social network services are web-based
and provide means for users to interact over the Internet, such as e-mail and instant
messaging. Online community services are sometimes considered as a social network
service, though in a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-
centered service whereas online community services are group-centered. Social
networking sites allow users to share ideas, activities, events, and interests within their
individual networks.

Advantages of Using Computers

 Speed
 Reliability
 Consistency
 Storage and
 Communication
Disadvantages:
 Violation of Privacy
 Impact on the Labor Force
 Health Risks
 Impact on the Environment
What are some examples of computer applications in society?

 Education
 Finance
 Government
 Healthcare
 Science
 Publishing
 Travel
 Industry

Computer Applications in Education

Management - Computers are used in a variety of ways in the educational field. 

Computers can be used in school management such as budget, inventory, student
records, communications, library circulation, and library public access catalog.

Learning and Instruction-Computer applications can be used in education for learning

and for instruction.  Instruction and learning can be divided into two major areas,
teacher-centered instruction and student-centered learning.

 Teacher-centered instruction examined the computer as the object of instruction

as well as a tool of instruction and the management of instruction. It is subdivided
into the categories of computer literacy, CAI, CMI, and design of teaching
materials.

 Student-centered learning views the computer as a tool for the student to use to
create, access, retrieve, manipulate, and transmit information in order to solve a
problem. Understanding the concept of the computer as an information tool relies
on accepting the fact that the computer is a productivity tool for the student and
the teacher alike.

Educational Research - Computers are used widely in educational research. 

Educational research includes functions relating to information gathering and
processing. The teacher/researcher may examine student performance data in new and
revealing ways. Bibliographic citations of studies performed by educators around the
world can be acquired and perused from the desktop computer.

Direction: Read each item carefully then choose the letter of the best of the answer.

1. What two things did George Boole invent?

A. a punch card machine C. logic and Boolean Algebra
B. C++ programming code D. the search engines

2. What do punch cards do?

A. give someone a horse
B. store data as small holes on a piece of paper
C. quench your thirst
D. provide written code for the Altair

3. What did Steve Jacobs introduce in the computer world?

A. laptop C. ipad
B. netbook D. tablet PC
4. Who is the high-tech mogul who appeared on a 1995 cover of Time magazine
headlined as “Master of the Universe”?
A. Bill Gates C. Paul Allen
B. Steve Jobs D. Douglas Engelbart

5. What movie did Apple use to hype its new Quick Time4 format, sparking a net-
clogging 25 million downloads of the trailer?
A. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
B. Superman
C. Extra Terrestial
D. Twilight Saga

6. What was the first fast-food restaurant to offer patrons free 20 minutes of
Internet time?
A. Burger King C. McDonald’s
B. Jolibee D. Starbucks

7. What do you call the board that forms the foundation of your computer?
A. motherboard C. main memory
B. ROM D. RAM

8. How is RAM speed measured?

A. bytes C. hertz
B. megabytes D. gigabytes

9. The word processor is an example of what type of software?

A. application software C. systems software
B. operating systems software D. utilities

10. Which of the following hardware devices acts as the intermediary between a
computer and the analog phone system?
A. modem C. keyboard
B. speaker D. hard disk

11. Which is the standard input device that accepts letters, numbers and commands
from the user?
A. keyboard C. scanner
B. digital camera D. mouse

12. Which of the following refers to the transmission of messages over

communications networks?
A. email C. LAN
B. WAN D. networks

13. Fourth generation computing devices, are based on what?

A. IC C. LSI
B. vacuum tubes D. transistors

14. Which of the following enables the computer to communicate with other
computers linked together by cable through the interface?
A. network card C. LAN
B. internet D. intranet

15. This is the biggest in size, the most expensive in price than any other
computers. Different industries also use this huge computer for designing their
products. Which classification of computer is referred to?
A. mini computers C. personal computers
B. super computers D. mainframe computers

16. Which of the following is equivalent to one character?

A. kilobyte C. megabyte
B. byte D. gigabyte

17. What software helps run the computer hardware and computer system?
A. operating system C. application software
 B. utilities D. system software

18. What do you call someone who accesses a computer or computer network
unlawfully?
A. hacker C. cyber extortionist
B. unethical employee D. script kiddie

19. What is the latest portable storage device which can have as much as 8
gigabytes memory?
A. thumb drive C. floppy drive
B. CD D. DVD

20. Which program repeatedly copies itself and is very similar to a computer virus?
A. trojan horse C. computer worm
B. virus D. freeware

21. Which electronic machine can take instructions, and perform computations
based on those instructions?
A. PDA C. cell phone
B. computer D. ipad

22. What do you call the set of moral principles that regulate the use of computers?
A. ethics C. code of ethics
B. professional ethics D. computer ethics

23. Which printer uses metal pins to strike an inked ribbon to make dots on a piece
of paper?
A. ink jet printer C. laser printer
B. dot matrix printer D. matrix printer

24. Which of the following instances would NOT spread a computer virus?
A. When an individual runs an infected program.
B. When someone sneezes in front of the computer.
C. When someone opens an unsecured email attachment.
D. When an individual boots a computer with an infected drive.

25. What is the meaning of URL?

A. Uniform Reading Locator C. Uniform Resource Locator
B. Unidentified Reading Location D. Unidentified Resource Locator

26. Who invented the disk drive?

A. Ted Hoff C. Reynold Johnson
B. John Bardeen D. John Reynolds

27. In what mode do computers calculate numbers?

A. octal C. binary
B. decimal D. hexadecimal

28. Which operating system was developed by a college student named Linus Torvalds?
A. Linux C. Android
B. Windows D. Mac OS X

29. What does www stand for?

A. World Wide Wrestling C. World War Won
B. World Wide Web D. Whole Wide World
30. It is the process of translating sound card signals from a microphone into codes the
computer can use.
A. inputting C. encoding
B. digitizing D. scanning

31. It is the geometric arrangement of a computer system.

A. Bus C. Star
B. Network D. Topology

32. A local area netwok is used to share

A. peripherals C. both A and B
B. data D. printer

33. Which one of the following is a search engine?

A. Java C. Firefox
B. Google D. Internet Explorer

34. Which of the following is a browser?

A. Internet Explorer C. Launcher
B. Email D. World Wide Web

35. Which programs are uncopyrighted because their authors intended to share them
with everyone else?
A. public domain software C. freeware
B. shareware D. beta version

36. Which of the following best describes RAM?

A. It is nonvolatile.
B. It cannot be changed by the user.
C. It is used in both primary and secondary memory devices.
D. All of the above

37. Which of the following refers to the physical components of the computer system?
A. software C. firmware
B. hardware D. central processing unit

38. Which is a permanent output?

A. soft copy C. output displayed on the monitor
B. hard copy D. texts and graphics

39. Sending a file from your computer to another computer is called

A. emulation C. downloading
B. uploading D. freeloading

40. Which of the following is a true statement?

A. Web sources must always be cited in your report.
B. You are free to copy information you find and include it in your report.
C. It is just alright to distribute copies of your newly bought original DVD to your
friends.
D. You do not have to cite the web sources you use in your research report.

41. http://www.classzone.com is an example of what?

A. a URL C. an access code
B. a directory D. a server

42. What does a word that looks underlined on a webpage usually mean?
A. a very important word C. the web address
B. a link to another web page D. a mistake

43. What program searches documents for specified keywords and returns a list of the
documents where the keywords are found?
A. search engine C. crawler
B. browser D. Uniform Resource Locator (URL)
44. What do you call the worldwide system of computer networks - a network of
networks in which users at any one computer can, if they have permission, get
information from any other computer?
A. WAN C. LAN
B. internet D. intranet

45. Which of the following refers to creations of the mind: inventions, literary and artistic
works, and symbols, names, images, and designs used in commerce?
A. Intellectual Property C. Intellectual Property Rights
B. Copyright D. Inventions

46. Which one does not belong to the group?

A. hacker C. cyber terrorist
B. cyber extortionist D. programmer

47. What do you call the software that is distributed free on a trial basis with the
understanding that the user may need or want to pay for it later?
A. freeware C. shareware
B. public domain software D. firmware

48. Which type of computer is very useful for mobile computing nowadays?
A. Tablet pc C. laptop / notebook
B. desktop D. wireless computer

49. Which software allows end users to accomplish one or more specific (not directly
computer development related) tasks?
A. application software C. operating systems software
B. utilities D. systems software

50. Which is NOT an application of ICT in education?

A. learning and instruction
B. management
C. auto CAD
D. research

References
Callo, et al. ICT Skills for Teachers (Revised Edition), PNU Press, 2007
La Putt, Juny Pilapil, Introduction to Computers, National Bookstore, Copyright 1984
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operating_System on January 10, 2013
Retrieved from http://www.computerhope.com/jargon/i/inputdev.htm on January
9,2013
Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Apple_Inc.on January 9,2013

ANSWER KEY

ANALYZING TEST ITEMS ENHANCING TEST TAKING SKILLS

1. C 6. A 11. A 16. B 21. B 26. C 31. D 36. A 41. A 46. D
2. B 7. A 12. A 17. A 22. C 27. C 32. C 37. B 42. B 47. A
3. C 8. C 13. C 18. A 23. B 28. A 33. B 38. B 43. A 48. A
4. A 9. A 14. A 19. A 24. B 29. B 34. A 39. B 44. B 49. B
5. A 10. A 15. B 20. C 25. C 30. B 35. B 40. A 45. A 50. C