PPT 1

Components of a Computer
Input Devices
-Devices that allow you to enter data into your computer

Output Devices
-Shows processed data or information.

System Unit
-Contains the components of your computer that processes data.

Storage Devices
-Writes and reads items for the computer to access.

Communication Devices
-Enables a computer to send or retrieve data from other devices.

Capabilities of a Computer

Characteristics of a Computer
-Speed
-Accurate
-Reliable
-Versatile
-Storage Capacity

Other Capabilities of a Computers

• Ability to store and retrieve information
• Ability to provide new time dimensions
• Ability to perform mathematical and certain logic operations
• Ability to check itself
• Ability to control errors

Advantages of a Computer
• Computers can do the same task repetitively with same accuracy.
• Computers do not get tired or bored.
• Computers can take up routine tasks while releasing human resource for more intelligent functions.

Disadvantages of a Computer
• Computers have no intelligence; they follow the instructions blindly without considering the outcome.
• Regular electric supply is necessary to make computers work, which could prove difficult everywhere
especially in developing nations.

Other Disadvantages of a Computer

• Health Risks
• Violation of Privacy
• Public Safety
• Impact on Labor Force
• Impact on Environment
Green Computing - Reduce impact to environment
• Recycling
• Regulating manufacturing process
• Power conservation
• Extending the life of computers
• Proper disposal

Different Types of Computers

• Desktop Computers or Personal Computers
• Mobile Computer
• Mobile Device
• Game Console
• Servers
• Mainframe Computers
• Embedded Computers

ELEMENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

• Hardware
• Software
• Data
• People
• Procedures

PPT 2
Computer Components

Motherboard
• Connects all parts of a computer together
• The “backbone” of the PC

Processor
• Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• First introduced in the early 1970s
• Today’s processors are multi-core

Processor Clock Speed

• Determines the speed in which the processor executes commands
• measured in MHz or GHz where 1 MHz means 1 million cycles per second whereas 1 GHz equals to 1
billion cycles per second

Processor Cooling Systems

• CPU Fan
• Heat Sink
• Liquid Cooling
• Cooling Pads

Thermal Paste
• A substance used to promote better heat conduction between two surfaces and is commonly used
between a microprocessor and a heatsink.

• A liquid cooling system circulates liquid through a heat sink attached to the processor. The coolant
absorbs the heat from the baseplate as it moves through the water block. It then continues to move
through the system and upward through one of two tubes to a radiator.
 • PC coolant liquid is a combination of Ethylene and Propylene Glycol

Memory
• Consists of electronic components
• Measured in gigabytes (GB) or terabytes (TB)
• Stores three basic categories of items:
o The operating system and other programs
o Applications
o Data being processed and the resulting information

2 TYPES OF MEMORY
VOLATILE MEMORY
NON VOLATILE MEMORY

AdapterCards
(a.k.a expansion card)
• Enhances functions of a component of a computer

Expansion slot
• A socket on a desktop or server motherboard that can hold an adapter card

Terms to Remember
• Read-only memory (ROM) refers to memory chips storing permanent data and instructions

• Firmware is permanent software programmed into a read-only memory.

• Flash memory can be erased electronically and rewritten

• CMOS (Complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor) is a technology uses battery power to retain

information when the power to the computer is off.

• Plug and Play, the computer automatically can recognize peripheral devices as you install them

PPT 3
Input & Output Devices
• Pieces of hardware used to communicate or interact with a computer.

INPUT
• Input is any data and instructions entered into the memory of a computer.

KEYBOARD
• Includes the letters of the alphabet, numbers, punctuation marks, and other basic keys.

ACTUATION
• Mechanical keyboards require a certain amount of force to activate the switch. This force is called
actuation and it is represented in grams (g).
MOUSE
• A mouse is a pointing device that fits comfortably under the palm of your hand that allows you to control
the movement of the cursor.

OPTICAL MOUSE
• Most desktop computer users today have some type of optical mouse, which uses devices that emit
and sense light to detect the mouse’s movement.

TRACKBALL
• A stationary pointing device with a ball on its top or side. To move the pointer using a trackball, you
rotate the ball with your thumb, fingers, or the palm of your hand.

POINTING STICK
• A pointing stick is a pressure-sensitive pointing device shaped like a pencil eraser that is positioned
between keys on a keyboard.

Multi-touch screens
• A touch screen is a touch-sensitive display device.

CLICK WHEEL
• Touch sensitive pads typically contain buttons and/or wheels that are operated with a thumb or finger.

PEN INPUT
• With pen input, you touch a stylus or digital pen on a flat surface to write, draw, or make selections. The
flat surface may be a screen on a monitor or mobile device, a signature capture pad, or a graphics
tablet

CAMERA
• Allows the capturing of still images and motion pictures that can be stored in your computer.

VOICE INPUT/AUDIO INPUT

• Voice input is the process of entering input by speaking into a microphone.
• Audio input is the process of entering any sound into the computer such as speech, music, and sound
effects.

SCANNERS AND READING DEVICES

• Optical character recognition (OCR)
• Optical mark recognition (OMR)
• Bar code reader
• RFID Readers
• A magnetic stripe card reader
• MICR Readers
• Biometric Input
• Automated teller machine (ATM)

Other Types of Input Devices

• Gamepads – controls the movement and actions of players or objects in video games or computer
games.
 • Joystick – a lever that can be moved in different directions and buttons to control the actions of the
simulated vehicle or player.

• Light Gun – used to shoot targets and moving objects after you pull the trigger on the weapon.

• Dance Pads – a flat electronic device divided into panels that users press with their feet in response to
instructions from a music video game.

• Other Game Controllers – controllers that resemble musical instruments, such as guitars, drums, and
keyboards, work with music video games that enable game players to create sounds and music by
playing the instrument.

OUTPUT DEVICES

LCD Monitors & LCD Screens

• An LCD monitor is a desktop monitor that uses a liquid crystal display to produce images

PLASMA MONITORS
• A plasma monitor is a display device that uses gas plasma technology, which sandwiches a layer of
gas between two glass plates.

CRT MONITORS
• A CRT monitor is a desktop monitor that contains a cathode-ray tube. A cathode-ray tube (CRT) is a
large, sealed glass tube.

LCD TECHNOLOGY AND QUALITY

• Resolution is the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in a display device. For example, a monitor
that has a 1440 3 900 resolution displays up to 1440 pixels per horizontal row and 900 pixels per
vertical row, for a total of 1,296,000 pixels to create a screen image.

• Response time of an LCD monitor or screen is the time in milliseconds (ms) that it takes to turn a pixel
on or off.

• The brightness of an LCD monitor or LCD screen is measured in nits.

• The contrast ratio describes the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and the darkest
black that can be displayed on an LCD monitor.

• Dot pitch – sometimes called pixel pitch, is the distance in millimeters between pixels on a display
device.

PRINTERS
• An output device that produces text and graphics on a physical medium such as paper.

IMPACT PRINTERS
• An impact printer forms characters and graphics on a piece of paper by striking a mechanism against
an inked ribbon that physically contacts the paper.
NON IMPACT PRINTERS
• A nonimpact printer forms characters and graphics on a piece of paper without actually striking the
paper. Some nonimpact printers spray ink, while others use heat or pressure to create images.

LASER PRINTERS
• A laser printer is a high-speed, high-quality nonimpact printer. Laser printers print text and graphics in
high-quality resolutions, usually ranging from 1200 to 2400 dpi.

INK JET PRINTERS

• Produces text and graphics in both black-and-white and color on a variety of paper types.

PHOTO PRINTERS
• A photo printer is a color printer that produces photo-lab-quality pictures.

MALFUNTION PERIPHERALS
• A multifunction peripheral also called an all-in-one device, is a single device that looks like a printer or
copy machine but provides the functionality of a printer, scanner, copy machine, and perhaps a fax
machine

THERMAL PRINTERS
• A thermal printer is a type of printer that uses a heated thermal printhead pressed against a medium to
produce black text or images.

MOBILE PRINTERS
• A mobile printer is a small, lightweight, battery-powered printer that allows a mobile user to print from a
notebook computer, or smartphone, or other mobile devices while traveling

PLOTTERS OR LARGE-FORMAT PRINTERS

• Plotters are used to produce high-quality drawings such as blueprints, maps, and circuit diagrams.
These printers are used in specialized fields such as engineering and drafting and usually, are very
costly.

OTHER OUTPUT DEVICES

• Speakers, Headphones, and Earbuds
• Projector
• Interactive White Board

PPT 4

DIGITAL STORAGE
2 TYPES OF DIGITAL STORAGE
• Storage medium
• Cloud storage
TERMS TO REMEMBER
• Storage Device
• Capacity
o Megabytes, Gigabytes, Terabytes
• Access Time

TYPES OF STORAGE DEVICES

1. Hard drive
• A.k.a Hard disk / HDD
• Most common storage device in computer devices
• Read/write head

CHARACTERISTICS OF HARD DRIVE

• Platter
• Tracks
• Sector
• Form factor
• Revolutions per minute (RPM)

2. Solid state drive

• A flash memory device
• Contains its own processor

Advantages of SSD over HDD

• Faster access times
• Faster transfer rates
• Quieter operation
• More durable
• Lighter weight
• Less power consumption
• Less heat generation
• Longer life
• Defragmentation not required

1. EXTERNAL HARD DRIVES

2. Redundant Array Of Independent Disks
(RAID)
3. Portable flash memory storage

OPTICAL DISC
• CD-ROM can be read from but not written to
• CD-R is an optical disc on which users can write once, but not erase
• CD-RW is an erasable multisession disc

• DVD-ROM is a high-capacity optical disc on which users can read but not write on or erase
 • DVD-R or DVD+R are competing DVD-recordable WORM formats, on which users can write once but
not erase

• DVD-RW, DVD+RW, and DVD+RAM are competing DVD-rewritable formats that users can write on
multiple times

OTHER TYPES OF STORAGE

• Magnetic stripe
• Smart card
• RFID tag
• NFC (Near Field Communication)