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C o m p u te r
F u n d a m e n ta ls
Copyright © 2010 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold,
hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior written consent in any form o f binding or
cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being
imposed on the subsequent purchaser and without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no
part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in
any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior
written permission of both the copyright owner and the above-mentioned publisher o f this book.
ISBN 978-81-317-3309-7
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Published by Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd., licensees of Pearson Education in South Asia
Head Office: 7th Floor, Knowledge Boulevard, A-8 (A), Sector 62, NOIDA, 201 309, UP, India.
Registered Office: 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi 110017, India
Typeset by AcePro India Pvt. Ltd
Printed in India at Saurabh Printers Pvt. Ltd.
Copyrighted material
B r ie f C o n t e n t s
Preface xxi
Acknowledgem ents XXV
UNIT 1 BASiCS_OF_COMPUIER
1. Introduction to Computer 1
2. The Computer System Hardware 19
3. Computer Memory 39
4. Input and Output Devices 61
5. Data Representation 87
UNIT II USER-COMPUTER INTERFACE

6. Interaction of User and Computer 115
•
7. Operating System 131

8. Computer Programming Fundamentals 150
9. Data Communication and Computer Network 163
10. The Internet and Internet Services 196
UNIT 111 APPLICATIONS AND SECURITY

11. Information Systems 219
12. Fundamentals of Database 236
13. Multimedia 256
14. Computer Security 284
UNIT IV COMPUTER PRACTICALS

15. Windows XP 307
16. MS-Word 2007 342
17. MS-Excel 2007 379
18. MS-PowerPoint 2007 422
19. MS-Access 2007 458
20. Network and Internet Connections 486
21. Using LaTeX 503
Appendix A 515
Appendix B 517
Appendix C 519
Appendix D 523
Index 541
Contents
rretace XXI
Acknowledgements XXV
1JN 1 T 1 R A S IC S O F T O M P I J T F R 1
1. Introduction to Computer 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Digital and Analog Computers 2
1.3 Characteristics of Computer 2
1.4 History of Computer 3
1.5 Generations of Computer 4
1.5.1 First Generation (1940 to 1956): Using Vacuum Tubes 4
1.5.2 Second Generation (1956 to 1963): Using Transistors 5
1.5.3 Third Generation (1964 to 1971): Using Integrated Circuits 5
1.5.4 Fourth Generation (1971 to present): Using Microprocessors 6
1.5.5 Fifth Generation (Present and Next): Using
Artificial Intelligence 6
1.6 Classification of Computer 7
1.6.1 Microcomputers 7
1.6.2 Minicomputers 9
1.6.3 Mainframe Computers 9
1.6.4 Supercomputers 9
1.7 The Computer System 10
1.7.1 The Input-Process-Output Concept 11
1.7.2 Components of Computer Hardware 12
1.8 Application of Computers 13
Summary 15
Keywords 16
Questions 17
2, The Computer System Hardware 19
2.1 Introduction 19
2.2 Central Processing Unit 20
2.2.1 Arithm etic Logic Unit 20
2.2.2 Registers 21
2.2.3 Control Unit 22
_______ v iii I. 1 Contents
2.3 Memory Unit 22

2.3.1 Cache Memory 22
2.3.2 Primary Memory n
2.3.3 Secondary Memory 24
2.4 Instruction Format 24
2.5 Instruction Set 25
2.6 Instruction Cycle 25
12. Microprocessor 22
13. Interconnecting the Units of a Computer 21
2.8.1 System Bus 28
2.8.2 Expansion Bus 29
2.8.3 External Ports 29
2.9 Performance of a Computer 29
2.10 Inside a Computer Cabinet 31
2.10.1 Motherboard 31
2.10.2 Ports ancf Interfaces 32
2.10.3 Expansion Slots 12
2.10.4 Ribbon Cables 31
2.10.5 Memory Chips 34
2.10.6 Storage Devices 34
2.10.7 Processor 34
Summary 35
Keywords 36
Questions 36
Computer Memory 39
3.1 Introduction 39
3.2 Memory Representation 40
3.3 Memory Hierarchy 40
3.4 CPU Registers 42
3.5 Cache Memory 42
3.6 Primary Memory 43
3.6.1 Random Access Memory 43
3.6.2 Read O nly Memory 44
3.7 Secondary Memory 46
3.8 Access Types of Storage Devices 46
3.8.1 Sequential Access Devices 46
3.8.2 Direct Access Devices 47
3.9 Magnetic Tape 47
Contents j IX
3.10 Magnetic Disk 48

3.10.1 Floppy Dink_________________________________________________________ 50
lJQ.2-Bnr.cLDi±k____________________________________________________ i I
3.10.3 Zip Disk______________________________________ .______________________ 52
3.11 Optical Disk__________________________________________________ 52
3.11.1 CD-R O M ________________________________________________ 51
±J±2-DYDzRQM __________________________________________________________ 51
3.11.3 Recordable O ptical Disk 55
3.12 Magneto-Optical Disk 55
3.13 Using the Computer Memory___________________________________ 56
Summary_____________________________________________________ 56
Keywords_____________________________________________________ 57
Questions_____________________________________________________ 58
4. Input and Output Devices__________________________________________ 6 }

4J._lntiQ .duc.ti.Q n________________________________________________________________ 6 J
4.2 Input-Output Unit 62

4.2.1 Input Unit 62
4.2.2 Output Unit 62
4.3 Input Devices 63
4.4 Human Data Entry Devices 64

4.4.1 Keyboard 64
4.4.2 Pointing Devices______________________________________________________ 65
4.4 J L l_MQii.se__________________________________________________________(15
4.4.2.2 TrackBali 66
4.4.2.3 joystick 66
4.4.2.4 Digitizing Tablet 67
4.4.3 Pick Devices 68
4.4.3.1 Light Pen 68
4.4.3.2 Touch Screen 68
4.5 Source Data Entry Devices_____________________________________ 69
4 .5 .1 A u d io In p u t D e v ic e _________________________________________________________ 6 9
4.5.2 Video Input Device___________________________________________________ 69
4.5.3 O ptical Input Devices 70
4.5.3.1 Scanner 70
4.5.3.2 Optical Character Recognition (OCR) 71
4.5.3.3 Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) 72
4.5.3.4 Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) 72
4.5.3.5 Barcode Reader 72
4 .6 Output Devices 74
4.6.1 Hard Copy Devices 74
4.6.1.1 Printer 74
4.6.1.2 Plotter 76
4.6.1.3 Computer Output on Microfilm 77
— M g Contents
4.6.2 Soft Copy Devices 77

4.6.2.1 Monitor 77
4.6.2.2 Visual Display Terminal 77
4.6.2.3 Video Output 78
4.6.2.4 Audio Response 78
4.7 I/O Port 80
4.8 Working of I/O System 81
Summary 82
Keywords 83
Questions 84
5. Data Representation 87
5.1 Introduction 87
5.2 Number System 88
5.2 .1 Decim al Number System 88
5.2.2 Binary Number System _______________________________________________ 89
5.2.3 O ctal Number System________________________________________________ 89
5.2.4 Hexadecimal Number System________________________________________ 89
5.3 Conversion from Decimal to Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal 90
5.3. / Converting Decim al Integer to Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal 90
5.3.2 Converting Decim al Fraction to Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal 92
5 .3 .3 C o n ve rtin g D e c im a l Integer. Fraction to B inary, O c ta l,
Hexadecimal 94
5.4 Conversion of Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal to Decimal 95
5.5 Conversion of Binary to Octal, Hexadecimal 97
5.6 Conversion of Octal, Hexadecimal to Binary 97
5.7 Binary Arithmetic 98
5.7.1 Binary Addition 98
5.7.2 Binary Subtraction 100
5.8 Signed and Unsigned Numbers 102
5.8.1 Complement of Binary Numbers 102
5.9 Binary Data Representation 103
5.9 .1 Fixed Point Number Representation 103
5.9.2 Floating Point Number Representation 105
5.10 Binary Coding Schemes 106
5.10.1 EBCDIC 106
5.10.2 A SC II_________________________________________________________ 106
5^1D,3.JJniL0ik ____________________________________________________________ W Z
5.11 Logic Gates__________________________________________________ 108
Summary 110
Keywords 110
Questions 111
Answers 113
Contents I Ix i
UNIT II USER-COMPUTER INTERFACE 115
6. Interaction of User and Computer 115

6.1 Introduction 115
6.2 Types of Software 116
6.3 System Software 116
6.3.1 Operating System 117
6.3.2 Device Driver 117
6.3.3 System Utilities 118
6.3.4 Programming Languages 120
6.3.4.1 Machine Language 121
6.3.4.2 Assembly Language 121
6.3.4.3 High-level Language 122
6.3.4.4 Different Generations of Programming Languages 122
6.3.5 Translator Software 122
6.3.5.1 Assembler 124
6.3.5.2 Compiler 124
6.3.5.3 Interpreter 125
6.3.6 Linker 125
6.3.7 Loader 125
6.4 Application Software 126
6.5 Software Acquisition 127
Summary 128
Keywords 129
Questions 129
7. Operating System 131

7.2 Objectives of Operating System 132
7.3 Types of OS 132
7.4 Functions of OS 134
7.5 Process Management 135
7.5.1 CPU Scheduling 136
7.5.2 Process Synchronization 136
7.5.3 Deadlock 137
7.6 Memory Management 138
7.6.1 Memory Allocation 138
7.6.2 Virtual Memory 139
7.7 File Management 140
7.8 Device Management 141
7.9 Protection and Security 142
Contents
7.10 User Interface 143

7.11 Examples of Operating Systems 144
7.11.1 MS-DOS 144
7.11.2 Windows Family of OS 145
7.11.2.1 Brief History of Windows OS 146
7.11.3 Linux OS 146
Summary 147
Keywords 147
Questions 148
Computer Programming Fundamentals 150

8.2 Program Development Life Cycle 151
8.3 Algorithm 152
8.4 Control Structures 153
8.5 Flowchart 153
8.5.1 Flowchart Symbols 153
8 .5 .2 P re p a rin g a F lo w c h a rt 153
8.6 Pseudo Code 156
8.6.1 Preparing a Pseudo Code 156
8.7 Programming Paradigms 158
8.7.1 Structured Programming 158
8.7.2 Object-Oriented Programming (O O P) 159
8.7.3 Aspect-Oriented Programming 160
Summary 161
Keywords 161
Questions 162
Data Communication and Computer Network 163

9.2 Importance of Networking 164
9.3 Data Transmission Media 165
9.3.1 Twistedpair 765
9.3.2 Coaxial Cable 766
9.3.3 O ptical Fiber 766
9.3.4 Radio Transmission 767
9.3.5 Microwave Transmission 168
9.3.6 Satellite Transmission 168
Contents 1____ x iil
9.4 Data Transmission Across Media 168

9.4.1 Transmission Modes 168
9.4.2 Transmission Speed 170
9.4.3 Fundamentals o f Transmission 170
9.4.3.1 Analog and Digital Signals 171
9.4.3.2 Modulation and Demodulation 172
9.4.3.3 Multiplexing 174
9.4.3.4 Asynchronous and Synchronous Transmission 174
9.5 Data Transmission and Data Networking 175

9.5.1 Switching 176
9.5.1.1 Circuit Switching 177
9.5.1.2 Message Switching 177
9.5.1.3 Packet Switching 177
9.6 Computer Network 178

9.6.1 Network Types 178
9.6.1.1 Local Area Network 179
9.6.1.2 Metropolitan Area Network 179
9.6.1.3 W ide Area Network 180
9.6.2 LAN Topologies 180
9.6.2.1 Bus Topology 180
9.6.2.2 Ring Topology 181
9.6.2.3 Star Topology 181
9.6.3 Communication Protocol 181
9.6.4 Network Devices 184
9.6.4.1 Network Interface Card 184
9.6.4.2 Repeater 185
9.6.4.3 Bridge 186
9.6.4.4 Hub 186
9.6.4.5 Switch 187
9.6.4.6 Router 188
9.6.4.7 Gateway 188
9.7 Wireless Networking 189

9.7.1 Bluetooth Technology 189
9.7.2 Wireless LAN 190
9.7.3 Wireless W AN 191
Summary 192
Keywords 193
Questions 193
10. The Internet and Internet Services 196

10.2 History of Internet 197
10.3 Internetworking Protocol 198
10.4 The Internet Architecture 198
■ B x iv H il Contents
10.5 Managing the Internet 199

10.6 Connecting to Internet 199
10.7 Internet Connections 200
10.7.1 Dial-up Access 201
10.7.2 Leased Line 201
10.7.3 Integrated Services Digital Network (ISD N ) 202
10.7.4 Digital Subscriber Line (D SL) 202
10.7.5 Cable Modem 203
10.8 Internet Address 203
10.9 Internet Services 204
10.9.1 World W ide Web (W W W ) 204
10.9.1.1 W ebBrowser 206
10.9.1.2 Uniform Resource Locator (URL) 207
10.9.1.3 Internet Search Engines 207
10.9.1.4 W W W Development Languages 209
10.9.2 Electronic M ail 210
10.9.2.1 E-mail Address 210
10.9.2.2 E-mail Message Format 210
10.9.2.3 E-mail Services 211
10.9.2.4 How E-mail Works 211
10.9.3 File Transfer Protocol (FTP) 212
10.9.3.1 How FTP Works 213
10.9.4 Terminal Network (Telnet) 213
10.9.5 News 214
10.9.6 Internet Relay Chat (IR C ) 214
10.10 Uses of Internet 214
Summary 215
Keywords 216
Questions 216
UNIT III APPLICATIONS AND SECURITY 219
11. Information Systems219

11.2 Data, Information and Knowledge 220
11.3 Characteristics of Information 221
11.4 Information System (IS) 221
11.5 Computer-Based Information System (CBIS) 223
11.6 Need for Efficient Information System 224
11.7 Categories of Information System 225
Contents i 1 -'IBfeSSlliS
11.8 Operations Support System 226

11.8.1 Transaction Processing System (TPS) 226
11.8.2 Office Automation System (O A S) 227
11.9 Management Support System 228
11.9.1 Management Information System (M IS) 228
11.9.2 Decision Support System (D SS) 229
11.9.3 Executive Information System (EIS) 230
11.10 Specialized Information System 230
11.10.1 Expert Systems 230
11.10.2 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 231
11.10.3 Electronic-Commerce (E-Commerce) 231
11.11 Careers in Information Systems 232
Summary 233
Keywords 234
Questions 234
Fundamentals of Database 236

12.2 Database 237
72.2.1 File-Oriented Approach and Database Approach 237
12.2.2 Characteristics of Database Approach 239
12.2.3 Data Models, Schema and Instances 240
12.2.4 High-Level or Conceptual Data M odel 240
12.2.4.1 Entity 240
12.2.4.2 Attribute 240
12.2.4.3 Relationship 241
12.2.4.4 Entity-Reiationship (E-R) Model 241
12.2.5 Representation or Implementation Data M odel 242
12.2.5.1 Relational Database Model 242
12.2.5.2 Hierarchical Database Model 244
12.2.5.3 Network Database Model 244
12.2.6 Low-Level or Physical Data M odel 245
12.3 Database System 245
12.3.1 Components of Database System 245
12.3.2 Architecture o f Database System 246
12.4 Database Management System________________________________ 247
12.4.1 Data Independence________________________________________________ 248
12.4.2 Data Dictionary____________________________________________________ 248
12.4.3 Database Administrator (D BA )____________________________________ 249
12.4.4 Database Languages_______________________________________________ 249
12.4.4.1 Data Definition Language (DDL)_____________________________ 249
12.4.4.2 Data Manipulation Language (DML)__________________________ 249
_________ XVI 1 Contents
12.5 Database System Architectures 250

12.5.1 Centralized D BM S Architecture 250
12.5.2 Client-Server Architecture 250
12.5.3 Distributed Databases 251
12.6 Database Applications 251
Summary 252
Keywords 253
Questions 253
13. Multimedia 256

13.2 Multimedia: Definition 257
13.3 Characteristics of Multimedia System 257
13.4 Elements of Multimedia 259
13.4.1 Text * 259
13.4.2 Graphics 260
13.4.2.1 Bitmap Graphics 262
13.4.2.2 Vector Graphics 264
13.4.3 Audio 265
13.4.3.1 Audio from a CD to W eb 266
13.4.4 Video 268
13.4.4.1 Video on Internet 269
13.4.5 Animation 271
13.5 Multimedia System 272
13.5.1 Desirable Features of Multimedia System 272
13.6 Multimedia Applications 273
13.6.1 In Education 273
13.6.2 In Entertainment 276
13.6.3 In Training 277
13.6.4 In Business 277
13.6.5 Virtual Reality 278
Summary 280
Keywords 280
Questions 281
14. Computer Security 284

14.2 Security Threat and Security Attack 285
14.3 Malicious Software 286
14.3.1 Virus 287
14.3.2 Worms 287
Contents | X V Ii
14.3.3 Trojan Horses 287

14.3.4 Javascripts, Java Applets and ActiveX Controls 288
14.4 Hacking 288
14.4.1 Packet Sniffing 289
14.4.2 Password Cracking 289
14.4.3 E-mail Hacking 289
14.5 Security Services 289
14.6 Security Mechanisms 290
14.7 Cryptography 290
14.7.1 Secret Key Cryptography 291
14.7.2 Public-Key Cryptography 291
14.7.3 Hash Functions 292
14.8 Digital Signature 292
14.9 Firewall 294
14.9.1 Types of Firewall 2 96
14.9.1.1 Packet Filter Firewall 296
14.9.1.2 Circuit Filter Firewall 296
14.9.1.3 Application-Level Gateway 297
14.10 Users Identification and Authentication 297
14.10.1 User Name and Password 298
14.10.2 Smart Card 299
14.10.3 Biom etric Techniques 299
14.11 Other Security Measures 300
14.12 Security Awareness 301
14.13 Security Policy 302
14.13.1 Formulating a Security Policy 302
Summary 303
Keywords 304
Questions 304
UNIT IV COMPUTER PRACTICALS 307
15. Windows XP 307

15.2 Features of Windows XP 308
15.3 The Desktop 308
L5 A J.-Ih eJzsk.Bar.________________________________________________________ m
IJAJJ^.kilcQiis.d.Dd.Sh.QrLcu.ts____________________________________________111
15.4 Structure of Windows 313
-Triii I Contents
15.5 Windows XP Explorer 314

15.5.1 The Start 314
15.5.2 The Window 315
15.5.3 The View 316
15.5.4 Selecting Files 317
15.5.5 Working with Folders 317
15.5.6 Files and Folders Properties 318
15.6 The Search 323
15.7 The Recycle Bin 323
15.8 Configuring the Screen 324
15.9 Configuring the Mouse 326
15.10 Adding or Removing Programs 328
15.11 Adding New Hardware 328
15.12 System Tools 330
15.13 The Scandisk 332
15.14 Windows XP Media Player 334
15.15 Windows XP Help 334
15.16 W in d o w s V ista 334
15.17 Windows 7 337
Questions 340
Word 2007 342

16.2 Starting MS-Word 343
16.3 MS-Word Screen and Its Components 344
16.4 The Office Button 347
16.5 The Ribbon 350
16.5.1 The Home Tab 353
16.5.2 The Insert Tab 355
16.5.3 The Page Layout Tab 358
16.5.4 The References Tab 360
16.5.5 The Mailings Tab 360
16.5.6 The Review Tab 363
16.5.7 The View Tab 365
16.5.8 The Help 3 66
16.6 Solved Examples 366
Exercises 375
Contents |
MS-Excel 2007 379

17.2 Start MS-Excel 380
17.3 Basics of Spreadsheet 381
17.4 MS-Excel Screen and Its Components 382
17.6 The Ribbon 390
17.6.3 The Page Layout Tab 399
17.6.4 The Formulas Tab 400
17.6.5 The Data Tab 403
17.6.6 The Review Tab 405
17.6.8 The Help 408
Exercises 417
MS-PowerPoint 2007 422

18.2 Basics of PowerPoint 424
18.3 Start MS-PowerPoint 425
18.4 MS-PowerPoint Screen and Its Components 426
18.6 The Ribbon 434
18.6.3 The Design Tab 440
18.6.4 The Animations Tab 442
18.6.5 The Slide Show Tab 443
18.6 .6 T he R e v ie w Tab 446
18.6.8 The Help 452
18.7 An Example 453
Exercises 456
MS-Access 2007 458

19.2 Database Terminology 459
19.3 Start MS-Access 460
py righted
H B H 1 Contents
19.4 MS-Access Screen and Its Components 461

19.6 The Ribbon 467
19.6.2 The Create Tab 472
19.6.3 The External Data Tab 475
19.6.4 The Database Tools Tab 476
19.6.5 The Help 477
19.7 Solved Example 478
Exercises 483
20. Network and Internet Connections 486

20.2 Start Network Connections 487
20.3 Create a New Connection 488
20.4 Manage a Network Connection 491
20.5 Network Setup 493
20.6 Windows Firewall 493
2 0 .7 S h a rin g o f File s 495
20.8 Wireless Network Setup 496

20.9 Connect using Virtual Private Network (VPN) 497
20.10 Set Up a Wired Network 498
20.11 Automatic Wireless Network Connections 498
20.12 Set up Internet Properties— Internet Options 501
20.13 Choose an Internet Connection 502
21. Using LaTeX 503

21.2 Create LaTeX Document 504
21.3 Components of a LaTeX Document 504
21.4 LaTeX Commands 504
Exercises 514
Appendix A 515
Appendix B 517
Appendix C 519
Appendix D 523
Index________________________________________________________ 5A1
Copyrighted mate
P r e f a c e
C om puters play a key role in o u r everyday lives. In addirion co com m unication m edia like television,
radio and newspaper, we now have another com m unication m edium , i.e. com puters. We use com puters
to e-m ail, to chat, for the Internet browsing, for teleconferencing, for video conferencing, etc. W e also use
them for e-learning, e-com merce, e-banking, e-governance, e-ticketing and for m any m ore things. And
the interesting part is, while we interact w ith the other m edia like television, radio, newspaper, etc. to
merely get inform ation, the interaction in com puters is tw o ways— we can be a creator as well as a user.
We m ay use a com puter as a m edium to get m ore inform ation, as a tool to perform certain activities, o r
as an integral part o f another com ponent.
T h e fundam entals o f com puters arc the stepping stones to com puter science. Nowadays, all courses,
related and unrelated to com puter science, require using a com puter. Knowledge o f the basics o f co m p u t
ers has becom e a fundam ental requirem ent, in whatever area we choose to study o r follow professionally.
C o m p u ter fundam entals are also an introductory course to a m ore advanced study o f com puter science.
ABOUT THE BOOK

T his book is w ritten w ith the aim o f introducing the fundam entals o f com puters to the reader. A ttention
has been paid to include chapters that are required by the students studying different courses. T h e book
deals w ith b o th the theoretical concepts and the p rac tic a l. T h e unique features o f this book are as follows:
0 Style o f W riting
• T h e language used in the book is lucid, is easy to understand, and facilitates easy grasping o f
concepts.
• T h e chapters have been logically arranged in sequence.
• T h e book is w ritten in a reader-friendly m anner both for the students and the teachers.
• M ost o f the content presented in the book is in the form o f bullets, organized sequentially. This
form o f presentation, rather than in a paragraph form , facilitates the reader to view, understand
and rem em ber the points better.
• T h e explanation is supported by diagrams, pictures and images wherever required.
• Sufficient exercises have been included for practice in addition to the solved examples.
• T h e questions at the end o f the chapter are given section-wise. It is easier for the reader to find
answers for the section-wise questions in a particular section rather than the whole book.
(♦) Content o f Book — Theory (Chapters 1 -1 4 )
• Several latest topics have been included in the book. Some o f these topics are
■ USB, Z ip disk, Flash m em ory
■ Wireless networking
■ N otebook, N etbook, PDA, sm artphones
■ Aspect O riented Program m ing (AOP)
■ Im parting education via m ultim edia
■ Cryptography, Digital signature, Firewall, Biometrics
■ System clock, BIO S, C M O S , SIM M & D IM M m em ory m odule
• In the theory chapters (Chapters 1-14), the theory is supported with the practical information like,
the nam e o f supercom puter o f India, how to create m p3 file from C D , w hat is a stream ing video
and understanding m achine configuration.
XXli 1 Preface
• T his book does not discuss in detail the old technologies that have becom e too com m on o r are no
longer used, like, about keys in a keyboard, m agnetic tape, using mouse, drum printers and mes-
sage switching.
• Several colored inserts in the book provide a colored view o f the photographs.
0 Content o f Book—Practical (Chapters 15-21) a n d Appendix
• T his book describes MS-Office with the latest com m ercially available version, version 2007.
• T his book includes description o f Windows Vista and Windows 7 in addition to the detailed
description o f W indow s XP.
• T h e solved examples in the M S-O ffice chapters arc described step-wise.
• A long list o f practical exercises is provided at the end o f each chapter.
• Some chapters contain topics that are new to a book on com puters. These chapters are
■ C hapter 11— Inform ation Systems
■ C hapter 12— Fundam entals o f Database
■ C hapter 14— C om puter Security
■ C hapter 19— MS-Access
■ C hapter 20— N etw ork and Internet C onnections
■ C hapter 21— Using LaTeX
■ Appendix D — Assembling a PC.
TARGET AUDIENCE
This book has been w ritten keeping in m ind the readers familiar and not-so familiar w ith com puters.
Several chapters have been included that cover the syllabi of different universities in India. T h e book is
well suited for the following target audience:
0 Computer science students undergoing a course in com puter science— D C A , M CA, BSc(Gcn),
BSc(Hons), M Sc(IT), BSc(IT), BCA, D O E A C C level courses.
0 Engineering students of first year— BTech, BE.
0 Science students pursuing BSc in physics, chemistry, botany, zoology and mathematics.
0 Non-science students pursuing B C om (P), B C om (H ons), BA(P), BDP, BBA, MBA, BBE
0 Students enrolled in short-term courses on I T in polytechnics, training institutes, Technical Institutes.
0 Any learner interested in com puter science.
STRUCTURE OF THE TEXT

T h e book follows a structured and m odular design, to facilitate the instructor in the teaching o f the course
and the students in the reading o f rhe book. Figure 1 shows the design o f the book. T h e following para
graphs present a brief review o f the four units o f the book.
U nit I comprises five chapters. T his unit introduces the reader to the computer as a machine. C hapter 1
provides a b rief introduction to com puters— their evolution, types and applications. C hapter 2 discusses
organization o f the com puter, different parts inside a com puter case and their interaction. C hapter 3
provides an overview o f the m em ory hierarchy, different kinds o f m em ory o f the com puter and storage
devices that are required for storing large quantities o f data. T he different devices that are used for providing
input to the computer, and the presentation o f o u tp u t from the com puter are discussed in C hapter 4. T he
com puter uses the binary num ber system; C hapter 5 discusses binary coding schemes, logic gates, and the
representation and conversion o f num bers in the binary, octal and hexadecimal num ber system.
Copyrighted mati
Preface | X X iii
Figure 1 Modular structure of text
U nit II comprises five chapters. T his unit focusses on the interaction o f user and computer, and the Internet.
C hapter 6 provides a description o f the system software and the application software. C h ap ter 7 describes
the operating system in detail. T he writing o f the program m ing logic and the different program m ing para
digms are discussed in C hapter 8. Chapters 9 and 10 relate to networking and the Internet. C hapter 9
discusses com puter networks and the com m unication o f data across the network. T h e Internet and its
services are detailed in C hapter 10.
U nit III contains four chapters. This unit is about applications and security. C hapter 11 describes the
inform ation systems. This chapter is included bearing in m ind the non-science courses. For teaching this
paper in a science course, you may skip this chapter. T he fundam entals o f databases are discussed in C hapter
12. C hapter 13 describes the different elements o f the m ultim edia system— text, audio, graphics, video and
anim ation. C hapter 14 on com puter security discusses the security attacks, and the way to handle them.
Unit IV consists o f seven chapters. This unit is designedfor the computer practicals. A detailed discussion
on W indow s XP is provided in C hapter 15, including a brief description about W indow s Vista and
W indow s 7. C hapters 16 through 19 are about the four m ain com ponents o f M S-Office 2007, i.e. M S-W ord,
M S-Excel, M S-Pow erpoint and MS-Access. C hapter 20 is about N etw ork and the Internet connections.
T h is chapter facilitates the reader in the creation and m anaging o f com puter netw ork and the Internet
connection. C hapter 21 is about using LaTeX which is used for the production o f publication-quality
typeset docum ents.
PEDAGOGICAL FEATURES
Pedagogy is the art and science o f how som ething is taught and how students learn it. H ow the teaching
occurs, the approach to teaching and learning, the way the co n ten t is delivered and w hat the students
learn as a result o f the process are all included in pedagogy. T he following are the pedagogical features in
this book:
® S ta rt-o f Chapter Aids

• C ontents— An overall view o f the topics discussed in the chapter is provided, at the beginning
o f each chapter.
• W hy this chapter— It describes the need o f including this chapter in com puter fundam entals
and w hy one should read it.
® In-Between Chapter A ids
• Visualization— “A picture is w orth a thousand words” is a famous quote. T his book supports the
concepts w ith figures, diagrams and images to facilitate visualization.
• Bulleted text— T he book follows a bulleted approach o f w riting the text in contrast to the long
paragraphs. T h e bulleted text approach is easier to read, understand and grasp.
Copyright
X X IV 1 P re fa c e
® End-of-Chapter Aids
• Sum m ary— Ir reviews the m ajor concepts discussed in the chapter.
• Keywords— A list o f keywords at the end o f each chapter facilitates in locating a topic in the
chapter.
• Q uestions— T h e questions at the end o f each chapter are given section-wise. T h e reader has to
search for the answers in this section, rather than the com plete chapter.
• Extra questions— A t the end o f each chapter, the extra questions from the com plete chapter are
given in th e form o f short notes, abbreviations and differences.
• Colored inserts— A first initiative in a book on this topic, the colored inserts provide the reader
w ith actual images in colour.
FEEDBACK
For interacting with the author, or for suggestions and com m ents on this book, please send your e-mails
at goel.anita.book^gm ail.com .
A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
It took me alm ost 2 years to write this book. D uring m y journey o f book w riting, I have been helped and
supported by m y family, friends and collegues. 1 express my gratitude to one and all for their extensive
support in this endeavour.
I am grateful to Dr. S. C . G upta, Prof. S. K. Wasan and Dr. M ukul Sinha for encouraging me to write
a book. I thank them for their valuable advice and for their encouragem ent to dissem inate inform ation.
I also th an k them for continually inspiring m e to w rite a good book.
I th an k M r Neeraj Saxena, Ms Renu Saxena and M r Rajendra for their extensive help in clicking the
photographs in this book.
M y special thanks go to all my students, A m it Jain in particular, who have always been eager to inform
m e the the expectations o f the students o f a book. T h eir suggestions and feedback have helped m e write
the book in a student-friendly manner.
T hanks to M r Sachin Saxena and the team o f Pearson Education for their extensive support. T h e book
in its present form is a result o f the long discussions and the brainstorm ing sessions w ith Sachin. I am
grateful to Sachin for his ideas, suggestions and excellent support provided to m e during the w riting o f
this book.
I express m y regards and love to m y m other Urm ila, and m y father Am ar C hand. Being their child
makes me feel special, and I thank them both for guiding m e through life. T h ro u g h this book. I carry
forward the legacy o f book w riting from m y m aternal grandfather late M r C . S. Jain. I express m y respect
and thanks to m y father-in-law Gopal Krishan for his m otivation and cooperation, and for taking care o f
m atters while I was busy w riting the book. M y thanks are due, in m em ory of m y m other-in-law Pushpa
w ho has always loved and supported me.
T hanks to m y loving husband, Ajay, for standing by m e in the difficult times d u rin g the course o f w rit
ing this book. H e is a bagful o f innovative ideas and has contributed creatively to the w riting o f this book.
M y special thanks to my lovely and beautiul children, A nirudh and Ashima, who brilliantly contributed
towards the creation and editing o f this book. T hey are m y greatest source o f inspiration and m otivation.
Since this is n o t the first book on this topic, I thank the authors o f other books on sim ilar topic, whose
books have been a source o f ideas for me.
I th an k the A lm ighty w ithout whose grace it w ould have been impossible for m e to accomplish
this task.
Unit I BASICS OF COMPUTER
INTRODUCTION
TO COMPUTER
® Digital and analog computers © Classification of computer— Micro

® Characteristics of computer— Speed, accu computers (desktop computer or Personal
racy, diligence, storage capability, versatility Computer (PC), notebook computers or
® History of computer— Calculating machines, laptop, netbook, tablet computer, handheld
Napier's bones, slide rule, Rascal's adding and computer or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA),
subtraction machine, Leibniz's multiplication smart phones), minicomputers, mainframe
and dividing machine, punch card system, computers, supercomputers
Babbage's analytical engine, Hollerith's ® The computer system— Hardware,
punched card tabulating machine software, data, users
© Generations of computer ® The Input-process-output concept
• First generation (1940 to 1956): Using ® Components of computer hardware—
vacuum tubes Input/output unit, central processing unit,
• Second generation (1956 to 1963): storage unit
Using transistors ® Application of computers— Education, en
• Third generation (1964 to 1971): Using tertainment, sports, advertising, medicine,
integrated circuits science and engineering, government,
• Fourth generation (1971 to present): home
Using microprocessors
• Fifth generation (present and next):
Using artificial intelligence
W h y this chapter
Com puters are an integral part of our lives. W h e re ve r w e are— sitting in our homes, w ork
ing in the office, driving on roads, sitting in a m ovie hall, staying in a hotel, etc.— our
lives are directly or indirectly affected by the com puters. In this era of inform ation, w e
are dependent on the storage, flow and processing of data and inform ation, w hich can
o n ly be possible w ith the help of com puters. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce
you to the "com puter".
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, com puters are an integral part o f our lives. T hey are used for the reservation o f tickets for
airplanes and railways, paym ent o f telephone and electricity bills, deposit and w ithdraw al o f m oney
from banks, processing o f business data, forecasting o f weather conditions, diagnosis o f diseases, searching
pyrighted material
2____ Basics of Computer
for inform ation on the Internet, etc. C om puters are also used extensively in schools, universities, organiza
tions, m usic industry, movie industry, scientific research, law firms, fashion industry, etc.
T h e term com puter is derived from the w ord compute. T h e w ord compute means to calculate. A com
puter is an electronic m achine that accepts data from the user, processes the data by perform ing calcula
tions and operations on it, and generates the desired o u tp u t results. C o m p u ter perform s both simple and
complex operations, with speed and accuracy.
This chapter discusses the history and evolution o f com puter, the concept o f input-process-output and
the characteristics o f com puter. T his chapter also discusses the classification of digital com puters based on
their size and type, and the application o f com puter in different dom ain areas.
1.2 DIGITAL AND ANALOG COMPUTERS

A digital computer uses distinct values to represent the data internally. All inform ation are represented
using the digits Os and Is. T he com puters that we use at our hom es and offices are digital com puters.
Analog computer is another kind o f a com puter that represents data as variable across a continuous
range o f values. T h e earliest com puters were analog com puters. Analog com puters are used for m easur
ing o f param eters that vary continuously in real tim e, such as tem perature, pressure and voltage. Analog
com puters m ay be m ore flexible bur generally less precise than digital com puters. Slide rule is an example
o f an analog com puter.
T h is book deals only w ith the digital computer and uses the term computer for them .
1.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER

Speed, accuracy, diligence, storage capability and versatility are some o f the key characteristics o f a com
puter. A brief overview o f these characteristics are—
• Speed T h e com puter can process data very fast, at the rate o f m illions o f instructions per second.
Some calculations that w ould have taken hours and days to com plete otherwise, can be com pleted
in a few seconds using the com puter. For example, calculation and generation o f salary slips o f
thousands o f employees o f an organization, weather forecasting th at requires analysis o f a large
am o u n t o f data related to tem perature, pressure and hum idity o f various places, etc.
® Accuracy C o m p u ter provides a high degree o f accuracy. For example, the com puter can accu
rately give the result o f division o f any two num bers u p to 10 decimal places.
• Diligence W hen used for a longer period o f tim e, the com puter does n o t get tired o r fatigued.
It can perform long and complex calculations with the same speed and accuracy from the start till
the end.
0 Storage Capability Large volum es o f data and inform ation can be stored in the com puter and
also retrieved whenever required. A lim ited am ount o f data can be stored, temporarily, in the
prim ary memory. Secondary' storage devices like floppy disk and com pact disk can store a large
am ount of data permanently.
0 Versatility C o m p u ter is versatile in nature. It can perform different types o f tasks w ith the same
ease. At one m om ent you can use the com puter to prepare a letter d o cu m en t and in the next
m om ent you may play m usic or print a docum ent.
C om puters have several lim itations too. C o m p u ter can only perform tasks that it has been program m ed
to do. C o m p u ter cannot do any work w ithout instructions from the user. It execures instructions as speci
fied by the user and does noi take its own decisions.
Introduction to Computer ____ 3
1.4 HISTORY OF COMPUTER
U ntil the developm ent o f the first generation com puters based on vacuum tubes, there had been several
developm ents in the com puting technology related to the mechanical com puting devices. T h e key devel
opm ents that took place till the first com puter was developed are as follows—
® Calculating M achines ABACUS was the first mechanical

calculating device for counting o f large num bers. T he word
ABACUS m eans calculating board. It consists o f bars in
horizontal positions on which sets o f beads are inserted. T he
horizontal bars have 10 beads each, representing units, tens,
hundreds, etc. An abacus is shown in Figure 1.1
® N apiers Bones was a mechanical device built for the purpose
o f m ultiplication in 1617 a d . by an English m athem atician
John Napier.
® Slide Rule was developed by an English m athem atician
E dm und G u n ter in the 16th century. Using the slide rule,
one could perform operations like addition, subtraction,
m ultiplication and division. It was used extensively till late
1970s. Figure 1.2 shows a slide rule.
Figure 1.1 Abacus
Figure 1.2 Slide rule
® Pascal's A dding a n d Subtraction M achine was developed by Blaise Pascal. It could add and sub
tract. T he m achine consisted o f wheels, gears and cylinders.
® Leibniz's M ultiplication and D ividing M achine was a mechanical device that could both m ul
tiply and divide. T he G erm an philosopher
and m athem atician G ottfried Leibniz built it
around 1673.
© Punch Card System was developed by Jac *l9tftftll*C9l9ft9|ft*H99*'ft*'ftftftl|||| • M ' M I I I I I I I I I I I M I I M I I I I M l l l l i l l l l l l l
quard to control the power loom in 1801. He

invented the punched card reader that could
n iY rim i’ t'tiiitiiiM fiim tiiiiiitifn itM iiim tn iitititiiH H H m im iti
recognize the presence o f hole in the punched I t l i l M l l i M t iiti • l l l l M l l l l i l i M I M M I t I I I I I H H U i l l l l l M M l l M M l M I I M I
card as binary one and the absence o f the hole I 1 1 I I 1 1 1 1 1 1 I I f I 1111 ft I I I I 9999111 fill 11 9 < ' 11 11 I I I 9 1 9 * 9 9 9 M 1 9 9 I I I 11 M t 9 t i l I I 111
as binary zero. T he Os and Is are the basis of

the m odem digital computer. A punched card
is shown in Figure 1.3. Kg1" * 19 Punched card
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book.
book.
book.
Introduction to Computer 7
are able to store m illions o f c o m p o n e n ts on a single chip. T hese co m p u ters have large m em ory
req u irem en ts.
T his generation o f com puters uses parallel processing that allows several instructions to be executed in
parallel, instead o f serial execution. Parallel processing results in faster processing speed. T h e Intel dual-
core microprocessor uses parallel processing.
T h e fifth generation com puters are based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). T hey try to sim ulate the hum an
way o f thinking and reasoning. Artificial Intelligence includes areas like Expert System (ES), N atural Lan
guage Processing (N LP), speech recognition, voice recognition, robotics, etc.
1.6 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER

T h e digital com puters that are available nowadays vary in their sizes and types. T h e com puters are broadly
classified into four categories (Figure 1.8) based on their size and type— (1) M icrocom puters, (2) M ini
com puters, (3) M ainfram e com puters, and (4) Supercom puter.
Fast Expensive Complex Large
Slow Cheap Simple Small
Figure 1.8 Classification of computers based on size and type
1.6.1 Microcomputers
M icrocom puters are small, low-cost and single-user digital com puter. T hey consist o f C P U , in p u t unit,
o u tp u t unit, storage unit and the software. A lthough m icrocom puters are stand-alone machines, they can
be connected together to create a netw ork o f com puters that can serve m ore than one user. IBM P C based
on Pentium microprocessor and Apple M acintosh are some examples o f m icrocom puters. M icrocom put
ers include desktop com puters, notebook com puters or laptop, tablet com puter, handheld com puter,
sm art phones and netbook, as shown in Figure 1.9.
Copyright
8____ I Basics of Computer
Laptop Netbook
Tablet PD A Sm art Phone
Figure 1.9 Microcomputers
® Desktop Computer or Personal Computer (PC) is the m ost com m on type o f m icrocom puter. It is
a stand-alone m achine that can be placed o n the desk. Externally, it consists o f three units— key
board, m onitor, and a system unit containing the C P U , memory, hard disk drive, etc. It is not very
expensive and is suited to the needs o f a single user at hom e, small business units, and organizations.
Apple, M icrosoft, HP, Dell and Lenovo are some o f the P C m anufacturers.
® Notebook Computers or Laptop resemble a notebook. T hey are portable and have all the features
o f a desktop com puter. T he advantage o f the laptop is that it is small in size (can be p u t inside a
briefcase), can be carried anywhere, has a battery backup and has all the functionality o f the desk
top. Laptops can be placed on the lap while w orking (hence the name). Laptops are costlier than
the desktop machines.
® Netbook These are smaller notebooks optim ized for low weight and low cost, and are designed for
accessing web-based applications. Starting w ith the earliest netbook in late 2007, they have gained
significant popularity now. N etbooks deliver the perform ance needed to enjoy popular activities
like stream ing videos or music, emailing, Web surfing or instant messaging. T h e w ord netbook was
created as a blend of Inter«<?/ and n o t ebook.
® Tablet Computer has features o f the notebook com puter but it can accept input from a stylus or
a pen instead o f the keyboard or mouse. It is a portable com puter. Tablet com puter are the new
kind o f PCs.
Introduction to Computer ____ 9
0 H andheld Computer or Personal D igital Assistant (PDA) is a small com puter that can be held on
the top o f the palm. It is small in size. Instead o f the keyboard. PD A uses a pen or a stylus for input.
PDAs do not have a disk drive. T hey have a lim ited m em ory and are less powerful. PDAs can be
connected to the Internet via a wireless connection. Casio and Apple are some o f the m anufacturers
o f PDA. O ver the last few years, PDAs have merged into mobile phones to create sm art phones.
0 Sm art Phones are cellular phones that function both as a phone and as a small PC. T hey may use
a stylus or a pen, or m ay have a small keyboard. T hey can be connected to the Internet wirelessly.
T hey are used to access the electronic-m ail, dow nload music, play games, etc. Blackberry, Apple,
H T C , Nokia and LG are some o f the m anufacturers o f sm art phones.
1.6.2 Minicomputers
M inicom puters (Figure 1.10) are digital com puters, generally used in
m ulti-user systems. T h ey have high processing speed a n d high stor
age capacity than the m icrocom puters. M inicom puters can support
4—200 users simultaneously. T h e users can access the m inicom puter
through their PC s or term inal. T hey are used for real-tim e applica
tions in industries, research centers, etc. PD P 11. IBM (8000 series)
are some o f the widely used m inicom puters.
Figure 1.10 Minicomputer
1.6.3 Mainframe Computers
M ainfram e com puters (Figure l . l 1) are multi-user, m ulti-program m ing and high perform ance co m p u t
ers. T hey operate at a very high speed, have very large storage
capacity and can handle the workload o f m any users. M ain m1 w
frame com puters are large and powerful systems generally used
/ \1
I
in centralized databases. T he user accesses the m ainfram e com
puter via a term inal that may be a dum b term inal, an intelli
I
gent term inal or a PC. A dumb terminal cannot store data or do
processing o f its own. It has the in p u t and o u tp u t device only.
An intelligent terminal has the input and o u tp u t device, can do
processing, but, cannot store data of its own. T h e dum b and &
the intelligent term inal use the processing power and the stor
age facility o f the m ainfram e com puter. M ainfram e com puters
ja , j 1
are used in organizations like banks or com panies, where m any
people require frequent access to the same data. Some examples
o f m ainfram es are C D C 6600 and IBM ES000 series.
1.6.4 Supercomputers
S u p erco m p u ters (Figure 1.12) are the fastest a n d the m ost
expensive m achines. T h e y have high processing speed co m
pared to o th er co m puters. T h e speed o f a su p erco m p u ter is
generally m easured in FLO PS (F L oating p o in t O p e ratio n s
Per Second). Som e o f the faster su p erco m p u ters can perform
trillio n s o f calculations per second. S upercom puters are b u ilt
by in te rc o n n e c tin g thousands o f processors th a t can w ork in
parallel. Figure 1.11? M ainframe com puter
book.
Introduction to Computer | 11
Hardware consists o f the mechanical parts that make up the com puter as a m achine. T h e hardware con
sists o f physical devices o f the com puter. T h e devices are required for input, o u tp u t, storage and processing
o f the data. Keyboard, m onitor, hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, printer, processor and m otherboard are
some o f the hardware devices.
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Professorial
Software
Hardware
Figure 1.13 Parts of computer system
Software is a set o f instructions that tells the com puter about the tasks to be perform ed and how these
tasks are to be perform ed. Program is a set of instructions, w ritten in a language understood by the
com puter, to perform a specific task. A set o f program s and docum ents are collectively called software.
The hardware o f the com puter system cannot perform any task on its own. T h e hardware needs to be
instructed about the task to be perform ed. Software instructs the com puter about the task to be per
form ed. T h e hardware carries o u t these tasks. Different software can be loaded on the same hardware to
perform different kinds o f tasks.
D ata are isolated values or raw facts, which by themselves have no m uch significance. For example, the
data like 29, January, and 1994 just represent values. T h e data is provided as in p u t to the com puter, which
is processed to generate some m eaningful inform ation. For example, 29, January and 1994 are processed
by the com puter to give the date o f birth o f a person.
Users are people who w rite com puter program s or interact w ith the com puter. T hey are also known as
skinware, liveware, humanware orpeopleware. Programmers, data entry operators, system analyst and com
puter hardware engineers fall into this category.
1.7.1 The Input-Process-Output Concept

A com puter is an electronic device that (1) accepts data,
(2) processes data, (3) generates output, and (4) stores data.
T he concept o f generating output information from the input
data is also referred to as input-process-output concept.
Copy righted
book.
book.
book.
Introduction to Computer | 15
relatives via Internet, for paying bills, for education and learning, etc. M icroprocessors are em bed
ded in house hold utilities like, washing machines, TV s, food processors, hom e theatres, security
devices, etc.
T h e list o f applications o f com puters is so long that it is not possible to discuss all o f them here. In
addition to the applications o f the com puters discussed above, com puters have also proliferated into areas
like banks, investm ents, stock trading, accounting, ticket reservation, m ilitary operations, meteorological
predictions, social netw orking, business organizations, police departm ent, video conferencing, telepres
ence. book publishing, web newspapers, and inform ation sharing.
SUMMARY____________________________________
0 Computer is an electronic device which tenance than the first generation co m p u t
accepts data as input, perform s processing ers. T h e com putation tim e was in m icro
on the data, and gives the desired outp u t. A seconds.
com puter may be analog or digital computer. 0 Third generation computers were characterized
0 Speed, accuracy, diligence, storage capabil by the use o f IC. They consumed less power
ity and versatility are the m ain characteristics and required low maintenance compared to
o f computer. their predecessors. High-level languages were
0 T h e computing devices have evolved from used for programming. T he com putation
sim ple mechanical machines, like ABACUS, time was in nanoseconds. These computers
N apier’s bones, Slide Rule, Pascals Adding were produced commercially.
and Subtraction M achine, Leibnizs M ulti 0 Fourth generation computers used m icro
plication and Dividing M achine, Jacquard processors which were designed using the
Punched Card System, Babbages Analytical LSI and VLSI technology. T h e com puters
Engine and H olleriths Tabulating M achine, became small, portable, reliable and cheap.
to the first electronic com puter. T h e com putation time is in picoseconds.
0 Charles Babbage is called the father of T hey became available both to the hom e
com puter. user and for com m ercial use.
0 T h e evolution o f com puters to their present 0 Fifth generation computers are capable o f learn
state is divided into five generations o f com ing and self organization. These com puters
puters,, based on the hardw are and software use SLSl chips and have large m em ory
they use, their physical appearance and their requirements. T hey use parallel processing
com puting characteristics. and are based on AI. T h e fifth generation
com puters are still being developed.
0 First generation computers were vacuum
tubes based machines. These were large in 0 Computers are broadly classified as m icro
size, expensive to operate and instructions com puters, m inicom puters, m ainfram e
were w ritten in m achine language. T h eir com puters, and supercom puters, based on
com putation tim e was in milliseconds. their sizes and types.
0 Second generation computers were transis 0 Microcomputers are small, low-cost stand
to r based machines. T h ey used the stored alone machines. M icrocom puters include
program concept. Programs were w ritten desktop com puters, notebook com puters
in assembly language. T h ey were sm aller in or laptop, netbooks, tablet com puter, h an d
size, less expensive and required less m ain held com puter and sm art phones.
6____ | Basics of Computer
© Minicomputers are high processing speed O u tp u t U nit, C P U and M em ory unit are
m achines having m ore storage capacity than the three m ain components o f computer.
the m icrocom puters. M inicom puters can
© Input/Output Unit consists of the In p u t
support 4-200 users simultaneously.
u n it w hich accepts data from the user and
© Mainframe computers are m ulti-user, m u lti the O u tp u t u n it that provides the processed
program m ing an d high perform ance com data. CPU processes the in p u t data, and,
puters. T h e y have very high speed, very controls, coordinates and supervises the
large storage capacity a n d can handle large operations o f the com puter. C P U consists o f
w orkloads. M ainfram e com puters are gen ALU, C U and Registers. T h e m em ory unit
erally used in centralized databases. stores programs, data and o u tp u t, tem po
© Supercomputers are the m ost expen rarily, during the processing. Additionally,
sive machines, having high processing storage unit o r secondary m em ory is used
speed capable o f perform ing trillions o f for the storing o f programs, data and o u t
calculations per second. T h e speed o f a p u t permanently.
supercom puter is measured in FLOPS. © C om puters are used in various areas o f
Supercom puters find applications in com
our life. Education, entertainm ent, sports,
puting-intensive tasks. advertising, m edicine, science and engineer
© Computer is an electronic device based on ing, governm ent, office and hom e are some
the input-process-output concept. In p u t/ o f the application areas o f the computers.
KEYWORDS
ABACUS 3 Input/Output Unit 12 Process 12
Analog computer 2 Integrated Circuit (IC) 5 Program 11
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) 13 Intelligent terminal 9 Punched cards 4
Assembly language 5 Jacquard s punch card 3 Second Generation
Babbages Analytical Engine 4 Large Scale Integration (LSI) 6 Computer 5
Central Processing Unit Leibnizs Machine 3 Slide Rule 3
(CPU) 6 Machine language 4 Smart phones 9
Computer 2 Mainframe computers 9 Software 11
Control Unit (CU) 13 Memory 13 Storage unit 6
Data 11 Microcomputers 7 Supercomputer 9
Desktop computer 8 Microprocessor 6 Super Large Scale Integrated
Digital computer 2 Minicomputers 9 (SLSI) chips 6
Dumb terminal 9 Napiers bones 3 Tablet computer 8
Fifth Generation Computer 6 Netbook 8 Third Generation
First Generation Computer 4 Notebook computer 8 Computer 5
Floating point Operations Output 12 Transistors 5
Per Second (FLOPS) 9 Parallel processing 7 Users 11
Fourth Generation Computer 6 Pascal’s Machine 3 Vacuum Tubes 4
Hardware 4 Personal Computer (PC) 8 Very Large Scale Integration
Hollerith’s tabulator 4 Personal Digital Assistant (VLSI) 6
Input 11 (PDA) 9
Introduction to Computer 17
QUESTIONS__________________________________
Section 1.2 20. Describe the third generation computer based on
1. D e fin e a n a n a lo g c o m p u te r a n d a d ig ita l c o m p u te r . the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Computing char
acteristics (d) Physical appearance, and (c) Their
2. Give an example each of analog computer and digi
tal computer. applications.
21. Give two examples of third generation computers.
Section 1.3 22. List the drawbacks of the third generation computers.
3. List the main characteristics of the computer.
Section 1.5.4
4. Describe the characteristics of the computer.
23. The fourth generation computers used
5. List three significant limitations of the computer.
for circuitry.
Section 1.4 24. Describe the fourth generation computer based
6. Explain briefly the developments in computer tech on the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Computing
nology starting from a simple calculating machine characteristics (d) Physical appearance and (e) Their
to the first computer. applications.
7. What is a calculating machine? 25. Give two examples of fourth generation computers.
8. What is the key feature of the Jacquards punch 26. List the drawbacks of the fourth generation com
card? puters.
9. Name the first calculating device for the counting Section 1.5.5
of large numbers.
27. The fifth generation computers used____________
10. Who is called the Father of Computer? for circuitry.
28. Describe the fifth generation computer based
Section 1.5.1
on the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Computing
11. The first generation computers used____________
characteristics (d) Physical appearance and (c) Their
for circuitry.
applications.
12. Describe the first generation computer based on
29. Give two examples of fifth generation computers.
the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Computing char
30. Compare in detail the five generations o f computers
acteristics (d) Physical appearance, and (e) Their
applications. based on the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Com
puting characteristics (d) Physical appearance and
13. Give two examples of first generation computers.
(e) Their applications. Also give at least one exam
14. List the drawbacks of the first generation comput ple of each generation of computer.
ers.
Section 1.6.1
Section 1.5.2
31. Define microcomputer.
15. The second generation computers used
32. Give two examples of microcomputer.
for circuitry.
16 . O c M jrib c t h e .s e c o n d g e n e r a t i o n c o m p u t e r b a s e d
33. List three categories of microcomputers.
on the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Compuring
S e c tio n 1.6.2
characteristics (d) Physical appearance and (e) Their
34. Define minicomputers.
applications.
35. Give two examples of minicomputer.
17. Give two examples of second generation computers.
18. List the drawbacks of the second generation com
Section 1.6.3
puters.
36. Define mainframe computer.
Section 1.5.3 37. Give two examples of mainframe computer.
19. The third generation computers used 38. Define a dumb terminal.
____________ for circuitry. 39. Define an intelligent terminal.
book.
THE COMPUTER SYSTEM
HARDWARE
■c
x:
w
./
K
Y •
■i\y
© Central Processing Unit (CPU) © Microprocessor— CISC, RISC
• Arithmetic logic unit © Interconnecting the units of a computer—
• Registers System bus, expansion bus, external ports
• Control Unit (CU) © Performance of a computer— Registers,
© Memory unit RAM, system clock, bus, cache memory
• Cache memory © Inside a computer cabinet— Motherboard,
• Primary memory ports and interfaces, expansion slots,
• Secondary memory ribbon cables, memory chips, storage
® Instruction format devices, processor
© Instruction set
© Instruction cycle— Fetching, decoding,
executing, storing
Why this chapter?

fir
The com puter as a m achine consists of different com ponents that interact with each other
to provide the desired functionality of the computer. As a user of the computer, w e need
to be aw are of the m ain com ponents of the computer, their functions and the intercon
&
nection betw een the different com ponents of the computer. This chapter describes the
different hardware com ponents of the computer.
.'•J-J & A V fr . -a.I* ? *
2.1 INTRODUCTION
W h en we talk o f com puter hardware, the three related term s th at require introduction are— com puter
architecture, com puter organization and com puter design. Computer architecture refers to the structure
and behavior o f the com puter. It includes the specifications o f the com ponents, for example, instruction
form at, instruction set and techniques for addressing memory, and how they connect to the other com po
nents. Given the com ponents, computer organization focuses o n the organizational structure. It deals with
how the hardware com ponents operate and the way they are connected to form the com puter. Given the
system specifications, computer design focuses on the hardw are to be used and the interconnection o f parts.
D ifferent kinds o f com puter, such as a P C or a m ainfram e com puter m ay have different organization;
however, basic organization o f the com puter rem ains the same.
A com puter consists o f three main com ponents— (1) In p u t/O u tp u t (I/O ) Unit, (2) Central Processing
U nit (C PU ), and (3) M em ory Unit. T h e com puter user interacts w ith the com puter via the I/O unit. T h e
purpose o f I/O unit is to provide data and instructions as in p u t to the com puter and to present relevant
book.
book.
book.
The Computer System Hardware 23
P ro c e s s o r
L lc a c h e L 2 cach e
M
N— y RAM
Figure 2.3 Illustration of cache memory
0 Cache m em ory is built into the processor, and may also be located next to it on a separate chip
between the C P U and RAM . Cache built into the C P U is faster than separate cache, run n in g at
the speed o f the microprocessor itself. However, separate cache is roughly twice as fast as RAM.
0 T h e C P U has a built-in Level 1 (L l) cache and Level2 (L2) cache, as shown in Figure 2.3. In addition
to the built-in Ll and L2 cachc, some CPU s have a separate cache chip on the m otherboard. This
cache on the m otherboard is called Level 3 (L3) cache. Nowadays, high-end processor comes with
built-in L3 cache, like in Intel core i7. T h e L l, L2 and L3 cache store the m ost recently run instruc
tions, the next ones and the possible ones, respectively. Typically, CPU s have cache size varying from
256KB (L l), 6 M B (L2), to 12MB (L3) cache.
01C ache m em ory is very expensive, so it is smaller in size. Generally, com puters have cache m em ory
o f sizes 256 KB to 2 MB.
2.3.2 Primary Memory

0 Prim ary m em ory is the m ain m em ory o f com puter. It is used to store data and instructions during
the processing o f data. Prim ary m em ory is sem iconductor memory.
0 Primary m em ory is o f two kinds— Random Access M emory (RAM) and Read O nly M em ory (ROM ).
0 RAM is volatile. It stores data w hen the c o m p u te r is o n . T h e in fo rm atio n sto red in RAM
gets erased w hen the c o m p u ter is tu rn e d off. RAM provides temporary storage for d ata and
in stru ctio n s.
0 R O M is non-volatile memory, b u t is a read only memory. T h e storage in R O M is perm anent in
nature, and is used for storing standard processing program s that perm anently reside in the co m
puter. R O M comes program m ed by the m anufacturer.
0 RAM stores data and instructions during the execution o f instructions. T h e data and instructions that
require processing are brought into the RAM from the storage devices like hard disk. C P U accesses
the data and the instructions from RAM , as it can access it at a fast speed than the storage devices
connected to the in p u t and o u tp u t unit (Figure 2.4).
0 T h e in p u t data that is entered using the in p u t unit is stored in RAM , to be m ade available d u r
ing the processing o f data. Similarly, the o u tp u t data generated after processing is stored in RAM
before being sent to the o u tp u t device. Any interm ediate results generated during the processing
o f program are stored in RAM.
0 RAM provides a limited storage capacity, due to its high cost.
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Darting round the tree, and overthrowing the savages who barred
their way, they reached the canoe, which still lay upon the shore. So
sudden was the action that the Indians were stupefied, and the brave
trio gained a rod or so in advance before their foes started in pursuit.
They had gained the canoe, the Dead Chief and the Yankee were
already in it, and Floyd was following, when he fell by a hatchet
hurled at him by Willimack. Seth would have turned back to aid him,
but the Dead Chief seized the paddle and pushed off quickly, just as
the Indians pounced upon the fallen man. A score of them plunged
into the water, each with a hatchet or knife in his teeth, but the quick
strokes of the paddle soon left them far behind. A useless volley
from those on shore followed.
"Poor lad," said Yankee Seth. "I'm afeard he's gone under."
"The young soldier is very brave," replied the chief. "If he is not dead,
he will die like a man. And now, hear the words of the Dead Chief. I
swear by the grave of my father, by the totem of my tribe, that I will
not go back to the village where my squaw and pappooses dwell,
until the young war-chief is saved or I have avenged him. It is
spoken; the Dead Chief can not lie."
"Good for yew, old man," said the Yankee. "I'm with yew threw thick
an' thin. Thar's my hand on it. Shake."
The two woodmen clasped hands, while the canoe floated at will in
the midst of the dark stream.
They lifted Floyd and dragged him up the bank into the bushes,
where Willimack and Elskwatawa stood. He had been stunned at
first by the stroke of the hatchet and was still dizzy and faint when he
faced the chiefs. Their dark looks convinced him that he had little to
hope from them. The death-wail was rising from the Indian band as
they lifted the bodies of the fallen and laid them in a row along the
bank. Four were dead, including the neighbor of the Yankee in the
tree-top, and as many more desperately wounded. In such a melée
as this, when a body of men assail a desperate athlete like the
dreaded Long Man, some must get hurt. The cloud upon the face of
the Prophet grew darker as, one by one, the dead were brought out,
and Willimack uttered a snarl like a tiger as a man who had been his
best friend was laid with the rest.
"It is finished then," thought Floyd. "They will revenge themselves
upon me for the death of these men. I can only meet my fate like a
man; but my poor father, my darling Madge! Oh, if the Skeleton
Scout would but come now and scatter these fiendish knaves as he
did at the stockade! I wonder if Yankee Seth or the chief were
injured? Even if they are safe, what can they do against so many?"
At this moment the panther-call of which Seth had spoken came
from the opposite bank of the stream. A faint hope came into the
heart of the prisoner. The call was given to show that he was safe
and would not desert him in the hour of need. Willimack advanced
and looked in the face of Floyd with that vicious glance of triumph
which small natures feel in the power they may gain over an enemy.
"Floyd," said he, "the white man can not have all his own way. To-
night I was insulted in your wigwam—I, a chief of a great nation. I
told you then that a chief never forgot, and that the day of revenge
would come; behold it is here already!"
"Do not trouble me by too much talking, Willimack. I am in your
power, it is true, but for all that you shall not force me to cringe to
you, or to ask mercy at your hands."
"Waugh! Will you not beg for life from the Wyandot and Shawnee?"
"No."
"Listen. Was it you that cut the bonds which bound the Dead Chief to
the tree?"
"It was."
"Good! That is another thing against you. Did you know that the
Dead Chief was our prisoner?"
"Yes. That is the reason I set him free," replied Floyd, in an
undaunted tone.
"It is well. You speak like a great brave, and had you lived would
have been a great chief among the white men. But, the white men
must cease from off the face of the Indian country. We love it too well
to let the feet of bad men press it, and tread upon the earth where
our fathers' bones are laid. The English are friends to us, and will not
take our country; the Americans steal all."
"Do what you mean to do, and at once. I can bear any indignity you
may heap upon me, as becomes a man."
Willimack stood aside, and the Prophet advanced. His dark face was
working with passion, and he seemed to struggle to repress a desire
to strike down the young soldier where he stood. His fingers clutched
the handle of a hatchet convulsively, and now and then he half drew
it from its sheath.
"Let Elskwatawa speak, for he is the great Prophet of the Shawnees.
I see before me the dead of my tribe and one warrior of the
Wyandots. They had hoped to live to fight many battles against the
whites and again possess the land of their fathers. The Manitou
came to me in a dream and told me that the time had come for the
Indians to drive out the white dogs and take their own again.
Therefore you see us in our war-paint to-day."
He paused and cast a wild glance about him which seemed to have
a great effect upon the savages, and they uttered a wail of agony.
"But see," he cried. "They lie in their blood upon their own soil, and
the man who killed them is in our hands."
A triumphant shout went up as he said this, and fierce looks were
directed at the young soldier, who returned them by a glance of
haughty defiance.
"The Indians deal justly by all," said the Prophet. "No man can die by
their hands who is not worthy of death for some great wrong done to
the nations. Warriors and chiefs, I have gone among the white men
at Vincennes, and have spoken to the war-chief Harrison. The tears
have flowed from my eyes when I spoke of the wrongs of my people;
yes, my tears have fallen like rain. He is a man of iron, and I can not
melt him. He cares not for us, but for his own people. You stood by,
Willimack, when all the chiefs were seated and Tecumseh stood up
like a child about to be punished. At last they saw how great an insult
this was to the great chief. They offered him a chair; but the chief
looked at them with scorn when they said, 'Your father offers you a
seat!' 'My father?' he cried. 'The sun is my father and the earth is my
mother. I will repose on her bosom.'[1]
"The chief will bear no more. The battle must be fought and we will
win again the lands of our fathers. We must not fail. The mortification
of failure shall never be ours, and my great brother will not disgrace
me by a mistake. I hear the warriors shout as they gather. I hear
them in the South and East, in the North and West, with a sound like
the summer leaves rising and rustling in the breeze. I hear their tread
upon the mountains, by the silent rivers and in the green valleys. It is
well. Shall Tecumseh tremble and shall Elskwatawa fail? No! The
mountains and plains the Great Spirit gave us are around us, behind
and before.
"I too have my warriors; and here, on the Wabash, on the Scioto,
and on the broad waters of the North, my voice shall be heard for
war."
He ceased for a moment, and cast a sad glance upon the bodies on
the ground.
"There be our brothers, who had thought to take a part in this great
battle to come. Their eyes are closed, their voices are not heard,
their lips are pale, their ears hear no sound. What is this I see upon
their faces? It is blood, the blood of the white man's shedding. And
now, I think I hear a voice, speaking from the dead lips, and it says,
'Avenge me on my foes! My blood has been shed, and I can not
cross the dark river until I smell the blood of one of the accursed
race.'"
His eyes again fell upon Floyd, and fire seemed to flash from their
depths.
"Who is this I see before me? His hands are red with blood. It is the
blood of Negarish and Monado, of Cartain and Zeman. My brothers,
let us light a fire and burn this white man, and then the souls of my
brothers shall find rest and peace."
A wild cry arose from the assembled band, and they began to collect
dried leaves and sticks from the surrounding woods, and pile them
about the limbs of young Floyd after they had tied him to a tree. The
pile rose until it reached nearly to his shoulders, and he felt that his
last hour had come. He was brave enough to meet his fate, but it
was agony to him to know that, when the flames had consumed his
body, there would be no one left to protect his father, and Madge,
whom he had hoped to make his wife when the autumn leaves were
yellowing in the sun. He began to suspect that when he was gone,
Willimack would go back and storm the stockade. What then would
be the fate of his father and that sweet girl he could not think. Madge
was brave, he knew, but, would she have strength enough, when the
hour of her great peril came, to save herself from dishonor with her
own hand?
"Stand back," said Willimack. "Let the voice of a chief speak terror to
the ears of his enemy before he dies. I am Willimack, chief of the
Wyandot, and I am ashamed to be at the death of a child. I see
water in your eyes, and I know you are weeping in your heart. You
fear the pain which will come when the flames curl and the smoke
rolls about you. Let the chief of the Wyandots speak. You know that
you refused me the shelter of your dwelling when I came to it. The
yellow-haired hunter struck me down and bound me, but I saw that
the Bright Eyes looked sadly upon the disgrace of a chief. Good; the
Bright Eyes shall make the fire bright in the lodge of Willimack."
Bright Eyes was the Indian name given to Madge by those who, from
time to time, visited the cabin of the Floyds.
"Oh, red hound!" shrieked Floyd. "Oh, if I had dreamed half the
villainy you had in your black heart, I would have killed you as you
sat by my fire."
"The heart of a chief is not open to the eyes of a dull pale-face,"
replied Willimack, scornfully. "The Bright Eyes is very beautiful. Her
voice is like the song of the birds when the summer sun is high.
Floyd would have made a nest for her that she should sing for him
alone; but Willimack laughs, for he knows that she can only sing in
his lodge."
Floyd struggled manfully to break his bonds, glaring furiously at the
savage who knelt at his feet, and, striking a flint and steel, began to
kindle the flame. It burned slowly, for the leaves were damp. Again
and again it smoldered and went out, but the Indian persevered until
a little jet of flame leaped up. This he fed, leaf after leaf, until he had
a little fire burning, apart from the pile, about the person of the young
soldier. He took savage delight in prolonging the scene, and the
Indians, understanding his motive, yelled in concert and danced
wildly about the tree.
Willimack now took up a lighted brand, and with it touched the

person of the prisoner in various places, laughing in demoniac glee
when he shrunk from the contact. Others took the hint and followed
the same amusement for some time, the young man bearing it
bravely. They at length lit the pile, and the flames began to creep up
about his person, and a thick smoke arose. He was dimly able to see
through the smoke and flame, that the Indians were dancing and
shouting all around, when a new cry arose, and he saw the Indians
break and run in every direction, evidently in the greatest dread.
Then the figure of the being known as the Skeleton Scout bounded
into the open space. Seeing him closely, the young man could
conceive of nothing more horrible than the ghastly head, blazing
eyes, and tremendous hight of this strange being. "Oonah! Oonah!"
was the cry of the Indians as they fled, and the next moment the
brands were scattered and the young man was free!
"Stand here until you hear the loon-cry, and then make for the river,
where your friends are waiting. Remember the Skeleton Scout!"
FOOTNOTES:
[1] A fact.
CHAPTER VI.
A YANKEE RUSE.
The strange apparition was gone, and the next moment the loon-call
sounded from the depths of the woods, mingled with cries which
seemed to burst from a hundred throats. The young soldier bounded
across the open space, and ran at his best speed toward the place
where he had left the boat. Suddenly, without warning, two dark
figures started up in his path and seized him, and he thought himself
again in the hands of his enemies, when he heard one of his captors
say, in a nasal tone not to be mistaken: "This yew, capting?" He had
fallen into the hands of his friends!
"All right, Seth," he answered. "Get back to the canoe as quick as
you can. The woods are alive with savages."
The Dead Chief led the way, and in a moment they were again in the
canoe, and pushed off from the shore. The moon had gone down,
and a darkness like Egypt had fallen on the river. The Dead Chief
had taken the paddle, and, under the strokes of his vigorous arm, the
light craft was shooting down the stream. The Pottawatomie knew
his course well, and how much danger lay before them. Not a word
was spoken, for they knew the virtue of silence. They must break
through the cordon of their enemies at any and every hazard. On
they went, the shadows dark about them, each grasping a weapon,
and ready to defend himself to the utmost if attacked. They knew
that by far the greater portion of the wild band had gathered about
the death-fire, and yet they were certain that the Prophet was too
able a warrior to leave the path to Vincennes clear.
"Back her a minnit, chief," whispered the Yankee. "I want tew speak
tew the young 'un here."
By the skillful use of his paddle the chief managed to keep the canoe
nearly stationary in the midst of the stream, while Seth bent forward
and whispered to his young companion:
"Yew got away; heow did yew dew it?"
"By aid of the Skeleton Scout," replied Floyd, in the same tone.
"Whatever he may be, he is at least a friend to us."
"He never hunts nothing but Injins, he don't," said the Long Man.
"Clever of him tew help yew, anyheow. Was they going to scorch
yew?"
"The fire was lit already," replied the young soldier. "Ugh! my throat is
dry by even thinking of it."
"A close shave!" chuckled the Yankee. "That Skeleton Scout is a
darned nice ghost, by gracious. How many Injins below, think?"
"Seventy or eighty danced around me at the stake."
"Pooty dancers?"
"Can't say I appreciated their efforts."
"No? that's queer! Let her go on, chief. The men we've got tew tackle
are waiting for us in the mash (marsh). Git yure weepons ready,
'cause we are 'most thar."
Again the canoe glided softly down the stream, until it struck the
marsh of which he spoke. It was a level bottom, where the soft soil
had drifted down and been left, leaving scarcely room in places for a
canoe to cross without grounding on the soft bottom. In this soil
gigantic rushes had grown up, as we see them in our creeks when
duck-hunting. These rushes rose above the water, to the hight of
eight or ten feet, and stood so thickly together that, unless a man
was well acquainted with them it would be impossible to force a
canoe through. Of course there was a channel running through the
marsh, but it was more than likely that the patrol canoes of the
Indians occupied this water-course, and it would not be an easy task
to get down, facing their weapons. The Dead Chief seized one of the
rushes and held the canoe, and all bent forward to listen. Not a
sound was heard except the sighing of the long blades as the wind
rustled through them. If the Indians were watching, they knew
enough to keep silent, and, for all the environed men knew, their foes
might be lying within twenty feet of them.
The Dead Chief was acquainted with all the passes through the
marsh, and had not for a moment thought of forcing a path through
the reeds. The rustling they must of necessity make would apprise
the lurking Indians of their vicinity, and put them on their guard. They
were rather ready to trust to their woodcraft on shore, but they would
have liked to find the exact position of the canoes of their enemies,
before striking for the shore. But, though listening carefully, they
could hear nothing of the red-skins, and determined to try the land.
The head of the canoe was pushed into a little channel which the
Dead Chief knew ran close to the bank, at a good place to land. This
was accomplished without a rustle, and Floyd leaped with the chief
to the shore, closely followed by his Yankee friend. The canoe was
left as of no further use to them, and pushed into the rushes out of
sight. This done, the Dead Chief sat down on the bank, and drew his
moccasins from his feet, and made Floyd understand by the sense
of touch that he was to take off his boots, and put on these. Will
hesitated to make the Indian go barefooted through the woods, but
the Dead Chief took his hand and pressed it upon the sole of the
bare foot. The moment his hand came in contact with the hard and
callous foot, he understood that the Indian had a protection there
which made a moccasin rather an object of ornament than use. He
offered no further objection, but drawing off his boots, he left them on
the bank, and put on the moccasins. He understood that the Indian
thought the boot a poor thing for a scout to wear. The moment he
was ready, the chief again took the lead, bending his body low, and
keeping one hand on the ground, carefully removing every
obstruction from the path which the less experienced soldier might
step on.
Floyd followed, imitating his attitude, and betraying at once a keen
sense of woodcraft, and the attributes of a scout. Not a stick
cracked, not a twig bent. The Yankee who followed him was
surprised at the celerity of his motions, and the quiet way in which he
performed his part. Their course led directly away from the river, for
they knew that they must make a wide circuit to get away from the
Indians, who had doubtless lined the shore with scouts. It was only
the extreme darkness of the night, since the moon had gone down,
which had allowed them to pass the sentries unperceived. Seth had
no doubt that, favored by the darkness, they already had passed one
of the guard canoes, but there were two more. One was probably in
the center of the marsh around which they were now describing a
circle, and the other further down, though where it was, they could
not say. Once out of reach of the river by half a mile, the Yankee
gave a signal to the chief to wait, and they sat down together in the
darkness.
"By jinks," he chuckled. "Had a right nice time of it so fur. I ain't
enjoyed myself so mighty well this year. The pizon critters didn't sort
o' kalkilate on finding us so foxy, did they? I hev all I ken dew tew
keep from laffing rite eout when I think heow I walked intew them
cussed thieves arter I tumbled eout of the tree with that ornery critter
that would hev that pertickler tree."
"I should think you would be afraid to talk so loud while we remain in
danger," said Will Floyd.
"Ain't no danger here, Lord love yew!" replied the volatile scout. "It's
glorious work fighting these cussid thieves! Now, look here; thar's
lots of good Injins in this created airth, but thar's a pizon heap of bad
'uns. There's my friend, Dead Chief, now; he's what I call a good
Injin. And if you raally want a mighty bad specimen, yew jest take up
Willimack or the Profit."
"That scoundrel Willimack threatened our family while I was tied to
the stake. Do not let us dally a moment, my friend. Think of them I
have left in danger—my old father and my darling Madge. He
insulted her, most of all, for he designed for her a fate worse than
death—a place in his lodge."
"He duz! Now look at me, yew. I'll never stop hunting that pesky
critter until I've got his skulp or he's got mine. Take that pooty gal into
his lodge, will he? Wants her for a squaw, duz he? Yew jest wait! He
won't live to see it, bet yure life he won't! I'm so cussid mad I could
hop rite over that tree-top. Oh, holy fly! Hold me, somebody, or I'll go
charging back rite intew them Injins, and cut and slash and hack and
hew. Oh, bu'st me all to pieces! Take my hat and stamp on it,
somebody, I'm so darned mad. Litening strike me intew a blind
nigger ef I ain't growed nigh a fool sense yew told me that. Come,
let's git along. Ef old man Harrison don't rair rite up on his hind feet
when I tell him this, then thar ain't no buffler on the prahary; not a
darned buffler."
The party kept out from the river for a quarter of an hour, and then
inclined again toward the stream. The Dead Chief still kept the lead,
but all at once he stopped and dropped to the earth as suddenly as if
he had received a ball in his bosom. The others followed his
example and listened, and understood what it was which caused this
hasty movement. It was the sound of human voices, just below them.
The bank at this point was rather high, and crawling on their hands
and knees to the edge of the bluff they looked down. The Indians
who held this last guard-boat evidently were not trained warriors, for
they had built a fire and were cooking some meat. To be sure, their
fire was built in a sheltered nook and could not be seen from the
river, but would have called down upon their heads the wrath of the
Prophet, if he had known of it.
There they sat, six stalwart young warriors, grouped in various
attitudes of ease and comfort about the fire, gnawing the flesh from
the bones of a young buck which one of their number had brought
down by a well-directed arrow. The flame lighted up their bronzed
figures and dark faces, and danced upon their waving plumes and
beaded belts and moccasins. They were chatting in low tones over
their feast, it being evident that they did not think it possible that the
two whites—for they knew nothing of the Dead Chief—could escape
from the hands of their companions above. But they had not
reckoned upon the fertility of resource possessed by the Yankee
scout. Long Seth touched his companions lightly, and they drew
back cautiously at least a hundred yards from the dangerous vicinity,
where they could converse with ease and not be heard by the
Indians below.
"Ain't got much time tew talk 'bout it," said the Yankee. "What do yew
say? Thar's six Injins, red with white blood. Shall we give 'em goss or
not? If we lick 'em—I'd ingage tew lick the hull bilin' myself—we kin
git the canoe tew ride tew Vincennes, and I'd ruther ride than walk,
any time."
"I'm for thinning this band as much as we can," said Floyd. "There
will not be so many to attack my father's stockade."
"Dead Chief is ready," said the Pottawatomie, in his short way.
"Good enuff!" replied Seth. "Waal, I'll creep down the bank below 'em
and come up on the back. You two creep up in front, and jest ez
soon as I give my loon-call, yew pick eout two of 'em and knock 'em
over. Pick eout the biggest, they ginerally fight the best. I'll give a
good account of number three, and then charge 'em like smoke.
Them's the sentiments I express upon this momentous occasion.
Now for it."
They separated, the chief and Floyd creeping cautiously to the front
and making their weapons ready for a shot, and the Yankee moving
away rapidly but silently to the left. After allowing five minutes to
pass, they heard the loon-call on the river.
Lifting their rifles, each sighted a man and pulled trigger. Down went
two of the savages, one shot through the brain and the other through
the breast, and with a hearty border shout they grasped their smaller
weapons and darted down the bank just as the weapon of Long Seth
spoke and a third Indian uttered his death-cry. At the same time the
Yankee appeared, and the three closed in upon their enemies, who,
like rats in a trap, turned and fought like men.
Singling out an adversary, the determined whites rushed on. Dashing
down the weak defense of his adversary, Seth struck him with his fist
a blow which seemed to shatter his jaws, for the bones absolutely
rattled as he went down.
"Take that, you red devil," he hissed, turning to seek a new foe. But,
the struggle was already at an end. The Dead Chief had hurled his
hatchet at his antagonist with the skill which only long practice in the
use of that weapon can give, and he rolled to the earth, the bright
bowl of the keen ax only showing through his skull. Will Floyd, at the
expense of a slight flesh-wound in the arm, had buried his dagger in
the breast of his own antagonist, and the struggle was over.
Seth knew that no time was to be lost, and darted for the canoe,
though for what purpose the chief remained behind the young soldier
could guess. When he joined them in the canoe he touched the
soldier on the arm and offered him two bloody scalps.
"No, no," said Floyd, pushing back his hand. "I can not take them."
"Two for you, Long Man," said the chief, offering the others to the
Yankee.
"I didn't hev time tew wait for 'em," replied Seth, coolly, taking the
bloody trophies and thrusting them into his belt. "Thank yew all the
same, chief. I reckon yew ain't used tew this sort of thing, cap.?"
"I confess I am not."
"Yew'll git over that. Climb intew the canoe and git hold of a paddle. I
reckon we'll hev a hard time of it yit. I hear them devils up above
coming down the rushes; hark! Du yew hear that?"
They listened and could hear the dip of paddles upon the river below.
They had been mistaken in the number of their enemies after all, it
seemed, and they had yet another patrol canoe below the rushes!
"Load up yure rifles, boys, and yew give the pistils fodder if they ain't
full already, Will. This old thief, the Profit, meant business when he
pitched on us. If we git threw it won't be for lack of head-work."
For some moments nothing was heard but the sound of preparation,
as they loaded their weapons. Then the canoe, which was a large
one, shot out into the stream, and Spink, who sat in the stern, caught
up a heavy stone which lay on the bank and laid it in the bottom of
the canoe, close to his feet. "Yew needn't mind the paddle jist yit,
Will. Let the chief keep her stiddy, and put her rite on tew the other
canoe, old man! I'll fix these heathen, yit."
The canoe was now only a few rods in advance, coming up under
the full sweep of the paddles in the hands of half a dozen strong
men. The morning was coming fast, but it was still too dark to
distinguish faces.
"Put her straight for 'em," said Seth. "I'll show 'em a trick."
As the two canoes neared each other, the Dead Chief shouted to the
coming savages in the Indian tongue:
"Who comes?"
"Brothers," replied the voice of the warrior in command. "Have the
white dogs been taken?"
"Who can escape the snares of the Prophet?" replied the Dead
Chief.
"Are they dead?" demanded the warrior.
"Why should we kill them?" replied the Dead Chief. "Come back and
we will see them burn by the same fire."
The canoes were now side by side, and the Indians were trying to
peer through the gloom of the morning to make out the figures in the
other craft, when Seth rose suddenly, and, uttering a wild cry, dashed
the huge stone through their canoe's bottom, tearing a great hole,
through which the water rushed in a torrent, and in a moment the
Indians were floundering in the water, while the other canoe,
impelled by the strong arms of Floyd and Dead Chief, passed on
down the river. In spite of the toils which the Prophet had set about
them, his prey had escaped.
CHAPTER VI.
THE AMBUSCADE.
Vincennes, on the Wabash, was the seat of government chosen by
Harrison, as Governor of that territory. Here he was gradually
collecting his forces for the coming struggle which he was assured
must come, with the Indians under the control of Tecumseh and the
Prophet. In the mean time his spies were everywhere gathering such
information as they could of the position and designs of the enemy.
In choosing these men, Harrison showed great knowledge of the
Indian character, and for this reason his most trusted scouts were
from that class of bordermen who, trained in border warfare, had
also suffered loss at their hands. These he sent into the Indian
country upon all sorts of pretenses, to collect information for future
use.
Thus he learned who were lukewarm in the British cause, and
therefore might be won over to the Americans.
Thus, when the struggle commenced, he knew upon whom to
depend, and what he had against him. The Governor was at his own
private residence when informed that the Pottawatomie, Dead Chief,
and his companions, Captain Floyd and Long Seth Spink, desired to
speak with him. He at once ordered them to his presence. Floyd was
admitted first, and found the Governor seated at a small table,
covered with papers and maps.
"Ah, captain," he said, "I am pleased to see you, although your leave
of absence has not yet expired. I don't see what brought you here
ahead of your time. You surely can not have had a quarrel with Miss
Madge?"
"No, your excellency. Far from that, but the family are in great
danger."
"Ha! In what way?"
"The Indians are on the war-path."
Harrison started up eagerly. "By heaven, I thought so. Who are their
leaders?"
"The Prophet and Willimack are with the party we met."
"Give an account of the affair in few words."
Floyd commenced with his meeting with the Yankee in the morning,
and the attempt of Willimack to enter the stockade, and told the story
up to their entrance into the town.
"Then there is not a moment to be lost. Take out your company of
the rangers and as many more as you need, and march up the river
to the stockade. How far do you call it?"
"About twenty miles."
"Very good. Get your men under arms. Take the Dead Chief with you
as a guide, and I will let this man Spink go also. You may send him
to me at once."
"The Dead Chief?"
"Seth Spink."
"Oh; do you know him, then?"
"I have heard of him," replied Harrison, with a slight smile. "This
action on the part of Willimack is premature, it is evident, and I am
certain that the Prophet is not pleased with it, nor do I think
Tecumseh knows any thing about it. Send Spink to me."
Floyd went out into the next room, but the Governor followed him to
the door, and, speaking with marked kindness to the Dead Chief, told
him to go with the captain as guide. Then beckoning to the scout, he
again entered the room. The Yankee followed him, closing the door
after him. They remained closeted in the room for more than an hour,
when the scout came out with a hurried step, and went down to the
river-side, where the company of Will Floyd, consisting of nearly a
hundred men, were under arms.
"Ha, Spink, my good fellow, hurry up," shouted the captain. "Death,
man, do you not see that I am impatient?"
"No use to hurry now, cap," replied Seth. "My father died in a hurry.
Ef he'd taken time tew think about it he needn't hev died at all. But,
he got it intew his head he couldn't live, and so he went off without
thinking. He won't dew that ag'in."
"Is this a time for jesting, sir?" said the captain, angrily. "Take your
place. Fall in, men. By fours; trot!"
They set off at a rapid pace, and rode along the river-side beneath
the bending branches, heavy with the morning dew. The birds sung
in the laden branches, as if a thought of blood or battle never could
or would disturb their grand old woods. But, the heart of young Floyd
was heavy, for he feared that Willimack would make good his threat
of the night before, and attack the stockade before his return. The
men shared his fears, and a shade of doubt once or twice crossed
the face of the Yankee, but he kept up a good heart, singing
snatches of old songs now and then in a quaint way, which caused a
smile among the ranks. But, before they had gone five miles his
mood changed, and he began to glance quickly from side to side as
if expecting an enemy. On they went through the oak openings until
the woods began to thicken, when the Yankee bent in his saddle,
and whispered in the ear of the captain.
"No, no," said Floyd, testily. "They have retreated, I tell you. They will
not risk an encounter now."
"But I think I'm right, fer all that, cap."
"It is impossible. You do not know my rangers, or you would not think
the Indians capable of resisting our march."
"I don't believe that the Prophet would fire a gun at a white man, dew
yew?" said the Yankee, with a quizzical look. "Cum mi'ty nigh
scorching yure legs last night, though."
"He is capable of any small villainy like that," replied the captain.
"But, he certainly is too able a warrior to commence before his plans
are ripe."
"It's forced upon him, cap. He knows that we've got clear, and that
both yew and the Dead Chief are aware of his hostility, so he can't
wait. You'd better ride a leetle grain more keerful."
"Nonsense."
"I ain't used tew being talked tew that way, cap. I'm a strange critter,
yew know. I dunno heow it is, but I've got a sort of sneaking notion I
know something 'bout Injin fi'tin'. Come; order the men tew pull in,
and don't make quite so much noise in the ranks."
"You take a great deal upon yourself, friend Spink," said Floyd, with a
light laugh. "Perhaps you had better lead the company yourself, as
you seem inclined to take command."
"See what it is tew be young," muttered the Yankee, with an
appearance of great vexation. "Yew'll force me tew dew something I
don't want tew, cap. Now, look here; yew ain't going tew ride intew
yonder narrow path, are yew, without sending out scouts?"
"What would you have me do, sir? You know as well as I do that it
makes the road three miles longer to keep in the oak openings."
"S'pose it duz? Yew don't want to lose half these nice-looking boys,
dew yew? Come; take good advice, and don't go threw them
woods."
"I will ride directly forward without turning out of my course for a
mere scarecrow cry from you."
A dark frown crossed the face of the Yankee, and he pulled hard on
his bridle and left the ranks.
"Go on then, if yew will. Bet yew forty dollars yew don't go fur."
With an angry exclamation Floyd put spurs to his horse, and calling
to his men to follow, dashed into the woods. Scarcely had he done
so when there was a rattling volley of musketry, and several saddles
were emptied, while high and wild above the rattle of the small-arms,
rose the gathering cry of the forest banditti. Dark forms glided from
bush to bush, and the young captain saw his error. Entangled in the
thick woods they must have been lost, but for his prompt action.
Snatching a bugle from the hand of a musician, he sounded the call
to fall back, and, taking their wounded comrades—for the rangers
would not leave them—they hastily retreated, and sheltered
themselves behind the bushes in front of the woods and looked after
their wounded comrades. Some of the savages showed themselves
for a moment, but a volley from the rifles of the rangers quickly drove
them back, and they waited for a new advance on the part of the
horsemen.
Floyd cast a sidelong glance for the Yankee, but he was gone. In the
melée he had taken his horse and slipped away, no one knew
whither. Angry with himself for his error, Floyd sent the wounded men
back to the village and buried the single dead man in the path, riding
over it with the rangers several times so that the Indians could not
find and mutilate the body. This done he took a wide detour, leaving
the woods on his right, and set off at the best rate of speed for his
home. Three miles on the way they met the Yankee coming back
with a look of sorrow on his face.
"I couldn't wait tew see it, cap.," he said. "How many of the boys
went under?"
"One," replied the captain, sorrowfully. "You were right, Seth. I ought
to have kept out of that trap. I know it now, but, that will not atone for
my folly. But, think what I feel now when I tell you that it would be a
kindness in you to shoot me through the head."
"No," replied Seth, slowly. "I don't think that would pay us, principally
because we kain't afford tew lose yew, and yew'll take advice next
time. I've been out scouting a little in advance. Ride a little to the
front and I'll tell yew what I've found eout."
They quickened their pace, and the Yankee bent in his saddle and
said in a low voice: "Willimack hez been over the road since last
night."
Floyd started violently, and his face grew pale. "How do you know
that?" he cried.
"I kan read Injin sign," answered the Yankee, calmly. "Thar's another
thing. I believe the critter they call the Skeleton Scout is arter
Willimack."
"Why?"
"'Cause I've seen his sign. Ef he's a ghost, then he's a mighty heavy
one. Why, he's got a foot bigger'n mine, ef I kin judge by his trail.
Now mind, I don't say he's a human; sartin he don't act like one; but
yew bet all yew'r worth he don't like Willimack, or heow in natur'
would he chase him up the way he did last night."
"But my father; my dearest Madge!" moaned the unhappy young
man. "Oh, why did I ever leave you?"
"'Twould only hev been tew more sculps ef we had been thar,"
replied the Yankee. "Now, I'll tell yew what I think. Willimack turned
back with his own warriors arter the Skileton Scout set you free, and
put out fer the stockade."
"I am afraid you are right. Let us press on as quickly as we can."
"No use of that. If he did turn back, and I'm pesky 'fraid he did, all we
kan do won't bring us thar in time. I'm afeard the old man didn't half
understand his danger, nuther, and was keerless arter we went
away. Here, order yure men to close up. Them Injins are behind us
now, but I reckin they won't leave a stick or stone standing along the
Wabash, now that their blood is up."
The rangers closed up. They quickened their pace, and, late in the
afternoon, began to near the clearing in which the settler had built
his house and stockade. As they entered the clearing, a heavy
smoke was seen to rise toward the summer sky, and, uttering a cry
of agony, the young soldier spurred quickly forward, to see what he
had most feared and yet had hardly dared to hope had not happened
—his father's house in ruins, and still smoking, though the flames
had nearly gone out! It was a terrible scene of desolation, but one all
too common in the history of these Indian wars.
The rangers surrounded the blackened walls. In some places the fire
had lost its power over the walls from their green state, and they still
stood, though blackened and half consumed. The house itself had
fallen, and the charred rafters lay among the smoldering embers of
that once happy home. The desolation did not stop here, for there, in
the opening between the stockade and the house, lay the bodies of
the two soldiers, who had been killed and scalped and horribly
mutilated.
"Poor Lefebre! unhappy Forbes!" said the young soldier. "Yours was
indeed a sad, sad fate. God in his mercy take you in his keeping!
But, where is my father?"
They searched here and there, and, at length, half hidden by a
heavy beam which had fallen upon their lifeless bodies, they found
the murdered forms of the three negroes, like the soldiers, scalped
and gory. All the indignities which savage ferocity could invent had
been heaped upon the wretched men who had here met their fate.
Floyd was ghastly pale, and reeled in his walk like a drunken man as
the five bodies were drawn out into the open space and laid down,
side by side. One of the soldiers dismounted, and, taking his blanket
from his saddle, and begging another from a comrade, covered the

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UNIT II USER-COMPUTER INTERFACE

7. Operating System 131

UNIT 111 APPLICATIONS AND SECURITY

UNIT IV COMPUTER PRACTICALS

2, The Computer System Hardware 19

2.3 Memory Unit 22

3.10 Magnetic Disk 48

4. Input and Output Devices__________________________________________ 6 }

4.2 Input-Output Unit 62

4.4 Human Data Entry Devices 64

4.6.2 Soft Copy Devices 77

UNIT II USER-COMPUTER INTERFACE 115

6. Interaction of User and Computer 115

7. Operating System 131

7.10 User Interface 143

Computer Programming Fundamentals 150

Data Communication and Computer Network 163

9.4 Data Transmission Across Media 168

9.5 Data Transmission and Data Networking 175

9.6 Computer Network 178

9.7 Wireless Networking 189

10. The Internet and Internet Services 196

10.5 Managing the Internet 199

UNIT III APPLICATIONS AND SECURITY 219

11. Information Systems219

11.8 Operations Support System 226

Fundamentals of Database 236

12.5 Database System Architectures 250

13. Multimedia 256

14. Computer Security 284

14.3.3 Trojan Horses 287

UNIT IV COMPUTER PRACTICALS 307

15. Windows XP 307

15.5 Windows XP Explorer 314

Word 2007 342

MS-Excel 2007 379

MS-PowerPoint 2007 422

MS-Access 2007 458

19.4 MS-Access Screen and Its Components 461

20. Network and Internet Connections 486

20.8 Wireless Network Setup 496

21. Using LaTeX 503

ABOUT THE BOOK

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