COMPUTER APPLICATIONS- 107

BY

MANABENDRA NATH
 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER

 A computer, in simple terms, can be defined as an

electronic device which accepts data, performs the
required mathematical and logical operations at high
speed, and outputs the result.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTERS
Speed Memory
No I.Q. Accuracy
Economical Automatic
Versatile Diligence
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
Computers can be broadly classified into four categories based on their speed,
amount of data that they can hold and price.

Classification of Computers

Mainframe
Super Computer Mini Computers Micro Computers
Computers

Laptop Desktop Network Handheld

 Supercomputers
Supercomputers
• Fastest, most powerful, and most expensive computer

• Used to process large amounts of data and to solve complex scientific

problems
• Can support thousands of users at the same time

• Mainly used for weather forecasting, nuclear energy research, aircraft design,
automotive design, online banking, etc.
• Some examples of supercomputers are PARAM, CRAY-1, CRAY-2, Control Data
CYBER 205, and ETA A-10
• Indian: Pratyush (Cray XC40)( Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology)
Super Computer
 Mainframe Computers
Mainframe Computers
• Large-scale computers, but smaller than
Supercomputers
• Very expensive

• Need a very large clean room with air conditioning

• Used as servers on the World Wide Web

• Some examples are IBM S/390, Control Data CYBER

176, and Amdahl 580
 Minicomputers
Mini Computers
• Smaller, cheaper, and slower than Mainframes

• Can be used as servers in a networked environment

• Widely used in business, education, hospitals,

government
• Some examples are AS/400 computers (IBM
Corporation), Data General Corporation, and Prime
Computer
 Microcomputers
Microcomputers
Desktop PCs
• Most popular model

• Widely used in homes and offices

Laptops
• Very handy and easily portable

• Storage capacity is almost equivalent to that of a desktop computer

• For input, laptops have a built-in keyboard and a touchpad

• More expensive than desktop computers

 Microcomputers
Handheld Computers
• Single-user computers

• Can fit in one hand

• Have small-sized screens and keyboards

• Some examples of handheld computers are

 Personal Digital Assistants (PDA)

 Cellular Phones
Basic Organization of Computers
 Basic Organization of Computers
• Input: The process of entering data and instructions (also
known as programs) into the computer system

• Storage: The process of saving data and instructions

permanently in the computer so that they can be used for
processing. A computer has two types of storage areas:

 Primary storage (main memory) is the storage area that is

directly accessible by the CPU at very high speeds

 Secondary storage (secondary or auxiliary memory)

supplements the limited storage capacity of the primary
memory
 Basic Organization of Computers
• Processing: The process of performing operations on the
data as per the instructions specified by the user
(program)

• Output: The process of giving the result of data processing

to the outside world (external to the computer system)

• Control Unit: It is the central nervous system of the

computer system that manages and controls all the other
components
 Applications of Computers
•Word Processing •Traffic Control

•Internet •Legal System

•Digital Video or Audio •Retail Business

Composition •Sports
•Desktop Publishing •Music
•Government/Administra •Movies
tion •Travel and Tourism
 Applications of Computers
•Business and Industry •Online Banking

•Hospitals •Industry and Engineering

•Robotics
•Geology
•Decision Support Systems
•Weather Forecasting
•Expert Systems
•Education
INPUT DEVICES
An input device is used to feed data and instructions into the computer. In the

absence of an input device, a computer would have only been a display device .

INPUT DEVICES

Keyboard Pointing Hand Held Optical Audio/Visual

Devices Devices Devices Devices
Mouse Pen Bar code
Touch Screen readers
Track
Ball Joystick Scanners
OMR
MICR
OUTPUT DEVICES
Any device that outputs/gives information from a
computer is called an output device.
Output devices are electromechanical devices which
accept digital data from the computer and converts
them into human understandable language.
MONITORS PROJECTOR

PLOTTERS SPEAKERS

PRINTERS