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Introduction To Computer: Chapter One
Introduction To Computer: Chapter One
Introduction to computer
What is a Computer?
• Generally a computer is an electronic device, operating under
the control of instructions stored in its own memory.
• These instructions called programs tell the machine what to
do.
• The computer is capable of accepting data (input),
processing data arithmetically and logically, producing
output from the processing, and storing the results for future
use.
Why we use Computers?
•The following are some of the capabilities and potential of Computers, which are
reasons for using Computers.
Perform repetitive processes with great ease, speed, and reliability
Store and process large amount of information with high speed and accuracy;
Simulate events;
Cont’d
Monitor on going industrial operations;
•A System is a group of components, consisting of subsystems or procedures that work in a coordination fashion
to achieve some objective.
•A computer system composed of components called Computer hardware, Computer software, people,
procedures (manual) and data/ information that work in an organized way to create, use, manipulate and store
electronic data.
Basic components of a computer system
CONT’D
I. Computer Hardware
•Hardware is those components or physical devices using wires, integrated circuits,
circuit boards etc that make up the computer.
•It is the actual computer. Hardware are those things you can touch. Hardware can be
classified generally as:
Input devices
Processing device
Memories devices
Output devices
Secondary Storage devices
Cont’d
Input Device
Input: This is the process of entering data and
programs in to the computer system.
You should know that computer is an electronic
machine like any other machine which takes as inputs
raw data and performs some processing giving out
processed data.
Therefore, the input unit takes data from us to the
computer in an organized manner for Processing.
CONTD
Input devices: a hardware device that sends information into the CPU.
We use input devices to put information into the computer or convert any
format of information in a format that can be processed by computer.
•programs stored in the main memory by fetching instructions, examining them, and
executing them one after the other.
• They are processor chips which are very large integrated circuits mainly made up of silicon
and gold. Processor chips vary slightly in look depending on which company has made them.
The underside of a Pentium processor
CPU - Architecture
2. Sequencing the reading and writing of data within the CPU and externally on the data bus
C. CPU - Registers
•The CPU also contains a small high speed memory which is used to store temporary results and control information.
OUTPUT DEVICES
Visual Display Unit (VDU)
• Virtually all computers use some type of screen as their primary output device. There are
two categories of screen: cathode ray tube and LCD.
PRINTERS
• Printers produce a hard copy of the output on paper. There are three main types of printer:
Dot matrix, Inkjet and Laser. The following table compares the three types.
PLOTTERS
• A Plotter consists of a device that can move paper both backwards and forwards. On the
top of the device one or more pens are able to move horizontally across the paper.
•The combined movement of the pens horizontally across the paper and the vertical movement
of the paper allow complex continuous diagrams to be drawn.
SPEAKERS
• Modern computers using the appropriate software can turn
text in a document into audible speech.
• This is known as speech synthesis.
• Other types of software allow music and other sounds to be
created and played back
Memory
•The memory of a computer is the part used to hold /store/ programs and data.
•Memory can be thought of as a set of pigeon holes or cells with each one having a unique address. Each pigeon
hole can store 8 bits of data.
•A computer contains two types of main memory, Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory
(ROM).
•The cycle (input - processing - output) would not be possible without a holding place for the instructions and
data that the processor (CPU) can easily reach. This holding place is known as memory.
•There are three basic types of memory:
1. RAM - Random Access Memory
2. ROM - Read Only Memory
3. Secondary Storage Devices
1. Random Access Memory (RAM)
•It is the primary memory that holds data and instructions while the
computer is in use.
•It is described as volatile memory as the contents of RAM chips can be
lost when the computer is turned off or when new data is being written
to RAM while other data is being processed.
• It can be written to and read from type of memory.
• Important to remember that if you do not save the information in RAM
to a storage device (such as a floppy disk or hard drive) before turning
off the computer the information will be lost.
• It is a semiconductor integrated circuit on a chip.
•This is what modern computers use for memory. Pictured below is a
72-pin SIMM.
1.Read Only Memory (ROM)
• ROM is responsible for storing permanent data and instructions.
• ROM is more straight forward than RAM.
• It is built in memory that permanently stores instructions and data.
• The instructions and data in ROM are created when it is manufactured
and it cannot be changed.
We can see the part of secondary storage as 5th part of computer
hardware
SECONDARY STORAGE
•You are now clear that the operating speed of primary memory or main memory should
be as fast as possible to cope up with the CPU speed.
•These high-speed storage devices are very expensive and hence the cost per bit of
storage is also very high. Again the storage capacity of the main memory is also very
limited.
• Often it is necessary to store hundreds of millions of bytes of data for the CPU to
process.
• Therefore additional memory is required in all the computer systems. This memory is
called auxiliary memory or secondary storage.
•In this type of memory the cost per bit of storage is low.
•However, the operating speed is slower than that of the primary storage.
•Huge volume of data are stored here on permanent basis and transferred to the primary
storage as and when required. Some example of secondary storage device is
DISKETTE, CD ROM, DVD, FLASH MEMORY AND MEMORY STICKS e.tc.
• Computer software
•Is a collection of programs and routines that support the
operations of performing a task using a computer. Software
also includes documentations, rules and operational
procedures. Software makes the interface between the user and
the electronic components of the computer.
•We can classify software in two major parts