UNIT 1

COMPUTER
 Electronic device that process data, converting it to
information useful to person.
 Controlled by programmed instructions.

Analog and Digital

 Analog computers - continuously varying, data. Eg : pressure,
temperature, voltage, speed and weight. More flexible.
 Digital computers – Binary form - Represent data as 0 or 1.
More precise or reliable.
GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER.
 The Mechanical Era (1623- 1900)
 First generation Electronic computer (1937 -1953)

 Second generation (1954- 1962)

 Third generation (1963 – 1972)

 Fourth generation ( 1972 – 1984)

 Fifth generation (1984 – 1990)

 Sixth generation (1990 – till date)

TYPES OF COMPUTERS
For Individual users:
 Desktop

 Workstations

 Notebook computers

 Tablet

 Handheld computers (PDA)

 Smart Phones.
For Organizations :
 Network Servers

 Mainframe computers

 Minicomputers

 Super computers
PARTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM
 Hardware
 Software

 Data

 Users
Hardware
 Mechanical devices that make up the computer

 Anything that can be touched

 Consists of interconnected electronic devices.

Software
Set of instructions that makes the computer perform task.
Tells computer what to do.
Program refers to any piece of software.
System Software - Programs that are dedicated to help computer
perform tasks and manage its resource.
Programming software - helps in writing programs through tools such
as editors, linkers, debuggers, compilers/interpreters etc
Application software – For user to perform tasks. Used to manipulate
text, graphics and numbers.
Application software
Application Software Type
Word processing software
Database software
Spreadsheet software
Multimedia software
Presentation Software
Enterprise Software
Information Worker Software
Educational Software
Simulation Software
Content Access Software
Application Suites
Software for Engineering and
Product Development
Examples
MS Word, WordPad and Notepad
Oracle, MS Access etc
Apple Numbers, Microsoft Excel
Real Player, Media Player
Microsoft Power Point, Keynotes
Customer relationship management
system
Documentation tools, resource
management tools
Dictionaries: Encarta,
BritannicaMathematical:
MATLABOthers: Google Earth, NASA
World Wind
Flight and scientific simulators
Accessing content through media
players, web browsers
OpenOffice, Microsoft Office
IDE or Integrated Development
Environments
Data :
Computer data consists of facts or piece of information
processed or stored by a computer.
This information may be in the form of text documents, images,
audio clips, software programs, or other types of data.
Users :
People who operate the computer.
A user is a person who utilizes a computer or network service.
A user often has a user account and is identified to the system by
a username
COMPUTER HARDWARE
Hardware devices fall into one of the four categories.
1. Processor
2. Memory
3. Input and Output
4. Storage
Processing devices:
The procedure that transforms raw data into useful information is
called processing.
 Use two components – Processor and Memory.

Processor : Brain of the computer.

- It organize and carries out the instructions that comes out from
or the software.
In PC – Processor consists of specialized chips called
microprocessors. (Slivers or silicon or other materials etched
with many tiny electronic circuits).
To process the data, computer passes electricty through this
circuits.
Microprocessor plugged into motherboard.
 Microprocessors – Slivers of silicon or other material having
many electronic circuits.
 To process the data , computer passes electricity through this
circuits.
 Microprocessor is plugged into computers motherboard.

Motherboard – Rigid rectangular card containing the circuitry that

connects processor to other hardware parts.
 In most PC – many internal devices like video cards, sound cards,
disk controller etc are placed in their own circuit board and
attached to motherboard.
 In new computers , these devices built directly to motherboard.

 Large and complex microprocessors have their own dedicated

circuits which are plugged into special slots in motherboard.
 Master circuit board in a computer.
CPU – Central Processing Unit refers to a computers
processor.
 It can be a single chip or set of chips contained on a
circuit board.
Memory:
Memory is one or more sets of chips that stores data and/or
program instructions , either temporarily or permanently.
Two types of memory : RAM and ROM
RAM – Random Access Memory
RAM holds data and program instructions while CPU is
working with them. When a program is launched, it is
loaded into and run from memory. Data also stored in
memory temporarily.
 RAM is also called read/write memory.

 RAM is volatile – It loses the content when computer

shut down or power goes.
Measurement unit for computers memory – byte – the
amount of memory it takes to store a single character.

Unit Abbreviation Appro. Value Actual value

Kilobyte KB 1,000 1,024
Megabyte MB 1,000,000(I million) 10,48,576
Gigabyte GB 1,000,000,000(1 billion) 1,07,37,41,824

Terabyte TB 1,000,000,000,000(1 trillion) 10,99,51,16,27,776

ROM – Read Only memory –
 Permanently stores data.

 Called non volatile as it never loses its content.

 Holds the instructions the require computer to operate.

Input and Output devices:

 Input Device – Accept data and instructions from user or
from another computer system.
 Output device – return processed data to the user or other
computer system.
Input Devices:
 Keyboard – Accepts letters, numbers and commands
from user.
 Mouse – Select options from on screen menu.

 Trackball and touchpad – Variations of mouse, enable

you to draw or point on a screen.
 Joystick – Lever mounted on a stationary base that is
suited for playing video games.
 Scanner – Copy a printed page to computer memory.

 Digital camera – Record still image which we can edit or

view on computer.
 Microphone – Input your voice or music as data.
Output device :
Present processed data to the users.
 Monitor - When user needs only to see the output.

 Printer – When user requests a paper copy. Hard Copy.

 Speakers or headphones – To output sound.

Devices which are both input and output :
 Touch screen –Type of monitor that display icons you
can touch.
 Communication devices – Connects one computer to
other-networking.
 Eg: Modem – Enable computers to communicate through
telephone lines.
 Network Interface cards – users connect a group of
computers to share data and devices.
Storage :
To keep data permanently even when computer is turned off.
Storage – Electronic file cabinet
RAM – Electronic worktable.
When we need to work on data, computer locates it in file
cabinet and puts a copy on table. After working keep it back
to cabinet.
Difference between Storage and memory.
 More room is storage than memory.

 Contents in storage are retained even after computer is

turned off, whereas programs or data in memory disappear
when we shut down the system.
 Storage device operate much slower than memory chips,
but storage is cheaper than memory.
 Magnetic Storage:
 Disk is a round, flat object that spins around its center.

 Read/Write heads are used to read and write data.

 Device that holds the disk is called a disk drive.

 Non removable disk is hard disk and removable disks are

floppy disks.
 Disketts are used to load data to hard disk, to trade data
with other users, and to make back up copied of hard
disk data.
 Optical Storage :
 CD- ROM drive is most common type of optical storage
device.
 CD- ROM – Compact Disk Read Only Memory.

 CD-R – CD Recordable.

 DVD – Digital Video Disk.

SOFTWARE
 Consists of instructions.
 -Enables the computer to perform specific tasks.

 A set of instructions that enables the computer to

perform task is called a program.
 When the computer executes a particular program it is
said to be running or executing that program.
Two types of software :
System Software & Application software.
 System Software : Any program that controls the computer
hardware or that can be used to maintain the computer in some
way so that it runs more efficiently.
Three types of system software :
 Operating System – tells the computer how to handle its own
components.
Eg : Windows, Macintosh, Linux.
 - Acts as an interpreter between hardware, user and application
programs.
 Network Operating system : Allows computer to communicate
and share data across a network while controlling network
operations and overseeing the networks security.
 Utility – A program that makes the computer system easier to
use or performs highly specialized functions.
 Used to manage disk, trouble shoot hardware problem and
performs other tasks which the OS along cant do.
Application software :
 Tells the computer how to accomplish specific tasks.

Eg :
 Word-processing software that create text based documents such as news
letters or brochures.
 Spreadsheets for creating numeric based documents such as budget or
balance sheet.
 Database management software for building and manipulating large set
of data such as name, address and phone numbers.
 Presentation programs for creating and presenting electronic slide shows.

 Graphic programs for designing illustrations or manipulating

photographs, movies and animations.
 Multimedia authoring application for building digital movies that
incorporate sound, video, animation and interactive features.
 Entertainment and education software.

 Webdesign tools and web browsers , news reader and email program.

 Games.
COMPUTER DATA
 Data is any piece of information or facts taken by itself,
may not make sense to a person. When piece of data are
combined it becomes information.
 Within the computer data is organized in files.
 A file is a set of data that has given a name.

 A file the user can open and use is called document.

 A computer document can be – text file, a group of

numbers, video clip or any combination of items.
Program – a set of instructions that tell computer how to
preform task.
 Programs are organized into files, these files contains
data and instructions that a program needs in order to run
and preform tasks.
COMPUTER USERS
Users Role :
 Setting up the System

 Installing software

 Running programs

 Managing files – Files in folders and subfolders.

 File Hierarchy – Order in which the files and folders are linked.

 Path : The route which connects the hierarchy with a file.

 File manager – A computer program which provides a user with

an interface for working with a file system is called a file
manager. The various operations are open, create, view, edit,
rename, print, copy, move, search, delete etc.
 Advantage of File Management – Ability to make practical and
logical decision.
 Maintain the System