A.

Computer
Basics
1.00 Examine the Role of
Hardware and Software.
 What Is A Computer?
An electronic device that receives data, processes data, stores data, and produces a result
(output).

A collection of electronic circuits, which can be on or off (open or closed).

These two states of the circuit are
represented by two digits, 0 and 1.

o Called the binary system.

o Combining bits (0 and 1), you can

represent any character or
number.
Benefits of Using Computers

Error-free calculations
Speed
Flexibility
Storage
Consistency and repetition
 What Is A
Computer System?
• Hardware: the tangible,
physical equipment that
can be seen and touched
such as:
•Computer Case
•Monitor
•Keyboard and Mouse
•Disk Drive
•Speakers
o Software: the intangible
set of instructions that
tells the computer what
to do; know as programs
or software programs.

o Two types of software

Application
System Software
 Types of Computers
• Supercomputer: most powerful
-Used to do things like predict
hurricanes and navigate
satellites
• Mainframes and Minicomputers:
Used by business and government
to process large amounts of
information
• Personal computers:
smaller and less powerful
than the other types of
computers
•Desktop
•Notebook or Tablet
•Laptop
 Personal Computers
• Desktop computer: designed to be
used on a desktop.
• Notebook/Tablet computer: designed
to be used on a desktop but still
small enough to be portable.
• Laptop computer: designed to be
small enough and light enough to be
used on your lap.
Additional Types of Computers
• Web TV: provides easy access
to the Internet without having
to have a traditional computer.
– Enables you to connect to the
Internet and usually includes a
keyboard or other device for
entering and selecting data.
• PDAs (Personal Digital
Assistants) a handheld device
that is often used in
conjunction with a desktop or
other PC.
– May have a special keyboard,
some use a pen or stylus for
entering data
- Data can be transferred to a
desktop or laptop computer
 Data Communications
• The technology that enables computers to communicate.

• The transmission of text, numeric, voice or video data from one machine to another.

• Popular examples: Internet, electronic messages (e-mail), faxes, and electronic or

online banking
• Four components:
– Sender: the computer that is
sending the message.
– Receiver: the computer receiving
the message.
– Channel: the media that carries or
transports the message. (telephone
wire, coaxial cable, microwave
signal, or fiber optic)
– Protocol: the rules that govern the
orderly transfer of the data sent.
 Network
• When computers are connected to other computers

• They can share information and sometimes hardware (printers)

• Two Types: Local-Area and Wide-Area

Local Area Networks (LAN):

Computers connected together in

a relatively close location such as
in the same building or
department.
The data and software for these
computers are stored on a central
computer called the file server.
Wide Area Networks (WAN):

When local area networks are

expanded to include several local
area networks within a city,
state, region, territory, country,
continent, or the world.
 Central Processing Unit
The microprocessor, the brains of the computer. Referred to a CPU or processor

Housed on a tiny silicon chip

Chip contains millions of switches

and pathways that help your
computer make important
decisions.
 CPU knows which switches to
turn on and which to turn off
because it receives its
instructions from computer
programs (software).

CPU has two primary sections:

Arithmetic/logic unit
Control unit
Arithmetic/logic unit (ALU):
- Performs arithmetic computations
and logical operations; by combining
these two operations the ALU can
execute complex tasks.
- Arithmetic operations include
addition, subtractions,
multiplication, and division.
- Logical operations involve
comparisons.
Control Unit:
Unit is the “boss” and
coordinates all of the CPU’s activities.
Uses programming instructions, it
controls the flow of information
through the processor by controlling
what happens inside the processor.
We communicate with the
computer through programming
languages.

Examples: COBOL, C++,

Memory

Found on the motherboard

 Short term

Random Access Memory (RAM)

 Long term

Read Only Memory (ROM)

Random Access Memory
(RAM)
Memory on the motherboard that is
short term; where data, information,
and program instructions are stored
temporarily on a RAM chip or a set of
RAM chips. Known as the main
memory.
This memory is considered volatile.
The computer can read from
When the computer is turned off
or if there is loss of power, what
ever is stored in RAM disappears.

“Temporary Memory” – Short

Term
Read-Only Memory
(ROM)
Memory on the motherboard
that is long term; where the
specific instructions that are
needed for the computer to
operate are stored.
This memory is nonvolatile
and your computer can only
read from a ROM chip.
The instructions remain on the
chip regardless if the power is
turned on or off.
Most common is the BIOS ROM;
where the computer uses
instructions contained on this
chip to boot or start the system
when you turn on your
computer.

“Permanent Memory” –
Basic Controllers:
On the motherboard, a device that controls the transfer of data from the computer to
a peripheral device and vice versa.

Generally stored on one single chip.

Examples: keyboards, mouse, monitors, and

printers
Serial and Parallel Ports
Used to connect our peripheral
devices to the computer; usually one
serial and one parallel port on a
computer.
Serial devices transmit data
one bit at a time. A modem
may be connected to this port.
Parallel devices transfer
several bits at a time. A
printer may be connected to
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
A new standard that supports data transfer rates of up to 12 million bits per second.

A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127 peripheral devices

Expected to replace serial and parallel ports in the near future.

Expansion Slots
An opening on the motherboard
where a circuit board or expansion
board can be inserted.

Examples: Additional Memory,

video cards, modem cards, and
sound cards.
 How Does A Computer
Process Data?
PC system case
the main system components of the computer.
– the metal and plastic case that houses

Central to all of this is the motherboard or system

board that mounts into the case.
Motherboard

Is a circuit board (a thin plate

or board that contains
electronic components) that
contains many integral
components.
 Data Representation

ASCII (American Standard Code

for Information Interchange)

The most popular and widely

used standardized coding
system
Byte
Eight bits or combinations of ones
and zeros represent a character.
Example: 00000001 =1 or 00001010 -
10
KB-Kilobyte roughly 1 thousand bytes
MB-Megabyte roughly 1 million bytes
GB-Gigabyte roughly 1 billion bytes
TB-Terabyte roughly 1 trillion bytes
 Input, Output, & Storage
Devices
Input device: Output device:
hardware that hardware that
allows you to allows your
communicate computer to
with your communicate
computer. with the user
Input/Output - Storage device:
device
hardware that allows you to
store or retrieve information
 Computer Input
Devices
• Keyboard • Touch screen
• Mouse/Trackbal • Bar code reader
l • Scanner
• Joystick • Microphone
• Light pen • Graphics Tablet
• Pointing Stick • Digital Cameras
• Touchpad
 Computer Output
Devices
Monitor: screen thatSpeakers: allow
display information you to hear
such as text, voice, music,
and other
numbers, and sounds from
pictures-softcopy. your computer.
Printer: gives you Modem: allows
information from you to use your
the computer in computer to
printed form – communicate
with other
hardcopy.
computers.
 Three Types of Printers
Dot Matrix
– Gives a printed image in a pattern
(matrix) of tiny ink dots.
•Less expensive and not as clear

Inkjet Printer
– Better quality of printed document
•Machine uses an ink cartridge
and a printing element to print a
finer image on the paper.
Laser
Best quality of printed documents
•Laser beam and an ink toner
cartridge are used to produce
the images.
•More expensive
•Quick
 Storage Devices
Magnetic storage devices use oxide-coated plastic storage media called mylar.

As the disk rotates in the computer, an electromagnetic read/write head stores or

retrieves data in circles called tracks.
Tracks are numbered from the
outside to the inside and as data
is stored on the disk it is stored
on one of these numbered track.
Each track is labeled and the
location is stored in a log on
the disk known as a file
allocation table (FAT).
 Types of Storage Devices

Hard Disk Drive

Used to store data inside of the computer

Magnetic platter that holds a large amount of information in a form the computer can
understand.
Accessing data is faster

Amount of data that can be

stored is much more than what
can be stored on a floppy disk.

Size of Hard drive is measured

in megabytes or gigabytes.
Floppy Disk
Flat circles of iron oxide-coated plastic
enclosed in a hard plastic case.

Most are 3 ½ inches and have a

capacity to hold 1.44 MB or more of
data.
Zip Disk
Capable of storing tremendous
amounts of information
They are only the size of a 3 inch
disk but can hold as much as 1
gigabyte of data
 Types of Storage Devices
Magnetic Tape Drives
Used for making backup copies of
large volumes of data.
Very slow
Can be used to replace data that may
have been lost on the hard drive
Look similar to audio tapes.
Holds more than Floppy
Optical Discs
Use laser technology to read and
write data on silver platters
Compact Disk (CD) can store
650MB to 800MB of information and
data. CD-ROM (Read Only Memory)
can only read data from a CD-ROM.
You can store data on a CD only if
you have a CD Burner and CD-R
(writable) or CD-RW
(rewritable) CD.
DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) is the
size of a regular CD and can be
played in a regular CD or in a
DVD movie player.
DVD can store 4.8GB to 8.0GB of
information and data. DVD-ROM
is readable only (a movie DVD).
You can store data on a DVD only
if you have a DVD Burner and
DVD+R/DVD-R
(writable) or DVD-RW
(rewritable) DVD.
 Systems Software
A group of programs that coordinate and control the resources and operations of a
computer system.

Enables all components of the computer system to communicate.

Operating System, Utility Programs, and Graphic User Interface (GUI).

 Systems Software
Operating System (OS):
Provide an interface between the user or application program and the computer
hardware.

– Win 95/98/2000/XP/Vista
– Mac System 6/7/8/9
Utility Programs
Help you perform housekeeping chores; complete specialized tasks related to managing the
computer’s resources, file management, and so on.

GUI (Graphical User Interface)

Interface between the operating system and the user. Graphical symbols (icons) represent
files, disks, programs, and other objects.
 Application Software
Programs that work with the operating system software to help you use your
computer to do specific types of work.
Application Software
Categories
Business

Communications

Graphics and Multimedia

Education and Reference

Entertainment and Leisure

Integrated Programs
 Business Software
Spreadsheet Database
Manipulate Numeric Lets you set up an
Data electronic filing
Intersection of row systems
and column is a cell
Sort and Search
Grade Book,
Financial Report Address book,
Card Catalog
Word Processing
Create, edit, and print text documents
Report, flyer, memo
Communications
Works with your modems or network
hardware and allows your computer to
communicate with other computers.
Exchange computer files and email

Graphics Software
Uses pictures or images to help
communicate messages.
Multimedia
Combines text, graphics,
animation, video, and audio.

Clip art
Graphical images to be added to
documents
Desktop Publishing
Uses both pictures and words to
give you the ability to create
documents.
Newsletters and brochures
Education & Entertainme
Reference nt & Leisure
Available on Fun
many topics Games and
Easier simulations
Quicker Tests your skills
AR, CCC, & Interactive
Encyclopedia
 Integrated Software
Combine several software
applications into one program.

Include: Work Processing,

Spreadsheet, Database, &
Communication
Examples: MS Works, MS
OFFICE, & Lotus
SmartSuite
 Proper Computer Care
Keep food and drinks away from the computer and keyboard.

Avoid dusty locations.

Use a surge protector.

Keep magnets Away.

Do not block vents on the CPU.

Avoid bright sunny locations.

Do not move the computer while it is in use.

Always exit programs properly.

Use a virus check program on a regular basis.

 Proper Diskette Care
Do not remove from drives while drive in running or light is on.

Avoid contact with magnets and electromagnetic fields.

Keep disks stored in a clean, cool and dry place with a protective cover.
Keep protective metal slider in place.

Use a virus check program on a regular basis.

Avoid hot and cold locations.

Make a back-up copy of your programs and files.

 Proper CD or DVD Care
Keep CDs or DVDs stored in a clean, cool and dry place with a protective cover.

Avoid touching the back side of the CD or DVD; to avoid scratches.

Avoid hot and cold locations.

Make a back-up copy of your programs and files on CD or DVD.

Insert into CD or DVD Drive properly; label facing up.

Only write on CD’s or DVD;s with a proper marking Pen on a label or the correct side of
the CD or DVD.
 Proper Care of Printers
Avoid cold, hot, and dusty locations.

Always use the correct ink or toner replacement.

Always have the proper printer cable connected to your computer.

Never pull paper out of a printer in motion.

Do not turn off the printer while printing.

Read the instruction manual before operating a printer.

Always use the proper type of paper in your printer.

 How to Maintain your
Computer System
Start a notebook of information on your system.

Serial numbers
Vendor support telephone numbers
User IDs
Date and vendor for each
equipment and software
purchase.
Trouble log
Periodically review disk directories & delete unneeded files.

Make sure all plug-ins are secure at all times.

Turn off the power and disconnect the equipment form the power source before you
open the inside of you computer.
Keep surrounding area dirt and dust free.

Back up files and data regularly.

Periodically defragment your hard disk.

Protect your system from computer viruses

Learn to use system diagnostic programs

 Ergonomics
The science of designing equipment
for a comfortable and safe working
environment.

Proper Computer Ergonomics

Sit up straight and lean forward slightly from the waist.

Keep your feet flat on the floor.

Your body should be about a hand’s length from the front of the keyboard and centered with the
keyboard.
Place all materials you will type on the
right side of the computer and
supplies on the left side.

Keep any items you are not using off

your desk.

Occasionally rest your eyes and take

short breaks.

Avoid lights that cause glare on the

monitor.
Keep your fingers on the home row keys
and curved.

Keep your wrists up, not touching the

keyboard or desk.

Focus your eyes on the book, copy or

screen.
Questions of the Day

1. Definition of Hardware

2. Definition Of Software

3. Definition of CPU

4. Definition of RAM

5. Information Processing Cycle