Job Oriented Computer Course Basics of Computers

I. Basics of Computers
1.1. Introduction

What are computers? What they do? Why would you want to use one?
How they evolved? What should you know before using them? Where
they can be used? … so on!

… Yeah, so many questions in the mind of a lay man and, even, a novice!
Thus, our Course is designed expertly for a beginner to manage an office on his own.
Come on … Let’s Learn!

1.2. What are Computers?

Computers are machines that perform tasks or calculations according to a set of instructions,
or programs. The word “computer” is a derived from the term “compute”.
A computer is electronic equipment, which is capable of creating solutions by
performing complex processing of information without manual intervention and that
too at a tremendous speed.
Thus, the computer is a general purpose machine that processes data according to a set of
instructions that are stored internally either temporarily or permanently.
There are various definitions for a computer. It may be defined as above or as any of the
following:
 A programmable machine that inputs, processes and outputs data.
 An electronic device that stores, retrieves and processes data, and can be
programmed with instructions.
A machine that accepts input, processes it according to specified rules, and
produces output.
Thus the basic steps in computing are
 Input
 Process OR Processing
 Output
 Store and Retrieve

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

STORE &
RETRIEVE

Now, you got an idea – “What the computers are!” Isn’t it?
So, let’s learn “What they do?” and “Why you would want to use it?”

Rama Krishna Math, Hyderabad Page 1 of 19

Basics of Computers Job Oriented Computer Course
1.3. What the computer does? Why we need it?

 After the evolution of computer, within a short span of time, the entire gamut of
human life has changed at an overwhelming pace.
 Be it business, academic, defence strategy, budgeting, research, engineering,
medicine or space exploration, computers have established themselves as an
indispensable part.
 Computers play an important role in human lives. The primary purpose of using a
computer is to make life easier.
 In the workplace, many people use computers to keep records, analyze data,
do research, and manage projects.
 The growing popularity of computers has been turned into account by the
Business World.
 In the Academics, the subject of computers is a mandatory part of many
regular courses.
 In the field of Medicine, the history of each patient is stored by freeing the doctors
from the burden of storing bundles of paper.
 At home, computers are useful for everyone. You can use computers to find
information, store pictures and music, play games, and communicate with others.
Note The computer commonly used in homes or offices is popularly referred to as
a “PC – Personal Computer”.

 A computer is connected to the Internet (a

network that links computers around the world)
for communicating others (email – Electronic
Mail), chatting to them (IM – Instant Messaging),
finding information (Searching), etc.
 In the employment arena also, computers have
exercised their influence. The ability to work with
computers is a necessary pre-requisite for most
of the present job profiles.
Personal Computer (PC)

1.4. How they are evolved?

After EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer), in 1946, ENIAC (Electronic
Numerical Integrator and Computer) was the first general–purpose electronic computer.

UNIVAC

EDVAC ENIAC

Physically, ENIAC was enormous, weighing more than 27,000 kilograms and
filling a large room. To process data, ENIAC used about 18,000 vacuum tubes,
each the size of light bulb.
Vacuum Tube

Page 2 of 19 RamaKrishna Math, Hyderabad

Job Oriented Computer Course Basics of Computers
1.5. What should we learn first?
We may have considerable expertise only if we learn about the hardware and software. Computers
work through an interaction of hardware and software.

Hardware (Parts) Software (Programs)

1.5.1. Hardware

The computer and all equipment attached to it are called the hardware.
(or)
The physical components of a computer constitute the hardware.

 Hardware refers to the parts of a computer that you can see and touch,
including the case and everything inside it.
 The most important piece of hardware is a tiny rectangular chip inside
your computer called the Microprocessor, which is in
Central Processing Unit (CPU). It‟s the brain of the computer – the part Microprocessor Chip (IC)
that translates instructions and performs calculations.
 Hardware items such as your monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and other components, which
are often called Hardware Devices or Peripherals.
1.5.2. Software
A set of instructions that perform a particular task is called a “Program” or “Software”.
(or)
The instructions that tell the computer what to do are called software.

 Software refers to the instructions, or programs, that tell the hardware what to do.
For example,
a „Word Processing Program‟ that you can use to write letters on the computer is a type of
software.
The „Operating System‟ (OS) like MS Windows is software that manages your computer and
the devices connected to it.
Later, we discuss about „Hardware Parts‟ and „Software‟ elaborately.

Till now, you are gradually becoming familiar to the computer. Isn’t it?
So, let’s see „Where they are used‟ and the „Types of computers‟.

1.6. Where they are used?

Already, we have seen the uses of a computer in section 1.3. Specifically mentioning, the computers
are used in: -

a) Home Purposes f) Internet Cafes

b) Office Automation g) Traffic-Signaling DTP – Desktop Publishing
c) Business Accounting h) Defence Purposes e.g. PageMaker, Photoshop,
CorelDraw
d) Publishing Works (DTP) i) Gaming
e) Schools and Colleges j) Industries & Factories

and those are just a few of the applications.

Rama Krishna Math, Hyderabad Page 3 of 19

Basics of Computers Job Oriented Computer Course
1.7. Hardware Parts

Hardware is any part of the computer that you can physically touch, pick up, hold, move around the
room etc. Examples of hardware include the monitor, mouse, hard disk, motherboard etc.

The term HARDWARE refers to the physical components of a computer.

The basic configuration of a computer includes

 Computer Case
 CPU (Mother Board & Pentium chip (IC))
 Monitor
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Printers
 Scanners
 Disk Drives: USB Drive, CD / DVD, Hard Drive
 Memory (RAM)
 Speakers
 UPS (Uninterrupted Power Supply)

(See in the picture each part in order given)  Hardware Parts

CPU – Central Processing Unit

RAM – Random Access Memory

UPS – Uninterrupted Power Supply

Before learning about the parts, we first get an idea about
the basic steps in computing and
the block diagram of the computer architecture.

The basic steps in computing are

 Input INPUT PROCSS OUTPUT
 Process OR Processing
 Output
 Store and Retrieve STORE &
RETRIEVE

The simple Block CPU

diagram of
ALU
Computer
Architecture is INPUT
CU
OUTPUT
DEVICES DEVICES

MMU

SECONDARY
STORAGE
DEVICES (SSDs)

Page 4 of 19 RamaKrishna Math, Hyderabad

Job Oriented Computer Course Basics of Computers
1.8. Input Devices

The Input Devices are the Devices that input information in the Computer.

Examples

Key Board and Mouse Digital Camera Touch Pad Joystick

Digital Camera
Keyboard and Mouse Touch Pad
Joystick

Scanner (OCR) Touch Screen Graphics Tablet Microphone

Scanner
Touch Screen Graphics Tablet Microphone

BCR (Bar Code Reader) MICR (Magnetic Ink Character Recognition) Light Pen

Bar Code
Light Pen

Cheque Bank Account

Number Sort-Code Number
Bar Code
Reader /
Scanner
MICR

OCR – Optical Character Recognition

OMR – Optical Mark Reader
BCR – Bar Code Reader / Recognition
MICR – Magnetic Ink Character Recognition

You don't need in-depth knowledge of each input device but you do
need to recognize, which would be the most suitable for specific types
of data.

Rama Krishna Math, Hyderabad Page 5 of 19

Basics of Computers Job Oriented Computer Course
1.8.1. Mouse
 A mouse is a small device used to point to and select items on your computer screen.
 A mouse usually has two buttons:
 a LEFT button RIGHT Button
(usually the primary button), and
 a RIGHT button LEFT Button Right Click
(the secondary button) (We get Alternate or
Click
and a SCROLL button for some mice. Context or
Double Click SHORTCUT Menu)
 Many mice also have a wheel, called a
SCROLL button, between the two buttons Drag
which enables smooth scrolling.
SCROLL Button
When you move the mouse with your hand,
a POINTER on your screen moves in the
same direction. When you want to select an
• To Scroll
item, you point to the item and then click (press and release) the left button.
Mouse Pointer

1.8.2. Keyboard
 A keyboard is used for typing the text.
 Apart from letters and numbers, it has some special keys too.
 The top row contains the 'function keys' (F1 to F12) for different functions.
 On the right side of the keyboard, we see the 'Numeric Keypad ', which is used to enter numbers
quickly.
 Arrow keys known as the 'Navigation Keys' allows easy navigation through the page.
Multimedia / PrntScrn, Scroll Lock,
Internet Keys Pause/Break Keys
Function
Keys (F1 – F12) Insert, Delete (DEL),
Home, End,
Page Up, Page Down
ESCape Keys

Numbers Numeric Keypad

(NUM Pad)
TAB
Arrow Keys
CAPSLOCK (Left, Right, Up,
Down)
SHIFT Key
CTRL Key Spacebar
ENTER
ALT, WINKEY ( ), (Return) Key
WINKEY ( ) Key ALT Key Alphabet Right Click Key,
SHIFT
and CTRL
CURSOR “”
1.9. CPU
 The Central Processing Unit (CPU) of the Computer does all the
processing.
 The central processing unit or the microprocessor is the core of the
computer.
 It has the electronic circuitry to process the input data to get the
required information.
 It is the processor which executes the instructions.
 Another component known as 'Random Access Memory' (RAM) resides
inside this unit and it stores the data that the CPU uses for processing.
But this memory is volatile, which means that the data will be erased
CPU
once the computer is switched off.
It consists of mainly three parts:
a. ALU- Arithmetic Logic Unit
b. CU - Control Unit
c. MMU -Main Memory Unit RAM – Random Access Memory
- ROM ROM – Read Only Memory
- RAM
- Cache Memory

Page 6 of 19 RamaKrishna Math, Hyderabad

Job Oriented Computer Course Basics of Computers
1.10. Output Devices
The Output Devices are the Devices that output the information from the Computer.

Examples VDU – Visual Display Unit

Monitor (VDU)s
CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) LCD (Liquid Crystalline Display) TFT (Thin Film Transistor)

CRT Monitor LCD Monitor TFT Monitor

Printers
DMP (Dot Matrix Printer) LASER Inkjet / Bubble jet

DMP LASER Printer

Bubble Jet
Speaker Plotter Printer
Other Output Devices

LCD Projector
Speech Synthesizer

Speakers Plotter

1.10.1. Monitor
 A monitor displays the information for the user to view them.
 The information could be in text or graphical form.
 The area in which the information is displayed is called the screen.
 The picture on a monitor is made up of thousands of tiny coloured dots
called pixels.
 There are basically two types of monitors viz.,
CRT Monitors and LCD Monitors. Monitor
The LCD monitors are being widely used these days.

1.10.2. Printers
 Printers are another common output device.
 They are used to create a 'hard' copy of your work i.e. something that you can hold, hand to someone else or
file away.
 Most printers produce their output on paper.
There are three main types of printers:
 Laser printers
 Inkjet printers
 Dot Matrix (impact) printers

Rama Krishna Math, Hyderabad Page 7 of 19

Basics of Computers Job Oriented Computer Course

Laser Printer Inkjet Printers Dot Matrix Printers

1. Non-Impact Printers Non-Impact Printers Impact Printers

Relatively faster than DMP but
2. Faster printing Slower relatively
slower than Laser
3. High Quality Medium Quality Poor Quality
Cartridges contain INK, both Print Head containing grid of
4. Use Powered Ink, called TONER
colour and black and white PINS and Carbon Ribbon
Colour version and also Black Colour version and also Black
5. Only Single Colour
and White version available and White version available
6. Cost is Expensive Cost is Cheap Cost is Moderate
7. Print Cost is Moderate Print Cost is Expensive Print Cost is Cheap
1.10.3. Plotter
 Plotters are a specialist type of printer, which is able to draw high quality images on very large
pieces of paper, for example 3 foot wide by 10 foot long.
 They are used by engineers, architects and map-makers to draw plans of buildings, diagrams of
machines or large scale maps.
 A plotter differs from a printer in that it draws images using a pen.
 There are plotters now which are 'pen-less' and are used for creating high density drawings.
 There are four types of Plotters:
 Drum Plotter  Flatbed Plotter
 Micrographic Plotter  Inkjet Plotter
1.10.4. Speakers
 Most computers are fitted with a small internal speaker which can produce beeping sounds to
alert you if you make an error.
 Computers can also be fitted with a sound card (or chip) which will enable sound to be output
through external speakers.
 These usually produce a much higher quality sound than the internal speaker.
1.10.5. LCD Projector
 An LCD Projector takes the input from a computer and shows it on a large screen.
 It is commonly used in organizations for displaying PowerPoint presentation during meetings.
Note – Input / Output devices are also called
Hardware Table as Peripherals

Recollect all the Hardware Parts once again. See

the table below: -

Memory devices /
Input devices CPU box Output devices
drives
Keyboard Cards: Motherboard, Monitor: CRT, LCD, TFT Hard disk drive
Mouse VGA, AGP, Printer: DMP, Laser, Floppy disk drive
Scanner Sound, LAN Inkjet, Bubble CD / DVD drive
(OCR) Cords: Mains, Printer, Jet Tapes
Microphone Monitor Speaker Flash Memory (Pen
Joystick SMPS Plotter: Flatbed, Drum drive, Memory Card)
OMR Buses (cables) LCD Projector
BCR Ports: Serial, USB, Speech Synthesizer
MICR Parallel, LPT
Smart Card Sockets
IC (chips):Processor, ROM
Transistors
Capacitors
Diodes
Resistors

Page 8 of 19 RamaKrishna Math, Hyderabad

Job Oriented Computer Course Basics of Computers
1.11. Generations of Computers
First generation computers, starting with the UNIVAC (UNIVersal Automatic Computer) in 1951, used
vacuum tubes, and their memories were made of thin tubes of liquid mercury and magnetic drums.
Second generation systems, in the late 1950s, replaced tubes with
transistors and used magnetic cores for memories. Size was reduced
and reliability was significantly improved.
Third generation computers, beginning in the mid 1960s, used the first
Integrated Circuits (IC) and the first Operating Systems (OS), and
Database Management Systems (DBMS).
Fourth generation computers, starting in the mid 1970s, are made
entirely of chips. The microprocessor and personal computer are
spawned.
Even with the millions of people using computers every day, we are still Second Generation Computer
in the fourth generation.

PDA

Laptop Super Computer

The fifth generation implies faster hardware and more sophisticated software that uses Artificial
Intelligence (AI) routinely. You will be in the fifth generation, perhaps in the 2015–2020 time frames.

1.12. Software

After learning – “What the Hardware parts are!” We start knowing about the next most important
part of the Computers i.e. “What is Software?” and “What are its types?”
Come on … Let’s Learn!

Before that, we would know about Languages, Instructions, Programs

1.12.1. Language
A Computer Language is

a medium for communication between the user and the hardware,

so as to make computer work as per the given instructions
1.12.2. Types of Languages:
Machine language
 The Machine Language is in 0’s and 1’s i.e. binary digits.
ASCII – American Standard
e.g.: ASCII Code for A is 65. Its equivalent binary code is 01100101 Code for Information
 It is Machine understandable language. Interchange
 This is also called Low level language. It is code for denoting a
character in bytes.
 This is the first generation language.
011011011 000110000 (Machine Language)
Assembly language
 The Assembly language is written using Mnemonics, which are hexadecimal codes for the
characters and instructions (called as Hex codes).
e.g.: For the instruction ADD 5, 2
Assembly language code is E9 5, 2 (say E9 is Mnemonic/Hex Code for ADD)

Rama Krishna Math, Hyderabad Page 9 of 19

Basics of Computers Job Oriented Computer Course
 This is also called Middle level language.
 This is the second generation language.
 The Assembly language code should be translated in to Machine Language. That translator
software is called as an ASSEMBLER.

Assembly Assembler Machine

Language Language

High level language

 The High level language is written using “English-like words”.
e.g.: Add 2, 5
 This is also called User language.
 This is the third generation language.
 The High level language code should be translated in to Machine Language. There are two types
of Translators for translating High Level Language. They are Compilers and Interpreters.

Compiler
High Level Machine
Language or
Language
Interpreter

Examples of High level languages

ADA, FORTRAN, BASIC, COBOL, PASCAL, C, DBMS
FORTRAN Formula Translation
BASIC Beginner‟s All Purpose Symbolic Instruction code
COBOL Common Business Oriented Language
DBMS Data Base Management System
e.g.: dBase III+, dBase IV, FoxBASE

Forth generation languages (4GLs)

OOP Object Oriented e.g.: C++, Java
Programming
RDBMS Relational Data Base e.g.: FoxPro, Sybase,
Management System Oracle, Ingress, MS Access

Fifth and Sixth generation language

AI Artificial Intelligence e.g. Robotics
OBDBMS Object Oriented Relational Data e.g. Oracle, java,
Base Management System .NET, etc.

1.12.3. Instruction
A Instruction is
a command given to a computer
to make it process as per the given command

1.12.4. Program
A Computer Program is
a sequence / set of commands or instructions given to a computer
Those commands must be written in an order.

Page 10 of 19 RamaKrishna Math, Hyderabad

Job Oriented Computer Course Basics of Computers
1.13. Types of Computers

In the section 1.5, you learned the meaning of terms like 'hardware' and 'software'.
This next section will introduce you to the different types of computer available today.

Various Types of Computers

Mainframe Server
Super Computer

Personal Computer Laptop PDA

Tablet PC
Server System
Handheld Computer

Rama Krishna Math, Hyderabad Page 11 of 19

Basics of Computers Job Oriented Computer Course
1.14. Software
Software is
a set of programs
related to a particular job / task
1.14.1. Types of Software
Software

System Application
Software Software
System Software
 The System Software is the software (programs) required for the overall maintenance of
the whole computer system and its parts (i.e. hardware), as well as the application
software.
e.g.: Types of System Software e.g.
Operating system (OS) MS Windows, DOS, OS/2, etc.
BIOS (Basic Input Output system)
Utilities (Utility Programs) Win Zip, Defragmentation, etc.
Drivers Audio, Motherboard, LAN, etc.
DLLs (Dynamic Link Libraries)

Application software
 The Application software are the software required
for the user purposes
like office purpose, publishing purpose, hospitals,
banking, traffic control, reservations, payroll, games,
entertainment, communication, etc.
Application software can be classified as
 General purpose
 Specialist
 Tailor-made

1.15. Operating System (OS)

Application Software
An Operating System is
a set of specialized programs,
which is used for the overall performance of
not only the CPU and its parts
but also the whole computer system
and maintenance of the application software.
e.g.: MS DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System)
Unix
MS Windows
Linux
Mac OS
 The operating system is needed to control everything happening in your computer.
 It controls the memory, the disks, the peripherals and the application software.
 . Without the operating system your computer would just sit there doing nothing .

Page 12 of 19 RamaKrishna Math, Hyderabad

Job Oriented Computer Course Basics of Computers

The Operating
User System acts as an
Appl.
OS INTERFACE between
S/w H/w the user and the
hardware.

Here are some of the tasks that an operating system performs:

Tasks performed by an Operating System (OS)

Here are a few of the other tasks:

Sorting out where to store data on disk drives
Dealing with security - user names and passwords
Organising files and folders
Managing data transfer from the CPU to the peripherals e.g. printer, monitor
Deals with saving, deleting, opening, closing files

1.15.1. Types of Operating System

Single User / Single program OS: Only one User and one Program at a time
e.g.: MS DOS
Multi User Operating System: No. of Users at a time and one Server
e.g.: Unix
Multi program Operating System: No. of Users and No. of Programs at a time
e.g.: MS Windows
CUI Operating System
In this operating system, we have to type the characters for the commands
e.g.: MS DOS Unix Part of Linux
GUI Operating System
In this OS, all the commands are seen as small pictures called graphics
e.g.: MS Windows OS / 2 Part of Linux
CUI – Character User Interface
GUI – Graphical User Interface

Rama Krishna Math, Hyderabad Page 13 of 19

Basics of Computers Job Oriented Computer Course
1.16. Memory Devices
 It is vital that you have a way of saving the document that you are currently working on.
 It is also vital that you can save software applications that you use on your computer.
 This section will introduce you to the different types of memory and storage devices.
The data is stored in the storage devices which are called Memory.

Memory

Primary Secondary

ROM RAM e.g.: Floppy Disk

(Read Only (Random Hard disk
Memory) Access CD (Compact Disk)
Memory) DVD (Digital Video Disk)
Cache Memory Flash Memory (Pen
Drive, Memory Card)

1.16.1. System Memory (ROM)

ROM is a special kind of memory which stores the
instructions which the computer uses when it 'boots up' -
the BIOS (Basic Input Output System).
 It allows the computer to check
 the type of hard disk installed,
 the amount of RAM installed,
 the type of CPU being used, etc. Read Only Memory (ROM)
 Because the data is 'read only', it can be read but not changed
by the user.
 The key thing to remember about ROM is that the data is not erased when the computer is switched off
– the data is stored permanently, so it is called 'non volatile memory'
 The types of ROM are:
 PROM Programmable Read Only Memory
 EPROM Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory
 EEPROM Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory
 UVPROM Ultraviolet Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory
1.16.2. Short Term Memory (RAM)
RAM is a kind of primary memory which can be ‘read
from’ or ‘written to’ by a computer or other devices.
 Information stored in RAM is lost when the computer is
turned off.
 This is because RAM is called as 'temporary memory' or
'volatile memory'.
 Most computers are typically sold with 512 MB - 4 GB of
RAM installed.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
 The types of RAM are:
 SDRAM Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory
 DDR Double Data Rate Synchronous Dynamic Random-Access Memory
 The data in the RAM is lost may be when:
 The computer is crashed
 Accidentally the computer is switched off OR
 Power Supply is cut
When you rebooted and logged back in, your work was gone forever.
SO BE CAREFUL! SAVE YOUR WORK FREQUENTLY!

Page 14 of 19 RamaKrishna Math, Hyderabad

Job Oriented Computer Course Basics of Computers

 When you are working with any one or more application software*,
* – We learn
their modules are temporarily stored in RAM while they are Application Software
processed by the CPU. in later sessions.
 One of the factors that CPU’s performance and speed are high is the
capacity of RAM. That is, . the more the capacity of RAM, the higher is the
performance of the CPU .

The External or Secondary Storage Devices (SSDs) are

Floppy Disk Flash Memory

(Pen Drive / Memory
Stick)
Hard Disk

Compact Disk (CD) Digital Versatile / Video Blu-ray Disc (BD)

Disk(DVD)

Storage Device Comparison

Speed of Cost per
Storage Device Size / Capacity Comparison access to Gigabyte
data of storage
RAM and ROM 512 MB – 2 GB Fastest Very Fast
Floppy Disk 1.44 MB (smallest capacity) Faster Expensive
Zip Disk 100 MB Faster Cheaper
CD 650 MB – 700 MB Faster Cheaper
Flash memory 1 GB – 32 GB Faster Cheaper
DVD 4.7 GB Faster Cheaper
Magnetic Tape Over 100 GB Slowest Cheapest
Hard Disk Around 120 GB – 1 Terabyte (TB) (largest capacity) More Faster Cheapest
Blu-ray Disc 25 GB – 128 GB Faster Expensive

Storage Capacity Units

1 Bit (b) 0 or 1
1 Byte (B) 8 bits
1Kilo Byte (KB) 1024 Bytes 210 Bytes
1 Mega Byte (MB) 1024 Kilo Bytes 1024 x 1024 Bytes (210 Bytes)
1 Giga Byte (GB) 1024 Mega Bytes 1024 x 1024 x 1024 Bytes (230 Bytes)
1 Tera Byte (TB) 1024 Giga Bytes 1 MB x 1 MB (240 Bytes)

Rama Krishna Math, Hyderabad Page 15 of 19

Basics of Computers Job Oriented Computer Course

1.16.3. What is a network?

A Computer Network is
formed by joining computers together,
and it allows computers or users to transfer files,
to share software and data
and share one printer.

Networks
1.16.4. Types of Networks

Local Area Network (LAN)

When the computers are fairly close to one another,
say, in a single office or two buildings that are separated by a road,
they can be joined together either by cables or wireless means.
These computers then form a Local Area Network (LAN).
 Once the computers are connected together into a LAN,
many people (users) can share and use the same resources
at the same time.
– They can share files, software, hard disks and
peripherals such as a printer or CD-ROM.
 Users can also use the LAN to communicate with each other
by e-mail. The user name identifies you to the file
server so that it can 'serve' you the
 Data can be transmitted very quickly between networked correct files.
computers. The password ensures that the user
 To log onto a LAN, you usually need a user name and password. name really does belong to you.

Wide Area Network (WAN)

By linking LANs together, the network is no longer local to one building,
it is now spread over a wide area.
It is known as a Wide Area Network (WAN).
 So basically a WAN is where individual computers or LANs which are a long distance apart from each other
are connected together.
 Many modern companies have offices, shops or factories in various locations around the country, and for
large corporations, across the world.
 Even though staff works in different places, they often need to be
able to access the same
information no matter
where they are.
 They generally will not
share hardware or
software, unlike a LAN.
Do you know!
. The largest
WAN in existence
is the Internet . Wide Area Network (WAN)

Page 16 of 19 RamaKrishna Math, Hyderabad

Job Oriented Computer Course Basics of Computers
Most computers which connect to a Wide Area Network use the telephone system (although
there are other methods such as satellites, fibre optic cables and radio waves).

Internet

The internet is a global network made up of millions upon millions of computers

connected together.

Internet

If the Internet is the container, then WWW is an item within the container.

1.16.5. Intranet

An Intranet is like a private version of the Internet which operates on a LAN.

INTRANET
EXTRANET

1.16.6. Extranet
 An extranet is where parts of a Company Intranet are made accessible to selected people. These might
include key customers, suppliers, business partners or parents.
1.17. Viruses
A Computer Virus is a malicious software program designed to copy itself repeatedly
and attach itself to other computer programs.
 Viruses don't damage your computer as many people believe.
 What they can do is damage, corrupt, delete your files or perhaps
send them to other people without your knowledge.
 Viruses can be spread by:
 opening attachments in emails
 files stored on removable media such as floppy disks, USB
sticks
 downloading free software from the internet
 clicking on certain pop-ups on web pages
 There are many different types of virus nowadays. If you have
time, find out a little bit about 'Trojans‟ and 'Worms'.
 Other types of virus:
Trojan, Worm, Spyware, Adware
1.17.1. Hackers
 A hacker is a person who breaks codes and passwords to gain unauthorised entry to computer systems.

Rama Krishna Math, Hyderabad Page 17 of 19

Basics of Computers Job Oriented Computer Course
1.17.2. Firewall
 A firewall is a program or a hardware device that can be used to help protect a network from hackers who
might try to break in and gain access to your data.
Internet Terminology

ISP : ISP stands for 'Internet Service Provider'. An ISP is a company that provides Internet access.

Web Pages

Web Pages : A web page or webpage is a document or information resource that is suitable for the
World Wide Web and can be accessed through a web browser and displayed on a
monitor.
Web page is a method of viewing both text and pictures on the same page.
Web pages are created using a special programming language called “HyperText Markup
Language” or HTML for short.
Web Browsers : A web browser is a software application for retrieving, presenting, and traversing
information resources on the World Wide Web.
The basic function of a web browser is to allow you to view text, images, videos from web pages .
There are a number of web browsers available. The most popular are Internet Explorer, Firefox,
Safari, Opera and Netscape.

Internet Explorer Firefox Netscape Safari Opera

Mostly used Web Browsers

Google is NOT a Web Browser; it is rather a Search Engine

Web Site : A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related
web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets.
A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet.
Browse/Surfing : Searching for Information on the internet or simply exploring the internet is
commonly referred to Surfing or Browsing.
URL : Abbreviation of Uniform Resource Locator; it is the global address of documents and
other resources on the World Wide Web.
Blog : A blog (a blend of the term web log) is a type of website or part of a website supposed
to be updated with new content from time to time.
Search Engine : A Seach Engine is essentially a database program, which finds out information
and catalogues all web pages on the Internet according to keywords, about a
specific topic you enter into the search box provided.

Page 18 of 19 RamaKrishna Math, Hyderabad

Job Oriented Computer Course Basics of Computers

For doubts if any contact the author: tmk.sir @ gmail.com

Rama Krishna Math, Hyderabad Page 19 of 19