TABLE OF CONTENTS

A WORLD OF COMPUTERS ....................................................................................................................................2

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS...........................................................................................................................3
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPUTERS IN THE WORLD TODAY ......................................................................4
DEFINITION OF COMPUTER ..................................................................................................................................8
FUNCTIONALITIES OF A COMPUTER ..................................................................................................................8
COMPUTER COMPONENTS ....................................................................................................................................9
HARDWARE: .........................................................................................................................................................9
INPUT DEVICES ........................................................................................................................................................9
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU) ................................................................................................................. 10
MEMORY................................................................................................................................................................. 10
OUTPUT DEVICES ............................................................................................................................................. 12
SOFTWARE ............................................................................................................................................................. 12
SOFTWARE TYPES ............................................................................................................................................ 12
COMPARISONS OF SYSTEM AND APPLICATION SOFTWARE .................................................................... 14
UNIT OF MEASUREMENTS ................................................................................................................................. 14
SPEED MEASUREMENT: ...................................................................................................................................... 15
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS ................................................................................................................... 15
LAPTOP AND SMARTPHONE COMPUTERS ................................................................................................. 15
DATA, INFORMATION, IPC AND KNOWLEDGE ............................................................................................. 16
THE CONTENT OF HUMAN MIND ..................................................................................................................... 17
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER ................................................................................................................. 17
ADVANTAGES ................................................................................................................................................... 17
DISADVANTAGES ............................................................................................................................................. 18
COMPUTER VIRUSES ........................................................................................................................................... 19
BOOTING, REBOOTING AND SHUTTING DOWN…………………………………………………………….20

MOUSE SKILLS……………………………………………………………………………………………..….21-22

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INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS
A WORLD OF COMPUTERS
Computers are everywhere: at work, at school, and at home. People use all types and sizes
of computers for a variety of reasons and in a range of places. While some computers sit on
top of a desk or on the floor, mobile computers and mobile devices are small enough to
carry. Mobile devices, such as many cell phones, often are classified as computers.
Computers are a primary means of local and global communication for billions of people.
Consumers use computers to correspond with businesses, employees with other employees
and customers, students with classmates and teachers, and family members and military
personnel with friends and other family members.
In addition to sending simple notes, people use computers to share photos, drawings,
documents, calendars, journals, music, and videos. Through computers, society has instant
access to information from around the globe. Local and national news, weather reports,
sports scores, airline schedules, telephone directories, maps and directions, job listings,
credit reports, and countless forms of educational material always are accessible.
From the computer, you can make a telephone call, meet new friends, share opinions or life
stories, book flights, shop, fill prescriptions, file taxes, take a course, receive alerts, and
automate your home. At home or while on the road, people use computers to manage
schedules and contacts, listen to voice mail messages, balance checkbooks, pay bills,
transfer funds, and buy or sell stocks. Banks place ATMs (automated teller machines) all
over the world, so that customers can deposit and withdraw funds anywhere at any time.
At the grocery store, a computer tracks purchases, calculates the amount of money due, and
often generates coupons customized to buying patterns. Vehicles include onboard
navigation systems that provide directions, call for emergency services, and track the
vehicle if it is stolen.
In the workplace, employees use computers to create correspondence such as e-mail
messages, memos, and letters; manage calendars; calculate payroll; track inventory; and
generate invoices.
At school, teachers use computers to assist with classroom instruction. Students complete
assignments and conduct research on computers in lab rooms, at home, or elsewhere.
Instead of attending class on campus, some students take entire classes directly from their
computer.
People also spend hours of leisure time using a computer. They play games, listen to music
or radio broadcasts, watch or compose videos and movies, read books and magazines, share
stories, research genealogy, retouch photos, and plan vacations.
As technology continues to advance, computers have become a part of everyday life. Thus,
many people believe that computer literacy is vital to success in today’s world. Computer
literacy, also known as digital literacy, involves having a current knowledge and
understanding of computers and their uses.

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Because the requirements that determine computer literacy changes as technology changes,
you must keep up with these changes to remain computer literate.

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTERS
The computers of today are vastly different in appearance and performance as compared to
the computers of earlier days. But where did this technology come from and where is it
heading? To fully understand the impact of computers on today’s world and the promises
they hold for the future, it is important to understand the generation of computers.

Computers generation refers to the stages of computer development that took place during
that period. Each of the five generations of computers is characterized by a major
technological development that fundamentally changed the way computers operate.

First Generation (1940-1956) Vacuum Tubes

The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums for memory, and
were often enormous, taking up entire rooms. They were very expensive to operate and in
addition to using a great deal of electricity, generated a lot of heat, which was often the
cause of malfunctions.
First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming
language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one
problem at a time. Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was
displayed on printouts. The UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer)
and ENIAC computers are examples of first-generation computing devices.

Second Generation (1956-1963) Transistors

Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers. The
transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late
1950s.
The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller,
faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation
predecessors. Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and
printouts for output.

Languages were also being developed at this time, such as early versions of COBOL
(Common Business-Oriented Language) and FORTRAN (Formula Translation).
These were also the first computers that stored their instructions in their memory, which
moved from a magnetic drum to magnetic core technology. The first computers of this
generation were developed for the atomic energy industry.

Third Generation (1964-1971) Integrated Circuits

The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of
computers. Transistors were miniaturized (reduced) and placed on silicon chips,
called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.

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Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers
through keyboard, monitors and interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the
device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored
the memory. Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because
they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors. The first integrated circuit was
developed in the 1950s by Jack Kilby of Texas.

Fourth Generation (1971-Present) Microprocessors

The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated
circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. What in the first generation filled an entire
room could now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located
all the components of the computer from the central processing unit and memory to
input/output controls on a single chip.

In 1981, IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced
the Macintosh. Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into
many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.

As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form
networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet. Fourth generation
computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handheld devices.

Fifth Generation (Present and Beyond) Artificial Intelligence

Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development,
though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today.
The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence
a reality.

The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural

language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF COMPUTERS IN THE WORLD TODAY

The computer has changed society today as much as the industrial revolution changed
society in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Few Areas of concentration where
computers have and continue to impact the livelihood of man include but not limited to the
following: education, finance, government, health care, science, publishing, travel, and
manufacturing.

Education
Education is the process of acquiring knowledge. In the traditional model, people learn from
other people such as parents, teachers, and employers. Many forms of printed material such
as books and manuals are used as learning tools. Today, educators also are turning to
computers to assist with education.

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Finance
Many people and companies use computers to help manage their finances. Some use finance
software to balance checkbooks, pay bills, track personal income and expenses, manage
investments, and evaluate financial plans. This software usually includes a variety of online
services. For example, computer users can track investments and do online banking.

Government
A government provides society with direction by making and administering policies. To
provide citizens with up-to-date information, most government offices have Websites for
example: www.emansion.gov.lr (Executive Mansion) is a website owned and operated by
the government of Liberia.

Health Care
Nearly every area of health care today uses computers. Whether you are visiting a family
doctor for a regular checkup, having lab work or an outpatient test, or being rushed in for
emergency surgery, the medical staff around you will be using computers for various
purposes:

Hospitals and doctors use computers and mobile devices to maintain and access
patient records.
Computers monitor patients’ vital signs in hospital rooms and at home.
Robots deliver medication to nurse stations in hospitals.
Computers and computerized devices assist doctors, nurses, and technicians with
medical tests.
Doctors use the Web and medical software to assist with researching and diagnosing
health conditions.
Doctors use e-mail to correspond with patients.
Surgeons implant computerized devices, such as pacemakers, that allow patients to
live longer.
Surgeons use computer-controlled devices to provide them with greater precision
during operations, such as for laser eye surgery and assisted heart surgery.

There are forms of long-distance health care are telemedicine and telesurgery.
Through telemedicine, health-care professionals in separate locations conduct live
conferences on the computer.
For example, a doctor at one location can have a conference with a doctor at another location
to discuss a bone X-ray. Live images of each doctor, along with the X-ray, are displayed on
each doctor’s computer.

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With telesurgery, also called remote surgery, a surgeon performs an operation on a patient
who is not located in the same physical room as the surgeon. Telesurgery enables surgeons
to direct robots to perform an operation via computers connected to a high-speed network.

Telemedicine
Telemedicine refers to the use of telecommunications to provide healthcare services to
people at a distance. This could include various forms of clinical diagnosis and monitoring
of patients. Over time, the term has evolved to becoming synonymous (the same) with
“telehealth” and it includes the use of ICT in non-clinical activities associated with the
health system.

The link between the healthcare provider and the patient may be established via telephone,
email or a video link, which may be in real time or asynchronous (store and forward).

According to WHO’s third global survey on e-health, the different types of TELEHEALTH
[Telehealth is the delivery of healthcare services between a provider and patient who are
physically distant from each other at the time of the service. Telehealth services can be
delivered through different technologies, including streaming services, the internet, apps,
video conferencing, and wireless and landline communications systems]. initiatives that
were reported include

TELERADIOLOGY [Teleradiology is the transmission and display of radiological images,

such as CT scans and X-Rays, in a location independent of the location the patient is imaged.
It allows specialist doctors (Radiologists) to provide an expert and timely report to allow
clinicians to decide on the best treatment for their patients.], TELEDERMATOLOGY
[Teledermatology is one of the most common telemedicine applications. It is usually
delivered via store-and-forward communications or live video conferencing.

Teledermatology (commonly referred to as Telederm by practitioners) is also defined as a

subspecialty of dermatology. Since most skin diseases are visible or the branch of medicine
dealing with the skin and its diseases.

Dermatologists are able to expand their reach to patients in a cost-effective manner by using
advanced telehealth technologies.

It uses specialized software or digital tools to evaluate the condition of a patient’s skin by
capturing video or images and communicating with their dermatologist.],

TELEPATHOLOGY [Telepathology is the practice of remote pathology (The branch of

medical science that studies the causes and nature and effects of diseases) using
telecommunication links to enable the electronic transmission of digital pathology images.

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Telepathology can be used for remotely rendering primary diagnoses, second opinion
consultations, quality assurance, education, and research purposes.], TELEPSYCHIATRY
[Telemedicine is the process of providing health care from a distance through technology,
often using videoconferencing.

Telepsychiatry, a subset of telemedicine, can involve providing a range of services

including psychiatric evaluations, therapy (individual therapy, group therapy, family
therapy), patient education and medication management] Psychiatry (The branch of
medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders) and remote patient
monitoring.

Similar to m-health, telehealth also includes initiatives or programmes that seek to improve
access to information and knowledge, provide a platform for networking and collaboration
among stakeholders, support policymaking, health education and training, and improve
public accountability in the health system.

A systematic review of studies on telehealth revealed that a major impact of using ICTs in
health has been improvements in the quality of healthcare. This was followed by
improvements in access and cost effectiveness or minimization.

From the perspective of healthcare providers, digital health technology has helped by
reducing paperwork time, hospital admissions and bed days, and improving patient face
time. A lot of these technologies have a focus on preventive care, promote patient
independence and minimize use of healthcare services that can be avoided.

All these have positive effect on patient outcomes. In such a scenario, patients are
empowered through self-management, education and awareness, and supported with
alternative communication platforms to interact with their healthcare providers. This
implies a shift from a “paternalistic (protective) model of healthcare” to an “empowered
patient sharing ownership” model.

Robotics
The use of robotics in surgery has been prevalent (dominant) for over 30 years, with the
first known surgical robot being programmable universal machine for surgery, which was
used for urology (The branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of
disorders of the urinary tract or urogenital system) surgery.

Robotics may be used to either assist the surgeon or may even be programmed to perform
procedures on their own. For example, RoBear, a bear-shaped nursing care robot developed
in Japan, is capable of taking care of elderly patients who may need to be lifted and assisted
to sit on a wheelchair.
Science
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All branches of science, from biology to astronomy (space science) to meteorology (weather
prediction), use computers to assist them with collecting, analyzing, and modeling data.
Scientists also use the Internet to communicate with colleagues around the world.
Publishing
Publishing is the process of making works available to the public. These works include
books, magazines, newspapers, music, film, and video. Special software assists graphic
designers in developing pages that include text, graphics, and photos; artists in com posing
and enhancing songs; filmmakers in creating and editing film; and journalists and mobile
users in capturing and modifying video clips.
Travel
Whether traveling by car or airplane, your goal is to arrive safely at your destination. As
you make the journey, you may interact with some of the latest technology. Vehicles
manufactured today often include some type of onboard navigation system, such as OnStar.
Manufacturing
Computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) refers to the use of computers to assist with
manufacturing processes such as fabrication and assembly. Industries use CAM to reduce
product development costs, shorten a product’s time to market, and stay ahead of the
competition. Often, robots carry out processes in a CAM environment.

DEFINITION OF COMPUTER
What is Computer?
1. The word computer is derived from the word “compute” which means to calculate.
The computer was originally defined as a super-fast calculator. It had the capacity to
solve complex arithmetic and scientific problems at very high speed.
But nowadays in addition to handling complex arithmetic computations, computers
perform many other tasks like accepting, sorting, selecting, moving, comparing
various types of information. They also perform arithmetic and logical operations on
alphabetic, numeric and other types of information.
2. A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in
its own memory that can accept data (input), process the data according to specified rules,
produce information/result (output), and store the information for future use.
FUNCTIONALITIES OF A COMPUTER
Any digital computer carries out five functions in gross terms:
 Takes data as input
 Stores the data and instruction in its memory and use them when they are required.
 Processes the data and converts it into useful information.
 Generates the output
 Controls all the above steps.

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COMPUTER COMPONENTS
Any kind of computers consists of HARDWARE, SOFTWARE AND PEOPEWARE
(ENDUSER).
HARDWARE:
Computer hardware is the collection of physical elements that constitutes a computer
system. Computer hardware refers to the physical parts or components of a computer such
as the monitor, mouse, keyboard, computer data storage, hard disk drive (HDD), system
unit (graphic cards, sound cards, memory, motherboard and chips), etc. all of which are
physical objects that can be seemed and touched.

INPUT DEVICES
Input device is any peripheral (piece of computer hardware equipment to provide data and
control signals to an information processing system such as a computer or other information
appliance. Input device translate data from form that humans understand (Human Readable
Language) to one that the computer can work with (Binary Language [0s & 1s]/Machine
Language). Most common input devices are keyboard and mouse.

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Example of Input Devices:
1. Keyboard 10. Graphics Tablets 18. Joystick
2. Mouse (pointing device) 11. Cameras 19. Gamepad
3. Microphone 12. Pen Input
4. Touch screen 13. Video Capture Hardware
5. Scanner 14. Microphone
6. Webcam 15. Trackballs
7. Touchpads 16. Barcode reader
8. MIDI keyboard 17. Digital camera
9. Joystick

Note:
The most commonly use keyboard is the QWERTY Layout keyboard. Generally standard
Keyboard has 104 keys.

CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)

A CPU is brain of a computer. It is responsible for all functions and processes. Regarding
computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system.

The CPU is comprised of three main parts:

 Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): Executes all arithmetic and logical operations.
Arithmetic calculations like as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Logical operation like compare numbers, letters, or special characters
 Control Unit (CU): controls and co-ordinates computer components.

1. Read the code for the next instruction to be executed.

2. Increment the program counter so it points to the next instruction.
3. Read whatever data the instruction requires from cells in memory.
4. Provide the necessary data to an ALU or register.
5. If the instruction requires an ALU or specialized hardware to complete, instruct the
hardware to perform the requested operation.
 Registers: Stores the data that is to be executed next, "very fast storage area".

MEMORY
Computer memory is broadly divided into two (2) categories:
1. Primary Memory
o Random Access Memory (RAM) is a memory scheme within the computer system
responsible for storing data on a temporary basis, so that it can be promptly accessed
by the processor as and when needed. It is volatile in nature, which means that data
will be erased once supply to the storage device is turned off. RAM stores data
randomly and the processor accesses these data randomly from the RAM storage.

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 RAM is considered "random access" because you can access any memory cell
directly if you know the row and column that intersect at that cell.

o Read Only Memory (ROM) is a permanent form of storage. ROM stays active
regardless of whether power supply to it is turned on or off (It is non-volatile in
nature). ROM devices do not allow data stored on them to be modified.
2. Secondary Memory:
Stores data and programs permanently: it retained (record) after the power is turned off.
o Hard drive (HD): A hard disk is part of a unit, often called a "disk drive," "hard
drive," or "hard disk drive," that store and provides relatively quick access to large
amounts of data on an electromagnetically charged surface or set of surfaces.

o Optical Disk: an optical disc drive (ODD) is a disk drive that uses laser light as part
of the process of reading or writing data to or from optical discs. Some drives can
only read from discs, but recent drives are commonly both readers and recorders, also
called burners or writers. Compact discs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are common types
of optical media which can be read and recorded by such drives.
Optical drive is the generic name; drives are usually described as "CD" "DVD", or
"Bluray", followed by "drive", "writer", etc. There are three main types of optical
media: CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disc.
o CDs can store up to 700 megabytes (MB) of data.
o DVDs can store up to 8.4 GB of data.
o Blu-ray discs, which are the newest type of optical media, can store up to 50
GB of data. This storage capacity is a clear advantage over the floppy disk
storage media (a magnetic media), which only has a capacity of 1.44 MB.Flash

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 o Disk - A storage module made of flash memory chips. Flash disks have no
mechanical platters or access arms, but the term "disk" is used because the data
are accessed as if they were on a hard drive. The disk storage structure is
emulated.
OUTPUT DEVICES
An output device is any piece of computer hardware equipment used to communicate the
results of data processing carried out by an information processing system (such as a
computer) which converts the electronically generated information into human readable
form.

Note Basic types of monitors are: A. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). B. Liquid Crystal Displays
(LCD), C. light-emitting diode (LED).
Printer types: 1. Laser Printer, 2.Ink Jet Printer, 3. Dot Matrix Printer

SOFTWARE
Software is a generic (general) term for organized collections of computer data and
instructions, often broken into two major categories: 1. System Software – that provides
the basic non-task-specific functions of the computer, and 2. Application Software – which
is used by end-users to accomplish specific tasks.
SOFTWARE TYPES
1. System Software – is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the
individual hardware components of a computer system so that other software and the
users of the system see it as a functional unit without having to be concerned with the
low-level details such as transferring data from memory to disk, or rendering text
onto a display.

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Two types of system software are the operating system and utility programs.
o Operating System An operating system is a set of programs that coordinates all the
activities among computer hardware devices. It provides a means for users to
communicate with the computer and other software.
Many of today’s computers use Microsoft’s Windows, Mac OS, Linux or Apple’s
operating system.
When a user starts a computer, portions of the operating system are copied into
memory from the computer’s hard disk. These parts of the operating system remain
in memory while the computer is on.
o Utility Program – A utility program allows a user to perform maintenance-type tasks
usually related to managing a computer, its devices, or its programs. For example,
you can use a utility program to transfer digital photos to an optical disc.

Most operating systems include several utility programs for managing disk drives,
printers, and other devices and media. You also can buy utility programs that allow
you to perform additional computer management functions.

2. Application Software – is used to accomplish specific tasks other than just running
the computer system.

Application software may consist of a single program, such as an image viewer; a

small collection of programs (often called a software package) that work closely
together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet or text processing system; a
larger collection (often called a software suite) of related but independent programs
and packages that have a common user interface or shared data format, such as

Microsoft Office, which consists of closely integrated word processor, spreadsheet,

database, etc.; or a software system, such as a database management system, which
is a collection of fundamental programs that may provide some service to a variety
of other independent applications.

Many other types of application software exist that enable users to perform a variety
of tasks.
These include personal information management, note taking, project management,
accounting, document management, computer aided design, desktop publishing,
paint/image editing, photo editing, audio and video editing, multimedia authoring,

Web page authoring, personal finance, legal, tax preparation, home

design/landscaping, travel and mapping, education, reference, and entertainment
(e.g., games or simulations, etc.)

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COMPARISONS OF SYSTEM AND APPLICATION SOFTWARE

PEOPLE-WARE – they are end-user that interact with/use the computer system. Without
the aid of the end-user, the computer will be useless. There must be an end-user to press
the power button to boot the computer, send print command, shutdown the computer, et
al. This is why people-ware become part of the computer system.

UNIT OF MEASUREMENTS
Storage measurements: The basic unit used in computer data storage is called a bit (binary
digit). Computers use these little bits, which are composed of ones and zeros, to do things
and talk to other computers.

All your files, for instance, are kept in the computer as binary files and translated into words
and pictures by the software (which is also ones and zeros). This two number system is
called a “binary number system” since it has only two numbers in it. The decimal number
system in contrast has ten unique digits, zero through nine.

Size example
• 1 bit - answer to an yes/no question
• 1 byte - a number from 0 to 255.
• 90 bytes: enough to store a typical line of text from a book.
• 4 KB: about one page of text.
• 120 KB: the text of a typical pocket book.
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• 3 MB - a three minute song (128k bitrate)
• 650-900 MB - an CD-ROM
• 1 GB -114 minutes of uncompressed CD-quality audio at 1.4 Mbit/s
• 8-16 GB - size of a normal flash drive

SPEED MEASUREMENT:
The speed of Central Processing Unit (CPU) is measured by Hertz (Hz), which represent a
CPU cycle. The speed of CPU is known as Computer Speed.

CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
Computers can be generally classified by size and power as follows, though there is
Considerable overlap:
1. Personal Computer (PC): A small, single-user computer based on a
microprocessor.
In addition to the microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering
data, a monitor for displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.
2. Workstation: A powerful, single-user computer. A workstation is like a personal
computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality monitor.
3. Minicomputer: A multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to hundreds
of users simultaneously.

4. Mainframes: A powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds

or thousands of users simultaneously.

5. Supercomputer: An extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions

of instructions per second.

LAPTOP AND SMARTPHONE COMPUTERS

Laptop: A laptop is a battery or AC-powered personal computer that can be easily carried
and used in a variety of locations.

Many laptops are designed to have all of the functionality of a desktop computer, which
means they can generally run the same software and open the same types of files. However,
some laptops, such as netbooks, sacrifice some functionality in order to be even more
portable.

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Netbook: A netbook is a type of laptop that is designed to be even more portable. Netbooks
are often cheaper than laptops or desktops. They are generally less powerful than other types
of computers, but they provide enough power for email and internet access, which is where
the name "netbook" comes from.

Mobile Device: A mobile device is basically any handheld computer. It is designed to be

extremely portable, often fitting in the palm of your hand or in your pocket. Some mobile
devices are more powerful, and they allow you to do many of the same things you can do
with a desktop or laptop computer. These include tablet computers, e-readers, and
smartphones.

Tablet Computers: Like laptops, tablet computers are designed to be portable. However,
they provide a very different computing experience. The most obvious difference is that
tablet computers don't have keyboards or touchpads. Instead, the entire screen is touch-
sensitive, allowing you to type on a virtual keyboard and use your finger as a mouse pointer.

Smartphones: A smartphone is a powerful mobile phone that is designed to run a variety

of applications in addition to phone service. They are basically small tablet computers, and
they can be used for web browsing, watching videos, reading e-books, playing games and
more.

DATA, INFORMATION, IPC AND KNOWLEDGE

Data: Facts and figures which relay something specific, but which are not organized in any
way and which provide no further information regarding patterns, context, etc. So data
means "unstructured (unprocessed) facts and figures that have the least impact on the typical
manager."

Information: For data to become information, it must be contextualized, categorized,

calculated and condensed. Information thus paints a bigger picture; it is data with relevance
and purpose. It may convey a trend in the environment, or perhaps indicate a pattern of sales
for a given period of time. Essentially information is found "in answers to questions that
begin with such words as who, what, where, when, and how many".

Information Processing Cycle

Computers process data (input) into information (output). Computers carry out processes
using instructions, which are the steps that tell the computer how to perform a particular
task.
A collection of related instructions organized for a common purpose is referred to as
software. A computer often holds data, information, and instructions in storage for future
use. Some people refer to the series of input, process, output, and storage activities as the
information processing cycle.
Most computers today communicate with other computers (network). As a result,
communications also has become an essential element of the information processing cycle.

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Knowledge: Knowledge is closely linked to doing and implies know-how and
understanding. The knowledge possessed by each individual is a product of his experience,
and encompasses the norms by which he evaluates new inputs from his surroundings.

THE CONTENT OF HUMAN MIND

The content of the human mind can be classified into four categories:
1. Data: symbols
2. Information: data that are processed to be useful; provides answers to "who", "what",
"where", “how”, and, "when" questions
3. Knowledge: application of data and information; answers "how" questions
4. Wisdom: evaluated understanding. We need to understand that processing data produced
Information and process Information produces Knowledge and so on.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
ADVANTAGES
Speed, accuracy, diligence, storage capability and versatility are some of the key
characteristics of a computer. Brief overviews of these characteristics are:

Speed: The computer can process data very fast, at the rate of millions of instructions per
second. Some calculations that would have taken hours and days to complete otherwise, can
be completed in a few seconds using the computer.

For example, calculation and generation of salary slips of thousands of employees of an

organization, weather forecasting that requires analysis of a large amount of data related to
temperature, pressure and humidity of various places, etc.

Accuracy: Computer provides a high degree of accuracy. For example, the computer can
accurately give the result of division of any two numbers up to 10 decimal places.

Diligence: When used for a longer period of time, the computer does not get tired or
fatigued (weary). It can perform long and complex calculations with the same speed and
accuracy from the start till the end.
Storage Capability: Large volumes of data and information can be stored in the computer
and also retrieved whenever required. A limited amount of data can be stored, temporarily,
in the primary memory. Secondary storage devices like floppy disk and compact disk can
store a large amount of data permanently.

Versatility: Computer is versatile in nature. It can perform different types of tasks with the
same ease. At one moment you can use the computer to prepare a letter document and in
the next moment you may play music or print a document. Computers have several
limitations too. Computer can only perform tasks that it has been programmed to do.
Multitasking
17 | P a g e Introduction To Computers
A computer can carry out various kinds of tasks ranging from preparation of documents to
launching of satellites. It is possible through different types of programs or software. A
computer can do more than one job at a time without reducing it's speed. In a single
computer you can control more than 40 users at a time.

For e.g., In LAN (Local Area Network) environment, there are 2 to 40 or 50 computers are
connected in a single main PC called Server, which control to all system in the same time
& allows doing different task in the same time.

Automation
Once the data and instructions are fed into a computer, normally, no human intervention is
necessary during processing.

Computer cannot do any work without instructions from the user. It executes instructions
as specified by the user and does not take its own decisions.

DISADVANTAGES
Some disadvantages of computers relate to health risks, the violation of privacy, public
safety, the impact on the labor force, and the impact on the environment.

Health Risks: Prolonged or improper computer use can lead to injuries or disorders of the
hands, wrists, elbows, eyes, neck, and back. Computer users can protect themselves from
these health risks through proper workplace design, good posture while at the computer,
and appropriately spaced work breaks.

Two behavioral health risks are computer addiction and technology overload. Computer
addiction occurs when someone becomes obsessed with using a computer.

Individuals suffering from technology overload feel distressed when deprived of computers
and mobile devices. Once recognized, both computer addiction and technology overload
are treatable dis orders.

Violation of Privacy: Nearly every life event is stored in a computer somewhere . . . in

medical records, credit reports, tax records, etc. In many instances, where personal and
confidential records were not protected properly, individuals have found their privacy
violated and identities stolen.

Public Safety: Adults, teens, and children around the world are using computers to share
publicly their photos, videos, journals, music, and other personal information through social
media platforms like: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tiktok et al. Some of these
unsuspecting, innocent computer users have fallen victim to crimes committed by
dangerous strangers.

18 | P a g e Introduction To Computers
Protect yourself and your dependents from these criminals by being cautious in e-mail
messages and on Web sites. For example, do not share information that would allow others
to identify or locate you and do not disclose identification numbers, passwords, or other
personal security details.

Impact on Labor Force: Although computers have improved productivity in many ways
and created an entire industry with hundreds of thousands of new jobs, the skills of millions
of employees have been replaced by computers.

Thus, it is crucial (important) that workers keep their education up-to-date. A separate
impact on the labor force is that some companies are outsourcing jobs to foreign countries
instead of keeping their homeland labor force employed.

Impact on Environment: Computer manufacturing processes and computer waste are

depleting (eating up) natural resources and polluting the environment.
When computers are discarded in landfills, they can release toxic materials and potentially
dangerous levels of lead, mercury, and flame retardants.

Green computing involves reducing the electricity consumed and environmental waste
generated when using a computer.

Strategies that support green computing include recycling, regulating manufacturing

processes, extending the life of computers, and immediately donating or properly disposing
of replaced computers. When you purchase a new computer, some retailers offer to dispose
of your old computer properly.

COMPUTER VIRUSES
Viruses: A virus is a small piece of software that sponges on real programs. For example,
a virus might attach itself to a program such as a spreadsheet program. Each time the
spreadsheet program runs, the virus runs, too, and it has the chance to reproduce (by
attaching to other programs) or cause destruction.

E-mail viruses: An e-mail virus travels as an attachment to e-mail messages, and usually
replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people in the victim's e-mail
address book. Some e-mail viruses don't even require a double-click – they launch when
you view the infected message in the preview pane of your e-mail software.

Trojan horses: A Trojan horse is simply a computer program. The program claims to do
one thing (it may claim to be a game) but instead does damage when you run it (it may erase
your hard disk). Trojan horses have no way to replicate automatically.

Worms: A worm is a small piece of software that uses computer networks and security
holes to replicate itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for another machine that has

19 | P a g e Introduction To Computers
a specific security hole. It copies itself to the new machine using the security hole, and then
starts replicating from there, as well.

Here are some tips to avoid viruses and lessen their impact?
 Install anti-virus software from a reputable vendor. Update it and use it regularly.
 In addition to scanning for viruses on a regular basis, install an "on access" scanner
(included in most anti-virus software packages) and configure it to start each time
you start up your computer. This will protect your system by checking for viruses
each time you run an executable file.
 Use a virus scan before you open any new programs or files that may contain
executable code. This includes packaged software that you buy from the store as well
as any program you might download from the Internet.

 If you are a member of an online community or chat room, be very careful about
accepting files or clicking links that you find or that people send you within the
community.

 Make sure you back up your data (documents, bookmark files, important email
messages, etc.) on disc so that in the event of a virus infection, you do not lose
valuable work.

BOOTING, REBOOTING AND SHUTTING DOWN

Although it might sound as simple as that, you must understand that there are procedures to
follow in order to turn on the computer properly and there are also procedures to follow if
you want to turn off the computer.

Learning how to boot, reboot and shut down the computer will prolong the life of the
computer and secure your data from being corrupted or damaged.

Booting the computer

Booting your computer is the process of switching on the computer and starting the
Operating System. To turn on the computer, press the power button on the front of the
System Unit. The term boot up refers to the process of turning the computer on for the first
time is referred to as cold booting.

Rebooting the computer

Rebooting refers to the process of restarting the computer after it has been in operation for
a while. It is also known as warm booting. There are several reasons associated to rebooting
a computer and they include: freezing of the computer, computer requesting for reboot after
the installation of program.

There are three methods involved in rebooting a computer. These are: using the reboot tab,
using the CTRL, ALT and DEL buttons, and using the reset button.
MOUSE SKILLS
20 | P a g e Introduction To Computers
Knowing how to use the mouse would greatly enhance your ability to issue computer
commands and use the graphical interface of most Operating Systems. Just as you would
use your hands to interact with objects in the physical world, you can use your mouse to
interact with items on your computer screen.

You can move objects, open them, change them, throw them away, and perform other
actions, all by pointing and clicking with your mouse.

Mouse pointers
When you move the mouse with your hand, a pointer on your screen moves in the same
direction. (The pointer's appearance might change depending on where it's positioned on
your screen.).

Holding and moving the mouse

Place your mouse beside your keyboard on a clean, smooth surface, such as a mouse pad.
Hold the mouse gently, with your index finger resting on the primary button and your thumb
resting on the side. To move the mouse, slide it slowly in any direction. Don't twist it—keep
the front of the mouse aimed away from you.

As you move the mouse, a pointer (see picture) on your screen moves in the same direction.
If you run out of room to move your mouse on your desk or mouse pad, just pick up the
mouse and bring it back closer to you.

MOUSE ACTIONS

Pointing
Pointing to an item on the screen means moving your mouse so the pointer appears to be
touching the item. When you point to something, a small box often appears that describes
the item. For example, when you point to the Recycle Bin on the desktop, a box appears
with this information: "Contains the files and folders that you have deleted. “

The pointer can change depending on what you're pointing to. For example, when you point
to a link in your web browser, the pointer changes from an arrow to a hand with a pointing
finger.
Most mouse actions combine pointing with pressing one of the mouse buttons. There are
four basic ways to use your mouse buttons: clicking, double-clicking, right-clicking, and
dragging.

Clicking (single-clicking)
To click an item, point to the item on the screen, and then press and release the primary
button (usually the left button). Clicking is most often used to select (mark) an item or open
a menu. This is sometimes called single-clicking or left-clicking.

Double-clicking

21 | P a g e Introduction To Computers
To double-click an item, point to the item on the screen, and then click the left mouse button
twice quickly. If the two clicks are spaced too far apart, they might be interpreted as two
individual clicks rather than as one double-click.
Double-clicking is most often used to open items on your desktop. For example, you can
start a program or open a folder by double-clicking its icon on the desktop.

Right-clicking
To right-click an item, point to the item on the screen, and then press and release the
secondary button (usually the right button). Right-clicking an item usually displays a list of
things you can do with the item. For example, when you right-click the Recycle Bin on your
desktop, Windows displays a menu allowing you to open it, empty it, delete it, or see its
properties. If you're ever unsure of what to do with something, right-click it.
Dragging
You can move items around your screen by dragging them. To drag an object, point to the
object on the screen, press and hold the primary button, move the object to a new location,
and then release the primary button. Dragging (sometimes called dragging and dropping) is
most often used to move files and folders to a different location and to move windows and
icons around on your screen

22 | P a g e Introduction To Computers
 LICOSESS COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
GSA Road, Paynesville City, Montserrado County
Republic of Liberia

Computer Science in Education

(CSEd.)

COURSE TITILE:
Introduction to Computers

COURSE CODE:
CSED101

Prepared & Complied By: Jerry K. Gbaye, Jr. ASc., AA, BSc. Cand.
0770210310/088887998
[email protected]

Copyright © All Rights Reserved Property of LICE