Computer - Overview

Today’s world is an information-rich world and it has become a necessity for everyone to know about
computers. Purpose of this tutorial is to introduce you about computer and its fundamentals.
Functionalities of a computer
Any digital computer carries out five functions in gross terms:
 Takes data as input.
 Stores the data/instructions in its memory and use them when required.
 Processes the data and converts it into useful information.
 Generates the output
 Controls all the above four steps.

Definition
Computer is an electronic data processing device which
 accepts and stores data input,
 processes the data input, and
 generates the output in a required format.
Advantages
Following list demonstrates the advantages of computers in today's arena.
High Speed
 Computer is a very fast device.
 It is capable of performing calculation of very large amount of data.
 The computer has units of speed in microsecond, nanosecond, and even the picosecond.
 It can perform millions of calculations in a few seconds as compared to man who will spend many
months for doing the same task.
Accuracy
 In addition to being very fast, computers are very accurate.
 The calculations are 100% error free.
 Computers perform all jobs with 100% accuracy provided that correct input has been given.
Storage Capability
 Memory is a very important characteristic of computers.
 A computer has much more storage capacity than human beings.
 It can store large amount of data.
 It can store any type of data such as images, videos, text, audio and many others.
Diligence
 Unlike human beings, a computer is free from monotony, tiredness and lack of concentration.
 It can work continuously without any error and boredom.
 It can do repeated work with same speed and accuracy.
Versatility
 A computer is a very versatile machine.
 A computer is very flexible in performing the jobs to be done.
 This machine can be used to solve the problems related to various fields.
 At one instance, it may be solving a complex scientific problem and the very next moment it may be
playing a card game.
Reliability
 A computer is a reliable machine.
 Modern electronic components have long lives.
 Computers are designed to make maintenance easy.
Automation
 Computer is an automatic machine.
 Automation means ability to perform the given task automatically.
 Once a program is given to computer i.e., stored in computer memory, the program and instruction can
control the program execution without human interaction.
Reduction in Paper Work
 The use of computers for data processing in an organization leads to reduction in paper work and
results in speeding up a process.
 As data in electronic files can be retrieved as and when required, the problem of maintenance of large
number of paper files gets reduced.
Reduction in Cost
 Though the initial investment for installing a computer is high but it substantially reduces the cost of
each of its transaction.
Disadvantages
Following list demonstrates the disadvantages of computers in today's arena
No I.Q
 A computer is a machine that has no intelligence to perform any task.
 Each instruction has to be given to computer.
 A computer cannot take any decision on its own.
Dependency
 It functions as per a user’s instruction, so it is fully dependent on human being
Environment
 The operating environment of computer should be dust free and suitable.
No Feeling
 Computers have no feelings or emotions.
 It cannot make judgement based on feeling, taste, experience, and knowledge unlike a human being.

Computer - Applications
Following list demonstrates various applications of computers in today's arena.
Business
A computer has high speed of calculation, diligence, accuracy,
reliability, or versatility which made it an integrated part in all
business organisations.
Computer is used in business organisations for:
 Payroll calculations
 Budgeting
 Sales analysis
 Financial forecasting
 Managing employees database
 Maintenance of stocks etc.
Banking
Today banking is almost totally dependent on computer.
Banks provide following facilities:
 Banks provide online accounting facility, which includes current
balances, deposits, overdrafts, interest charges, shares, and trustee
records.
 ATM machines are making it even easier for customers to deal with
banks.
Insurance
Insurance companies are keeping all records up-to-date with the help of computers. The insurance companies,
finance houses and stock broking firms are widely using computers for their concerns.
Insurance companies are maintaining a database of all clients with information showing
 procedure to continue with policies
 starting date of the policies
 next due installment of a policy
 maturity date
 interests due
 survival benefits
 bonus
Education
The computer has provided a lot of facilities in the education system.
 The computer provides a tool in the education system known as CBE (Computer Based Education).
 CBE involves control, delivery, and evaluation of learning.
 The computer education is rapidly increasing the graph of
number of computer students.
 There are number of methods in which educational
institutions can use computer to educate the students.
 It is used to prepare a database about performance of a student
and analysis is carried out on this basis.
Marketing
In marketing, uses of computer are following:
 Advertising - With computers, advertising professionals create art and
graphics, write and revise copy, and print and disseminate ads with the
goal of selling more products.
 At Home Shopping - Home shopping has been made possible through
use of computerised catalogues that provide access to product
information and permit direct entry of orders to be filled by the customers.
Health Care
Computers have become important part in hospitals, labs, and
dispensaries. The computers are being used in hospitals to keep the
record of patients and medicines. It is also used in scanning and
diagnosing different diseases. ECG, EEG, Ultrasounds and CT
Scans etc., are also done by computerised machines.
Some major fields of health care in which computers are used are:
 Diagnostic System - Computers are used to collect data and
identify cause of illness.
  Lab-diagnostic System - All tests can be done and reports are prepared by computer.
 Patient Monitoring System - These are used to check patient's signs for abnormality such as in
Cardiac Arrest, ECG etc.
 Pharma Information System - Computer checks Drug-Labels, Expiry dates, harmful drug’s side
effects etc.
 Surgery : Nowadays, computers are also used in performing surgery.
Engineering Design
Computers are widely used in Engineering purpose.
One of major areas is CAD (Computer aided design). That
provides creation and modification of images. Some fields
are:
 Structural Engineering - Requires stress and strain
analysis for design of Ships, Buildings, Budgets,
Airplanes etc.
 Industrial Engineering - Computers deal with
design, implementation and improvement of integrated systems of people, materials and equipments.
 Architectural Engineering - Computers help in planning towns, designing buildings, determining a
range of buildings on a site using both 2D and 3D drawings.
Military
Computers are largely used in defence. Modern tanks, missiles, weapons
etc. Military also employs computerised control systems. Some military
areas where a computer has been used are:
 Missile Control
 Military Communication
 Military Operation and Planning
 Smart Weapons
Communication
Communication means to convey a message, an idea, a picture or
speech that is received and understood clearly and correctly by the
person for whom it is meant for. Some main areas in this category are:
 E-mail
 Chatting
 Usenet
 FTP
 Telnet
 Video-conferencing
Government
Computers play an important role in government.
Some major fields in this category are:
 Budgets
 Sales tax department
 Income tax department
 Male/Female ratio
 Computerization of voters lists
 Computerization of driving licensing system
 Computerization of PAN card
 Weather forecasting
Computer Generations
Generation in computer terminology is a change in technology a computer is/was being used. Initially, the
generation term was used to distinguish between varying hardware technologies. But nowadays, generation
includes both hardware and software, which together make up an entire computer system.
There are totally five computer generations known till date. Each generation has been discussed in detail along
with their time period and characteristics. Here approximate dates against each generations have been
mentioned which are normally accepted.
Following are the main five generations of computers
S.N. Generation & Description
1 First Generation
The period of first generation: 1946-1959. Vacuum tube based.
2 Second Generation
The period of second generation: 1959-1965. Transistor based.
3 Third Generation
The period of third generation: 1965-1971. Integrated Circuit based.
4 Fourth Generation
The period of fourth generation: 1971-1980. VLSI microprocessor based.
5 Fifth Generation
The period of fifth generation: 1980-onwards. ULSI microprocessor based
Computer - First Generation
The period of first generation was 1946-1959. The computers of first generation used vacuum tubes as the
basic components for memory and circuitry for CPU (Central Processing Unit). These tubes, like electric
bulbs, produced a lot of heat and were prone to frequent fusing of the installations, therefore, were very
expensive and could be afforded only by very large organisations. In this generation mainly batch processing
operating system were used. Punched cards, paper tape, and magnetic tape were used as input and output
devices. The computers in this generation used machine code as programming language.
The main features of first generation are:
 Vacuum tube technology
 Unreliable
 Supported machine language only
 Very costly
 Generated lot of heat
 Slow input and output devices
 Huge size
 Need of A.C.
 Non-portable
 Consumed lot of electricity
Some computers of this generation were:
 ENIAC
 EDVAC
 UNIVAC
 IBM-701
 IBM-650

Computer - Second Generation

The period of second generation was 1959-1965. In this generation transistors were used that were cheaper,
consumed less power, more compact in size, more reliable and faster than the first generation machines made
of vacuum tubes. In this generation, magnetic cores were used as primary memory and magnetic tape and
magnetic disks as secondary storage devices. In this generation assembly language and high-level
programming languages like FORTRAN, COBOL were used. The computers used batch processing and
multiprogramming operating system.
The main features of second generation are:
 Use of transistors
 Reliable in comparison to first generation computers
 Smaller size as compared to first generation computers
 Generated less heat as compared to
first generation computers
 Consumed less electricity as compared
to first generation computers
 Faster than first generation computers
 Still very costly
 A.C. needed
 Supported machine and assembly
languages
Some computers of this generation were:
 IBM 1620
 IBM 7094
 CDC 1604
 CDC 3600
 UNIVAC 1108

Computer - Third Generation

The period of third generation was 1965-1971. The computers of third generation used integrated circuits
(IC's) in place of transistors. A single IC has many transistors, resistors and capacitors along with the
associated circuitry. The IC was invented by Jack Kilby. This development made computers smaller in size,
reliable and efficient. In this generation remote processing, time-sharing, multi-programming operating
system were used. High-level languages (FORTRAN-II TO IV, COBOL, PASCAL PL/1, BASIC, ALGOL-
68 etc.) were used during this generation.
The main features of third generation are:
 IC used
 More reliable in comparison to previous two generations
 Smaller size
 Generated less heat
 Faster
 Lesser maintenance
 Still costly
 A.C needed
 Consumed lesser electricity
 Supported high-level language
Some computers of this generation were:
 IBM-360 series
 Honeywell-6000 series
 PDP(Personal Data Processor)
 IBM-370/168
 TDC-316
Computer - Fourth Generation
The period of fourth generation was 1971-1980. The computers of fourth generation used Very Large Scale
Integrated (VLSI) circuits. VLSI circuits having about 5000 transistors and other circuit elements and their
associated circuits on a single chip made it possible to have microcomputers of fourth generation. Fourth
generation computers became more powerful, compact, reliable, and affordable. As a result, it gave rise to
personal computer (PC) revolution. In this generation time sharing, real time, networks, distributed operating
system were used. All the high-level languages like C, C++, DBASE etc., were used in this generation.
The main features of fourth generation are:
 VLSI technology used
 Very cheap
 Portable and reliable
 Use of PC's
 Very small size
 Pipeline processing
 No A.C. needed
 Concept of internet was introduced
 Great developments in the fields of networks
 Computers became easily available
Some computers of this generation were:
 DEC 10
 STAR 1000
 PDP 11
 CRAY-1(Super Computer)
 CRAY-X-MP(Super Computer)

Computer - Fifth Generation

The period of fifth generation is 1980-till date. In the fifth generation, the VLSI technology became ULSI
(Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology, resulting in the production of microprocessor chips having ten
million electronic components. This generation is based on parallel processing hardware and AI (Artificial
Intelligence) software. AI is an emerging branch in computer science, which interprets means and method of
making computers think like human beings. All the high-level languages like C and C++, Java, .Net etc., are
used in this generation.
AI includes:
 Robotics
 Neural Networks
 Game Playing
 Development of expert systems to make decisions
in real life situations.
 Natural language understanding and generation.
The main features of fifth generation are:
 ULSI technology
 Development of true artificial intelligence
 Development of Natural language processing
 Advancement in Parallel Processing
 Advancement in Superconductor technology
 More user friendly interfaces with multimedia features
 Availability of very powerful and compact computers at cheaper rates
Some computer types of this generation are:
  Desktop
 Laptop
 NoteBook
 UltraBook
 ChromeBook
Computer - Types
Computers can be broadly classified by their speed and computing power.
Sr.No. Type Specifications
1 PC (Personal It is a single user computer system having moderately powerful
Computer) microprocessor
2 WorkStation It is also a single user computer system which is similar to personal
computer but have more powerful microprocessor.
3 Mini Computer It is a multi-user computer system which is capable of supporting hundreds
of users simultaneously.
4 Main Frame It is a multi-user computer system which is capable of supporting hundreds
of users simultaneously. Software technology is different from
minicomputer.
5 Supercomputer It is an extremely fast computer which can execute hundreds of millions of
instructions per second.
PC (Personal Computer)
A PC can be defined as a small, relatively inexpensive computer designed for an individual user. PCs are
based on the microprocessor technology that enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one chip.
Businesses use personal computers for word processing, accounting, desktop publishing, and for running
spreadsheet and database management applications. At home, the most popular use for personal computers is
playing games and surfing Internet.
Although personal computers are designed as single-user
systems, these systems are normally linked together to form a
network. In terms of power, now-a-days High-end models of the
Macintosh and PC offer the same computing power and graphics
capability as low-end workstations by Sun Microsystems,
Hewlett-Packard, and Dell.
Workstation
Workstation is a computer used for engineering applications (CAD/CAM), desktop publishing, software
development, and other such types of applications which require a moderate amount of computing power and
relatively high quality graphics capabilities.
Workstations generally come with a large, high-
resolution graphics screen, large amount of RAM,
inbuilt network support, and a graphical user
interface. Most workstations also have a mass
storage device such as a disk drive, but a special
type of workstation, called a diskless workstation,
comes without a disk drive.
Common operating systems for workstations are
UNIX and Windows NT. Like PC, Workstations
are also single-user computers like PC but are
typically linked together to form a local-area
network, although they can also be used as stand-alone systems.
Minicomputer
It is a midsize multi-processing system capable of supporting up to 250 users
simultaneously.

Mainframe
Mainframe is very large in size and is an expensive computer
capable of supporting hundreds or even thousands of users
simultaneously. Mainframe executes many programs
concurrently and supports many simultaneous execution of
programs

Supercomputer
Supercomputers are one of the fastest computers currently available.
Supercomputers are very expensive and are employed for specialized
applications that require immense amount of mathematical
calculations (number crunching). For example, weather forecasting,
scientific simulations, (animated) graphics, fluid dynamic
calculations, nuclear energy research, electronic design, and analysis
of geological data (e.g. in petrochemical prospecting).

Computer - Components
All types of computers follow a same basic logical structure and perform the following five basic operations
for converting raw input data into information useful to their users.

Sr.No. Operation Description

1 Take Input The process of entering data and instructions into the computer system
2 Store Data Saving data and instructions so that they are available for processing as and
when required.
3 Processing Data Performing arithmetic, and logical operations on data in order to convert
them into useful information.
4 Output The process of producing useful information or results for the user, such as
Information a printed report or visual display.
5 Control the Directs the manner and sequence in which all of the above operations are
workflow performed.
Input Unit
This unit contains devices with the help of which we enter data into computer. This unit makes link between
user and computer. The input devices translate the information into the form understandable by computer.
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
CPU is considered as the brain of the computer. CPU performs all types of data processing operations. It stores
data, intermediate results and instructions(program). It controls the operation of all parts of computer.
CPU itself has following three components
 ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)
 Memory Unit
 Control Unit

Output Unit
Output unit consists of devices with the help of which we get the information from computer. This unit is a
link between computer and users. Output devices translate the computer's output into the form understandable
by users.
Computer - CPU(Central Processing Unit)
CPU consists of the following features:
 CPU is considered as the brain of the computer.
 CPU performs all types of data processing operations.
 It stores data, intermediate results and instructions(program).
 It controls the operation of all parts of computer.
CPU itself has following three components.
 Memory or Storage Unit
 Control Unit
 ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)
Memory or Storage Unit
This unit can store instructions, data and intermediate results. This unit supplies information to the other units
of the computer when needed. It is also known as internal storage unit or main memory or primary storage or
Random access memory (RAM).
Its size affects speed, power and capability. Primary memory and secondary memory are two types of
memories in the computer. Functions of memory unit are:
 It stores all the data and the instructions required for processing.
 It stores intermediate results of processing.
 It stores final results of processing before these results are released to an output device.
 All inputs and outputs are transmitted through main memory.
Control Unit
This unit controls the operations of all parts of computer but does not carry out any actual data processing
operations.
Functions of this unit are:
 It is responsible for controlling the transfer of data and instructions among other units of a computer.
 It manages and coordinates all the units of the computer.
 It obtains the instructions from the memory, interprets them, and directs the operation of the computer.
 It communicates with Input/Output devices for transfer of data or results from storage.
 It does not process or store data.

ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)

This unit consists of two subsections namely
 Arithmetic section
 Logic Section
Arithmetic Section
Function of arithmetic section is to perform arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and
division. All complex operations are done by making repetitive use of above operations.
Logic Section
Function of logic section is to perform logic operations such as comparing, selecting, matching and merging
of data.
Computer - Input Devices
Following are few of the important input devices which are used in a computer:
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Joy Stick
 Light pen
 Track Ball
 Scanner
 Graphic Tablet
 Microphone
 Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
 Optical Character Reader(OCR)
 Bar Code Reader
 Optical Mark Reader(OMR)

Keyboard
Keyboard is the most common and very popular input
device which helps in inputting data to the computer.
The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional
typewriter, although there are some additional keys
provided for performing additional functions.
Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or 101/102 keys,
but now keyboards with 104 keys or 108 keys are also
available for Windows and Internet.
The keys on the keyboard are as follows:
Sr.No Keys Description
1 Typing Keys These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and digit keys (0-9) which generally
give same layout as that of typewriters.
2 Numeric It is used to enter numeric data or cursor movement. Generally, it consists of a
Keypad set of 17 keys that are laid out in the same configuration used by most adding
machines and calculators.
3 Function Keys The twelve function keys are present on the keyboard which are arranged in a
row at the top of the keyboard. Each function key has unique meaning and is used
for some specific purpose.
4 Control keys These keys provide cursor and screen control. It includes four directional arrow
keys. Control keys also include Home, End, Insert, Delete, Page Up, Page Down,
Control(Ctrl), Alternate(Alt), Escape(Esc).
5 Special Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys such as Enter, Shift, Caps
Purpose Keys Lock, Num Lock, Space bar, Tab, and Print Screen.
Mouse
Mouse is most popular pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control device having a small palm size box
with a round ball at its base which senses the movement of mouse and sends corresponding signals to CPU
when the mouse buttons are pressed.
Generally it has two buttons called left and right button and a wheel is present between the buttons. Mouse
can be used to control the position of cursor on screen, but it cannot be used to enter text into the computer.
Advantages
 Easy to use
 Not very expensive
 Moves the cursor faster than the arrow keys of keyboard.
Joystick
Joystick is also a pointing device which is used to move cursor position on a monitor screen.
It is a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. The lower spherical ball
moves in a socket. The joystick can be moved in all four directions.
The function of joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It is mainly used in Computer Aided
Designing(CAD) and playing computer games.
Light Pen
Light pen is a pointing device which is similar to a pen. It is used to select a
displayed menu item or draw pictures on the monitor screen. It consists of a
photocell and an optical system placed in a small tube. When the tip of a light pen
is moved over the monitor screen and pen button is pressed, its photocell sensing
element detects the screen location and sends the corresponding signal to the CPU.
Track Ball
Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop computer,
instead of a mouse. This is a ball which is half inserted and by moving fingers on ball,
pointer can be moved. Since the whole device is not moved, a track ball requires less
space than a mouse. A track ball comes in various shapes like a ball, a button and a
square.
Scanner
Scanner is an input device which works more like a photocopy machine. It is used
when some information is available on a paper and it is to be transferred to the hard
disc of the computer for further manipulation. Scanner captures images from the
source which are then converted into the digital form that can be stored on the disc.
These images can be edited before they are printed.
Digitizer
Digitizer is an input device which converts analog information into digital form. Digitizer can convert a signal
from the television or camera into a series of numbers that could be stored
in a computer. They can be used by the computer to create a picture of
whatever the camera had been pointed at. Digitizer is also known as Tablet
or Graphics Tablet because it converts graphics and pictorial data into binary
inputs. A graphic tablet as digitizer is used for doing fine works of drawing
and image manipulation applications.
Microphone
Microphone is an input device to input sound that is then stored in digital form.
The microphone is used for various applications like adding sound to a multimedia
presentation or for mixing music.
Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
MICR input device is generally used in banks because of a large number of cheques
to be processed every day. The bank's code number and cheque number are printed
on the cheques with a special type of ink that contains particles of magnetic
material that are machine readable. This reading process is called Magnetic Ink
Character Recognition (MICR). The main advantages of MICR is that it is fast and
less error prone.

Optical Character Reader(OCR)

OCR is an input device used to read a printed text. OCR scans text optically
character by character, converts them into a machine readable code and stores
the text on the system memory.

Bar Code Readers

Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in form
of light and dark lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labelling goods,
numbering the books etc. It may be a hand held scanner or may be
embedded in a stationary scanner. Bar Code Reader scans a bar code
image, converts it into an alphanumeric value which is then fed to the
computer to which bar code reader is connected.

Optical Mark Reader(OMR)

OMR is a special type of optical scanner used to
recognize the type of mark made by pen or pencil. It is
used where one out of a few alternatives is to be selected
and marked. It is specially used for checking the answer
sheets of examinations having multiple choice questions.
Computer - Output Devices
Following are few of the important output devices which are used in a computer.
 Monitors
 Graphic Plotter
 Printer
Monitors
Monitors, commonly called as Visual Display Unit (VDU), are the main output device of a computer. It forms
images from tiny dots, called pixels that are arranged in a rectangular form. The sharpness of the image
depends upon the number of pixels.
There are two kinds of viewing screen used for monitors.
 Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT)
 Flat- Panel Display
Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor
The CRT display is made up of small picture elements called pixels. The smaller the pixels, the better the
image clarity, or resolution. It takes more than one illuminated pixel to form whole character, such as the letter
‘e’ in the word help.
A finite number of characters can be displayed on a screen at once. The screen
can be divided into a series of character boxes - fixed location on the screen
where a standard character can be placed. Most screens are capable of
displaying 80 characters of data horizontally and 25 lines vertically. There are
some disadvantages of CRT:
 Large in Size
 High power consumption
Flat-Panel Display Monitor
The flat-panel display refers to a class of video devices that have reduced volume, weight and power
requirement in comparison to the CRT. You can hang them on walls or wear them on your wrists. Current
uses of flat-panel displays include calculators, video games, monitors, laptop computer, graphics display.
The flat-panel display is divided into two categories:
 Emissive Displays - The emissive displays are devices that convert
electrical energy into light. Example are plasma panel and LED(Light-
Emitting Diodes).
 Non-Emissive Displays - The Non-emissive displays use optical effects
to convert sunlight or light from some other source into graphics patterns.
Example is LCD(Liquid-Crystal Device)
Printers
Printer is an output device, which is used to print information on paper.
There are two types of printers:
 Impact Printers
 Non-Impact Printers
Impact Printers
The impact printers print the characters by striking them on the ribbon which is then pressed on the paper.
Characteristics of Impact Printers are the following:
 Very low consumable costs
 Very noisy
 Useful for bulk printing due to low cost
 There is physical contact with the paper to produce an image
These printers are of two types
 Character printers
 Line printers
Character Printers
Character printers are the printers which print one character at a time.
These are further divided into two types:
 Dot Matrix Printer(DMP)
 Daisy Wheel
Dot Matrix Printer
In the market one of the most popular printers is Dot Matrix Printer. These printers are popular because of
their ease of printing and economical price. Each character printed is in form of pattern of dots and head
consists of a Matrix of Pins of size (5*7, 7*9, 9*7 or 9*9) which come out to form a character that is why it
is called Dot Matrix Printer.
Advantages
 Inexpensive
 Widely Used
 Other language characters can be printed
Disadvantages
 Slow Speed
 Poor Quality
Daisy Wheel
Head is lying on a wheel and pins corresponding to characters are like petals of Daisy (flower name) that is
why it is called Daisy Wheel Printer. These printers are generally used for word-processing in offices which
require a few letters to be sent here and there with very nice quality.
Advantages
 More reliable than DMP
 Better quality
 The fonts of character can be easily changed
Disadvantages
 Slower than DMP
 Noisy
 More expensive than DMP
Line Printers
Line printers are the printers which print one line at a time.
These are of further two types
 Drum Printer
 Chain Printer
Drum Printer
This printer is like a drum in shape so it is called drum printer. The surface of drum is divided into number of
tracks. Total tracks are equal to size of paper i.e. for a paper width of 132 characters, drum will have 132
tracks. A character set is embossed on track. The different character sets available in the market are 48
character set, 64 and 96 characters set. One rotation of drum prints one line. Drum printers are fast in speed
and can print 300 to 2000 lines per minute.
Advantages
 Very high speed
Disadvantages
 Very expensive
 Characters fonts cannot be changed
Chain Printer
In this printer, chain of character sets are used so it is called Chain Printer. A standard character set may have
48, 64, or 96 characters.
Advantages
 Character fonts can easily be changed.
 Different languages can be used with the same printer.
Disadvantages
 Noisy
Non-impact Printers
Non-impact printers print the characters without using ribbon. These printers print a complete page at a time
so they are also called as Page Printers.
These printers are of two types
 Laser Printers
 Inkjet Printers
Characteristics of Non-impact Printers
 Faster than impact printers.
 They are not noisy.
 High quality.
 Support many fonts and different character size.
Laser Printers
These are non-impact page printers. They use laser lights to produce the
dots needed to form the characters to be printed on a page.
Advantages
 Very high speed
 Very high quality output
 Give good graphics quality
 Support many fonts and different character size
Disadvantages
 Expensive.
 Cannot be used to produce multiple copies of a document in a single printing.
Inkjet Printers
Inkjet printers are non-impact character printers based on a relatively
new technology. They print characters by spraying small drops of ink
onto paper. Inkjet printers produce high quality output with
presentable features.
They make less noise because no hammering is done and these have
many styles of printing modes available. Colour printing is also
possible. Some models of Inkjet printers can produce multiple copies
of printing also.
Advantages
 High quality printing
 More reliable
Disadvantages
 Expensive as cost per page is high
 Slow as compared to laser printer
Computer - Memory
A memory is just like a human brain. It is used to store data and instructions. Computer memory is the storage
space in computer where data is to be processed and instructions required for processing are stored. The
memory is divided into large number of small parts called cells. Each location or cell has a unique address
which varies from zero to memory size minus one. For example if computer has 64k words, then this memory
unit has 64 * 1024=65536 memory locations. The address of these locations varies from 0 to 65535.
Memory is primarily of three types
 Cache Memory
 Primary Memory/Main Memory
 Secondary Memory
Cache Memory
Cache memory is a very high speed semiconductor memory which can speed up CPU. It acts as a buffer
between the CPU and main memory. It is used to hold those parts of data and program which are most
frequently used by CPU. The parts of data and programs are transferred from disk to cache memory by
operating system, from where CPU can access them.
Advantages
The advantages of cache memory are as follows:
 Cache memory is faster than main memory.
 It consumes less access time as compared to main
memory.
 It stores the program that can be executed within a short
period of time.
 It stores data for temporary use.
Disadvantages
The disadvantages of cache memory are as follows:
 Cache memory has limited capacity.
 It is very expensive.
Primary Memory (Main Memory)
Primary memory holds only those data and instructions on which computer is currently working. It has limited
capacity and data is lost when power is switched off. It is generally made up of semiconductor device. These
memories are not as fast as registers. The data and instruction required to be processed reside in main memory.
It is divided into two subcategories RAM and ROM.
Characteristics of Main Memory
 These are semiconductor memories
 It is known as main memory.
 Usually volatile memory.
 Data is lost in case power is switched off.
 It is working memory of the computer.
 Faster than secondary memories.
 A computer cannot run without primary memory.
Secondary Memory
This type of memory is also known as external memory or non-volatile. It is slower than main memory. These
are used for storing data/Information permanently. CPU directly does not access these memories instead they
are accessed via input-output routines. Contents of secondary memories are first transferred to main memory,
and then CPU can access it. For example : disk, CD-ROM, DVD etc.
Characteristic of Secondary Memory
 These are magnetic and optical memories
 It is known as backup memory.
 It is non-volatile memory.
 Data is permanently stored even if power is switched off.
 It is used for storage of data in a computer.
 Computer may run without secondary memory.
 Slower than primary memories.
Computer - Random Access Memory
RAM (Random Access Memory) is the internal memory of the CPU for storing data, program and program
result. It is read/write memory which stores data until the machine is working. As soon as the machine is
switched off, data is erased.
Access time in RAM is independent of the address that is, each storage location inside the memory is as easy
to reach as other locations and takes the same amount of time. Data in the RAM can be accessed randomly
but it is very expensive.
RAM is volatile, i.e. data stored in it is lost when we switch off the computer
or if there is a power failure. Hence a backup uninterruptible power system
(UPS) is often used with computers. RAM is small, both in terms of its physical
size and in the amount of data it can hold.
RAM is of two types
 Static RAM (SRAM)
 Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
Static RAM (SRAM)
The word static indicates that the memory retains its contents as long as power is being supplied. However,
data is lost when the power gets down due to volatile nature. SRAM chips use a matrix of 6-transistors and no
capacitors. Transistors do not require power to prevent leakage, so SRAM need not have to be refreshed on a
regular basis.
Because of the extra space in the matrix, SRAM uses more chips than DRAM for the same amount of storage
space, thus making the manufacturing costs higher. So SRAM is used as cache memory and has very fast
access.
Characteristic of the Static RAM
 It has long life
 There is no need to refresh
 Faster
 Used as cache memory
 Large size
 Expensive
 High power consumption
Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
DRAM, unlike SRAM, must be continually refreshed in order to maintain the data. This is done by placing
the memory on a refresh circuit that rewrites the data several hundred times per second. DRAM is used for
most system memory because it is cheap and small. All DRAMs are made up of memory cells which are
composed of one capacitor and one transistor.
Characteristics of the Dynamic RAM
 It has short data lifetime
 Need to be refreshed continuously
 Slower as compared to SRAM
  Used as RAM
 Lesser in size
 Less expensive
 Less power consumption
Computer - Read Only Memory
ROM stands for Read Only Memory. The memory from which we can only read but cannot write on it. This
type of memory is non-volatile. The information is stored permanently in such memories
during manufacture. A ROM, stores such instructions that are required to start a
computer. This operation is referred to as bootstrap. ROM chips are not only used in the
computer but also in other electronic items like washing machine and microwave oven.
Following are the various types of ROM
MROM (Masked ROM)
The very first ROMs were hard-wired devices that contained a pre-programmed set of data or instructions.
These kind of ROMs are known as masked ROMs which are inexpensive.
PROM (Programmable Read only Memory)
PROM is read-only memory that can be modified only once by a user. The user buys a blank PROM and
enters the desired contents using a PROM program. Inside the PROM chip there are small fuses which are
burnt open during programming. It can be programmed only once and is not erasable.
EPROM (Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory)
The EPROM can be erased by exposing it to ultra-violet light for a duration of up to 40 minutes. Usually, an
EPROM eraser achieves this function. During programming, an electrical charge is trapped in an insulated
gate region. The charge is retained for more than ten years because the charge has no leakage path. For erasing
this charge, ultra-violet light is passed through a quartz crystal window(lid). This exposure to ultra-violet light
dissipates the charge. During normal use the quartz lid is sealed with a sticker.
EEPROM (Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory)
The EEPROM is programmed and erased electrically. It can be erased and reprogrammed about ten thousand
times. Both erasing and programming take about 4 to 10 ms (milli second). In EEPROM, any location can be
selectively erased and programmed. EEPROMs can be erased one byte at a time, rather than erasing the entire
chip. Hence, the process of re-programming is flexible but slow.
Advantages of ROM
The advantages of ROM are as follows:
 Non-volatile in nature
 These cannot be accidentally changed
 Cheaper than RAMs
 Easy to test
 More reliable than RAMs
 These are static and do not require refreshing
 Its contents are always known and can be verified

Computer - Motherboard
The motherboard serves as a single platform to connect all of the parts of a computer together. A motherboard
connects CPU, memory, hard drives, optical drives, video card, sound card, and other ports and expansion
cards directly or via cables. It can be considered as the backbone of a computer.
Features of Motherboard
A motherboard comes with following features:
 Motherboard varies greatly in supporting various
types of components.
 Normally a motherboard supports a single type of
CPU and few types of memories.
 Video Cards, Hard disks, Sound Cards have to be
compatible with motherboard to function properly
 Motherboards, cases and power supplies must be
compatible to work properly together.
Popular Manufacturers
 Intel
 ASUS
 AOpen
 ABIT
 Biostar
 Gigabyte
 MSI
Description of Motherboard
The motherboard is mounted inside the case and is securely attached via small screws through pre-drilled
holes. Motherboard contains ports to connect all of the internal components. It provides a single socket for
CPU whereas for memory, normally one or more slots are available. Motherboards provide ports to attach
floppy drive, hard drive, and optical drives via ribbon cables. Motherboard carries fans and a special port
designed for power supply.
There is a peripheral card slot in front of the motherboard using which video cards, sound cards and other
expansion cards can be connected to motherboard.
On the left side, motherboards carry a number of ports to connect monitor, printer, mouse, keyboard, speaker,
and network cables. Motherboards also provide USB ports which allow compatible devices to be connected
in plug-in/plug-out fashion for example, pen drive, digital cameras etc.
Computer - Memory Units
Memory unit is:
 the amount of data that can be stored in the storage unit.
 that in which storage capacity is expressed in terms of Bytes.
Following are the main memory storage units:
Sr.No. Unit Description
1 Bit (Binary Digit) A binary digit is logical 0 and 1 representing a passive or an active state
of a component in an electric circuit.
2 Nibble A group of 4 bits is called nibble.
3 Byte A group of 8 bits is called byte. A byte is the smallest unit which can
represent a data item or a character.
4 Word A computer word, like a byte, is a group of fixed number of bits
processed as a unit which varies from computer to computer but is fixed
for each computer.
The length of a computer word is called word-size or word length and
it may be as small as 8 bits or may be as long as 96 bits. A computer
stores the information in the form of computer words.
Few higher storage units are following
Sr.No. Unit Description
1 Kilobyte (KB) 1 KB = 1024 Bytes
2 Megabyte (MB) 1 MB = 1024 KB
3 GigaByte (GB) 1 GB = 1024 MB
4 TeraByte (TB 1 TB = 1024 GB
5 PetaByte (PB) 1 PB = 1024 TB
Computer - Ports
What is a Port?
A port:
 is a physical docking point using which an external device can be connected to the computer.
 can also be programmatic docking point through which information flows from a program to computer
or over the internet.
Characteristics
A port has the following characteristics:
 External devices are connected to a computer using cables and ports.
 Ports are slots on the motherboard into which a cable of external device is plugged in.
 Examples of external devices attached via ports are mouse, keyboard, monitor, microphone, speakers
etc.
Following are few important types of ports:
Serial Port
 Used for external modems and older computer
mouse
 Two versions : 9 pin, 25 pin model
 Data travels at 115 kilobits per second
Parallel Port
 Used for scanners and printers
 Also called printer port
 25 pin model
 Also known as IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics port
PS/2 Port
 Used for old computer keyboard and mouse
 Also called mouse port
 Most of the old computers provide two PS/2 port,
each for mouse and keyboard
 Also known as IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics port
Universal Serial Bus (or USB) Port
 It can connect all kinds of external USB devices such as external hard disk, printer, scanner, mouse,
keyboard etc.
 It was introduced in 1997.
 Most of the computers provide two USB ports as minimum.
 Data travels at 12 megabits per seconds
 USB compliant devices can get power from a USB port
VGA Port
 Connects monitor to a computer's video card.
 Has 15 holes.
  Similar to serial port connector but serial port connector has pins, it has holes.
Power Connector
 Three-pronged plug
 Connects to the computer's power cable that plugs into a power bar or wall socket
Firewire Port
 Transfers large amount of data at very fast speed.
 Connects camcorders and video equipments to the computer
 Data travels at 400 to 800 megabits per seconds
 Invented by Apple
 Three variants : 4-Pin FireWire 400 connector, 6-Pin FireWire 400 connector and 9-Pin FireWire 800
connector
Modem Port
 Connects a PC's modem to the telephone network
Ethernet Port
 Connects to a network and high speed Internet.
 Connect network cable to a computer.
 This port resides on an Ethernet Card.
 Data travels at 10 megabits to 1000 megabits per seconds depending upon the network bandwidth.
Game Port
 Connect a joystick to a PC
 Now replaced by USB.
Digital Video Interface, DVI port
 Connects Flat panel LCD monitor to the computer's high end video graphic cards.
 Very popular among video card manufacturers.
Sockets
 Connect microphone, speakers to sound card of the
computer
Computer - Hardware
Hardware represents the physical and tangible components of a
computer i.e. the components that can be seen and touched.
Examples of Hardware are following:
 Input devices -- keyboard, mouse etc.
 Output devices -- printer, monitor etc.
 Secondary storage devices -- Hard disk, CD, DVD etc.
 Internal components -- CPU, motherboard, RAM etc.

Relationship between Hardware and Software

 Hardware and software are mutually dependent on each other. Both of them must work together to
make a computer produce a useful output.
 Software cannot be utilized without supporting hardware.
 Hardware without set of programs to operate upon cannot be utilized and is useless.
 To get a particular job done on the computer, relevant software should be loaded into the hardware
 Hardware is a one-time expense.
 Software development is very expensive and is a continuing expense.
 Different software applications can be loaded on a hardware to run different jobs.
 A software acts as an interface between the user and the hardware.
 If hardware is the 'heart' of a computer system, then software is its 'soul'. Both are complimentary to
each other.
Computer - Software
Software is a set of programs, which is designed to perform a well-defined function. A program is a sequence
of instructions written to solve a particular problem.
There are two types of software
 System Software
 Application Software

System Software
The system software is collection of programs designed to operate, control, and extend the processing
capabilities of the computer itself. System software are generally prepared by computer manufactures. These
software products comprise of programs written in low-level languages which interact with the hardware at a
very basic level. System software serves as the interface between hardware and the end users.
Some examples of system software are Operating System, Compilers, Interpreter, Assemblers etc.
Features of system software are as follows:
 Close to system
 Fast in speed
 Difficult to design
 Difficult to understand
 Less interactive
 Smaller in size
 Difficult to manipulate
 Generally written in low-level language

Application Software
Application software products are designed to satisfy a particular need of a particular environment. All
software applications prepared in the computer lab can come under the category of Application software.
Application software may consist of a single program, such as a Microsoft's notepad for writing and editing
simple text. It may also consist of a collection of programs, often called a software package, which work
together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet package.
Examples of Application software are following:
 Payroll Software
 Student Record Software
 Inventory Management Software
 Income Tax Software
 Railways Reservation Software
 Microsoft Office Suite Software
 Microsoft Word
 Microsoft Excel
 Microsoft Powerpoint
Features of application software are as follows:
 Close to user
 Easy to design
 More interactive
 Slow in speed
 Generally written in high-level language
 Easy to understand
 Easy to manipulate and use
 Bigger in size and requires large storage space
Computer - Data and Information
What is data?
Data can be defined as a representation of facts,
concepts or instructions in a formalized manner
which should be suitable for communication,
interpretation, or processing by human or electronic
machine.
Data is represented with the help of characters like
alphabets (A-Z,a-z), digits (0-9) or special characters(+,-,/,*,<,>,= etc.).
What is Information?
Information is organised or classified data which has some meaningful values for the receiver.
Information is the processed data on which decisions and actions are based.
For the decision to be meaningful, the processed data must qualify for the
following characteristics:
 Timely - Information should be available when required.
 Accuracy - Information should be accurate.
 Completeness - Information should be complete.

Data Processing Cycle

Data processing is the re-structuring or re-ordering of data by people or machine to increase their usefulness
and add values for particular purpose. Data processing consists of basic steps input, processing and output.
These three steps constitute the data processing cycle.

 Input - In this step the input data is prepared in some convenient form for processing. The form will
depend on the processing machine. For example, when electronic computers are used, the input data
could be recorded on any one of several types of input medium, such as magnetic disks, tapes and so
on.
 Processing - In this step input data is changed to produce data in a more useful form. For example,
pay-checks may be calculated from the time cards, or a summary of
sales for the month may be calculated from the sales orders.
 Output - Here the result of the proceeding processing step are
collected. The particular form of the output data depends on the use of
the data. For example, output data may be pay-checks for employees.
Computer - Networking
What is a Computer Network?
A computer network is a system in which multiple computers are
connected to each other to share information and resources.
Characteristics of a computer network
 Share Resources from one computer to another
 Create files and store them in one computer, access those
files from the other computer(s) connected over the network
  Connect a printer, scanner, or a fax machine to one computer within the network and let other
computers of the network use the machines available over network.
Following is the list of hardware's required to setup a computer network.
 Network Cables
 Distributors
 Routers
 Internal Network Cards
 External Network Cards
Network Cables
Network cables are used to connect computers. The most commonly used cable is Category 5 cable RJ-45.
Distributors
A computer can be connected to another one via a serial port but if we
need to connect many computers to produce a network, this serial
connection will not work. The solution is to use a central body to which
other computers, printers, scanners etc. can be connected and then this
body will manage or distribute network traffic.
Router
A router is a type of device which acts as the central point among computers and other
devices that are part of a network. A router is equipped with holes called ports and
computers and other devices are connected to a router using network cables. Now-a-
days router comes in wireless modes using which computers can be connected without
any physical cable.
Network Card
Network card is a necessary component of a computer without which a computer cannot be connected over a
network. It is also known as network adapter or Network Interface Card (NIC). Most branded computers have
network card pre-installed. Network cards are of two types : Internal and External Network Cards.
Internal Network Cards
Motherboard has a slot for internal network card where it is to be inserted. Internal
network cards are of two types in which first type uses Peripheral Component
Interconnect (PCI) connection while the second type uses Industry Standard
Architecture (ISA). Network cables are required to provide network access.
External Network Cards
External network cards come in two flavours: Wireless and USB based. Wireless
network card need to be inserted into the motherboard but no network cable is
required to connect to network
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
USB card are easy to use and connect via USB port. Computers automatically detect
USB card and can install the drivers required to support the USB network card
automatically.
Computer - Operating System
It is a program with following features:
  An operating system is a program that acts as an interface between the software and the computer
hardware.
 It is an integrated set of specialised programs that are used to manage overall
resources and operations of the computer.
 It is specialised software that controls and monitors the execution of all other
programs that reside in the computer, including application programs and
other system software.
Objectives of Operating System
 To make a computer system convenient to use in an efficient manner
 To hide the details of the hardware resources from the users
 To provide users a convenient interface to use the computer system
 To act as an intermediary between the hardware and its users and making it
easier for the users to access and use other resources
 To manage the resources of a computer system
 To keep track of who is using which resource, granting resource requests,
according for resource using and mediating conflicting requests from
different programs and users
 To provide efficient and fair sharing of resources among users and programs
Characteristics of Operating System
 Memory Management -- keeps tracks of primary memory i.e. what part of it is in use by whom, what
part is not in use etc. and allocates the memory when a process or program requests it.
 Processor Management -- allocates the processor(CPU) to a process and deallocates processor when
it is no longer required.
 Device Management -- keeps track of all devices. This is also called I/O controller that decides which
process gets the device, when, and for how much time.
 File Management -- allocates and de-allocates the resources and decides who gets the resources.
 Security -- prevents unauthorized access to programs and data by means of passwords and similar
other techniques.
 Job accounting -- keeps track of time and resources used by various jobs and/or users.
 Control over system performance -- records delays between request for a service and from the
system.
 Interaction with the operators -- The interaction may take place via the console of the computer in
the form of instructions. Operating System acknowledges the same, does the corresponding action and
informs the operation by a display screen.
 Error-detecting aids -- Production of dumps, traces, error messages and other debugging and error-
detecting methods.
 Coordination between other software and users -- Coordination and assignment of compilers,
interpreters, assemblers and other software to the various users of the computer systems.
Computer - Internet and Intranet
Internet
It is a worldwide system which has the following characteristics:
 Internet is a world-wide / global system of interconnected computer networks.
 Internet uses the standard Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
 Every computer in internet is identified by a unique IP address.
 IP Address is a unique set of numbers (such as 110.22.33.114) which
identifies a computer’s location.
 A special computer DNS (Domain Name Server) is used to give
name to the IP Address so that user can locate a computer by a name.
 For example, a DNS server will resolve a name
http://www.tutorialspoint.com to a particular IP address to
uniquely identify the computer on which this website is hosted.
 Internet is accessible to every user all over the world.

Intranet
 Intranet is system in which multiple PCs are connected to each other.
 PCs in intranet are not available to the world outside the intranet.
 Usually each company or organization has their own Intranet
network and members/employees of that company can access the
computers in their intranet.
 Each computer in Intranet is also identified by an IP Address
which is unique among the computers in that Intranet.
Similarities in Internet and Intranet
 Intranet uses the internet protocols such as TCP/IP and FTP.
 Intranet sites are accessible via web browser in similar way as websites in internet. But only members
of Intranet network can access intranet hosted sites.
 In Intranet, own instant messengers can be used as similar to yahoo messenger/ gtalk over the internet.
Differences in Internet and Intranet
 Internet is general to PCs all over the world whereas Intranet is specific to few PCs.
 Internet has wider access and provides a better access to websites to large population whereas Intranet
is restricted.
 Internet is not as safe as Intranet as Intranet can be safely privatized as per the need.
Computer - How to Buy?
This chapter gives the following information:
 In this guide, we'll help you to buy a desktop on component by
component basis.
 As desktops are highly customizable, so it is better to learn about
main parts and then go to manufacturer or retailer shop or site instead
of looking at some specific model directly.
 Popular desktop brands are Dell, Lenovo, HP and Apple.
 Compare the desktops based on their specifications and base price.

Monitor
 Size - It is the diagonal size of the LCD screen. Larger the area, bigger the
picture screen. A bigger picture is preferable for movie watching and gaming.
It will increase productivity as well.
  Resolution - This is the number of pixels on the screen. For example, 24-inch display is 1920x1200
(width by length) and 22-inch display which is 1680x1050. High resolution provides better picture
quality and a nice gaming experience.
 Inputs - Now-a-days monitors can accept inputs from cable as well apart from computer. They also
can have USB ports.
 Stand - Some monitors come with adjustable stands while some may not.
 Recommended - 24 Inch LCD.
Operating System
 Operating System is the main software of the computer as everything will run on it.
 There are primarily three choices : Windows, Linux, Apple OS X.
 Linux is free but people generally do not use it for home purpose.
 Apple OS X works only on Apple Desktops.
 Windows 7 is very popular among desktop users.
 Most of the computers come pre-equipped with Windows 7 Starter edition.
 Windows 8 is recently introduced and is available in market.
 Windows 7 and Windows 8 come in multiple versions from starter, home basic, home premium,
professional, ultimate and enterprise editions.
 As edition version increases, their features list and price increases.
 Recommended - Windows 7 Home Premium.
Optical Drive (CD / DVD / Blu-ray)
 Optical drive is the drive on a computer which is responsible for using CD, DVD and Blu-ray discs.
 Now-a-days, DVD burners are industry standards.
 DVD Burner can burn CD, DVD and play them.
 DVD Burner is cheaper than Blu-ray drives.
 Blu-ray drives can play HD movies but are costlier component.
 Recommended - DVD Burner.
Memory
 RAM is considered as Computer Memory as performance of a computer is
directly proportional to its memory and processor.
 Today's software and operating system require high memory.
 Today commonly used RAM is DDR3 which operates at 1066Mhz
 As per Windows 7, 1 GB is the minimum RAM required to function properly.
 Recommended - 4 GB.
Hard Drive
 Hard disk is used for storage purpose. Higher the capacity, more data you can save in it.
 Now-a-days computers are equipped with 500GB hard drive which can be extended to 2TB.
 Most hard drives in desktop operate at the standard performance speed of 7200RPM.
 Recommended - 500GB.
CPU
 Frequency (GHz) - This determines speed of the processor. More the speed, better the CPU.
 Cores - Now-a-days CPUs come with more than one core, which is like having more than one CPU in
the computer. Programs which can take advantage of multi-core environment will run faster on such
machines.
 Brand - Intel or AMD. Both are equivalent. Intel is in lead.
 Cache - Higher the L1, L2 cache, better the CPU performance
 Recommended - Intel Core i3 i3-3225 3.30 GHz Processor.