1.

Introduction to Computer
• Computers are Integral part of our lives.

• Used for Railway, Airline Reservations

• Movie Ticket Booking

• Paying Bills – Electricity, Mobile, Telephone etc.

• Banking Transactions

• Weather Forecasting

• Disease Diagnostic
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video1
Definition
• A computer is a machine or device that performs processes, calculations and
operations based on instructions provided by a software or hardware
program. It has the ability to accept data (input), process it, and then
produce outputs.

• Computers can also store data for later uses in appropriate storage devices,
and retrieve whenever it is necessary.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video1

Characteristics

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video1

Cont..
1. Speed-High speed of performing operations.

2. Reliability-Ability to perform same job in the same way for any no. of times.

3. Accuracy-Highly accurate in arithmetic operations.

4. Diligence-Can work for hours together without creating any error.

5. Memory-Large storage capability.

6. Logical-Works according to programmers logic.

7. Versatility-Able to perform any task.

8. Automation-Work automatically according to the given program.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video1
Classification of Computer

Based on Principles of
Operations

Analog Hybrid
Digital Computer Computer
Computer

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video1

Classification of Computer

Based on Configuration

Super Mainframe Micro

Mini Computer
Computer Computer Computer

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video1

Applications of Computer
1. Business

2. Banking

3. Health Care

4. Engineering Design

5. Communication

6. Education

7. Insurance

8. Marketing
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video1
 1. Introduction to Computer
• Block Diagram of Computer

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video2

Functions of Each part:
1. Input Unit: Used for entering data into the computer. It contains
devices with the help of which one can enter data into the computer.
It acts as an interface between User and Computer.

Functions:

a) Accept data from user

b) Convert data into binary form

c) To supply converted data to computer for further processing.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video2
Cont..
2. Central Processing Unit: It performs the task of Arithmetic and
Logical operations. It is the heart of every computer system that
performs user instructions.

a) ALU-To perform Arithmetic and Logical operations.

b) CU-Responsible for program execution, fetching information from

memory, decoding it and sending it at appropriate place in computer
to execute.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video2

Cont..
3. Storage Unit: Saves data and instructions permanently or temporarily.
Divided into two types RAM and ROM.

Functions:

a) Stores intermediate results

b) All inputs and outputs are transmitted through main memory

c) Stores data and instructions to be processed

d) Stores final result of processing before sending it to output device.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video2

Cont..
4. Output Unit: Stores the result of processing called as output. We can
get information from computer with the help of output devices.

Functions:

a) Accepts result of processing from computer in binary form.

b) Convert result from binary to user readable form.

c) Supplies converted form to the user through the output device.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video2

Software & Hardware
• Software: Computer Software is a set of data or instructions which
enables computer to perform various tasks. It contains programs,
procedures and routines associated with the operation of computer.

• It is a logical part.

• We cannot see or touch the software.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video2

Cont..
• Hardware: Computer Hardware refers to the physical part of
computer that we can touch and see. These parts are also called as
computer peripherals.

• It includes keyboard, mouse, printer, motherboard etc.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video2

Types of Software

Software

System Application
Software Software
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video2
Cont..
• System Software: is software for managing computer
hardware behavior, as to provide basic functionalities that are
required by users, or for other software to run properly. System
software is also designed for providing a platform for running
application software:

e.g. Operating System

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video2

Cont..
• Application Software: is software that uses the computer system to
perform special functions or provide entertainment functions beyond
the basic operation of the computer itself. There are many different
types of application software, because the range of tasks that can be
performed with a modern computer is so large.

e.g. MS-Office, Photoshop etc.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video2

 1. Introduction to Computer
Computer Hardware:

Input Devices:
In computing, an input device is a piece of equipment used to provide data
and control signals to an information processing system such as a computer or
information appliance.

e.g. keyboards, mouse, scanners, digital cameras, joysticks, etc.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video3

1. Keyboard
Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device which helps to input
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.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video3

Sr. No. Keys & Description
Typing Keys
1 These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and digit keys (09) which generally give the same
layout as that of typewriters.
Numeric Keypad
2 It is used to enter the numeric data or cursor movement. Generally, it consists of a set of 17
keys that are laid out in the same configuration used by most adding machines and calculators.
Function Keys
3 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 a unique meaning and is used for some specific purpose.

Control keys
These keys provide cursor and screen control. It includes four directional arrow keys. Control
4 keys also include Home, End, Insert, Delete, Page Up, Page Down, Control(Ctrl),
Alternate(Alt), Escape(Esc).
Special Purpose Keys
5 Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys such as Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, Num
Lock, Space bar, Tab, and Print Screen.
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video3
2. Mouse
Mouse is the 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 the mouse and sends corresponding signals to the CPU when
the mouse buttons are pressed.

Advantages

• Easy to use

• Not very expensive

• Moves the cursor faster than the arrow keys of the keyboard.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video3

3. Joystick
Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to move the 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.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video3

4. Light Pen
Light pen is a pointing device 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.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video3

5. Scanner
Scanner is an input device, which works more like a photocopy machine.
It is used when some information is available on paper and it is to be
transferred to the hard disk of the computer for further manipulation.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video3

6. Bar Code Reader
Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in the
form of light and dark lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labelling
goods, numbering the books, etc. It may be a handheld scanner or may be
embedded in a stationary scanner.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video3

7. Digital Camera
A digital camera or digicam is a camera that captures photographs
in digital memory. Most cameras produced today are digital, and while
there are still dedicated digital cameras, many more cameras are now
incorporated into mobile devices like smartphones, which can, among
many other purposes, use their cameras to initiate live video-telephony
and directly edit and upload imagery to others. However, high-end, high-
definition dedicated cameras are still commonly used by professionals
and those who desire to take higher-quality photographs.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video3

 1. Introduction to Computer
Computer Hardware:

Output Devices:
Output devices can produce the final product of machine processing into a
form usable by humans. Output devices accepts the data from CPU and
convert it into the user readable format.

e.g. Monitor, Printer, Plotter etc.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4

1. Monitor
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 types of viewing screen used for monitors.

i. Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT)

ii. Flat-Panel Display

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4

Cont..
i) 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 a whole character,
such as the letter ‘e’ in the word help.

There are some disadvantages of CRT −

a) Large in Size

b) High power consumption

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4

Cont..
ii) 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, and
graphics display.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4

Cont..
The flat-panel display is divided into two categories −

• Emissive Displays − Emissive displays are devices that convert electrical energy
into light. For example, plasma panel and LED (Light-Emitting Diodes).

• Non-Emissive Displays − Non-emissive displays use optical effects to convert

sunlight or light from some other source into graphics patterns. For example, LCD
(Liquid-Crystal Device).

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4

2. Printers
Printers

Non
Impact
Impact

Character Line Laser Inkjet

Dot Daisy Drum Chain

Matrix Wheel Printer Printer
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4
2. Printer
Printer is an output device, which is used to print information on paper.

There are two types of printers −

I. Impact Printers

II. Non-Impact Printers

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4

I) Impact Printers
Impact printers print the characters by striking them on the ribbon, which is then pressed on the
paper.

Characteristics-
• 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 −

i. Character printers

ii. Line printers

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4
i) Character Printers
Character printers are the printers which print one character at a time.

These are further divided into two types:

a. Dot Matrix Printer(DMP)
b. Daisy Wheel

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4

a) Dot Matrix Printer
These printers are popular because of their ease of printing and economical price.
Each character printed is in the 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
which is why it is called Dot Matrix Printer.
Advantages
• Inexpensive
• Widely Used
• Other language characters can be printed
Disadvantages
• Slow Speed
• Poor Quality
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4
b) Daisy Wheel Printer
Head is lying on a wheel and pins corresponding to characters are like petals of Daisy
(flower) which is why it is called Daisy Wheel Printer. These printers are generally used
for word-processing in offices that require a few letters to be sent here and there with
very nice quality.
Advantages
• More reliable than DMP
• Better quality
• Fonts of character can be easily changed
Disadvantages
• Slower than DMP
• Noisy
• More expensive than DMP
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4
ii) Line Printer

Line printers are the printers which print one line at a time.

These are further divided into two types:

a. Drum Printer
b. Chain Printer

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4

a) Drum Printer
Total tracks are equal to the size of the paper, i.e. for a paper width of 132 characters,
drum will have 132 tracks. A character set is embossed on the track. Different character
sets available in the market are 48 character set, 64 and 96 characters set. One rotation of
drum prints one line. The surface of the drum is divided into a number of tracks. Total
tracks are equal to the size of the paper, i.e. for a paper width of 132 characters, drum
will have 132 tracks. A character set is embossed on the track. Different character sets
available in the market are 48 character set, 64 and 96 characters set. One rotation of
drum prints one line.
Advantages
• Very high speed
Disadvantages
• Very expensive
• Characters fonts cannot be changed

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4

b) Chain Printer
In this printer, a chain of character sets is used, hence 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

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4

II) Non Impact Printers
Non-impact printers print the characters without using the ribbon. These printers print a
complete page at a time, thus they are also called as Page Printers.

These printers are of two types −

i. Laser Printers
ii. Inkjet Printers
Characteristics-
• Faster than impact printers
• They are not noisy
• High quality
• Supports many fonts and different character size
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4
i) Laser Printer
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
• Good graphics quality
• Supports many fonts and different character size

Disadvantages
• Expensive
• Cannot be used to produce multiple copies of a document in a single printing
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4
ii) Inkjet Printer
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.

Advantages

• High quality printing

• More reliable

Disadvantages
• Expensive as the cost per page is high

• Slow as compared to laser printer

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video4
 1. Introduction to Computer
Storage Devices-
Computer’s memory is used to store data and information in the binary form. It is
used to store and retrieve data as and when needed.

Computer
Memory

Primary Secondary
Memory Memory

RAM ROM Sequential Random

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

 1. Introduction to Computer
I) Primary Memory-
The main features of primary memory, which distinguish it from secondary memory
are −
• It is accessed directly by the processor
• It is the fastest memory available
• Each word is stored in well format
• It is volatile, i.e. its contents are lost once power is switched off
Types of Primary Memory-
a) RAM
b) ROM

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

a) Random Access Memory (RAM)-
The main features of primary memory, which distinguish it from secondary
memory are −

• It is accessed directly by the processor

• It is the fastest memory available

• Each word is stored in well format

• It is volatile, i.e. its contents are lost once power is switched off

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

Types of RAM
i. SRAM (Static RAM)-Each cell in SRAM is made of a flip flop that stores one bit.
It retains its bit till the power supply is on and doesn’t need to be refreshed like
DRAM. It also has shorter read-write cycles as compared to DRAM. SRAM is
used in specialized applications.

ii. DRAM (Dynamic RAM)-Each memory cell in a DRAM is made of one transistor
and one capacitor, which store one bit of data. However, this cell starts losing its
charge and hence data stored in less than thousandth of a second. So it needs to be
refreshed thousand times a second, which takes up processor time. However, due to
small size of each cell, one DRAM can have large number of cells. Primary
memory of most of the personal computers is made of DRAM.
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5
b) Read Only Memory (ROM)-
• ROM stands for Read Only Memory.

• ROM can only be read by the processor. New data cannot be written into ROM.

• Data to be stored into ROM is written during the manufacturing phase itself. They
contain data that does not need to be altered, like booting sequence of a computer
or algorithmic tables for mathematical applications.

• ROM is slower and hence cheaper than RAM. It retains its data even when power
is switched off, i.e. it is non-volatile.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

Types of ROM
i. MROM (Masked ROM)- Contains pre-programmed set of data or instructions.

ii. PROM (Programmable ROM)- can be programmed using a special hardware

device called PROM programmer or PROM burner.

iii. EPROM (Erasable Programmable ROM)-EPROM can be erased and then

programmed using special electrical signals or UV rays. EPROMs that can be
erased using UV rays are called UVEPROM and those that can be erased using
electrical signals are called EEPROM. However, handling electric signals is
easier and safer than UV rays.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

RAM Vs. ROM
Sr. No. Key RAM ROM
Definition RAM stands for Random Access ROM stands for Read Only Memory.
1 Memory.
Data RAM data is volatile. Data is present ROM data is permanent. Data remains even
2 Retention till power supply is present. after power supply is not present.

Data Access RAM data can be read, erased or ROM data is read only.
3 modified.
Usage RAM is used to store data that CPU ROM is used to store data that in needed to
4 needs for current instruction bootstrap the computer.
processing.

5 Speed RAM speed is quite high. ROM speed is slower than RAM.
Capacity RAM memory is large and high ROM is generally small and of low capacity.
6 capacity.
7 Cost RAM is costly. ROM is cheap.
Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5
II) Secondary Memory-
• Store large amount of data or programs permanently.

• It is a cheaper and permanent memory.

• Used to store large amount of data, audio, video and multimedia files.

• It is non-volatile, i.e. it retains data when power is switched off.

• Data Storage capacity is in Terabytes.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

II) Secondary Storage Devices-
i. CD (Compact Disk)

ii. DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)

iii. Hard Disk

iv. Pen Drive / Flash Drive

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

Cont..
i) CD (Compact Disk)- CD stands for Compact Disk. CDs are circular disks that use
optical rays, usually lasers, to read and write data. They are very cheap as you can get 700
MB of storage space for less than a dollar. CDs are inserted in CD drives built into CPU
cabinet. They are portable as you can eject the drive, remove the CD and carry it with you.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

Cont..
There are three types of CDs −

• CD-ROM (Compact Disk – Read Only Memory) − The data on these CDs are
recorded by the manufacturer. Proprietary Software, audio or video are released on CD-
ROMs.

• CD-R (Compact Disk – Recordable) − Data can be written by the user once on the CD-
R. It cannot be deleted or modified later.

• CD-RW (Compact Disk – Rewritable) − Data can be written and deleted on these
optical disks again and again.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

Cont..
ii) DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)- DVD stands for Digital Video Display. DVD
are optical devices that can store 15 times the data held by CDs. They are usually
used to store rich multimedia files that need high storage capacity. DVDs also come
in three varieties – read only, recordable and rewritable.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

Cont..
iii) Hard Disk- Hard disk drive is made up of a series of circular disks
called platters arranged one over the other almost ½ inches apart around a spindle.
Disks are made of non-magnetic material like aluminum alloy and coated with 10-20
nm of magnetic material. Standard diameter of these disks is 14 inches and they rotate
with speeds varying from 4200 rpm (rotations per minute) for personal computers to
15000 rpm for servers. Data is stored by magnetizing or demagnetizing the magnetic
coating. A magnetic reader arm is used to read data from and write data to the disks. A
typical modern HDD has capacity in terabytes (TB).

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

Cont..
iv) Pen Drive- Pen drive is a portable memory device that uses solid state memory
rather than magnetic fields or lasers to record data. It uses a technology similar to
RAM, except that it is nonvolatile. It is also called USB drive, key drive or flash
memory.

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5

References-
• https://www.google.com/search?q=definition+of+computer&source=lnms&
tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjZz5D9sO
• https://www.tutorialspoint.com/computer_fundamentals/computer_output_d
evices.htm
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software
• Computer Fundamentals (F.Y.B.Com) -Nirali Publications
• Computer Fundamentals – Pradeep Sinha and Priti Sinha

Unit 1-Introduction to Computer_Video5