Introduction

to
Computer
 Data
• Data is a collection of raw unprocessed facts, figures, and symbols.
Computers process data to create information.
• In computing, data is information that has been translated into a form that is
more convenient to move or process. Relative to today's computers and
transmission media, data is information converted into binary digital form.
 Information
• Information is data that is organized, meaningful, and useful.
• Example: Computer processes several data items to produce a paycheck.
• Another example of information is a grade report, which is generated from data
items such as a student name, course names, and course grades.
 What is Information Technology?
IT (information technology) is a term that covers all forms of technology used
to create, store, exchange, and use information in its various forms (business
data, voice conversations, still images, motion pictures, multimedia
presentations, and other forms, including those not yet conceived). It's a
convenient term for including both telephony and computer technology in the
same word. It is the technology that is driving what has often been called "the
information revolution."
 Why “IT” is being used?
• You can’t think about a world with out IT today. IT has become part and
participle with everybody’s life today. There are thousands of reasons about
why people use computers to fulfill their requirements in many life aspects.
• Basically we can have Information Systems which is a major part in IT.
 Types Of Information Systems
• Office Information Systems
• Transaction Processing Systems
• Management Information Systems
• Decision Support Systems
• Expert Systems
Questions:

• What is Data?

• What is Information?

• What is Information Technology?

• Why are you using IT?

• Name the information systems.

 History of Computer

• Abacus
The first calculating
equipment was used by
Greeks, Egyptians and some
Asians.
• Pascaline Blaisé Pascal
In 1642 a French
mathematician Blaisé Pascal
has introduced. An adding
machine that scan speed the
calculating process. This was
named as pascaline.
• Different engine
In 1822, a French mathematician
Charles Babbage has as introduced a
different engine which is considered Charles Babbage
as the foundation for computer.
And there for he is honored as the
“father of computer”.
WHAT IS A COMPUTER?
• An electronic device, operating under
the control of instructions stored in its
own memory unit, that can accept data
(input), manipulate the data according
to specified rules (process), produce
information (output) from the
processing, and store the results for
future use.
 Characteristics of Computer
• High Processing speed
• Accuracy
• Diligence
• Versatility (changeability)
• Better storage
The Basic Function of a Computer

Data Information

Input 3 + 2 = 5 Output

Processing
Input - Data which is read from one part of a
computer, into memory.
Processing - Group of actions carried out on a
computer with the purpose of
obtaining a result.
Output - Data which is written from one part of
computer, usually from memory.
Generation of the Computer

5th Generation
Artificial Intelligent

4th Generation
Micro Processors (1970)

3rd Generation
Integrated Circuits – ICs (1958)

2nd Generation
Transistors (1947)

1st Generation
Electronic Valves (1940’s)
 1st Generation (1940 - 1955)
Early computers using Electronic Valves (Vacuum Tubes).

Example:
ENIAC, EDSAC, EDVAC, LEO, UNIVACI and IBM Mark I etc…

- First Electronic computer

ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer)

- First commercial computer

UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer)
 2nd Generation (1956 - 1965)

• More reliable computers using

Transistors, that replaced the
first generation computers.

• Example: UNIVAC 1103A,

ATLAS, IBM1401, IBM 1794
and IBM 7000 Series etc…
 3rd Generation (1966 - 1975)

• More powerful, reliable, and

Compact computers using simple
Integrated Circuit (ICs) that
replaced the second generation
computers.
• Example: Mainframe computer,
Super computers, ICL 1900 series
and IBM 360 series
 4th Generation (1976 - 1985)
• The computers use today and which contain more
sophisticated micro electronic devices such as
Complex Integrated Circuits (Silicon Chips / Micro
Processor) which are classified as:

• Large Scale Integration (LSI) or

• Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI)

• Example: IBM PC, HP 3000, IBM PS/z work

station was introduced
 5th Generation (1986 onwards)

• Fifth Generation - 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.
• Artificial intelligence includes:
• Games Playing: programming computers to play
games such as chess and checkers
• Expert Systems: programming computers to make
decisions in real-life situations (for example, some
expert systems help doctors diagnose diseases based on
symptoms)
• Robotics: programming computers to see and hear and
react to other sensory stimuli
Types of computers
 Micro Computer
• A microcomputer is a complete
computer on a smaller scale and is
generally a synonym for the more
common term, personal computer or
PC, a computer designed for an
individual. A microcomputer contains a
microprocessor.
 Mini Computers
• A minicomputer, a term no longer much used, is a
computer of a size intermediate between a
microcomputer and a mainframe. Typically,
minicomputers have been stand-alone computers
(computer systems with attached terminals and other
devices) sold to small and mid-size businesses for
general business applications and to large enterprises for
department-level operations. In recent years, the
minicomputer has evolved into the "mid-range server"
and is part of a network.
 Mainframes Computer
• Mainframe is an industry term for a large computer,
typically manufactured by a large company such as
IBM for the commercial applications of Fortune
1000 businesses and other large-scale computing
purposes. Historically, a mainframe is associated
with centralized rather than distributed computing.
Today, IBM refers to its larger processors as large
servers and emphasizes that they can be used to
serve distributed users and smaller servers in a
computing network.
 Super Computer
• A supercomputer is a computer that
performs at or near the currently
highest operational rate for
computers. A supercomputer is
typically used for scientific and
engineering applications that must
handle very large databases or do a
great amount of computation (or
both).
 Analog Computer
• An analog computer operates in a completely
opposite way to the digital computer. For a start,
all operations in an analog computer are
performed in parallel. Secondly, data are
represented in an analog computer as voltages, a
very compact but not necessarily robust form of
storage (prone to noise corruption). A single
capacitor (equivalent to the Digital’s computer
use of a transistor) in an analog computer can
represent one continuous variable.
 Digital Computer
• The digital computer is a sequential device, in
general, operating on data one step at a time;
in addition the digital computer represents
data internally using a quite verbose but very
robust form of representation called binary.
Thus a single transistor in a digital computer
can only store two states, on and off.
Obviously to store a number to any sensible
degree of precision, many transistors are
required.
 Hybrid Computer

• A computer that processes both analog and digital data.

A Hybrid Computer is a combination of computers that
are capable of inputting and outputting in both digital
and analog signals. A hybrid computer system setup
offers a cost effective method of performing complex
simulations.
 Purpose: Special, General
• Depending on the purpose we can categorize the computers mainly on to two.
• Special Purpose Computers
- Special Purpose Computers are used for special purposes like scientific
researches, atomic weapon researches, designing sophisticated vehicles, weather
forecasting etc.
- Normally super computers comes under special purpose computers as we
discussed earlier.
• General Purpose Computers
- General Purpose Computers are the normal computers we are using.
 Functions of a computer
CPU
• Accepts data Memory

• Process data Input Arithmetic Output

• Produces output Device & Logic Unit Device

• Stores result Control Unit

External Storage Device

 Primary Components of Computer

COMPUTER

Hardware Software Live ware

Input Devices Operating System Software

Output Devices Application Software
System Unit Programming Languages
Storage Devices Application Packages
 Hardware
• The physical components of a computer system, including any peripheral
equipment such as keyboard, mouse, monitor, printers, modems, and other devices.
• Computer hardware is the collection of all the parts you can physically touch.

1. Input Devices
2. Output Devices
3. System Unit
4. Storage Devices
5. Communication Devices
 Input Devices
• Input Devices means by which you move information into a Computer.
• Input Devices that take data and programs and convert them to a form the
computer can process.

• Input Devices are:

Keyboard, Mouse, Scanner, Microphone, Digital Camera, Barcode Reader, Light Pen and
Joystick etc...
 Input Devices

Touch pad Mouse Keyboard Joystick

Microphone

Scanner Bar code reader

Touch screen Light pen
Structure of Keyboard
Function keys Special Keys

Numerical keys
Character keys Cursor keys
Structure of Mouse
 Output Devices
Output devices are machine that display information from the computer.
Example of output devices.
• Monitor
• Speaker
• Printers
 Laser printer
Monitor

Dot matricx printer

Speaker
Inkjet printer
 CPU (Central processing Unit)
• CPU is the “brain” of your computer. It
contains electronic circuits. The CPU
interprets instructions to the computer,
performs the logical and arithmetic
processing operations, and causes the
input and output operation to occur. It
communicates with the input, output and
storage devices.
 Memory
• Memory, or primary storage. There are 2 types of memory ROM
and RAM. ROM is read only memory. It contains programs and
data that are permanently recorded when the computer is
manufactured. It is read and used by the processor, but cannot by
altered by the user.
• RAM is random access memory. The user can access data in RAM
memory read only. RAM can be erased or written over at will by
the computer programs or the computer user.
ROM (Read Only Memory)
 Storage devices

• A storage device is a
place to store data.
The hard drive, the CD-ROM
floppy disk and the
Hard disk
CD Rom drive are
storage devices. CD-R, DVD-R, CD-RW, DVD-RW
 Software
• A set of instructions is called a program. A program can
carry out a specific task. A collection of programs is called
software.
• Software is divided into the following categories.
1. System Software
2. Application Software
 1. System Software
• System SW refers to the software that enables the computer to function. System SW
consists of programs that interact directly with the computer. Operating system
software is used to run other programs.
DOS (Microsoft Disk Operating System) Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows 7 Microsoft Windows 10
Ubuntu Macintosh
Unix Linux
 2. Application Software
• Application software refers to the programs that help the users to perform specific tasks.
• Application Software is divided into the following categories.
Programming Language
help users develop information system programs and procedures and prepare user programs for
computer processing.
Application Packages
Users apply to real world tasks.
1. Programming Languages
➢ Pascal ➢ C# ➢ XML
➢ VB - (Visual Basic) ➢ Java ➢ SQL
➢ C, C++ ➢ HTML ➢ ASP

2. Application Packages
➢ Paint, Notepad, WordPad, Internet Explorer
➢ Microsoft Office (MS Office) 97, 2000, XP, 2003 (Word, Excel,
Access, PowerPoint, FrontPage, Outlook, Publisher)
➢ Adobe PageMaker, PhotoShop
➢ CorelDraw
 Computer live ware

• means people who are involved in the

computer system environment.