COMPUTER HARDWARE

• A computer is an electronic machine which accepts signals, stores the signals, processes the
signals and communicates results in human readable form.

• Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer.

• It consists of everything that can be touched, felt or seen.

• In general, computer hardware resources are in four categories as follows:

– Input

– Processor

– Storage

– Output

INPUT DEVICES

• Input devices are used to capture data into the computer.

• Input devices are also used for entering commands.

• Commands are instructions that users give to the computer to initiate them into action.

• Since the computer’s processor can only understand and do things in machine language, an
input device is used to convert data from human language to machine language.
MACHINE LANGUAGE

• Machine language consists of codes of characters in binary.

• In machine language, characters are represented by bits (i.e. binary digits) consisting of ones
(1) and zeros (0).

• A binary representation of a character represents the type of current that must flow when
the character is being entered from the input to the processor.

• Each 1 in the code represents high current, and each 0 represents low current.
 CRT MONITORS

Advantages:

• They are cheaper than LCD monitors.

• They are easy to repair.

Disadvantages:

• They occupy a lot of space on the desk.

• They consume a lot of electrical energy.

LCD MONITORS

• They have liquid molecules.

Advantages:

• They occupy less space on the desk.

• They consume less electrical energy than CRT monitors.

Disadvantages:

• They cost more money.

• They are not easily repaired when they develop faults.

DESKJET PRINTERS

• They use ink to print.

Advantages:

• They can print in colour.

• They are less expensive.

• They make less noise when printing.

• They are very light; some are portable.

• Their printout has good quality.

Disadvantages:

• Their ink is expensive.

LASER JET PRINTERS

• They use toner and laser light.

Advantages:

• They print very fast.

• They print quietly.

• They can print in colour or black.

Their printout is of high quality

Disadvantages:

• They are expensive to buy.

• Their toner is costly as well.

• They use laser light which is harmful when exposed to it.

They consume more electrical energy

RESOLUTION OF AN OUPUT DEVICE

• Resolution refers to the sharpness or clarity of an output.

• Often resolution is quoted in dots per inch (dpi), i.e. …..

• The higher the resolution of an output device, e.g. a monitor or a printer, the better the
quality of the output.

Among the printers, the laser jet printer gives the highest resolution, and the impact dot matrix
printer the lowest

STORAGE DEVICES

• Storage devices are used to store user data and computer software.

• There are three types of storage devices.

• The three types are magnetic devices, optical devices and semiconductor devices.
MAGNETIC STORAGE DEVICES

• These use magnetic properties to store data.

• To make a storage device, a magnetic powder, e.g. iron oxide, is coated on a material.

• Data is stored by forming a magnetic pattern on the powder, similar to way music is
recorded on audio tapes.

• There are two types of magnetic storage devices:

• The two types are magnetic tapes and magnetic disks.

• Magnetic tapes are used very rarely nowadays because they are slow.

• There are two types of magnetic disk.

MAGNETIC DISKS

• The two types of magnetic disk are floppy disk and hard disk.

• The hard disk stores more data than the floppy disk.

• The hard disk is make from hard material such as aluminium.

• The floppy disk is made from soft material, i.e. plastic.

• Floppy disks are no longer popular on modern computers.

• Floppy disks are removable from the computer.

• Hard disks are not removable from the computer

OPTICAL DISKS

• Optical disks do not use magnetic properties to store data.

• Optical disks use laser light to store data on storage medium.

• Examples of optical disks are CDs, CD-ROMs, and DVD-ROMs.

• Optical disks store more data than floppy disks.

SEMICONDUCTOR STORAGE

• A semiconductor storage device does not use magnetism or light to store data.

• Semiconductor storage devices use electronic chips to store data.

• An example of a semiconductor storage device is a flash disk.

• Flash disks store more data than floppy disks, and they are easier to carry.
 • Some flash disks store more data than CD-ROMs and DVD-ROMs.

Examples of Storage Devices

STORAGE CAPACITY

• The storage capacity of a storage medium is given in BYTES.

• One byte of data is equal to eight bits.

• 1kilobyte (kB) means one thousand bytes.

• 1megabyte (MB) means one million bytes.

• 1gigabyte (GB) means one billion bytes.

• 1terabyte (TB) means one trillion bytes.

DISK DRIVES

• In the computer, a disk (floppy, hard or optical) is controlled by a mechanism called a disk
drive.

• Disk drives are identified by letters A, B, C, D, and so on.

• Disk drives A and B are no longer used on modern computers because they control floppy
disks.
• Disk drive C is always for the first hard disk which was installed.

• If a computer has two hard disk drives, the first is C and the second is D.

• A computer denotes a flash disk as a removable disk.

• For a computer with one hard disk drive, flash disks are assigned letters D, E, F, G, and so on.

To check how many and which drives a computer has, you simply open the My Computer
folder on the Windows Desktop

THE PROCESSOR

• This is the most important part of computer hardware.

• It has many parts that perform different functions.

• The most fundamental parts of the processor are as follows:

 Control Unit – CU

 Arithmetic and Logic Unit – ALU

 Random Access Memory – RAM

 Read Only Memory - ROM

• Controls all functions of the computer, e.g.

– Controlling operations of input/output (i/o) systems.

– Controlling flow of data within the processor and between the processor and the
peripheral devices.

– Configuring and optimizing RAM to ensure that it works efficiently.

THE ALU

• This is the unit that does the actual processing of data.

• It processes data by doing arithmetic and logic operations.

• Arithmetic means addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

• Logic is comparing things so as to make appropriate choices.

• The CU and the ALU are made on the same computer chip called the Central Processing Unit
(CPU) or the microprocessor.

RAM

• RAM is temporary storage.

• When power is switched off, everything is erased from RAM.

Functions of RAM include the following:

– Receiving raw data from input.

– Receiving processed data from the ALU.

– Storing instructions required by the CU.

– Holding data awaiting output.

– Holding data awaiting storage.

ROM

• ROM stores instructions that are used to start the computer.

• Instructions in ROM cannot be erased.

• During startup, the computer follows instructions in ROM to do the following:

– Read the amount of RAM present.

– Check that components on the motherboard are working properly.

– Check that the hard disk drive is connected and working.

– Load the operating system software in RAM from storage.

THE BIOS

• BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output Systems.

• Every computer has specifications such as hard disk size, memory size, and processor speed.

• A bios is a unit (usually part of the ROM) which keeps these specifications.

• During booting, the computer uses instructions in the ROM to check that these parameters
are correct.

• Together, ROM and BIOS are called ROM-BIOS.

BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF PROGRAM EXECUTION

• The main function of the CPU is to execute, i.e. to run a program.

• A program consists of several instructions , or steps.

• Each instruction tells the computer to perform a specific task.

• A program is executed one instruction at a time.

• Initially a program is loaded in RAM.

• The CU, the ALU and the RAM coordinate very closely during program execution.

HOW CU, ALU AND RAM WORK TOGETHER

• CU fetches an instruction from RAM and puts it in its CIR (i.e. Current Instruction Register).

• CU decodes, i.e. interprets the instruction and communicates with ALU.

• CU directs RAM to send data to ALU.

• ALU processes data and places the processed data in its ACCUMULATOR.

• CU directs ALU to send processed data back to RAM.

• CU directs RAM to send processed data to Output or Storage.

• Current Instruction Register and Accumulator are examples of Registers found in the CPU.

REGISTERS OF THE CPU

• The CPU has a number of registers.

• Registers are used because they work faster than RAM.

• Because within the CPU data and instructions must be transferred very quickly, the CPU
places current instructions and data in the registers.

• Some of the registers of the CPU are:

1. Current Instruction Register (CIR) in the CU and is used to hold an instruction being obeyed
to process data.

2. Memory Data Register (MDR) in the CU used to hold data being processed.

3. Accumulator in the ALU and is used to hold data that has just been processed.

4. Memory Address Register (MAR) in the CU used to hold the address of data being processed.

COMPUTER BUSES

• Buses are routes through which data and instructions travel from one point to another in the
computer.

• The processor has many buses that convey different signals.

• The capacity of a computer is also determined by the size of its buses.

• The greater the bus, the faster the computer because many signals can be transferred at the
same time.

• Examples of buses in the computer are:

1. Data Bus which carries data signals between the CPU and RAM.

2. Address Bus which carries addresses of data between the CPU and RAM.

3. Control Bus which carries control signals from the CPU to all other units.

STARTING THE COMPUTER

• Locate the power switches on the system unit (or CPU) and on the monitor.

• Switch on the monitor.

• Switch on the system unit.

• Wait for the computer to be ready.

Starting a computer is also called BOOTING.

This is the screen that you come to when you start Microsoft Windows.
Pointing, Clicking and Double-clicking

• Pointing is moving a pointer on the screen so that its tip is placed on a chosen area or spot.

• Clicking is pressing and releasing a mouse button.

• Double-clicking is pressing and releasing a mouse button twice in rapid succession.

• Clicking is used to select an item.

Double-clicking is used to start something, e.g. to open a program, a folder or a file.

• This is setting the computer so that it appears and behaves the way you want.

• You use Control Panel to customize the computer.

• Using Control Panel you can customize the mouse, the keyboard, the printer, the monitor,
e.t.c.

CUSTOMIZING WINDOWS DESKTOP

• Click on the START button.

• Click on Control Panel.

• Click on Appearance and Themes.

• Select what you want to customize, e.g.

– Change the computer’s theme

– Change the desktop background

– Choose a screen saver

– Change the screen resolution

Using Help and Support

Microsoft Windows offers help and support for users. To get help and support on any topic in
Windows, do the following:

• Click the START button on the Taskbar.

• Click Help and Support on the displayed menu.

• Click a help topic of your choice in the window that opens.

• Keep clicking options of your choice until you find what you want.

Folders

Folders are used like box files or File cabinets.

They are used for organizing documents.

A folder can have another folder or a file inside it.

A folder found inside another folder is called a sub-folder.

Folders can be made in any storage location, e.g. hard disk, floppy disk, flash disk, or inside another
folder.
Making Folders

Do the following to make a folder:

1. Open the place where you want to make the folder.

2. Click File menu.

3. Point to New and click Folder.

4. Type the name of the folder and either press the enter key or click outside the name you
have typed.

WordPad

• WordPad is a word processor found within Microsoft Windows.

• A word processor is a kind of computer software for creating and editing documents.

STARTING WordPad:

• Click the START button on the Task bar.

• Check on the Start Menu for WordPad and click on it if you see it. If you don’t see WordPad,
proceed as outlined below.

1. Point to All Programs.

2. Point to Accessories.

3. Move to WordPad and click on it.

Type the following in WordPad:

ADVANTAGES OF A COMPUTER

Advantages of using a computer are many, for example:

1. A computer is very fast.

2. A computer is very accurate.

3. A computer has very large storage in a very small space.

4. A computer makes communication easier through electronic mail (e-mail).

5. A computer can be used to control or monitor operations in places that are hazardous

to humans.

6. A computer can be used to handle very complex calculations.

SAVING A DOCUMENT IN WordPad:

• Saving is transferring work from the computer’s memory, i.e. RAM, to the computer’s
storage.

• To save your work in WordPad, do the following:

– Click File Menu.

– Click Save As…

– Open the place in which you want to save the work.

– Click in the File Name box and erase any name you find there.

– Type the name you want to use for your document.

– Click Save

Opening a saved document in WordPad

• Start WordPad.

• Click File Menu.

• Open the storage location where the document was saved.

• Click in the File Name box and type the name of the document.

• Click Open.
COPYING AND MOVING FILES AND FOLDERS

• Open My Documents.

• Open the storage location where the file or folder is.

• Right click the file or folder.

• Left click Copy (to copy file) or Cut (to move file).

• Open the storage location where you want to place what you have copied or cut.

• Right click some where.

• Left click Paste.

MICROSOFT WORD

• What is Microsoft Word?

• Microsoft Word is a word processing software.

• A word processing software is used for typing, formatting and editing word documents.

• Word documents are documents that contain mainly text information.

• Word Processors are the most popular software because they are easier to use and almost
everyone always wants to communicate text messages with other people.

Starting Microsoft Word

• Do one of the following to start Microsoft Word:

– Look for the Microsoft Word icon on the desktop and double click it.

– Click the Start button, look for Microsoft Word on the Start Menu and click it.

– Click the Start button, point to All Programs, point to Microsoft Office, point to
Microsoft Word and click.

THE MICROSOFT WORD WINDOW

• The Microsoft Word window has the usual features of a window, i.e. Title bar, Menu bar and
tool bars.

• The toolbars in Microsoft Word have tools for doing word processing.

• Examples of the popular toolbars are Standard Toolbar, Formatting Toolbar and Drawing
Toolbar.
CUSTOMIZING MICROSOFT WORD WINDOW

• You can customize the Microsoft Word by removing or adding toolbars or by changing the
colour of the work area.

• To add or remove toolbars do the following:

– Click the View menu.

– Point to Toolbars

– Click on the name of the toolbar to remove a check mark or to add a check mark.

To change the background colour of the window, do the following:

• Click the Format menu.

• Point to Background and click the colour on the colour palette you want to apply.

TYPING A DOCUMENT IN MICROSOFT WORD

• Start Microsoft Word.

• Ensure that you have the Standard Toolbar, the Formatting Toolbar and the Drawing Toolbar
present.
 • Start typing your text.

• Press the Space bar to put spaces between words.

• Press the Enter key to start a new paragraph.

Formatting a document:

• This means applying some quality improving features onto the document.

• Examples of formatting are:

– Bold

– Italics

– Underline

– Changing font type and size

– Aligning

– Indenting

– Changing colour of text

– Line spacing

– Bulleting

Formatting text in a document:

1. Highlight the text you want to format.

2. Click the appropriate formatting toolbar icon on the formatting bar.

3. Click any where outside the highlighted area to remove the highlight.

Editing a document

• This means making changes by removing or adding text at appropriate points in the
document.

• Examples of editing are:

– Copy and paste

– Cut and paste

– Undo

– Re-do
Using Undo and Redo

• Undo reverses the changes made to a document.

• Redo reverses the changes done by Undo.

• Click the Undo icon on the Standard Toolbar to reverse your action.

• Click the Redo icon on the Standard Toolbar to reverse the changes made by Undo.

Using Format Painter

• Format Painter is a tool used to apply the formats from one part to another part of a
document.

• Highlight the part that has the formats you want to apply to another part of your document.

• Click the Format Painter icon on the Standard Toolbar