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Computer
Fundamentals
Phase-II Study Notes
For NABARD Gr. A IT Officer Exam

For NABARD Gr. A IT Officer

FOR RBI Grade B EXAM EXAM
Computer Fundamentals Free NABARD e-book

Computer Fundamentals
Phase-II Study Notes
For NABARD Gr. A IT Officer Exam
Introduction
• It can be described as the learning or studying some basic functions of computers
starting from their origin to the modern day.

• Study of basic computer types to their characteristics, advantages and disadvantages

are included in the Learning of fundamentals of computers.

• Before shifting to advance computer knowledge, it is highly recommended to be

aware of this topic thoroughly as it would make you more confident and comfortable
while acquiring more advanced computer skills.

• A computer can be defined or described as a machine or device which can work with
information such as to store, retrieve, manipulate, and process data.

• The term computer is derived from the word “computare”.

• The word is derived from a “Latin” word which means to calculate.

• A computer can be further defined as a programmable machine that is used for

numerical calculations.

• Some years back these devices machines were used only for the purpose of
calculations but presently they are widely and proudly used in all sections of human
society.

• Modern computers are incredibly advanced thanks to the new up-gradation and
enhancement of technologies.

• They can store huge amounts of data in internal as well as external storage units.

• A computer’s hard disk is the external source of storing data.

• These days computer speed has dramatically increased the work or task which used
to take long hours to perform can be done in few seconds this is because of the rapid
development in the IT [Information Technology] sector especially in the computer
hardware section.
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• The computer peripherals and devices manufactured these days are of the highest
quality at an affordable price.

• The technology has made these devices perform more speedily than ever before also
this is the important characteristics of a computer system which made them very
famous and a part of human lives.

• It has also been observed that the life of modern peripherals and devices has been
extended due to the excellent quality of raw material used while preparations of these
devices.

Speed of a Computer
The Speed of a computer mainly and primarily depends upon some factors such as the type
of motherboard you are using, processor speed and RAM [Random Access Memory].

Motherboard: Computer where all other components are attached to it such as hard disk,
processor, ram, etc. The motherboard is designed on a piece of PCB which is called a Printed
Circuit Board.
Processor: The processor is again called CPU which stands for Central Processing Unit. It is
also called as Heart Brain of the Computer System.
RAM: RAM stands for Random Access Memory which is a temporary storage medium and its
volatile memory. They tend to lose data when power is off. However, the speed of the
computer depends upon RAM as well.
Hard Disk: This is a permanent storage unit of a computer which can store data in high volume
and also you can retrieve data whenever and wherever you need it.

Disadvantages of Computer System

As there are numerous advantages of using a modern-day personal computer there are
disadvantages too:

• Spread of pornography
• Hate & violence related articles
• Cyber Crimes
• Negative Effects on Health
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Computer Software and Hardware

Computer software can be described as a collection of small programs that are programmed
in such a way which are capable of performing specific and special tasks whenever desired.
These types of software are developed by computer programmers or software developers
who take care of users' needs and intent. There are mainly two types of software:

• System Software
• Application Software

System Software: These are the software that directly interacts with the computer system.
The primary examples are Operating systems [OS] and device drivers.

Application Software: These are also called as customized software which is developed for
personal use or developed for customers to perform some specific tasks.
Example: Tally, Ms-office, ERP Software.

What is a Computer?
A computer is an electronic device that is capable of receiving information or data and performing a
series of operations in accordance with a set of operations.

It is a machine capable of solving problems and manipulating data. It accepts and processes the data
by doing some mathematical and logical operations and gives us the desired output.

Therefore, we may define a computer as an electronic device that transforms data into information.

Data can be anything like marks obtained by you in various subjects, it can also be the name, age,
sex, weight, height, etc. of all the students in your class or income, savings, investments, etc. of a
country.

Operations Performed by a Computer

1. Storage: The data and instructions are saved/ stored permanently in the storage unit. The
storage unit performs the following major functions:
• All data and instructions, before and after processing, are stored here, and
• Intermediate results of processing are also stored here.

2. Processing: The task of performing operations like arithmetic and logical operations is
called processing.

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) takes data and instructions from the storage unit and
makes all sorts of calculations based on the instructions given and the type of data provided.
After this data is sent back to the storage unit.
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3. Output: This is the process of producing results from the data for getting useful
information. The output produced by the computer after processing is stored inside the
computer before it is given to you in human-readable form. The output is also stored inside
the computer for further processing.

4. Control: Controlling of all operations like input, processing and output are performed by a
control unit. It takes care of the step-by-step processing of all operations inside the
computer.

5. Computer System: In order to carry out its operations, a computer system is divided into
three separate units. They are:

• Arithmetic logical unit,

• Control unit, and
• Central processing unit. All these three units are known as functional units.

6. Arithmetic Logical Unit (ALU): The processing of the data and instructions are performed
by Arithmetic Logical Unit. The major operations performed by the ALU are addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division, logic, and comparison. For processing, data is transferred
from the storage unit to ALU. After processing, the output is returned back to the storage unit
for further processing or for storing purposes.

7. Control Unit (CU): The next component of the computer is the Control Unit, which acts like
the supervisor seeing that things are done in a proper way. The control unit determines the
sequence in which computer programs and instructions are to be executed.
Activities like processing of programs stored in the main memory, interpretation of the
instructions and issuing of signals for other units of the computer to execute them are carried
out by CU.
It coordinates the activities of the computer’s peripheral equipment which include input and
output devices. The CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the device that interprets and executes
instructions. A computer system includes a computer, peripheral devices, and software.

Characteristics of Computer
1. Speed: As you know computers can work very fast. It takes only a fraction of a second for
calculations that manually take hours to complete. It takes a few minutes for the computer
to process a huge amount of data and give the result.
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2. Accuracy: The degree of accuracy of a computer is very high and every calculation is
performed with the same accuracy. The accuracy level is determined on the basis of the
design of the computer. The errors in computers are mainly due to humans and inaccurate
data.

3. Diligence: A computer is free from tiredness, lack of concentration, fatigue, etc. It can work
for hours without any error.

4. Versatility: The computer is highly versatile.

Generation of Computers
The history of computer development is in reference to different generations of computing
devices. The first generation of computers appeared in mid-1940s.
The present-day computer, however, has undergone rapid changes over the last seven
decades. This period, during which the evolution of the computer took place, can be divided
into

• First 1946-59 Based on vacuum tube technology

• Second, 1957-64 Transistor-based technology replaces vacuum tube

• Third 1965-70 Integrated circuit (IC) technology developed

• Fourth 1970-90 Microprocessors developed

• Fifth 1990-till date Use of Bio-Chip technology

Types of Computers
Present-day computers can be categorized as below:
a) Supercomputers: These are the fastest computers and are very expensive. These are
employed for specialized applications that require immense amounts of mathematical
calculations. For example, weather forecasting requires a supercomputer. Other uses of
supercomputers include animated graphics, fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy
research, and petroleum exploration.
b) Mainframe Computer: It is a very large and expensive computer and is capable of
supporting hundreds, or even thousands of users simultaneously. In the hierarchy that starts
with a simple microprocessor (in watches, for example) at the bottom and moves to
Computer Fundamentals Free NABARD e-book

supercomputers at the top, mainframes are just below supercomputers. In some ways,
mainframes are more powerful than supercomputers because they support simultaneous
programs. But supercomputers can execute a single program faster than a mainframe. The
chief difference between a supercomputer and a mainframe is that a supercomputer
channels all its power into executing a few programs as fast as possible, whereas a mainframe
uses its power to execute many programs concurrently.
c) Minicomputer: It is a mid-sized computer in size and power. It lies between workstations
and mainframes. In the past decade, the distinction between large minicomputers and small
mainframes has blurred. In general, a minicomputer is a multiprocessing system capable of
supporting from 4 to about 200 users simultaneously.
d) Micro Computer Desktop Computer: It is a personal or micro-minicomputer sufficient to
fit on a desk

• Laptop Computer: It is a portable computer completes with an integrated screen and

keyboard. It is generally smaller in size than a desktop computer and larger than a
notebook computer.

• Palmtop Computer/Digital Diary /Notebook /PDAs (Personal Digital Assistant): It is

a hand-sized computer, Palmtop, does not have a keyboard, but its screen serves both
as an input and output device.

• Workstations: It is a terminal or desktop computer in a network. In this context, a

workstation is just a generic term for a user’s machine (client machine) in contrast to
a “server” or “mainframe”.

Hardware and Software

Hardware refers to the physical equipment used for the input, processing, output, and storage
activities of a computer system.
It consists of mechanical and electronic devices, which we are able to see and touch easily.
Some of them are central processing units (CPU), primary storage devices, secondary
storage devices, input and output units and communication devices.
These are explained below:

• Central Processing Unit (CPU): It manipulates the data and controls the tasks
performed by the other components.

• Primary Storage: It stores temporary data and program instructions during the
processing.

• Primary Memory (main memory): These are RAM (Random Access Memory/Read-
Write Memory), and ROM (Read-only-memory).
Computer Fundamentals Free NABARD e-book

• Secondary Storage: These store data and programs for future use. These are Hard Disk
(Local Disk) and External Hard Disc, Optical Disks, (CDR, CDRW, DVD-R, DVD-RW), Pen
Drive, Memory Cards, etc.

• Secondary Storage Devices Communication Devices: These are used for

communication or flow of data from one computer to another computer. Some of
them are Modem, Switch, Router, TV tuner cards, etc.

A computer cannot do anything on its own. It has to be guided by the user. We have to give a
sequence of instructions to the computer in order to do any specific job.
Software is simply a computer program or a set of instructions. Software guides the computer
at every step indicating where to start and stop during a particular job. The process of
software development is called programming.

Types of Software
There are two types of software, namely,

• System Software and

• Application Software

System software is a general-purpose program designed to perform tasks such as controlling

all operations required to move data into and out of the computer.
It communicates with keyboard, printer, card reader, disk, tapes, etc. It also monitors the use
of various hardware like memory, CPU, etc. System software acts as an interface between
hardware and application software. Some of the system software are Disc Operating System
(DOS), Windows, Unix/Linux, MAC/OS X etc.
Application software is a set of programs, which are written to perform specific tasks of the
users of the computer.
These software are developed in high-level languages to help the user to get the computer to
perform various tasks. Some of the application software are MS Office, Macromedia
(Dreamweaver, Flash, Freehand), Adobe (PageMaker, PhotoShop), LIBSYS, SOUL, WINISIS,
KOHA, etc.

Input & Output Unit

An input and output unit consists of two parts namely, input devices and output devices.
Normally, an input and output unit can control one or more peripheral devices.
Computer Fundamentals Free NABARD e-book

Input Unit: The data is entered / input into the computer through input devices. The input
devices translate the data/information from a natural language in which the user is working,
into the machine language that the computer can understand.
Computer language is in the form of binary code (0 and 1).
Input devices are classified as follows:

• Human data entry devices - Keyboard, mouse, joystick, trackball, digitizing labels and
pick devices - light pen touch screens.

• Source data entry devices (Audio input –speech recognition; video input - digital
camera; scanners - optical scanner OCR, OMR, MICR, Barcode Reader).

Output Unit: The output unit accepts output data from the computer via output devices and
transforms the data into human-readable form. All the information inside the computer is in
the form of binary digits (0 and 1).
Output devices convert them to numbers, words, graphics, sound, and motion which we can
easily understand. Output devices are classified as:

• Hard copy device (Printer, Plotter, Computer Output on Microfilm)

• Soft copy devices (Monitor, Visual Display Terminal, Video Output and Audio
Response).

Operating System
An Operating System is a system software that acts as an interface between a user and the
hardware of a computer.

Modern operating systems usually feature a graphical user interface which uses a pointing
device such as a mouse or keyboard for input.

Operating Systems are viewed as resource managers that manage the resources of a
computer.

The main resource is the computer hardware, which is in the form of processors, storage,
input/output devices, communication devices, and data.

A good operating system should be efficient, reliable, take short time in execution of
programs, and occupy small memory as small as possible.
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The Main Operating Systems are:

1. Network Operating System – WINDOWS 2000 – Unix – Linux
2. Desktop Operating System – WINDOWS – DOS (Disc Operating System) – Mac OS
3. Mobile Operating System – Palm OS – Pocket PC

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