FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTERS

DEFINITION OF COMPUTER:
Def:1
It is an electronic device which is mainly used for calculation purpose as well as storage purpose

Def:2
It is an electronic device which takes input from input devices, processing it and produce output
through output devices.

Def:3
It is an electronic device which is a collection of software and hardware.

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE:

Hardware:
The physical components of a system is nothing but a hardware

Software:
It is nothing but a set of programs where program is nothing but a set of instructions.

Note: Hardware is always connected to the system and Software is installed into the system

CHARACTERITICS OR FEATURES OF COMPUTER:

The characteristics of the computer system are as follows –

Speed
A computer works with much higher speed and accuracy compared to humans while performing
mathematical calculations. Computers can process millions (1,000,000) of instructions per second. The time
taken by computers for their operations is microseconds and nanoseconds.

Accuracy
Computers perform calculations with 100% accuracy. Errors may occur due to data inconsistency or
inaccuracy.

Diligence
A computer can perform millions of tasks or calculations with the same consistency and accuracy. It
doesn’t feel any fatigue or lack of concentration. Its memory also makes it superior to that of human beings.

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Versatility
Versatility refers to the capability of a computer to perform different kinds of works with same
accuracy and efficiency.

Reliability
A computer is reliable as it gives consistent result for similar set of data i.e., if we give same set of
input any number of times, we will get the same result.

Automation
Computer performs all the tasks automatically i.e.; it performs tasks without manual intervention.

Memory
A computer has built-in memory called primary memory where it stores data. Secondary storage are
removable devices such as CDs, pen drives, etc., which are also used to store data.

DATA AND INFORMATION:

Data:
The collection of numbers, alphabets and symbols is nothing but a data.
Eg: 23fgd+*&gfh56

Information:
The data which is placed in a meaningful order is nothing but a information

MEASUREMENT OF DATA / INFORMATION:

4 Bits == 1 Nibble
8 Bits == 1 Byte
1024 Bytes == 1 Kilo Byte (KB)
1024 KB == 1 Mega Byte (MB)
1024 MB == 1 Giga Byte (GB)
1024 GB == 1 Tera Byte (TB)

APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTER:
Computers play a role in every field of life. They are used in homes, business, educational
institutions, research organizations, medical field, government offices, entertainment, etc.

Home
Computers are used at homes for several purposes like online bill payment, watching movies or
shows at home, home tutoring, social media access, playing games, internet access, etc. They provide
communication through electronic mail. They help to avail work from home facility for corporate
employees. Computers help the student community to avail online educational support.

Medical Field
Computers are used in hospitals to maintain a database of patients’ history, diagnosis, X-rays, live
monitoring of patients, etc. Surgeons nowadays use robotic surgical devices to perform delicate operations,
and conduct surgeries remotely. Virtual reality technologies are also used for training purposes. It also helps
to monitor the fetus inside the mother’s womb.

Entertainment
Computers help to watch movies online, play games online; act as a virtual entertainer in playing
games, listening to music, etc. MIDI instruments greatly help people in the entertainment industry in
recording music with artificial instruments. Videos can be fed from computers to full screen televisions.
Photo editors are available with fabulous features.
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Industry
Computers are used to perform several tasks in industries like managing inventory, designing
purpose, creating virtual sample products, interior designing, video conferencing, etc. Online marketing has
seen a great revolution in its ability to sell various products to inaccessible corners like interior or rural areas.
Stock markets have seen phenomenal participation from different levels of people through the use of
computers.

Education
Computers are used in education sector through online classes, online examinations, referring e-
books, online tutoring, etc. They help in increased use of audio-visual aids in the education field.

Government
In government sectors, computers are used in data processing, maintaining a database of citizens and
supporting a paperless environment. The country’s defense organizations have greatly benefitted from
computers in their use for missile development, satellites, rocket launches, etc.

Banking
In the banking sector, computers are used to store details of customers and conduct transactions, such
as withdrawal and deposit of money through ATMs. Banks have reduced manual errors and expenses to a
great extent through extensive use of computers.

Business
Nowadays, computers are totally integrated into business. The main objective of business is
transaction processing, which involves transactions with suppliers, employees or customers. Computers can
make these transactions easy and accurate. People can analyze investments, sales, expenses, markets and
other aspects of business using computers.

Training
Many organizations use computer-based training to train their employees, to save money and
improve performance. Video conferencing through computers allows saving of time and travelling costs by
being able to connect people in various locations.

Arts
Computers are extensively used in dance, photography, arts and culture. The fluid movement of
dance can be shown live via animation. Photos can be digitized using computers.

Science and Engineering

Computers with high performance are used to stimulate dynamic process in Science and Engineering.
Supercomputers have numerous applications in area of Research and Development (R&D). Topographic
images can be created through computers. Scientists use computers to plot and analyze data to have a better
understanding of earthquakes.

PARTS / COMPONENTS / PERIPHERALS / DEVICES OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM:

The basic parts of a computer are:
➢ Keyboard. ➢ CPU (Central Processing Unit)
➢ Moue. ➢ Monitor.

Some other Components of a Computer System are:

➢ Scanner. ➢ Motherboard.
➢ Printer. ➢ Speakers.
➢ Motherboard. ➢ Webcam.
➢ Digital Camera ➢ Hard disk.
➢ CD / DVD Disks and Drive. ➢ Processor.
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BLOCK DIAGRAM OF A COMPUTER:

Input:
It is a device which is used to send data (or) instructions to a computer. Most commonly used input
devices are Keyboard, mouse, etc.

CPU:
The major components of the CPU are:
➢ Memory Unit
➢ Control Unit
➢ Arithmetic Logical Unit

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Memory Unit:
The data and instructions that are entered into the system have to stored inside the computer before
actual processing takes place. Similarly, the final results produced by the computer also have to be stored
before they are passed through output unit.

Control Unit:
Control unit directs and coordinates the activities of the entire computer. The operations of All
transform the data to and from memory unit. The important function of control unit is program execution,
fetching instructions from memory, decoding it and sending to computer to get it executed.

Arithmetic Logical Unit:

The ALU performs arithmetic operations (+, -, *, /). In ALU the required operation is done and result
is sent back to memory for storage. ALU happens under control unit. ALU also performs logical operations
(<, <=, >=, >)

Output:
It is a device which is used to displaying the final result. The commonly used output devices are
monitor and printer.

GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER:
Generation of computer is step in technology. Originally the term generation was used to distinguish
between varying hardware technology, but now a days it has to be extends to include both hardware and
software which together makeup an entire computer system. There are totally Five generations of computers.

1st Generation:
The period between 1946-55 is called first generation of computers. During this generation the
computers which were made with the use of vacuum tubes. They have limited storage capacity. They were
much costlier and occupied lot of space. They consumed lot of power and produce lot of heat.

In 1946, the first Electronic computer – Electronic Numerator Integrated Analysis and Calculator
(ENIAC) was introduced. It was used to perform mathematical calculations at a very fast speed. It could do
5000 additions and 360 multiplications in just one second. It was very big in size – 100 feet long, 80 tons of
weight and consumes lot of electricity. It occupies more space. The main component of first-generation
computers are Vacuum tubes. It was used magnetic types as storage.

2nd Generation:
The period between 1955-64 is called second generation of computers. During this generation the
vacuum tubes were replaced with transistors and diodes. They have increase storage capacity. The transistors
were less expensive, consumed less power and generate less heat, as a result computers were smaller in size
and cheaper in cost. High level programming like COBOL and FORTRAN are developed during this
generation.

In 2nd generation, transistors were invented in place of vacuum tubes. The transistors were made up
of semi-conductor devices. A semi-conductor is a device that conducts Electricity. These are simply referred
as chips. These are smaller, faster, and cheaper than 1st generation of computers. It was used magnetic disks,
paper tapes as storage.

3rd Generation:
The period between 1964-75 is called third generation of computers. The third generation of
computers was invented by IBM (International Business Machine). These computers are also called mini

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computers. In this generation the computers were developed by suing integrated circuits (IC). These
computers are extensively used by high level programming languages. Remote processing, time sharing is
invented during this generation. Examples FORTRAN-4 and COBOL-268

In 3rd generation, Integrated circuits were invented in place of transistors. An Integrated circuit
containing a number of transistors. These are smaller than 2nd generation of computers. In this generation,
the chip (microprocessor) was introduced. It was used magnetic disks, paper tapes as storage.

4th Generation:
The period between 1975-89 is called fourth generation of computers. These computers were built
with microprocessor chips. The computers using these chips are called microcomputers. These computers
using large scale and very large-scale integrated circuits. They were increasing storage, considerably faster in
speed and smaller in size. During this period UNIX operating system, computer networks and high-level
languages C, C++, JAVA were developed.

In 4th generation, LSIC & VLSIC were invented. LSIC containing 1000 (or) more transistors (IC).
These were much faster than 3rd generation of computers. It was used Hard disk as storage.

5th Generation:
Present day computers are called fifth generation of computers. They are trying to produce computers
those may have artificial intelligence and thinking power capability do make decisions like human being and
may prove better than man in some certain aspects.

In 5th generation, VLSIC were invented. The 5th generation made are going to be increasingly
electronics and artificial intelligence. It was used Hard disk as storage.

Generation Year Processor Input / Output Storage

I 1946-55 Vacuum Tubes Punched Cards / Magnetic Drums
Paper Tapes and Tapes
II 1955-64 Transistors Punched Cards / Magnetic Tapes
Magnetic Tapes and Disks
III 1964-75 Integrated Circuits (IC’s) Keyboard / Magnetic Tapes
Monitor, Magnetic and Disks
Tapes
IV 1975-89 Large Scale Integrated Keyboard, Mouse / RAM, ROM and
Circuits (LSIC’s) & Very Monitor Hard disk
Large-Scale Integrated
Circuits (VLSIC’s) (Micro
Processors)
V 1989-Present Ultra-Large-Scale Integrated Keyboard, Mouse / RAM, ROM and
Circuits (ULSIC’s) (Artificial Monitor Hard disk
Intelligence)

OPERATING SYSTEM:
It is an interface between user and computer (hardware).

Different OS’s:
➢ Windows ➢ Unix
➢ Linux ➢ Ubuntu
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 ➢ DOS ➢ BOSS (Bharat Operating System Solutions
➢ Macintosh - Indian Linux)

Different Versions of Windows OS:

➢ Windows 95 ➢ Windows Vista
➢ Windows 98 ➢ Windows 7
➢ Windows 2000 ➢ Windows 8 or 8.1
➢ Windows 2003 Server ➢ Windows 10
➢ Windows XP ➢ Windows 11

Input / Output Devices:

These devices are used to enter information and instructions into a computer for storage or
processing and to deliver the processed data to a user. Input / Output devices are required for users to
communicate with the computer. These devices are also known as peripherals of a computer system.

Input Devices:
An input device is any device that provides input to a computer. There are many input devices, but
the two most common ones are a keyboard and mouse. Every key you press on the keyboard and every
movement or click you make with the mouse sends a specific input signal to the computer.

Keyboard:
The keyboard is very much like a standard typewriter keyboard with a few additional keys. The
basic QWERTY layout of characters is maintained to make it easy to use the system. There are also
Functional Keys, used to perform certain special functions. The keys on the keyboard are as follows −

Typing Keys
These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and digit keys (09) which generally give the same layout
as that of typewriters.

Numeric Keypad
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.

Symbol Keys
A Computer keyboard has more symbols than just letters and numbers.

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 a unique meaning and is used for some specific purpose.

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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).

Special Purpose Keys

Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys such as Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, Num Lock,
Space bar, Tab, and Print Screen.

Mouse:
A device that controls the movement of the cursor or pointer on a display screen. A mouse is a
small object you can roll along a hard and flat surface. Its name is derived from its shape, which looks a
bit like a mouse. As you move the mouse, the pointer on the display screen moves in the same direction.

Trackball:
A trackball is an input device used to enter motion data into computers or other electronic devices.
It serves the same purpose as a mouse, but is designed with a moveable ball on the top, which can be
rolled in any direction.

Touchpad:
A touch pad is a device for pointing (controlling input positioning) on a computer display screen.
It is an alternative to the mouse. Originally incorporated in laptop computers, touch pads are also being
made for use with desktop computers. A touch pad works by sensing the user’s finger movement and
downward pressure.

Touch Screen:
It allows the user to operate/make selections by simply touching the display screen. A display
screen that is sensitive to the touch of a finger or stylus. Widely used on ATM machines, retail point-of-
sale terminals, car navigation systems, medical monitors and industrial control panels.

Light Pen:
Light pen is an input device that utilizes a light-sensitive detector to select objects on a display
screen.

Optical mark recognition (OMR):

Optical mark recognition, also called mark sense reader is a technology where an OMR device
senses the presence or absence of a mark, such as pencil mark. OMR is widely used in tests such as
aptitude test.

Bar Code Reader:

Bar-code readers are photoelectric scanners that read the bar codes or vertical zebra strips marks,
printed on product containers. These devices are generally used in super markets, bookshops etc.

Scanner:
Scanner is an input device that can read text or illustration printed on paper and translates the
information into a form that the computer can use. A scanner works by digitizing an image.

Output Devices:
Output device receives information from the CPU and presents it to the user in the desired from.
The processed data, stored in the memory of the computer is sent to the output unit, which then converts it
into a form that can be understood by the user. The output is usually produced in one of the two ways – on
the display device, or on paper (hard copy).

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Monitor:
It is often used synonymously with “computer screen” or “display.” Monitor is an output device
that resembles the television screen. The monitor is associated with a keyboard for manual input of
characters and displays the information as it is keyed in. It also displays the program or application
output.

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) • Plasma Display
• 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. 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 display include calculators, video games, monitors, laptop computer, and
graphics display. 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).

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 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).

Printer:
Printers are used to produce paper (commonly known as hard copy) output. They use chemical,
heat or electrical signals to etch the symbols on paper.

Sound Cards and Speaker(s):

An expansion board that enables a computer to manipulate and output sounds. Sound cards are
necessary for nearly all CD-ROMs and have become commonplace on modern personal computers. Sound
cards enable the computer to output sound through speakers connected to the board, to record sound input
from a microphone connected to the computer, and manipulate sound stored on a disk.

Different Parts / Components of Computer System:

CPU Cabinet:

Switch Mode Power Supply (SMPS):

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Mother Board:

Hard Disk:

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Memory Unit:
Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM):

Central Processing Unit (CPU):

CMOS Battery:

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Different Input Devices and Output Devices:

Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and Solid-State Drive (SSD):

Software and Hardware:

Software Hardware
It is collection of programs to bring the computer It is the physical components of the computer
hardware system into operation system
It consists of Numbers, Alphabets, Alphanumeric, It consists of electronic components like IC’s,
Symbols, Identifiers, Keywords, etc. Diodes, Resistors, Crystals, Boards, Insulators etc.
This should be prepared according to the type of The design can be modified according to the
the Software capacity
It will vary as per the computer and its built-in It is almost construct for all types of computer
function and programming language system
It is designed and developed by an experienced The hardware can understand only low-level
programmer in a high-level language, which is language or machine language
readable by the human being
It is represented in any high-level languages such The hardware works only on binary code as 1’s and
as BASIC, COBOL, C, C++, JAVA etc. 0’s
The software is categorized as Operating Systems, The hardware consists of Input, Output, Memory,
Utilities, Language Processors, Application ALU, Control Unit etc.
Software etc.

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