Basic Knowledge of the computer

A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data. It has the ability to store,
retrieve, and process data.

Hardware is touchable any part of your computer that has a physical structure, such as the keyboard
or mouse.

Software is any set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do and how to do it.
ICT, or information and communications technology is the infrastructure and
components that enable modern computing.

Information Technology(IT)-refers to an entire industry that uses computers, networking,

software and other equipment to manage information. 1

Basic Elements of ICT System are:-

Data-any type of representation of an object or an event.1
1Information-is the result of processed(interpreted) data.1

User-is a person who has access to ICT and utilizes it.1

communication- is the process of passing information from one place to another.
Technology: refers to a set of tools and machines created by humans to solve problems. 1
ICT in our daily life are-in communication, in education,in entertainment1and e-commerce1
Characteristics of computer1 are:-
Versatility1-refers to the capability of a computer to perform different kinds of works with same
accuracy and efficiency1

Reliability: A computer is reliable as it gives consistent result for similar set of data. 1
Automatic: Computer performs all the tasks automatically 1
storage-Computer have a large storage capasity and store

Deligence-Computer do not require to rest.

speed and efficience-It can finish any given task in a very short time.
Components of the computer system is -Hardware and software
 Input devices are :-parts of computer hardware that are used to insert data into
computer system.

Common input devices are:

Keyboardis the most commonand widely used input device for entering data into a computer2
- Mouseis another important tool for communicating with computers. Commonly known as a pointing
device, allows you to point to things on the screen, click on them, and move them around. 2

- Scanner is used to convert a hardcopy document such as photographs to softcopy.2

-Touch screen a touch sensitive screen is a pointing device that allows the user to interact with the
computer by touching it.2

- Light Pen is a pointing device in the shape of a pen. It can be used to select a menu item or to draw
on the monitor screen.

-Barcode reader A barcode is a pattern made up of different thickness lines. This technology allows
for quick and error-free data entry into the computer. Barcode reader is used to read a barcode.2

-Microphone- it is a device used to input spoken word as input data or commands.2

-Camera 2- is used to capture photographs and save them in its memory.2

-Optical Recognition Systems
Optical Speech Recognition
Joystick2
Central Processing Unit (CPU) is -:is the brain of the computer which performs all arithmetic,
logical and control operations. 2

CPU consists of three components: arithmetic-logic unit, control unit, and register.2
ALU is responsible for performing arithmetic and logical operations, and comparing data. 2
The control unit controls and directs the operation of the whole computer system.2
Register is a special and a small high speed memory of CPU which is used to store temporary results
and control information.2

Output devices is computer hardware that allows a computer to communicate the results of data
processing to the outside world. A computer’s output device allows data to be easily understood by a
human.
The following are some of the important output devices used in a computer.
Monitor is a device that displays information in pictorial or text form. 3

The following are types of monitor.

1) Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

2) Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

3) Light Emitting Diode (LED)

4) Gas Plasma Monit3

Printeris a type of output device that prints data on paper. 3

Plotters-is an output device like a printer used to produce highly graphical pictures or posters. 3
Speaker3-Speaker is a hardware device that outputs sounds generated by the computer. 3
A storage device is used to store data in a computer system.3There are two types of storage
devices: primary storage device, and secondary storage device. 3

Primary storage device also known as main memory, is the part of the computer that stores
current data, programs, and instructions 3

There are two common types of primary storage: Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only
Memory (ROM)3

RAM ROM
1 Data stored in RAM can be read and written. Data stored in ROM can only be read.

2 Stores data temporarily. Stores data permanently.

3 Has high-speed memory Is much slower than the RAM3

Secondary storage device is stores data and information permanently. Any non volatile storage
device3. Secondary storage devices can be used as input and output devices.

Hard Disk-is the most common and usually largest data storage device in a computer system3
Optical Disk -is any computer disk that uses optical and laser technologies to read and write data.
Some examples of optical disk include compact disc (CD) and digital video disc (DVD).

USB flash disk-is used for storage, data back-up and transferring of computer files.3
 Secure digital (SD) card 4-is a type of removable memory card used to read and write data in a
wide variety of mobile electronics and cameras.4

There are three basic types of CDs.

Compact Disc Read Only Memory (CD-ROM)

Compact Disc Recordable (CD-R)

Compact Disc Read-Write (CD-RW)4

Units of data storage measurements:

4One byte = 8 bits

One kilobyte (KB) = 1,024 Bytes

One megabyte (MB) = 1,024 Kilobytes

One gigabyte (GB) = 1,024 Megabytes

One terabyte (TB) = 1,024 Gigabytes4

System software is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the individual hardware
components of a computer system. 4

examples of application software are:-

(i) Word Processing Software

(ii) Presentation Software

(iii) Spreadsheet Software

(iv) Desktop Publishing Software

(v) Database Management Software4

Cookies are small pieces of text sent to your browser by a website you visit.
They help that website remember information about your visit, which can both make it easier
to visit the site again and make the site more useful to you.

Artificial intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are
programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions.4
Utility programs: The purpose of utility software is to manage matters associated with the analysis,
configuration, performance improvement, and maintenance of a computer system.5

Ways to improve hard disk performance:

(i) Remove duplicate files from hard disk.

(ii) Remove temporary files.

(iii) Hive off the non-essential files.

(a) Find large files occupying your disk space.

(b) Store all these files online.

(iv) Defragment hard disk.

(v) Detect and repair disk errors5

processing: is used to create, edit, format, and save text documents, for example, Microsoft Word,
WordPerfect, and WordPad.5

computer languages :-
computer languages can be classified broadly into the following three categories:

1. M achine Language

2. A ssembly Language

3. H igh-level Language.5

Spreadsheet: is used to calculate and analyze data in a tabular form.5

Graphics software: provides the user to create, edit, and format graphical images. Ex.AutoCAD 5

Multimedia
Hardware Requirements for Multimedia
The basic hardware requirement for multimedia are:

1. Central Processing Unit (CPU) — Pentium Processor

2. Random Access Memory (RAM) — 1 GB RAM

3. Monitor — Super Virtual Graphics Arrays (SVGA)

4. Video Card
5. Sound Card

6. CD-ROM Drive Software Requirements for Multimedia

The basic software requirement for multimedia are:

1. Word Processor for entering text

2. Image Processing software such as Photoshop, CorelDraw, etc.

3. Animation creator like 3D Max, Flash, etc.

4. Sound can be created using Sound forge, etc

5. Video can be used by using software like Video for Windows, Author Ware, etc6

Components of Multimedia
The multimedia components are:6

Text,Graphics,Animation,Sound and Video

Computer Generation6
Computer generation is change happened in the development of computers.6

There are five computer generations. These are:

A. First generation :-
The main features of the first generation computers were as follows:

1. They used vacuum tubes.

2. They had a very big size.

3. They consumed huge electricity.

4. They were prone to failures.

5. They generated a lot of heat.

6. They only supported machine language6

B. Second generation -
The main features of the second generation computers were as follows:

1. They used transistors instead of vacuum tubes.

2. They were smaller in size as compared to the first generation computers.

3. They generated lesser heat.

4. They were more reliable and faster than the first generation computers.

5. They used core memories, magnetic tapes and disk

6. They used lesser electricity.

7. They could be programmed by using machine as well as assembly language.7

C. Third generation:-
7The main features of the third generation computers were as follows

1. They used integrated circuits

2. They had a small size as compared to the second generation computers.

3. They consumed less electricity.

4. They were faster and reliable than the second generation computers.

5. They supported high level language7

D. Fourth generation-
The main features of the fourth generation computers are:

1. They contain high-speed microprocessors.

2. They contain huge storage volumes in the form of magnetic and optical storage.

3. They contain main memories up to GB s (Gigabytes).

4. They are companied by great developments in the fields of networks.7

E. Fifth generation 7

There are four basic functions of computer. These are:

• Input

• Process

• Output

• Storage7

Types of computer by their size, storage and speed

Based on their size, storage, speed there are four types of computer:

Microcompute-ex.A.Desktops7,B.Portables7like Notebooks7,Labtops,Tablet7
r Minicomputer Mainframe computer Supercomputer8

Files are collections of data and folders are containers of files and other folders.
Files are stored in folder and folders are stored in computer drives, which can be internal Hard Disk,
CD, Flash Disk, etc.8

Electronic Learning or E-learning is a flexible term used to describe a means of

learning through technology such as a network, browser, CD-ROM or DVD multimedia platforms.

Some other terms frequently interchanged with e-learning include:

(i) Online learning

(ii) Online education

(iii) Distance education

(iv) Distance learning

(v) Technology-based training

(vi) Web-based training

(vii) Computer-based training 8

NETWORKING
Types of Networks8
1,Based on Transmission Medium
Wired Network and

Wireless Network
2,Based on Size of the Network
Personalized Area Network(PAN) is a network arranged within an individual person, typically
within a range of 10 meters.

Personal Area Network is used for connecting the computer devices of personal use is known
as Personal Area Network.

Local Area Network L(LAN) is a group of computers connected to each other in a small area
such as building, office.

LAN is used for connecting two or more personal computers through a communication
medium such as twisted pair, coaxial cable, etc.

Metropolitan Area Network(MAN) is a network that covers a larger geographic area by

interconnecting a different LAN to form a larger network.

Government agencies use MAN to connect to the citizens and private industries.

In MAN, various LANs are connected to each other through a telephone exchange line.

MAN is used in communication between the banks in a city.

It can be used in an Airline Reservation.

It can be used in a college within a city.

It can also be used for communication in the military.

is a network that extends over a large

Wide Area Network
geographical area such as states or countries.
A Wide Area Network is quite bigger network than the LAN.
advantages of the Wide Area Network:
1. Geographical area
2. Centralized data: In case of WAN network, data is
centralized. Therefore, we do not need to buy the emails,
files or back up servers.
3. Get updated files:
 4. Exchange message
5. Sharing of software and resource
6. Global business
7. High bandwidt
disadvantages of the Wide Area Network:
1. Security issue:
2. Needs Firewall & antivirus software
3. High Setup cost
4. Troubleshooting problems
3,Based on Topology
Bus

Star

Ring

Mesh

4,Based on Resource Security and access

Peer-to-Peer 10

Client-Server10

Types Of Internetwork:
1.Extranet: An extranet is a communication network based on the internet protocol
such as Transmission Control protocol and internet protocol.

2.Intranet: An intranet is a private network based on the internet protocol such as

Transmission Control protocol and internet protocol.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP)

FTP is one of the internet services that are used for
transferring files from one system to another using internet.

HTTP stands for hypertext transfer protocol. It is used to

access data on the World Wide Web. HTTP has a server
(service) and client (request) communication protocol. 11
HTTP functions as a combination of FTP and Simple Mail
Transfer 11Protocol (SMTP)11

IP address To uniquely identify each computer or

networking device in the network, computer networks also use
addresses. Addresses in computer networks are known as IP
addresses. An IP address consists of two components: the
network address and the host address. The network address is
used to find the subnet in which the computer or the device is
located and the host address is used to find the computer or
the device in the subnet. If a large computer network is divided
into smaller groups, each group is known as a subnet.

IP addresses can be categorized as public and private, as well as

static and dynamic.
The term "IP address" refers to internet protocol address. An IP
address is an identifying number that is associated with a
specific computer or computer network. When connected to
the internet, the IP address allows computers to send and
receive information
public IP address identifies you to the wider internet so that all
the information you’re searching for can find you. A private IP
address is used within a private network to connect securely to
other devices within that same network
Class A: 10.0.0.0 — 10.255.255.255

Class B: 172.16.0.0 — 172.31.255.255

Class C: 192.168.0.0 — 192.168.255.255

12There are two versions of IP addresses: IPv4 and IPv6.12

Internet is a network of networks. It consists of private, public or government networks.
The internet is a global network of networks while the web is a means of accessing information available
on the internet.

three types of user accounts:

Administrator

Standard

Guest account.

The most common domains extensions are: -

• .org - nonprofit or private organization;

• .edu – education institution (belongs to educational institutions);

• .gov – government site;

• .net – network site;

• .et - in Ethiopia, etc.13

http://www.google.com, is the address of Google. A website address consists of 4 main parts:

• Hypertext transfer protocol (e.g http://)

• World Wide Web or web pages (www)

• Domain name (google)

• Domain extension (.com)13

internet service provider (ISP). ISP’s are companies which provide internet related services to
its users.13

Computer network is when two or more computer systems

are connected together. Internet refers to network of
networks. 13

World Wide Web

World Wide Web (WWW) is a collection of websites or web
pages. It is known as a Web. The World Wide Web or Web is a
part of the internet. 13

Web page
webpage is a document available on WWW. Web pages are
stored on a web server and can be viewed using a web
browser. 14
Static web page
Static web pages contain only static information i.e. user can
only read the information but cannot do any modification or
interact with the information. Static web pages are only used
when the information is no more required to be modified. A
static web page remains the same until it is updated.

Dynamic Web page

A dynamic web page or dynamic website contains information
that changes depending on the viewer, the time of the day, the
time zone and the viewer’s native language. A dynamic web
page automatically changes daily to give visitors a new
content.14
Wikis are Webpages that can be viewed and modified by
anyone with a Web browser and Internet access14.

Blogs
Many users of the Internet have fun keeping journals, or web
logs—called blogs for short, accessible to users. Blogs are often
updated daily and reflect the personality and views of a
blogger. 14

FUNCTIONS OF LAYERS:
Functions of the Layers
Physical Layer :
 Physical characteristics of interfaces and media
 Representation of bits.
 Data rate
 Synchronisation of bits
 Line configuration (point to point or multipoint)
 Transmission Mode
 Physical Topology
Data Link Layer :
 Framing
 Physical addressing
 Error control
 Flow control
 Access control
Network Layer :
- Routing
- Congestion control
- Billing
Transport Layer :
- Service – Point addressing
- Segmentation and reassembly
- Flow control
- Error control
Session Layer :
-Dialog control
-Synchronization
Presentation Layer :
- Data encoding
- Encryption
- Compression16
Application Layer :
- File Transfer
- Mail services
- Directory services16

Security
Computer Viruses16
Computer viruses are proving to be main cause of crashing
computer system. 17it is a malicious program that is designed to corrupt or delete the
information stored in the computer.17

These viruses do basically three types of damage to the computer it

affects:
1. First is Trojans or worms which are designed to steal important personal information such as your ID’
s, passwords, account numbers, and other personal information found on your computer.

2. Second type is designed to gain access to your machine and then hijack it. Once it has control of the
affected computer a hacker can use it for malicious purposes or as a spam machine to send thousands of
unwanted e-mails.

3. Third type is sometimes referred to as macro viruses. This type of virus is designed so they can delete
or overwrite the system or data files on the affected computer. This causes the computer to crash and
become unbootable or non-operable. M any of the computers that get this type of virus have a crashed
hard drive which is not repairable and all your data is lost permanently.17

The antivirus software protects your computer from virus attacks in three main ways:17

1. prevention which involves detecting and eliminating new viruses from your computer.
2. cleaning infected computers. This involves detection and extermination of the virus, along with
repairing the damaged files. 17
3. protecting your computer by monitoring e-mails, downloads and protection while Internet
surfing.

firewall
two main types of firewall in network security are :- 1,Network-
based Firewalls: These are placed on the boundary between a private network and a public network
(often the internet).

2,Host-based Firewalls: These are installed on individual devices or servers, regardless of the network to
which they're connected.

* There are many types of firewalls, often categorized by system protected, form factor, network
placement, and data filtering method, including:

Network firewall

Host-based firewall

Hardware firewall

Software firewall
Internal firewall

Distributed firewall

Perimeter firewall

Next-generation firewall (NGFW)

Packet filtering firewall

Circuit level gateway

Web application firewall

Proxy firewall

Stateful inspection firewall

Malware , short for malicious software, refers to any intrusive software developed
by cybercriminals (often called hackers) to steal data and damage or destroy computers and computer
systems. Examples of common malware include viruses, worms, Trojan viruses,spyware, adware, and
ransomware.

Database management:
Database management: serves to create a computerized data table, to insert records, make
queries, analyze data, and append data into it.18

database-management system (DBMS) is a collection of interrelated data and a set of programs to

access those data. 18

Advantages of DBMS:
Controlling of Redundancy: Data redundancy refers to the duplication of data (i.e storing same
data multiple times). In a database system, by having a centralized database and centralized control of
data by the DBA the unnecessary duplication of data is avoided. It also eliminates the extra time for
processing the large volume of data. It results in saving the storage space.18

Improved Data Sharing : DBMS allows a user to share the data in any number of application
programs.

Data Integrity : Integrity means that the data in the database is accurate. Centralized control of the
data helps in permitting the administrator to define integrity constraints to the data in the database. For
example: in customer database we can can enforce an integrity that it must accept the customer only
from Noida and Meerut city.
Security : Having complete authority over the operational data, enables the DBA in ensuring that the
only mean of access to the database is through proper channels. The DBA can define authorization
checks to be carried out whenever access to sensitive data is attempted.

Data Consistency : By eliminating data redundancy, we greatly reduce the opportunities for
inconsistency. For example: is a customer address is stored only once, we cannot have disagreement on
the stored values. Also updating data values is greatly simplified when each value is stored in one place
only. Finally, we avoid the wasted storage that results from redundant data storage.

Efficient Data Access : In a database system, the data is managed by the DBMS and all access to
the data is through the DBMS providing a key to effective data processing Enforcements of Standards :
With the centralized of data, DBA can establish and enforce the data standards which may include the
naming conventions, data quality standards etc.

Data Independence : Ina database system, the database management system provides the
interface between the application programs and the data. When changes are made to the data
representation, the meta data obtained by the DBMS is changed but the DBMS is continues to provide
the data to application program in the previously used way. The DBMs handles the task of
transformation of data wherever necessary. Reduced Application Development and Maintenance Time :
DBMS supports many important functions that are common to many applications, accessing data stored
in the DBMS, which facilitates the quick development of application.

Disadvantages of DBMS

1) It is bit complex. Since it supports multiple functionality to give the user the best, the underlying
software has become complex. The designers and developers should have thorough knowledge about
the software to get the most out of it.

2) Because of its complexity and functionality, i t uses large amount of memory. It also
needs large memory to run efficiently.

3) DBMS system works on the centralized system, i.e.; all the users from all over the world access this
database. Hence any failure of the DBMS, will impact all the users.

4) DBMS is generalized software, i.e.; it is written work on the entire systems rather specific
one. Hence some of the application will run slow.

19

OPERATING SYSTEM
Operating System: is the most important program that runs a computer.19
desktop operating systems include the following:

Windows is Microsoft's flagship operating system, the de facto standard for home and business
computers.

Mac OS is the operating system for Apple's Macintosh line of PCs and workstations.

Unix is a multiuser operating system designed for flexibility and adaptability.

Linux is a Unix-like operating system that was designed to provide PC users a free or low-cost
alternative.

Types of mobile operating system:-

1. Android OS

The Android OS is the most common operating system among the mobile operating system.

2. Bada

Samsung is the launcher of this operating system. I

3. Blackberry OS

The developer of this operating system is Reasearch In Motion (RIM).

4. Apple iOS

After android, it is one of the most popular OS. Also, it has very strong security features.

5.Windows Mobile Operating System

The developer of this OS is Microsoft. It is basically designed for pocket PCs and smartphones.

6. Symbian OS

Symbian Ltd. is the developer of this OS. Moreover, Nokia was the first to use this OS on its mobile
phones. This OS is based on java language.

7. Harmony OS

It is a latest OS moreover, Huawei is its developer. It is specifically designed for use in IoT devices.

8. Palm OS

Its other name is Garnet OS.

9. WebOS

Palm Ltd is its developer. Moreover, it is based on Linux kernel and HP uses it in its mobile devices and
touchpads.