COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS AND capability of the hardware.

Example,
PROGRAMMING 1 PowerPoint, word, android, windows, java,
files, notepad, excel, Linux, apple, chrome,
LESSON 1: BASICS OF COMPUTER
Gmail, cloud, Mac OS, and McAfee.
COMPUTER
* Input Devices – In computing, an input
- Electronic device that accepts data from the device is a peripheral (piece of computer
user, processes it, produces results, displays hardware equipment) used to provide data and
them to the users, and stores the results for control signals to an information processing
future usage. system such as a computer or information
- To process the data and convert into appliance. Example, keyboard, mouse,
information, a computer is used. scanner, digital cameras, trackballs, gamepad,
and joysticks.
* Father of the Computer - Charles
Babbage. * Output Devices – Any piece of computer
hardware equipment which converts
* Father of modern Computer - Alan information into human readable form.
Turing. Example, monitors, projectors, speakers,
* Basic Architecture of Computer - John headphones, video card, and printers.
Von Neumann. His Computer Architecture CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
design consists of a:
- Is the electronic circuity within a computer
✓ Control Unit that carries out the instructions of a computer
✓ Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) program by performing the basic arithmetic,
✓ Memory Unit logical, control and input/output (I/O)
✓ Registers and Inputs/Outputs operations specified by the instructions.
✓ This design is still used in most
computers produced today. - Brain of the computer.

* First Programmer – Lady Ada Lovelae * Features of CPU:

(1880) Augusta Ada King-Noel. English ✓ Is considered as the brain of the
mathematician and writer. computer.
* First Electronic Computer: ENIAC (1946) ✓ Performs all types of data processing
– J.P. Eckert & J.W. Maunchly at the University operations.
of Pennsylvania. ✓ It stores data, intermediate results, and
instructions (program).
* First Computer for the home user introduced ✓ It controls the operation of all parts of
IBM in 1981. the computer.
MAIN PARTS OF COMPUTER * CPU itself has the following three
* Hardware – Computer hardware is what components:
you can physically touch. Example, cooling fan, ✓ Memory or Storage Unit
speaker, printer, processor, keyboard, ✓ Control Unit
projector, joystick, scanner, mouse, ✓ ALU (Arithmetic Logic Unit)
headphones, microphones, hard disk drive and
motherboard.
* Software – Computer hardware itself is not
capable of doing anything on its own. It has to
be given explicit instructions to perform the
specific task. Software is a collection of
programs which utilize and enhance the
 MONITORS IMPACT PRINTER VS NON IMPACT
- A monitor is a TV-like display attached to the PRINTER
computer on which the output can be
displayed and viewed. It can either be a
monochrome display or a colour display.
* There are two kinds of monitors:
✓ CRT Monitor (Cathode Ray Tube)
✓ LCD Monitor (Liquid Crystal Display)
PRINTER
- Is a output device for printing text or
pictures.

STORAGE UNIT OR MEMORY UNIT

CLASSIFICATION OF PRINTER
* Impact Printer – An impact printer is a PRIMARY MEMORY OR MAIN MEMORY
printer that strikes a print head against an ink
ribbon to mark the paper. Common examples
include dot matrix and daisy-wheel printers.
* Non-Impact Printer – Print the characters
without using ribbon. Two common types of
non-impact printers include inkjet printers,
which spray small drops of ink onto each page,
and laser printers, which roll ink onto the paper
using a cylindrical.
TYPES OF PRINTERS

1. Random Access Memory (RAM)

 2. Read Only Memory (ROM)

* EPROM – Stands for Erasable Programmable

Read Only Memory. This form of ROM is also
initially blank. The user or manufacturer can
write program or data on it by using special
RAM devices.

- Is a type of data storage used in computers

that is generally located on the motherboard.
This type of memory is volatile and all
information that was stored in RAM is lost
when the computer is turned off.
- There are two types of Random-Access
Memory:
* EEPROM – Stands for Electrically Erasable
* Dynamic RAM – dynamic indicates that the
Programmable Read Only Memory. This kind of
memory must be constantly refreshed or it will
ROM can be written or changed with the help
lose its contents.
of electrical devices. So data stored in this type
* Static Memory – A computer memory that of ROM chip can be easily modified.
contains fixed information and retains its
programmed state as long as the power is on.
ROM
- Once data has been written onto a ROM chip,
it cannot be removed and can only be read.
Unlike main memory (RAM), ROM retains its RAM VS ROM
contents even when the computer is turned
off. ROM is reffered to as being non-volatile.
- There are three types of Read Only
Memory (ROM):
✓ PROM
✓ EPROM
✓ EEPROM
TYPES OF READ ONLY MEMORY
* PROM – Stands for Programmable Read
Only Memory. This form of ROM is initially
blank. The user or manufacturer can write * Cache – Is a place to store something
data/program on it by using special devices. temporarily in a computing environment. Cache
However, once the program or data is written memory, also called CPU memory, is randm
in PROM chip, it cannot be changed. If there is access memory (RAM).
an error in writing instructions or data in
PROM, the error cannot be erased. PROM chip
becomes unusable.
* Memory Units – Storage capacity is
expressed in terms of Bytes. Th e data is
represented as a binary digit (os and is).
* Hierarchy – Bit< Nibble< Byte< KB< MB<
GB< TB< PB< XB< ZB< YB.
- American Standard Code for Information
interchange (ASCII) is the standard code the
computer industry created to represent
* Hard Drive – a rigid non-removable
characters (more than 64 character).
magnetic disk with a large data storage
✓ 4 bit Nibble capacity.
✓ 8 bit 1 byte
✓ 1024 B 1 KB (210)
✓ 1024 KB 1 MB (220)
✓ 1024 MB 1 GB (230)
✓ 1024 GB 1 TB (240)
✓ 1024 TB 1 PB (250)
✓ 1024 PB 1 XB (260)
✓ 1024 XB 1 ZB (270)
✓ 1024 ZB 1 YB (280)

* Floppy Disk – Also called a diskette or just

disk, is a type of disk storage composed of a
disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage
medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier
lined with fabric that removes dust particles.
Floppy Disks are read and written by a floppy
disk drive (FDD).

SECONDARY MEMORY
- Is a type of computer memory that is not
directly accessed by the central processing unit
* Magnetic Tape – used in recording sound,
(CPU) of a computer and is usually available as
pictures, or computer data.
non-volatile memory.
- One of the most common forms of this
memory is the hard drive of a computer, which
is used to store the Operating System (OS) and
other programs.
- Other forms of secondary memory include
* Flash Memory – a kind of memory that
disc drives for compact discs (CDs) or digital
retains data in the absence of a power supply.
versatile discs (DVDs), as well as removable
flash memory.
* Optical Disk – n electronic data storage B.C, but it was given it final shape in the 12th
medium that can be written to and read using century A.D. by the Chinese educationalists.
a low-powered laser beam.

* Napier’s Bones – As the necessity

* CD-ROM – storage capacity is 640 mb.
demanded, scientist started inventing better
“Read Only” (used for distribution of
calculating device. In thus process John
commercial software).
Napier’s of Scotland invented a calculating
* CD-R (or CD-WORM) – “Write Once, Read device, in the year 1617 called the Napier
Many” times. Bones. In the device, Napier’s used the bone
* CD-RW – Rewrite multiple times. rods of the counting purpose where some no.
is printed on these rods. These rods that one
* DVD – Similar to CD, but with significantly can do addition, subtraction, multiplication and
larger storage capacity (4.17GB0. division easily.
* WORM – Write Once Read Many describes a
data storage device in which information, once
written, cannot be modified.
MOTHER BOARD
- A motherboard is the main circuit board
inside a computer that connects the different
parts of a computer together. It has sockets * Pascal Calculator – In the year 1642,
for the CPU, RAM and expansion cards (e.g. Blaise Pascal a French scientist invented an
discrete graphics cards, sound cards, network adding machine called Pascal’s calculator,
cards, storage cards etc.) … and it also hooks which represents the position of digit with the
up to hard drives, disc drives and front panel help of gears in it.
ports with cables and wires. Also known as
mainboard, system board.

* Leibniz Calculator – In the year 1671, a

German mathematics, Gottfried Leibniz
GENERATION AND CLASSIFICATION OF modified the Pascal calculator and he
COMPUTER developed a machine which could perform
various calculation based on multiplication and
* Abacus – It is known to be the first
divisions as well.
mechanical calculating device. Which was used
to be performed addition and subtraction easily
and speedily. Abacus is made of wooden frame
in which rod were fitted across with rounds
beads sliding on the rod. This device was a first
develop Ed by the Egyptians in the 10th century
* Charles Babbage: Analytical Engine DIGITAL COMPUTER
1837 – In the year 1833, a scientist form - Is the most commonly used type of computer
England knows to be Charles Babbage invented
and is used to process information with
such a machine. This device was called quantities using digits, usually using the binary
Analytical engine and it deemed the first number system.
mechanical computer. It included such feature
which is used in today’s computer language. - Provide accurate results but they are slower
For this great invention of the computer, Sir than analog computer.
Charles Babbage is also known as the father of
the computer.

HYBRID COMPUTER
COMPUTER GENERATION - Is a combination of digital and analog
computers and it combines the best features of
both types of computers.
- Is used in hospitals to measure the heartbeat
of the patient.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER BASED ON
SIZZE
* Supercomputer – The fastest type of computer.
Supercomputers are very expensive and are
employed for specialized applications that require
immense amounts of calculations.
* Mainframe Computer - A mainframe computer
CLASSIFICATION ON WORKING SYSTEM
is a very large computer capable of handling and
processing very large amounts of data quickly.
They are used by large institutions, such as
government agencies and large corporations.
* Mini Computer – A computer with processing
and storage capabilities smaller than those of a
mainframe but larger than those of a
microcomputer.
* Analog Computer – A computer that * Micro Computer– A microcomputer is a
operates with numbers represented by directly complete computer on a smaller scale and is
measurable quantities (as voltages or generally a synonym for the more common term,
rotations) compare digital computer, hybrid personal computer or PC , a computer designed for
computer. an individual.
* Personal Computer – A personal computer
(PC) is a small, relatively inexpensive computer
designed for an individual user. In price, All are
based on the microprocessor technology that
enables manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one
chip.
TYPES OF NETWORK
* Local Area Network (LAN) – A computer
network that links devices within a building or
group of adjacent Ex – Star LAN, Ring LAN, Bus • UTILITIES
LAN
* Wide Area Network (WAN) – A computer
network in which the computers connected may be
far apart.
* Metropolitan Area Network (MAN)- A
metropolitan area network (MAN) is a network that
interconnects users with computer resources in a • DEVICE DRIVERS
geographic area or region larger than that covered
by even a LAN but smaller than the area covered
by WAN.
SOME FIMPORTANT FILE EXTENSIONS
.doc Microsoft Word Document
.ppt PowerPoint Presentation • LANGUAGE TRANSLATOR
.bmp Bitmap Image File
.jpg JPEG Image
.xls Excel Spreadsheet
.exe Windows Executable File
.bak Backup File

LESSON 2: COMPUTER SOFTWARE

TYPES OF SOFTWARE

APPLICATION SOFTWARE

• CATEGORIES OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE

TYPES OF SYSTEM SOFTWARE

• OPERATING SYSTEM
• TYPES OF APPLICATION
• FORMS OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE PUBLIC-DOMAIN SOFTWARE
PACKAGE SOFTWARE

CUSTOM SOFTWARE

WEB APPLICATION

OPEN SOURCE

SHAREWARE

FREEWARE