Computer Essentials

1. What is a computer?

A computer is an electronic device which works with data and

instructions. By giving instructions to the computer, you can get
the required results from the data.
The computer is a machine which allows us to do many different
things. We have to give data and instructions to the computer in
order for it to perform any function because machines cannot
think by themselves.
Computers are of different types, shapes and sizes. They are
designed for different jobs and used by different people in
different situations.
H some of the different kind of computers
 Desktop Computer Laptop or Notebook Computers

Handheld Computers Tablet PCs

2. Computer Parts
The computer consists of different devices or parts. We call

these computer devices hardware components. We can touch

and see the hardware components.

The keyboard is used to enter data and instructions. The

system unit contains the Central Processing Unit (CPU), which

processes the data. The monitor shows the results of the

processed data.

Although these are the main parts of a computer, there are

many other devices connected to it. These devices are used to
perform different functions. These are called peripheral
devices.
 The computer works with data and instructions. We first have
to enter the data and instructions into the computer. This step
is called Input.

Then the CPU, which is inside the system unit, will read the

instructions and work on the data to find the answer or the

result. This step is called Processing. Finally, the result or the

information is given out. This step is called Output.

Therefore, the computer performs three steps: Input, Processing

and Output. It has to use its different parts to perform the different
functions in each step.
3. Uses of Computers
• type letters and documents
• draw pictures
• print different types of documents, graphs
and maps
• use CDs to learn about different subjects
• send emails to friends
• play games and listen to music

computers are used in different types of jobs. Some of

them are:
• preparation and issuing of bills
• recording weather
 • making movies with different effects and sounds
designing things such as bridges and aircraft conducting
scientific experiments
• controlling air traffic
• training pilots by using simulations

Exercise 1
1. Write down two things that you have learnt about the computer.

2. Write down two things you do using the computer.

3. Write down two other tasks that people do using computers.

4. Kevin's father is a businessman. He sometimes does his work while

travelling. What type of computer do you think Kevin's father uses?

5. Write down another type of computer that you can suggest for him.
 4. Getting Ready

Icons

Desktop

Start

The computer needs electricity to work. First, we must switch on the

main power supply to the computer. Once the computer is ON, the

computer screen will display some small pictures. The entire screen

is known as the Desktop.

The small pictures that appear on the desktop are call icons. The icons
are on the desktop to represent programs files, folders and other
items.
 Gadgets are mini-programs. These mini-programs give some
useful and quick information such as the Clock, Notes and
Weather, etc. The gadgets can be added or removed from the desktop
as desired by the user.

You will see the Taskbar which appears as a long horizontal bar at the
bottom of the desktop. It has the Start button on the left. To start the
programs available on your computer you have to use the start
button.
Some programs have a common format with the same functions and
facilities but others have different types of screens, layouts and
facilities.

Tips to Remember
Computers are used in many places all around the world today. There are

many different types of computers available. Jobs done using the computer

differ from place to place and from person to person.

In some computer labs, electricity to the computer is supplied through an

Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) unit. It is used to provide electricity even
if a sudden power failure occurs, but it can only provide power for a limited
period of time.
• Always remember to switch off or shut down the computer when you
finish your work.
Exercise 2
Write down the functions of the following keys.

Enter key

Caps Lock key

Space bar

Tab key

Delete key

Backspace key

Arrow keys or cursor movement keys

Home key

End key
 Tips to Remember
Some keys on the keyboard have two symbols
on them. If you press one of these keys on its
own, you will type what is on the bottom half
of the key. To type what is on the top half of
the key, you have to press that key together with the Shift key.

• When the Caps Lock is not on, if you press any letter key together

with the Shift key, you will get a capital letter.

• When you are typing a long document, you will see only a part

of the document on the screen. To move up and see the top part
of the document, press the Page Up key. Use the Page Down key
to move down and see the bottom part of the document.

The Numeric Keypad is on the right side of the keyboard. The keys
on it are arranged similar to a calculator. You have to switch on
the Num Lock key to enable you to use the numeric keypad. If
you switch off the Num Lock key, you can use the symbols and
the other options available. Laptop keyboards are different to
standard keyboards.
5. Some Useful Things to Practice
Here are some useful things that you have to know when using a
computer.
Create a New Document
Creating a new document means getting a new blank document or page.

1. Click the File tab and then select New. A dialog box will then
appear.

2. Under Available Templates, click Blank Document.

3. Click on Create.

Save a Document
When you finish your work, you have to save the document so that
you can use it again.
Click on the File tab. Click on Save As. The Save As dialogue box
will then appear.

• Select a disk available on your computer from the computer tab

which shows the disk drives of the computer.

 Open a folder on the disk if the file has to be saved inside a folder.

• Type a suitable name for the file in the File name box.
• Click on the Save button or press the Enter key to save the file.

When you save a document there are two very important steps

to remember:

1. You have to specify a storage media or disk, where your file

should be saved.
2. You must give your document a suitable file name in order to
identify it in the future.
3. You can also save your work in a specific Directory or File Folder on a
disk.

New Volume (D) DVD RW Drive (E) Budget Plans Science Project

Disks File Folders

When your document is saved in any of the storage media, it is called a

file. The file can be identified by the name you gave it. Computers usually
have many files saved on them.
Sometimes you open files to edit them or make changes to them. When
you have made your changes, you save them by selecting Save from the
 menu that appears when you click the File tab. The changes will be saved
into the same file.
If you select the Save As option, you can save this file in a different place
or under a different name. This means you can keep the original file as
well as the file with the changes, but you need to give the changed file a
different file name.
Open a File
To reuse a file, you have already created and saved, you have to open
that file.
• Select Open from the menu that appears when the File tab is clicked.
The Open dialog box will then appear.
Select the storage device and the file folder where the file has been
saved. Select the name of the file and click on Open.

Print Preview and Print a Document

If you need to have your document or file printed on paper, you have to
use the print option. You also need a printer connected to the computer.
When you select the print option the print preview of your document will
also be displayed on the window.

1. Select Print from the menu that opens up when the File tab is
clicked.
2, Under Print, in the Copies box, enter the number of copies that you
want to print.
3. Under Printer, select the printer that your computer is connected to.
4. Change any settings such as Page size, Margins etc. if required.
5. When you are satisfied with the settings, click Print.

Most of the programs that you will use throughout this book will have
the same methods for saving, opening and printing
Exercise 3
1. Write down the important steps that you have to follow when
saving a document.

2. Why is the print preview facility useful?

3. List the steps needed to shut down a compute

6. Input Devices
The devices that are used to enter data and instructions into the
computer are called input devices.

You have to use different input devices according to the type of input
you want to enter into the computer.
Below are some commonly used input devices.

Keyboard Mouse Microphone Scanner

There are other special types of input devices that are used to input
data into computers.

Webcam

A webcam is a video camera that can be connected

to a computer to input live videos. A webcam is
generally connected by a USB cable. Laptops and note book
computers have inbuilt webcams. These are commonly used for
video calls and also used for security reasons
Barcode Reader

A barcode reader is an electronic device for reading printed barcodes.

These are commonly used in shops and supermarkets. These are also
known as barcode scanners. By passing a handheld barcode reader over
the printed barcode of an item, details of that item can be transferred to
the computer quickly.

A barcode Barcode reader

Joystick
Joystick is a lever like stick that moves in all directions and controls
the movement of a pointer or some other display symbol on a
computer screen. Joysticks are used mostly for computer games.

Tips to Remember
Data can be inserted into the computer in the form of text, sound,
pictures, etc., using different kinds of input devices.
7. The System Unit
The system unit contains many parts. Some of its main parts are
the Central Processing Unit (CPU), the disk drives and the hard disk.

1-

Inner view of a system unit Back view of a system unit

The CPU
As you know by now, the data that we enter is processed to
produce results. The CPU is the part which does that job. The CPU
processes the data that we feed into the computer. It acts as the
brain of the computer. Modern CPUs are
small and square and contain multiple
metallic connectors or pins on the
underside.

The Drives
A drive is a device which lets you store information on storage media
so that you can retrieve it later.

Here are some examples of the drives that you will find in a system unit.

Hard Disk Drive.

 Hard disk drive:
Hard Disk Drive enables you to store and retrieve
information on the hard disk. You cannot see the hard
disk drive from the outside as it is fixed inside the
system unit.
CD ROM Drive:
CD ROM Drive enables you to use the information
stored on a CD ROM. You need to insert the CD ROM
into the CD ROM drive in order to use the information
on it. Most computers now come with DVD drives that
allow you to work with CD ROMs and DVDs.

Exercise 4

1. Write down why input devices are used.

2. Which input device would Lisa use to copy pictures or

photographs to use in her articles?

3. Which input device would you suggest Kevin should use to

input the sound of his voice in to his presentations?

4. What is the job of the CPU?

 5. Write down where the following drive lets the user store
information.

Exercise 5
1. Switch on your computer.
2. Load Microsoft Word.
3. Type your full name on the first line.
4. Leave a blank line and go to the next line. (Go to the 3rd line.)
5. Type the paragraphs given below.
6. Leave one blank line after the heading 'Insects' and after the
first paragraph.
Insects

Insects are the most successful creatures in the whole of

the animal kingdom. They are remarkably well adapted
to all environments and can live on land, in the air and in
water. Thus, insects can be found in a variety of places,
from scorching deserts and hot springs to snowy
mountain peaks and icy lakes.
Their small size means they can fit into very small places
and do not need much food to live. Insects are
invertebrates, which means that, unlike mammals, fish,
reptiles, and birds, they have no backbone.

Did you notice that the word wrapping facility takes the cursor to
the next line automatically when you type?
 7. Save the document as Ex5<<your name>> in your teacher's
folder. For example, if your name is Peter save your document as
Ex5Peter.

8. Close the document.

9. Exit Microsoft Word.
10.
8. Output Devices
Output devices are used to obtain the processed data from the
computer.
Here are some examples of output devices.

Monitor Speakers Printer Plotter

Monitor
This is the most frequently used output device. It displays the
information that has been processed by the CPU. It also shows
the data and instructions typed in using the keyboard.
Information shown on a display device is called soft copy because
the information exists electronically. Modern computer monitors
are thin and are called LCD panels. Older monitors used a cathode
ray tube (CRT).
Printer
A printer produces the output on paper. This output is called a
hard copy. Some printers print in black and white and some print
 in colour as well. Printers can also work with digital cameras to
print directly without the use of a computer.

Speaker
Speakers are used to output various sounds, such as music and
instructions stored on a CD ROM, Some computer displays have
basic speakers built-in. Laptops come with integrated sp avers.
External speakers can be connected to such computers to o tput
better quality sounds.

Plotter
A plotter gives a hard copy of the output printed on paper. It
draws pictures on paper using a pen. Plotters are used to print
designs of large vehicles, machines, and plans for buildings.

Exercise 6
1. Which device would Kevin use to hear voice output?

2. What kind of information can be printed out using the plotter?

3. When Lisa is typing her newsletters, where can she see what she
is typing?

4. Which output device would Lisa use to take the final output of
her articles to display on the school notice board?
9. Storage Media
Storage media are used to store data, information and programs.
These are examples of storage media.

Hard Disk USB Memory Stick CD ROM

The Hard Disk

The hard disk lets you save larger amounts of information than other
storage devices. This is fixed inside the computer. There are portable
hard disk drives which can be externally fixed to a computer and
removed when not in use.
USB Memory Stick
USB memory sticks come in different shapes and designs and are small
and very easy to carry around. There are different names for USB
memory sticks. Pen drives, flash drives, thumb drives and USB
removable disks are some of them. The memory stick should be
connected to a USB port of a computer.

The CD ROM
CD ROM stands for Compact Disk Read Only Memory. A large
amount of data can be stored on a CD ROM. Unlike the hard
disk and USB memory sticks, the data stored on a CD ROM
cannot be changed.

CD-RW
CD-RW stands for Compact Disk Re-Writable. It is a disk which
is similar to the CD ROM, but it is rewritable. Data stored on the
CDRW can be erased and new data can be stored on it again.
Tips to Remember
The hard disk and the hard disk drive are built in together in a
hard metal casing. The hard disk is fixed inside the system unit.

The USB memory sticks use USB ports and the CD ROMs use
CD drives.
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