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What is a Computer?

A computer is an electronic device that is designed to receive either a set of instructions from
the operator or a program, and then carryout the required tasks by performing calculations on
numerical data or by compiling and correlating other forms of information

A modern computer is designed to receive either a set of instructions from the operator or a
program, and then carry out the required tasks by performing calculations on numerical data or
by compiling and correlating other forms of information.

Computers affect us all and are used in many of today’s industries, some of which are:

 Banking transactions (Autobanks)

 Household accounts (Budgets)
 Automated manufacturing (Producing a modern car)
 Communications (Telephone systems)
 Shopping (Buying over the Internet)

THE DIGITAL COMPUTER

A digital computer bases its whole operation on the ability to determine if a switch (sometimes
called a gate), is either open or closed. As this type of computer can only recognized two states,
its microcircuits are either on or off, while in the case of letters and numbers only O’s and 1’s
are used (e.g. the letter “a” would be represented to the PC as something similar to “00110101)

History of the Digital Computer

1946 saw the development of the first general-purpose all-electronic computer called ENIAC
(Electronic Numerical Integrators and Computer). ENIC contained in excess of 18,000 vacuum
tubes and had a speed of several hundred multiplications per minute.

The first commercially available electronic computer was called UNIVAC 1. This computer
marked the beginning of the computer era. By 1960 transistors had replaced vacuum tubes as
logical components of a computer. This change meant that computer components used less
power and had a much longer life span. Computers using this technology were referred to as
second generation computers.
 DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMPUTERS

 Personal Computer (PC’s): A PC is a relative low-cost machine usually of desktop size

(laptops, notebooks and palmtops are mush smaller).
 Main Frames: A mainframe is a large expensive machine with the capability of serving
the needs of major business enterprises, government departments and scientific
research establishments (the largest and fastest of these are called supercomputers).

ELEMENTS OF A COMPUTER

Central Processing Unit (CPU) of Microprocessor: The CPU located on your computer’s main
circuit board (Motherboard) is basically the brain of your PC. The CPU may either consist of a
single chip of series of chips that perform two main functions. The first of these functions is to
perform arithmetic and logical calculation, while

Input Devices

Keyboards: The keyboard uses a key arrangement similar to that of an ordinary typewriter, with
the addition of some special function keys and a numeric keypad.

Mouse: When using a mouse, one is able to move the cursor around the screen with speed and
simplicity

Scanners: A scanner reads information from paper, and transfers this as text or graphics onto a
PC where it is stored and can be edited.

Modems: Modems are expansion cards or external units, which send information from one PC
to another via the telephone cables. A modem is necessary if you wish to have access to the
Internet.

Light Pens: A light pen transfers graphics information from electronic pads into the computer.

Voice: Voice recognition software translates the spoken word into digital signals, which the
computer understands.

Joystick: This is similar to a mouse; the joystick also translates physical motion into motion on a
computer video display screen.
 OUTPUT DEVICES

Monitors : The most common output device used with a desktop computer is the monitor,
which is used to display characters and graphics on a screen similar to that of an ordinary
television set.

Modem: A modem links two or more computers by translating digital signals into analog signals
so that data can be transmitted via telephone lines.

Printers: Another standard output device is the printer. Printers provide us with a paper copy of
the PC’s result. Various types of printers are available in the market place. Some of there are
listed below

Dot-matrix Printers: Dot-matrix printers have a set of pins, which impact upon the ribbon
against the paper, producing varying qualities of print.

Ink-jet and Bubble-jet Printers: These printers are a successful compromise between dot-
matrix and the much higher laser printer quality.

Laser Printer: Offering very high resolutions, laser printers suit a wide range of business and
media-oriented applications. They are expensive, but often more economical when speed,
durability and professional print quality are considered.

STORAGE DEVICES (INTERNAL STORAGE)

RAM

RAM comes in the form of silicon memory chips called SIMM’s which are mounted directly on
the computer’s main circuit board or in chips mounted on peripheral cards that plug into
computer’s main circuit boards. RAM chips consists of switches that are sensitive to changes in
electric current. RAM chips hold their stored information of data as long as the circuits receive a
constant current flow. The data is lost if the PC is switched off.

ROM:

ROM chips are also made of silicon. However, all of the switches on these chips are already set.
The patterns on the ROM chips form commands, data, or programs that the computer needs to
function correctly.

External Storage: External storage devices, such as a hard disk, can physically reside within the
computer’s casing

Hard Disk: The most common external storage device used in a PC is the hard or “fixed” disk.
Removable Disks: As the hard disk is usually a permanent fixture inside the PC’s casing,
removable disks were originally used to make a copy of information (back-up) or transfer
information from one unit to another. The most common removable disk at present is known
as a Stiffy Disk.

CD-ROM: Data may be stored on a CD-ROM. The same technology is used as the laser
techniques that are used to create audio compact disk. In order to store on a CD-ROM you
require a special devices known as a CD-ROM writer.

Magnetic Tapes: High-speed tape drives are used to copy data and information from the hard
disk onto removable tapes. The process of copying data from one type of storage device to
another is known as “backing up”.

SOFTWARE : The software of a computer refers to the computer programs that are used on a
computer

Program: A program is a set of instructions that tells the computer what to do. Programs may
be divided into two broad categories, namely, Operating Systems and Application Programs.

Operating Systems: An operating system, which is sometimes referred to as the OS, is the
software responsible for controlling the allocation and usage of hardware resources.

The operating systems have the following features:

 They are supplied by the manufacturer of the hardware or purchased as utility from a
software company.
 They assist in running other programs.
 They serve as intermediaries between the hardware and application programs.
 They simplify the use of the software.
 They control the operations of the hardware.

The hierarchies of the computer languages are as follows:

 Machine Language
 Low-level Language
 High-level Language
 LANGUAGE TRANSLATORS

A language translator translates high-level languages to the language of the computer. A

language translator could be any of the following:

Interpreter: An interpreter is a program which translates the sources program into machine
language statement by statement. It translates a statement and executes before taking on the
next statement.

Compiler: This is a program that translates the whole source program into machine code or
language.

Assembler: This is a program that translates programs written in assembly languages into
machine code.

Emulators: Emulators are special programs that permit the object program generated on one
computer to be executed on an entirely different computer.

COMPUTER SOFTWARE GENERATIONS

First Generation: This is the forerunner of all programming languages consisting of binary digits
(0,1). This is the machine language. The generation is the late 40’s.

(b) Second Generation: This is the assembly language (low-level language) consisting of
abbreviated word (pneumonics). The generation is early 50’s.

(c) Third Generation: This consists of the high level languages where programming is done in
languages. The generation is the late 60’s.

(d) Fourth Generation: This is an application generation that automates the routines involved in
programming and its features include:

i) Setting up data entry screens

ii) Creating files

(iii) Querying data

(iv) Report generation

(e) Fifth Generation: They are declarative languages where programmers state the problem and
the languages sort out the solution. Such systems are called expert systems.
The following are examples of operating systems

 MS-DOS
 PC-DOS
 UNIX
 XENIX
 NT
 WINDOWS 95, 98, 2000

THE MOUSE

The mouse became popular by its inclusion as standard equipment with the early Apple
Macintosh. With the increased popularity of GUI’s (GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE), the use of
the mouse has grown throughout the personal computer and workstation worlds. The basic
features of a mouse are a casing, which has a flat bottom and is gripped by one hand.

The basic functions of a mouse include the following

 A computer mouse enables its user to move a cursor smoothly and intuitively across a
two-dimensional plane.
 It is an essential input device for selecting, dragging, hovering, and clicking.
 It can also be used to bring up alternative functions and menus by clicking the right
button when hovering over a screen element.
 It can be used to draw pictures
 Advanced mice have extra buttons placed around the casing that can be assigned tasks
and functions specific to the operating system or a particular program.

Operating System

An operating system is the software responsible for controlling the allocation and usage of
hardware resources. The operating system is the basis on which all computer application
programs are produced.

List of elements of the desktop

 Taskbar
 Start button/menu
 Desktop
 Program Icon
  Shortcut
 My Computer
 Recycle Bin
 Inbox

WORD PROCESSING

Word processing is the use of computers to create, revise, and save documents for printing and
future retrieval. This is definitely the most common and popular group of applications around
you. According to Brightman and Dimsdale book the number while the reference should be
specified, “Writing, whether it is technical exposition, business communications, news
reporting, or creative writing, it is ten percent expressing ideas and ninety percent editing to
make them readable and understandable”.

Examples of Word Processors include

 Abiword
 Apple iWork - Pages
 Apple TextEdit
 Corel WordPerfect
 Google Docs (online and free)
 LibreOffice -> Writer (free)
 Microsoft Word.

The four basic components of a computer system are

 Input
 Output
 Processing
 Storage

The advantages of word processing include the ability to:

 Store typed documents in the computer

 View the document on screen before printing
 Correct mistakes
  Insert or delete words
 Move sections of text to another part of the documents
 Incorporate other text without having to retype it
 Store documents on backing store for later recall
 Change layout of the document
 Print the document many times

Using the Tab Key

Tabs make it easier to align text precisely. Pressing the Tab key inserts a tab characters, moving
the insertion point to the next tab stop. Tab stops are preset at 1.27cm increments.

Using the Backspace Key

By pressing the Backspace key, you can delete the character or space immediately to the left of
the insertion point.

Autocomplete

As you type certain common words, dates, or names, Word will suggest the complete word or
phrase after you type the first few letters. This feature is called AutoComplete.

Paragraph Formatting

Paragraph formatting, such as alignment, indents, and tabs can be used to affect the
appearance of your document. To apply a paragraph format, you select the paragraph and
apply the format. However, you can select the paragraph by just placing the insertion point in
the paragraph, or by selecting any amount of text in the paragraph. The formats you apply will
affect the entire paragraph.

Paragraph alignment may be applied before typing a paragraph or after the paragraph has been
typed. Paragraph alignment determines how text is positioned between the left and right
indents. There are four alignment options.

Align Left: Lines of text are aligned along the left indent. The text along the right side of the
paragraph appears ragged. Left aligned is the default paragraph-alignment setting.

Right Alignment: Align Right Lines of text are aligned along the right indent. The left and right
indents are even with the left margins by default. If you apply paragraph alignment to a
selected paragraph, the text will appear to align (left, center, right and justified) with the
margins. The text along the left side of the paragraph appears ragged.
Justify: Lines of text are aligned along both the left and right indents. Word adjusts the spacing
between words so that they stretch from left indent to right indent. When the last line of a
justified paragraph is short, however, it will not be stretched out.

The Spelling Checker

No matter how carefully you type or proofread a document, errors inevitably creep into
documents. Word 2000 has provided certain proofing tools to help eliminate such errors from
your final document. One of these is the Spell Checker.

DEFINITION OF A SPREADSHEET

A spreadsheet comprises a grid of numbered rows and lettered column intersecting in cells. A
cell can contain either text or numbered values.

A spreadsheet consists of information written in tabular form; in other words, rows and/or
columns of figures and/or text. A series of data depicted horizontally is called a “row” while a
series of data depicted vertically is called a “column”. These data may consist of text, “raw”
numbers or of calculated results. The primary objective of a spreadsheet is to keep a record of
numerical information.
  The Paper Spreadsheet

In order to appreciate the Excel software program, it is helpful to understand the limitations of
a “paper spreadsheet”. By “paper spreadsheet” we mean a non-electronic spreadsheet that has
either been hand-written or typed. Working with a paper spreadsheet can be complicated and
time consuming.

 The Excel Program

Excel is a software application that provides an “electronic spreadsheet,” or worksheet

environment. Excel’s worksheet is an electronic replacement for traditional planning tools: the
pencil and eraser, the accountant’s ledger sheet and the calculator.

An Excel file, called a workbook, can contain worksheets. Excel can be used to manage numbers
and calculations. You may use Excel for purposes such as the setting up of profit and loss
statements, cash flow forecasts, sales reports, product lists inventories, budgeting, project
planning etc.

The Excel Workbook Structure

Workbook: The default Excel workbook contains 3 worksheet names Sheet1 through Sheet3.
The sheet names appear on tabs at the bottom of the workbook. A new Excel workbook file can
contain up to 255 separate worksheets. The Excel worksheet is a grid of 256 columns by 65,536
rows.

Cells: the intersection of a column and a row. Cells are typically referred to by their column and
row location. For instance, column A, row 1 is cell A1. You enter data (text or numbers) directly
into any cell that is active. A thick, dark border distinguishes the active cell.

Formula bar: a bar located near the top of the window that displays the constant value or
formula used in the active cell.

Scroll bars: to the right of and below the worksheet grid. Use the scroll bars to display different
areas of the active worksheet.

Sheet tabs: at the bottom of the workbook. You can click on the sheet tabs to move from one
sheet to another in a workbook.

Tab scrolling buttons: to the left of the sheet tabs. You can click on the tab scrolling buttons to
scroll the display of sheet tabs one at a time, or to display the first or last grouping of sheet tabs
within a workbook.
 Description of Computer Malwares

Malware is short for malicious software) is any software intentionally designed to cause
damage to a computer, server, client or computer network. Malware does the damage
after it is implanted or introduced in some way into a target's computer and can take the
form of executable code, scripts active content, and other software.

Types of malwares and suggest the suitable methods to protect against them

Viruses: A computer virus is software usually hidden within another seemingly innocuous
program that can produce copies of itself and insert them into other programs or files, and that
usually performs a harmful action (such as destroying data).

Trojan horses: A Trojan horse is a harmful program that misrepresents itself to masquerade as
a regular, benign program or utility in order to persuade a victim to install it. A Trojan horse
usually carries a hidden destructive function that is activated when the application is started.

Screen-locking ransomware: Lock-screens, or screen lockers is a type of “cyber police”

ransomware that blocks screens on Windows or Android devices with a false accusation in
harvesting illegal content, trying to scare the victims into paying up a fee.

TERMINOLOGY

LAN Stands for Local Area Network and refers to a network set up in one building.

MAN is a Metropolitan Area Network and refers to two LANs linked between two buildings in
the same metropolis.

WAN is a Wide Area Network and refers to LANs or MANs that are connected between cities.

WWW is a World Wide Web and refers to the linking up the world’s LANs, MANs and WANs to
form a web of networks that cover the earth.

COMPUTER NETWORKS

When two or more computers are interconnected this is generally referred to as a network.
Networks have become increasingly popular over the last decade. There are a various reasons
for this phenomenon. The two main reasons are firstly convenience, and secondly cost savings.
Networks can be used to transfer information between computers, even if they use different
operating systems. A network can also be used to send data to remote storage devices and
printers, without having to send all of the signals through an expensive mainframe computer.
Generally networks provide an inexpensive way to interconnect any number of systems and
make communication and sharing of data quick and easy.

There are two main categories of networks used in the industry, which are LAN’s (Local Area
Network) and WAN’s (Wide Area Network).

The File server

This is usually a high performance computer with a very large hard disk. The file server is a mass
storage device that all users can share. It is used to store all shared programs and data on the
network.

Workstations

These are the computers on a network that users work on. Each computer has a network card
installed in it, which allows the machine to receive and transmit messages on the network
cable.

Shared equipment

All users attached to a network can also make use of certain shared equipment.

THE INTERNET

The Internet is a global network of computers that are able to communicate with one another,
using a common language called HTML (Hypertext Mark-up Language). These computers are
connected worldwide and can be accessed from anywhere in the world. All you need is a
modem and the software to be able to get onto the internet.

The internet is similar to the international telephone system – no one owns or controls the
whole system, but it is connected in a way that makes it function as a single big network.

The Negative Impacts Of The Use Of Computers

 Computer use can result in vision problems called Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)
 People who have used the computers for an extensive period of time may complain
about headaches, and pains in their wrists, arms and necks
  Many computers have CRT, or Cathode Ray Tube, monitors that give off X-ray radiation
that can affect your health

ERGONIMIC

Ergonimic (from Greek word ergon meaning work) and nomoi meaning natural laws is the
science of refining the design of products to optimize them for human use. Human
characteristics such as height, weight, and proportions are considered, as well as information
about human haring, sight, temperature preferences, and so on.

Ergonomic is sometimes known as human factors engineering.

SWITCHING ON YOUR PC

In order that you may use a PC, the first task you must perform is to switch on (or boot) the PC.
To switch the PC on first ensure that the power cable, which is supplied with your PC, is
connected to the electrical mains supply to your computer.

Start Up Sequence

When turning on your PC, the following sequence of events will take place. The PC will perform
some standard systems checks covering areas such as:

 Motherboard
 Processor
 Memory
 Disk Drives