What is a computer?

• A computer is a physical device that takes

data as input, transforms these data by
executing a stored program, and outputs
information to a number of devices.
Stored
program
Information
Input data Processing
as output to
devices
 Types of computers

COMPUTER

ANALOG DIGITAL HYBRID

Personal
Organization- Work-group
Information
wide system system
System

Supercomputers,Mainfr
Minicomputers.workstat PCs, laptops,notebooks
ames
ions
Computer hardware for information
system
A computer system consists of interrelated components –computer hardware,
software and peripheral devices –that convert data into information.
Basics of data representation
Data – numbers, alphabets,symbols, graphs images –external data
representation
Computer –understands data through bits. Bit is smallest unit of data in a
computer (1 or 0).
Byte - Unique combination of 8 bits (megabyte, gigabyte, terrabyte)
Most important characteristics of computer hardware
1) Speed – rate at which computer can process data and instructions – number
of instructions processed per second. Processing time millionths of a second
2) Size –The amount of memory required to store the data and instructions
 Types of digital computers
• Microcomputers –PCs smaller than
mainframes but have become
sophisticated. Four basic units of PC a)
video display unit (VDU), a keyboard and
a mouse. It consists of processor where
data input, processed, stored and
retrieved. This unit also contains primary
memory, disk drives, a power supply and
outlets for connecting input and output
devices
 Types of digital computers
• Laptops and notebooks-mobile computing
technology. Battery operated portables
and can be used any time and anywhere.
-Powerful microprocessors, graphic
capabilities, adequate memory size.
• Hand-held computers and pen-based
computers (electronic writing pad and a
light-sensitive electronic pen, no keyboard)
 Types of digital computers
• Minicomputers and workstations
Workstations: faster and more sophisticated than PCs –
number of productivity tools that increase their efficiency.e.g.
SPARC stations from Sun microsystems
Supercomputers
- Fastest, most powerful and largest computer.- Multiple
processors –parallel processing
Mainframe
- Extensive memory and high processing speed.
Organization-wide systems –payroll, airline reservations,
Serve many servers at same time. Expensive to purchase,
operate and maintain. Trained personnel for maintenance
The distinction between computer type is becoming very
blurred
 Basic components of computer
system
Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Control Unit

Output
Input data information
Primary Storage Unit

Arithmetic and logic unit Secondar

y Storage
unit
 Input unit
• Input unit: Four basic ways to enter data
into a computer.
-Keyboard device-numeric keys, cursor
control keys, function keys
-Pointing devices – Mouse, touchscreen
Source data automation devices: reading of
data directly from documents or objects-
optical reading and magnetic reading
 Input Technology
• The type of processing will affect the way
in which data will be captured.
• Batch Processing –check processing in a
bank
• On-Line Processing-ATM, Airline
reservation
• On-Line with Delayed Processing –order
through toll free number
 Central Processing Unit
• Control Unit- Accesses data and instructions in
computers and transfers to ALU
• ALU(Arithmetic Logic unit)-Processing of data including
addition,subtraction and logical operations
• Primary storage –Temporarily used to store data and
instructions. Consists of chips with circuits (Integrated
Circuits)
• Primary memory -(RAM)-Volatile memory (semi
conductor)
-(ROM)-Non volatile-Basic instructions frequently used
by hardware vendors -PROM - Programmable Read-
Only Memory
 Central Processing Unit
(continued)
-EPROM - Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory.
Retains memory until exposure to UV light.. Used to
change contents of PROM before shipment

Cache memory(Volatile)-Physically located closer to

CPU than RAM. Retrieve information from cache
memory more quickly by processes in execution
• Registers(Volatile memory). Located in ALU and
CU.Increase efficiency of CPU.Include address
registers, instruction registers, general purpose
registers (data and address),accumulators
 Secondary storage devices
• Long term storage of programs and data outside of the
CPU and primary memory (RAM)
• Non-volatile
• Slower than primary memory
• Magnetic disks –floppy and hard discs.
• Hard disk –Mb to Gb of memory. Large storage
capabilities. New technologies such as RAID -
Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks and ZIP drives
• Magnetic tapes-historical data or backups of important
files. Low cost and portable. Data accessed sequentially
 Secondary Storage
• -Optical disk
• CD-ROM (Compact disc –Read only memory)-Optical
disc. Storage capabilities between 440 MB and 1 GB.
Stores pictures, video, animation and graphics.
• Magneto-optical disk - erasable rewritable optical disks.
Storage important since data loss can cause heavy
financial losses to an organization.
 Output devices
Displayed output devices- Video displayed
terminal
Printed output devices –Printers –Line printers,
character printers, ink jet printer, laser printer,
page printers
Speech output devices-Speakers.Sound
generated by sound board used in business
applications
Plotters
Microform- printing documents on microfilm
 Multimedia
• The use of two or more media types in a
computer based application.
• Input devices can include cassette decks,
cd players, video, still pictures etc.
• Output generally includes high resolution
monitors and stereo speakers
 Machine Cycle
• Instruction Cycle • Execution Cycle
I-cycle E-cycle
– Retrieve instruction – Move data to storage
– Decode Instruction area
– Place in Instruction & – ALU performs the
Address Registers operation of instruction
– place result in
Accumulator
 How Data is Represented
• Use Binary notation - two states 1 or 0
• A binary digit (1 or 0) is called a bit.
• Characters & symbols represented using a
coding scheme:
– EBCDIC - Extended Binary Coded Decimal
Interchange Code) 8bit
– ASCII - American Standard Code for
Information Interchange. orig. 7bit now 8bit
 Processor Speed & Size
• Processor speed Measured in MIPS -
Millions of Instructions Per Second.
• Storage capacity is measured in Bytes.
One Thousand Bytes (1024 bytes) equals
a Kilobyte.
 Processor Speed & Power
• Word length, Bus Width, Clock Speed,
Word Length - Number of Bits that can be
processed at once.
• Bus Width- Number of bits that can be
moved at once.
• Clock speed - Measured in megahertz
(MHz)
 Processor Generations
• 1951-1958 - Vacuum-Tube
• 1959-1963 - Transistors
• 1964-1979 - Integrated circuits
• 1980-now - Very Large-Scale Integrated
Circuits (VLSIC)
 Technology Trends
• Distributed Processing
• Downsizing - networks of micro’s,
cooperative processing
• Fifth Generation - Massively parallel
processing
• Superchips - special purpose chips.
 Computer software for
Information Systems
• Software (or programs) is what controls the
computer. A software program is simply a list of
instructions to tell the computer what to do.
• Data are the raw facts that the hardware and
software act upon.
• Software in an organization can monitor sales
volume, generates reports, monitors employee
attendance, processes marketing information,
tracking inventory, etc
• Systems in organizations are driven by programs
in programming languages
 How Software Comes To Be
User has a Problem Programmer writes
Source Code

Object Code run Source Code Compiled

by computer or interpreted
 Source Translation process
Program

Translate

Object
Input data Program Output
 How software runs
Object Code and Data loaded
into Primary Storage Program using
OS and hardware

• Results placed in primary storage

Example of creating and writing
a program
• Programmer starts C compiler and enters
source code - saved to file firstpg2.cpp
• The source code is compiled to create the
object code file firstpg2.odj
• The object file is then linked to create and
executable file - firstpg2.exe
• When run the exe file is loaded into ram
and executed
 Programming languages
• Two types of programming languages
-procedural and non-procedural.
-Procedural- stepwise sequential
explanation to perform a given task
-Non –procedural- focuses on what needs to
be done without specifying how it should
be done.
 Types of programming
languages
• First Generation Language –Machine Language-
Early computers programmed in this language –
series of zeros and 1s which CPU can interpret
and execute.
• Programming language – resemble human
communication.
• Source program- Program written by programmer
• Object program –machine language
• Translator- System software that translates
source program into object program.
 Types of PL
• Second generation Languages- the Assemblies. First
translators – Assemblers
- allows coding in assembly language e.g. mnemonic (DIV
for divide) and symbolic names such as (PAYRATE) for
data processed.
- 1-1 relationship between source and object instructions.
Disadvantages
- Programs lengthy and difficult to read
- Assembly languages different for every model of CPU
 Types of PL
• Third Generation Language (3 GLs) – Compilers
and Interpreters- Produce multiple object
program instructions from a single source
program instruction.(Fewer lines of code).
Syntax more user friendly e.g. BASIC,
FORTRAN, COBOL
COBOL and FORTRAN – Compiler languages
BASIC – Interpreter language
3 GLs can be executed on different computers-
Portability
 Types of PL
• Fourth Generation Languages (4GLs)-
Non procedural languages. Programmer
instructs computer what to do and not how
to do it. (Query based)
• Natural language similar to everyday
speech
Much Modeling Very high
Languages level
languages

Database
DSS
query
languages
Report
power
writers

Graph Application
Little generators generators

Friendly Unfriendly
User-friendliness
 Types of PL
• Database Query Language – Manager can
use database query language that
provides a special report from database
contents without coding.e.g sales report
• Modeling languages – Easier
mathamatical models- SLAM, MODEL
• Very high level languages –Programming
languages –API -Application Programming
Interface
 Types of PL
• Graph generators - graphic package
• Report writers- Prepare reports e.g. in
database management systems
• Application Generators- Application
generator produces application program
such as inventory or payroll without
programming e.g. MANTIS
 Types of PL
• Object-Oriented Programming
-Programming language to enhance productivity of
programmers and reduce software development
time.Chunks of programming and data called objects are
used. Each object includes programming code that
specifies how it behaves, how to manipulate data etc.
Advantage code –usability.
Visual Programming
-Visual programming to visualise code and impact on
system.e.g. Visual Basic
 Classification of software
• System software
- System control software- Monitor,
control, coordinate and manage
resources and functions of a computer
system. System control software divided
in
1) Operating system and its functions
2) Operating system environments
 Classification of software
• System control software
• Operating system and its functions
- Schedule jobs
- Manage hardware and software resources
- Maintain system security
- Enable multiple user resource sharing
- Handle interrupts
- Maintain usage records
 Classification of software
• System control software
• Operating system environment
- Multiprogramming – multiple users run
multiple programs on a single-CPU
computer at the same time.
- Multiprocessing- No of processors that
process data and instructions
- E.g. of OS –Unix, DOS
 Classification of software
• System support software –programming
services software (assemblers, compilers,
interpreters),security software, system
documentation, Utility programs are
utilities used for repetitive tasks such as
backup utilities.
• System development software- Design
and build better systems
 Language Translators
• Used to convert source code into object
code, ie human form into machine
language.
• Compilers - translates an entire program
into machine language to create an
executable file.
• interpreter - translates a program one line
at a time into machine code and executes
it.
 Application software
• Manage organizations’s physical and
conceptual resources to meet information
needs
-General purpose software- word
processing, spreadsheets
- Dedicated software – customized
applications e.g. logistics software
Software Relationships
Users

Application Software

System Software

Hardware
 Role of software in problem
solving
• Software can play a direct or indirect role in
problem solving. Most general business and
industry- specific packages are designed to play
an indirect role by creating and maintaining
database that provides the basis for information-
oriented subsystems.
Criteria for investment determined by financial
criteria, management criteria ( support of
business objectives etc., technical requirement,
tech support)
 Data Organisation - key terms
bit 1 or 0 (binary digit)
byte 1010 0001
field unit of information –combining
several fields gives relevant info about
database
record (a collection of fields)
file/table a collection of records
database a collection of files/tables
 Data Organisation - key terms
• Entity - person, place, or thing that we wish to
collect information on (eg students).
• Attribute - a characteristic of an entity (eg
student name, student address). Is equivalent to
a Field in the data hierarchy.
• Key Field - a special field that uniquely identifies
a single record (eg student number)
Can be a collection of fields.