COMPUTER

INTRODUCTION
Course Instructor: Mr. MLELI

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What is Computer?
• Is an electronic machine that accept data input, process data input,
stores information and retrieves information s when needed.
• OR
• A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of
instructions stored in its own memory that can accept data (input),
process the data according to specified rules, produce information
(output), and store the information for future use.

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What is Computer? Cont……..
• DATA
• It is the collection of raw facts, figures & symbols, E.g. Names of
students and their marks in different subjects listed in random order.
• INFORMATION
• It is the data that is processed & presented in an organized manner. Ex
: When the names of students are arranged in alphabetical order,
total and average marks are calculated & presented in a tabular form,
it is information

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Input Devices
• An input device is essentially a piece of hardware that
sends data to a computer. Most input devices either
interact with or control the computer in some way. The
most common input devices are the mouse and the
keyboard, but there are many others.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
I. Keyboard
Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device
which helps to input data to the computer. The layout of the
keyboard is like that of traditional typewriter, although there are
some additional keys provided for performing additional
functions.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
II. Mouse
• Mouse is the most popular pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control device
having a small palm size box with a round ball at its base, which senses the movement of
the mouse and sends corresponding signals to the CPU when the mouse buttons are
pressed.
• Generally, it has two buttons called the left and the right button and a wheel is present
between the buttons. A mouse can be used to control the position of the cursor on the
screen, but it cannot be used to enter text into the computer.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
III. Joystick
Joystick is also a pointing device, which is used to move the cursor position on a monitor
screen. It is a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. The lower
spherical ball moves in a socket. The joystick can be moved in all four directions.
The function of the joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It is mainly used in Computer Aided
Designing (CAD) and playing computer games.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
• IV. Touchpad
The touchpad also known as trackpad, is an input device that is primarily integrated with a laptop. It
is pointing device like a surface that can detect the movements of our fingers and move the pointer
accordingly. It is nothing but a common alternative to a mouse and also helps to make computer
devices compact, small, and lightweight.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
V. Light Pen
Light pen is a pointing device similar to a pen. It is used to select a displayed menu item or
draw pictures on the monitor screen. It consists of a photocell and an optical system placed
in a small tube.
When the tip of a light pen is moved over the monitor screen and the pen button is pressed,
its photocell sensing element detects the screen location and sends the corresponding
signal to the CPU.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
VI. Track Ball
Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop computer, instead of a
mouse. This is a ball which is half inserted and by moving fingers on the ball, the pointer
can be moved.
Since the whole device is not moved, a track ball requires less space than a mouse. A track
ball comes in various shapes like a ball, a button, or a square.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
VII. Scanner
Scanner is an input device, which works more like a photocopy machine. It is used when
some information is available on paper and it is to be transferred to the hard disk of the
computer for further manipulation.
Scanner captures images from the source which are then converted into a digital form that
can be stored on the disk. These images can be edited before they are printed.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
VIII. Digitizer
Digitizer is an input device which converts analog information into digital form. Digitizer can
convert a signal from the television or camera into a series of numbers that could be stored
in a computer. They can be used by the computer to create a picture of whatever the
camera had been pointed at. Sometimes known as Graphic Tablet.
Digitizer is also known as Tablet or Graphics Tablet as it converts graphics and pictorial
data into binary inputs. A graphic tablet as digitizer is used for fine works of drawing and
image manipulation applications.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
IX. Microphone
Microphone is an input device to input sound that is then stored in a digital form. The
microphone is used for various applications such as adding sound to a multimedia
presentation or for mixing music.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
X. Digital Camera
A digital camera is an input device that is used to capture images and
video in digital form. This allows users to store the captured media files
in a memory card and transfer them to the computer. Digital cameras
use an image sensor chip to capture images rather than the film used
by traditional cameras of the old days.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
XI. Webcam
Webcam can capture images and videos and convert them into a digital
form. A webcam is slightly different from a digital camera. Unlike digital
camera s, webcam cannot operate independently. They should be
connected to a computer. Also, webcams have no inbuilt memory they
use the computer’s storage to save captured data. Webcams are most
commonly used for video chatting and live-streaming videos.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
XII. Bar code Readers
Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in the form of light and
dark lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labelling goods, numbering the books, etc.
It may be a handheld scanner or may be embedded in a stationary scanner. Bar Code
Reader scans a bar code image, converts it into an alphanumeric value, which is then fed
to the computer that the bar code reader is connected to.

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Input Devices Cont.…….
The QR Code reader , also known as the QR code scanner, is an input
device used to read QR codes. QR codes are computer-generated
patterns that store or hold a modest amount of data. They do not
require a database to store information separately. QR Code readers
are almost identical in functionalities to bar code readers.

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Central Processing Unit
A CPU is brain of a computer. It is responsible for all functions and processes. Regarding
computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer system.
The central processing unit (CPU) or processor, is the unit which performs most of the
processing inside a computer. It processes all instructions received by software running on
the PC and by other hardware components, and acts as a powerful calculator.
The CPU is placed into a specific square-shaped socket found on all motherboards by
inserting its metallic connectors or pins found on the underside. Each socket is built with a
specific pin layout to support only a specific type of processor.
Since modern CPUs produce a lot of heat and are prone to overheating, they must be kept
cool with appropriate fans or ventilation systems, and covered with heat sinks and thermal
paste.
To control instructions and data flow to and from other parts of the computer, the CPU relies
heavily on a chipset, which is a group of microchips located on the motherboard.

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CPU Cont.……..
Many new computer users may improperly call their System Case the CPU. When referring
to your computer, it's proper to refer to them as the "computer" and not a CPU. The CPU is
a chip inside the computer.
CPU It is the part of the computer that carries out the instructions of a computer program. It
is the unit that reads and executes program instructions. Hence it is known as the brain of
the computer. The CPU consists of storage or memory unit, Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) and
control unit (CU).

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CPU Cont.……..
I. Memory Unit
It is also known as the primary storage or main memory. It stores data, program instructions,
internal results and final output temporarily before it is sent to an appropriate output device.
It consists of thousands of cells called storage locations. These cells activate with off-on or
binary digits(0,1) mechanism. Thus a character either a letter or numerical digit is stored as
a string of (0,1) Binary digits ( BITS). These bits are used to store instructions and data by
their combinations.
Before the actual processing starts the data and the instructions fed to the computer through the
input units are stored in this primary storage unit. Similarly, the data which is to be output from
the computer system is also temporarily stored in the primary memory. It is also the area where
intermediate results of calculations are stored. The main memory has the storage section that
holds the computer programs during execution. Thus the primary unit
 Stores data and programs during actual processing
 Stores temporary results of intermediate processing
 Stores results of execution temporarily
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CPU Cont.……..
II. Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
It is the unit where all Arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction etc.) and logical functions
such as true or false, male or female are performed. Once data are fed into the main
memory from input devices, they are held and transferred as needed to ALU where
processing takes place. No process occurs in primary storage. Intermediate generated
results in ALU are temporarily placed in memory until needed at later time. Data may move
from primary memory to ALU and back again to storage many times before the process is
finalized.
The Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) actually executes the instructions and performs all the
calculations and decisions. The data is held in the primary storage unit and transferred to
the ALU whenever needed. Data can be moved from the primary storage to the arithmetic
logic unit a number of times before the entire processing is complete. After the completion,
the results are sent to the output storage section and the output devices.

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CPU Cont.……..
III. Control Unit
It acts as a central nervous system and ensures that the information is stored correctly and
the program instructions are followed in proper sequence as well as the data are selected
from the memory as necessary. It also coordinates all the input and output devices of a
system.
The Control Unit controls the operations of the entire computer system. The control unit
gets the instructions from the programs stored in primary storage unit interprets these
instruction an subsequently directs the other units to execute the instructions. Thus it
manages and coordinates the entire computer system.
The control unit of the central processing unit regulates and integrates the operations of the
computer. It selects and retrieves instructions from the main memory in proper sequence
and interprets them so as to activate the other functional elements of the system at the
appropriate moment to perform their respective operations.

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CPU Cont.……..

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Storage Unit
A storage device is any type of computing hardware that is used for storing, porting or
extracting data files and objects. Storage devices can hold and store information both
temporarily and permanently. They may be internal or external to a computer, server or
computing device.
Storage devices are one of the core components of any computing device. They store
virtually all of the data and applications on a computer, except for hardware firmware which
is generally managed through separate read-only memory or ROM.
Storage devices are available in different forms, depending on the type of underlying
device. For example, a standard computer has multiple storage devices including RAM, a
cache, and a hard disk. The same device may also have optical disk drives and externally
connected USB drives.
There are two different types of storage devices;

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Storage Unit Cont.……
I. Primary storage devices
Generally smaller in size, primary storage (also known as main memory) is the component of the
computer that holds data, programs and instructions that are currently in use and are internal to the
computer. They have the fastest data access speed. These types of devices include RAM, ROM and
cache memory.
RAM: Random Access Memory (RAM) is a memory scheme within the computer system
responsible for storing data on a temporary basis, so that it can be promptly accessed by the
processor as and when needed. It is volatile in nature, which means that data will be erased
once supply to the storage device is turned off. RAM stores data randomly and the processor
accesses these data randomly from the RAM storage. RAM is considered "random access"
because you can access any memory cell directly if you know the row and column that intersect
at that cell.
Read-only memory (ROM) is a type of non-volatile memory used in computers and other
electronic devices. Data stored in ROM can only be modified slowly, with difficulty, or not at all,
so it is mainly used to store firmware (software that is closely tied to specific hardware, and
unlikely to need frequent updates) or application software in plug-in cartridges.
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Storage Unit Cont.……
Cache memory is generally joined onto the motherboard and installed on the core
processor or main RAM. It provides quicker access by storing an instance of the programs
or data regularly accessed by the processor. With the information in cache memory, the
processor does not need to go to RAM or the hard drive to get the data, it already has an
instance of it in its memory. An example of this is using the Internet and a web browser. The
cache will store the website's HTML, images and other information so that a page will load
more rapidly after its first visit.

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Storage Unit Cont.……
II. Secondary storage devices
Secondary storage devices usually have larger storage capacity, and they store data
permanently. They can be either internal or external to the computer. These types of
devices include the hard disk, the optical disk drive and USB storage device.
Secondary storage (also known as external memory or auxiliary storage), differs from
primary storage in that it is not directly accessible by the CPU. The computer usually uses
its input/output channels to access secondary storage and transfers the desired data using
intermediate area in primary storage. Secondary storage does not lose the data when the
device is powered down it is non-volatile. Per unit, it is typically also two orders of
magnitude less expensive than primary storage. Modern computer systems typically have
two orders of magnitude more secondary storage than primary storage and data are kept
for a longer time there.

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Storage Unit Cont.……
 Hard drive (HD): A hard disk is part of a unit, often called a "disk drive," "hard drive," or
"hard disk drive," that store and provides relatively quick access to large amounts of data
on an electromagnetically charged surface or set of surfaces.
 Optical Disk: an optical disc drive (ODD) is a disk drive that uses laser light as part of the
process of reading or writing data to or from optical discs. Some drives can only read
from discs, but recent drives are commonly both readers and recorders, also called
burners or writers. Compact discs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are common types of optical
media which can be read and recorded by such drives. Optical drive is the generic name;
drives are usually described as "CD" "DVD", or "Bluray", followed by "drive", "writer", etc.
There are three main types of optical media: CD, DVD, and Blu-ray disc. CDs can store
up to 700 megabytes (MB) of data and DVDs can store up to 8.4 GB of data. Blu-ray
discs, which are the newest type of optical media, can store up to 50 GB of data. This
storage capacity is a clear advantage over the floppy disk storage media (a magnetic
media), which only has a capacity of 1.44 MB

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Storage Unit Cont.……
 Flash Disk A storage module made of flash memory chips. A Flash disks have no
mechanical platters or access arms, but the term "disk" is used because the data are
accessed as if they were on a hard drive. The disk storage structure is emulated.

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Output Unit
An output device is any piece of computer hardware equipment used to communicate the
results of data processing carried out by an information processing system (such as a
computer) which converts the electronically generated information into human-readable
form.
The key distinction between an input device and an output device is that an input
device sends data to the computer, whereas an output device receives data from the
computer.
For example, using a microphone to record a podcast is an example of using an input
device. Listening to the recorded podcast through a connected speaker is an example of
using an output device. Both output and input devices are examples of auxiliary or
peripheral devices.

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Output Unit Cont.……
Monitor – This is the most common computer output device. It creates a visual display by
the use of which users can view processed data. Monitors come in various sizes and
resolutions.
Printer – this device generates a hard copy version of processed data, like documents and
photographs. The computer transmits the image data to the printer, which then physically
recreates the image, typically on paper.
Speakers – speakers are attached to computers to facilitate the output of sound; sound
cards are required in the computer for speakers to function. The different kinds of speakers
range from simple, two-speaker output devices right the way up to surround-sound multi-
channel units.
Headset – this is a combination of speakers and microphone. It is mostly used by gamers,
and is also a great tool for communicating with family and friends over the internet using
some VOIP program or other.

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Output Unit Cont.……
Projector – this is a display device that projects a computer-created image onto another
surface: usually some sort of whiteboard or wall. The computer transmits the image data to
its video card, which then sends the video image to the projector. It is most often used for
presentations, or for viewing videos.

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Advantages of computers
 High speed
 Computer is a very fast device.
 It is capable of performing calculation of very large amount of data.
 The computer has units of speed in microsecond, nanosecond, and even the picosecond.
 It can perform millions of calculations in a few seconds as compared to man who will spend many months to
perform the same task.
 Accuracy
 In addition to being very fast, computers are very accurate.
 The calculations are 100% error free.
 Computers perform all jobs with 100% accuracy provided that the input is correct.
 Storage
 Memory is a very important characteristic of computers.
 A computer has much more storage capacity than human beings.
 It can store large amount of data.
 It can store any type of data such as images, videos, text, audio, etc.
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Advantages of computers Cont.…….
Automation
 Computer is an automatic machine.
 Computers can be instructed to perform complex tasks automatically ( which
increases the productivity). Automation is the ability to perform a given task
automatically. Once the computer receives a program i.e., the program is stored in
the computer memory, then the program and instruction can control the program
execution without human interaction.
Diligence
 Computers can perform the same task repeatedly & with the same accuracy and
speed without getting tired
 Unlike human beings, a computer is free from monotony, tiredness, and lack of
concentration.
 It can work continuously without any error and boredom.
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Advantages of computers Cont.…….
Versatility
 Computers are flexible to perform both simple and complex tasks.
 A computer is a very versatile machine.
 A computer is very flexible in performing the jobs to be done.
 This machine can be used to solve the problems related to various fields.
 At one instance, it may be solving a complex scientific problem and the very next moment it
may be playing a card game.
Cost effectiveness
 Computers reduce the amount of paper work and human effort, thereby reducing costs.
Reliability
 A computer is a reliable machine.
 Modern electronic components have long lives.
 Computers are designed to make maintenance easy.
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Disadvantages of Computers
No I.Q.
 A computer is a machine that has no intelligence to perform any task.
 Each instruction has to be given to the computer.
 A computer cannot take any decision on its own.
Dependency
 It functions as per the user’s instruction, thus it is fully dependent on humans.
Environment
 The operating environment of the computer should be dust free and suitable.
No Feeling
 Computers have no feelings or emotions.
 It cannot make judgment based on feeling, taste, experience, and knowledge unlike
humans
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Computer Components
Wenormally categorize the components of computer system into two
categories
i. Hardware
Computer hardware refers to the physical parts or components of a
computer such as the monitor, mouse, keyboard, computer data
storage, hard drive disk (HDD), system unit (graphic cards, sound cards,
memory, motherboard and chips), etc. all of which are physical objects
that can be touched. E.g. input and output devices, processors, circuits
and the cables.

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Computer Components Cont.……
ii. Software
• Is a program or set of instructions that causes the Hardware to function
in a desired way. OR is a set of programs, which is designed to
perform a well-defined function.
• A program is a sequence of instructions written to solve a
particular problem..
• Software is a generic term for organized collections of computer data
and instructions, often broken into two major categories: system
software that provides the basic non task-specific functions of the
computer, and application software which is used by users to accomplish
specific tasks.
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Software Types
System software
The system software is a collection of programs designed to
operate, control, and extend the processing capabilities of the
computer itself. System software is generally prepared by the
computer manufacturers.
It is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the
individual hardware components of a computer system so that other
software and the users of the system see it as a functional unit without
having to be concerned with the low-level details such as transferring
data from memory to disk, or rendering text onto a display.

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Software Types Cont.……..
Generally, system software can be categorized under the
following
 Operating system
 Utility.
 Device Driver
 Firmware
 Translators

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Software Types Cont.……..
 Operating system
The operating system is a type of system software kernel that
sits between computer hardware and end user. It is installed
first on a computer to allow devices and applications to be
identified and therefore functional.
 Device Driver
Driver software is a type of system software which brings
computer devices and peripherals to life. Drivers make it
possible for all connected components and external add-ons
to perform their intended tasks and as directed by the OS.
Without drivers, the OS would not assign any duties.
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Software Types Cont.……..
 Utility
Utilities are types of system software which sits between system and application
software. These are programs intended for diagnostic and maintenance tasks for
the computer. They come in handy to ensure the computer functions optimally.
Their tasks vary from crucial data security to disk drive defragmentation.
 Firmware
Firmware is the operational software embedded within a flash, ROM, or EPROM
memory chip for the OS to identify it. It directly manages and controls all
activities of any single hardware. he most important firmware in computers
today is installed by the manufacturer on the motherboard and can be accessed
through the old BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) or the new UEFI (Unified
Extended Firmware Interface) platforms.
It is the configuration interface which loads first when the computer is powered
up and is going through POST (Power On Self Test).

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Software Types Cont.……..
 Translators
These are intermediate programs relied on by software
programmers to translate high-level language source
code to machine language code. The former is a
collection of programming languages that are easy for
humans to comprehend and code (i.e., Java, C++,
Python, PHP, BASIC). The latter is a complex code only
understood by the processor.
Popular translator languages are compilers, assemblers,
and interpreters. They're usually designed by computer
manufacturers. Translator programs may perform a
complete translation of program codes or translate every43
Software Types Cont.……..
Application Software
An application program (app or application for short) is a computer program
designed to carry out a specific task other than one relating to the operation of
the computer itself, typically to be used by end-users e.g. Word processors,
media players, and accounting software.
• Word Processing - Microsoft Word
• Spreadsheet - Microsoft Excel
• Presentation - Microsoft PowerPoint
• Database Management - Microsoft Access
• Graphics - Adobe Photoshop
• Multimedia - Windows Media Player

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Application Of Computers In Various
Fields
 Business

A computer has high speed of calculation, diligence, accuracy, reliability,

or versatility which has made it an integrated part in all business
organizations.
Computer is used in business organizations for;
 Payroll calculations
 Budgeting
 Sales analysis
 Financial forecasting
 Managing employee database
 Maintenance of stocks, etc.
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Application Of Computers In Various
Fields Cont.….
 Banking

Today, banking is almost totally dependent on computers. Banks

provide the following facilities;
 Online accounting facility, which includes checking current balance, making
deposits and overdrafts, checking interest charges, shares, and trustee
records.
 ATM machines which are completely automated are making it even easier for
customers to deal with banks.

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Application Of Computers In Various
Fields Cont.….
 Insurance

Insurance companies are keeping all records up to-date with the help of
computers. Insurance companies, finance houses, and stock broking firms are
widely using computers for their concerns. Insurance companies are
maintaining a database of all clients with information showing;
 Procedure to continue with policies
 Starting date of the policies
 Next due installment of a policy
 Maturity date
 Interests due
 Survival benefits
 Bonus
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Application Of Computers In Various
Fields Cont.….
Education
The computer helps in providing a lot of facilities in the education system.
 The computer provides a tool in the education system known as CBE (Computer
Based Education).
 CBE involves control, delivery, and evaluation of learning.
 Computer education is rapidly increasing the graph of number of computer
students.
 There are a number of methods in which educational institutions can use a
computer to educate the students.
 It is used to prepare a database about performance of a student and analysis is
carried out on this basis.

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Application Of Computers In Various
Fields Cont.….
 Marketing

In marketing, uses of the computer are following;

 Advertising - With computers, advertising professionals create art and
graphics, write and revise copy, and print and disseminate ads with the goal
of selling more products.
 Home Shopping - has been made possible through the use of computerized
catalogues that provide access to product information and permit direct entry
of orders to be filled by the customers.

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Application Of Computers In Various
Fields Cont.….
 Healthcare

Computers have become an important part in hospitals, labs, and dispensaries. They
are being used in hospitals to keep the record of patients and medicines. It is also
used in scanning and diagnosing different diseases. ECG, EEG, ultrasounds and CT
scans, etc. are also done by computerized machines. Following are some major fields
of health care in which computers are used;
 Diagnostic System - Computers are used to collect data and identify the cause of illness.
 Lab-diagnostic System - All tests can be done and the reports are prepared by computer.
 Patient Monitoring System - These are used to check the patient's signs for abnormality such
as in Cardiac Arrest, ECG, etc.
 Pharma Information System - Computer is used to check drug labels, expiry dates, harmful
side effects, etc.
 Surgery - Nowadays, computers are also used in performing surgery.

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Application Of Computers In Various
Fields Cont.….
 Engineering Design

Computers are widely used for Engineering purpose. One of the major
areas is CAD (Computer Aided Design) that provides creation and
modification of images. Some of the fields are;
 Structural Engineering - Requires stress and strain analysis for design of ships,
buildings, budgets, airplanes, etc.
 Industrial Engineering - Computers deal with design, implementation, and
improvement of integrated systems of people, materials, and equipment.
 Architectural Engineering - Computers help in planning towns, designing
buildings, determining a range of buildings on a site using both 2D and 3D
drawings.

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Application Of Computers In Various
Fields Cont.….
 Military

Computers are largely used in defense. Modern tanks, missiles,

weapons, etc. Military also employs computerized control systems.
Some military areas where a computer has been used are;
 Missile Control
 Military Communication
 Military Operation and Planning
 Smart Weapons

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Application Of Computers In Various
Fields Cont.….
 Communication

Communication is a way to convey a message, an idea, a picture, or

speech that is received and understood clearly and correctly by the
person for whom it is meant. Some main areas in this category are: 
 E-mail
 Chatting
 Usenet
 FTP
 Telnet
 Video-conferencing

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Application Of Computers In Various
Fields Cont.….
 Government

Computers play an important role in government services. Some major

fields in this category are;
 Budgets
 Sales tax department
 Income tax department
 Computation of male/female ratio
 Computerization of voters lists
 Computerization of PAN card
 Weather forecasting

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ANY QUESTION?

THE END

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