INTRODUCTION TO

COMPUTERS
DEFINITION
 Computer is an electronic device that accepts user
input (data) and processes it under the influence of
a set of instructions referred to as programs to
produce the desired output generally referred to as
information.
COMPUTER TERMINOLOGIES
 Data are the raw facts may not make much meaning to
the user.
 Programs are set of instructions that instruct a
computer what to do/perform a given task
 Information is result after data has been processed
 Processing – Turning data into meaningful information.
 Input – To type or to key-in into the computer.
 Output – To obtain a printout or softcopy of information
fed into the computer
Advantages of computers
1) Speed- performs tasks in very short periods ( in
comparison to working manually)
2) Efficiency – Creates an all round saving on space, time
3) Stores large chunks of information in limited space
4) Consistency- Gives the same results given the same
data and instructions
5) Accuracy - Computers are used to perform tasks in a
way that ensures accuracy
6) Versatility - Computers are flexible to perform both
simple and complex tasks
7) Cost effectiveness - Computers reduce the amount of
paper work and human effort, thereby reducing costs
Disadvantages of computers
1) Health problem i.e. especially resulting from the
sitting posture, too much light from the monitor
screen etc
2) Expensive; it is costly to buy and more to that the
cost of its maintenance is high. In addition bill will
increase because of its consumption
3) Unemployment; because it can perform some of
the work that these people could be able to do
4) Laziness; computers lead people to become lazy
and hate to do work because of the various games
that come along with it
5) Immoral activities; the computer is a source of
immorality since some people use it to promote
pornography
Application of computers
 Education and research
 Communication; email,chat,sms
 Health care; electro-cardiogram screening and
monitoring
 Business; supermarket, cyber café etc
 Police and defence; detection and tracking of target,
warning system and military laser
 Multimedia Applications
 Home and leisure
 employment
COMPUTER SYSTEM
A computer system is an interconnected computers
that share a central storage system and various
peripheral devices such as a printers, scanners, or
routers. Each computer connected to the system
can operate independently, but has the ability to
communicate with other external devices and
computers.
It‘s made up of the following:
 Hardware
 Software
 Data
 User
Hardware
A computer's hardware consists of electronic devices; the
parts you can see and touch. It consists of its processors, its
storages, its input/output devices and its communication
connections (i.e. the actual machinery: wires, transistors and
circuits.)
Software
Software is general term used to describe all the various
programs and it consists of organized sets of instructions for
operating the computer system.
 Some programs exist for the computer's use, to help it
manage its own tasks and devices; these operations may
include identifying, accessing and processing information.
 Other programs exist for the user, and enable the
computer to perform tasks for you, such as creating
Data and User
Data is information that has been
translated into a form that is more
convenient to move or process while a
user is human being who uses a
computer.
Input and Output (I/O) devices
The following figure shows you input and
output of the computer.
An input

Input is any data or instructions provided to the

computer by a person, the environment, or
another computer. People have a variety of
options available to input data and instructions
into a computer.
Input devices
Input devices accept data and instructions from
the user or from another computer system.
An input device is any hardware component that
allows users to enter data or instructions
(programs, commands, and user response) into a
1.Keyboard

A computer keyboard is an input device that contains

alpha-numeric keys you press to enter data into the
computer. Desktop computer keyboards typically have
from 101 to 105 keys.
The keys on computer keyboards are often classified as
follows:
 Alphanumeric keys: letters of alphabet and numbers.
 Numeric keypad.
 Special keys: function keys, modifier keys and Cursor-
movement keys
2. Mouse

A mouse is a pointing device that fits

comfortably under the palm of your hand. The
mouse is the most widely used pointing device
on desktop computers.
Output devices
Output devices return processed data back to
the user or to another computer system. An
output device is any hardware component that
displays, prints, or transmits the results of
processing.
1.Monitor
The monitor looks like a television screen, except
instead of watching television programs on it, the
monitor allows for viewing of computer programs.
2. Printer

Printers are information output devices

that allow you to print data on paper. Or
in other words, it is an output device that
creates a hard copy of the processed
data or information.
Types of printers
(1)Impact Printer: In impact printers,
characters are printed on the ribbon, which
is then smashed on the paper. Or we can say
that such type of printer uses a print head or
hammer to print the data on the paper
They include;
 Dot matrix printer
 Daisy wheel printer
 Line printer
 Chain printer
(2) Non-Impact Printers: Non-impact
printers print characters without the use
of a ribbon. These printers are often
known as Page Printers because they
print a full page at a time. Some of the
types of non-impact printers are:
a)Laser printer
b)Inkjet printer
3. Projectors
A projector is a device that allows users to project
their output onto a large area, such as a screen or
a wall. It can be used to project the output of a
computer and other devices onto a screen. It
magnifies texts, photos, and movies using light and
lenses. As a result, it’s an excellent output device
for giving presentations or teaching big groups of
people.
Types of computers
These are the two kinds of computers
Analog computers :
They are used to manipulate analog data
(continuous and non-countable) examples of their
application is in air traffic control systems.
Digital computers :
used widely in the research, business and
education sectors.
Hybrid Computers
computers that process both analog and digital
data are known as hybrid computers
What are some tips to avoid viruses and lessen their impact

 Install anti-virus software from a reputable vendor. Update it

and use it regularly.
 In addition to scanning for viruses on a regular basis, install
an "on access" scanner (included in most anti-virus software
packages) and configure it to start each time you start up
your computer. This will protect your system by checking for
viruses each time you run an executable file.
 Use a virus scan before you open any new programs or files
that may contain executable code. This includes packaged
software that you buy from the store as well as any program
you might download from the Internet.
 If you are a member of an online community or chat room, be
very careful about accepting files or clicking links that you
find or that people send you within the community.
 Make sure you back up your data (documents, bookmark files,
important email messages, etc.) on disc so that in the event
 Classification of computers
Computers can classified into the following categories:
 Functionality
 Use/purpose
 Size and capability
 Generation of computers.
Clssification according to functionality
These refers to the classification based on the type of data a
computer can accept as input and process to give an output.
Analog computers
These are computers that accept and process data which is
Continous in nature.
Cont…. Classification according to
functionality

Digital computers
This accept data in discreet form. This kind
of data is based on two states on/off(1s or
0s) and it is processed by way of
mathematical calculations, comparison and
sorting.
Classification by
functionality
Hybrid computers
These are computers which are built with
characteristics of both analog and digital
computers.
They have the capability of accepting
analog input and converting it to digital
form for further processing.
Classification by purpose
General purpose computers.
 Theseare computers that are capable of
performing a wide range of tasks.
 Their
classification is greatly influenced by the
volume of data processed, the processing
powers of the computer, information required
and the input/output devices supported by the
computer.
 For
a desktop computer that can do typing,
drawing calculating, designing, multimedia
functions, playing games.
Dedicated computers
These are general purpose computers that
have been set aside to perform a specific
task. For example, in a bank we have
computers that are dedicated to run a
banking system only through they are
capable of performing all other tasks.
Special purpose computers
 They are designed to perform a specific task.
For example an ATM machine is a special
purpose computer that is designed to perform
bank transactions only
 Classification by size
 Super computers
 Have the following characteristics
 Largest in size
 Most powerful
 Have a large storage capacity
 Most expensive.
 Cont.. Classification by size
Mainframe computers
 Have the following characteristics
 Smaller
in size compared to super
computers.
 Less powerful than super computers.
 They process large amounts of data quickly.
 They serve more than a hundred end users,
 Theyhave a large main and backing
storage capacity.
Cont.. Classification by size
Mini computers

 Relatively
smaller in size compared to the
mainframe computers.
 Support several users.
 Slower
speeds than mainframe
computers.
 Their
storage capacity is less than that of
mainframe computers
Cont.. Classification by size
Microcomputers
Their characteristics
 They are smallest in size.
 Designed for a single user.
 Theirprocessing speed is very low compared to
super computers.
 Cheaper to acquire.
 Examples of Micro computers
 Desktopcomputers, laptops/notebooks, palmtops,
smartphones
 Examples of microcomputers
Desktop computers
They are also known as the personal computers.
They are compact and very versatile.
Commonly used in learning institutions and at homes for
leisure such as playing games and watching movies.
Laptops/Notebooks
These are portable microcomputers that are designed to
accommodate one user at time.
Palmtops
These are small handheld computers that are operated by a
battery.
Cont.. Examples of microcomputers
Smartphones
A smartphone is a cellphone that has all the
capabilities of a personal computer.
Why a smartphone is a computer?
 It has an operating system.
 It can perform the things that a computer that can
do eg the smartphone can do things like word
processing.
Central processing unit
 The central processing unit(cpu) is also known as
the processor.
 It is the brain of the computer because all
processing activities are carried out inside the
processor.
 The Cpu is responsible for performing all the basic
operation of the computers of changing data into
information.
Cont…Central processing unit
 Three main components of the Cpu.
 Control unit
 Arithmetic and logic unit(ALU)
 Main memory
Diagram representing the Cpu
Control unit

 The control unit coordinates the activities of various

components in the computer by carrying out the
following functions:-
 Controlling the sequence of operations.
 Fetching instructions from the main memory for
processing.
 Decoding the instructions and giving commands.
 Taking the processed instructions to the main
memory.
Arithmetic and logic unit(Alu)

 This part performs logic and arithmetic operations

that are needed to convert data into useful
information.
 Arithmetic entails the following addition,subtraction,
multiplication and division.
 Logic operations consist of tasks that compare two
or more values using the greater than, less than and
equal to functions.The logic unit determines the
order of executing data instructions.
Main memory

 This consist of all componenst responsible for the

storage of data/information.
 Main memory consist of the following:-
 Registers
 Random access memory(RAM)
 Read only memory(ROM)
DATA BUSES
 These are also called data pathways. All
components in a computer are linked by electrical
pathways called buses. The CU, ALU and memory
are linked by them.
 Control bus – Is the pathway for all timing and
controlling functions sent by the CU to other parts of
the computer system.
Cont… Data buses

 Address bus – This is the pathway that is used to

locate the position in the memory where the next
data instruction to be processed is stored.
 Data bus – This is the pathway where the actual
data transfer takes place.
Factors to consider when choosing a
Cpu
 Memory size – This is the amount or volume of data
that the computer memory can hold.
 Speed of the Cpu – This is measured in Hertz(Hz).
The higher the speed the faster the processing of
data.
 Generation – Current generation computers are
more powerful than the older generations.
 Manufacturer – It is important to choose a credible
manufacturer to ensure efficiency.
 How to check the features of your computer.
Main memory

 Consists of the registers, Rom and ram

 Registers
 Datastorage devices in the Cpu that
temporarily hold data immediately
before and after processing.
TYPES OF REGISTERS
 Instruction registers
 Address registers
 Accumulators
 Storage registers.
Random access memory
 Isthe primary or internal storage memory
where data is stored as it is fed into the
computer. Hold the current information being
worked on by the computer.
Characteristics of the Ram
 Data can be read and written in it.
 Ram is temporary storage/volatile it loses
information when the computer is switched
off.
 Its content is user defined.
Types of RAM
 Dynamic ram(DRAM)
 Static Ram(SRAM)

Read only memory

 Itis used to store programmed instructions
and data permanently or semi-permanently
 Characteristics of the Rom
 It
is non-volative, Does not loose information
when the computer is switched off.
Cont… characteristics of the ROM

 Itscontents can only be read and

cannot be written.
 Storesinformation permanently or
semi permanently.
THE END