Introduction to Computing

Fall 2022

Nayab Gogosh

Contact details:
[email protected]

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 Text Book:
Understanding Computers: Today and Tomorrow,
Comprehensive, Deborah Morley, Charles S.
Parker, Cengage Learning, 2017.

Original Credit and copyright

Copyright 2015 Cengage 2
Deborah Morley Charles S. Learning
DOs:
- Ask questions freely no mater
how trivial the query may be
please dont hesitate
- Keep interacting.

ZERO TOLERANCE:

- NO CROSS TALKING
- NO USE OF MOBILES

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 Chapter 1
Introduction to
the World of
Computers

Original Credit and copyright

Copyright 2015 Cengage 4
Deborah Morley Charles S. Learning
 Learning Objectives

1. Why it is essential to learn about computers

2. Several ways computers are integrated into our business
and personal lives.
3. Define a computer and describe its primary operations.
4. Identify the major parts of a personal computer, including
input, processing, output, storage, and communications
hardware.
5. Define software and understand how it is used to instruct the
computer what to do.

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 Learning Objectives

6. Basic types of computers and their applications

7. What is network, the Internet, and the World Wide Web
8. How computers, people, and Web pages are identified on
the Internet.
9. How to access a Web page and navigate through a Web
site.
10. Discuss the societal impact of computers, including some
benefits and risks related to their prominence in our society.

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 Overview

• This chapter covers:

– What computers are, how they work, and how they are
used
– Computer terminology
– An overview of the history of computers
– The basic types of computers in use today
– How to access resources on the Internet
– Societal impacts of computers

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 Computers in Your Life

• Why learn about computers?

• Why they have become an integral
part of our lives
• Why is it necessary to learn basics of
computer
• Computers then and now!

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 Computers in Your Life

• Before 1980
– Computers were large and expensive
– Very few people had access to them
– Computers were mostly used for high-volume
processing tasks
• Microcomputers in the early 1980s
– Inexpensive personal computers
– Computer use increased dramatically

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 Computers in Your Life

• Today
– Majority of households include a computer, and most
use computers at work
– Electronic devices are converging into single units with
multiple capabilities
• Check e-mail on living room
television
• View Internet content on mobile
devices
– Computer literacy is an essential
skill for everyone

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Computers in Your Life

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 Computers in the Home

• Computers used for a variety of tasks:

– Looking up information and news
– Exchanging e-mail
– Shopping and paying bills
– Watching TV and videos
– Downloading music and movies
– Organizing digital photographs
– Playing games
– Making vacation plans

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 Computers in the Home

• Used for reference, productivity, and entertainment

• Wireless networking
– Computers can be used in nearly any location
• Smart appliances
– Traditional appliances with built-in computer or
communication technology
• Smart homes
– Household tasks are monitored and controlled by a main
computer in the house or distributed computing

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 Computers in Education

• Youth today: the computing generation

• Computer labs and classrooms
– Most students today have access to computers at school
– Some schools integrate e-books into the curriculum
• Wireless hotspots
– Colleges and universities are even more integrated
– Some have computer requirements for enrollment
• Supplied or Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
• Distance learning
– Students participate from locations other than the traditional
classroom setting using computers and Internet access

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Computers in Education

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 Computers on the Job

• Computers have become a universal on-the-job tool for

decision-making, productivity, and communication
– By all types of employees
– For access control and other security measures
– Extensively by the military
– Requires continually refreshing computer skills
– Common uses:
– Decision making, productivity, off-site communications,
and authentication

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Computers on the Job

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 Computers on the Go

• Computers are encountered in nearly every aspect of daily life

– Consumer kiosks
– ATM transactions
– POS systems at retail stores
– Self-checkout systems
– Consumer authentication systems
– Portable computers or mobile devices
– GPS systems

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 Consumer Technology

Restaurant iPad Ordering Systems

– Used in conjunction with e-menus
– Customers can place and pay for orders
– Can provide more resources to customers

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What Is a Computer and What Does It
Do?
• Computer
– A programmable, electronic device that accepts data,
performs operations on that data, and stores the data
– Follows instructions, called programs, which determine the
tasks the computer will perform
• Basic Operations
– Input: Entering data into the computer
– Processing: Performing operations on the data
– Output: Presenting the results
– Storage: Saving data, programs, or output for future use
– Communications: Sending or receiving data
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What Is a Computer and What Does
It Do?

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 Data vs. Information

• Data
– Raw, unorganized facts
– Can be in the form of text, graphics, audio, or video
• Information
– Data that has been processed into a meaningful form
• Information Processing (Data to information
conversion)
– Converting data into information

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 Computers Then and Now
• The computer as we know it is a fairly recent invention
• The history of computers is often referred to in terms of generations
• Each new generation is characterized by a major technological development
• Precomputers and early computers (before approx. 1946)
– Abacus, slide rule, mechanical calculator
– Punch Card Tabulating Machine and Sorter

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Office Desk Then and Now

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 Computers Then and Now

• First-generation computers (1946-1957)

– Enormous and powered by vacuum tubes
– Used a great deal of electricity and generated a lot of heat
– UNIVAC and ENIAC (Universal Automatic Computer, Electronic
Numerical Integrator And Computer)

• Second-generation computers (1958-1963)

– Used transistors
– Computers were smaller, more powerful, cheaper, more
energy-efficient, and more reliable
– Punch cards and magnetic tape were used to input and
store data
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 Computers Then and Now

• Fifth-generation (now and the future)

– Infancy stage
– May be based on artificial intelligence (AI)
– Will likely use voice and touch input
– May be based on optical computers and utilize
nanotechnology

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Computers Then and Now

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 Hardware

• Hardware: The physical parts of a computer

– Internal hardware
• Located inside the main box (system unit) of the
computer
– External hardware
• Located outside the system unit
• Connect to the computer via a wired or wireless
connection
– Hardware devices are associated with all five computer
operations

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 Hardware

• Input Devices
– Used to input data into the computer
– Keyboards, mice, scanners, cameras, microphones, touch
pads, touch screens, fingerprint readers, etc.
• Processing Devices
– Perform calculations and control computer’s operation
– Central processing unit (CPU) and memory
• Output Devices
– Present results to the user
– Monitors, printers, speakers, projectors, etc.

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 Hardware

• Storage Devices
– Used to store data on or access data from
storage media
– Hard drives, CD/DVD discs and drives,
floppy, USB flash drives, etc.
• Communications Devices
– Allow users to communicate with others and to
electronically access remote information
– Modems, network adapters, routers, etc.

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Hardware

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 Software

• Software
– The programs or instructions used to tell the computer
hardware what to do
• System Software
– Operating system starts up the computer and controls its
operation
– Without OS, computer cannot function
– Boots the computer and launches programs at the user’s
direction
– OS use a GUI to interact with the user via icons, buttons,
etc.
– Windows, Mac OS, Linux, Android, etc.

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 Software

• Windows 8 interface
– Start button, Start screen, tiles, charms, etc.

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 Application Software

• Application Software
– Performs specific tasks or applications
• Creating letters, budgets, etc.
• Managing inventory and customer databases
• Editing photographs
• Scheduling appointments
• Viewing Web pages
• Exchanging e-mail
• Burning DVDs
• Designing homes
• Playing games

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 Application Software

• Examples of application software

– Word processing programs
– Multimedia programs
– Web browsers
– E-mail programs

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 Computer Users and Professionals

• Computer Users (end users)

– People who use a computer to obtain information
(basic skills required)
• Computer professionals include:
– Programmers
• Write programs computers use
– Systems analysts
• Design computer systems
– Computer operations personnel
• Manage day-to-day computer operations
– Security specialists
• Secure computers and networks against hackers
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Chapter HALF

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 Computers To Fit Every Need

• Six basic categories of computers:

– Embedded computers
– Mobile devices
– Personal computers
– Servers
– Mainframe computers
– Supercomputers

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 Embedded Computers

• Embedded Computers
– Embedded into a product and designed to perform specific
tasks or functions for that product
– Cannot be used as general-purpose computers
– Often embedded into:
• Household appliances
• Thermostats
• Sewing machines
• Treadmills
• Answering machines
• Cars

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 Embedded Computers

Tiny PCs
– Can look like a USB flash drive or small circuit board
– Typically connect your TV to the Internet to display Web
content
– Some are full computers

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 Mobile Devices

• Mobile Device
– A very small device with some type of built-in computing
or Internet capability
– Typically has a small screen
and keyboard
– Examples:
• Smartphones
• Handheld gaming
devices
• Portable digital media
players
• Media tablets
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 Personal Computers (PCs)

• Personal Computer (PC)

– Small computer designed to be used by one person at a
time
– Also called a microcomputer
– Available in different sizes and shapes
• Desktop Computers
– On or next to a desk
– Tower case, desktop case,
or all-in-one
– PC or Macintosh
– Not portable

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 Portable Computers

• Portable Computers
– Designed to be carried around easily
– Fully functional computers
– Notebook (laptop) computers
– Tablet computers
• Usually use a digital pen/stylus or touch screen
• No physical keyboard; can use on-screen or attached
keyboard
– Hybrid notebook-tablet computers
– Netbooks
• Smaller and have more limited features than conventional
notebooks

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Portable Computers

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 Servers

• Server
– A medium-sized computer used to host programs
and data for a small network
– Sometimes referred to as a minicomputer
– Users connect via a network with a
computer, thin client, or dumb terminal
– Virtualization
• Creating virtual rather than
actual environments (often
used to share a server
for increased efficiency)

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 Mainframe Computers

• Mainframe Computer (Installed in AB1)

– Powerful computer used by many large organizations to
manage large amounts of centralized data
– Standard choice for hospitals, universities, large
businesses, banks, government offices
– Located in climate-controlled data centers and
connected
to the rest of the company computers via a
network
– Larger, more expensive, and more powerful
than servers
– Usually operate 24 hours a day
– Also called high-end servers or enterprise-class 47
Mainframe Computers

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 Supercomputers

• Supercomputer
– Fastest, most expensive, most powerful type of computer
– Generally run one program at a time, as fast as possible
– Can cost several million dollars each
– Tend to be very large and contain a large number of CPUs
– Frontier Systems is the fastest computers in the world

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 The Frontier Super Computer

• It is first Exascale computer, meaning it can process

more than a quintillion calculations per second (1018)
• Cost is 600M USD
• Made for US department of Energy

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Supercomputers

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 Quick Quiz

1. A tablet PC is an example of a(n) .

a. Desktop computer
b. Portable PC
c. Internet appliance
2. True or False: The terms mainframe computer and
supercomputer are interchangeable; both refer to the
largest, most powerful computers.
3. A smartphone is an example of a(n)
.

Answers:
1) b; 2) False; 3) mobile device
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 Computer Networks and the
Internet
• Computer Network
– A collection of hardware and other devices that are
connected together
– Users can share hardware, software, and data
– Users can communicate with each other
• Network Servers
– Manage resources on a network

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Computer Networks and the Internet

• Computer networks exist in many sizes and types

– Home networks
– School and small office networks
– Large corporate
– Public wireless networks
– Mobile telephone networks

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Computer Networks and the
Internet

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 What Are the Internet and
the World Wide Web?
• Internet
– The largest/most well-known computer network in the
world
– Individuals connect using an Internet service provider
(ISP)
• World Wide Web
– One resource (a vast collection of Web pages)
available
through the Internet
– Web sites contain Web pages stored on Web servers
– Viewed using a Web browser (Internet Explorer,
Chrome,
Safari, Firefox, Opera, etc.) 56
What Are the Internet and
the World Wide Web?

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 Accessing a Network or
the Internet
• Need a modem or network adapter to connect
• Some networks require a username and password
• Internet connections can be:
– Direct (always-on) connections
– Dial-up connections
• Internet addresses are used to access resources on the
Internet
– IP (Internet Protocol) address
• Numeric address that identifies computers
(207.46.197.32)

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 IP Addresses and Domain
Names
• IP Addresses
– Are numeric and unique
• Domain Names
– Correspond to IP addresses
– Top-level domains (TLDs)
– Identifies type of organization
or its location

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 Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)

• Uniform Resource Locators (URLs)

– Uniquely identifies a Web page, including
• Protocol or standard being used
• Web server hosting the page
• Names of folders in which the Web page file is stored
• Web page’s filename

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 Uniform Resource Locators
(URLs)
• Protocols:
– Hypertext Transfer Protocol (http://) is typically used to
display Web pages (https:// is used for secure Web pages)
– File Transfer Protocol (ftp://) is often used for file
exchange

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 E-mail Addresses

• E-mail addresses consist of:

– Username
• An identifying name
– The @ symbol
– Domain name for the computer that will be handling the
person’s e-mail (mail server)
• Pronouncing Internet addresses

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 Surfing the Web

• Web browser
– Used to display Web pages
• Browser starting page or home page
– The first page displayed when the browser is opened
• To navigate to a Web page, you can:
– Type a URL in the Address bar
– Click a hyperlink – graphics or text linked to other Web
pages
– Select a Favorite/Bookmark or page from the History
list

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 Searching the Web

• Search site:
– Helps you locate what you are
looking for
– Typically search using
keywords
• Reference sites
– Look up addresses,
telephone numbers, ZIP codes,
maps, etc.

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 E-Mail

• Electronic mail (e-mail)

– Electronic messages exchanged between computers on a
network
• One of the most widely used Internet applications
• Can be conventional e-mail program, Web-based, or
mobile-based
Conventional Web-based
Microsoft Outlook Gmail
Mac OS X Mail Outlook.com

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 E-Mail

• Can contain photos, attached files, etc.

• Mobile e-mail may require a fee
• Other types of mobile communications
– Short Message Service (SMS)
– Multimedia Message Service (MMS)

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E-Mail

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 Computers and Society

• The vast improvements in technology over the past decade

have had a distinct impact on daily life, at home and at work
• Many benefits of a computer-oriented society
– Ability to design products before construction leads to
safer products
– Earlier medical diagnoses and more effective
treatment
– Devices that allow physically and/or visually challenged
individuals to perform job tasks
– Documents e-mailed or faxed in moments
– Download information, music, programs, movies, and
more on demand
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 Computers and Society

• Computer-oriented society also has risks

– Stress and health concerns
– Spam
– Computer viruses and malware
– Identity theft and phishing
– Privacy issues
• How data is collected
• How secure is the collected data

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 Computers and Society

• Differences in online communications

– Less formal than traditional
– Netiquette
• Be polite and considerate of others
• Refrain from offensive remarks
– Abbreviations (acronyms) and emoticons
• Acronyms, such as BTW (by the way)
• Illustrations of faces, such as 

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Computers and Society

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 Computers and Society

• The Anonymity Factor

– Gives many individuals a sense of freedom
– Can also be abused
• Information Integrity
– Use common sense when evaluating online content
– Check your source--not all information on the Internet is
accurate

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 Summary

• Computers in Your Life

• What is a Computer and What Does It Do?
• Computers to Fit Every Need
• Computer Networks and the Internet
• Computers and Society

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QUIZ

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 Quiz

Computer
Any thing that computes!! Means a device that
works with data and convert it into information
Use of computer
Looking for info, emails, shopping, entertainment,
games, simulation, smart appliances, smart
homes, distance learning
Artificial intelligence
the ability of a computer to do tasks that are
usually done by humans because they require
human intelligence
Data vs Information

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 Quiz

• Five basic operations of computer

(input, process, output, store, communicate)
• Types of hardware
(Input devices, processing devices, output
devices, storage devices, communication devices)
• Software
(system software, application software)
• Six basic types of computers
(embedded, mobile, personal, servers,
mainframe, supercomputer)
• Network
(collection of hardware and devices connected
together)
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 Quiz

• Internet
(largest most well known computer network)
• Address
(IP address, IPV4 and IPV6)
• DNS
(Domain name server)
• Protocols
(http, https, rstp, ftp, etc)
• Web Browsers
(Opera, Firefox, Chrome, Internet Explorer,
netscape)
• Risks
(virus, malware, identity theft, privacy)
• Netiquettes 77