BASIC COMPUTER
CONCEPTS
What is a computer?
An electronic device, operating under the
control of instructions stored in its own
memory unit, that can accept data
(input), manipulate the data according to
specified rules (process), produce
information (output) from the
processing, and store the results for
future use.
What does a computer do?
Processor
Control Unit/Arithmetic Logic Unit
Input
Input Output
Process Devices
Memory
Devices
Output
Storage
Storage Devices
Input Devices
Any hardware component that allows you
to enter data, programs, commands, and
user responses into a computer
Input Device
Examples
Keyboard
Mouse
Output Devices
Output devices make the information
resulting from processing available for use
Output Device Examples
Printers
Impact
Nonimpact
Photo
Display Devices
CRT
LCD
Storage Devices
Removable
Floppy disk, or diskette
Compact Disc CD-R, CD-RW,
CD-ROM
DVDs – DVD-ROM, DVD-R,
DVD-RW, DVD-RAM
Zip disk
Flash disk/USB drive
Tape
Non-Removable
Hard disk
System Unit
The motherboard, or system board, is the main circuit
board of the system unit
The processor, also called the central processing unit
(CPU), interprets and carries out the basic instructions
that operate a computer
The control unit interprets the instructions
The arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) performs the logical
and arithmetic processes
Memory, also called random access memory, or RAM,
consists of electronic components that store data,
instructions, and information, as needed by the
processor
Clasification of computers
There are three main ways of classifying
computer. They are classified as
A. By purpose
B. By type
C. By capacity and size
Classification by purpose
Under this kind of classification, we
have two main classes namely:
General purpose computers:
They are designed to perform or handle so many task such as
entertainment, research, and educational purpose. Etc
Special purpose computers:
These are designed to handle specific or special task. They are
normally used by the military,navigators, hospitals and for control
process application such as oil refineries, mining sector.
For example the speedometer of a car is only designed to check
the speed at which a vehicle is moving.S
Special purpose computers:
These are designed to handle specific or special task.
They are normally used by the military, navigators,
hospitals and for control process application such as oil
refineries, mining sector.
For example the speedometer of a car is only
designed to check the speed at which a vehicle is
moving.
CLASSIFICATION BY TYPE
Depending on how the computer
represents information, it can be classified
as follows
• Analogue computers represents
information in continuous form. Eg
speedometer of a car, calculator and
disco watch.
Digital computers
COMPUTER SOFTWARE
System software consists of programs to control
the operations of computer equipment
Instructions in the operating system tell the
computer how to perform the functions of loading,
storing, and executing an application program and
how to transfer data
When a computer is turned on, the operating
system is loaded into the computer’s memory from
auxiliary storage, a process called booting
Most computers use an operating system that has
a graphical user interface (GUI)
THE COMPUTER SYSTEM
Hardware and software
HARDWARE
Hardware refers to the physical components
of a computer system. This means that
hardware is the part of computer that you can
see and touch.
Example of computer hardware are
the keyboard, the monitor, the mouse,
the printers and cables that connect
these devices.
Microcomputer hardware false in four categories. These
are:
• Input devices
• The system unit
• Storage devices
• Output devices
Input devices
Input device as its name denotes are devices
that allow the computer user to enter data
into the computer
Examples are:
• The keyboard
• Mouse
• Pointing devices
• Web camera
Output devices
Output devices comes in
various shapes and sizes
These devices have the
capacity and ability to display
both data and processed
information.
Examples
• Printers
• Monitors
• Plotter
• Speakers etc.
Storage devices
Storage devices provide computers with the
capacity to save or keep information for long
periods until they are needed again.
Examples:
• Floppy disks
• Compact disks
• Pen drives
• Zip disks
Importance of storage
devices
1. Used to backup data
2. Move or transport data from one location
to the other.
3. They help in sharing data.
4. They are used to store data for future
use.
5. They help in securing private data.
Difference between primary and secondary
storage
Primary storage Secondary storage
1 Most primary storage is temporary All secondary storage is
permanent.
2 Primary storage is smaller in capacity Secondary storage Is bigger in
capacity
3 Information stored is volatile Information stored is non-volatile
The System Unit
The motherboard, or system board, is the main circuit
board of the system unit
The processor, also called the central processing unit
(CPU), interprets and carries out the basic instructions
that operate a computer
The control unit interprets the instructions
The arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) performs the logical
and arithmetic processes
Memory, also called random access memory, or RAM,
consists of electronic components that store data,
instructions, and information, as needed by the
processor
The system unit ctd
The system unit is one of the integral
part of the computer system. It can
be compared to a car.
Inside the system unit
The motherboard or the
system board is the main
Motherboard circuit board in the system
unit. The motherboard consist
of a flat board that fills the
bottom of the system unit.
The board contains the
“brain” of the computer, the
cpu or the microprocessor;
electronic memory (RAM)
that assist the cpu; and some
sockets, called the expansion
slots, where additional circuit
board, called expansion
boards may be plugged in.
Central processing unit.
(CPU)
Sometimes referred to simply as
the central processor, but more
commonly called processor, the
CPU is the brains of
the computerwhere most
calculations take place. In terms
of computing power, the CPU is
the most important element of
a computer system.
The power supply unit.
power supply unit or PSU, the component
that supplies power to a computer.
Most personal computers can be plugged into
standard electrical outlets. The power supply
then pulls the required amount of electricity
and converts the AC current to DC current. It
also regulates the voltage to eliminate spikes
and surges common in most
electrical systems. Not all power supplies,
however, do an adequate voltage-regulation
job, so a computer is always susceptible to
large voltage fluctuations.
Random access memory (RAM)
RAM (pronounced ramm) is
an acronym for random access
memory, a type of computer
memory that can
be accessedrandomly; that is,
any byte of memory can be
accessed without touching the
preceding bytes. RAM is the most
common type of memory found
in computers and other devices,
such as printers.
Read only memory
ROM is the acronym for read-
only memory, computer memory on which data has
been prerecorded. Once data has been written onto
a ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be
read.
Unlike main memory (RAM), ROM retains its
contents even when the computer is turned off.
ROM is referred to as being nonvolatile (not able
to change), whereas RAM is volatile (can change).
Most personal computers contain a small amount
of ROM that stores critical programs such as the
program that boots the computer. In addition,
ROMs are used extensively in calculators
and peripheral devices such as laser printers,
whose fonts are often stored in ROMs.
ROM Ctd
Examples:
• Floppy disks
• Compact disks
• Pen drives
• Zip disks
Hard Drive
A hard disk drive (sometimes abbreviated as
"Hard drive," "HD", or "HDD") is adata storage
device. The hard disk was first introduced on
September 13, 1956 and consists of one or
more platters inside of an air-sealed
casing. Internal hard disks reside in a drive
bay and connect to the motherboard using
an ATA, SCSI, or SATAcable, and are powered by
a connection to the PSU (power supply unit).
Below is a picture of what the inside of a hard
drive looks like for a desktop and laptop hard
drive.
Operating System Tasks
Operations Management
Load, store and execute
programs
Transfer data
File Management
Files
Folder
System Maintenance
Defragment/Check Disk
Virus Check
System Monitoring
Application Software
Word Processing
Spreadsheet
Presentation Graphics
Database
Contact Management
Utility Software – anti-
virus, data backup, and
file compression
Computer Hardware &
Software
Operating
Hardware
System
Software
Applications
NETWORKS
A network is a collection of computers
and devices connected together so
users can share data and resources
A local area network (LAN) connects
computers in a limited geographic area
A wide area network (WAN) covers a
large geographical area
Networks and the
Internet
The world’s largest
network is the
Internet
Most users connect
to the Internet in
one of two ways:
Internet service
provider
Online service
provider
The World Wide Web
One of the more popular segments of the Internet is
the World Wide Web, also called the Web.
A Web page is a document that contains text,
graphics, sound, and/or video and has built-in
connections, or hyperlinks to other Web documents
A Web site is a related collection of Web pages
You access and view Web pages using a software
program called a Web browser
A Web page has a unique address, called a Uniform
Resource Locator (URL)
A hyperlink is a virtual connection to another place on
the Web
More Internet Terms
Cookies – a text file created by a Web server
and your Web browser, that sits on your hard
drive
Search engine – a Web site containing a
database of web pages and their content
Electronic commerce – conducting business
online, such as shopping or investing.
Portal -- a launching point for browsing online;
one of the most well-known is Yahoo!, where you
can search the Web, shop, chat, check e-mail,
build a Web site, and view news articles.
Web Browsers
Internet Explorer – built into Windows
Netscape – the oldest browser; an all-
round communications package for the
Internet; free at http://www.netscape.com
Opera – free version available at
http://www.opera.com
Uniform Resource
Locator (URL)
http://www.yahoo.com
COMMON
APPLICATIONS
E-mail--Send messages to other connected users
Shop for goods and services
Meet and converse with people around the world
Instant Messaging, such as ICQ, Windows (MSN)
Messenger, and AOL Instant Messenger
Web browser plug-ins, such as Macromedia Flash and
Shockwave
Access sources of entertainment and leisure, such as online
games, magazines, and vacation planning guides
Access information such as news, maps, airline schedules,
and stock market data
Electronic Commerce
When you conduct business activities
online, you are participating in electronic
commerce, also known as e-commerce
Business to consumer (B2C) involves
the sale of goods to the general public
Consumer to consumer (C2C) involves
one consumer selling directly to another
Business to business (B2B) provides
goods and services to other businesses
THE END
