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CHAPTER 1:
INTRODUCING COMPUTER
SYSTEMS
LECTURERS
JAMES GITONGORI OMBOGO(0724563348)
/JOSHUA OKEMWA(0720434121 / TEREZA
ABUYA(0720501292)
PREVIEW AND
OBJECTIVES
 Define the term “Computer”

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 To explain the importance of computers in

today’s society.
 To Identify and compare the classification of

computers.
 To understand the different parts of a computer
system.
 To understand what Software is and its different
types.
 To briefly understand how computers represent
data.
DEFINITION OF A
COMPUTER
 By definition, a computer is an electronic

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device that processes data, converting it into
information that is useful to people.
 Computers are controlled by programmed
instructions that transform the data into
meaningful information.
 Generally a Computer is a device that accepts

input, processes it, stores data, and

produces output.
INFORMATION PROCESSING CYCLE
 Steps followed to process data
 Input

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 Processing
 Output
 Storage
INPUT
 Input: Information provided to the computer by
a person, the environment, or another

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computer.
Examples of Input
 words and symbols
 numbers
 pictures
 audio signals from a microphone
 signals from another computer
 temperature, speed, pressures, etc. from
sensors
PROCESSING
 Processing - manipulation of data.
 Data are symbols that represent raw facts,

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objects, and ideas about people, places,
events, and things that are of importance in
an organization.
 A computer program or software is a
series of instructions that tell a computer how
to carry out a processing task.
 Examples of Processing
 Arithmetic calculations
 Sorting a list
 Modifying pictures
 Drawing graphs
OUTPUT
 Output - the result produced by a computer
after processing the data.

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 Output device –displays, prints, or transmits the

results after processing.

 Examples of Output

 images on a monitor
 printed documents
 sounds
 signals to device controllers

Qn: What is a device controller?

MEMORY AND STORAGE
 Memory - the area of a computer that
temporarily holds data that is being processed

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or waiting to be processed, stored, or output.
 Storage - The area where data can be left on a
permanent basis while it is not needed for
processing.
 Examples of Storage
 magnetic disks
 CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read-Only Memory)
 magnetic tapes
PERSONAL AND HOME USES OF
COMPUTERS
 Computers allow people with
disabilities to do normal
activities.
 Shopping online
 Playing games with other
people
 Work from home
 Entertainment such as
listening to music, watching
videos etc.
 Enable communication
through the use of (electronic
mails) e-mails , chats etc.
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BUSINESS USES OF COMPUTERS
 Computers allow companies
to keep large amounts of
information at hand.
 Databases
 Makes ordering and tracking
resources quicker and
easier.
 Allows people to have
meetings from different
locations.
 Helps in information
management which eases
the process of decision
making .
 Computers allow people
across the world to
communicate10/19/24
easily.
EDUCATIONAL USES OF COMPUTERS
 The Internet allows
access to hundreds of
online research materials.
 Allows colleagues to

correspond quickly about

ongoing research.
 Eases the process of

analysing research data.

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CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
 Computers are classified according to;
 Size: Some computers are designed for individual use

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while others are for organizations.
 Technology: Some computers are more powerful than
others interms of the speed at which they operate as well
as the technologies they use.
 Purpose: Some computers are designed to handle lighter
tasks compared to others that can handle heavier tasks.
 Because of the above factors, we have computers of
different prices, having different hardware as well as
compatible with different software.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS ACCORDING TO
SIZE

 Supercomputers

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 The most powerful
computers made.
 Handle large and
complex calculations.
 Because of their size
and expense,
supercomputers are
relatively rare.
 These are used by
research institutions,
government agencies,
and large businesses.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
ACCORDING TO SIZE
 Mainframe
Computers

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 Are slower, less powerful
and less expensive than
supercomputers.
 Are used by banks and
many businesses to
update inventory etc.
 Are used in large
organizations where
many users need access
to shared data and
programs.
 Can support thousands
of users, handling
massive amounts of
input, output, and
storage.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
ACCORDING TO SIZE
 Minicomputers

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 Are smaller than
mainframe.
 It is generally easier to
use.
 Handle hundreds of
users
 Used in smaller
organizations.
 Minicomputers may be
used servers.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
ACCORDING TO SIZE
 Workstations

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 Are powerful single-user
computers.
 More powerful than a
desktop PC.
 These machines are
mostly used by scientists,
engineers, and animators.
 Workstations are often
used as network and
Internet servers.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
ACCORDING TO SIZE
 Microcomputers

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 This is the smallest, least
expensive of all the
computers.
 Micro computers have
smallest memory and less
power.
 They permit fewer
peripherals to be attached.
 Microcomputers are
commonly known as
personal computers.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
ACCORDING TO SIZE
 Personal Computers are usually meant to be used

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by only one person at a time. These include:
1. Desktop Computers:
 The most common type of computer.

 Sits on the desk or floor.

 Performs a variety of tasks.

2. Notebook Computers:
 Also known as Laptop computers.

 Small portable computers.

 Weighs between 3 and 8 pounds.

 About 8 ½ by 11 inches.

 Typically as powerful as a desktop.

CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
ACCORDING TO SIZE
3. Tablet Computers

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 Newest development in portable computers

 Input is through a pen.

 Run specialized versions of office products

4. Handheld Computers
 Very small portable computers

 Personal Digital Assistants (PDA)

 Note taking or contact management.

 Slow and too small for many computing applications.

5. Smart Phones
 Hybrid of cell phone and PDA

 Can be used for web surfing, e-mail access etc.

PARTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM
 Computer systems have four parts

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 Hardware
 Software
 Data
 User (people)
PARTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM
 Computer hardware:
 A computer's hardware consists of electronic

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devices; the parts you can see and touch.
 In other words these are tangible parts of a
computer.
 The term "device" refers to any piece of
hardware used by the computer, such as a
keyboard, monitor, modem, mouse, etc.
 These are mechanical devices that make up the
computer.
 COMPUTER HARDWARE COMPONENTS

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 Display Device
(Monitor or LCD
screen)
 Floppy disk drive
 CD ROM drive
 Hard disk drive
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 System Unit
OTHER HARDWARE COMPONENTS

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 DVD drive (Digital Versatile Disk)
 CD writer (Compact disk)

 Sound card and speakers

 Modem (Modulate and Demodulate)

 Printers
PERIPHERALS
 A peripheral device designates equipment that
might be added to a computer system to enhance

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its functionality.
 Examples:
 Printer
 Digital camera
 Scanner
 Joystick etc

Absence of any of these devices does not stop a

computer from functioning.
 PARTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM
 Computer Software
 Isthe set of instructions that makes the computer

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perform tasks.
 The software is a part of the computer you cannot touch
but is very important.
 The software is all the programming that makes the
computer run; controlling everything that the computer
does.
 For any computer to function, it needs to have software
installed on it.
PARTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM
 Data:
 Data consists of raw facts, which the computer can

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manipulate and process into information that is useful to
people.
 Computerized data is digital, meaning that it has been
reduced to digits, or numbers. The computer stores and
reads all data as numbers.
 Users:
 People operating the computer.
 Tell the computer what to do.
ESSENTIAL COMPUTER HARDWARE
 A computer’s hardware devices falls into one of the
four categories;

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1. Processor
2. Memory
3. Input and Output
4. Storage
ESSENTIAL COMPUTER HARDWARE
 Processing Devices
 The procedure that transforms raw data into useful

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information is called processing.
 The processor is like the brain of the computer.
 Organizes and carries out instructions from either the
user or software.
 Manipulate the data.
 Most computers have several processors.
 Central Processing Unit (CPU) refers to a computer’s
processor.
ESSENTIAL COMPUTER HARDWARE
 Memory devices
 Memory is made up of one or more sets of chips

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that Store data or program instructions either
temporarily
or permanently. Memory is divided into two types:
a) Random Access Memory (RAM)
 RAM holds data and program instructions
temporarily while the CPU works with them.
 RAM is volatile, meaning it holds data only when
the power is on. When the power is off, RAM's
contents are lost.
 More RAM results in a faster system.
ESSENTIAL COMPUTER HARDWARE
b) Read Only Memory (ROM)
 Permanent storage of programs.

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 ROM is called non-volatile memory because it
never loses its contents.
 Holds instructions that the computer needs to
operate.
 Memory is measured interms of:
 Kilobyte (KB) - 1,000 bytes
 Megabyte (MB) - 1,000,000 bytes
 Gigabyte (GB) - 1,000,000,000 bytes
 Terabyte (TB) - 1,000,000,000,000 bytes.
CMOS

 Alternatively referred to as a Real-Time Clock

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(RTC), Non-Volatile RAM (NVRAM) or CMOS
RAM, CMOS is short for Complementary Metal-
Oxide Semiconductor.

 CMOS is an on-board semiconductor chip powered

by a CMOS battery inside computers that stores
information such as the system time and date and
the system hardware settings for your computer.

 CMOS is a RAM chip.

CMOS
 RAM chips lose the information stored in them when
power is no longer supplied to them.

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 In order to retain the information in the CMOS chip,
a CMOS battery on the motherboard supplies
constant power to that CMOS chip.

 If the battery is removed from the motherboard, the

CMOS would lose the information stored in it.

 With a dead CMOS battery the time and date will

reset back to the manufactured date if it has been
off for a long period of time.
BIOS (BASIC INPUT/OUTPUT SYSTEM)
 The BIOS and CMOS are often times thought to be
the same thing, but they are not.

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 They are two different components of a computer,

but they do work together to make the computer

function properly.
 The BIOS is a computer chip on the motherboard.

 This chip contains a special program that helps the

computer processor interact and control the other

components in the computer. These components
include disc drives, video cards, sound cards,
network cards, floppy drives, USB ports, hard drives,
and others.
 Without the BIOS, the CPU would not know how to

interact or interface with the computer components,

and the computer would not be able to function.
BIOS
 ROM BIOS has instructions that tell the computer
how to access the disk drives, find the operating

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system, and load it into RAM.

 The BIOS program on the BIOS chip reads

information from the CMOS chip when the
computer is starting up, during the boot up
process.

 BIOS software is stored on a non-volatile ROM chip

on the motherboard.
ESSENTIAL COMPUTER HARDWARE
 Input and Output Devices
 Input devices accept data and instructions from the
user or from another computer system.

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 Output devices return processed data to the user or
to another computer system.
 Input devices include: keyboard, mouse, scanner,
digital camera, microphone etc.
 Output devices include: monitor, printer, stereo
speakers, headphones etc.
 Communications devices (such as modems and
network interface cards) perform both input and
output, allowing computers to share information.
ESSENTIAL COMPUTER HARDWARE
 Storage Devices
 The purpose of storage is to hold data
permanently, even when the computer is

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turned off.
 Storage devices hold data not currently
being used by the CPU.
 Data is commonly stored on a magnetic or
optical disk.
 A disk drive is a device that reads data
from and writes data to a disk. Most new
computers feature a floppy disk drive, a hard
disk drive, and an optical disk drive.
 The most common optical storage devices
are CDROM and DVD-ROM.
ESSENTIAL COMPUTER HARDWARE
 Three major distinctions between storage and
memory.

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 There is more room in storage than in memory.
 Contents are retained in storage when the
computer is turned off, whereas programs or the
data in memory disappear when you shut down
the computer.
 Storage devices operate much slower than
memory chips, but storage is much cheaper than
memory.
SYSTEM UNIT
 The system unit, also known as a "tower" or

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"chassis," is the main part of a desktop computer. It
includes; motherboard, CPU, RAM, and
other components.
 The system unit also includes the case that houses

the internal components of the computer.

 the term only refers to desktop computers.

 For instance laptops also have built-in displays,

they are not called system units.

INSIDE THE SYSTEM UNIT

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MOTHERBOARD

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 The motherboard is the computer’s main
circuit board that houses all essential chips
and provides connecting circuitry between
them.
 The motherboard also provides sockets for

chips and slots for small circuit boards like

memory cards, video graphics cards, and
modem cards.
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ADDING STORAGE DEVICES

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 The system unit case for a desktop computer
contains several storage device “parking
spaces” called drive bays.
 If you have an empty bay of the right type

and size, you can add a storage device.

 Bays come in two widths:
5 ¼” and 3 ½”
 DATA BUS, EXPANSION BUS,
EXPANSION CARDS & SLOTS

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 Data travels from one component to another over
circuits called a data bus. One part of the data bus
runs between RAM and the microprocessor
 The expansion bus is the segment of the data bus
that runs between RAM and peripheral devices.
 Expansion slot is a socket where expansion cards
are plugged in.
TYPES OF EXPANSION SLOTS
 ISA:Industry Standard Architecture: old and slow

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 PCI: Peripheral Component Interconnect: faster

 AGP:Accelerated Graphics Port: fast, for graphics

cards
 EXPANSION CARDS, SLOTS, & PORTS

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 Expansion card is a circuit board that plugs into an
expansion slot (graphics, network, modem, etc.)
 Expansion port is for connecting peripheral devices

to the computer (printer, speakers, scanner, etc.)

INSTALLING PERIPHERAL DEVICES
 It is not very difficult to install a peripheral

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device.
 Some devices require software called a device

driver which sets up communication between

your computer and the device.
 Today’s PCs include a feature called Plug and

Play (PnP) that automatically recognizes when

a new device has been added to the system.
 If PnP doesn’t work, you may have to check the

web for driver updates or call technical

support.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE

 Software is a set of instructions that drive a

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computer to perform specific tasks.
 These instructions tell the machine’s physical

components what to do.

 A set of instructions is often called a program.

 When a computer is using a particular program, it is

said to be running or executing the program.

 The two most common types of programs are

system software and application software.

COMPUTER SOFTWARE
1) System software: Is any program that controls the
computer’s hardware or that can be used to maintain the
computer in some way so that it runs more efficiently.

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 There are three basic types of system software:
a) An operating system tells the computer how to use its
own components. All computers require an operating
system.
 The OS tells the computer how to
interact with the user and its own
devices.
 Examples of operating systems include

Windows, Macintosh operating system

and Linux.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE
b) A network operating system allows
computers to communicate and share data

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across a network while controlling network
operations and overseeing the network’s
security. Example is Windows server 2003.
c) A utility is a program that makes the
computer system easier to use or performs
highly specialized functions.
 Utilities are used to manage disks,
troubleshoot hardware problems, and
perform other tasks that the operating
system itself may not be able to do. For
example a Symantec antivirus, Partition
Magic etc.
COMPUTER SOFTWARE
2) Application Software: Tells the computer how to
accomplish specific tasks, such as word processing

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or drawing, for the user.
 Some of the major categories of these applications
include:
 Word processing software for creating text-based
documents
 Spreadsheets for creating numeric-based documents
such as budgets.
 Presentation programs for creating and presenting
electronic slide shows.
 Graphics programs for designing illustrations or
manipulating photographs, movies etc.
 Database management software for building and
manipulating large sets of data such as names,
addresses etc.
DATA AND INFORMATION
 Data are the words, numbers, symbols and
graphics that describe people, events, things, and
ideas.

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 Data becomes information when it is used as the
basis for initiating some action or for making a
decision.
 Information are the words, numbers, and graphics
used as the basis for human actions and decisions.
 A set of data that has been given a name is called
a file.
 A file that a user can open and use is called
document.
 A folder is a place where groups of computer files
and other folders can be kept and organized.
FILES
 A file is a named collection of data, stored on a
storage medium such as a hard disk.

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 There are two types of files
 Data files contains text, images, or other data that can
be used by a program.
 Executable files contains programs or instructions that
tell the computer how to perform a task.
 Filename extensions describe a file’s contents.
For example Executable files usually end in .exe,
word files end in .doc, adobe acrobat documents
end in .pdf etc.
HOW COMPUTERS REPRESENT DATA
 The computer reads and stores data of all kinds in
form of numbers.

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 Computers use the binary number system while

humans normally use decimal number system.

 Binary number system
 Has two distinct digits, 0 and 1
 0 and 1 combine to make numbers.
 Decimal number system
 Contains ten distinct digits e.g 0 up to 9.
 Digits combine to make larger numbers.
DIGITAL DATA REPRESENTATION
• The form in which information is conceived,
manipulated and recorded.

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• Bit (binary digit)
• It is the smallest possible unit of data a computer can
recognize or use.
• Inotherwords, it is the Smallest unit of data
representation.
• 0 (off,No) OR 1 (on,Yes).
 Byte
 The Smallest unit of data Storage.
 A byte is 8 bits, about one character of data.
 Half a byte is a nibble.
BITS AND BYTES
 One bit is a single 0  One gigabyte is

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or 1.
1,024 megabytes or
 One byte consists of approximately
8 bits. 1 billion bytes
 One kilobyte consists
of 1,024 bytes
 One terabyte is
approximately 1000 1,024 gigabytes or
bytes. approximately
 One megabyte is 1 trillion bytes.
1,024 kilobytes or
approximately
1 million bytes.
NUMERIC DATA REPRESENTATION CODES

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 Numeric data
consists of
numbers that
represent
quantities that
might be used in
arithmetic
operations
 Binary (0, 1) vs.
decimal number
system (0-9)
CHARACTER DATA REPRESENTATION
CODES
 Character data is composed of
letters, symbols, and numerals
that will not be used in

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mathematical operations.
 The following are the most
popular text code systems:
 ASCII (American Standard Code
for Information Interchange) uses
7 bits to represent data.
 Extended ASCII uses 8 bits to
represent data.
 EBCDIC (extended binary-coded
decimal interchange code) uses 8
bits to represent data (used on old
IBM mainframes)
 Unicode uses 16 bits to represent
each letter, number or symbol.
REVISION QUESTIONS
1. What is an operating system

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2. Convert the following decimal numbers into their
Binary format (i) 13975 (ii) 1591 (iii) 200
3. Convert the following Binary numbers into their
Decimal equivalents. (i) 11110111 (ii)10101010
4. Salvado has a flash disk of 1.5GB and wants to
store music files of 950kbs each. How many file
will he be able to store on his flash disk?
5. Discuss some of the differences between super
computers and mainframe computers.
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
 Explain the meaning of the term jumpers of a

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Hard Disk
 Explain the following options as used when
setting jumpers on a Hard disk
I. master
II. slave
III. cable select