This document provides an overview of computers and their components. It discusses how computers accept input, process and store data, and produce output. It describes common computer hardware components like the system unit, peripheral devices, and input/output devices. It also covers computer software, including system software, application software, and common productivity applications. The document provides examples and illustrations of these core computer concepts.

1. Computers in Your World
Digital revolution – Change brought on by use
of digital technology/devices
Digital technology as a part of daily life
Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 1
Figure A-1: Computers are a part of daily life

2. Computers in Your World
(continued)
Computer - An electronic device that:
 Accepts input
 Processes data
 Stores data
 Produces output
Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 2

3. Computers in Your World
(continued)
Computer system includes:
 Hardware - Electronic and mechanical parts
 System Unit – Houses important components
 Peripheral devices – Hardware to expand
functionality
 Software – Programs/codes of instructions
Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 3

4. Computers in Your World
(continued)
Input devices:
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Touch screen, etc.
Output devices:
 Monitor
 Printer
 Speakers, etc.
Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 4

5. How Computers Work
Turn on/power up/booting a computer:
 May need to enter user ID and password
Computer program/software:
 Instructions telling a computer how to carry
out processing tasks
Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 5

6. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 66
Figure B-1: Keyboard examples

7. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 7
Input Devices (continued)
Other pointing devices:
 Pointing stick
 Touchpad (also called a trackpad)
 Trackball
 Touch screen
Other ways to input data:
 Scanner
 Microphone
 Digital camera

8. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 8
Display Devices
Monitor:
 Standalone display device
 Found with desktop computers
Screen:
 Area where output is displayed
• Monitors attached to desktop computers have
screens
• Notebook computers have screens, but not
monitors

9. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 9
Display Devices (continued)
LCD (liquid crystal display):
 Manipulates light within a layer of liquid crystal
cells
 Also called flat-panel displays
LED (light emitting diodes)
OLED (organic light emitting diodes):
 Used by most handheld devices
 Draws less power than LCD screens
 Can be seen from any angle

10. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 10
Figure B-6: Examples of monitors

11. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 11
Printers (continued)
Printer resolution:
 Determines the quality of printed output
 Measured in dots per inch (or dpi)
Printer speed:
 Pages per minute (ppm)
Duplex printer:
 Prints on both sides of paper
Network-enabled printer
Photo printer

12. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 12
Printers (continued)
Printer resolution:
 Determines the quality of printed output
 Measured in dots per inch (or dpi)
Printer speed:
 Pages per minute (ppm)
Duplex printer:
 Prints on both sides of paper
Network-enabled printer
Photo printer

13. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 13
Figure B-9: An ink jet printer Figure B-10: A laser printer

14. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 14
Data Storage – An Overview
Storage technology - Data storage system:
 Allows for a computer or digital device to store
and retrieve data
Storage medium:
 Holds data – Hard drive, tape, memory card,
flash drive, CD, DVD, etc.
Storage device:
 Stores and retrieves data from its storage
medium – CD/DVD drive.

15. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 15
Figure B-12: Examples of storage media and storage devices

16. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 16
Data Storage – An Overview
(continued)
Hard drives – Internal or External:
 Main storage system for PCs
 Mechanical or solid state drives (SSD)
• Solid state technology – No moving parts
Additional storage devices:
 USB flash drives
 CD/DVD/BD drives
 Solid-state card readers

17. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 17
Figure B-13: Inside of a mechanical hard drive

18. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 18
Figure B-23: Solid state cards
Figure B-26: Examples of solid-state drives

19. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 19
Computer Software
Software/computer programs
 Provides instructions and data necessary to
carry out tasks
Graphical user interface (GUI)
 Allows for computer commands to be
executed using pointing devices and on-
screen graphics
19

20. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 20
Computer Software (continued)
Two major categories of software:
 System software – used by the computer to
perform computer-specific tasks
• Operating systems
• Utilities
• Device drivers
 Application software – allows users to
complete tasks on a computer
• Document production
• Communications
20

21. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 2121
Figure C-1: Examples of software categories

22. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 22
Computer Software (continued)
Local application
 Installed directly on a computer
A Web application (Web app) or cloudware
 Accessed using the Web
Portable application
 Can run from a removable device
Mobile application or app
 Runs on a smart phone or tablet
22

23. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 23
Computer Software (continued)
System requirements
 Minimum hardware capacities
23
Figure C-2: System requirements

24. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 24
Licenses and Copyrights
Copyright
 Legal protection of an author’s original work
Software license or
license agreement
 Legal contract
defining how a
computer
program
can be used
24
Figure C-5: Microsoft Office 2010 software license

25. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 25
Licenses and Copyrights (continued)
Legal software categories:
 Public domain software – not protected by
copyright
 Proprietary software – copyright restricts use
Types of software licenses:
 Single-user license
 Site license
 Multiple-user license
 Concurrent-use license
25

26. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 26
Licenses and Copyrights (continued)
Commercial software – purchase right to use
 Demoware – use for a trial period
Shareware – try first and then can purchase
Freeware – free to use but still need a license
Open source – program
code/instructions available
for modification
26
Figure C-4: Open Source Initiative

27. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 27
Operating Systems—An Overview
Operating System
(OS) – Master
controller for
all computer activities
 Controls user-to-
digital-device
interaction
 Controls digital-device-
to-digital-devices
interaction
27
Figure C-11: Example of how the operating system works

28. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 28
Operating Systems—An Overview
(continued)
Operating System
allow users to
perform specific
tasks
28
Table C-2: Ways you can use an operating system

29. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 29
Office Productivity Software
Office productivity software
 Designed to be used in an office
 Integrates word processing, spreadsheet,
database, drawing, presentation capabilities
29

30. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 30
Office Productivity Software
(continued)
Word processing software
 Used to produce documents
 Microsoft Word, OpenOffice Writer
30
Figure C-24: Checking the spelling of a document in Microsoft Word

31. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 31
Office Productivity Software
(continued)
Spreadsheet software
 For projects with repetitive calculations
 Microsoft Excel, OpenOffice Calc
 Worksheet – grid of columns and rows
31
Figure C-25: A spreadsheet in OpenOffice Calc

32. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 32
Office Productivity Software
(continued)
Database software
 Used to create a collection of data that is
stored electronically as a series of records in
tables
 Microsoft Access,
OpenOffice Base
32
Figure C-27: Creating a table in Microsoft Access

33. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 33
Office Productivity Software
(continued)
Presentation software
 Provides all the tools needed to make a series
of electronic slides
 Microsoft PowerPoint, OpenOffice Impress
33
Figure C-28: A slide in a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation

34. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 34
Graphics Software
Graphics
 Picture, drawing, sketch, photograph, image,
or icon on screen or printed output
Graphics software
 Helps you create, display, modify, manipulate,
and print graphics
34

35. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 35
Graphics Software (continued)
Paint or image editing software – used to
create more sophisticated images
35
Figure C-30: Paint software

36. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 36
Graphics Software (continued)
Photo editing software – used to enhance
quality of photos
36
Figure C-31: Photo editing software

37. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 37
Graphics Software (continued)
Clip art – readily available images used with
productivity software
37
Figure C-32: Inserting clip art in a presentation

38. Computer Concepts – Illustrated 9th Edition 38
Graphics Software (continued)
3D graphics software - computer aided design
(CAD) software
38
Figure C-33: 3D graphics created using software programs