Introduction to computers

BY MEHUL NAMDEV B.Com (Prog)
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Content
Computer
System
Definition & Characteristics
Basic Computer Organization
Computer Hardware Setup and
Configuration
Input/Output Devices
Components of Computers
Hardware Connecting Options
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What is a computer?
• The word computer is originated from the word “compute” or
“calculate”. Typically, data is processed using computer, thus computer
is also popularly known as data processor. It is an electronic device
which is capable of receiving information (data) in a particular form
and of performing a sequence of operations in accordance with a
predetermined but variable set of procedural instructions (program) to
produce a result in the form of information or signals.
• Computer is know to be a bi-stable device having two state : on(1) and
off(0). As computer work on electric current, whatever we enter from
the keyboard or mouse or any other input device, computer convert it
into sequence of 8 bits(0 or 1) depending on their code, popularly
known as ASCII codes.
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Computer system hardware
Flash Memory Cards
System UnitMonitor
Speakers Printer
Mouse
Floppy disk drive
Keyboard
CDs & DVDs
USB Port
Microphone
Floppy Disks
Flash Memory Card Reader
DVD Drive
Hard Drive
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Components of computer
•HARDWARE
•The parts which we can touch and feel are called
•Hardware, e.g. Keyboard, monitor, mouse, CPU, etc. These are
•Parts of computer.
•SOFTWARE
It is a set of instructions that computer hardware
•Follows to do the desired task, e.g. Windows operating system, Word,
Excel.
•Hardware devices can be futher devided into Input Devices, Processing
Devices, Memory and output devices.
Computer System
Hardware Software
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Hardware
Input
Devices
Memory
Devices
Primary
Secondary
Processing
Devices
Output
Devices
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Basic Computer Organization
•Interfacing : The communication between machine and human is made possible
because
machines takes data from the user and transfer it to machine language and
vice versa.
•Inputting : It accepts input from the user.
•Storing : Store data and instruction for processing.
•Processing : Process data by performing arithmetic operation or logical operation
based on instruction coded in the program.
•Outputting : It produces output as meaningful information or the result for the use
which
may be printed report or visual display.
•Controlling : It controls and directs the sequence of operation to be performed.
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Input Devices
1. Keyboard: Keyboard is an input device that converts alphabet,
numbers and others special characters into electrical pulses which can
be understood by the computers.
2. Locator Devices: Locator devices refers to the devices that control
the location or position or movement on a computer display screen by
it scrolling over the mouse pad. They are mouse, trackball, joystick etc.
3. Pick Devices: Pick devices are used to select an object on the screen,
the object may be text or graphic. The examples of pick devices are
Light Pens and Touch screens.
4. Direct Data Source Devices: Example of direct data source devices
are Scanner, Digital Cameras, Microphone.
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Output Devices
• PRINTER
• The capability to produce printed version of t a document is a
primary function of a PC. The advancement in computer software
and printing technology has made it easy, fast, colourful.
• Printers Characteristics
• Printers differs due to number of aspects such as technology used,
speed, quality of printing, size etc.
Characteristics of
Printer
Impact vs
non-impact
Color vs
black &white
Personal vs
Network
Printing
Resolution
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Laser Printer
Inkjet Printer
Dot Matrix Printer
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Central Processing Unit(CPU)
• Central processing unit is the brain of computer. Here all
arithmetical and logic operations are performed. CPU gives
instructions to input devices, output devices, memory units etc as
per the requirement of the program.
• Do you know the units of speed?
• Millisecond = 10-3 second
• Microsecond = 10-6 second
• Nanosecond = 10-9 second
• Picsecond = 10-32 second
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Memory Unit
•A modern computer has the following hardware components:
input/output devices, processing unit, memory unit and secondary
storage. The memory unit is the principal storage of the computer.
All the data and instructions that the computer needs at a moment
are stored here. Memory units nowadays are measured in
megabytes; the usual computer may have 64 MB, 128 MB, 512 MB
or more. Some have memories in gigabytes. The higher capacity,
the better computer performance.
• A computer memory unit is the storage where data and
instructions go when entered into the computer. The data and
instruction need to be stored so that they'll be available when
required and can be used repeatedly without having to enter them
each time through an input unit.
TYPES
•There are two types of memory: The primary memory or random
access memory (RAM), which is temporary storage. And the
secondary memory or read-only memory (ROM), which is
permanent storage.
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Storage Devices
• There are non volatile memories may or may not be outside the
computer for example hard disk, pen drives, CDs, etc. These are
used to store data, information and instructions permanently.
Theses can be taken from one place to another.
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Hardware Connectivity options
a. Ports and Connections: Ports and connections are used for
connecting external devices like printers, keyboards, scanners using
various interfaces with the PCs. Electronically ports can also be
divided into two groups based on the signal transfer : i) Parallel
Ports ii) Com/Serial Ports iii) USB Ports
b. Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi is a popular technology that allows an electronic device
to exchange data wirelessly(using radio waves) over a computer
network, including high speed internet connection.
c. Bluetooth: Bluetooth is another wireless standard device that uses
radio technology but it is designed for short range(less than 10 meters)
communication. With this we can connect wireless mouse, keyboard,
printers etc.
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Computer Hardware Setup
• Setting up a laptop
• If you have a laptop, setup should be easy: Just open it and press
the power button. If the battery isn't charged, you'll need to plug
in the AC adapter. You can continue using the laptop while it
charges.
• If your laptop has any peripherals, like external speakers, you may
want to read the instructions below. Laptops and desktops
generally use the same types of connections, so the same steps will
still apply.
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•Setting up Desktop Computer
•Step 1
•Unpack the monitor and computer case from the box. Remove any plastic
covering or protective tape. Place the monitor and computer case on a desk or
work area.
• Step 2
•Locate the monitor cable. There are several types of monitor cables, so the one
for your computer may not look like the one in the image below.
•Step 3
•Connect one end of the cable to the monitor port on the back of the computer
case and the other end to the monitor. If you're using a VGA cable like the one
in the picture below, you'll want to tighten the screws on the monitor cable to
secure it.
• To figure out which cables belong in which ports, try our Connecting Cables
interactive.
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• Step 4
• Unpack the keyboard and determine whether it uses a USB
(rectangular) connector or a PS/2 (round) connector. If it uses
a USB connector, plug it into any of the USB ports on the back
of the computer. If it uses a PS/2 connector, plug it into the
purple keyboard port on the back of the computer.
• Step 5
• Unpack the mouse and determine whether it uses a USB or PS/2
connector. If it uses a USB connector, plug it into any of the USB ports on
the back of the computer. If it uses a PS/2 connector, plug it into the green
mouse port on the back of the computer.
• If your keyboard has a USB port, you can connect your mouse to the
keyboard instead of connecting it directly to your computer.
• If you have a wireless mouse or keyboard, you may need to connect a
Bluetooth dongle (USB adapter) to your computer.
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• Step 6
• If you have external speakers or headphones, you can connect them
to your computer's audio port (either on the front or back of the
computer case). Many computers have color-coded ports. Speakers
or headphones connect to the green port, and microphones connect
to the pink port. The blue port is the line in, which can be used with
other types of devices.
• Some speakers, headphones, and microphones have USB
connectors instead of the usual audio plug. These can be connected
to any USB port. In addition, many computers have speakers or
microphones built into the monitor.
• Step 7
• Locate the two power supply cables that came with your computer.
Plug the first power supply cable into the back of the computer case
and then into a surge protector. Then, using the other cable,
connect the monitor to the surge protector.
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•Step 8
•Finally, plug the surge protector into a wall outlet. You may also need to turn on
the surge protector if it has a power switch.
•If you don't have a surge protector, you can plug the computer directly into the
wall. However, this is not recommended because electrical surges can damage
your computer.
•Step 9
•If you have a printer, scanner, webcam, or other peripherals, you can connect
them at this point. Many peripherals are plug and play, which means they will be
recognized by your computer as soon as they are plugged in.
•Other peripherals may include software that needs to be installed before you can
begin using them. Use the instructions included with the device to install it if
necessary.
•Generally, peripherals are optional, and you can add new ones at any time; you
don't have to add all peripherals during the initial setup of your computer.
•Setup complete!
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What does hardware configuration means?
• If someone asks you a question like “What is the configuration
of your computer?” – it just means that he or she wants to
know at least three important things –
• What kind of processor (CPU) you have?
• How much of memory(RAM) is installed &
• What is the capacity of your computer’s hard-disk drive
(HDD).
• You can then add on more details like the size & type of your
monitor, keyboard, mouse etc to complete the description.
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• You can find out the configuration of a computer in many ways, as
below:
• 1. By clicking on the ‘System’ icon in the Control Panel or by just
right-clicking on the ‘My Computer’ icon on your computer’s
desktop and selecting ‘Properties’. Then, in the ‘General’ tab, you
can find information about which version of Windows (Operating
System) you have in your computer, what kind of processor (CPU)
you have in your computer and how much of memory (RAM) you
have installed.
• 2. You can also get the configuration of your computer by typing
msinfo32 in Start – > Run.
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• 3. Here’s another easy method to get the configuration of
your computer. You can download this small free
application called Speccy, (from Piriform.com) and install
it in your computer. Anytime you wish to check the
configuration of your computer, all you have to do is to
just run this application. Check the screenshot below –
that is what it will look like:
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Things to consider when purchasing new computer
1. Price Range: Computer prices have dropped dramatically within the
past several year, but prices still range from fee hundred to several
thousand rupees depending upon the capabilities and specification of
the computer.
2. Desktop system/Laptop: Laptops are more popular, due to their
compact size and portability, but can be more expansive than a
desktop system with comparable specifications.
3. Apple or Windows: For most programs we can use either Apple or
Windows computer. But we can consider the following to buy one:
Apple for art, music and journalism. And windows for college/business
purpose.
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Introduction to computers

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