UNIT 1: COMPUTER BASICS
Computer Applications
WHAT MAKES A COMPUTER
A COMPUTER?
A computer is an electronic device that
Receives data: Information, such as text,
numbers, or graphic images, is entered into the
computer.
 Processes data: The computer will change the
data from what was entered into the result the
user wants.
 Stores data: The information is stored in the
computer’s memory.
 Produces a result: A final display of the
information that was entered can be printed or
displayed on a monitor.
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THE PROCESSING CYCLE OF A COMPUTER
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WHY ARE COMPUTERS SO POPULAR?
Computers perform functions very quickly.
 Computers produce accurate and reliable results.
 Computers store large amounts of data.
 Computers are versatile and cost-effective.
 Computers are becoming more powerful and
more useful every day.

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HOW COMPUTERS ARE USED TODAY
Computers are used every day for
Newspapers and television news stations
post breaking news, and weather can be
accessed on demand on the Internet.
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 News:
 Shopping:
Millions of people use the Internet
every day to purchase goods and services.
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HOW COMPUTERS ARE USED TODAY (CONT.)
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Homework: Students have instant access to
research and information and use word-processing
and other software applications for assignments.
 Managing businesses: Businesses use computers
to maintain inventory records, print invoices, track
financial information and personnel records,
advertise online, and many other tasks.
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TYPES OF COMPUTERS

Mainframes: Large, very
expensive machines that
can support thousands of
users; used by large
corporations.
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
Supercomputers: The
largest and fastest
computers that are used by
government agencies and
large corporations to process
tremendous volumes of
data. Video
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TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Minicomputers: Larger than a
desktop and much more expensive,
but can support many users
 Microcomputers: Commonly called
personal computers or desktop
computers. Personal computers also
include



Desktop computers
Notebook (laptop) computers
“Smart Phones”, iPad, & iPod
Touch
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OTHER COMPUTING DEVICES
Microprocessors are computer chips that
perform special functions to process
information.
 These computer chips help many kinds of
equipment perform more efficiently and
effectively:





Household appliances
Calculators, cellular telephones, and digital
cameras
Game systems
Automobiles
Industrial equipment
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COMPUTER SYSTEMS

A computer system is a combination of parts
working together:
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Hardware: The physical devices such as
keyboard, monitor, CPU, and so on
 Software: Operating systems and application
programs
 Data: The information entered into a computer to
be processed
 People: The users who enter the data and use the
resulting output
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COMPUTER NETWORKS
A network consists of multiple computers
connected to each other to share data and
resources.
 Local Area Network (LAN): A computer
network located in a small area, such as one
building or department.
 Wide Area Network (WAN): A network made
up of several LAN’s in a city, region, or across
the world.
 Networks at in schools, businesses, and
people’s homes.

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A TYPICAL NETWORK LAYOUT
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INSIDE THE COMPUTER…
THE MOTHERBOARD
The motherboard is a circuit board inside
the computer’s plastic case. It contains
integral components including
 The central processing unit or CPU
 RAM & ROM
 Expansion ports and slots
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DIAGRAM OF A MOTHERBOARD
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THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
 The
CPU is a tiny chip that acts as the
brains of a computer.
 Also called the processor. Intel & AMD are
the 2 biggest makers of processors
 The rate of speed is measured in gigahertz
(GHz).
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TYPES OF COMPUTER MEMORY

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There are two types of
memory found on a
motherboard:
RAM: Random Access
Memory
ROM: Read-Only
Memory
RAM
chip
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RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM)
RAM is short-term, temporary memory where
data is processed while a program is running.
 The more programs you have running, the more
RAM you are using.
 This type of memory loses any data it holds if the
computer is shut down.
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READ-ONLY MEMORY (ROM)
ROM is permanent memory placed on the
motherboard by the manufacturer and contains
instructions, such as BIOS ROM, that tell the
computer how to start itself.
 This data cannot be accessed or modified by
application programs.
 The contents of this memory are not lost when
the computer is shut down.

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HOW INFORMATION IS STORED
 Data
is stored in a computer in binary
format as a series of 1s and 0s. Every 1 or
0 is a bit of information.
 Data is stored in a series of 8-bit
combinations called a byte.
 8 bits (01101101) = 1 byte
HARD DRIVE
Hard disks are large-capacity and fast-access
storage devices.
 Most data on a computer is stored here.
 Hard disks are usually built into the computer’s
case.
 Early computers had a storage capacity of about
20MB, but now hard drives of 60GB or more are
common.

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HARDWARE
Physical
parts of the computer
that you can see and touch
SOFTWARE
Instructions
Programs
for the computer
INPUT AND OUTPUT DEVICES
 Input
devices: enable a user to input
data and commands to the computer to be
processed.
 Output
devices: enable the computer to
give or show you the results of its
processing.
 Some
devices, such as a modem, can
perform both input and output operations.
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EXAMPLES OF INPUT DEVICES
Cell phone
 Touch display screen
 Digital cameras
 Video camera

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Keyboard
 Mouse
 Voice recognition
devices
 Scanners
 Joysticks
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ONE OUTPUT DEVICE — PRINTERS
 The
most popular types of printers are
 Laser: Produce images using the same
techniques as copier machines
 Ink-Jet: Use fine nozzles to spray ink
onto the page as the paper passes
through
 Dot matrix: Work similarly to a
typewriter in that ink is transferred to
the paper by some part of the printer
striking a ribbon to transfer an image.
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OTHER OUTPUT DEVICES
 Monitor
 Projectors
 Speakers
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STORAGE DEVICES
A
place to save and store files
 Examples:
 Hard drive (can’t take with you)
 Flash drive
 Floppy disk
 CD
 iPod
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TYPICAL PC PORT ARRANGEMENT
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USB (UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS)
Most
popular type of plug on
computers
Used for printer, keyboard,
mouse, scanner, iPod, flash
drives and many more
VIRUS
A
program created to cause
harm to other computers
Viruses can be used to ruin a
computer or steal personal
information
How can you get a virus?
HACKER
 Someone
that breaks into computer
networks or steals personal
information
 Could be someone that creates a
virus
FIREWALL
A
program to prevent hackers
from stealing information from
your computer
Sometimes it needs to be
disabled to install new programs
TYPES OF SOFTWARE
There are literally thousands of software programs
you can buy, but all of them can be grouped into
one of two categories:
 Applications
software
 Systems software
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APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE
Application software consists of programs that
were created to perform a specific task.
 Application software is also called productivity
software.

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APPLICATIONS SOFTWARE (CONT.)

The most common types of application software
are
 Word-processing programs
 Spreadsheet software
Presentation software
 Database software
 Web browsers
 Games
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SYSTEMS SOFTWARE
Systems software refers to the programs that
are used to manage computer system
resources.
 Systems software coordinates and controls the
resources and operations of the computer itself.
 The three categories of systems software are
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Operating systems
Utility programs
Language translators
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GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)
 Having
graphics and
icons on the
screen to click
 On older
computers,
you used to
have to type
commands.
No icons!