Essential Computer Concepts

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Chapter 1

• Essential Computer Concepts

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Chapter Objectives

• Understand the Information Processing Cycle
• Define a PCs hardware in terms of its functions
  input, output, processing, storage
• Examine data representation and the ASCII code
• Describe how peripheral devices are connected to
  a personal computer

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Objectives (cont.)

• Identify the hardware and software that are used
  to establish a network connection
• Explain how Internet access, email, and www
  affect the use of computers
• Discuss the types of system software and their
  functions
• Identify popular application software
• Describe how data is shared among different types
  of application software

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What is a computer?

• Electronic device that accepts input, processes
  data, stores data, produces output
• Information processing cycle
• Input (data)
• Process
• Output (information)
• Storage
• Communication

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Computer System

• Hardware (HW)- physical components
• Input device
• any hardware component that allows you to enter
  data and instructions into a computer
• Output device
• any hardware component the conveys info to one or
  more people
• System unit
• case that contains electronic components of the
  computer that are used to process data
• Software (SW)- Program

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Advantages of Computer Use

• Speed
• Versatility
• Storage
• Communications/sharing of data information

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Categories of Computers

• Personal computers
• Mobile computers/mobile devices
• Servers
• Mainframes
• Supercomputers

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Personal Computers (PC)

• Can perform all of its input, processing, output,
  and storage activities by itself
• IBM compatible
• Apple
• Desktops Workstations
• Notebook
• More expensive with equal capabilities

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Mobile Computers/Mobile Devices

• Mobile computer- PC that you can carry from place
  to place
• Notebook computer
• Handheld computer (PDAs)
• Small computers designed to fit in palm of hand
• Tablet PC
• Allows you to write on the screen using a digital
  pen

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Mainframe Computer

• Provide centralized storage, processing,
  management for large amounts of data
• Multi-user computer designed to meet the
  computing needs of a large corporation
• Terminal- combination keyboard and screen that
  transfers information to and from the computer

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Supercomputer

• Largest, fastest, most-powerful and most
  expensive computers made
• Often used for mathematically intensive work,
  large-scale simulations and applications such as
  in
• Medicine
• Aerospace
• Automotive design
• Online banking
• Weather forecasting

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IPOS

• Input devices
• Processing devices
• Output devices
• Storage devices
• Communication devices

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Input Devices - Keyboard

• Typing area
• Numeric keypad
• Function keys, special keys that issue commands
• Insertion point
• Cordless keyboard
• Built-in keyboard
• Ergonomics

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Input Devices Pointing device

• Mouse
• Optical mouse
• Mouse operations (point, click, drag, wheel
  operations)

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Input Devices for Notebooks

• Track point eraser like device you move with
  your fingertip
• Touch pad touch-sensitive device that acts like
  the mouse
• Tap drag
• Double-tap

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Output Devices

• Output devices show you results!
• Monitor soft copy
• CRT v. LCD
• Screen size
• Graphics display pixels
• Resolution
• Dot pitch
• Graphics card, video display adapter,
• or video card

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Output Devices

• Printers hard copy
• Laser printer photocopier technology where
  toner is transferred to paper via electric
  charges
• Inkjet printer spray ink onto paper
• Impact printers dot matrix transfer ink to
  paper by striking ribbon with pins
• Pages per minute (ppm)
• Dots per inch (dpi) - resolution

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Processing

• IPOS taking input data, processing it via
  instructions, resulting in output of information
• Involves data representation

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Data Representation

• Binary digits, or bits
• Byte (8 bits)
• ASCII

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Data representation

• Storage and memory capacity is the amount of data
  the storage device can handle.
• Kilobyte (KB) is about one thousand bytes
• Megabyte (MB) is about one million bytes
• Gigabyte (GB) is about one billion bytes

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Processing (cont.)

• The microprocessor is a silicon chip designed to
  manipulate data.
• Aka processor, CPU
• Its speed is determined by
• Clock speed (GHz gigahertz)
• Word size (64 bit common now)
• Cache size

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Memory

• Set of storage locations on the motherboard.
• Four main types of memory
• Random access memory (RAM)
• Virtual memory (EC 16)
• Read-only memory (ROM)
• Complementary metal oxide semiconductor memory
  (CMOS)

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IPOS STORAGE

• Files executable (.exe) v. data (.doc, .xls,
  .ppt, etc.)
• Storage
• Storage media
• Hard disk
• Floppy disk, ZIP disk
• USB Flash drive
• CD, DVD
• Storage device disk drives

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Storage

• Magnetic storage - use magnetic particles to
  store items on disk surface-
• Floppy, hard drive, zip drive
• Optical storage
• Use laser technology to
• read and write data onto
• media
• CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW
• DVD

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Storage

• Flash memory
• Stores data on a silicon chip encased in plastic
  shell
• Plug directly into USB port
• Also used in cell phones, PDAs, digital cameras
• Inexpensive with high capacity and flexibility

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Data Communications

• transmission of text, numeric, voice, or video
  data from one computer to another.
• four essential components
• Sender
• Channel
• Receiver
• Protocols

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Data Bus

• The communication between microprocessor, RAM,
  and the peripherals.
• Ports cables
• Controller card (ex. Video card, sound card)
• Expansion slots
• Device drivers

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Ports

• Serial
• Parallel
• Small computer system interface (SCSI)
• Universal serial bus (USB)

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Networks

• connecting one computer to other computers and
  peripherals.
• LAN- computers and peripherals are close to each
  other.
• Client/server network
• Peer-to-peer network
• WiFi and WLAN

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Networks
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Networks

• NICs
• Network SW
• Standalone v. node

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Telecommunications

• is communicating over a phone line.
• Modem
• Converts analog to digital, digital to analog
• Traditional, cable, DSL, etc

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Internet

• worlds largest network
• basically a network of networks
• www Internet subset
• Web sites
• Web pages
• Web browser
• Hyperlink
• Email

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Software (SW)

• The instructions that direct the computer to
  accomplish the task.
• Single program or a package.
• System SW
• Application SW

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System SW

• Four types
• Operating systems (OS)
• Utilities
• Device drivers
• Programming languages

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System SW

• OS
• controls I/O
• allocates system resources
• manages storage space
• maintains security
• detects problems with equipment
• multitasking

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System SW

• Utilities- take over specific tasks in addition
  to work of OS (antivirus SW)
• Device drivers- helps computer communicate with
  its associated peripheral
• Programming languages- instructions

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Application SW

• Includes, but is not limited to
• Document production software
• Spreadsheet software
• Database management software
• Graphics and presentation software