INTRODUCTION TO

COMPUTERS
What Is a Computer?
A computer is a device capable of performing
computations and making logical decisions at speeds
millions, even billions, of times faster than human
beings can.
It is an electronic device that processes raw data into
meaningful information.
For example, a person operating a desk calculator
might require a lifetime to complete the hundreds of
millions of calculations a powerful personal computer
can perform in one second.
Today, the worlds fastest supercomputers can perform
hundreds of billions of additions per second, and
computers that perform a trillion instructions per
second are already functioning in research laboratories!
BASICS OF COMPUTER
Computers process data under the direction of sets
of instructions called computer programs.
Computer programs guide the computer through
orderly sets of actions specified by people called
computer programmers.
The various devices, such as the keyboard, screen,
disks, memory and processing units, that comprise
a computer system are referred to as hardware.
Regardless of differences in physical appearance,
virtually every computer may be envisioned as
being divided into six logical units or sections.
6 LOGICAL SECTIONS OF
COMPUTER
These are as follows:
1. Input unit. This is the receiving section of
the computer. It obtains information (data and
computer programs) from various input devices
and makes the information available to the other
units so that the information can be processed.
Most information is entered into computers today
through keyboards, mouse devices and disks.
In the future, most information will be entered by
speaking to computers, by electronically
scanning images and by video recording.
2. Output unit. This is the shipping section
of the computer. It takes information
processed by the computer and sends it to
various output devices to make the
information available for use outside the
computer. Information output from computers
is displayed on screens, printed on paper,
played through audio speakers and video
devices, magnetically recorded on disks and
tapes and used to control other devices.
3. Memory unit. This is the rapid access,
relatively low-capacity warehouse section of
the computer. It retains information entered
through the input unit so that the information
may be made available for processing. The
memory unit also retains information which has
already been processed until that information
can be placed on output devices by the output
unit. The memory unit often is called either
memory, primary memory, primary storage or
random access memory (RAM).
4. Arithmetic and logic unit (ALU). This is the
manufacturing section of the computer.
It is responsible for performing calculations,
such as addition, subtraction, multiplication
and division. It contains the decision
mechanisms that allow the computer, for
example, to compare two items from the
memory unit to determine whether or not
they are equal.
5. Central processing unit (CPU). This is the
administrative section of the computer.
The CPU acts as the computers coordinator and
is responsible for supervising the operation of
the other sections. The CPU tells the input unit
when information should be read into the
memory unit, tells the ALU when information
from the memory unit should be utilized in
calculations and tells the output unit when to
send information from the memory unit to
certain output devices.
6. Secondary storage unit. This is the long-
term, high-capacity warehousing section of
the computer. Programs or data not being used
by the other units are normally placed on
secondary storage devices (such as disks) until
they are needed, possibly hours, days, months
or even years later. Information in secondary
storage takes longer to access than
information in primary memory. The cost per
unit of secondary storage is much less than
the cost per unit of primary memory.
Data
It is a collection of raw facts, figures and
symbols.
Data represents a fact or statement of event
without relation to other things
Data... data is raw. It simply exists and has no
significance beyond its existence (in and of
itself). It can exist in any form, usable or not.
It does not have meaning of itself. In computer
parlance, a spreadsheet generally starts out
by holding data
Data is raw material for data processing. data
Information
When data is processed, then it becomes
useful and is called information.
Information is data that has been processed
in such a way as to be meaningful to the
person who receives it.
Information is data that has been given
meaning by way of relational connection. This
"meaning" can be useful, but does not have to
be. In computer parlance, a relational
database makes information from the data
stored within it.
Information System
An information system (IS) is any combination
of information technology and people's activities
using that technology to support operations,
management, and decision-making.
In a very broad sense, the term information
system is frequently used to refer to the
interaction between people, algorithmic
processes, data and technology.
In this sense, the term is used to refer not only to
the information and communication technology
(ICT) an organization uses, but also to the way in
which people interact with this technology in
support of business processes.
Information Technology
Information technology (IT) is "the study,
design, development, implementation, support
or management of computer-based information
systems, particularly software applications and
computer hardware", according to the
Information Technology Association of America
(ITAA).
IT deals with the use of electronic computers
and computer software to convert, store,
protect, process, transmit, and securely retrieve
information.
Information Technology
Information technology is the use of computers
and software to manage information.
In some companies, this is referred to as
Management Information Services (or MIS) or
simply as Information Services (or IS).
The information technology department of a
large company would be responsible for storing
information, protecting information, processing
the information, transmitting the information as
necessary, and later retrieving information as
necessary.