INTRODUCTION TO

COMPUTERS
A World of Computers
• Computers are everywhere
What Is a Computer?
• A computer is an electronic device, operating under the
control of instructions stored in its own memory

Collects Produces
data Processing information
(input) (output)
Basic History of
Computer
Advantages and Disadvantages of
Using Computers

Advantages of Disadvantages of
Using Computers Using Computers

Speed Health Risks

Reliability Violation of Privacy

Consistency Public Safety

Storage Impact on Labor Force

Communications Impact on Environment

Categories of Computers
Computer Applications
in Society
Education
Finance
Government
Health Care
Computer Applications
in Society
Science
Publishing
Travel

Manufacturing
 Data vs. Information
DATA
Is the raw material, the facts and figures that are
fed, processed, and outputted in the computer to give
meaningful information to the user.
INFORMATION
Information is made into data, put into the
computer where it is stored and processed as data,
and then put out as data in some form that can be
perceived as information.
The System Unit
• The system unit is a
case that contains
electronic
components of the
computer used to
process data
 The System Unit
• The inside of the system unit on a desktop personal
computer includes:

Drive bay(s)

Power supply

Sound card

Video card

Processor

Memory
 The System Unit
• The motherboard is the main circuit board of the system unit
– A computer chip contains integrated circuits
 Processor
• The processor, also called the central processing unit (CPU),
interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate
a computer
– Contain a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit
(ALU)
Processor
Data Representation

Analog signals are continuous and vary in strength and quality

Digital signals are in one of two states: on or off

• Most computers are digital

• The binary system uses two unique digits (0 and 1)
• Bits and bytes
Data Representation

• ASCII (American Standard

Code for Information
Interchange) is the most
widely used coding scheme
to represent data
Memory
• Memory consists of electronic components that store
instructions waiting to be executed by the processor, data
needed by those instructions, and the results of processing
the data.
• Memory size is measured in kilobytes (KB or K), megabytes
(MB), gigabytes (GB), or terabytes (TB)
Memory

• The system unit contains two types of memory:

Volatile memory Nonvolatile memory

Loses its contents when Does not lose contents

power is turned off when power is removed

Examples include ROM,

Example includes RAM flash memory, and
CMOS
 Expansion Slots and
Adapter Cards
• An expansion slot is a
socket on the motherboard
that can hold an adapter
card
• An adapter card enhances
functions of a component of
the system unit and/or
provides connections to
peripherals
– Sound card and video card
Ports and Connectors

A port is the point at which a peripheral attaches to or

communicates with a system unit (sometimes referred to as
a jack)

A connector joins a cable to a port

Ports and Connectors
 Power Supply

The power supply converts the wall outlet AC power

into DC power

Some external peripherals have an AC adapter, which is

an external power supply
 Hardware
•Refers to the physical equipment the comprises a computer
system.
•Any data processing system regard-less of whether manual
or automated.
•The physical components , the stuff you see, touch and
break.
•The equipment associated with a computer system.
 Input Devices
• Input is any data and instructions entered into the
memory of a computer.
What Are Input Devices

An input device is
any hardware
component that
allows users to
enter data and
instructions into a
computer
Sample Input Devices
 What is Output?
• Output is data that has been processed into a useful form
Sample Output Devices
 Software

•Is the planned, step by step set of instructions that

required to turn data into information.

• Is the instructions loaded into the computer, telling it how

to a problem or task. consist of a program or a set of
instructions fed into the computer to make it usable.
Types of Software

System Software - are programs or instructions which direct

the internal operations of the computer.
Samples:
•Operating System- serves as an intermediary between
the application software and the hardware.
•Utility Programs- are software pack-ages that serve
specialized data processing problems like text editor,
librarian, and system aids
Types of Software
Application Software - are sets of instructions needed to
solve specific business, scientific, engineering or research
problems.
Samples:
•Real-Time Software
•Business Software
•Engineering and Scientific Software
•Artificial Intelligence Software
•Embedded Software
 Peopleware
It is a term used to refer to one of the three core aspects of
computer technology, the other two being hardware and
software.

Examples of Peopleware:
• Computer Engineers
• Software Designers
• Assemblers
• Technician
• Software Engineers
• Server Administrators