Lecture_1_-_Computer_Basics[1]. Computer engineering skills

Introduction Computer
Basics
By
John G. Kaira

Information Processing System
 It’s a system that processes data
 Processing data refers to any kind data
manipulations

PROCESSING
SYSTEM
DATA PROCESSED
DATA

Functions of an Information
Processing System
1. It accepts and gather data. (INPUT)
2. It processes data
3. It stores data and information. (STORE)
4. It presents processed data. (OUTPUT)

Three Major Components of an
Information Processing System
 HARDWARE is the tangible part of a
computer system.
 SOFTWARE is the non-tangible part that
tells the computer how to do its job.
 PEOPLEWARE refer to people who use
and operate the computer system, write
computer programs, and analyze and
design the information system.

Reading Exercise
 Find out from literature how data,
information and Knowledge are related.
 Your findings are for discussion in the next
class.

Computer
 COMPUTER is an electronic machine that
follows a set of instructions in order that it
may be able to accept, gather data and
transform the data.
 Since computers transform or manipulates
data, therefore, a computer is a very good
example of an information system

Basic Units of Measurement for
Computers
 BIT is a unit of information equivalent to
the result of a choice between only 2
possible alternatives in the binary number
system. BIT is represented by 0 or 1
 BYTE is a sequence of 8 bits (enough to
represent one character of alphanumeric
data) processed as a single unit for
information.

Basic Units of Measurement
 A byte can be used to represent a single
character, which can be:
A letter
A number
A special character or symbol, or
A space

Basic Units of Measurement
 1,000 bytes =1 kilobyte (K or
KB)
1,000 KB =1 megabyte (MB)
1,000 MB =1 gigabyte (GB)
1,000 GB =1 Terabyte (TB)

Types of a Computers
 There are many types of computers
 Categorization of computer is based on
different aspects.
 In this course we will look at types of
computers based on the size aspect.

Types of Computers
 Supercomputers...are used to process very large amounts
of information including processing information to predict
hurricanes, satellite images and navigation, and process
military war scenarios.
 Mainframes...are used by government and businesses to
process very large amounts of information.
 Mini-Computers...are similar to mainframes...they are used
by business and government to process large amounts of
information.
 Personal Computers (PC)…

Types of Computers
 Personal Computers (Continued)
Personal Computers...also known as
PC’s...are smaller and less powerful than
the others. They are used in homes,
schools, and small businesses.

Types of Computers
There are 3 main types of PCs
 Desktop
 Portable (Notebook/Laptop)
When portable (notebook/laptop) computers were first
created they were HUGE. They weighed around 100 lbs.,
and were carried in a large luggage suitcase. The creators
of the portable (notebook/laptop) computer dreamed that
one day it would be the size a notebook or pocket
dictionary. With today’s technology, we have been able to
accomplish this goal and more..
 Hand-Held

Parts of a Computer (PC)
 There are two basic parts that make up a
computer...
Hardware Software

BASIC PC HARDWARE
 HARDWARE is the tangible part of a
computer system.

Lecture_1_-_Computer_Basics[1]. Computer engineering skills

Basic hardware of a PC system
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
 Memory Unit
 Input Devices
 Output Devices
 Secondary Storage Devices

1. Central Processing Unit
 Brain of the computer.
 It directs and controls the entire computer
system and performs all arithmetic and
logical operations.

2. Memory Unit
 Where the programs and
data are stored .
READ ONLY MEMORY
(ROM) contains the pre-
programmed computer
instructions such as the Basic
Input Output System (BIOS).
RANDOM ACCESS
MEMORY (RAM) is used to
store the programs and data
that you will run. Exists only
when there is power.

3. Input Devices
 Allows data and programs to be sent to
the CPU.
Keyboard
Mouse
Joystick
Microphone
Webcam
Scanner

Keyboard
 Traditional keyboards
 Flexible keyboards
 Ergonomic keyboards
 Wireless keyboards
 PDA keyboards

Two Types of Mouse
 Mechanical - a type of
computer mouse that has a
rubber or metal ball on its
underside and it can roll in
every direction.
 Optical: This type uses a
laser for detecting the
mouse's movement.

How a Mouse Hooks Up to a PC
 PS/2 Mouse
 Serial Mouse
 USB/Cordless Mouse

Other Pointing Devices
 Trackball
 Track point
 Touch pad
 Touch Screen

 Joystick – input device for
computer games
 Light Pens – light-
sensitive penlike device
 Stylus – penlike device
commonly used with
tablet PCs and PDAs.

Scanning Devices
 Optical scanners
 Card readers
 Bar code readers
 Character and mark recognition devices

Image Capturing Devices
 Digital Cameras
 Digital Video Cameras

4. Output Devices
 Media used by the computer in displaying
its responses to our requests and
instructions.
 Monitor
 Audio Speakers
 Printer

Types of Monitor
 Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
 Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

Printers
 IMPACT PRINTERS uses pressure by
physically striking the paper. Ex. Daisy
wheel printers, line printers, dot matrix
printers & band printers.
 NON-IMPACT PRINTER does not apply
pressure on the paper but instead
produces character by using lasers, ink
spray, photography or heat.

Dot matrix
printer
Inkjet printer
Laser
printer

5. Secondary Storage Devices
 Attached to the computer system to allow
you to store programs and data
permanently for the purpose of retrieving
them for future use.
 Floppy disk, Hard disk, CD Rom

Floppy Disk
 The most common secondary storage
device
 3.5” disk – 1.44MB

High-Capacity Floppy Disks
 Floppy disk cartridges
 3 ½ inches in diameter
 Stores more information
 Zip disks

Hard Disk Drive or Hard Disk
 Made of rigid materials unlike floppy disks
 Holds a greater amount of data

Optical Discs
 A standard part of modern desktop
machines, especially used for multimedia
purposes and preferred in loading
applications.

Kinds
 Blue Ray Disk – 40G
 Digital Versatile Disk
DVD-R – write once, 3.95G
DVD RW – rewritable, 3G
Single Layer and Double Layer
 Compact Disk
CD-R – write once, 650MB
CD-RW – rewritable, 700MB

Optical Drives
 CD-ROM read CDs
 CD-Writer read/write CDs
 DVD-Combo read/write CDs, read
DVD
 DVD Writer read/write CDs
read/write DVDs

Other Secondary Storage
 Solid-State Storage
No moving parts
Flash memory cards
USB flash drives

Parts that Build Up A System Unit
 Casing or cover
 Power Supply
 Motherboard
 Microprocessor
 Memory
 Video Card
 Sound card
 Floppy disk drive
 Hard disk drive
 CD-ROM drive
 MODEM

Casing or cover
 The box or outer shell
that houses most of the
computer, it is usually
one of the most
overlooked parts of the
PC.
 Protects the computer
circuits, cooling and
system organization.

Power Supply
 Responsible for powering every device in your
computer.
 Parts of a Power supply:
 Disk drive connectors
 Motherboard connector
 Power supply fan
 Power switch
 Input voltage selector
 Cover
 Power plugs receptacle

Motherboard
 The physical arrangement in a computer that
contains the computer’s basic circuitry and
components.
 Components are:
 Microprocessor
 (Optional) Coprocessors
 Memory
 Basic Input/Output System (BIOS)
 Expansion Slot
 Interconnecting circuitry

Expansion Slots
 Graphic cards
 Sound cards
 Modem cards
 Network interface cards/network adapter

Software
 Instructions that tell the computer how to
process data into the form you want.
 Software and programs are
interchangeable.
 Two major types:
System and Applications

2 Kinds of Software
1. System Software enables the application
software to interact with the computer
hardware.
 Operating Systems are programs that coordinate
computer resources, provide an interface between
users and the computer; and run applications.
 Utilities perform specific tasks related to managing
computer resources.
 Device drivers are specialized programs designed
to allow particular input or output devices to
communicate with the rest of the computer system.

Functions of a System Software
 Managing resources (memory, processing,
storage, and devices like printer).
 Providing user interface
 Running applications

2 Kinds of Software
2. Applications Software - provides the real
functionality of a computer. It help you
use your computer to do specific types of
work.
 Basic Applications, widely used in all career
areas.
 Specialized Applications, more
narrowly focused on specific
disciplines and occupations.

Disk Operating System
 DOS was the first widely installed
operating system for personal computers.
 Command-driven

MS-DOS Commands
 A COMMAND is the name of a special
program that makes your computer carry
out a task.

Graphical User Interface (GUI)
 Thru GUI, users can interact directly with
the operating system.
 Microsoft Windows
 Icons, Menus, Dialog boxes

FILES
 FILE is simply a collection of information
that you store on a disk or diskette.
 Must have a unique name
 Two parts: the filename and extension
separated by a period.
RECIPE.DOC

EXTENSIONS
 Use extension to make your filenames
more descriptive.
.DOC – word documents
.XLS – excel documents
.PPT – powerpoint documents

DIRECTORIES
 One way of organizing the files on your
computer Hard Disk
 ROOT – one basic directory
 Subdirectories

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