Computer - Overview

Today's world is an information rich world and it has become a necessity for everyone to know about computers.
Purpose of this tutorial is to introduce you about computer systems and its fundamentals.

Functionalities of a computer
Any digital computer carries out five functions in gross terms:
 Takes data as input.
 Stores the data/instructions in its memory and can use them when required.
 Process the data and convert it into useful information.
 Output the information.
 Control all the above four steps.

Definition
Computer System is an electronic data processing device which does the following:
 Accept and store an input data.
 Process the data input.
 And output the processed data in required format.

Advantages
Following list demonstrates the advantages of Computers in today's arena.
 Computer is a very fast device.
 In addition to being very fast, computer are very accurate.
 The computer has performed calculations 100% error free.
 Computers perform all jobs with 100% accuracy.
 The computer has much more storage capacity than human beings.
 Unlike human beings, a computer is free from monotony, tiredness and lack of concentration.
 It can work continuously without creating any error and boredom.
 It can do repeated work with same speed and accuracy.
 A computer is a very versatile machine.
 A computer is very flexible in performing the jobs to be done.
 Computer is a automatic machine.
 The use of computers for data processing in an organization leads to reduction in paper work and speeds up
the process.
 As data in electronic files can be retrieved as and when required,the problem of maintenance of large
number of files gets reduced.
 Though the initial investment for installing a computer is high but it substantially reduces the cost of each of
its transaction.

Disadvantages
Following list demonstrates the disadvantages of Computers in today's arena.
 A computer is a machine and has no intelligence of its own to perform any task.
 Each and every instruction has to be given to computer.
 A computer can not take any decision on its own.
 It can perform function as instructed by [Link] it is fully dependent on human being.
 The operating environment of computer should be dust free and suitable to it.
 Computer has no feeling or emotions.
 It cannot make Judgement based on feeling, taste, experience and knowledge unlike a human being.
Computer - Applications
Following list demonstrates the various applications of Computers in today's arena.

Business
The computer's characteristic as high speed of calculation, diligence,accuracy, reliability, or versatility has made it an
integerated part in all business organisations.

Banking
Today Banking is almost totally dependent on computer.

Insurance
Insurance companies are keeping all records up to date with the help of [Link] Insurance Companies,
Finance houses and Stock broking firms are widely using computers for their concerns.

Education
The computer has provided a lot of facilities in the Education System.

Marketing
With computers, advertising professionals create art and graphics, write and revise copy, and print and disseminate
ads with the goal of selling more products.

Health Care
Computers have become important part in all Medical Systems.

Engineering Design
Computers are widely used in Engineering purposes.

Military
Computers are largely used in [Link] tanks, missiles, weapons [Link] computerised control systems.

Communication
Communication means to convey a message, an idea, a picture or speech that is received and understood clearly
and correctly by the person for whom it is meant.

Government Applications
Computers play an important role in government applications like sales tax department, income tax department and
computerization of voters lists etc.

Computer - Generations
Generation in computer terminology is a change in technology a computer is/was being used. Initially, the generation
term was used to distinguish between varying hardware technologies. But nowadays, generation includes both
hardware and software, which together make up an entire computer system.
There are totally five computer generations known till date. Each generation has been discussedin detail along with
their time period, characteristics. We've used approximate dates against each generations which are normally
accepted.
Following are the main five generations of computers
S.N. Generation & Description

First Generation
1
The period of first generation : 1946-1959. Vaccum tube based.

Second Generation
2
The period of second generation : 1959-1965. Transistor based.

Third Generation
3
The period of third generation : 1965-1971. Integrated Circuit based.

Fourth Generation
4
The period of fourth generation : 1971-1980. VLSI microprocessor based.
 Fifth Generation
5
The period of fifth generation : [Link] microprocessor based

Computer - Types
Computer can be broadly classified by their speed and computing power.
Sr.
Type Specifications
No.

PC (Personal
1 Single user computer system. Moderately powerful microprocessor.
Computer)

Single user computer system. Similar to Personal Computer but

2 WorkStation
have more powerful microprocessor.

Multi-user computer system. Capable of supporting hundreds of

3 Mini Computer
users simulaneously.

Multi-user computer system. Capable of supporting hundreds of

4 Main Frame users [Link] technology is different from
minicomputer.

An extremely fast computer which can perform hundreds of millions

5 Supercomputer
of instructions per second.

Computer - Components
All types of computer follows a same basic logical structure and perform the following five basic operations for
converting raw input data into information useful to their users
Sr.
Operation Description
No.

The process of entering data and instructions into the computer

1 Take Input
system.

Saving data and instructions so that they are available for processing
2 Store Data
as and when required.

Performing arithmetic , logical operations on data in order to convert

3 Processing Data
them into useful information.

The process of producing useful information or results for the

4 Output Information
user,such as a printed report or visual display.

Direct the manner and sequence in which all of the above operations
5 Control the workflow
are performed.
Input Unit
This unit contains devices with the help of which we enter data into [Link] unit makes link between user and
computer.
The input devices translate the human being information into the form understandable by computer.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

CPU is considered as the brain of the computer. CPU perform all types of data processing [Link] stores data ,
intermediate results and instructions(program).It controls the operation of all parts of computer.
CPU itself has following three components
 ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)
 Memory Unit
 Control Unit

Output Unit
Output unit consists of devices with the help of which we get the information from computer. This unit is a link
between computer and users.
Output devices translate the computer's output into the form understandable by users.

Computer - CPU
 CPU is considered as the brain of the computer.
 CPU performs all types of data processing operations.
 It stores data , intermediate resulta and instructions(program).
 It controls the operation of all parts of computer.
CPU itself has following three components.
 Memory Or Storage Unit:
 Control Unit
 ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)

Memory Or Storage Unit:

This unit can store instruction, data and intermediate [Link] unit supplies information to the other units of the
computer when [Link] is also known as internal storage unit or main memory or primary storage or Random
access memory(RAM).
Its size affects speed, power and [Link] are primary memory and secondary memory two types of
memories in the [Link] of Memory Unit are:
 It stores all the data to be processed and the instructions required for processing.
 It stores intermediate results of processing.
 It stores final results of processing before these results are released to an output device.
 All inputs and outputs are transmitted through main memory.

Control Unit
This unit controls the operations of all parts of [Link] does not carry out any actual data processing operations.
Functions of this unit are
 It is responsible for controlling the transfer of data and instructions among other units of a computer.
 It manages and coordinates all the units of the computer.
 It obtains the instructions from the memory, interprets them and directs the operation of the computer.
 It communicates with Input/Output devices for transfer of data or results from storage.
 It does not process or store data.
ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)
This unit consists of two subsection namely
 Arithmetic section
 Logic Section
ARITHMETIC SECTION
Function of Arithmetic section is to perform arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and
[Link] complex operations are done by making repetitive use of above operations.
LOGIC SECTION
Function of logic section is to perform logic operations such as comparing, selecting, matching and merging of data.

Computer - Input Devices

Following are few of the important input devices which are used in Computer Systems
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Joy Stick
 Light pen
 Track Ball
 Scanner
 Graphic Tablet
 Microphone
 Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
 Optical Character Reader(OCR)
 Bar Code Reader
 Optical Mark Reader

Computer - Output Devices

Following are few of the important output devices which are used in Computer Systems
 Monitors
 Graphic Plotter
 Printer

Computer - Memory
A memory is just like a human brain. It is used to store data and instruction. Computer memory is the storage space
in computer where data is to be processed and instructions required for processing are stored.
The memory is divided into large number of small parts. Each part is called cell. Each location or cell has a unique
address which varies from zero to memory size minus one.
For example if computer has 64k words, then this memory unit has 64 * 1024=65536 memory location. The address
of these locations varies from 0 to 65535.
Memory is primarily of three types
 Cache Memory
 Primary Memory/Main Memory
 Secondary Memory

Computer - RAM
A RAM constitutes the internal memory of the CPU for storing data, program and program result. It is read/write
memory. It is called random access memory (RAM).
Since access time in RAM is independent of the address to the word that is, each storage location inside the memory
is as easy to reach as other location & takes the same amount of time. We can reach into the memory at random &
extremely fast but can also be quite expensive.
RAM is volatile, i.e. data stored in it is lost when we switch off the computer or if there is a power failure. Hence a
backup uninterruptible power system(UPS) is often used with computers. RAM is small , both in terms of its physical
size and in the amount of data it can hold.
RAM is of two types
 Static RAM (SRAM)
 Dynamic RAM (DRAM)
Computer - ROM
ROM stands for Read Only Memory. The memory from which we can only read but cannot write on it. This type of
memory is non-volatile. The information is stored permanently in such memories during manufacture.
A ROM, stores such instruction as are required to start computer when electricity is first turned on, this operation is
referred to as bootstrap. ROM chip are not only used in the computer but also in other electronic items like washing
machine and microwave oven.

Computer - Motherboard
The motherboard serves as a single platform to connect all of the parts of a computer together. A motherboard
connects CPU, memory, hard drives, optical drives, video card, sound card and other ports and expansion cards
directly or via cables. It can be considered as the backbone of a computer.
Features
 Motherboard varies greatly in supporting various types of components.
 Normally a motherboard supports a single type of CPU and few types of memories.
 Video Cards, Hard disks, Sound Cards have to compatible with motherboard to function properly.
 Motherboards, cases and power supplies must be compatible to work properly together.

Computer - Memory Units

 It is the amount of data that can be stored in the storage unit.
 The storage capacity are expressed in terms of Bytes.
Following are the main memory storage units:
Sr.
Unit Description
No.

A binary digit is logical 0 & 1 representing a passive or an active state of a

1 Bit (Binary Digit)
component in an electric circuit.

2 Nibble A group of 4 bits is called nibble.

A group of 8 bits is called byte. A byte is the smallest unit which can
3 Byte
represent a data item or a character.

A computer word like a byte, is a group of fixed number of bits processed as

a unit which varies from computer but is fixed for each computer.
4 Word The length of a computer word is called word-size or word length and it may
be as small as 8 bits or may be as long as 96 bits.
A computer stores the information in the form of the computer words.

Computer - Ports
 A computer port is a physical docking point using which an extenal device can be connected to the
computer.
 A computer port can also be programmatic docking point through which information flows from a program to
computer or over the internet.

Characteristics
 External devices are connected to a computer using cables and ports.
 Ports are slots on the motherboard into which a cable of external device is plugged in.
 Examples of external devices attached via ports are mouse, keyboard, monitor, microphone , speakers etc.
Computer - Hardware
Hardware represents the physical and tangible components of the computer i.e. the components that can be seen
and touched.
Examples of Hardware are following.
 Input devices -- keyboard, mouse etc.
 Output devices -- printer, monitor etc.
 Secondary storage devices -- Hard disk, CD, DVD etc.
 Internal components -- CPU, motherboard, RAM etc.
Computer - Software
Software is a set of programs, which is designed to perform a well defined function. A program is a sequence of
instructions written to solve a particular problem.
There are two types of software
 System Software
 Application Software

System Software
The system software is collection of programs designed to operate, control and extend the processing capabilities of
the computer itself. System software are generally prepared by computer manufactures.
These softwares comprise of programs written in low level languages which interact with the hardware at a very basic
level. System software serves as the interface between hardware and the end users.
Some examples of system software are Operating System, Compilers, Interpreter, Assemblers etc.

Application Software
Application software are the software that are designed to satisfy a particular need of a particular environment. All
software prepared by us in the computer lab can come under the category of Application software.
Application software may consists of a single program, such as a Microsoft's notepad for writing and editing simple
text. It may also consists of a collection of programs, often called a software package, which work together to
accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet package.

Computer - Data & information

What is Data?
Data can be defined as a representation of facts, concepts or instruction in a formalized manner which should be
suitable for communication , interpretation or processing by human or electronic machine.
Data is represented with the help of characters like alphabets (A-Z,a-z), digits (0-9) or special characters(+,-,/,*,<,>,=
etc).
What is Information?
Information is organised or classified data so that it has some meaningful values to the receiver.
Information is the processed data on which decisions and actions are based.
For the decision to be meaningful, the processed data must qualify for the following characteristics
 Timely - Information should be available when required.
 Accuracy - Information should be accurate.
 Completeness - Information should be complete.

Computer - Networking
A computer network is a system in which multiple computers are connected to each other to share information and
resources.

Characteristics
 Share Resources from one computer to another
 Create files and store them in one computer, access those files from the other computer(s) connected over
the network
 Connect a printer , scanner, or a fax machine to one computer within the network and let other computers of
the network use the machines available over network.

Computer - Operating System

 An operating system is a program that acts as an interface between the software and the computer
hardware.
 It is an integration set of specialised programs that are used to manage overall resources and operations of
the computer.
 It is specialised software that controls and monitors the execution of all other programs that reside in the
computer, including application programs and other system software.

Objectives of Operating System

 Making a computer system convenient to use in an efficient manner
 To hide the details of the hardware resources from the users
 To provide users a convenient interface to use the computer system.
 To act as an intermediary between the hardware and its users and making it easier for the users to access
and use other resources.
 Manage the resources of a computer system.
 keep track of who is using which resource, granting resource requests, according for resource using and
mediating conflicting requests from different programs and users.
 The efficient and fair sharing of resources among users and programs

Computer - Internet & Intranet

Internet
 Internet is a world-wide / global system of interconnected computer networks.
 Internet uses the standard Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
 Every computer in internet is identified by a unique IP address.
 IP Address is a unique set of numbers (such as [Link]) which identifies a computer location.
 A special computer DNS (Domain Name Server) is used to give name to the IP Address so that user can
locate a computer by a name.
 For Example, a DNS server will resolve a name [Link] to a particular IP address to
unique identify the computer on which this website is hosted.
 Internet is accessible to every user all over the world.
Intranet
 Intranet is system in which multiple PCs are networked to be connected to each other.
 PCs in intranet are not availble to the world outside of the intranet.
 Usually each company or organizations have their own Intranet network and members/employees of that
company can access the computers in their intranet.
 Each computer in Intranet is also identified by a IP Address which is unique among the computers in that
Intranet.