INTRODUCTION TO

COMPUTER
What is a computer?
 A computer is a machine that can be programmed to carry out
sequences of arithmetic or logical operations automatically.

 A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or

data. It has the ability to store, retrieve, and process data.

 A computer is a programmable electronic device that accepts raw data

as input and processes it with a set of instructions (a program) to
produce the result as output.
What is Data?
 Data is defined as a collection of individual facts or statistics. (While
“datum” is technically the singular form of “data,” it’s not commonly used in
everyday language).
 Data can come in the form of text, observations, figures, images, numbers,
graphs, or symbols. For example, data might include individual prices,
weights, addresses, ages, names, temperatures, dates, or distances.
 Data is a raw form of knowledge and, on its own, doesn’t carry any
significance or purpose. In other words, you have to interpret data for it to
have meaning.
 Data can be simple—and may even seem useless until it is analyzed,
organized, and interpreted.
Types of Data
There are two main types of data:
Quantitative data
 is provided in numerical form, like the weight, volume, or cost of an item.

Qualitative data
 is descriptive, but non-numerical, like the name, sex, or eye color of a
person.
What is information?
 Information is defined as knowledge gained through study, communication,
research, or instruction.
 Essentially, information is the result of analyzing and interpreting pieces of
data. Whereas data is the individual figures, numbers, or graphs,
information is the perception of those pieces of knowledge.
 For example, a set of data could include temperature readings in a location
over several years. Without any additional context, those temperatures
have no meaning.
 However, when you analyze and organize that information, you could
determine seasonal temperature patterns or even broader climate trends.
Only when the data is organized and compiled in a useful way can it provide
information that is beneficial to others.
The Key Differences Between Data vs Information
 Data is a collection of facts, while information puts those facts into
context.
 While data is raw and unorganized, information is organized.
 Data points are individual and sometimes unrelated. Information maps
out that data to provide a big-picture view of how it all fits together.
 Data, on its own, is meaningless. When it’s analyzed and interpreted,
it becomes meaningful information.
 Data does not depend on information; however, information depends
on data.
 Data typically comes in the form of graphs, numbers, figures, or
statistics. Information is typically presented through words, language,
thoughts, and ideas.
 Data isn’t sufficient for decision-making, but you can make decisions
based on information.
Functionality of a computer
 Taking data and instructions from a user, processing the data as per
instructions, and displaying or storing the processed data, are the four major
functions of a computer.
 These functions are also known as the input function, process function,
output function, and storage function, respectively.
 The following diagram shows an example of these functions.
Computer Applications
Application of computers in various fields such as: -
 Business
 Banking
 Insurance
 Entertainments
 Military
 Education
 Communications
 Advertisements
 Medicine
 Hospitals etc.
Business
 A computer has high speed of calculation, diligence, accuracy, reliability,
or versatility which has made it an integrated part in all business
organizations
 Computer is used in business organizations for −
Payroll calculations
Budgeting
Sales analysis
Financial forecasting
Managing employee database
Maintenance of stocks, etc.
Banking
 Today, banking is almost totally dependent on computers.
 Banks provide the following facilities −
Online accounting facility, which includes checking current balance,
making deposits and overdrafts, checking interest charges, shares,
and trustee records.
ATM machines which are completely automated are making it even
easier for customers to deal with banks.
Advantages of Computer
1. High speed
 Computer is a very fast device.
 It has capability of performing addition of very big data.
 The computer has units of speed in microsecond, nanosecond and even the
picoseconds.
 It can perform millions of calculations in a few seconds as compared to man,
who can spend many months for doing the same task.

2. Accuracy
 In addition to being very fast, computers are very accurate.
 The computer has performed calculations 100% error-free.
 Computers perform all jobs with 100% accuracy.
3. Storage capability
 Memory is a very important characteristic of computers.
 The computer has much more storage capacity than human beings.
 It can store large amount of data.
 It can store any type of data such as images, videos, text, audio and any
other type.

4. Diligence
 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.
5. Reliability
• A computer is a reliable machine.
• Modern electronic components have failure-free long lives.
• Computers are designed to make maintenance easy.

6. Automation
• Computer is an automatic machine.
• Automation means ability to perform the task automatically.
• Once a program is given to computer, i.e., stored in computer memory, the
program and instructions can control the program execution without human
interaction.
7. Reduction in paper work
• 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.

8. Reduction in cost
• Though the initial investment for installing a computer is high but it
substantially reduces the cost of each of its transaction.
Disadvantages of Computer
1. No IQ
 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 the computer.
 A computer cannot take any decision on its own.

2. Dependency
 It can perform function as instructed by user, so it is fully dependent on human being.

3. Environment
 The operating environment of computer should be dust-free and suitable to it. When
computers are discarded in landfills, they release toxic materials and potentially
dangerous of lead, mercury, and flame retardants which effect on global warming.
4. No feeling
 Computer has no feeling or emotions.
 It cannot make judgments based on feeling, taste, experience and knowledge unlike a
human being.
5. Increase greater complexity of life
 Everyone now has to learn a lot of skills even to use computers at a simple level. They also
generate a lot of extra work such as answering emails, and producing high quality
documents for all occasions.
 Some people think we are becoming deskilled - forgetting how to do simple things like
mental arithmetic, and also the availability of so much knowledge doesn't necessarily mean
that we, individually, know more.

6. Violation of Privacy
 Most of our life event is store in a computer somewhere such as in credit reports, taxes
records, medical reports and so on. In many cases, where personal and confidential records
were not properly protected, individual have found their privacy violated and identities
stolen.
7. Public Safety
• People around the world are using computers to share their photos, videos, and other
personal information to the public. Some of these unsuspecting, innocent computer
users have fallen victim to crimes committed by dangerous strangers.
• To protect yourself from these criminals, you should not share information that would
aloe other to identify or locate you.

8. Impact on Labor Force

• Apart from many industries using electronic machine to produce product or work in
many process of producing, human labor are replaced by computers.

9. Health Risk
• Using computers for a long period of time and improperly can lead to injuries or
disorders of the hands, wrists, elbows, eyes, neck, and back.
• Another health risk called computer addiction which occurs when someone become
obsessed with using the computer.
Types of a computer
 Computers can be classified, or typed, in many ways. Some
common classifications of computers are given as follows.

 Computers classified according to functionality (performance)

Super computers
Mainframe computers
Workstation Computers
Personal Computers (PC)
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)
Types of a computer …
 Computers classified according to physical size.

 On the basis of physical size there are four types of computer.

Super computers
Mainframe computers
Mini Computers
Micro Computers
What is a super computers?
 A supercomputer is a computer with a high level of performance as
compared to a general-purpose computer.
 A supercomputer is a computer that performs at or near the highest
operational rate for computers.
 The performance of a supercomputer is commonly measured in floating-
point operations per second instead of million instructions per second.
 Traditionally, supercomputers have been used for scientific and engineering
applications that must handle massive databases, do a great amount of
computation or both.
What is a mainframe computers?
 A mainframe computer, informally called a mainframe or big iron, is a
computer used primarily by large organizations for critical applications like
bulk data processing for tasks such as censuses, industry and consumer
statistics, enterprise resource planning, and large-scale transaction
processing.
 At their core, mainframes are high-performance computers with large
amounts of memory and processors that process billions of simple
calculations and transactions in real time.
 The mainframe is critical to commercial databases, transaction servers, and
applications that require high resiliency, security and agility.
What is a mini computer?
 A minicomputer, computer that was smaller, less expensive, and less
powerful than a mainframe or supercomputer but more expensive and more
powerful than a personal computer.
 Minicomputers were used for scientific and engineering computations,
business transaction processing, file handling, and database management.
What is a workstation computers?
 Workstation, a high-performance computer system that is basically
designed for a single user and has advanced graphics capabilities, large
storage capacity, and a powerful central processing unit.
 A workstation is more capable than a personal computer (PC) but is less
advanced than a server (which can manage a large network
of peripheral pcs or workstations and handle immense data-processing and
reporting tasks).
 The term workstation was also sometimes ascribed to dumb terminals (i.e.,
Those without any processing capacity) that were connected
to mainframe computers.
What is a personal computer (PC)?
 A personal computer is a multi-purpose microcomputer whose size,
capabilities, and price make it feasible for individual use. Personal
computers are intended to be operated directly by an end user, rather than
by a computer expert or technician.
 A personal computer (PC), a digital computer designed for use by only one
person at a time. A typical personal computer assemblage consists of
a central processing unit (CPU), which contains the computer’s arithmetic,
logic, and control circuitry on an integrated circuit.
 Two types of computer memory, main memory, such as digital random-
access memory (RAM), and auxiliary memory, such as magnetic hard disks
and special optical compact discs, or read-only memory (ROM) discs (CD-
ROMs and DVD-ROMs); and various peripheral devices, including a display
screen, keyboard and mouse, and printer.
What is a personal digital assistant (PDA)?
 A personal digital assistant, also known as a handheld PC, is a variety mobile
device which functions as a personal information manager.
 PDAs have been mostly displaced by the widespread adoption of highly
capable smartphones, in particular those based on iOS and Android. A PDA
has an electronic visual display.
 Personal digital assistant is a term for a small, mobile, handheld device that
provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for
personal or business use, often for keeping schedules, calendars and
address book information handy.
Parts of a Computer
 Computer systems consist of two different parts.
 Computer Hardware
 Computer Software

 Hardware is the physical components of the computer, such as the

central processing unit (CPU) , hard disk , monitor , keyboard and
mouse etc.

 Software is the programs that run on a computer such as word

processor, spreadsheet, presentation program etc.

 A computer system requires both hardware and software in order to function.

Computer Hardware
 Computer hardware (usually simply called hardware when a computing
context is concerned) is the collection of physical elements that
constitutes a computer system.

 Computer hardware is the physical parts or components of a computer,

such as the monitor, mouse, keyboard, computer data storage, hard disk
drive (HDD), graphic cards, sound cards, memory, motherboard, and so
on, all of which are physical objects that are tangible.
Parts of a Computer Hardware
 There are four basic/main parts of a computer system in order to
function.
Mouse
Keyboard
System Unit
Monitor
Types of a Computer Hardware
 There are four types of computer hardware that can be found in
most computer systems, from smart phones to desktop
computers:
 Input Devices
 Processing Devices
 Output Devices
 Storage Devices
Input Devices
 In computing, an input device is a piece of equipment used to
provide data and control signals to an information processing
system, such as a computer or information appliance.
 Examples of input devices include:-
 Keyboards,
 Mouse,
 Scanners,
 Cameras,
 Joysticks,
 Microphones
What is a Mouse?
 The mouse is a small, movable device that lets you control a range of things
on a computer .
 Most types of mouse have two buttons, and some will have a wheel in
between the buttons. Most types of mouse connect to the computer with a
cable, and use the computer's power to work.
 Some types of mouse are wireless.
What is a Keyboard?
 A keyboard is for putting information including letters, words and numbers
into your computer.
 You press the individual buttons on the keyboard when you type. The
number keys across the top of the keyboard are also found on the right of
the keyboard
Processing Devices
 A processing device is any component in a computer that manages
the storage and retrieval of information.
 Processing devices are the components responsible for the
processing of information within the computer system.
 Typical examples of processing devices include:-
Central Processing Units,
Computer Motherboards,
Network Cards,
Graphics Processing Units
Sound Cards.
What is a CPU?
 A central processing unit (CPU), also called a central
processor, main processor or just processor, is the electronic
circuitry that executes instructions comprising a computer program
 A central processing unit (CPU), principal part of any digital computer
system, generally composed of the main memory, control unit, and
arithmetic-logic unit.
What is a Motherboard?
 A motherboard is the main printed circuit board (PCB) in a computer. The
motherboard is a computer's central communications backbone connectivity
point, through which all components and external peripherals connect.
Output Devices
 An output device is essentially a piece of instrument or computer
hardware that retrieves data from a computer system and further
translates the received data int a form understandable to humans.
 The most common understandable forms typically includes text,
visual, audio or a hard copy (printed on paper).
 Examples of output devices
 Monitor
 Speaker
 Printer
 Projector
What is a Monitor?
 A monitor is an electronic output device that is also known as a video
display terminal (VDT) or a video display unit (VDU).
 It is used to display images, text, video, and graphics information generated
by a connected computer via a computer's video card.
What is a Printer?
 A printer is a device that accepts text and graphic output from a computer
and transfers the information to paper, usually to standard-size, 8.5" by 11"
sheets of paper.
 Printers vary in size, speed, sophistication and cost.
Storage Devices
 A storage device is any type of computing hardware that is used for storing,
porting or extracting data files and objects. Storage devices can hold and
store information both temporarily and permanently.
 They may be internal or external to a computer, server or computing
device. A storage device may also be known as a storage medium or storage
media depending on whether it is seen as discrete in nature (for example,
“a hard drive” versus “some hard drive space.”)
 Storage devices are one of the core components of any computing device.
They store virtually all of the data and applications on a computer, except
for hardware firmware which is generally managed through separate read-
only memory or ROM.
Storage Devices …
 Storage devices are available in different forms, depending on the
type of underlying device. For example, a standard computer has
multiple storage devices including RAM, a cache, and a hard disk.
 The same device may also have optical disk drives and externally
connected USB drives.
Types of Storage Devices
 There are two different types of storage devices:
Primary memory:
 Generally smaller in size, primary storage devices are designed to hold data
temporarily and are internal to the computer.
 They have the fastest data access speed. These types of devices includes
RAM, ROM and cache memory.

Secondary storage devices:

 Secondary storage devices usually have larger storage capacity, and they
store data permanently.
 They can be either internal or external to the computer. These types of
devices include the hard disk, the optical disk drive and USB storage device.
What is a RAM?
 RAM stands for random access memory, and it's one of the most
fundamental elements of computing.
 RAM is a temporary memory bank where your computer stores data it needs
to retrieve quickly.
What is a HDD?
 A computer hard disk drive (HDD) is a non-volatile data storage device. Non-
volatile refers to storage devices that maintain stored data when turned off.
All computers need a storage device, and HDDs are just one example of a
type of storage device