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Northern Philippines College for Maritime, Science and TechnologyLingsat, City of San Fernando, La Union
SyllabusBachelor of Science in Computer Science
1st Semester SY: 2008 – 2009Prerequisite: None
I. Course Code: Comp 1II. Course Title: Introuction to computer III. Course Description:
!his course is intene to pro"ie stuents #ith computer literac$ #ho are%e&innin& to learn an unerstan hi&hl$ technical fiel o computers'Pro"ie stuents #ith %asic concepts on pro&ram application such as (or
Processin&) Spreasheets) Slie Presentation an %asic trou%leshootin& of computers'!he topics presente are primaril$ esi&ne to equip the stuents #ith aequate
*no#le&e necessar$ to unerstanin& an appreciation of computers as ata processin&tools' It also helps the stuents to familiari+e themsel"es in the proper use of the computersan computer er&onomics as #ell as its pro&rams an s$stem application' It also introucesstuents to %inar$ s$stems an ,o&ic &ates'
It also pro"ies ieas re&arin& effects of computers to health'
IV. Vision:(e en"ision the Northern Philippines Colle&e for -aritime) Science an !echnolo&$ to %e thecenter of eucation e.cellence in proucin& &rauates #hose s*ills an competiti"eness as atpar #ith local an international stanars'
V. Mission:Inspire %$ this "ision #e enea"or to hol out stuents to %ecome qualit$ professionals an#or*ers in this respecti"e fiels of speciali+ation #hose *no#le&e an s*ills) an "alues #illma*e them stanout in the e.tremel$ competiti"e an local &lo%al mar*et'
VII. Credit Units: Units !/ hrs ,ectureVIII. Course Contents:
Prelim
Computer o Definition of Computer
o Types of Computer
o History of Computer
o Parts of a computer
o How computer works?
o Uses of Computer
o Advantages of computer
o Disadvantages of a computer
o Basic Troublesooting Tecni!ues
"ord Processing #$icrosoft "ord%
Midterm
Computer &rgonomics
Binary 'ystem
o Binary
o Decimal
o (ctal
o He)adecimal
o Binary Conversions
"ord Processing #$icrosoft &)cel%
Finals
*ogic gateso A+D
o (,
o +(T
o *ogic -ates $anipulation
Diagrams
Trut Table
&ffects of Computer to Healt
Computer &tics
"ord Processing #$icrosoft PowerPoint%
"#$ "nstructional Methodologies,ectures an Class iscussioneain& an (ritten 3ssi&nment
#$ %&aluation Techni'ues:
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Paper 4 pencil test5ral ParticipationStuent #or* proucts6 pro7ects
#"$ Course (e'uirements:Prelim) -iterm) inal .amui++es) Seat#or* 3ssi&nmentsPro7ect
Prepare %$:
Mr$ (omeo %$ )alcitaInstructor
Noted by:
Mrs$ Marie Cris S$ *lmoiteDean, College of Computer Education
3ppro"e %$:
Dr$(ogelio %spirituVice resident for !cademic !ffairs
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Computer
Te +A'A Columbia 'upercomputer
A computer is a macine tat manipulatesdata according to a list of instructions.
Te ability to store and e)ecute lists ofinstructions called programs makes computerse)tremely versatile and distinguises temfrom calculators.
Personal computer
A personal computer #PC% is any computer wose
original sales price/ si0e/ and capabilities make
it useful for individuals/ and wic is
intended to be operated directly by an end user/ wit no intervening computer operator.
Today a PC may be a desktop computer / a laptop computer or a tablet computer . Te most
common operating systems are $icrosoft "indows/ $ac (' 1 and *inu)/ wile te mostcommon microprocessors are )234compatible CPUs/ A,$ arcitecture CPUs and
PowerPC CPUs. 'oftware applications for personal computers include word processing/
spreadseets/ databases/ games/ and a myriad of personal productivity and special4purpose
software. $odern personal computers often ave ig4speed or dial4up connections to te
5nternet/ allowing access to te "orld "ide "eb and a wide range of oter resources.
A PC may be a ome computer / or may be found in an office/ often connected to a local
area network . Te distinguising caracteristics are tat te computer is primarily used/
interactively/ by one person at a time. Tis is in contrast to te batc processing or time4
saring models wic allowed large e)pensive systems to be used by many people/ usually at
te same time/ or large data processing systems wic re!uired a full4time staff to operate
efficiently.
"ile early PC owners usually ad to write teir own programs to do anyting useful wit
te macines/ today6s users ave access to a wide range of commercial and non4commercial
software wic is easily installed.
. History of Computer
!he histor$ of computers) %e&innin& nearl$ ;000 $ears a&o) is an interestin&
com%ination of re<in"ention) research) an inno"ation'
In /000 B'C') the a%acus #as in"ente in China an shortl$ thereafter came into #ie use
aroun the #orl' !his simple ain& e"ice is consiere %$ some to %e the first precursor to
computers) if not the real thin&' -uch later) in 1=22 3'') the slie rule #as in"ente %$ (illiam
5u&htre an another &iant step #as ta*en to#ar the information a&e'
Charles Ba%%a&e) consiere %$ man$ to %e the >ather of the Computer)> %e&an creatin& a
e"ice referre to as the >ifference n&ine> in 1822' (hen funin& #as pulle in 18?2)
Ba%%a&e esi&ne) %ut #as ne"er a%le to %uil) the >3nal$tical n&ine)> a machine that share
man$ aspects of moern computers) incluin& su%routines) an input e"ice) etc''
Ba%%a&e@s failure to %uil the 3nal$tical n&ine i not) fortunatel$) lea to its emise
altoðer' In 19/0 scientists %uilt the first 3nal$tical n&ine an se"en $ears later 3lan !urin&
e"elope the iea of a machine that coul e.ecute al&orithms' e"elopment of computers
continue throu&h the earl$ an mi<1900s an in 19?/ the A'S' 3rm$ fune the e"elopment
of NI3C) the protot$pe for moern computers' -I! %uilt the >(hirl#in> for the A'S' 3ir orce
in 19;; an in"ente 3- in the process'
inall$) in 191) microchips an flopp$ is*s came into e.istence an a fle&lin& compan$
calle Intel e"elope the ?00?) #hich #as u%%e %$ them a >computer on a chip'> !en $ears
later) IB- e%ute a machine referre to as a >PC> #hich use a 5S operatin& s$stem o#ne
%ut not e"elope %$ -icrosoft' 198? foun 3pple Computers e"elopin& the Draphical Aser
Interface DAI) a mainsta$ in moern computin& an the concept upon #hich -icrosoft@s
(ino#s operatin& s$stem is %ase'
Computer e"elopment in the 21st centur$ inclues a 1 &i&a%$te processor an machines that
fit in the han carr$in& out %illions of commans per secon'
3s the a&e of the Internet an technolo&$ pro&ress) the e"elopments shoul %e e"en more
impressi"e'
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Types
Desktop Computer
Dell (ptiPle) desktop computer
Prior to te wide spread of PCs a computer tat
could fit on a desk was considered remarkably
small. Today te prase usually indicates a
particular style of computer case. Desktop
computers come in a variety of styles ranging from
large vertical tower cases to small form factor
models tat can be tucked beind an *CD monitor .
5n tis sense/ te term 6desktop6 refers specifically
to a ori0ontally4oriented case/ usually intended to
ave te display screen placed on top to save space
on te desk top. $ost modern desktop computers ave separate screens and keyboards.
Nettop
A subtype of desktops/ called nettops/ was introduced by 5ntel in 7ebruary 8992 to describe
low4cost/ lean4function/ desktop computers. A similar subtype of laptops #or notebooks% are
te netbooks #see below%.
Laptop
A modern mid4range HP *aptop.
A laptop computer or simply laptop/ also called a
notebook computer or sometimes a notebook/ is a
small personal computer designed for mobility.
Usually all of te interface ardware needed to
operate te laptop/ suc as parallel and serial ports/ grapics card/ sound cannel/ etc./ are
built in to a single unit. $ost laptops contain batteries to facilitate operation witout a readily
available electrical outlet. 5n te interest of saving power/ weigt and space/ tey usually
sare ,A$ wit te video cannel/ slowing teir performance compared to an e!uivalent
desktop macine.
(ne main drawback of te laptop is tat/ due to te si0e and configuration of components/
relatively little can be done to upgrade te overall computer from its original design. 'ome
devices can be attaced e)ternally troug ports #including via U'B%/ owever internal
upgrades are not recommended or in some cases impossible/ making te desktop PC more
modular.
A subtype of notebooks/ called subnotebooks/ are computers wit most of te features of a
standard laptop computer but smaller. Tey are larger tan and4eld computers/ and usually
run full versions of desktop:laptop operating systems. Ultra4$obile PCs #U$PC% are usually
considered subnotebooks/ or more specifically/ subnotebook Tablet PCs #see below%.
+etbooks are sometimes considered in tis category/ toug tey are sometimes separated in
a category of teir own #see below%.
Desktop replacements/ meanwile/ are large laptops meant to replace a desktop computer
wile keeping te mobility of a laptop.
Netbook
Black A'U' &ee PC in proportions comparison wit
tissues
+etbook PCs are small portable computers in a
;clamsell; design/ tat are designed specifically for
wireless communication and access to te 5nternet. Tey
are generally muc ligter and ceaper tan
subnotebooks/ and ave a smaller display/ between <; and =;/ wit a screen resolution
between 299)399 and >98)<32. Te operating systems and applications on tem are usually
specially modified so tey can be comfortably used wit a smaller si0ed screen/ and te (' is
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often based on *inu)/ altoug some +etbooks also use "indows 1P. 'ome +etbooks
make use of teir built in ig speed "ireless connectivity to offload some of teir
applications software to 5nternet servers/ troug te principle of Cloud computing/ as most
+etbooks ave small solid state storage systems instead of ard4disks. 'torage capacities
are usually in te to >3 -B range. (ne of te first e)amples of suc a system was te
original &&& PC.
Tablet PC
HP Compa! tablet PC wit
rotating:removable keyboard.
A tablet PC is a notebook or slate4saped
mobile computer / first introduced by Pen
computing in te early =9s wit teir Pen-o
Tablet Computer and populari0ed by
$icrosoft. 5ts toucscreen or grapics
tablet:screen ybrid tecnology allows te
user to operate te computer wit a stylus or
digital pen/ or a fingertip/ instead of a
keyboard or mouse. Te form factor offers a more mobile way to interact wit a computer.
Tablet PCs are often used were normal notebooks are impractical or unwieldy/ or do not
provide te needed functionality.
ltra!Mobile PC
'amsung @> Ultra4$obile PC.
Te ultra4mobile PC #U$PC% is a
specification for a small form
factor tablet PC. 5t was developed
as a oint development e)ercise by
$icrosoft/ 5ntel/ and 'amsung/
among oters. Current U$PCs typically feature te "indows 1P Tablet PC &dition 899/
"indows ista Home Premium &dition/ or *inu) operating system and low4voltage 5ntel
Pentium or 5A C<4$ processors in te > -H0 range.
Home T"eater PC
Antec 7usion 8 ome teater PC wit keyboard
on top.
A ome teater PC #HTPC% is a convergence device
tat combines te functions of a personal computer
and a digital video recorder . 5t is connected to a
television or a television4si0ed computer display and is often used as a digital poto/ music/
video player/ T receiver and digital video recorder. Home teater PCs are also referred to as
media center systems or media servers. Te general goal in a HTPC is usually to combine
many or all components of a ome teater setup into one bo). Tey can be purcased pre4
configured wit te re!uired ardware and software needed to add television programming to
te PC/ or can be cobbled togeter out of discrete components as is commonly done wit
"indows $edia Center / -B4P, / 'ageT/ 7amulent or *inu)$C&.
Pocket PC
An (8 pocket PC
A pocket PC is a ardware specification for a andeld4si0ed
computer # personal digital assistant% tat runs te $icrosoft
"indows $obile operating system. 5t may ave te capability to
run an alternative operating system like +etB'D or *inu). 5t as
many of te capabilities of modern desktop PCs.
Currently tere are tens of tousands of applications for andelds
adering to te $icrosoft Pocket PC specification/ many of wic
are freeware. 'ome of tese devices also include mobile pone features. $icrosoft compliant
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Pocket PCs can also be used wit many oter add4ons like -P' receivers/ barcode readers/
,75D readers/ and cameras. 5n 899</ wit te release of "indows $obile 3/ $icrosoft
dropped te name Pocket PC in favor of a new naming sceme. Devices witout an
integrated pone are called "indows $obile Classic instead of Pocket PC. Devices wit an
integrated pone and a touc screen are called "indows $obile Professional.
#"at are t"e different types of
computers$
T(,U A$A+AEA:A7P:-etty 5mages
An employee of +&C sows off its new
desktop computer 6aluestar +6 wic takes up
less space tan an A si0ed laptop.
Tere are a lot of terms used to describe
computers. $ost of tese words imply te si0e/
e)pected use or capability of te computer.
"ile te term computer can apply to virtually
any device tat as a microprocessor in it/ most
people tink of a computer as a device tat
receives input from te user troug a mouse or
keyboard/ processes it in some fasion and displays te result on a screen.
• PC 4 Te personal computer #PC% defines a computer designed for general use by
a single person. "ile a Mac is a PC/ most people relate te term wit systems
tat run te "indows operating system. PCs were first known as
microcomputers because tey were a complete computer but built on a smaller
scale tan te uge systems in use by most businesses.
• Desktop 4 A PC tat is not designed for portability. Te e)pectation wit desktop
systems are tat you will set te computer up in a permanent location. $ost
desktops offer more power/ storage and versatility for less cost tan teir portable
bretren.
• Laptop 4 Also called notebooks/ laptops are portable computers tat integrate te
display/ keyboard/ a pointing device or trackball/ processor/ memory and ard drive
all in a battery4operated package sligtly larger tan an average ardcover book.
• Palmtop 4 $ore commonly known as Personal Digital Assistants #PDAs%/ palmtops
are tigtly integrated computers tat often use flas memory instead of a ard drive
for storage. Tese computers usually do not ave keyboards but rely on toucscreen
tecnology for user input. Palmtops are typically smaller tan a paperback novel/
very ligtweigt wit a reasonable battery li fe. A sligtly larger and eavier version
of te palmtop is te "and"eld computer.
• #orkstation 4 A desktop computer tat as a more powerful processor/ additional
memory and enanced capabilities for performing a special group of task/ suc asFD -rapics or game development.
• %er&er 4 A computer tat as been optimi0ed to provide services to oter computers
over a network . 'ervers usually ave powerful processors/ lots of memory and large
ard drives.
• Mainframe 4 5n te early days of computing/ mainframes were uge computers
tat could fill an entire room or even a wole floorG As te si0e of computers as
diminised wile te power as increased/ te term mainframe as fallen out of use
in favor of enterprise ser&er. ou6ll still ear te term used/ particularly in large
companies to describe te uge macines processing millions of transactions every
day.
• Minicomputer 4 Anoter term rarely used anymore/ minicomputers fall in between
microcomputers #PCs% and mainframes #enterprise servers%. $inicomputers are
normally referred to as mid!ran'e ser&ers now.
• %upercomputer 4 Tis type of computer usually costs undreds of tousands or
even millions of dollars. Altoug some supercomputers are single computer
systems/ most are comprised of multiple ig performance computers working in
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parallel as a single system. Te best known supercomputers are built by Cray
'upercomputers.
• #earable 4 Te latest t rend in computing is wearable computers. &ssentially/
common computer applications #e4mail/ database/ multimedia/
calendar:sceduler% are integrated into watces/ cell pones/ visors and even
clotingG
Hard(are
An e)ploded view of a modern personal computer and periperals
>. 'canner
8. CPU #$icroprocessor %
F. Primary storage #,A$%
. &)pansion cards #grapics cards/ etc%. Power supply
3. (ptical disc drive
<. 'econdary storage #Hard disk %
2. $oterboard
=. 'peakers
>9. $onitor
>>. 'ystem software
>8. Application software
>F. Eeyboard >. $ouse
>. &)ternal ard disk
>3. Printer
A typical ardware setup of a desktop computer consists of
• computer case wit power supply
• central processing unit #processor%
• moterboard
• memory card
• ard disk
• video card
• visual display unit #monitor%
• optical disc #usually DD4,($ or DD "riter %
• keyboard and pointing device
Tese components can usually be put togeter wit little knowledge to build a computer. Te
moterboard is a main part of a computer tat connects all devices togeter. Te memory
card#s%/ grapics card and processor are mounted directly onto te moterboard #te processor
in a socket and te memory and grapics cards in e)pansion slots%. Te mass storage is
connected to it wit cables and can be installed in te computer case or in a separate case.
Tis is te same for te keyboard and mouse/ e)cept tat tey are e)ternal and connect to te5:( panel on te back of te computer. Te monitor is also connected to te 5:( panel/ eiter
troug an onboard port on te moterboard/ or a port on te grapics card.
'everal functions #implemented by cipsets% can be integrated into te moterboard/ typically
U'B and network/ but also grapics and sound. &ven if tese are present/ a separate card can
be added if wat is available isn6t sufficient. Te grapics and sound card can ave a break
out bo) to keep te analog parts away from te electromagnetic radiation inside te computer
case. 7or really large amounts of data/ a tape drive can be used or #e)tra% ard disks can be
put togeter in an e)ternal case.
Te ardware capabilities of personal computers can sometimes be e)tended by te addition
of e)pansion cards connected via an e)pansion bus. 'ome standard periperal buses often
used for adding e)pansion cards in personal computers as of 899 are PC5/ A-P #a ig4
speed PC5 bus dedicated to grapics adapters%/ and PC5 &)press. $ost personal computers as
of 899 ave multiple pysical PC5 e)pansion slots. $any also include an A-P bus and
e)pansion slot or a PC5 &)press bus and one or more e)pansion slots/ but few PCs contain
bot buses.
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Computer case
A stripped AT1 case lying on its
side.
A computer case is te enclosure
tat contains te main
components of a computer . Cases
are usually constructed from
steel/ aluminium/ or plastic/
altoug oter materials suc as
wood/ ple)iglas or fansI>9J ave
also been used in case designs. Cases can come in many different si0es/ or form factors.
Te si0e and sape of a computer case is usually determined by te form factor of te
moterboard tat it is designed to accommodate/ since tis is te largest and most central
component of most computers. Conse!uently/ personal computer form factors typically
specify only te internal dimensions and layout of te case. 7orm factors for rack4mounted
and blade servers may include precise external dimensions as well/ since tese cases must
temselves fit in specific enclosures.
Currently/ te most popular form factor for desktop computers is AT1/ altoug microAT1
and small form factors ave become very popular for a variety of uses. Companies like
'uttle 5nc. and A(pen ave populari0ed small cases/ for wic 7le)AT1 is te most
common moterboard si0e.
Central processin' unit
A$D Atlon 3 CPU.
Te central processing unit/ or CPU/ is tat part of a computer wic e)ecutes software
program instructions. 5n older computers tis circuitry was formerly on several printed circuit
boards/ but in PCs is a single integrated circuit. +early all PCs contain a type of CPU known
as a microprocessor . Te microprocessor often plugs into te moterboard using one of many
different types of sockets. 5B$ PC compatible computers use an )234compatible processor/
usually made by 5ntel/ A$D/ 5A Tecnologies or Transmeta. Apple $acintos computers
were initially built wit te $otorola 329)9 family of processors/ ten switced to te
PowerPC series #a ,5'C arcitecture ointly developed by Apple Computer / 5B$ and
$otorola%/ but as of 8993/ Apple switced again/ tis time to )234compatible processors by
5ntel. $odern CPUs are e!uipped wit a fan attaced via eat sink .
Mot"erboard
Asus moterboard
Te moterboard/ also referred to
as systemboard or mainboard/ is
te primary circuit board witin a
personal computer. $any oter
components connect directly or
indirectly to te moterboard.
$oterboards usually contain one
or more CPUs/ supporting
circuitry 4 usually integrated
circuits #5Cs% 4 providing te
interface between te CPU
memory and input:output periperal circuits/ main memory/ and facilities for initial setup of
te computer immediately after power4on #often called boot firmware or/ in 5B$ PC
compatible computers/ a B5('%. 5n many portable and embedded personal computers/ te
moterboard ouses nearly all of te PC6s core components. (ften a moterboard will also
contain one or more periperal buses and pysical connectors for e)pansion purposes.
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'ometimes a secondary daugter board is connected to te moterboard to provide furter
e)pandability or to satisfy space constraints.
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Main memory
>-B DD, 'D,A$ 99 module
A PC6s main memory is fast storage tat is directly accessible by te CPU/ and is used to
store te currently e)ecuting program and immediately needed data. PCs use
semiconductor random access memory #,A$% of various kinds suc as D,A$ or ',A$
as teir primary storage. "ic e)act kind depends on cost:performance issues at any
particular time. $ain memory is muc faster tan mass storage devices like ard disks or
optical discs/ but is usually volatile/ meaning it does not retain its contents #instructions or
data% in te absence of power/ and is muc more e)pensive for a given capacity tan is
most mass storage. $ain memory is generally not suitable for long4term or arcival data
storage.
Hard disk
A "estern Digital 89 -B ard
disk drive.
$ass storage devices store
programs and data even wen
te power is offK tey do
re!uire power to perform read
and write functions during
usage. Altoug semiconductor
flas memory as dropped in cost/ te prevailing form of mass storage in personal computers
is still te electromecanical ard disk .
Te disk drives use a sealed ead:disk assembly #HDA% wic was first introduced by 5B$6s
;"incester; disk system. Te use of a sealed assembly allowed te use of positive air
pressure to drive out particles from te surface of te disk/ wic improves reliability.
5f te mass storage controller provides for e)pandability/ a PC may also be upgraded by te
addition of e)tra ard disk or optical disc drives. 7or e)ample/ DD4,($s/ CD4,($s/ and
various optical disc recorders may all be added by te user to certain PCs. 'tandard internal
storage device interfaces are ATA/ 'erial ATA/ 'C'5/ and C7L type 55 in 899.
Video card
AT5 ,adeon videocard
Te video card 4
oterwise called a
grapics card/
grapics adapter
or video adapter 4
processes and
renders tegrapics output
from te computer to te computer display/ also called te visual display unit #DU%/ and is
an essential part of te modern computer. (n older models/ and today on budget models/
grapics circuitry tended to be integrated wit te moterboard but/ for modern fle)ible
macines/ tey are supplied in PC5/ A-P/ or PC5 &)press format.
"en te 5B$ PC was introduced/ most e)isting business4oriented personal computers used
te)t4only display adapters and ad no grapics capability. Home computers at tat time ad
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grapics compatible wit television signals/ but wit low resolution by modern standards
owing to te limited memory available to te eigt4bit processors available at te time.
Visual display unit
An *- flat4panel *CD monitor .
A visual display unit #also called monitor%
is a piece of electrical e!uipment/ usually
separate from te computer case/ wic
displays viewable images generated by a
computer witout producing a permanent
record. Te word ;monitor; is used in oter
conte)tsK in particular in television
broadcasting/ were a television picture is
displayed to a ig standard. A computer
display device is usually eiter a catode ray tube or some form of flat panel suc as a T7T
*CD. Te monitor comprises te display device/ circuitry to generate a picture from
electronic signals sent by te computer/ and an enclosure or case. "itin te computer/
eiter as an integral part or a plugged4in interface/ tere is circuitry to convert internal data
to a format compatible wit a monitor. Te images from monitors originally contained only
te)t/ but as -rapical user interfaces emerged and became common/ tey began to display
more images and multimedia content.
)eyboards
5n computing/ a keyboard is an arrangement of buttons tat eac correspond to a function/
letter/ or number. Tey are te primary devices of inputing te)t. 5n most cases/ tey contain
an aray of keys specifically organi0ed wit te corresponding letters/ numbers/ and
functions printed or engraved on te button. Tey are generally designed around an
operators language/ and many different versions for different languages e)ist. 5n &nglis/
te most common layout is te @"&,T layout/ wic was originally used in typewriters.
Tey ave evolved over time/ and ave been modified for use in computers wit te
addition of function keys/ number keys/ arrow keys/ and (' specific keys. (ften/ specific
functions can be acieved by pressing multiple keys at once or in succession/ suc as inputing
caracters wit accents or opening a task manager. Programs use keyboard sotcuts very
differently and all use different keyboard sortcuts for different program specific operations/
suc as refresing a web page in a web browser or selecting all te)t in a word processor.
Pointin' de&ices
Apple $igty $ouse tat detects te
location of your finger/ wen clicking/
wit Capacitive sensors.
A $ouse on a computer is a small/
slidable device tat users old and slide
around to point at/ click/ and sometimes
drag obects on screen in a grapical user
interface using a pointer on screen.
Almost all Personal Computers ave
mice. 5t may be plugged into a computer6s rear mouse socket/ or as a U'B device/ or/ more
recently/ may be connected wirelessly via a U'B antenna or Bluetoot antenna. 5n te past/
tey ad a single button tat users could press down on te device to ;click; on watever te
pointer on te screen was overing over. +ow/ owever/ many $ice ave two or tree
buttonsK a ;rigt click; function button on te mouse/ wic performs a secondary action on a
selected obect/ and a scroll weel/ wic users can rotate te weel using teir fingers to
;scroll; up or down. Te scroll weel can also be pressed down/ and terefore be used as a
tird button. Different programs make use of tese functions differently/ and may scroll
ori0ontally by default wit te scroll weel/ open different menus wit different buttons/
among oters.
$ice traditionally detected movement and communicated wit te computer wit an internal
;mouse ball;K and use optical encoders to detect rotation of te ball and tell te computer
were te mouse as moved. However/ tese systems were subect to low durability and
accuracy. $odern mice use optical tecnology to directly trace movement of te surface
under te mouse and are muc more accurate and durable. Tey work on a wider variety of
surfaces and can even operate on walls/ ceilings or oter non4ori0ontal surfaces.
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*t"er components
$ass storage
All computers re!uire eiter fi)ed or removable storage for teir operating system/
programs and user generated material.
7ormerly te >: inc and F >:8 inc floppy drive were te principal forms of removable
storage for backup of user files and distribution of software.
As memory si0es increased/ te capacity of te floppy did not keep paceK te Mip drive and
oter iger4capacity removable media were introduced but never became as prevalent as
te floppy drive.
By te late >==9s te optical drive/ in CD and later DD and Blu4ray Disc/ became te
main metod for software distribution/ and writeable media provided backup and file
intercange. 7loppy drives ave become uncommon in desktop personal computers since
about 8999/ and were dropped from many laptop systems even earlier. I>>J
&arly ome computers used compact audio cassettes for file storageK tese were at te time
a very low cost storage solution/ but were displaced by floppy disk drives wen
manfacturing costs dropped/ by te mid >=29s.
A second generation of tape recorders was provided wen ideocassette recorders were
pressed into service as backup media for larger disk drives. All tese systems were less
reliable and slower tan purpose4built magnetic tape drives. 'uc tape drives were
uncommon in consumer4type personal computers but were a necessity in business or
industrial use.
5ntercange of data suc as potograps from digital cameras is greatly e)pedited by
installation of a card reader / wic often is compatible wit several forms of flas memory.
5t is usually faster and more convenient to move large amounts of data by removing te
card from te mobile device/ instead of communicating wit te mobile device troug a
U'B interface.
A U'B flas drive today performs muc of te data transfer and backup functions formerly
done wit floppy drives/ Mip disks and oter devices. $ain4stream current operating systems
for personal computers provide standard support for flas drives/ allowing intercange even
between computers using different processors and operating systems. Te compact si0e andlack of moving parts or dirt4sensitive media/ combined wit low cost for ig capacity/ ave
made flas drives a popular and useful accessory for any personal computer user.
Te operating system #e.g. $icrosoft "indows/ $ac ('/ *inu) or many oters% can be
located on any removable storage/ but typically it is on one of te ard disks. A *ive CD is
also possible/ but it is very slow and is usually used for installation of te ('/
demonstrations/ or problem solving. 7las4based memory is currently e)pensive #as of mid4
8992% but is starting to appear in laptop computers because of its low weigt and low energy
consumption/ compared to ard disk storage.
Computer communications
• 5nternal modem card
• $odem
• +etwork adapter card
• ,outer
Common periperals and adapter cards• Headset
• Noystick
• $icropone
• Printer
• 'canner
• 'ound adapter card as a separate card rater tan located on te moterboard
• 'peakers
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• "ebcam
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%oft(are
A screensot of te (pen(ffice.org "riter software
Computer software is a general term used to describe a collection of computer programs/
procedures and documentation tat perform some tasks on a computer system.I>8J Te term
includes application software suc as word processors wic perform productive tasks for
users/ system software suc as operating systems/ wic interface wit ardware to provide
te necessary services for application software/ and middleware wic controls and co4ordinates distributed systems.
'oftware applications for word processing/ 5nternet browsing/ 5nternet fa)ing/ e4mail and
oter digital messaging/ multimedia playback/ computer game play and computer
programming are common. Te user of a modern personal computer may ave significant
knowledge of te operating environment and application programs/ but is not necessarily
interested in programming nor even able to write programs for te computer. Terefore/
most software written primarily for personal computers tends to be designed wit
simplicity of use/ or ;user4friendliness; in mind. However/ te software industry
continuously provide a wide range of new products for use in personal computers/ targeted at
bot te e)pert and te non4e)pert user.
*peratin' system
ED& running on a *inu)
distribution.
An operating system #('%
manages computer resources
and provides programmers
wit an interface used to
access tose resources. An
operating system processessystem data and user input/
and responds by allocating and managing tasks and internal system resources as a service to
users and programs of te system. An operating system performs basic tasks suc as
controlling and allocating memory/ prioriti0ing system re!uests/ controlling input and output
devices/ facilitating computer networking and managing files.
Common contemporary desktop ('es are *inu)/ $ac (' 1/ $icrosoft "indows/ 'olaris and
PC4B'D. $ac/ *inu)/ and "indows all ave server and personal variants. "it te e)ception
of $icrosoft "indows/ te designs of eac of te aforementioned ('s were inspired by/ ordirectly inerited from/ te Uni) operating system. Uni) was developed at Bell *abs
beginning in te late >=39s and spawned te development of numerous free and proprietary
operating systems.
(perating systems tat can be found on mobile devices include Palm ('/ "indows $obile/
7amiliar *inu)/ Te Ongstrm Distribution and Darwin #iPone ('%.
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Microsoft #indo(s
$icrosoft "indows is te
name of several families of
software operating systems
by $icrosoft. $icrosoft first
introduced an operating
environment named
Windows in +ovember >=2
as an add4on to $'4D(' in
response to te growing interest in grapical user interfaces #-U5s%.I>FJI>J Te most recent
client version of "indows is "indows ista. Te current server version of "indows is
"indows 'erver 8992.
Linu+
A ED& *inu) desktop
*inu) is a family of Uni)4like computer operating systems. *inu) is one of te most
prominent e)amples of free software and open source development typically all
underlying source code can be freely modified/ used/ and redistributed by anyone.I>J Te
name ;*inu); comes from te *inu) kernel/ started in >==> by *inus Torvalds. Te
system6s utilities and libraries usually come from te -+U operating system/ announced in
>=2F by ,icard 'tallman. Te -+U contribution is te basis for te alternative name
-+U:*inu).I>3J
Predominantly known for its use in servers/ *inu) is supported by corporations suc as
Dell/ Hewlett4Packard/ 5B$/ +ovell/ (racle Corporation/ ,ed Hat/ and 'un $icrosystems.
5t is used as an operating system for a wide variety of computer ardware/ including
desktop computers/ supercomputers/I><J video game systems/ suc as te Play'tation F/
several arcade games/ and embedded devices suc as mobile pones/ routers/ and stage
ligting systems.
Mac *% ,
$ac (' 1 desktop
$ac (' 1 is a line of
grapical operating
systems developed/
marketed/ and sold by
Apple 5nc./ te latest of
wic is pre4loaded on
all currently sipping
under $acintos series of personal computers. $ac (' 1 is te successor to te original $ac
('/ wic ad been Apple6s primary operating system since >=2. Unlike its predecessors/
$ac (' 1 is a Uni)4based operating systemI>2J built on tecnology developed at +e1T from
te second alf of te >=29s until early >==</ wen Apple purcased te company.
Te server edition/ $ac (' 1 'erver / is arcitecturally very similar to its desktop counterpart
but usually runs on Apple6s line of $acintos server ardware. 5t includes workgroup
management and administration software tools tat provide simplified access to key network
services/ including a mail transfer agent/ a 'amba server / an *DAP server/ a domain name
server / and oters.
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-pplications
-5$P raster grapics editor
Application softwareemploys te capabilities
of a computer directly
and torougly to a task
tat te user wises to
perform. Tis sould be
contrasted wit system
software wic is
involved in integrating
a computer6s variouscapabilities/ but
typically does not directly apply tem in te performance of tasks tat benefit te user. 5n
tis conte)t te term application refers to bot te application software and its
implementation. A simple/ if imperfect analogy in te world of ardware would be te
relationsip of an electric ligt bulb #an application% to an electric power generation plant
#a system%. Te power plant merely generates electricity/ not itself of any real use until
arnessed to an application like te electric ligt tat performs a service tat benefits te
user.
Typical e)amples of software applications are word processors/ spreadseets/ and media
players. $ultiple applications bundled togeter as a package are sometimes referred to as
an application suite. $icrosoft (ffice and (pen(ffice.org/ wic bundle togeter a word
processor/ a spreadseet/ and several oter discrete applications/ are typical e)amples. Te
separate applications in a suite usually ave a user interface tat as some commonality
making it easier for te user to learn and use eac application. And often tey may ave
some capability to interact wit eac oter in ways beneficial to te user. 7or e)ample/ a
spreadseet migt be able to be embedded in a word processor document even toug it
ad been created in te separate spreadseet application.
&nd4user development tailors systems to meet te user6s specific needs. User4written software
include spreadseet templates/ word processor macros/ scientific simulations/ grapics and
animation scripts. &ven email filters are a kind of user software. Users create tis software
temselves and often overlook ow important it is.
Lifetime
$ost personal computers are standardi0ed to te point tat purcased software is e)pected to
run wit little or no customi0ation for te particular computer. $any PCs are also user4
upgradeable/ especially desktop and workstation class computers. Devices suc as main
memory/ mass storage/ even te moterboard and central processing unit may be easily
replaced by an end user. Tis upgradeability is/ owever/ not indefinite due to rapid canges
in te personal computer industry. A PC tat was considered top4of4te4line five or si) years
prior may be impractical to upgrade due to canges in industry standards. 'uc a computer
usually must be totally replaced once it is no longer suitable for its purpose. Tis upgrade and
replacement cycle is partially related to new releases of te primary mass4market operating
system/ wic tends to drive te ac!uisition of new ardware and render obsolete previously
serviceable ardware # planned obsolescence%.
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Parts of a Computer
our ;computer; is a collection of devices tat function as a unit. Te most basic collection includes a
Computer CPU/ a $onitor/ a Eeyboard/ and a $ouse. Te Computer CPU is normally a rectangular
bo) tat sits on your desktop #called a ;Desktop Case;% or ne)t to your knee under te desk #called a
;Tower Case;%. Te computer6s CPU is actually a small electronic device inside te case but te term
is often used to refer to te wole collection of electronics inside te bo).
Hardware
The hardware are the parts of computer itself including the Central Processing Unit (CPU)
and related microchips and micro-circuitry, keyboards, monitors, case and drives
(floppy, hard, CD, DVD, optical, tape, etc...). Other extra parts called peripheral
components or devices include mouse, printers, modems, scanners, digital cameras and
cards (sound, colour, video) etc... Together they are often referred to as a personal
computer or PC.
Central Processing Unit - Though the term relates to a specific chip or the processor a CP!s
performance is determined "y the the rest of
the computer!s circuitry and chips.
Currently the Pentium chip or processor,
made "y #ntel, is the most common CP
though there are many other companies that
produce processors for personal computers.
$xamples are the CP made "y %otorola and &%D.
'ith faster processors the clock speed "ecomes more important. Compared to some of the
first computers hich operated at "elo * megahertz (%+) the Pentium chips "egan at
%+ in the late /00*!s. 1peeds no exceed ***2 %+ or gigahertz (3+) and different chip
manufacturers use different measuring standards (chec4 your local computer store for the
latest speed). #t depends on the circuit board that the chip is housed in, or the
motherboard, as to hether you are a"le to upgrade to a faster chip. The mother"oard
contains the circuitry and connections that allo the 5arious component to communicate
ith each other.
Though there ere many computers using many different processors pre5ious to this # call the
6*768 processor the ad5ent of home computers as these ere the processors that made
computers a5aila"le for the a5erage person. sing a processor "efore the 768 in5ol5ed
learning a proprietary system and softare. %ost ne softare are "eing de5eloped for the
neest and fastest processors so it can "e difficult to use an older computer system.
Keyboard - The 4ey"oard is used to type information into the computer or input information.
There are many different 4ey"oard layouts and sies ith the most common for 9atin "ased
languages "eing the :'$;T< layout (named for the first 8 4eys). The standard 4ey"oard has
/*/ 4eys. =ote"oo4s ha5e em"edded 4eys accessi"le "y special 4eys or "y pressing 4ey
com"inations (CT;9 or Command and P for example). rgonomically designed 4ey"oards are
designed to ma4e typing easier.
1ome of the 4eys ha5e a special use. There are referred to as command keys. The most
common are the Control or CT;9, <ernate or < and the 1hift 4eys though there can "e
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more (the 'indos 4ey for example or the Command 4ey). $ach 4ey on a standard
4ey"oard has one or to characters. Press the 4ey to get the loer character and hold
1hift to get the upper.
!emovable "torage and#or $isk $rives - &ll disks need a drive to get information off - or
read - and put information on the dis4 - or write. $ach dri5e is designed for a specific type
of dis4 hether it is a CD, DVD, hard dis4 or floppy. Often the term !dis4! and !dri5e! are
used to descri"e the same thing "ut it helps to understand that the dis4 is the storage
device hich contains computer files - or so%tware - and the dri5e is the mechanism that
runs the dis4.
U"& 'lash drives or thum" dri5es or4 slightly differently as they use memory cards to
store information on. Digital cameras also use >lash memory cards to store information, in
this case photographs.
ouse - %ost modern computers today are run using a mouse controlled pointer. 3enerally
if the mouse has to "uttons the left one is used to select o"?ects and text and the right
one is used to access menus. #f the mouse has one "utton (%ac for
instance) it controls all the acti5ity and a mouse ith a third "utton
can "e used "y specific softare programs.
One type of mouse has a round "all under the "ottom of the mouse
that rolls and turns to heels hich control the direction of the
pointer on the screen. ¬her type of mouse uses an optical system
to trac4 the mo5ement of the mouse.
ote* #t is important to clean the mouse periodically, particularly if it "ecomes sluggish. &
"all type mouse has a small circular panel that can "e opened, alloing you to remo5e the
"all. 9int can "e remo5ed carefully ith a tooth pic4 or teeers and the "all can "e
ashed ith mild detergent. & "uild up ill accumulate on the small heels in the mouse.
se a small instrument or finger nail to scrape it off ta4ing care not to scratch the heels.
Trac4 "alls can "e cleaned much li4e a mouse and touch-pad can "e iped ith a clean,
damp cloth. &n optical mouse can accumulate material from the surface that it is in
contact ith hich can "e remo5ed ith a finger nail or small instrument.
onitors - The monitor shos information on the screen hen you type. This is called
outputting information. 'hen the computer needs more information it ill display a
message on the screen, usually through a dialog bo+. %onitors come in many types and sies
from the simple monochrome (one colour) screen to full colour screens.
%ost des4top computers use a monitor ith a cathode tube and most note"oo4s use a li,uid
crystal display (9CD) monitor.
To get the full "enefit of today!s softare ith full colour graphics and animation, computers
need a color monitor ith a display or graphics card.
Printers - The printer ta4es the information on your screen and transfers it to paper or a
hard copy. There are many different types of printers ith 5arious le5els of @uality. The
three "asic types of printer areA dot matri+, inket, and laser.
← Dot matrix printers or4 li4e a typeriter transferring in4 from a ri""on to paper
ith a series or !matrix! of tiny pins.
← #n4 ?et printers or4 li4e dot matrix printers "ut fires a stream of in4 from a
cartridge directly onto the paper.
← 9aser printers use the same technology as a photocopier using heat to transfer
toner onto paper.
odem - & modem is used to translate information transferred through telephone lines or
ca"le.
The term stands for modulate and demodulate hich changes the signal from digital, hich
computers use, to analog, hich telephones use and then "ac4 again. & high speed
connection also re@uires a modem "ut "ecause the information is transferred digitally it isn!t
re@uired to change the signal from digital to analog "ut is used to create the connection
"eteen your computer and the computer you are connecting ith.
%odems are measured "y the speed that the information is transferred. The measuring tool is
called the baud rate. Originally modems or4ed at speeds "elo 7B** "aud "ut today analog
speeds of 8,*** are common. Ca"le, ireless or digital su"scri"er lines (D19) modems can
transfer information much faster ith rates of **,*** "aud and up.
%odems also use rror Correction hich corrects for transmission errors "y constantly
chec4ing hether the information as recei5ed properly or not and Compression hich
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allos for faster data transfer rates. #nformation is transferred in packets. $ach pac4et is
chec4ed for errors and is re-sent if there is an error.
&nyone ho has used the #nternet has noticed that at times the information tra5els at
different speeds. Depending on the amount of information that is "eing transferred the
information ill arri5e at it!s destination at different times. The amount of information
that can tra5el through a line is limited. This limit is called bandwidth.
There are many more 5aria"les in5ol5ed in communication technology using computers,
much of hich is co5ered in the section on the .nternet.
"canners- 1canners allo you to transfer pictures and photographs to your computer. &
scanner !scans! the image from the top to the "ottom, one line at a time and transfers it to
the computer as a series of bits or a bitmap. <ou can then ta4e that image and use it in a
paint program, send it out as a fax or print it. 'ith optional /ptical Character !ecognition
(OC;) softare you can con5ert printed documents such as nespaper articles to text that
can "e used in your ord processor. %ost scanners use 012. softare that ma4es the
scanner accessa"le "y other softare applications.
$igital cameras allo you to ta4e digital photographs. The images are stored on a memory
chip or dis4 that can "e transferred to your computer. 1ome cameras can also capture
sound and 5ideo.
Case - The case houses the microchips and circuitry that run the computer. Des4top models
usually sit under the monitor and toer models "eside. They come in many sies, including
des4top, mini, midi, and full toer. There is usually room inside to expand or add
components at a later time. y remo5ing the co5er off the case you may find plate
co5ered, empty slots that allo you to add cards. There are 5arious types of slots including
#D$, &1#, 1, PC# and >ireire slots.
=ote"oo4 computers may ha5e room to expand depending on the type of computer. %ost
=ote"oo4s also ha5e connections or ports that allos expansion or connection to exterior,
peripheral de5ices such as monitor, porta"le hard-dri5es or other de5ices.
Cards - Cards are components added to computers to increase their capa"ility. 'hen
adding a peripheral de5ice ma4e sure that your computer has a slot of the type needed "y
the de5ice.
"ound cards allo computers to produce sound li4e music and 5oice. The older sound cards
ere 6 "it then /8 "it then 7 "it. Though the human ear can!t distinguish the fine difference
"eteen sounds produced "y the more poerful sound card they allo for more complex
music and music production.
Colour cards allo computers to produce colour (ith a colour monitor of course). The first
colour cards ere 7 "it hich produced B colours C3&E. #t as amaing hat could "e done
ith those B colours. =ext came B "it alloing for /8 $3& and V3& E colours. Then came /8
"it alloing for /*8B colours and then 7B "it hich allos for almost / million colours and
no 7 "it is standard alloing monitors to display almost a "illion separate colours.
3ideo cards allo computers to display 5ideo and animation. 1ome 5ideo cards allo
computers to display tele5ision as ell as capture frames from 5ideo. & 5ideo card ith a
digital 5ideo camera allos computers users to produce li5e 5ideo. & high speed or netor4
connection is needed for effecti5e 5ideo transmission.
etwork cards allo computers to connect together to communicate ith each other.
=etor4 cards ha5e connections for ca"le, thin ire or ireless netor4s. >or more
information see the section on =etor4s.
Cables connect internal components to the otherboard, hich is a "oard ith series of
electronic path ays and connections alloing the CP to communicate ith the other
components of the computer.
emory - %emory can "e 5ery confusing "ut is usually one of the easiest pieces of hardare
to add to your computer. #t is common to confuse chip memory ith disk storage. &n
example of the difference "eteen memory and storage ould "e the difference "eteen a
ta"le here the actual or4 is done (memory) and a filing ca"inet here the finished product
is stored (dis4). To add a "it more confusion, the computer!s hard dis4 can "e used as
temporary memory hen the program needs more than the chips can pro5ide.
!andom 2ccess emory or !2 is the memory that the computer uses to temporarily store
the information as it is "eing processed. The more information "eing processed the more ;&%
the computer needs.
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One of the first home computers used 8B kilobytes of ;&% memory (Commodore 8B).
Today!s modern computers need a minimum of 8B %" (recommended /76 %" or more) to
run 'indos or O1 /* ith modern softare.
;&% memory chips come in many different sies and speeds and can usually "e e+panded.
Older computers came ith /7 F" of memory hich could "e expanded to a maximum of
8B* F". #n most modern computers the memory can "e expanded "y adding or replacing
the memory chips depending on the processor you ha5e and the type of memory your
computer uses. %emory chips range in sie from / %" to B 3". &s computer technology
changes the type of memory changes as ell ma4ing old memory chips o"solete. Chec4
your computer manual to find out hat 4ind of memory your computer uses "efore
purchasing ne memory chips.
"o%tware
The softare is the information that the computer uses to get the ?o" done. 1oftare
needs to "e accessed "efore it can "e used. There are many terms used for process of
accessing softare including running, e+ecuting, starting up, opening, and others.
Computer programs allo users to complete tas4s. & program can also "e referred to as an
application and the to ords are used interchangea"ly.
$xamples of softare programs or applications ould "e the /perating "ystem (DO1,
'indos 0xG%illeniumGHP, OG17, =#H, %acO1 0.xG/*.x and 5arious others),
1ordprocessor (typing letters), "preadsheet (financial info), $atabase (in5entory control
and address "oo4), 4raphics program, .nternet &rowser, mail and many others.
&s ell any document that you create, graphic you design, sound you compose, file you
ma4e, letter you rite, email you send or anything that you create on your computer is
referred to as softare. &ll softare is stored in %iles.
1oftare is stored on a disk or tape hether that dis4 is a %loppy, hard
disk, C$, tape or one of the doens of other storage devices a5aila"le.
There are millions of different pieces of softare a5aila"le for almost
e5ery concei5a"le need. 1oftare is a5aila"le commercially through stores and mail order
and also a5aila"le on the .nternet. 1oftare is also a5aila"le through an Open 1ource
license hich allos anyone to use the Open 1ource softare free of charge as long as the
license is maintained. #f you can!t find the application that you need so%tware development
companies can custom design softare for you.
The largest softare companies offer pac4ages of softare or suites that include many of the
programs that the a5erage person or "usiness needs. 1oftare pac4ages or suites contain
programs that or4 together and share information, ma4ing it easier to com"ine that
information in 5ersatile ays. >or example hen riting a letter you can get the mailing
address from an address "oo4, include a letterhead from a graphics program and included a
financial chart from a spreadsheet and com"ine this collection of information in the "ody of
the letter.
0he three basic types o% so%tware areA commercial, shareware and open source softare.
1ome softare is also released into the pu"lic domain ithout a license.
Commercial softare comes prepac4aged and is a5aila"le from softare stores and through
the #nternet.
1hareare is softare de5eloped "y indi5idual and small companies that cannot afford to
mar4et their softare orld ide or "y a company that ants to release a demonstration
5ersion of their commercial product. <ou ill ha5e an e5aluation period in hich you can
decide hether to purchase the product or not. 1hareare softare often is disa"led in some
ay and has a notice attached to explain the legal re@uirements for using the product.
Open 1ource softare is created "y generous programmers and released into the pu"lic
domain for pu"lic use. There is usually a copyright notice that must remain ith the softare
product. Open 1ource softare is not pu"lic domain in that the company or indi5idual that
de5elops the softare retains onership of the program "ut the softare can "e used freely.
%any popular Open 1ource applications are "eing de5eloped and upgraded regularly "y
indi5iduals and companies that "elie5e in the Open 1ource concept.
/perating "ystems
&ll computers need some sort of /perating "ystem (/"). The ma?ority of modern home
computers use some form of %icrosoft!s operating systems. The original %icrosoft operating
system as called DO1 (Dis4 Operating 1ystem) though most computers use 'indos.
'indos comes in 5arious 5ersions "eginning ith 5ersion .x then 0, 06, %$ and currently
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HP. & fe computers use #%!s OG17. &pple!s %ac use their on operating system "eginning
ith O1 / though most modern %acs use 5ersion 6.x or 0.x. &pple!s latest 5ersion is O1
/*./.x. #n the past large companies and institutions ould ha5e an operating system design
exclusi5ely for them "ut as the commercial operating systems "ecome more sophisticated
the "enefits of thi s practice is "ecoming less apparent. 1ome computer professionals5
.nternet "ervice Providers (#1P) and main%rame computer users use an operating system
such as =#H (or a 5ariant such as 9inux), 'indos =T or 7*** ('in74) or one of the other
netor4 or ser5er "ased operating systems.
There are many smaller operating systems out there. The pro"lem is that softare is
currently "eing de5eloped only for the main operating systems and only the neest
5ersions of these O1. %any older computers ith uni@ue operating systems ha5e lots of
softare already de5eloped for them "ut there is 5ery little ne softare "eing de5eloped
for the older computers. The older proprietary operating systems are less li4ely to offer
technical support than the more modern operating systems.
The operating system controls the input and output or directs the flo of information to
and from the CPU. %uch of this is done automatically "y the system "ut it is possi"le to
modify and control your system if you need to.
'hen you turn your computer on it first needs to load the operating system sometimes
referred to a booting up. asically the computer starts from scratch e5ery time you turn
the poer on.
#t chec4s all its components and ill usually display a message if there is a pro"lem.
9oading the system is usually automatic.
Once the system is loaded the user can start the application or program that they are going
to use.
%ost computer users ill run %icrosoft 'indos, %ac O1 or 9inux as their operating
system. These O1 are 4raphic User .nter%ace (4U.) hich allos the user to control or run
the computer using a ouse and .cons. The user simply mo5es the mouse on a flat surface,
rolls the trac4"all, or mo5es their hand o5er the touchpad to control a pointer. They then
choose the option they ant "y pressing a "utton or touching the pad.
'ithout a 3# the user controls the computer using the 4eys on the 4ey"oard. This is referred
to as a Command 6ine .nter%ace (C6.)
$isk and "torage
$isks are used to store information. &ll information on computers are stored in %iles. The sie
of a file is measured in bytes.
& byte is appro+imately one character (letter !a!, num"er !/!, sym"ol !I! etc....).
& "yte is made up of 7 bits. & "it is simply an on or an o%% signal hich passes through the
computers circuitry. $5ery piece of softare can "e "ro4en don into a series of on or off
signals or it!s &inary Code.
← &"out a thousand "ytes is a kilobyte (F").
← &"out a million "ytes is a megabyte (%").
← &"out a "illion "ytes is a gigabyte (3").
J ditor8s oteK # say !a"out! "ecause e5erything in computers must "e di5isi"le "y 6 so a
4ilo"yte is actually /,*7B "ytes. The reason for this goes "eyond the scope of an introductory
le5el document "ut as it can cause some confusion # thought it should "e mentioned.
$isk are a common ay of transporting information such as "ringing files home from or4 or
sharing files. 'loppy disks ha5e "ecome less useful as file sies increase and Compact disks (CDs) and Digital Video De5ices (DVDs) are "ecoming more popular. %ost softare is sold on a
CD. #nternal Hard disks are the most common storage de5ice.
Compact disks or CDs can store large amounts of information. One dis4 ill store 8* %" or
a"out * or 6* minutes of music. One type is a CD-;O% hich stand for Compact $isk !ead
/nly emory. ¬her type is a CD-;' hich stands for Compact $isk - !ead#1rite. CD
dri5es can copy information or burn information on to a "lan4 CD. Common !ead /nly C$
"lan4s can only "e ritten to once though more expensi5e !ead#1rite C$8s can "e used o5er
and o5er again.
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$3$ disks can store B. 3" on standard dis4, 6 3" on a dual layer dis4 and /8 3" on a "lue-
ray dis4. $3$ recorders allo you to store large files, such as mo5ies, on a single dis4.
Hard disks store the ma?ority of information on today!s modern computer. %y first hard
dis4 stored 7 %", /7 more than my colleague!s B* %". Today the standard hard dis4 stores
* 3" or more (this num"er is constantly increasing). 9i4e a floppy dis4 information can "e
stored and deleted as necessary. &s files get larger the speed that hard dis4s can read and
rite "ecome more important.
'lash drive or thum" dri5es range from /7 %" to 6 3".
'loppy disk or diskette comes in to "asic siesA .7 inch and . inch. oth ha5e a lo
and high density 5ersions though . inch high density dis4s are the most common though
many modern computers are "eing sold ithout floppy dis4 dri5es.
$isk size 2mount o% storage2ppro+imate printed
79: + ;; inch pages
. high density /.BB %" 7* pages
CD 8* %" a small li"rary
DVD B. 3" a feature length mo5ie
DVD dual layer 6 3" a long feature length mo5ie ith extras
There are many other storage de5ices including tapes, Panasonic8s 6";<= >9: inch
diskettes, .omega8s ?ip @ Aazz disks, 3C! tape and many others. #nno5ation in storage
technology is currently ad5ancing rapidly.
#nformation is stored in an electromagnetic form much li4e a cassette or 5ideo tape.
ote* Feep dis4s aay from strong electric or magnetic fields including x-rays. e aare of
high electromagnetic areas in the room such as tele5isions, spea4ers, high tension ires,
etc... se dis4s only at room temperature and 4eep them out of direct sunlight. #f possi"le
a5oid passing electromagnetic storage de5ices through airport x-rays. #n theory information
stored on a dis4 ill last indefinitely "ut the physical storage de5ice ill ear out ith
usage and time so "e sure to back up (copy) your important files to a second dis4..
Ho( computer (orks$
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Computer ses
Ases of computer 4 relate resources' !he influence of computers is uni"ersal'
Computers are use in applications ran&in& from runnin& a farm) ia&nosin& a
isease) an esi&nin& to constructin& an launchin& a space "ehicle' Because
the e"elopment of computers has %een lar&el$ the #or* of scientists) it is naturalthat a lar&e %o$ of computer applications ser"es the scientist' !o sol"e scientific
pro%lems researchers must eal #ith the lan&ua&e of science: mathematics' !o
unerstan more eepl$ comple. natural phenomena) scientists must use comple.
mathematical relationships an "olumes of ata too impossi%le to mana&e #ithout
the ai of computers' -an$ scientific computer pro&rams ser"e the entire
population' !he lin*s inclue herein relate to computers an their uses'
*d&antages of online or computer+based learning
• Class work can be sceduled around work and family
• ,educes travel time and travel costs for off4campus students
• 'tudents may ave te option to select learning materials tat meets teir level of
knowledge and interest
• 'tudents can study anywere tey ave access to a computer and 5nternet
connection
• 'elf4paced learning modules allow students to work at teir own pace
• 7le)ibility to oin discussions in te bulletin board treaded discussion areas atany our/ or visit wit classmates and instructors remotely in cat rooms
• 5nstructors and students bot report e*earning fosters more interaction among
students and instructors tan in large lecture courses
• e*earning can accommodate different learning styles and facilitate learning
troug a variety of activities
• Develops knowledge of te 5nternet and computers skills tat will elp learners
trougout teir lives and careers
• 'uccessfully completing online or computer4based courses builds self4knowledge
and self4confidence and encourages students to take responsibility for teir learning
• *earners can test out of or skim over materials already mastered and concentrate
efforts in mastering areas containing new information and:or skills
Disad&antages of online or computer+based learning
• *earners wit low motivation or bad study abits may fall beind
• "itout te routine structures of a traditional class/ students may get lost or
confused about course activities and deadlines
• 'tudents may feel isolated from te instructor and classmates
• 5nstructor may not always be available wen students are studying or need elp
• 'low 5nternet connections or older computers may make accessing course materials
frustrating
• $anaging computer files and online learning software can sometimes seem
comple) for students wit beginner4level computer skills
• Hands4on or lab work is difficult to simulate in a virtual classroom
Flo(c"art of PC epair
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idterms
Computer e%%ects* Health and "a%ety
+ealth and 1afety is crucial to the effecti5e operation of a computer. 1tress is idely
accepted as a common and possi"ly the most dangerous aspect of using a computer.
#t is possi"le to use a computer safely if a fe simple rules are maintained.
usculoskeletal pro"lems can occur hen improper office e@uipment is used. Chairs
should "e ad?usta"le so that legs are at a right angle. The "ac4 should ha5e good support
for the spine and loer "ac4. The seat should si5el and "e made from fa"ric that is
porous.
ye strain can "e caused "y staring at a fix o"?ect for extended periods of time (li4e a
computer). People ho use glasses may ha5e to get their prescriptions changed and people
ho use "ifocals can find that the line interferes ith the screen and trifocals triple the
pro"lem. ;egular users of computers may de5elop focusing pro"lems. Temporary colour
distortion has also "een reported.
& sa%e working environment is crucial. 3entilation is an integral part of the ne
technological or4place. Though standards are set "y the manufacturer of computer
e@uipment the modern office has many different pieces of e@uipment. &ll electronic
e@uipment emit some le5el of electromagnetic %ield hich, on it!s on, most li4ely isn!t a
concern "ut hen com"ined ith other e@uipment can create haardous or4ing
en5ironments. Pregnant women should ta4e extra care hen or4ing around
electromagnetic fields. 9i4e any piece of e@uipment, computers should ha5e scheduled
maintenance.
"tress is caused "y many things including poor or inade@uate training, monitoring, fear of
ne technology, lac4 of control o5er or4, physical pro"lems, hardare pro"lems causing
delays, poor layout of or4 space and the myriad of other pro"lems that people
experience that com"ine to create stressful situations.
0ime away %rom the computer during the work day is crucialB This gi5es the "ody a chance
to stretch and gi5es the eyes a chance to rest. &reaks should "e scheduled and folloed ith
great discipline. Computers, e5en more so than tele5ision, ha5e a mesmeriing effect on the
user so that it is easy to or4 right through "rea4s ithout noticing.
There are many other issues to "e discussed around computer health and safety "ut it is
important to understand that there are pro"lems and solutions to those pro"lems that the
user, administrator and manager must address.
