Module 0 resourcesPresented by:Osacr AbagaliNkrumah Duncan WilliamsGerard AtaogyeAnthony Sarpong

On 14/03/2013

Module activity unit 1: computer ;networks

What is a computer?

• A computer is a general purpose device that can be programmed to carry out a finite set of arithmetic or logical operations.

WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMPUTER?

THE TYPES DEPEND ON: • 1. Configuration/classes: the size and structure• 2. Operation: the electrical /

electronic signal that is used to operation.

1. Configuration: the size and structure

•2. Operation principle: signal used: Analogue :set of varying voltages

Digital :uses set of 0 and 1 or off state and on state

Hybrid: use both forms of signals

http://home.olemiss.edu/~misbook/ss14.htm

Microcomputers / personal computers: . Popular uses for microcomputers include word processing, surfing the Web, sending and receiving e-mail, spreadsheet calculations, database management, editing photographs, creating graphics, and playing music or games. desktop computers ,notebook computers, laptops, iPads, iPods, palmtop, programmable calculators, mobile phones, Tablet Computers and Smartphones , PDAs and Palmtop Computers

A minicomputer is a multi-user computer that is less powerful than a mainframe.

A mainframe computer is a large, powerful computer that handles the processing for many users simultaneously (up to several hundred users).

A supercomputer is mainframe computer that has been optimized for speed and processing power.

Supercomputer (this one is a Cray-2 from the 1980’s)

Hard ware• Computer hardware is the collection of

physical components that make up a computer, for example, a screen, a cpu, laptop, mouse, keyboard, mother board, memory chip as RAM, ROM, ports, circuit boards, power supplies, and cooling fans, video monitor, camera, or printer etc

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-vista/introduction-to-computers

Input devices: These devices allow

users to interact with the applications that the computer displays:

MouseScannerCD/DVD DeviceWriting Tablet And StylusTouchscreenWeb CameraSD CardJoystickMicrophoneBar Code Scanner

An output deviceIs any peripheral device that converts machine-readable information into people-readable form such as a monitor, printer, plotter and voice output device.

MonitorsPrintersPlottersVoice Output DevicesModems

Software; what is it?• Software is a generic term for organized collections of

computer data and instructionsSystem software • is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the

individual hardware components of a computer system so that other software and the users of the system see it as a functional unit. Example window XP, windows 7, Linux, Mac osx, Unix etc.

It consist of• System Management Programs: operating system,

communications software and database manage. • System Development Programs • System Support Programs

Features of system software

• Disk formatters, file managers, display managers, text editors, memory management

• Interface for user communication • User authentication (login) and management

tools, • Networking and device control software. • System utility programs, system performance

monitor programs, and system security monitor programs

Application software • May consist of a single program used to accomplish

specific tasks, e.g a spreadsheet or text processing

Main type:• General-Purpose Application Programs • Application-Specific Software Examples: Word Processing Package, spreadsheet Packages, Database Management Packages , Graphics Packages , Communications Packages , Integrated Packages etc

Summary of the computer software- user relation

Soft ware license; why?

• The software's license gives the user the right to use the software in the licensed environment.

• Protect the patency of software • Some software comes with the license when purchased off

the shelf, or an OEM- original equipment manufacturer- license when bundled with hardware.

• Free software license, granting the recipient the rights to modify and redistribute the software.

• Freeware/ trial version or shareware for a period of time say 30 days .