Basic computer skills | Brad Steven Solvie

Basic Computer Understanding and Skills

Basic Computer Understanding Section 1: What is a computer?Section 2: Different TypesSection 3: Different Operating SystemsSection 4: Different BrandsSection 5: Basic ComponentsSection 6: How to Buy a computerSection 7: How a computer boots upSection 8: Different States of a computerSection 9: I bought a computer, now what?

Understanding - What is a computer?

Computers are machines that perform tasks or calculations according to a set of instructions, or programs. The first fully electronic computers, introduced in the 1940s, were huge machines that required teams of people to operate. Compared to those early machines, today's computers are amazing. Not only are they thousands of times faster, they can fit on your desk, on your lap, or even in your pocket

Understanding – What is a computer?

Computers work through an interaction of hardware and software. Hardware refers to the parts of a computer that you can see and touch, including the case and everything inside it. The most important piece of hardware is a tiny rectangular chip inside your computer called the central processing unit (CPU), or microprocessor. It's the "brain" of your computer—the part that translates instructions and performs calculations. Hardware items such as your monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and other components are often called hardware devices, or devices.

Understanding – What is a computer?

• The computer processes input through input devices like mouse and keyboard.

• The computer displays output through output devices like color monitor and printer.

• Computers have become indispensable in today’s world. Millions of people use computers all over the world.

• There are several uses of computers:

Understanding – What is a computer?• Word Processing - Word Processing software automatically corrects spelling and grammar mistakes. If the content

of a document repeats you don’t have to type it each time. You can use the copy and paste features. You can printout documents and make several copies. It is easier to read a word-processed document than a handwritten one. You can add images to your document.

• Internet - It is a network of almost all the computers in the world. You can browse through much more information than you could do in a library. That is because computers can store enormous amounts of information. You also have very fast and convenient access to information. Through E-Mail you can communicate with a person sitting thousands of miles away in seconds. There is chat software that enables one to chat with another person on a real-time basis. Video conferencing tools are becoming readily available to the common man.

• Digital video or audio composition – Audio or video composition and editing have been made much easier by computers. It no longer costs thousands of dollars of equipment to compose music or make a film. Graphics engineers can use computers to generate short or full-length films or even to create three-dimensional models. Anybody owning a computer can now enter the field of media production. Special effects in science fiction and action movies are created using computers.

• Desktop publishing - With desktop publishing, you can create page layouts for entire books on your personal computer.

• Computers in Medicine - You can diagnose diseases. You can learn the cures. Software is used in magnetic resonance imaging to examine the internal organs of the human body. Software is used for performing surgery. Computers are used to store patient data.

• Mathematical Calculations - Thanks to computers, which have computing speeds of over a million calculations per second we can perform the biggest of mathematical calculations.

• Banks - All financial transactions are done by computer software. They provide security, speed and convenience.

Understanding – What is a computer?• Travel - One can book air tickets or railway tickets and make hotel reservations online.• Telecommunications - Software is widely used here. Also all mobile phones have software

embedded in them.• Defense - There is software embedded in almost every weapon. Software is used for controlling

the flight and targeting in ballistic missiles. Software is used to control access to atomic bombs.• E-Learning – Instead of a book it is easier to learn from an E-learning software.• Gambling-You can gamble online instead of going to a casino.• Examinations-You can give online exams and get instant results. You can check your examination

results online.• Computers in Business - Shops and supermarkets use software, which calculate the bills. Taxes can

be calculated and paid online. Accounting is done using computers. One can predict future trends of business using artificial intelligence software. Software is used in major stock markets. One can do trading online. There are fully automated factories running on software.

• Certificates - Different types of certificates can be generated. It is very easy to create and change layouts.

• ATM machines - The computer software authenticates the user and dispenses cash.• Marriage - There are matrimonial sites through which one can search for a suitable groom or bride.

Understanding – What is a computer?• News-There are many websites through which you can read the latest or old news.• Classmates-There are many alumni websites through which you can regain contact with your

classmates.• Robotics - Robots are controlled by software.• Washing Machines - They operate using software.• Microwave Oven - They are operated by software.• Planning and Scheduling - Software can be used to store contact information, generating plans,

scheduling appointments and deadlines.• Greeting Cards - You can send and receive greetings pertaining to different occasions.• Sports – Software is used for making umpiring decisions. There are simulation software using which

a sportsperson can practice his skills. Computers are also to identify flaws in technique.• Aero-planes – Pilots train on software, which simulates flying.• Weather analysis – Supercomputers are used to analyze and predict weather.

Understanding - Different Types

• Different types of Computers

Based on the operational principle of computers, they are categorized as analog computers and hybrid computers.

• Analog Computers: These are almost extinct today. These are different from a digital computer because an analog computer can perform several mathematical operations simultaneously. It uses continuous variables for mathematical operations and utilizes mechanical or electrical energy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt6RVrmvh-o

• Hybrid Computers: These computers are a combination of both digital and analog computers. In this type of computers, the digital segments perform process control by conversion of analog signals to digital ones.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt6RVrmvh-o


Hybrid Computers Examples: 1. bomb site on a WW2 bomber. Instead of using

ones and zeros, it had a series of continuous gears into which factors the airplane's speed and altitude that could be used to factor the exact time to drop the bombs.

2. the computer used in hospitals to measure the heartbeat of the patient. Hybrid Machines are generally used in scientific applications or in controlling industrial processes


Following are some of the other important types of computers.

• Mainframe Computers: Large organizations use mainframes for highly critical applications such as bulk data processing and ERP. Most of the mainframe computers have the capacities to host multiple operating systems and operate as a number of virtual machines and can thus substitute for several small servers.

• Microcomputers: A computer with a microprocessor and its central processing unit is known as a microcomputer. They do not occupy space as much as mainframes. When supplemented with a keyboard and a mouse, microcomputers can be called as personal computers. A monitor, a keyboard and other similar input output devices, computer memory in the form of RAM and a power supply unit come packaged in a microcomputer. These computers can fit on desks or tables and serve as the best choices for single-user tasks.


Personal computers come in a variety of forms such as desktops, laptops and personal digital assistants. Let us look at each of these types of computers.

•Desktops: A desktop is intended to be used on a single location. The spare parts of a desktop computer are readily available at relative lower costs. Power consumption is not as critical as that in laptops. Desktops are widely popular for daily use in workplaces and households.•Laptops: Similar in operation to desktops, laptop computers are miniaturized and optimized for mobile use. Laptops run on a single battery or an external adapter that charges the computer batteries. They are enabled with an inbuilt keyboard, touch pad acting as a mouse and a liquid crystal display. Its portability and capacity to operate on battery power have served as a boon for mobile users.


• Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): It is a handheld computer and popularly known as a palmtop. It has a touch screen and a memory card for storage of data. PDAs can also be effectively used as portable audio players, web browsers and smart phones. Most of them can access the Internet by means of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi communication.

• Minicomputers: In terms of size and processing capacity, minicomputers lie in between mainframes and microcomputers. Minicomputers are also called mid-range systems or workstations. The term began to be popularly used in the 1960s to refer to relatively smaller third generation computers. They took up the space that would be needed for a refrigerator or two and used transistor and core memory technologies. The 12-bit PDP-8 minicomputer of the Digital Equipment Corporation was the first successful minicomputer.


• Supercomputers: The highly calculation-intensive tasks can be effectively performed by means of supercomputers. Quantum physics, mechanics, weather forecasting, molecular theory are best studied by means of supercomputers. Their ability of parallel processing and their well-designed memory hierarchy give the supercomputers, large transaction processing powers.

• Wearable Computers: A record-setting step in the evolution of computers was the creation of wearable computers. These computers can be worn on the body and are often used in the study of behavior modeling and human health. Military and health professionals have incorporated wearable computers into their daily routine, as a part of such studies. When the users’ hands and sensory organs are engaged in other activities, wearable computers are of great help in tracking human actions. Wearable computers are consistently in operation as they do not have to be turned on and off and are constantly interacting with the user.

What Computer type am I?











Understanding - Different Operating Systems

• Operating System or OS -- is software, consisting of programs and data, that runs on computers, manages computer hardware resources, and provides common services for execution of various application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system. Without an operating system, a user cannot run an application program on their computer, unless the application program is self booting.


• An OS has brand Name• Each Brand has different versions of OS• Can anyone name a brand name of an OS?


• Common Brands. Windows or Mac• Others: UNIX / Linux, Google Chrome OS,

Novel• Before Windows, Microsoft used Dos. Dos

was a non- GUI OS (Graphical User Interface)• Window versions: Windows CE, Windows 3.x,

Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7


• Mac versions: Apple DOS 3.1, Apple System 1-7, Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9, Mac OS 10, Mac OS X

• Unix/Linux got its start in 1957-- Bell Labs found they needed an operating system for their computer center that at the time was running various batch jobs. The BESYS operating system was created at Bell Labs to deal with these needs.


• Unix/Linux has many variations or brands that have evolved since then

• Brands: BSD, FreeBSD, SCO/Caldera, Red Hat, Solaris, Linux

• Linux was not started until 1991, but it is the most noted UNIX OS


• Today’s computers are: 1. Multi-user - A multi-user operating system allows for multiple

users to use the same computer at the same time and different times.

2. Multiprocessing - An operating system capable of supporting and utilizing more than one computer processor.

3. Multitasking - An operating system that is capable of allowing multiple software processes to run at the same time.

4. Multithreading - Operating systems that allow different parts of a software program to run concurrently.









Understanding - Basic Components

• http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/23-computer-tour-video.htm

• Motherboard• CPU – Central Processing Unit• RAM – Random Access Memory• Video Card -• Power Supply• Hard disk or drive• Optical Drive

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/23-computer-tour-video.htm

http://videos.howstuffworks.com/howstuffworks/23-computer-tour-video.htm



• http://www.videojug.com/film/what-components-are-inside-my-computer

• Hardware and Software -- All of these components are usually found within the tower of a desktop computer. They are referred to as "hardware". Hardware can be thought of as the actual physical components that go into the computer. "Software" refers to the programs and systems that operate within the hardware.

http://www.videojug.com/film/what-components-are-inside-my-computer

http://www.videojug.com/film/what-components-are-inside-my-computer


Understanding - Basic Components• The Motherboard -- The motherboard is the “heart” of the

computer. It is the largest and most fundamental component of a PC and every other component is attached to it in some way. This is because all the different components use the motherboard to communicate and work with each other.

The motherboard has a series of slots, sockets and connectors for attaching the components of a PC. In most cases, the memory, accessory cards, and CPU are installed directly onto the motherboard. The drives and peripherals communicate with the motherboard through wired connections.

There are a wide range of motherboards to choose from. They differ in features, speed, capacity and the CPU supported. They also differ in size, shape and layout, this is commonly referred to as the "form factor"

Understanding - Basic Components • The CPU -- CPU stands for Central Processing Unit. This

is the brain of the computer and is often referred to as the "processor" or the "chip". It is found under a heat sink and fan and sits directly on the motherboard.

The CPU directs, coordinates and communicates with the other components and performs all of the "thinking". It's not really thinking, what a CPU actually does is perform mathematical calculations. It is the software that people write that translates those calculations into useful functions for us.

Understanding - Basic Components • RAM -- RAM stands for Random Access Memory, and

comes as modules in predefined amounts. It is also found directly on the motherboard and usually in one, two or four slots. The memory chips store information, temporarily, for short term use by the CPU. RAM is used to store information for files that are actually being used by the CPU at any given time.

The computer's RAM memory is an entirely different thing from the hard disk "memory". The hard disk stores information "permanently" for long term use.


• The Graphics Card -- The graphics card or video card translates information into the graphics and text that appear on the monitor screen. Most motherboards now include a slot specifically designed for the graphics adapter called the AGP slot. This stands for Advanced Graphics Port.Modern graphics adapters usually incorporate some memory right on the card to improve their performance.


• The Power Supply -- This supplies power to the other components, which is why it has so many wires coming out of it. It is usually positioned at the back top corner of the computer case. The power supply has a fan built into it to keep itself and the computer cool.

Understanding - Basic Components • The Hard Disk -- A hard disk - which is also called a "hard drive" - is

much like a filing cabinet. The programs and data are stored on the hard disk and the computer accesses them as they are needed. When the computer accesses the hard drive, it is reading and moving the stored information into the RAM memory. That memory is the temporary workspace. However, the original file is still on the hard disk and is left undisturbed until the file is saved.

When the computer stores or "saves" information, it writes the data to the hard disk. That process results in the old file being replaced or modified with the new information. If you save data to a new file, or install new software, the information is written to the disk in an available, unused portion of the disk.


• The Optical Drive -- The optical drive is often called a DVD drive, or a CD drive. It sits at the front of the computer for ease of access, and uses a laser to read and write information to CD's and DVD's

Understanding - How to Buy a computer

• What is important to any computer purchase?1. Ram – if money is tight, buy more RAM by choosing a lesser CPU or smaller hard drive. For Window7 buy

2 GB – 4 GB.2. CPU or processor – a multi-core CPU is mandatory today in desktops and laptop. CPU speed is less

important today because they are all very fast. http://www.cpubenchmark.net/common_cpus.html3. Hard drive – Get the largest you can (250 – 500 GB). The fastest hard drives is not always better.

Computers dislike heat, slower hard drives product less heat and last longer in home environments. SATA hard drive 7200RPM is a good choice.

• What is important to you as a individual?1. What do I want this computer for: general home/school computer (internet, email, Office suite software,

some video/audio use), High use AutoCad or Multimedia with audio and video editing, or Gaming. Gaming computers are like hot-rod car fast, strong, and expensive. Most general home/school computers can do most games very well.

2. Desktop, Laptop, or minicomputer (Tablet, IPAD, Multimedia phone)?– Desktop: will generally out last a laptop, faster and perform better than laptop, and cheaper

to work on and find replacement parts.– Laptop: Always buy the 3 year warranty on laptops. If you keep Laptop cool, they last

longer. Handle your power supply cord gently over time, it will need replacing. Laptops are nice on portability, but just expect to replace it sooner than a desktop

– Minicomputer – very convenient and fun. They are not full functioning PCs. Fun to have in addition to your desktop or laptop. Example: (your desktop have your music file on it, you your minicomputer to play files from it)

http://www.cpubenchmark.net/common_cpus.html


• Unless you have a geek in the family, I would not recommend buying a used computer.

• Know who you are buying from: Wal-Mart does not make computers, so if you have trouble after your 30 days are up, what do you do?

• Buying from a local company can have it advantages in support, but you will pay more.

• Buying from major brands like: HP and Dell is nice to. They offer you 24 hour support, online self-help, online training and instruction, online computer analysis, etc….


• Do you need a blue-ray player? They drive the cost up on computers, so ask yourself will I ever use it.

• Most monitors companies offer will meet your needs. There are many types and quality of monitors, but most new computers come with a descent 18-20 inch monitor.

• An external USB drive is nice to have for bakups. Of course you can use your DVD writer or online service for backups.

• Printers – The all-in-one printers (Copier, Scan, and Print) are the way to go. For printing pictures, I recommend using a commercial service. It is hard to buy photo paper and ink for what companies can do it for you.


• Today, most computers come with everything you need. There are not a lot of accessories that people need to buy extra

• Make sure it comes with a wired Optical Mouse and wired keyboard. Wireless is nice, but you will soon get tired of replacing batteries

• Most computes have a standard sound card and speakers, which meets most peoples needs

• Web-Cam – very nice in saving long distance calls


• For Desktops, you might want to consider a wireless adapter (just incase you can hardwire it)

• Have fun…….

Basic Computer SkillsSection 1: What is My Desktop?Section 2: Basic Desktop NavigationSection 3: Start buttonSection 4: My FilesSection 5: Customizing Your DesktopSection 5: Control PanelSection 6: Administration ToolsSection 7: Working With Folders and FilesSection 8: Working With ProgramsSection 9: Managing WindowsSection 10: Logging On and Off WindowsSection 11: Protecting Your computer

Basic Computer Skills Cover

• Use a mouse to point, click and double-click• Keyboard and typing tips• Opening and closing software files• Accessing a CD-ROM• Locating a saved file• How to copy and paste files or text

Engineering

Basic computer skills | Brad Steven Solvie