Chapter 1: Computer Basics
Chapter 1:
Computer Basics
Learning Objectives:
• Understand the purpose and elements of
information systems
• Recognize the different types of computers
• Distinguish the main software types
• Identify the components of a computer system
• Understand how computers communicate
Understanding Information
Systems
Information system: An interconnected environment
for managing and processing data using a computer
Parts of an information system:
1. People
2. Hardware
3. Software
4. Procedures
5. Data
Parts of an information
system
• People: The first step in planning an information
system is to analyze the requirements of the people
• Hardware: the physical parts of the computer
system.
• Software: a program that tells the hardware
what to do.
• Data: Computer programs operate upon the data
they receive.
• Procedures: The software doesn’t run itself
(usually). People must interact with the computer to
tell it what software to run.
Computer Hardware
Computer
• It is an electric device that:
– Access data (input)
– Manipulates the data (process)
– Provides output (output)
– Stores the results (storage)
Computer Types
Personal Computers
• A computer designed to be used by only one
person at a time. Personal computers fall into
several categories that are differentiated from
one another by their sizes
• There are four types of personal computers:
1. Desktop PC
2. Notebook PC
3. Tablet PC
4. Smartphone
Information Processing
Cycle
Information Processing Cycle:
• The four-step process that data moves through as it is
processed by a computer:
1. Input
2. Processing
3. Output
4. Storage
The information processing cycle
Desktop Components
Components of a typical desktop computer system
Information Processing
Input Devices
• Provides a way to get data into the
computer
• The Mouse used to point on items in
Microsoft Windows
• The Keyboard is still the commonest
way of entering information into a
computer
• Tracker Balls is an alternative to the
traditional mouse and often used by
graphic designers
Information Processing
Input Devices
• Scanners allow you to scan printed
material and convert it into a file
format that may be used within
the PC
• Touch Pads lay on the desktop and
responds to pressure
• Light Pens used to allow users to
point to areas on a screen
• Joysticks used to play games
Information Processing
Processing Devices
• Motherboard large circuit board inside a computer
that controls the operations of all other components
• Processor chip in the computer that performs math
calculations, processing data. Also called the Central
Processing Unit (CPU). The CPU speed affect the
performance of a computer.
• Memory (RAM) temporary electronic storage that
holds the values of data bits using transistors. The RAM
size affect the performance of a computer.
• Bus conductive pathway built into a circuit board, used
to move data.
• Chipset controller chip on a circuit board
Information Processing
A motherboard containing CPU, chipset, memory
Information Processing
Output Devices
• Provide results of processing to humans.
• Monitors is the computer screen is used
for outputting information in an
understandable format in soft copy
• Printers are used to output hard copy of
the results.
• Plotters are similar to printers but used to
print larger images.
Information Processing
Output Devices
• Speakers are the sound output devices.
They are used to enhance the educational
and presentation products.
• Speech synthesizers enable users to not
only to display text on a monitor but also
to read the text to you
Information Processing
Storage Devices
• Hard drive are internal sealed metal box that stores
computer data. It is used to store the operating system
that runs the computer.
