Basics Of Computers
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A Desktop Machine
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A Computer System
User
• Hardware
• Software
Software
• User
Hardware
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A Computer System (Contd.)
• In general, a computer is a machine
which accepts data, processes it and
returns new information as output.
Processing
Data Information
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Software
• Software is set of programs (which
are step by step instructions) telling
the computer how to process data.
• Softwares can be divided into two
groups:
- System SW
- Application SW
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Software (Contd.)
System Software
• It controls the overall operation of the
system.
• It is stored in the computer's memory and
instructs the computer to load, store, and
execute an application.
• Examples: Operating System (OS),
Translators
DOS, Windows, Unix etc.
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Software (Contd..)
Application Software
• They are Softwares written to perform specific
tasks.
• The basic types of application software are:
word processing, database, spreadsheet,
desktop publishing, and communication.
Examples: MSOffice, Tally, MSOutlook.
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Advantages of Using Computers
• Speed: Computers can carry out instructions
in less than a millionth of a second.
• Accuracy : Computers can do the calculations
without errors and very accurately.
• Diligence : Computers are capable of
performing any task given to them repetitively.
• Storage Capacity : Computers can store
large volume of data and information on
magnetic media.
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Types of Computers
On the basis of Computing Power &
Size:
• Laptop / Palmtop
• Micro Computer / Desktop
• Mini Computer / Mainframe
• Super Computer
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CPU ( Central Processing Unit)
• The central processing unit (CPU), also
known as just a "processor”, is the
"brain"
of your computer.
• It contains various electronic circuits.
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Keyboard
• The keyboard looks like a typewriter.
• It contains all the letters of the alphabet,
numbers and some special symbols.
• It operates like a typewriter keypad, but
instead of moving an arm, which strikes the
paper, it sends an electronic impulse to the
computer, which displays a character on the
monitor.
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Mouse
• Its a device that is used to control the
computer.
A cable connects the mouse to the computer.
• When the mouse is moved on a pad, called a
mouse pad, the cursor on the screen moves.
• A cursor is a small symbol displayed on the
computer screen (normally a diagonal arrow
that
is used as a pointer) that shows you what the
mouse is referencing on the screen.
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Printer
• A printer is designed to output information
from a computer onto a piece of paper.
• There are three kinds of printers:
dot matrix, laser, and inkjet.
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Scanner
• A scanner is a device used to copy an image off
paper and convert it into a digital image, which
can be saved as a computer file and stored on a
hard drive.
• Scanners can also use a special kind of
technology called Optical Character Recognition
(OCR) to read text from paper and save it as an
editable document file
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Inside The CPU Cabinet
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A Look Inside ..
power
supply CD-
ROM
drive
floppy
drive
cards
hard
drive
motherboard
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A Look Inside…
• Identify all the major components:
Power Supply
Motherboard
Memory
Card Slots
Cards (sound, video, network)
CPU, heatsink and fan
Drives (floppy, hard and CD-ROM)
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What these components do.
• Power Supply – (heart) supplies power to all the
circuitry and devices.
• Motherboard – (body) acts as a manager for
everything on the computer – connects all the
other components together.
• CPU – Central Processing Unit – (brain) this does
all the work of computing.
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What these components do..
• RAM – Random Access Memory – (short-term
memory) holds data and program instructions
that the computer is currently using.
• Hard Drive – (long-term memory) holds all of the
information that needs to be stored between uses
of the computer.
• Floppy and CD-ROM drives – (mouth/ears) allow
you to give data to the computer and take data
away from the computer.
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What these components do…
• Card Slots – (fingers) Allows other components
to be added to the computer.
• Video card – (face) Does all of the processing
necessary to get stuff looking nice on screen,
quickly.
• Sound card – (vocal cords) Allows sounds from
HD or CD-ROM to be played.
• Network Card – (telephone) allows computer to
talk to other computers over a wire.
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Motherboard
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RAM
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Hard Drive
We won’t remove this.
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CD-ROM Drive
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Ribbon Cables
polarized
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Video Card
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Sound Card
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CPU
• The central processing unit or (CPU) is the "brain"
of your computer. It contains the electronic circuits
that cause the computer to follow instructions from
memory.
• The CPU contains three main parts, all housed
in a single package (Chip):
Control Unit (CU)
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
Memory
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Major Peripherals
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Hard Disk
• Floppy Disk
• CD ROM
• Printer
• Scanner
• Joystick
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What is Operating System
OS is system software, which may be viewed
as collection of software consisting of
procedures for operating the computer.
It provides an environment for execution of
programs (application software).
It’s an interface between user & computer.
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Computer Machine
(Hardware)
Machine Language
(Low Level Language)
Operating System
Human Understandable
Language (High Level
Language)
User / Programmer
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A Second Classification
This Classification is based on the type of interface Operating System provides
for the user to work in.
Character User Interface (CUI)
The User has to type the commands on the command prompt to get the work
completed.
Ex. DOS, UNIX.
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
The User need not type any commands. He/She
just point and clicks on the desired Icon to get the
work done.
Ex. Windows (9X, XP, NT, 2000), Linux.
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Windows Operating System Hierarchy
• MS-DOS 1.x (1986)
• Windows 3.0 (1990)
• Windows NT (1993)
• Windows 95 (1995)
• Windows 98 (1998)
• Windows Millennium (2000)
• Windows 2000 Server Family (2000)
• Windows Xp (2001)
• Windows 2003 Server (2003)
• Windows Vista (2007)
• Windows 2008 Server (2008)
• Windows 7 (2009)
• Windows 8 (2012)
• Windows 8.1 (2013)
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Thank You
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