Computer Studies

Khansa Saleem
Lecturer in CS & IT department
[email protected]
Book:
Discovering Computers
Living in a Digital World
FUNDAMENTALS, 2011 EDITION

By
Gary B. Shelly
Misty E. Vermaat
Chapter 1
Introduction to computer
What is Computer?
A computer is an electronic device, operating
under the control of instructions stored in its
own memory, that can accept data, process the
data according to specified rules, produce
results, and store the results for future use.
Data & Information
Computers process data into information.
• Data is a collection of unprocessed items, which
can include text, numbers, images, audio, and
video.
• Information conveys meaning and is useful to
people.
The Components of a Computer
system unit
• system unit is a case that contains electronic components
of the computer that are used to process data.
• The circuitry of the system unit usually is part of or is
connected to a circuit board called the motherboard.
• Two main components on the motherboard are the
processor and memory.
▫ The processor, also called the CPU (central processing
unit), is the electronic component that interprets and
carries out the basic instructions that operate the
computer.
▫ Memory consists of electronic components that store
instructions waiting to be executed and data needed by
those instructions.
Storage Devices
• Storage holds data, instructions, and information for future use
• A computer keeps data, instructions, and information on
storage media. Examples of storage media are USB flash
drives, hard disks, optical discs, and memory cards.
• A storage device records (writes) and/or retrieves (reads) items
to and from storage media.
▫ The average USB flash drive can hold about 4 billion characters.
▫ The average hard disk can hold more than 320 billion characters.
▫ A CD can hold from 650 million to 1 billion characters.
▫ Some DVDs can store two full-length movies or 17 billion
characters.
▫ Blu-ray Discs can store about 46 hours of standard video, or 100
billion characters.
Communications Devices
• A communications device is a hardware component that
enables a computer to send (transmit) and receive data,
instructions, and information to and from one or more
computers or mobile devices.
• A widely used communications device is a modem.
• Communications occur over cables, telephone lines,
cellular radio networks, satellites, and other
transmission media.
• Some transmission media, such as satellites and cellular
radio networks, are wireless, which means they have no
physical lines or wires
Advantages of Using Computers
• Speed: Many computers process billions or trillions of
operations in a single second.
• Reliability: The electronic components in modern
computers are reliable because they rarely break or fail.
• Consistency: Computers generate error-free results,
provided the input is correct and the instructions work.
• Storage: Computers store enormous (huge )amounts of
data and make this data available for processing
anytime it is needed.
• Communications: Most computers today can
communicate with other computers, often wirelessly.
Disadvantages of Using Computers
• Violation of Privacy: In many instances, where personal and confidential
records stored on computers were not protected properly, individuals have
found their privacy violated and identities stolen.
• Public Safety: Adults, teens, and children around the world are using
computers to share publicly their photos, videos, journals, music, and
other personal information.
• Health Risks: Computer users can protect themselves from health risks
through proper workplace design, good posture while at the computer,
and appropriately spaced work breaks. Two behavioral health risks are
computer addiction and technology overload.
• Impact on Environment: Green computing involves reducing the
electricity consumed and environmental waste generated when using a
computer. Strategies that support green computing include recycling,
regulating manufacturing processes, extending the life of computers, and
immediately donating or properly disposing of replaced computers.
Networks and the Internet
• A network is a collection of computers and devices
connected together, often wirelessly, via
communications devices and transmission media.
• Networks allow computers to share resources, such as
hardware, software, data, and information. Sharing
resources saves time and money.
• The Internet is a worldwide collection of networks that
connects millions of businesses, government agencies,
educational institutions, and individuals.
social networking Website
• The Web, short for World Wide Web, is one of the
more popular services on the Internet.
• The Web contains billions of documents called Web
pages.
• A Web page can contain text, graphics, animation,
audio, and video.
• A Website is a collection of related Web pages.
• Millions of people worldwide join online communities,
each called a social networking Website or online social
network, that encourage members to share their
interests, ideas, stories, photos, music, and videos with
other registered users.
social networking Website
• A blog is an informal Web site consisting of time stamped articles
in a diary or journal format, usually listed in reverse chronological
order.
• A microblog, such as Twitter, allows users to publish short
messages, usually between 100 and 200 characters, for others to
read.
• A podcast is recorded audio stored on a Web site that can be
downloaded to a computer or a portable media player such as an
iPod.
• A Web application is a Web site that allows users to access and
interact with software from any computer or device that is
connected to the Internet. Examples of software available as Web
applications include those that allow you to send and receive e-
mail messages, prepare your taxes, organize digital photos, create
documents, and play games.
Computer Software
• Software, also called a program, is a series of related
instructions, organized for a common purpose, that
tells the computer what task(s) to perform and how
to perform them. You interact with a program
through its user interface.
• The two categories of software are
▫ System software
 Operating system
 Utility Programs
▫ Application software.
Installing and Running Programs
• Installing is the process of setting up software to
work with the computer, printer, and other
hardware.
• When you instruct the computer to run an
installed program, the computer loads it, which
means the program is copied from storage to
memory.
• Once in memory, the computer can carry out, or
execute, the instructions in the program so that
you can use the program.
Software Development
• A programmer, sometimes called a developer, is
someone who develops software or writes the
instructions that direct the computer to process
data into information.
• Popular programming languages include C++,
Visual C#, Visual Basic, JavaScript, and Java.
Categories of computer
• Personal computers (desktop)
• Mobile computers and mobile devices
• Game
• Mainframes
• Supercomputers
• Embedded computers
personal computer
• A personal computer is a computer that can
perform all of its input, processing, output, and
storage activities by itself.
• Two popular architectures of personal computers
are the PC and the Apple.
• Two types of personal computers are desktop
computers and notebook computers.
▫ A desktop computer is designed so that the system
unit, input devices, output devices, and any other
devices fit entirely on or under a desk or table
Mobile computers and mobile devices
Mobile computers and mobile devices
• Notebook computer
• Tablet PC
• Smart phones, PDAs
• E-book reader
• Handheld computers
• Portable media players (I pod)
• Digital cameras
Game console
• A game console is a mobile computing device
designed for single player or multiplayer video
games.
• Xbox
• Play stations
server
• A server controls access to the hardware,
software, and other resources on a network and
provides a centralized storage area for programs,
data, and information.
• Servers support from two to several thousand
connected computers at the same time.
Mainframe
• A mainframe is a large, expensive, powerful
computer that can handle hundreds or
thousands of connected users simultaneously.
Supercomputer
• A supercomputer is the fastest, most powerful computer and
the most expensive.
• The fastest supercomputers are capable of processing more
than one quadrillion instructions in a single second.
• Applications requiring complex, sophisticated mathematical
calculations use super computers.
• Large-scale simulations and applications in medicine,
aerospace, automotive design, online banking, weather
forecasting, nuclear energy research, and petroleum
exploration use a supercomputer
Embedded Computers
• An embedded computer is a special-purpose
computer that functions as a component in a
larger product.
A variety of everyday products contain embedded
computers:
▫ Consumer electronics
▫ Home automation devices
▫ Automobiles
▫ Process controllers and robotics
▫ Computer devices and office machines
Examples of computer usage
Examples of computer usage
Computer Applications in Society
• Education
• Finance
• Government
• Health care
• Science
• Publishing
• Manufacturing
• Travel