COMPUTER APPLICATIONS FOR BUSINESS

COMPUTER:
A computer is a machine that can be instructed to carry out sequences of arithmetic or logical
operations automatically via computer programming.

OR

It is a device for processing, storing, and displaying information.

The term computer is derived from the Latin term ‘computare’, this means to calculate or
programmable machine. Computer is an advanced electronic device that takes raw data as input from
the user and processes these data under the control of set of instructions (called program) and gives
the result (output) and saves output for the future use. It can process both numerical and non-
numerical (arithmetic and logical) calculations.

The first computers were used primarily for numerical calculations. However, as any information can
be numerically encoded, people soon realized that computers are capable of general-purpose
information processing. Their capacity to handle large amounts of data has extended the range and
accuracy of weather forecasting, their speed has allowed them to make decisions about routing
telephone connections through a network and to control mechanical systems such as automobiles,
nuclear reactors, and robotic surgical tools. They are also cheap enough to be embedded in everyday
appliances and to make clothes dryers and rice cookers “smart.” Computers have allowed us to pose
and answer questions that could not be pursued before.

FUNCTIONS OF COMPUTER:
 Accept data
 Process data
 Produces output
 Stores results

TYPES OF COMPUTER :
1. On the basis of size and power
2. On the basis of architecture
3. On basis of purpose

TYPES ON THE BASIS OF SIZE AND POWER:

 Main frame computer
 Super computer
 Mini computer
 Micro computer
 Special Purpose Computers
MAIN FRAME COMPUTER
These are computers used by large organizations for critical applications; bulk data processing.... They are
larger and have more processing power than some other classes of computers: minicomputers, servers,
workstations, and personal computers. Nearly all main frame computers have ability to host multiple
operating systems. Multiple users uses it....they are known for high capacity of storage... high processing speed
and greater reliability... Main frame computers were appeared in early 1940s. A single mainframe can replace
dozens or even hundreds of smaller servers.

SUPER COMPUTER:
A supercomputer is the fastest computer in the world that can process a significant amount of data very
quickly. The computing Performance of a "supercomputer" is measured very high as compared to a general
purpose computer. The supercomputer consists of tens of thousands of processors which can perform billions
and trillions of calculations per second, these computers are most massive concerning size. A most powerful
supercomputer can occupy few feet to hundreds of feet. The supercomputer price is very high.

Supercomputers were introduced in the 1960s and developed by Seymour Cray with the Atlas at the
University of Manchester. The Cray designed CDC 1604 which was the first supercomputer in the world, and it
replaces vacuum tube with transistors.

C HARACTERISTICS OF SUPER COMPUTER

• They can support more than a hundred users at a time.

• These machines are capable of handling the massive amount of calculations that are beyond the
human capabilities, i.e., the human is unable to solve such extensive calculations.

• Many individuals can access supercomputers at the same time.

• These are the most expensive computers that can ever be made.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MAINFRAME AND SUPER COMPUTER:

The chief difference between a supercomputer and a mainframe is that a supercomputer channels all its
power into executing a few programs as fast as possible, whereas a mainframe uses its power to execute many
programs concurrently.

Mainframe Computers Supercomputers

It is an extremely fast compute capable of

It is a large computer which is used as a large server and
performing hundreds of millions of instructions per
for intensive business applications.
second.

Its components are: multiple input/output devices,

A supercomputer usually includes more than one
magnetic disk, tape storage and many banks of internal
CPU.
storage.

It can typically run a variant of Linux as an operating It can run many types of operating system.
system.

It can do millions of instructions per second. It can do floating point operations per second.

It is used for bulk data processing like consumer It is used for nuclear weapon development, weather
statistics, ERP and financial transaction processing. forecasting, host processes for a local computer.

MINI COMPUTER:
A minicomputer is also known as mini. It is a class of small computers that was introduced into the world in
the mid-1960s. A minicomputer is a computer which has all the features of a large size computer, but its size is
smaller than those. A minicomputer lies between the mainframe and the microcomputer because its size is
smaller than the former one and larger than the latter one. A minicomputer is also called as a mid-range
computer. Minicomputers are mainly multi-users systems where more than one user can work simultaneously,

Minicomputer can support multi-users at a time or you can say that minicomputer is a multiprocessing
system. Also, the power of processing of minicomputers is not larger than the power of mainframe and
supercomputers. These minicomputers can do time-sharing, batch processing, and online processing.

S IZE OF M INI C OMPUTER

The size of minicomputers can range from 12 inches in width to less than 7. This small size is especially
attractive to students because they can use it anywhere they want.

T YPES OF M INI C OMPUTER :

The types of minicomputer are- tablet PC, Desktop minicomputers, cell phones, notebooks, high-end mP3
players, etc.

C HARACTERISTICS OF M INI C OMPUTER

• Its size is smaller than a mainframe or supercomputer

• It is less expensive than mainframe or supercomputer.
• It is less powerful than mainframe or supercomputer and more powerful than microcomputers and
workstations.
• It can do several tasks at once.
• It can be used by many people at one time.
• It is used by small enterprises.

MICRO COMPUTER:
A microcomputer is a computer in which the CPU (central processing unit, the brains of the computer) is
contained on one single chip, a microprocessor, input/output devices and storage (memory) unit. All these
components are important for a proper working of microcomputer.

Designed for individual use, a microcomputer is smaller than a mainframe or a minicomputer.

TYPES OF COMPUTER ON The basis of purpose:
1. General purpose
2. Special purpose

TYPES OF COMPUTER ON THE BASIS OF ARCHITECTURE

 Analog Computer
 Digital computer
 Hybrid computer

ANALOG COMPUTERS:
The word analog is derived from the Greek ana-logon, meaning "according to a ratio." Analog computer is
that computer, which is use to process continuously varying data. Everything we see and hear is change
continuously. This changeable continuous stream of data is called analog data. Analog computer can be used in
scientific and industrial applications such as measure the electrical current, frequency and resistance of
capacitor, etc.

The word analog is derived from the Greek ana-logon, meaning "according to a ratio." Analog computer use
Analog signal that can be represented as a sine wave or continuous wave and that contains time-varying
quantities. An analog signal may vary in signal amplitude or frequency. The analog wave's amplitude value is
the measure of a wave's intensity, related to the highest point (called a crest) and lower points of the wave's,
while the frequency (time) value is physical length from left to right. Examples of Analog signal are sound or
human speech, over an electrified copper wire.

Analog computers store data in a continuous form of physical quantities and perform calculations with the
help of measures. It is quite different from digital computers.

Analog computers are excellent for situations which require data to be measured directly without converting
into numerals or codes. Analog computers, although available and used in industrial and scientific applications
like control systems and aircraft, have been largely replaced by digital computers due to the wide range of
complexities involved.

DIGITAL COMPUTERS:
The digital computer is a programmable electronic device that processes numbers and words accurately and at
enormous speed. It comes in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from the familiar desktop microcomputer
to the minicomputer, mainframe, and supercomputer.

HYBRID COMPUTERS:
Hybrid computers are computers that exhibit features of analog computers and digital computers. The digital
component normally serves as the controller and provides logical and numerical operations, while the analog
component often serves as a solver of differential equations and other mathematically complex equations The
first desktop hybrid computing system was the Hycomp 250, released by Packard Bell in 1961 it include the
availability of both analog and digital computations within a single unit and an efficient processing speed. A
hybrid computer is individually designed and integrated, taking into consideration the field of its application
and processing requirements. A hybrid computer is constructed in such a way that its components make the
device fast and accurate.

GENERATION OF COMPUTERS:

1940 – 1956: FIRST GENERATION – VACUUM TUBES:

These early computers used vacuum tubes as circuitry and magnetic drums for memory. As a result they were
enormous, literally taking up entire rooms and costing a fortune to run. These were inefficient materials which
generated a lot of heat, sucked huge electricity and subsequently generated a lot of heat which caused
ongoing breakdowns.

These first generation computers relied on ‘machine language’ (which is the most basic programming language
that can be understood by computers). These computers were limited to solving one problem at a time. Input
was based on punched cards and paper tape. Output came out on print-outs. The two notable machines of this
era were the UNIVAC and ENIAC machines – the UNIVAC is the first every commercial computer which was
purchased in 1951 by a business – the US Census Bureau.

1956 – 1963: SECOND GENERATION – TRANSISTORS:

The replacement of vacuum tubes by transistors saw the advent of the second generation of computing.
Although first invented in 1947, transistors weren’t used significantly in computers until the end of the 1950s.
They were a big improvement over the vacuum tube, despite still subjecting computers to damaging levels of
heat. However they were hugely superior to the vacuum tubes, making computers smaller, faster, cheaper and
less heavy on electricity use. They still relied on punched card for input/printouts.

The language evolved from cryptic binary language to symbolic (‘assembly’) languages. This meant
programmers could create instructions in words. About the same time high level programming languages were
being developed (early versions of COBOL and FORTRAN). Transistor-driven machines were the first computers
to store instructions into their memories – moving from magnetic drum to magnetic core ‘technology’. The
early versions of these machines were developed for the atomic energy industry.

1964 – 1971: THIRD GENERATION – INTEGRATED CIRCUITS:

By this phase, transistors were now being miniaturised and put on silicon chips (called semiconductors). This
led to a massive increase in speed and efficiency of these machines. These were the first computers where
users interacted using keyboards and monitors which interfaced with an operating system, a significant leap
up from the punch cards and printouts. This enabled these machines to run several applications at once using
a central program which functioned to monitor memory.

As a result of these advances which again made machines cheaper and smaller, a new mass market of users
emerged during the ‘60s.
1972 – 2010: FOURTH GENERATION – MICROPROCESSORS

This revolution can be summed in one word: Intel. The chip-maker developed the Intel 4004 chip in 1971,
which positioned all computer components (CPU, memory, input/output controls) onto a single chip. What
filled a room in the 1940s now fit in the palm of the hand. The Intel chip housed thousands of integrated
circuits. The year 1981 saw the first ever computer (IBM) specifically designed for home use and 1984 saw the
Macintosh introduced by Apple. Microprocessors even moved beyond the realm of computers and into an
increasing number of everyday products.

The increased power of these small computers meant they could be linked, creating networks. Which
ultimately led to the development, birth and rapid evolution of the Internet. Other major advances during this
period have been the Graphical user interface (GUI), the mouse and more recently the astounding advances in
lap-top capability and hand-held devices.

2010- : FIFTH GENERATION – ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Computer devices with artificial intelligence are still in development, but some of these technologies are
beginning to emerge and be used such as voice recognition.

AI is a reality made possible by using parallel processing and superconductors. Leaning to the future,
computers will be radically transformed again by quantum computation, molecular and nano technology.

The essence of fifth generation will be using these technologies to ultimately create machines which can
process and respond to natural language, and have capability to learn and organise themselves.

DATA AND INFORMATION:

Data: Anything in raw form is known as data OR raw facts and figures is called data.

TYPES OF DATA:
1. Alphabetic data

2. Numeric data

3. Alpha numeric

4. Graphic

5. Audio

6. Video

7. Mix

Information: manipulated data is known as information

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN DATA AND INFORMATION:

Data Information

It’s in raw form It’s in processed form

It’s the input It’s the output

It is meaning less It is meaning full

It isn’t solid It is solid

It is rarely used It is frequently used

It is independent It is dependent

HARDWARE:
Computer hardware includes the physical, tangible parts or components of a computer, such as the cabinet,
central processing unit, monitor, keyboard, computer data storage, graphics card, sound card, speakers and
motherboard.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE :

A computer system consists of two major elements: hardware and software. Computer hardware is the
collection of all the parts you can physically touch. Computer software, on the other hand, is not something
you can touch. Software is a set of instructions for a computer to perform specific operations. You need both
hardware and software for a computer system to work.

COMPONENTS OF HARDWARE:
Hardware consists of input devices, CPU and output devices

INPUT DEVICES
The devices with the help of which we can insert/feed data into computer is known as input devices

K EYBOARD :
One of the main input devices used on a computer, a computer keyboard looks very similar to the keyboards
of electric typewriters, with some additional keys.

M OUSE :
Mouse is a pointer device. The mouse allows an individual to control a pointer in a graphical user interface
(GUI). Utilizing a mouse a user has the ability to perform various functions such as opening a program or file
and does not require the user to memorize commands.

S CANNER :
Input device that allows a user to take an image and/or text and convert it into a digital file, allowing the
computer to read and/or display the scanned object

M ICROPHONE :
Sometimes abbreviated as mic, a microphone is a hardware peripheral that allows computer users to input
audio into their computers.
W EBCAM :
A camera connected to a computer that allows anyone connected to the Internet to view still pictures or
motion video of a user

T OUCH SCREEN

V OICE RECOGNITION

P OINTING DEVICES

D IGITAL CAMERA :
A type of camera that stores the pictures or video it takes in electronic format instead of to film

CPU:
The brain of computer, it is the administration section it controls all the activities of computer CPU has 2 units

1. Control unit
2. Arithmatic logic unit

C ONTROL U NIT
The Control Unit does the “housekeeping” i.e. ensures that the instructions are processed on time, in the
proper sequence, and operate on the correct data. It controls all the activities it receives data from input
devices process to memory and then to ALU then back to memory and then to output devices. : extracts
instructions from memory and decodes and executes them

A RITHEMATIC LOGIC UNIT

Handles arithmetic and logical operations

The Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) executes the actual instructions. It knows how to add or multiply numbers,
compare data, or convert data into different internal formats. : it is the calculation sector of the computer it
provides functions of (Arithematic unit+ - * / %) (logic unit = > < >= <=)

STORAGE DEVICES:
It stores data during processing and then deletes after processing. It is also known as memory. It is of
two types

1. Primary memory
2. Auxiliary memory

P RIMARY MEMORY

1. Ram ( random access memory)

2. Rom ( Read only memory)
3. cache

RAM:
Ram can read write and erase memory it is temporary memory and it is volatile it is semi conductor memory

ROM:
Rom is known as read only memory
It can only read memory
It is permanent memory
It is non volatile and it is semi conductor

A UXILIARY M EMORY
It is also known as secondary memory. It contains the following devices:

H ARD DISK AND FLOPPY

M AGNETIC DISK

CD R OM COMPACT DISK READ ONLY MEMORY

CDR COMPACT DISK READABLE

CDRW COMPACT DISK READ WRITE

WORM WROTE ONCE READ MEAN

DVD ROM DIGITAL VERSATILE DISK

F LASH MEMORY

USB

SSD

O PTICAL DISK

OUTPUT DEVICES:
Those type of device which provide results / outputs from the computer it provides information/data to the
outside world,,,,

It includes the following devices:

M ONITOR
( monochrome monitors……color monitors….flatpanner/lcd/led)

A monitor is a video display screen. Monitor is also called as Visual Display Unit (VDU) or Video Display
Terminal (VDT).

CRT

P RINTER :
A printer is an output device responsible for taking computer data and generating a hard copy of that data.

I MPACT PRINTERS :
those are noisy )
DOT MATRIX PRINTERS
it uses pins which consist of 9-24 pins its quality depeds on number of pins

DAISY WHEEL PRINTERS

 it uses rules of type writer uses wheel and a hammer

N ON I MPACT P RINTERS :
 (it aint noisy)

 LAZER PRINTERS
 it works on principles of photo copier and is fast one it is expensive and high quality

 INK JET PRINTERS

: it consist of both coloured and black and white ones

S PEAKERS

SOFTWARE:
It is combination of programs which control all the programs of computers

System software allocates task to each part of computer..it must be installed in every computer…. It is also
known as the operating system,,,, without it system will work dumb,,,alll application softwares are executed
through system software,,,, system programmer makes system software ….

It is combination of the following programs

System management programs

System support programs

And system development programs

TYPES OF SOFTWARE:
1. System Software
2. Application software:

SYSTEM SOFTWARE:
System software refers to the operating system and all utility programs that manage computer resources at a
low level. Operating system controls and manages the computing resources. Examples of operating system:
Windows, Unix, MSDOS, Linux, Mac.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE:
Applications software comprises programs designed for an end user, such as word processors, database
systems, and spreadsheet programs. Application software makes computer popular and easy to use. Common
application software: • Microsoft Word, WordPerfect • PowerPoint • Netscape, Internet Explorer •
PhotoShop, Photo-Paint • Quick Time • Dreamweave

G ENERAL PURPOSE SOFTWARES

S PECIAL P URPOSE S OFTWARES

OPERATING SYSTEM:
Operating system is a set of software that controls and manages hardware and basic system operations for a
computer. The operating system loads programs into the computer's memory, runs these programs, and
manages peripherals like disks and printers.

DATABASE:
Three of the most important terms to know about databases are

 Fields: Each piece of data in the address book is stored in its own location, called a field. For example,
each entry has a field for Name, as well as fields for Address, City, State, ZIP code, and Phone. Each
unique type of data is stored in its own field. (The term column is sometimes used instead of field.
IBM uses column fairly consistendy, and Microsoft now uses it increasingly.) »

 Record: One full set of fields—that is, all the related data about one person or object—is called a
record. Therefore, all the information for the first person is record 1, all the information for the
second person is record 2, and so on. (The term row is sometimes used instead of record by IBM and
Microsoft.)

 Tables. A complete collection of records makes a table.

Once you have a structure for storing data, you can add new data, create reports, and perform other tasks
with the data. For example, you might create a customer report that groups customers by ZIP code. These
extra documents—forms and reports—along with the tables, collectively form a database, as shown in Figure
11 A3. Two of the most common elements of a database arc forms and reports:

» Forms are documents that are filled in to create records.

» Reports are documents that display a select portion of a database’s information in an easily read format.
Such a report might list all overdue accounts.

OR …………….
the Database is an organized collection of data related to a particular topic or purpose. The database serves as
a base from which desired information can be retrieved; many meaningful conclusions can be drawn. A
database stored electronically has distinct advantages over a manually organized system. A database can be
maintained in a computer by using a database management system (DBMS). DBMS is an application
that enables to maintain data in a database. Maintaining data involves storing, organizing and retrieving data.
MS-Access is a Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) that is used to store and manipulate large
amount of information. The extension name of Ms-Access file is .mdb.

An Access Database consists of 7 different Database objects.

1. Tables :
Store database data in Rows (records) and columns (fields). Every row represents a Record. Each
piece of information in a record is called a Field. Ex: A table can contain personal information about
all the students in a college. Every row containing information about a student represents a record.
The records in the student table can include fields such as Admission number, Student name, Address,
Phone number etc.
2. Queries : used to retrieve information from a database based on specific conditions. Ex: A Query can
be used to extract details about students studying in a particular class.
3. Forms : used as interfaces for users to enter, view and modify data in a Table.
4. Reports : used to present data from tables or Queries in a format of our choice. i.e the printable
form of the table or query or form. We
cannot make changes to the data in a report. We can format the data in a report.
5. Pages : display shortcuts to data access pages in the database. A data access page displays data stored
in a database over the internet.
6. Macros : used to automate frequently performed tasks. Ex: we can create a macro to print a report
automatically.
7. Modules : used to perform advanced database operations, such as validating data against
complex conditions.