I. What is a computer?

A computer is a machine or device that performs processes,

calculations and operations based on instructions provided by
a software or hardware program. It is designed to execute
applications and provides a variety of solutions by combining
integrated hardware and software components.

II. Uses of computer

 Education: Getting the right kind of
information is a major challenge as is getting
information to make sense. Research shows
that computers can significantly enhance
performance in learning. Students exposed to
the internet say they think the web has helped
them improve the quality of their academic
research and of their written work.
 Health and Medicine: Computer
technology is radically changing the tools of
medicine. All medical information can now be digitized. Software is now able to
computer the risk of a disease.
 Science: Scientists have long been users of it. A new adventure among scientists is the
idea of a “collaboratory”, an internet based collaborative laboratory, in which
researchers all over the world can work easily together even at a distance.
 Business: Business clearly see the interest as a way to enhance productivity and
competitiveness. Some areas of business that are undergoing rapid changes are sales
and marketing, retailing, banking, stock trading, etc. Sales representatives not only
need to be better educated and more knowledgeable about their customer’s
businesses, but also must be comfortable with computer technology. The internet has
become a popular marketing tool. The world of cybercash has come to banking – not
only smart cards but internet banking, electronic deposit, bill paying, online stock and
bond trading, etc.
 Recreation and Entertainment: Our entertainment and pleasure-time have also been
affected by computerization.
 Government: Various departments of the Government use computer for their planning,
control and law enforcement activities. To name a few – Traffic, Tourism, Information &
Broadcasting, Education, Aviation and many others.
 Defense: There are many uses computers in Defense such as:
o Controlling UAV or unmanned air-crafts an example is Predator. If you have
cable, I would recommend watching the shows “Future Weapons" and “Modern
Marvels". The show future weapon gives an entire hour to the predator.
o They are also used on Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) that uses GPS
and Computers to help the missile get to the target.
o Computers are used to track incoming missiles and help slew weapons systems
onto the incoming target to destroy them.
o Computers are used in helping the military find out where all their assets are
(Situational Awareness) and in Communications/Battle Management Systems.
 o Computers are used in the logistic and ordering functions of getting equipment to
and around the battlefield.
o Computers are used in tanks and planes and ships to target enemy forces, help
run the platform and more recently to help diagnose any problems with the
platforms.
o Computers help design and test new systems.

 Sports: In today's technologically growing society, computers are being used in nearly
every activity.
 Recording Information: Official statistics keepers and some scouts use computers to
record statistics, take notes and chat online while attending and working at a sports
event.
 Analyzing Movements: The best athletes pay close attention to detail. Computers can
slow recorded video and allow people to study their specific movements to try to
improve their tendencies and repair poor habits.
 Writers: Many sportswriters attend several sporting events a week, and they take their
computers with them to write during the game or shortly after while their thoughts are
fresh in their mind.
 Scoreboard: While some scoreboards are manually updated, most professional sports
venues have very modern scoreboards that are programmed to update statistics and
information immediately after the information is entered into the computer.
 Safety: Computers have aided in the design of safety equipment in sports such as
football helmets to shoes to mouth guards
III. Types of computers

1. Supercomputer: The most powerful

computers in terms of performance and
data processing are the Supercomputers.
These are specialized and task specific
computers used by large organizations.
These computers are used for research
and exploration purposes, like NASA uses
supercomputers for launching space
shuttles, controlling them and for space
exploration purpose. The supercomputers
are very expensive and very large in size. It can be accommodated in large air-
conditioned rooms; some super computers can span an entire building.
2. Mainframe Computer: Although Mainframes are not as powerful as supercomputers,
but certainly they are quite expensive
nonetheless, and many large firms &
government organizations uses Mainframes to
run their business operations. The Mainframe
computers can be accommodated in large air-
conditioned rooms because of its size. Super-
computers are the fastest computers with large
data storage capacity, Mainframes can also
process & store large amount of data. Banks
educational institutions & insurance companies
 use mainframe computers to store data about their customers, students & insurance
policy holders.
3. Minicomputers: Minicomputers are used
by small businesses & firms. Minicomputers
are also called as “Midrange Computers”.
These are small machines and can be
accommodated on a disk with not as
processing and data storage capabilities as
super-computers & Mainframes. These
computers are not designed for a single
user. Individual departments of a large
company or organizations use Mini-
computers for specific purposes. For example, a production department can use Mini-
computers for monitoring certain production process.
4. Microcomputer: Desktop
computers, laptops, personal digital
assistant (PDA), tablets & smartphones
are all types of microcomputers. The
micro-computers are widely used & the
fastest growing computers. These
computers are the cheapest among the
other three types of computers. The
Micro-computers are specially designed
for general usage like entertainment,
education and work purposes. Well
known manufacturers of Micro-computer are Dell, Apple, Samsung, Sony & Toshiba.
Desktop computers, Gaming consoles, Sound & Navigation system of a car, Netbooks,
Notebooks, PDA’s, Tablet PC’s, Smartphones, Calculators are all type of
Microcomputers.

IV. Basic parts of a computer and their functions

 System Unit
The system unit, also known as a "tower" or "chassis," is the main
part of a desktop computer. It includes the motherboard, CPU, RAM,
and other components. The system unit also includes the case that
houses the internal components of the computer.
 Monitor
The monitor is the piece of computer hardware that displays the video and graphics
information generated by the computer through the video card.
o CRT: These monitors employ CRT technology,
which was used most commonly in the
manufacturing of television screens. With these
monitors, a stream of intense high energy
electrons is used to form images on a fluorescent
screen. A cathode ray tube is basically a vacuum
tube containing an electron gun at one end and a
fluorescent screen at another end.
 o LCD: The LCD monitor incorporates one of the most
advanced technologies available today. Typically, it consists of
a layer of color or monochrome pixels arranged schematically
between a couple of transparent electrodes and two polarizing
filters. Optical effect is made possible by polarizing the light in
varied amounts and making it pass through the liquid crystal
layer.
o LED: LED monitors are the latest types of
monitors on the market today. These are flat
panel, or slightly curved displays which make use
of light-emitting diodes for back-lighting, instead
of cold cathode fluorescent (CCFL) back-lighting
used in LCDs. LED monitors are said to use
much lesser power than CRT and LCD and are
considered far more environmentally friendly.
 Mouse: A computer mouse is a handheld hardware input device that
controls a cursor in a GUI (graphical user interface) and can move and select
text, icons, files, and folders on your computer.
 Keyboard: A computer keyboard is one of
the primary input devices used with a computer.
Similar to an electric typewriter, a keyboard is composed of buttons
that create letters, numbers, and symbols, as well as perform other
functions.
 Speaker: A computer speaker is an output hardware device that connects
to a computer to generate sound. The signal used to
produce the sound that comes from a computer speaker
is created by the computer's sound card.
 Printer: A printer is an external hardware output
device that takes the electronic data stored on a computer
or other device and generates a hard copy of it.
V. Other peripheral devices of a computer and their functions
 Headset: A headset is a hardware device that connects to a telephone or
computer that allow the user to talk and listen while keeping their hands free.
 Smartboard: A SMART Board is one brand of
interactive whiteboard. At its simplest, an interactive
whiteboard allows you to project an image and
'interact' with it by writing on it or moving it around. The
SMART Board is connected to a computer and works with a
projector. The projector displays what is open on the
computer and, rather than using a mouse or keyboard
(although you can use those also), the SMART Board is a touch screen, which allows
you to manipulate anything on the screen using your fingers. It is similar to how you
would use a tablet or iPad. Special pe ns are included in a SMART Board to make
writing in different colors quick and easy.
 Digitizer Tablet: An input device that enables you to enter drawings and sketches into
a computer. A digitizing tablet consists of an electronic tablet and a cursor or pen. A
 cursor (also called a puck) is similar to a mouse, except that it has a
window with cross hairs for pinpoint placement, and it can have
as many as 16 buttons. A pen (also called a stylus) looks
like a simple ballpoint pen but uses an electronic head
instead of ink. The tablet contains electronics that enable it
to detect movement of the cursor or pen and translate the
movements into digital signals that it sends to the computer.
 Touch Screen: A touch screen is a display device that allows the
user to interact with a computer by using their finger or stylus. They
can be a useful alternative to a mouse or keyboard for navigating a
GUI (graphical user interface). Touch screens are used on a variety
of devices, such as computer and laptop display, smartphones,
tablets, cash registers, and information kiosks.
 Projector: A projector is an output device that can take
images generated by a computer or Blu-ray player and
reproduce them by projection onto a screen, wall, or
another surface. In most cases, the surface projected
onto is large, flat, and lightly colored.
 Bar code reader: A BCR (barcode reader) or scanner, also known
as a POS (point of sale) scanner is a hardware input device capable of reading a
barcode using a laser. It can also print out the details of the product or log
information about that product into a database. A perfect example of
a barcode reader is a supermarket barcode scanner that reads
and logs the price of a product.
 Web Camera: A webcam is a camera that connects to a
computer. It captures either still pictures or motion video, and with
the aid of software, can transmit its video on the Internet in real-time.
VI. Parts of a system unit and their functions
The system unit is the box-like case that contains the electronic
components of a computer. Many people erroneously refer to this as the CPU. Here you
will find devices like the power supply, different drives, the fan, the connectors, and the
motherboard. Note that in most cases, the monitor, keyboard, and mouse will not be
found inside the system unit layout. Other names for the system unit include the
computer chassis, cabinet, box, tower, enclosure, housing, or simply case.

 The Motherboard: The motherboard is sometimes called the system board or main
board. It is the main circuit board of a microcomputer. This component contains the
connectors for attaching additional boards. All other parts connect in one way or another
to the motherboard. This part typically contains the CPU, BIOS, memory, mass storage
interfaces, serial and parallel ports, expansion slots, and all the controllers required to
control standard peripheral devices, such as the display screen, keyboard, mouse, and
 disk drive. When you
are reading about
motherboards, you
won't fail to come
across the term
motherboard form
factors, which
describes the general
shape, the type of
case, and the power
supply it can use. It
also describes the
physical organization
of the motherboard.
 Central Processing
Unit (CPU): is the
portion of a computer
system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, and is the primary
element carrying out the computer's functions. The central processing unit carries out
each instruction of the program in sequence, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical,
and input/output operations of the system.
 CPU Fan: used for cooling purposes, and may refer to fans that draw cooler air into the
case from the outside, expel warm air from inside, or move air across a heatsink to cool
a particular component.
 CPU Heat Sink: is a term for a component or assembly that transfers heat generated
within a solid material to a fluid medium, such as air or a liquid.
 Hard Disk Drive: A hard disk drive is a high capacity, non-volatile, magnetic data
storage device with a volume (disk) that is usually non-removable. Data is magnetically
read and written on the platter by read/write heads that float on a cushion of air above
the platters.
 Power Supply Unit: The power supply unit (PSU) is used to convert AC currents from
the main supply to the different DC voltages required by various computer components.
Power supplies are quoted as having a certain power output specified in watts, A
standard power supply would typically be able to deliver around 350 watts. You will
need more power from the power supply if your PC has more operating components.
 CD-ROM Drive: This is a high capacity optical data storage device with a removable
disk. It writes data onto or reads data from a storage medium. A CD-ROM drive may be
connected to the computer via an IDE (ATA), SCSI, S-ATA, Firewire, or USB interface
or a proprietary interface.
 Video Card: A video card, video adapter, graphics accelerator card, display adapter, or
graphics card is an expansion card whose function is to generate output images to a
display. Many video cards offer added functions, such as accelerated rendering of 3D
scenes and 2D graphics, video capture, TV-tuner adapter, MPEG-2/MPEG-4 decoding,
FireWire, light pen, TV output, or the ability to connect multiple monitors (multi-monitor).
Other modern high-performance video cards are used for more graphically demanding
purposes, such as PC games.
 RAM – random-access memory: the most common computer memory which can be
used by programs to perform necessary tasks while the computer is on; an integrated
circuit memory chip allows information to be stored or accessed in any order and all
storage locations are equally accessible.
 Modem: is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital
information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted
information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded
to reproduce the original digital data. Modems can be used over any means of
transmitting analog signals, from driven diodes to radio.
 Sound Card or Audio Card: is a computer expansion card that facilitates the input and
output of audio signals to and from a computer under control of computer programs.
Typical uses of sound cards include providing the audio component for multimedia
applications such as music composition, editing video or audio, presentation, education,
and entertainment (games). Many computers have sound capabilities built in, while
others require additional expansion cards to provide for audio capability.
 SATA Cable (Serial Advanced Technology Attachment) - is a computer bus
interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk
drives and optical drives. Serial ATA was designed to replace the older ATA (AT
Attachment) standard (also known as EIDE). It is able to use the same low-level
commands, but serial ATA host-adapters and devices communicate via a high-speed
serial cable over two pairs of conductors. In contrast, the parallel ATA (the
redesignation for the legacy ATA specifications) used 16 data conductors each
operating at a much lower speed. SATA offers several advantages over the older
parallel ATA (PATA) interface: reduced cable-bulk and cost (reduced from 80 wires to
seven), faster and more efficient data transfer, and hot swapping. The SATA host
adapter is integrated into almost all modern consumer laptop computers and desktop
motherboards. As of 2009, SATA has replaced parallel ATA in most shipping consumer
PCs. PATA remains in industrial and embedded applications dependent on
CompactFlash storage although the new CFast storage standard will be based on
SATA.
VII. Parts of the motherboard and their functions

 Processor Socket: The processor socket is the central piece of a motherboard, usually
being located near the center of the motherboard. It’s also the central piece because it
holds the processor – the brain of your computer.
 Power Connectors: No computer component can operate without power, and a
motherboard is no exception. The power connector, commonly a 20 or 24-pin
connector, can be situated either near the right edge of the motherboard, or somewhere
close to the processor socket on older motherboards. This is where the power supply’s
main connector gets attached, providing power to the motherboard and all the other
components. Newer motherboards have an additional 4-pin or 8-pin connector near the
processor, used to supply additional power directly to the processor.
 Memory Slots: Located in the upper-right part of the motherboard, the memory slots
are used to house the computer’s memory modules. The number of slots can vary,
depending on motherboard, from 2, in low-end motherboards, all the way up to 8
memory slots, on high-end and gaming motherboards. It is important to pay close
attention to the type of memory a motherboard supports, in order to buy the appropriate
memory modules. Newer motherboards support DDR3 memory, the current industry
standard memory architecture, but motherboards with DDR2 memory slots and even
DDR1 memory slots are still present on the market. An interesting aspect is that there
are some older motherboard models that supported different types of memory, and
usually come with two DDR1 memory slots and 2 DDR2 memory slots, or two DDR2
slots and two DDR3 slots. These motherboards were great options for people that
 wanted to upgrade a motherboard without having to upgrade all the other components
as well.
 Video Card Slot: This is the type of slot that doesn’t need an explanation, as its name
doesn’t leave much room for interpretation as to what its role is. Coming in the form of a
PCI-Express slot on newer motherboards or AGP on older ones, the video card slot is
situated right below the processor. It is not uncommon for older motherboards,
especially those that target the office segment, to lack this slot, meaning that you won’t
be able to install a discrete video card, thus having to rely on the integrated one. At the
opposite pole, high-end gaming motherboards come with multiple video card slots,
allowing the installation of multiple video cards in a SLI or CrossFire configuration.
 Expansion Slots: Expansions have the role of letting you install additional components
to enhance or expand the functionality of your PC. You can install a TV tuner, a video
capture card, a better soundcard, etc. – you get the idea. These ports are located under
the video card slot, and come in the form of PCI slots (on older motherboards) or a
scaled-down version of PCI-Express slots (on newer motherboards). Some
motherboards come with both types of expansion slots. The number of slots is usually
dependent on the format of the motherboard – larger motherboards (full ATX) have
more, while smaller formats (micro-ATX) have fewer, if any.
 IDE and SATA Ports: IDE and SATA ports are used to provide connectivity for the
storage devices and optical drives. The IDE interface is somewhat outdated, so you
shouldn’t be surprised if you see a lot of new motherboards coming without this type of
port. It was replaced by the smaller and much faster SATA interface, which currently
reached its 3rd revision, being able to achieve maximum speeds of up to 600 MB/s, as
opposed to the IDE interface, which can reach a maximum of 133 MB/s. It is not
uncommon for manufacturers to include SATA ports of different revisions, such as two
SATA2 ports and two SATA3 ports. Considering the fact that most optical drives on the
market come with a SATA connector, and these devices are not bandwidth-hungry,
using a SATA2 port for an optical drive is perfectly acceptable. In fact, most mechanical
hard drives cannot achieve SATA3 speeds due to mechanical limitations, so unless you
plan to use multiple high-performance solid-state drives in your PC, which can benefit of
the higher speeds of SATA3, a combination of SATA2 and SATA3 shouldn’t make much
of a difference. If you’re not familiar with the differences between classical hard drives
and solid-state drives, check out this computer essentials online course – you might find
out some more interesting information about computers along the way.
 BIOS Chip and Battery: The BIOS chip contains the basic code needed to take your
computer through the boot process, up to the point where the operating system takes
over. Since the BIOS code is stored on a memory chip that needs constant power to
function, a battery is also present to keep the chip powered when the computer is
unplugged.
 Northbridge and Southbridge: If you have a look at your motherboard, chances are
you’ll see a square metal component somewhere in the lower-right part of the board.
This metal component is actually a heatsink, and its role is to provide thermal protection
for the Northbridge – one of the most important components of a motherboard. The
northbridge is responsible for coordinating the data flow between the memory, the video
card and the processor. A secondary chip, known as Southbridge, has a similar
function, coordinating the data flow between the processor and peripherals such as
sound cards or network cards.
  Front Panel Connectors, USB Headers and Audio Header: The front panel
connector is where all the elements present on the front of your case are connected.
Power button, reset button, power led, audio connectors and USB connectors – they are
all connected to the front panel or the corresponding headers.
 Rear Connectors: These connectors are the bridge between the outside of your
computer and the inside. The name is a bit misleading, as the connectors are actually
located on the left edge of the motherboard; however, since these connectors are
accessible from the outside, the name simply implies where they are accessible from –
the rear of the PC case. External peripherals such as keyboard, mouse, monitor,
speakers and so on are all connected via these connectors.
VIII. Types of storage devices in a computer
Alternatively referred to as digital storage, storage, storage media, or storage medium, a
storage device is any hardware capable of holding information either temporarily or
permanently.
There are two types of storage devices used with computers: a primary storage device,
such as RAM, and a secondary storage device, such as a hard drive. Secondary storage
can be removable, internal, or external.

a. A primary storage device is a medium that holds memory for short periods of
time while a computer is running. Although it has a much lower access time and
faster performance, it is also about two orders of magnitude more costly than
secondary storage. RAM (random access memory) and cache are both
examples of a primary storage device. The image shows three different types of
storage for computer data. Primary storage's key differences from the others are
that it is directly accessible by the CPU, it is volatile, and it is non-removable.
b. Alternatively referred to as external memory, secondary memory, and auxiliary
storage, a secondary storage device is a non-volatile device that holds data until
it is deleted or overwritten. Secondary storage is about two orders of magnitude
cheaper than primary storage. Consequently, a hard drive or an additional,
slower SSD may use as secondary storage to a primary, faster, PCIe SSD.
IX. Types of central processing unit
Alternately referred to as a processor, central processor, or microprocessor, the CPU
(pronounced sea-pea-you) is the central processing unit of the computer. A computer's
CPU handles all instructions it receives from hardware and software running on the
computer.
 There are many different types of CPUs depending on the intended application.
The most common CPU in ordinary devices have x86 architecture for PCs and
tablets and ARM based architectures for phone and light tablets.
 PC processors are primarily for Intel and AMD.
o Intel has Celeron, Pentium, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 for general
purpose commercial and consumer PCs. They also have Xeon E3 and Xeon E5
for workstations and servers. All of these have variations in performance based
on power, speed and generation.
o AMD has the Ryzen 3, 5, 7 and Ryzen Pro 3,5,7 series for general purpose PC.
They also have previous generations of CPUs A6, A8, A10, A12 that typically are
more comparable to Intel Celeron and Pentium.

X. Types of Random-Access Memory

The following are some common types of RAM:
 SRAM: Static random access memory uses multiple transistors, typically four to six, for
each memory cell but doesn't have a capacitor in each cell. It is used primarily for
cache.
 DRAM: Dynamic random access memory has memory cells with a paired transistor and
capacitor requiring constant refreshing.
 FPM DRAM: Fast page mode dynamic random access memory was the original form of
DRAM. It waits through the entire process of locating a bit of data by column and row
 and then reading the bit before it starts on the next bit. Maximum transfer rate to L2
cache is approximately 176 MBps.
 EDO DRAM: Extended data-out dynamic random access memory does not wait for all
of the processing of the first bit before continuing to the next one. As soon as the
address of the first bit is located, EDO DRAM begins looking for the next bit. It is about
five percent faster than FPM. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 264
MBps.
 SDRAM: Synchronous dynamic random access memory takes advantage of the burst
mode concept to greatly improve performance. It does this by staying on the row
containing the requested bit and moving rapidly through the columns, reading each bit
as it goes. The idea is that most of the time the data needed by the CPU will be in
sequence. SDRAM is about five percent faster than EDO RAM and is the most common
form in desktops today. Maximum transfer rate to L2 cache is approximately 528 MBps.
 DDR SDRAM: Double data rate synchronous dynamic RAM is just like SDRAM except
that is has higher bandwidth, meaning greater speed. Maximum transfer rate to L2
cache is approximately 1,064 MBps (for DDR SDRAM 133 MHZ).
 RDRAM: Rambus dynamic random access memory is a radical departure from the
previous DRAM architecture. Designed by Rambus, RDRAM uses a Rambus in-line
memory module (RIMM), which is similar in size and pin configuration to a standard
DIMM. What makes RDRAM so different is its use of a special high-speed data bus
called the Rambus channel. RDRAM memory chips work in parallel to achieve a data
rate of 800 MHz, or 1,600 MBps. Since they operate at such high speeds, they generate
much more heat than other types of chips. To help dissipate the excess heat Rambus
chips are fitted with a heat spreader, which looks like a long thin wafer. Just like there
are smaller versions of DIMMs, there are also SO-RIMMs, designed for notebook
computers.
 Credit Card Memory: Credit card memory is a proprietary self-contained DRAM
memory module that plugs into a special slot for use in notebook computers.
 PCMCIA Memory Card: Another self-contained DRAM module for notebooks, cards of
this type are not proprietary and should work with any notebook computer whose
system bus matches the memory card's configuration.
 CMOS RAM: CMOS RAM is a term for the small amount of memory used by your
computer and some other devices to remember things like hard disk settings -- see Why
does my computer need a battery? for details. This memory uses a small battery to
provide it with the power it needs to maintain the memory contents.
 VRAM: VideoRAM, also known as multiport dynamic random access memory
(MPDRAM), is a type of RAM used specifically for video adapters or 3-D accelerators.
The "multiport" part comes from the fact that VRAM normally has two independent
access ports instead of one, allowing the CPU and graphics processor to access the
RAM simultaneously. VRAM is located on the graphics card and comes in a variety of
formats, many of which are proprietary. The amount of VRAM is a determining factor in
the resolution and color depth of the display. VRAM is also used to hold graphics-
specific information such as 3-D geometry data and texture maps. True multiport VRAM
tends to be expensive, so today, many graphics cards use SGRAM (synchronous
graphics RAM) instead. Performance is nearly the same, but SGRAM is cheaper.
References
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/4607/computer
https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-uses-of-computers
https://www.google.com/search?q=%E2%80%A2+System+Unit&oq=%E2%80%A2%09Sy
stem+Unit&aqs=chrome..69i57.51j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
https://www.computerhope.com
https://www.techadvisory.org
https://www.lifewire.com
https://www.webopedia.com
https://study.com/academy\