Computer Fundamentals (PDFDrive) PDF

C o m p u te r
F u n d a m e n ta ls
Copyright © 2010 Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd
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ISBN 978-81-317-3309-7
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Published by Dorling Kindersley (India) Pvt. Ltd., licensees of Pearson Education in South Asia
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Copyrighted material
B r ie f C o n t e n t s
Preface xxi
Acknowledgem ents XXV
UNIT 1 BASiCS_OF_COMPUIER
1. Introduction to Computer 1
2. The Computer System Hardware 19
3. Computer Memory 39
4. Input and Output Devices 61
5. Data Representation 87
UNIT II USER-COMPUTER INTERFACE

6. Interaction of User and Computer 115
•
7. Operating System 131

8. Computer Programming Fundamentals 150
9. Data Communication and Computer Network 163
10. The Internet and Internet Services 196
UNIT 111 APPLICATIONS AND SECURITY

11. Information Systems 219
12. Fundamentals of Database 236
13. Multimedia 256
14. Computer Security 284
UNIT IV COMPUTER PRACTICALS

15. Windows XP 307
16. MS-Word 2007 342
17. MS-Excel 2007 379
18. MS-PowerPoint 2007 422
19. MS-Access 2007 458
20. Network and Internet Connections 486
21. Using LaTeX 503
Appendix A 515
Appendix B 517
Appendix C 519
Appendix D 523
Index 541
Contents
rretace XXI
Acknowledgements XXV
1JN 1 T 1 R A S IC S O F T O M P I J T F R 1
1. Introduction to Computer 1
1.1 Introduction 1
1.2 Digital and Analog Computers 2
1.3 Characteristics of Computer 2
1.4 History of Computer 3
1.5 Generations of Computer 4
1.5.1 First Generation (1940 to 1956): Using Vacuum Tubes 4
1.5.2 Second Generation (1956 to 1963): Using Transistors 5
1.5.3 Third Generation (1964 to 1971): Using Integrated Circuits 5
1.5.4 Fourth Generation (1971 to present): Using Microprocessors 6
1.5.5 Fifth Generation (Present and Next): Using
Artificial Intelligence 6
1.6 Classification of Computer 7
1.6.1 Microcomputers 7
1.6.2 Minicomputers 9
1.6.3 Mainframe Computers 9
1.6.4 Supercomputers 9
1.7 The Computer System 10
1.7.1 The Input-Process-Output Concept 11
1.7.2 Components of Computer Hardware 12
1.8 Application of Computers 13
Summary 15
Keywords 16
Questions 17
2, The Computer System Hardware 19
2.1 Introduction 19
2.2 Central Processing Unit 20
2.2.1 Arithm etic Logic Unit 20
2.2.2 Registers 21
2.2.3 Control Unit 22
_______ v iii I. 1 Contents
2.3 Memory Unit 22

2.3.1 Cache Memory 22
2.3.2 Primary Memory n
2.3.3 Secondary Memory 24
2.4 Instruction Format 24
2.5 Instruction Set 25
2.6 Instruction Cycle 25
12. Microprocessor 22
13. Interconnecting the Units of a Computer 21
2.8.1 System Bus 28
2.8.2 Expansion Bus 29
2.8.3 External Ports 29
2.9 Performance of a Computer 29
2.10 Inside a Computer Cabinet 31
2.10.1 Motherboard 31
2.10.2 Ports ancf Interfaces 32
2.10.3 Expansion Slots 12
2.10.4 Ribbon Cables 31
2.10.5 Memory Chips 34
2.10.6 Storage Devices 34
2.10.7 Processor 34
Summary 35
Keywords 36
Questions 36
Computer Memory 39
3.1 Introduction 39
3.2 Memory Representation 40
3.3 Memory Hierarchy 40
3.4 CPU Registers 42
3.5 Cache Memory 42
3.6 Primary Memory 43
3.6.1 Random Access Memory 43
3.6.2 Read O nly Memory 44
3.7 Secondary Memory 46
3.8 Access Types of Storage Devices 46
3.8.1 Sequential Access Devices 46
3.8.2 Direct Access Devices 47
3.9 Magnetic Tape 47
Contents j IX
3.10 Magnetic Disk 48

3.10.1 Floppy Dink_________________________________________________________ 50
lJQ.2-Bnr.cLDi±k____________________________________________________ i I
3.10.3 Zip Disk______________________________________ .______________________ 52
3.11 Optical Disk__________________________________________________ 52
3.11.1 CD-R O M ________________________________________________ 51
±J±2-DYDzRQM __________________________________________________________ 51
3.11.3 Recordable O ptical Disk 55
3.12 Magneto-Optical Disk 55
3.13 Using the Computer Memory___________________________________ 56
Summary_____________________________________________________ 56
Keywords_____________________________________________________ 57
Questions_____________________________________________________ 58
4. Input and Output Devices__________________________________________ 6 }

4J._lntiQ .duc.ti.Q n________________________________________________________________ 6 J
4.2 Input-Output Unit 62

4.2.1 Input Unit 62
4.2.2 Output Unit 62
4.3 Input Devices 63
4.4 Human Data Entry Devices 64

4.4.1 Keyboard 64
4.4.2 Pointing Devices______________________________________________________ 65
4.4 J L l_MQii.se__________________________________________________________(15
4.4.2.2 TrackBali 66
4.4.2.3 joystick 66
4.4.2.4 Digitizing Tablet 67
4.4.3 Pick Devices 68
4.4.3.1 Light Pen 68
4.4.3.2 Touch Screen 68
4.5 Source Data Entry Devices_____________________________________ 69
4 .5 .1 A u d io In p u t D e v ic e _________________________________________________________ 6 9
4.5.2 Video Input Device___________________________________________________ 69
4.5.3 O ptical Input Devices 70
4.5.3.1 Scanner 70
4.5.3.2 Optical Character Recognition (OCR) 71
4.5.3.3 Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) 72
4.5.3.4 Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) 72
4.5.3.5 Barcode Reader 72
4 .6 Output Devices 74
4.6.1 Hard Copy Devices 74
4.6.1.1 Printer 74
4.6.1.2 Plotter 76
4.6.1.3 Computer Output on Microfilm 77
— M g Contents
4.6.2 Soft Copy Devices 77

4.6.2.1 Monitor 77
4.6.2.2 Visual Display Terminal 77
4.6.2.3 Video Output 78
4.6.2.4 Audio Response 78
4.7 I/O Port 80
4.8 Working of I/O System 81
Summary 82
Keywords 83
Questions 84
5. Data Representation 87
5.1 Introduction 87
5.2 Number System 88
5.2 .1 Decim al Number System 88
5.2.2 Binary Number System _______________________________________________ 89
5.2.3 O ctal Number System________________________________________________ 89
5.2.4 Hexadecimal Number System________________________________________ 89
5.3 Conversion from Decimal to Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal 90
5.3. / Converting Decim al Integer to Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal 90
5.3.2 Converting Decim al Fraction to Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal 92
5 .3 .3 C o n ve rtin g D e c im a l Integer. Fraction to B inary, O c ta l,
Hexadecimal 94
5.4 Conversion of Binary, Octal, Hexadecimal to Decimal 95
5.5 Conversion of Binary to Octal, Hexadecimal 97
5.6 Conversion of Octal, Hexadecimal to Binary 97
5.7 Binary Arithmetic 98
5.7.1 Binary Addition 98
5.7.2 Binary Subtraction 100
5.8 Signed and Unsigned Numbers 102
5.8.1 Complement of Binary Numbers 102
5.9 Binary Data Representation 103
5.9 .1 Fixed Point Number Representation 103
5.9.2 Floating Point Number Representation 105
5.10 Binary Coding Schemes 106
5.10.1 EBCDIC 106
5.10.2 A SC II_________________________________________________________ 106
5^1D,3.JJniL0ik ____________________________________________________________ W Z
5.11 Logic Gates__________________________________________________ 108
Summary 110
Keywords 110
Questions 111
Answers 113
Contents I Ix i
UNIT II USER-COMPUTER INTERFACE 115
6. Interaction of User and Computer 115

6.1 Introduction 115
6.2 Types of Software 116
6.3 System Software 116
6.3.1 Operating System 117
6.3.2 Device Driver 117
6.3.3 System Utilities 118
6.3.4 Programming Languages 120
6.3.4.1 Machine Language 121
6.3.4.2 Assembly Language 121
6.3.4.3 High-level Language 122
6.3.4.4 Different Generations of Programming Languages 122
6.3.5 Translator Software 122
6.3.5.1 Assembler 124
6.3.5.2 Compiler 124
6.3.5.3 Interpreter 125
6.3.6 Linker 125
6.3.7 Loader 125
6.4 Application Software 126
6.5 Software Acquisition 127
Summary 128
Keywords 129
Questions 129
7. Operating System 131

7.2 Objectives of Operating System 132
7.3 Types of OS 132
7.4 Functions of OS 134
7.5 Process Management 135
7.5.1 CPU Scheduling 136
7.5.2 Process Synchronization 136
7.5.3 Deadlock 137
7.6 Memory Management 138
7.6.1 Memory Allocation 138
7.6.2 Virtual Memory 139
7.7 File Management 140
7.8 Device Management 141
7.9 Protection and Security 142
Contents
7.10 User Interface 143

7.11 Examples of Operating Systems 144
7.11.1 MS-DOS 144
7.11.2 Windows Family of OS 145
7.11.2.1 Brief History of Windows OS 146
7.11.3 Linux OS 146
Summary 147
Keywords 147
Questions 148
Computer Programming Fundamentals 150

8.2 Program Development Life Cycle 151
8.3 Algorithm 152
8.4 Control Structures 153
8.5 Flowchart 153
8.5.1 Flowchart Symbols 153
8 .5 .2 P re p a rin g a F lo w c h a rt 153
8.6 Pseudo Code 156
8.6.1 Preparing a Pseudo Code 156
8.7 Programming Paradigms 158
8.7.1 Structured Programming 158
8.7.2 Object-Oriented Programming (O O P) 159
8.7.3 Aspect-Oriented Programming 160
Summary 161
Keywords 161
Questions 162
Data Communication and Computer Network 163

9.2 Importance of Networking 164
9.3 Data Transmission Media 165
9.3.1 Twistedpair 765
9.3.2 Coaxial Cable 766
9.3.3 O ptical Fiber 766
9.3.4 Radio Transmission 767
9.3.5 Microwave Transmission 168
9.3.6 Satellite Transmission 168
Contents 1____ x iil
9.4 Data Transmission Across Media 168

9.4.1 Transmission Modes 168
9.4.2 Transmission Speed 170
9.4.3 Fundamentals o f Transmission 170
9.4.3.1 Analog and Digital Signals 171
9.4.3.2 Modulation and Demodulation 172
9.4.3.3 Multiplexing 174
9.4.3.4 Asynchronous and Synchronous Transmission 174
9.5 Data Transmission and Data Networking 175

9.5.1 Switching 176
9.5.1.1 Circuit Switching 177
9.5.1.2 Message Switching 177
9.5.1.3 Packet Switching 177
9.6 Computer Network 178

9.6.1 Network Types 178
9.6.1.1 Local Area Network 179
9.6.1.2 Metropolitan Area Network 179
9.6.1.3 W ide Area Network 180
9.6.2 LAN Topologies 180
9.6.2.1 Bus Topology 180
9.6.2.2 Ring Topology 181
9.6.2.3 Star Topology 181
9.6.3 Communication Protocol 181
9.6.4 Network Devices 184
9.6.4.1 Network Interface Card 184
9.6.4.2 Repeater 185
9.6.4.3 Bridge 186
9.6.4.4 Hub 186
9.6.4.5 Switch 187
9.6.4.6 Router 188
9.6.4.7 Gateway 188
9.7 Wireless Networking 189

9.7.1 Bluetooth Technology 189
9.7.2 Wireless LAN 190
9.7.3 Wireless W AN 191
Summary 192
Keywords 193
Questions 193
10. The Internet and Internet Services 196

10.2 History of Internet 197
10.3 Internetworking Protocol 198
10.4 The Internet Architecture 198
■ B x iv H il Contents
10.5 Managing the Internet 199

10.6 Connecting to Internet 199
10.7 Internet Connections 200
10.7.1 Dial-up Access 201
10.7.2 Leased Line 201
10.7.3 Integrated Services Digital Network (ISD N ) 202
10.7.4 Digital Subscriber Line (D SL) 202
10.7.5 Cable Modem 203
10.8 Internet Address 203
10.9 Internet Services 204
10.9.1 World W ide Web (W W W ) 204
10.9.1.1 W ebBrowser 206
10.9.1.2 Uniform Resource Locator (URL) 207
10.9.1.3 Internet Search Engines 207
10.9.1.4 W W W Development Languages 209
10.9.2 Electronic M ail 210
10.9.2.1 E-mail Address 210
10.9.2.2 E-mail Message Format 210
10.9.2.3 E-mail Services 211
10.9.2.4 How E-mail Works 211
10.9.3 File Transfer Protocol (FTP) 212
10.9.3.1 How FTP Works 213
10.9.4 Terminal Network (Telnet) 213
10.9.5 News 214
10.9.6 Internet Relay Chat (IR C ) 214
10.10 Uses of Internet 214
Summary 215
Keywords 216
Questions 216
UNIT III APPLICATIONS AND SECURITY 219
11. Information Systems219

11.2 Data, Information and Knowledge 220
11.3 Characteristics of Information 221
11.4 Information System (IS) 221
11.5 Computer-Based Information System (CBIS) 223
11.6 Need for Efficient Information System 224
11.7 Categories of Information System 225
Contents i 1 -'IBfeSSlliS
11.8 Operations Support System 226

11.8.1 Transaction Processing System (TPS) 226
11.8.2 Office Automation System (O A S) 227
11.9 Management Support System 228
11.9.1 Management Information System (M IS) 228
11.9.2 Decision Support System (D SS) 229
11.9.3 Executive Information System (EIS) 230
11.10 Specialized Information System 230
11.10.1 Expert Systems 230
11.10.2 Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) 231
11.10.3 Electronic-Commerce (E-Commerce) 231
11.11 Careers in Information Systems 232
Summary 233
Keywords 234
Questions 234
Fundamentals of Database 236

12.2 Database 237
72.2.1 File-Oriented Approach and Database Approach 237
12.2.2 Characteristics of Database Approach 239
12.2.3 Data Models, Schema and Instances 240
12.2.4 High-Level or Conceptual Data M odel 240
12.2.4.1 Entity 240
12.2.4.2 Attribute 240
12.2.4.3 Relationship 241
12.2.4.4 Entity-Reiationship (E-R) Model 241
12.2.5 Representation or Implementation Data M odel 242
12.2.5.1 Relational Database Model 242
12.2.5.2 Hierarchical Database Model 244
12.2.5.3 Network Database Model 244
12.2.6 Low-Level or Physical Data M odel 245
12.3 Database System 245
12.3.1 Components of Database System 245
12.3.2 Architecture o f Database System 246
12.4 Database Management System________________________________ 247
12.4.1 Data Independence________________________________________________ 248
12.4.2 Data Dictionary____________________________________________________ 248
12.4.3 Database Administrator (D BA )____________________________________ 249
12.4.4 Database Languages_______________________________________________ 249
12.4.4.1 Data Definition Language (DDL)_____________________________ 249
12.4.4.2 Data Manipulation Language (DML)__________________________ 249
_________ XVI 1 Contents
12.5 Database System Architectures 250

12.5.1 Centralized D BM S Architecture 250
12.5.2 Client-Server Architecture 250
12.5.3 Distributed Databases 251
12.6 Database Applications 251
Summary 252
Keywords 253
Questions 253
13. Multimedia 256

13.2 Multimedia: Definition 257
13.3 Characteristics of Multimedia System 257
13.4 Elements of Multimedia 259
13.4.1 Text * 259
13.4.2 Graphics 260
13.4.2.1 Bitmap Graphics 262
13.4.2.2 Vector Graphics 264
13.4.3 Audio 265
13.4.3.1 Audio from a CD to W eb 266
13.4.4 Video 268
13.4.4.1 Video on Internet 269
13.4.5 Animation 271
13.5 Multimedia System 272
13.5.1 Desirable Features of Multimedia System 272
13.6 Multimedia Applications 273
13.6.1 In Education 273
13.6.2 In Entertainment 276
13.6.3 In Training 277
13.6.4 In Business 277
13.6.5 Virtual Reality 278
Summary 280
Keywords 280
Questions 281
14. Computer Security 284

14.2 Security Threat and Security Attack 285
14.3 Malicious Software 286
14.3.1 Virus 287
14.3.2 Worms 287
Contents | X V Ii
14.3.3 Trojan Horses 287

14.3.4 Javascripts, Java Applets and ActiveX Controls 288
14.4 Hacking 288
14.4.1 Packet Sniffing 289
14.4.2 Password Cracking 289
14.4.3 E-mail Hacking 289
14.5 Security Services 289
14.6 Security Mechanisms 290
14.7 Cryptography 290
14.7.1 Secret Key Cryptography 291
14.7.2 Public-Key Cryptography 291
14.7.3 Hash Functions 292
14.8 Digital Signature 292
14.9 Firewall 294
14.9.1 Types of Firewall 2 96
14.9.1.1 Packet Filter Firewall 296
14.9.1.2 Circuit Filter Firewall 296
14.9.1.3 Application-Level Gateway 297
14.10 Users Identification and Authentication 297
14.10.1 User Name and Password 298
14.10.2 Smart Card 299
14.10.3 Biom etric Techniques 299
14.11 Other Security Measures 300
14.12 Security Awareness 301
14.13 Security Policy 302
14.13.1 Formulating a Security Policy 302
Summary 303
Keywords 304
Questions 304
UNIT IV COMPUTER PRACTICALS 307
15. Windows XP 307

15.2 Features of Windows XP 308
15.3 The Desktop 308
L5 A J.-Ih eJzsk.Bar.________________________________________________________ m
IJAJJ^.kilcQiis.d.Dd.Sh.QrLcu.ts____________________________________________111
15.4 Structure of Windows 313
-Triii I Contents
15.5 Windows XP Explorer 314

15.5.1 The Start 314
15.5.2 The Window 315
15.5.3 The View 316
15.5.4 Selecting Files 317
15.5.5 Working with Folders 317
15.5.6 Files and Folders Properties 318
15.6 The Search 323
15.7 The Recycle Bin 323
15.8 Configuring the Screen 324
15.9 Configuring the Mouse 326
15.10 Adding or Removing Programs 328
15.11 Adding New Hardware 328
15.12 System Tools 330
15.13 The Scandisk 332
15.14 Windows XP Media Player 334
15.15 Windows XP Help 334
15.16 W in d o w s V ista 334
15.17 Windows 7 337
Questions 340
Word 2007 342

16.2 Starting MS-Word 343
16.3 MS-Word Screen and Its Components 344
16.4 The Office Button 347
16.5 The Ribbon 350
16.5.1 The Home Tab 353
16.5.2 The Insert Tab 355
16.5.3 The Page Layout Tab 358
16.5.4 The References Tab 360
16.5.5 The Mailings Tab 360
16.5.6 The Review Tab 363
16.5.7 The View Tab 365
16.5.8 The Help 3 66
16.6 Solved Examples 366
Exercises 375
Contents |
MS-Excel 2007 379

17.2 Start MS-Excel 380
17.3 Basics of Spreadsheet 381
17.4 MS-Excel Screen and Its Components 382
17.6 The Ribbon 390
17.6.3 The Page Layout Tab 399
17.6.4 The Formulas Tab 400
17.6.5 The Data Tab 403
17.6.6 The Review Tab 405
17.6.8 The Help 408
Exercises 417
MS-PowerPoint 2007 422

18.2 Basics of PowerPoint 424
18.3 Start MS-PowerPoint 425
18.4 MS-PowerPoint Screen and Its Components 426
18.6 The Ribbon 434
18.6.3 The Design Tab 440
18.6.4 The Animations Tab 442
18.6.5 The Slide Show Tab 443
18.6 .6 T he R e v ie w Tab 446
18.6.8 The Help 452
18.7 An Example 453
Exercises 456
MS-Access 2007 458

19.2 Database Terminology 459
19.3 Start MS-Access 460
py righted
H B H 1 Contents
19.4 MS-Access Screen and Its Components 461

19.6 The Ribbon 467
19.6.2 The Create Tab 472
19.6.3 The External Data Tab 475
19.6.4 The Database Tools Tab 476
19.6.5 The Help 477
19.7 Solved Example 478
Exercises 483
20. Network and Internet Connections 486

20.2 Start Network Connections 487
20.3 Create a New Connection 488
20.4 Manage a Network Connection 491
20.5 Network Setup 493
20.6 Windows Firewall 493
2 0 .7 S h a rin g o f File s 495
20.8 Wireless Network Setup 496

20.9 Connect using Virtual Private Network (VPN) 497
20.10 Set Up a Wired Network 498
20.11 Automatic Wireless Network Connections 498
20.12 Set up Internet Properties— Internet Options 501
20.13 Choose an Internet Connection 502
21. Using LaTeX 503

21.2 Create LaTeX Document 504
21.3 Components of a LaTeX Document 504
21.4 LaTeX Commands 504
Exercises 514
Appendix A 515
Appendix B 517
Appendix C 519
Appendix D 523
Index________________________________________________________ 5A1
Copyrighted mate
P r e f a c e
C om puters play a key role in o u r everyday lives. In addirion co com m unication m edia like television,
radio and newspaper, we now have another com m unication m edium , i.e. com puters. We use com puters
to e-m ail, to chat, for the Internet browsing, for teleconferencing, for video conferencing, etc. W e also use
them for e-learning, e-com merce, e-banking, e-governance, e-ticketing and for m any m ore things. And
the interesting part is, while we interact w ith the other m edia like television, radio, newspaper, etc. to
merely get inform ation, the interaction in com puters is tw o ways— we can be a creator as well as a user.
We m ay use a com puter as a m edium to get m ore inform ation, as a tool to perform certain activities, o r
as an integral part o f another com ponent.
T h e fundam entals o f com puters arc the stepping stones to com puter science. Nowadays, all courses,
related and unrelated to com puter science, require using a com puter. Knowledge o f the basics o f co m p u t
ers has becom e a fundam ental requirem ent, in whatever area we choose to study o r follow professionally.
C o m p u ter fundam entals are also an introductory course to a m ore advanced study o f com puter science.
ABOUT THE BOOK

T his book is w ritten w ith the aim o f introducing the fundam entals o f com puters to the reader. A ttention
has been paid to include chapters that are required by the students studying different courses. T h e book
deals w ith b o th the theoretical concepts and the p rac tic a l. T h e unique features o f this book are as follows:
0 Style o f W riting
• T h e language used in the book is lucid, is easy to understand, and facilitates easy grasping o f
concepts.
• T h e chapters have been logically arranged in sequence.
• T h e book is w ritten in a reader-friendly m anner both for the students and the teachers.
• M ost o f the content presented in the book is in the form o f bullets, organized sequentially. This
form o f presentation, rather than in a paragraph form , facilitates the reader to view, understand
and rem em ber the points better.
• T h e explanation is supported by diagrams, pictures and images wherever required.
• Sufficient exercises have been included for practice in addition to the solved examples.
• T h e questions at the end o f the chapter are given section-wise. It is easier for the reader to find
answers for the section-wise questions in a particular section rather than the whole book.
(♦) Content o f Book — Theory (Chapters 1 -1 4 )
• Several latest topics have been included in the book. Some o f these topics are
■ USB, Z ip disk, Flash m em ory
■ Wireless networking
■ N otebook, N etbook, PDA, sm artphones
■ Aspect O riented Program m ing (AOP)
■ Im parting education via m ultim edia
■ Cryptography, Digital signature, Firewall, Biometrics
■ System clock, BIO S, C M O S , SIM M & D IM M m em ory m odule
• In the theory chapters (Chapters 1-14), the theory is supported with the practical information like,
the nam e o f supercom puter o f India, how to create m p3 file from C D , w hat is a stream ing video
and understanding m achine configuration.
XXli 1 Preface
• T his book does not discuss in detail the old technologies that have becom e too com m on o r are no
longer used, like, about keys in a keyboard, m agnetic tape, using mouse, drum printers and mes-
sage switching.
• Several colored inserts in the book provide a colored view o f the photographs.
0 Content o f Book—Practical (Chapters 15-21) a n d Appendix
• T his book describes MS-Office with the latest com m ercially available version, version 2007.
• T his book includes description o f Windows Vista and Windows 7 in addition to the detailed
description o f W indow s XP.
• T h e solved examples in the M S-O ffice chapters arc described step-wise.
• A long list o f practical exercises is provided at the end o f each chapter.
• Some chapters contain topics that are new to a book on com puters. These chapters are
■ C hapter 11— Inform ation Systems
■ C hapter 12— Fundam entals o f Database
■ C hapter 14— C om puter Security
■ C hapter 19— MS-Access
■ C hapter 20— N etw ork and Internet C onnections
■ C hapter 21— Using LaTeX
■ Appendix D — Assembling a PC.
TARGET AUDIENCE
This book has been w ritten keeping in m ind the readers familiar and not-so familiar w ith com puters.
Several chapters have been included that cover the syllabi of different universities in India. T h e book is
well suited for the following target audience:
0 Computer science students undergoing a course in com puter science— D C A , M CA, BSc(Gcn),
BSc(Hons), M Sc(IT), BSc(IT), BCA, D O E A C C level courses.
0 Engineering students of first year— BTech, BE.
0 Science students pursuing BSc in physics, chemistry, botany, zoology and mathematics.
0 Non-science students pursuing B C om (P), B C om (H ons), BA(P), BDP, BBA, MBA, BBE
0 Students enrolled in short-term courses on I T in polytechnics, training institutes, Technical Institutes.
0 Any learner interested in com puter science.
STRUCTURE OF THE TEXT

T h e book follows a structured and m odular design, to facilitate the instructor in the teaching o f the course
and the students in the reading o f rhe book. Figure 1 shows the design o f the book. T h e following para
graphs present a brief review o f the four units o f the book.
U nit I comprises five chapters. T his unit introduces the reader to the computer as a machine. C hapter 1
provides a b rief introduction to com puters— their evolution, types and applications. C hapter 2 discusses
organization o f the com puter, different parts inside a com puter case and their interaction. C hapter 3
provides an overview o f the m em ory hierarchy, different kinds o f m em ory o f the com puter and storage
devices that are required for storing large quantities o f data. T he different devices that are used for providing
input to the computer, and the presentation o f o u tp u t from the com puter are discussed in C hapter 4. T he
com puter uses the binary num ber system; C hapter 5 discusses binary coding schemes, logic gates, and the
representation and conversion o f num bers in the binary, octal and hexadecimal num ber system.
Copyrighted mati
Preface | X X iii
Figure 1 Modular structure of text
U nit II comprises five chapters. T his unit focusses on the interaction o f user and computer, and the Internet.
C hapter 6 provides a description o f the system software and the application software. C h ap ter 7 describes
the operating system in detail. T he writing o f the program m ing logic and the different program m ing para
digms are discussed in C hapter 8. Chapters 9 and 10 relate to networking and the Internet. C hapter 9
discusses com puter networks and the com m unication o f data across the network. T h e Internet and its
services are detailed in C hapter 10.
U nit III contains four chapters. This unit is about applications and security. C hapter 11 describes the
inform ation systems. This chapter is included bearing in m ind the non-science courses. For teaching this
paper in a science course, you may skip this chapter. T he fundam entals o f databases are discussed in C hapter
12. C hapter 13 describes the different elements o f the m ultim edia system— text, audio, graphics, video and
anim ation. C hapter 14 on com puter security discusses the security attacks, and the way to handle them.
Unit IV consists o f seven chapters. This unit is designedfor the computer practicals. A detailed discussion
on W indow s XP is provided in C hapter 15, including a brief description about W indow s Vista and
W indow s 7. C hapters 16 through 19 are about the four m ain com ponents o f M S-Office 2007, i.e. M S-W ord,
M S-Excel, M S-Pow erpoint and MS-Access. C hapter 20 is about N etw ork and the Internet connections.
T h is chapter facilitates the reader in the creation and m anaging o f com puter netw ork and the Internet
connection. C hapter 21 is about using LaTeX which is used for the production o f publication-quality
typeset docum ents.
PEDAGOGICAL FEATURES
Pedagogy is the art and science o f how som ething is taught and how students learn it. H ow the teaching
occurs, the approach to teaching and learning, the way the co n ten t is delivered and w hat the students
learn as a result o f the process are all included in pedagogy. T he following are the pedagogical features in
this book:
® S ta rt-o f Chapter Aids

• C ontents— An overall view o f the topics discussed in the chapter is provided, at the beginning
o f each chapter.
• W hy this chapter— It describes the need o f including this chapter in com puter fundam entals
and w hy one should read it.
® In-Between Chapter A ids
• Visualization— “A picture is w orth a thousand words” is a famous quote. T his book supports the
concepts w ith figures, diagrams and images to facilitate visualization.
• Bulleted text— T he book follows a bulleted approach o f w riting the text in contrast to the long
paragraphs. T h e bulleted text approach is easier to read, understand and grasp.
Copyright
X X IV 1 P re fa c e
® End-of-Chapter Aids
• Sum m ary— Ir reviews the m ajor concepts discussed in the chapter.
• Keywords— A list o f keywords at the end o f each chapter facilitates in locating a topic in the
chapter.
• Q uestions— T h e questions at the end o f each chapter are given section-wise. T h e reader has to
search for the answers in this section, rather than the com plete chapter.
• Extra questions— A t the end o f each chapter, the extra questions from the com plete chapter are
given in th e form o f short notes, abbreviations and differences.
• Colored inserts— A first initiative in a book on this topic, the colored inserts provide the reader
w ith actual images in colour.
FEEDBACK
For interacting with the author, or for suggestions and com m ents on this book, please send your e-mails
at goel.anita.book^gm ail.com .
A c k n o w l e d g e m e n t s
It took me alm ost 2 years to write this book. D uring m y journey o f book w riting, I have been helped and
supported by m y family, friends and collegues. 1 express my gratitude to one and all for their extensive
support in this endeavour.
I am grateful to Dr. S. C . G upta, Prof. S. K. Wasan and Dr. M ukul Sinha for encouraging me to write
a book. I thank them for their valuable advice and for their encouragem ent to dissem inate inform ation.
I also th an k them for continually inspiring m e to w rite a good book.
I th an k M r Neeraj Saxena, Ms Renu Saxena and M r Rajendra for their extensive help in clicking the
photographs in this book.
M y special thanks go to all my students, A m it Jain in particular, who have always been eager to inform
m e the the expectations o f the students o f a book. T h eir suggestions and feedback have helped m e write
the book in a student-friendly manner.
T hanks to M r Sachin Saxena and the team o f Pearson Education for their extensive support. T h e book
in its present form is a result o f the long discussions and the brainstorm ing sessions w ith Sachin. I am
grateful to Sachin for his ideas, suggestions and excellent support provided to m e during the w riting o f
this book.
I express m y regards and love to m y m other Urm ila, and m y father Am ar C hand. Being their child
makes me feel special, and I thank them both for guiding m e through life. T h ro u g h this book. I carry
forward the legacy o f book w riting from m y m aternal grandfather late M r C . S. Jain. I express m y respect
and thanks to m y father-in-law Gopal Krishan for his m otivation and cooperation, and for taking care o f
m atters while I was busy w riting the book. M y thanks are due, in m em ory of m y m other-in-law Pushpa
w ho has always loved and supported me.
T hanks to m y loving husband, Ajay, for standing by m e in the difficult times d u rin g the course o f w rit
ing this book. H e is a bagful o f innovative ideas and has contributed creatively to the w riting o f this book.
M y special thanks to my lovely and beautiul children, A nirudh and Ashima, who brilliantly contributed
towards the creation and editing o f this book. T hey are m y greatest source o f inspiration and m otivation.
Since this is n o t the first book on this topic, I thank the authors o f other books on sim ilar topic, whose
books have been a source o f ideas for me.
I th an k the A lm ighty w ithout whose grace it w ould have been impossible for m e to accomplish
this task.
Unit I BASICS OF COMPUTER
INTRODUCTION
TO COMPUTER
® Digital and analog computers © Classification of computer— Micro

® Characteristics of computer— Speed, accu computers (desktop computer or Personal
racy, diligence, storage capability, versatility Computer (PC), notebook computers or
® History of computer— Calculating machines, laptop, netbook, tablet computer, handheld
Napier's bones, slide rule, Rascal's adding and computer or Personal Digital Assistant (PDA),
subtraction machine, Leibniz's multiplication smart phones), minicomputers, mainframe
and dividing machine, punch card system, computers, supercomputers
Babbage's analytical engine, Hollerith's ® The computer system— Hardware,
punched card tabulating machine software, data, users
© Generations of computer ® The Input-process-output concept
• First generation (1940 to 1956): Using ® Components of computer hardware—
vacuum tubes Input/output unit, central processing unit,
• Second generation (1956 to 1963): storage unit
Using transistors ® Application of computers— Education, en
• Third generation (1964 to 1971): Using tertainment, sports, advertising, medicine,
integrated circuits science and engineering, government,
• Fourth generation (1971 to present): home
Using microprocessors
• Fifth generation (present and next):
Using artificial intelligence
W h y this chapter
Com puters are an integral part of our lives. W h e re ve r w e are— sitting in our homes, w ork
ing in the office, driving on roads, sitting in a m ovie hall, staying in a hotel, etc.— our
lives are directly or indirectly affected by the com puters. In this era of inform ation, w e
are dependent on the storage, flow and processing of data and inform ation, w hich can
o n ly be possible w ith the help of com puters. The purpose of this chapter is to introduce
you to the "com puter".
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Nowadays, com puters are an integral part o f our lives. T hey are used for the reservation o f tickets for
airplanes and railways, paym ent o f telephone and electricity bills, deposit and w ithdraw al o f m oney
from banks, processing o f business data, forecasting o f weather conditions, diagnosis o f diseases, searching
pyrighted material
2____ Basics of Computer
for inform ation on the Internet, etc. C om puters are also used extensively in schools, universities, organiza
tions, m usic industry, movie industry, scientific research, law firms, fashion industry, etc.
T h e term com puter is derived from the w ord compute. T h e w ord compute means to calculate. A com
puter is an electronic m achine that accepts data from the user, processes the data by perform ing calcula
tions and operations on it, and generates the desired o u tp u t results. C o m p u ter perform s both simple and
complex operations, with speed and accuracy.
This chapter discusses the history and evolution o f com puter, the concept o f input-process-output and
the characteristics o f com puter. T his chapter also discusses the classification of digital com puters based on
their size and type, and the application o f com puter in different dom ain areas.
1.2 DIGITAL AND ANALOG COMPUTERS

A digital computer uses distinct values to represent the data internally. All inform ation are represented
using the digits Os and Is. T he com puters that we use at our hom es and offices are digital com puters.
Analog computer is another kind o f a com puter that represents data as variable across a continuous
range o f values. T h e earliest com puters were analog com puters. Analog com puters are used for m easur
ing o f param eters that vary continuously in real tim e, such as tem perature, pressure and voltage. Analog
com puters m ay be m ore flexible bur generally less precise than digital com puters. Slide rule is an example
o f an analog com puter.
T h is book deals only w ith the digital computer and uses the term computer for them .
1.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER

Speed, accuracy, diligence, storage capability and versatility are some o f the key characteristics o f a com
puter. A brief overview o f these characteristics are—
• Speed T h e com puter can process data very fast, at the rate o f m illions o f instructions per second.
Some calculations that w ould have taken hours and days to com plete otherwise, can be com pleted
in a few seconds using the com puter. For example, calculation and generation o f salary slips o f
thousands o f employees o f an organization, weather forecasting th at requires analysis o f a large
am o u n t o f data related to tem perature, pressure and hum idity o f various places, etc.
® Accuracy C o m p u ter provides a high degree o f accuracy. For example, the com puter can accu
rately give the result o f division o f any two num bers u p to 10 decimal places.
• Diligence W hen used for a longer period o f tim e, the com puter does n o t get tired o r fatigued.
It can perform long and complex calculations with the same speed and accuracy from the start till
the end.
0 Storage Capability Large volum es o f data and inform ation can be stored in the com puter and
also retrieved whenever required. A lim ited am ount o f data can be stored, temporarily, in the
prim ary memory. Secondary' storage devices like floppy disk and com pact disk can store a large
am ount of data permanently.
0 Versatility C o m p u ter is versatile in nature. It can perform different types o f tasks w ith the same
ease. At one m om ent you can use the com puter to prepare a letter d o cu m en t and in the next
m om ent you may play m usic or print a docum ent.
C om puters have several lim itations too. C o m p u ter can only perform tasks that it has been program m ed
to do. C o m p u ter cannot do any work w ithout instructions from the user. It execures instructions as speci
fied by the user and does noi take its own decisions.
Introduction to Computer ____ 3
1.4 HISTORY OF COMPUTER
U ntil the developm ent o f the first generation com puters based on vacuum tubes, there had been several
developm ents in the com puting technology related to the mechanical com puting devices. T h e key devel
opm ents that took place till the first com puter was developed are as follows—
® Calculating M achines ABACUS was the first mechanical

calculating device for counting o f large num bers. T he word
ABACUS m eans calculating board. It consists o f bars in
horizontal positions on which sets o f beads are inserted. T he
horizontal bars have 10 beads each, representing units, tens,
hundreds, etc. An abacus is shown in Figure 1.1
® N apiers Bones was a mechanical device built for the purpose
o f m ultiplication in 1617 a d . by an English m athem atician
John Napier.
® Slide Rule was developed by an English m athem atician
E dm und G u n ter in the 16th century. Using the slide rule,
one could perform operations like addition, subtraction,
m ultiplication and division. It was used extensively till late
1970s. Figure 1.2 shows a slide rule.
Figure 1.1 Abacus
Figure 1.2 Slide rule
® Pascal's A dding a n d Subtraction M achine was developed by Blaise Pascal. It could add and sub
tract. T he m achine consisted o f wheels, gears and cylinders.
® Leibniz's M ultiplication and D ividing M achine was a mechanical device that could both m ul
tiply and divide. T he G erm an philosopher
and m athem atician G ottfried Leibniz built it
around 1673.
© Punch Card System was developed by Jac *l9tftftll*C9l9ft9|ft*H99*'ft*'ftftftl|||| • M ' M I I I I I I I I I I I M I I M I I I I M l l l l i l l l l l l l
quard to control the power loom in 1801. He

invented the punched card reader that could
n iY rim i’ t'tiiitiiiM fiim tiiiiiitifn itM iiim tn iitititiiH H H m im iti
recognize the presence o f hole in the punched I t l i l M l l i M t iiti • l l l l M l l l l i l i M I M M I t I I I I I H H U i l l l l l M M l l M M l M I I M I
card as binary one and the absence o f the hole I 1 1 I I 1 1 1 1 1 1 I I f I 1111 ft I I I I 9999111 fill 11 9 < ' 11 11 I I I 9 1 9 * 9 9 9 M 1 9 9 I I I 11 M t 9 t i l I I 111
as binary zero. T he Os and Is are the basis of

the m odem digital computer. A punched card
is shown in Figure 1.3. Kg1" * 19 Punched card
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book.
book.
book.
Introduction to Computer 7
are able to store m illions o f c o m p o n e n ts on a single chip. T hese co m p u ters have large m em ory
req u irem en ts.
T his generation o f com puters uses parallel processing that allows several instructions to be executed in
parallel, instead o f serial execution. Parallel processing results in faster processing speed. T h e Intel dual-
core microprocessor uses parallel processing.
T h e fifth generation com puters are based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). T hey try to sim ulate the hum an
way o f thinking and reasoning. Artificial Intelligence includes areas like Expert System (ES), N atural Lan
guage Processing (N LP), speech recognition, voice recognition, robotics, etc.
1.6 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER

T h e digital com puters that are available nowadays vary in their sizes and types. T h e com puters are broadly
classified into four categories (Figure 1.8) based on their size and type— (1) M icrocom puters, (2) M ini
com puters, (3) M ainfram e com puters, and (4) Supercom puter.
Fast Expensive Complex Large
Slow Cheap Simple Small
Figure 1.8 Classification of computers based on size and type
1.6.1 Microcomputers
M icrocom puters are small, low-cost and single-user digital com puter. T hey consist o f C P U , in p u t unit,
o u tp u t unit, storage unit and the software. A lthough m icrocom puters are stand-alone machines, they can
be connected together to create a netw ork o f com puters that can serve m ore than one user. IBM P C based
on Pentium microprocessor and Apple M acintosh are some examples o f m icrocom puters. M icrocom put
ers include desktop com puters, notebook com puters or laptop, tablet com puter, handheld com puter,
sm art phones and netbook, as shown in Figure 1.9.
Copyright
8____ I Basics of Computer
Laptop Netbook
Tablet PD A Sm art Phone
Figure 1.9 Microcomputers
® Desktop Computer or Personal Computer (PC) is the m ost com m on type o f m icrocom puter. It is
a stand-alone m achine that can be placed o n the desk. Externally, it consists o f three units— key
board, m onitor, and a system unit containing the C P U , memory, hard disk drive, etc. It is not very
expensive and is suited to the needs o f a single user at hom e, small business units, and organizations.
Apple, M icrosoft, HP, Dell and Lenovo are some o f the P C m anufacturers.
® Notebook Computers or Laptop resemble a notebook. T hey are portable and have all the features
o f a desktop com puter. T he advantage o f the laptop is that it is small in size (can be p u t inside a
briefcase), can be carried anywhere, has a battery backup and has all the functionality o f the desk
top. Laptops can be placed on the lap while w orking (hence the name). Laptops are costlier than
the desktop machines.
® Netbook These are smaller notebooks optim ized for low weight and low cost, and are designed for
accessing web-based applications. Starting w ith the earliest netbook in late 2007, they have gained
significant popularity now. N etbooks deliver the perform ance needed to enjoy popular activities
like stream ing videos or music, emailing, Web surfing or instant messaging. T h e w ord netbook was
created as a blend of Inter«<?/ and n o t ebook.
® Tablet Computer has features o f the notebook com puter but it can accept input from a stylus or
a pen instead o f the keyboard or mouse. It is a portable com puter. Tablet com puter are the new
kind o f PCs.
Introduction to Computer ____ 9
0 H andheld Computer or Personal D igital Assistant (PDA) is a small com puter that can be held on
the top o f the palm. It is small in size. Instead o f the keyboard. PD A uses a pen or a stylus for input.
PDAs do not have a disk drive. T hey have a lim ited m em ory and are less powerful. PDAs can be
connected to the Internet via a wireless connection. Casio and Apple are some o f the m anufacturers
o f PDA. O ver the last few years, PDAs have merged into mobile phones to create sm art phones.
0 Sm art Phones are cellular phones that function both as a phone and as a small PC. T hey may use
a stylus or a pen, or m ay have a small keyboard. T hey can be connected to the Internet wirelessly.
T hey are used to access the electronic-m ail, dow nload music, play games, etc. Blackberry, Apple,
H T C , Nokia and LG are some o f the m anufacturers o f sm art phones.
1.6.2 Minicomputers
M inicom puters (Figure 1.10) are digital com puters, generally used in
m ulti-user systems. T h ey have high processing speed a n d high stor
age capacity than the m icrocom puters. M inicom puters can support
4—200 users simultaneously. T h e users can access the m inicom puter
through their PC s or term inal. T hey are used for real-tim e applica
tions in industries, research centers, etc. PD P 11. IBM (8000 series)
are some o f the widely used m inicom puters.
Figure 1.10 Minicomputer
1.6.3 Mainframe Computers
M ainfram e com puters (Figure l . l 1) are multi-user, m ulti-program m ing and high perform ance co m p u t
ers. T hey operate at a very high speed, have very large storage
capacity and can handle the workload o f m any users. M ain m1 w
frame com puters are large and powerful systems generally used
/ \1
I
in centralized databases. T he user accesses the m ainfram e com
puter via a term inal that may be a dum b term inal, an intelli
I
gent term inal or a PC. A dumb terminal cannot store data or do
processing o f its own. It has the in p u t and o u tp u t device only.
An intelligent terminal has the input and o u tp u t device, can do
processing, but, cannot store data of its own. T h e dum b and &
the intelligent term inal use the processing power and the stor
age facility o f the m ainfram e com puter. M ainfram e com puters
ja , j 1
are used in organizations like banks or com panies, where m any
people require frequent access to the same data. Some examples
o f m ainfram es are C D C 6600 and IBM ES000 series.
1.6.4 Supercomputers
S u p erco m p u ters (Figure 1.12) are the fastest a n d the m ost
expensive m achines. T h e y have high processing speed co m
pared to o th er co m puters. T h e speed o f a su p erco m p u ter is
generally m easured in FLO PS (F L oating p o in t O p e ratio n s
Per Second). Som e o f the faster su p erco m p u ters can perform
trillio n s o f calculations per second. S upercom puters are b u ilt
by in te rc o n n e c tin g thousands o f processors th a t can w ork in
parallel. Figure 1.11? M ainframe com puter
book.
Introduction to Computer | 11
Hardware consists o f the mechanical parts that make up the com puter as a m achine. T h e hardware con
sists o f physical devices o f the com puter. T h e devices are required for input, o u tp u t, storage and processing
o f the data. Keyboard, m onitor, hard disk drive, floppy disk drive, printer, processor and m otherboard are
some o f the hardware devices.
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Professorial
Software
Hardware
Figure 1.13 Parts of computer system
Software is a set o f instructions that tells the com puter about the tasks to be perform ed and how these
tasks are to be perform ed. Program is a set of instructions, w ritten in a language understood by the
com puter, to perform a specific task. A set o f program s and docum ents are collectively called software.
The hardware o f the com puter system cannot perform any task on its own. T h e hardware needs to be
instructed about the task to be perform ed. Software instructs the com puter about the task to be per
form ed. T h e hardware carries o u t these tasks. Different software can be loaded on the same hardware to
perform different kinds o f tasks.
D ata are isolated values or raw facts, which by themselves have no m uch significance. For example, the
data like 29, January, and 1994 just represent values. T h e data is provided as in p u t to the com puter, which
is processed to generate some m eaningful inform ation. For example, 29, January and 1994 are processed
by the com puter to give the date o f birth o f a person.
Users are people who w rite com puter program s or interact w ith the com puter. T hey are also known as
skinware, liveware, humanware orpeopleware. Programmers, data entry operators, system analyst and com
puter hardware engineers fall into this category.
1.7.1 The Input-Process-Output Concept

A com puter is an electronic device that (1) accepts data,
(2) processes data, (3) generates output, and (4) stores data.
T he concept o f generating output information from the input
data is also referred to as input-process-output concept.
Copy righted
book.
book.
book.
Introduction to Computer | 15
relatives via Internet, for paying bills, for education and learning, etc. M icroprocessors are em bed
ded in house hold utilities like, washing machines, TV s, food processors, hom e theatres, security
devices, etc.
T h e list o f applications o f com puters is so long that it is not possible to discuss all o f them here. In
addition to the applications o f the com puters discussed above, com puters have also proliferated into areas
like banks, investm ents, stock trading, accounting, ticket reservation, m ilitary operations, meteorological
predictions, social netw orking, business organizations, police departm ent, video conferencing, telepres
ence. book publishing, web newspapers, and inform ation sharing.
SUMMARY____________________________________
0 Computer is an electronic device which tenance than the first generation co m p u t
accepts data as input, perform s processing ers. T h e com putation tim e was in m icro
on the data, and gives the desired outp u t. A seconds.
com puter may be analog or digital computer. 0 Third generation computers were characterized
0 Speed, accuracy, diligence, storage capabil by the use o f IC. They consumed less power
ity and versatility are the m ain characteristics and required low maintenance compared to
o f computer. their predecessors. High-level languages were
0 T h e computing devices have evolved from used for programming. T he com putation
sim ple mechanical machines, like ABACUS, time was in nanoseconds. These computers
N apier’s bones, Slide Rule, Pascals Adding were produced commercially.
and Subtraction M achine, Leibnizs M ulti 0 Fourth generation computers used m icro
plication and Dividing M achine, Jacquard processors which were designed using the
Punched Card System, Babbages Analytical LSI and VLSI technology. T h e com puters
Engine and H olleriths Tabulating M achine, became small, portable, reliable and cheap.
to the first electronic com puter. T h e com putation time is in picoseconds.
0 Charles Babbage is called the father of T hey became available both to the hom e
com puter. user and for com m ercial use.
0 T h e evolution o f com puters to their present 0 Fifth generation computers are capable o f learn
state is divided into five generations o f com ing and self organization. These com puters
puters,, based on the hardw are and software use SLSl chips and have large m em ory
they use, their physical appearance and their requirements. T hey use parallel processing
com puting characteristics. and are based on AI. T h e fifth generation
com puters are still being developed.
0 First generation computers were vacuum
tubes based machines. These were large in 0 Computers are broadly classified as m icro
size, expensive to operate and instructions com puters, m inicom puters, m ainfram e
were w ritten in m achine language. T h eir com puters, and supercom puters, based on
com putation tim e was in milliseconds. their sizes and types.
0 Second generation computers were transis 0 Microcomputers are small, low-cost stand
to r based machines. T h ey used the stored alone machines. M icrocom puters include
program concept. Programs were w ritten desktop com puters, notebook com puters
in assembly language. T h ey were sm aller in or laptop, netbooks, tablet com puter, h an d
size, less expensive and required less m ain held com puter and sm art phones.
6____ | Basics of Computer
© Minicomputers are high processing speed O u tp u t U nit, C P U and M em ory unit are
m achines having m ore storage capacity than the three m ain components o f computer.
the m icrocom puters. M inicom puters can
© Input/Output Unit consists of the In p u t
support 4-200 users simultaneously.
u n it w hich accepts data from the user and
© Mainframe computers are m ulti-user, m u lti the O u tp u t u n it that provides the processed
program m ing an d high perform ance com data. CPU processes the in p u t data, and,
puters. T h e y have very high speed, very controls, coordinates and supervises the
large storage capacity a n d can handle large operations o f the com puter. C P U consists o f
w orkloads. M ainfram e com puters are gen ALU, C U and Registers. T h e m em ory unit
erally used in centralized databases. stores programs, data and o u tp u t, tem po
© Supercomputers are the m ost expen rarily, during the processing. Additionally,
sive machines, having high processing storage unit o r secondary m em ory is used
speed capable o f perform ing trillions o f for the storing o f programs, data and o u t
calculations per second. T h e speed o f a p u t permanently.
supercom puter is measured in FLOPS. © C om puters are used in various areas o f
Supercom puters find applications in com
our life. Education, entertainm ent, sports,
puting-intensive tasks. advertising, m edicine, science and engineer
© Computer is an electronic device based on ing, governm ent, office and hom e are some
the input-process-output concept. In p u t/ o f the application areas o f the computers.
KEYWORDS
ABACUS 3 Input/Output Unit 12 Process 12
Analog computer 2 Integrated Circuit (IC) 5 Program 11
Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) 13 Intelligent terminal 9 Punched cards 4
Assembly language 5 Jacquard s punch card 3 Second Generation
Babbages Analytical Engine 4 Large Scale Integration (LSI) 6 Computer 5
Central Processing Unit Leibnizs Machine 3 Slide Rule 3
(CPU) 6 Machine language 4 Smart phones 9
Computer 2 Mainframe computers 9 Software 11
Control Unit (CU) 13 Memory 13 Storage unit 6
Data 11 Microcomputers 7 Supercomputer 9
Desktop computer 8 Microprocessor 6 Super Large Scale Integrated
Digital computer 2 Minicomputers 9 (SLSI) chips 6
Dumb terminal 9 Napiers bones 3 Tablet computer 8
Fifth Generation Computer 6 Netbook 8 Third Generation
First Generation Computer 4 Notebook computer 8 Computer 5
Floating point Operations Output 12 Transistors 5
Per Second (FLOPS) 9 Parallel processing 7 Users 11
Fourth Generation Computer 6 Pascal’s Machine 3 Vacuum Tubes 4
Hardware 4 Personal Computer (PC) 8 Very Large Scale Integration
Hollerith’s tabulator 4 Personal Digital Assistant (VLSI) 6
Input 11 (PDA) 9
Introduction to Computer 17
QUESTIONS__________________________________
Section 1.2 20. Describe the third generation computer based on
1. D e fin e a n a n a lo g c o m p u te r a n d a d ig ita l c o m p u te r . the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Computing char
acteristics (d) Physical appearance, and (c) Their
2. Give an example each of analog computer and digi
tal computer. applications.
21. Give two examples of third generation computers.
Section 1.3 22. List the drawbacks of the third generation computers.
3. List the main characteristics of the computer.
Section 1.5.4
4. Describe the characteristics of the computer.
23. The fourth generation computers used
5. List three significant limitations of the computer.
for circuitry.
Section 1.4 24. Describe the fourth generation computer based
6. Explain briefly the developments in computer tech on the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Computing
nology starting from a simple calculating machine characteristics (d) Physical appearance and (e) Their
to the first computer. applications.
7. What is a calculating machine? 25. Give two examples of fourth generation computers.
8. What is the key feature of the Jacquards punch 26. List the drawbacks of the fourth generation com
card? puters.
9. Name the first calculating device for the counting Section 1.5.5
of large numbers.
27. The fifth generation computers used____________
10. Who is called the Father of Computer? for circuitry.
28. Describe the fifth generation computer based
Section 1.5.1
on the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Computing
11. The first generation computers used____________
characteristics (d) Physical appearance and (c) Their
for circuitry.
applications.
12. Describe the first generation computer based on
29. Give two examples of fifth generation computers.
the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Computing char
30. Compare in detail the five generations o f computers
acteristics (d) Physical appearance, and (e) Their
applications. based on the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Com
puting characteristics (d) Physical appearance and
13. Give two examples of first generation computers.
(e) Their applications. Also give at least one exam
14. List the drawbacks of the first generation comput ple of each generation of computer.
ers.
Section 1.6.1
Section 1.5.2
31. Define microcomputer.
15. The second generation computers used
32. Give two examples of microcomputer.
for circuitry.
16 . O c M jrib c t h e .s e c o n d g e n e r a t i o n c o m p u t e r b a s e d
33. List three categories of microcomputers.
on the (a) Hardware (b) Software (c) Compuring
S e c tio n 1.6.2
characteristics (d) Physical appearance and (e) Their
34. Define minicomputers.
applications.
35. Give two examples of minicomputer.
17. Give two examples of second generation computers.
18. List the drawbacks of the second generation com
Section 1.6.3
puters.
36. Define mainframe computer.
Section 1.5.3 37. Give two examples of mainframe computer.
19. The third generation computers used 38. Define a dumb terminal.
____________ for circuitry. 39. Define an intelligent terminal.
book.
THE COMPUTER SYSTEM
HARDWARE
■c
x:
w
./
K
Y •
■i\y
© Central Processing Unit (CPU) © Microprocessor— CISC, RISC
• Arithmetic logic unit © Interconnecting the units of a computer—
• Registers System bus, expansion bus, external ports
• Control Unit (CU) © Performance of a computer— Registers,
© Memory unit RAM, system clock, bus, cache memory
• Cache memory © Inside a computer cabinet— Motherboard,
• Primary memory ports and interfaces, expansion slots,
• Secondary memory ribbon cables, memory chips, storage
® Instruction format devices, processor
© Instruction set
© Instruction cycle— Fetching, decoding,
executing, storing
Why this chapter?

fir
The com puter as a m achine consists of different com ponents that interact with each other
to provide the desired functionality of the computer. As a user of the computer, w e need
to be aw are of the m ain com ponents of the computer, their functions and the intercon
&
nection betw een the different com ponents of the computer. This chapter describes the
different hardware com ponents of the computer.
.'•J-J & A V fr . -a.I* ? *
2.1 INTRODUCTION
W h en we talk o f com puter hardware, the three related term s th at require introduction are— com puter
architecture, com puter organization and com puter design. Computer architecture refers to the structure
and behavior o f the com puter. It includes the specifications o f the com ponents, for example, instruction
form at, instruction set and techniques for addressing memory, and how they connect to the other com po
nents. Given the com ponents, computer organization focuses o n the organizational structure. It deals with
how the hardware com ponents operate and the way they are connected to form the com puter. Given the
system specifications, computer design focuses on the hardw are to be used and the interconnection o f parts.
D ifferent kinds o f com puter, such as a P C or a m ainfram e com puter m ay have different organization;
however, basic organization o f the com puter rem ains the same.
A com puter consists o f three main com ponents— (1) In p u t/O u tp u t (I/O ) Unit, (2) Central Processing
U nit (C PU ), and (3) M em ory Unit. T h e com puter user interacts w ith the com puter via the I/O unit. T h e
purpose o f I/O unit is to provide data and instructions as in p u t to the com puter and to present relevant
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The Computer System Hardware 23
P ro c e s s o r
L lc a c h e L 2 cach e
M
N— y RAM
Figure 2.3 Illustration of cache memory
0 Cache m em ory is built into the processor, and may also be located next to it on a separate chip
between the C P U and RAM . Cache built into the C P U is faster than separate cache, run n in g at
the speed o f the microprocessor itself. However, separate cache is roughly twice as fast as RAM.
0 T h e C P U has a built-in Level 1 (L l) cache and Level2 (L2) cache, as shown in Figure 2.3. In addition
to the built-in Ll and L2 cachc, some CPU s have a separate cache chip on the m otherboard. This
cache on the m otherboard is called Level 3 (L3) cache. Nowadays, high-end processor comes with
built-in L3 cache, like in Intel core i7. T h e L l, L2 and L3 cache store the m ost recently run instruc
tions, the next ones and the possible ones, respectively. Typically, CPU s have cache size varying from
256KB (L l), 6 M B (L2), to 12MB (L3) cache.
01C ache m em ory is very expensive, so it is smaller in size. Generally, com puters have cache m em ory
o f sizes 256 KB to 2 MB.
2.3.2 Primary Memory

0 Prim ary m em ory is the m ain m em ory o f com puter. It is used to store data and instructions during
the processing o f data. Prim ary m em ory is sem iconductor memory.
0 Primary m em ory is o f two kinds— Random Access M emory (RAM) and Read O nly M em ory (ROM ).
0 RAM is volatile. It stores data w hen the c o m p u te r is o n . T h e in fo rm atio n sto red in RAM
gets erased w hen the c o m p u ter is tu rn e d off. RAM provides temporary storage for d ata and
in stru ctio n s.
0 R O M is non-volatile memory, b u t is a read only memory. T h e storage in R O M is perm anent in
nature, and is used for storing standard processing program s that perm anently reside in the co m
puter. R O M comes program m ed by the m anufacturer.
0 RAM stores data and instructions during the execution o f instructions. T h e data and instructions that
require processing are brought into the RAM from the storage devices like hard disk. C P U accesses
the data and the instructions from RAM , as it can access it at a fast speed than the storage devices
connected to the in p u t and o u tp u t unit (Figure 2.4).
0 T h e in p u t data that is entered using the in p u t unit is stored in RAM , to be m ade available d u r
ing the processing o f data. Similarly, the o u tp u t data generated after processing is stored in RAM
before being sent to the o u tp u t device. Any interm ediate results generated during the processing
o f program are stored in RAM.
0 RAM provides a limited storage capacity, due to its high cost.
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26 Basics of Computer
i k
( ) Execute
Figure 2.8 Instruction cycle
Fetch instruction
from m em ory
I
P lace instruction D ecode instruction
in IR
B reak into parts E xecute instruction
I
using instruction set
Increm ent PC T h e operation Store
architecture
im plied by instruction instruction
is perform ed in co m p u ter
m em ory
F etch next instruction
Figure 2.9 Steps in instruction cycle
® Instructions are o f different categories. Some categories o f instructions art

• M em ory access or transfer o f data between registers.
• A rithm etic operations like addition and subtraction.
• Logic operations such as A N D , O R and N O T.
• C o n tro l the sequence, conditional connections, etc.
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The Computer System Hardware | 27
A C P U perform ance is measured by the num ber o f instructions it executes in a second, i.e., M IP S
(m illion instructions per second), or B IP S (billion instructions per second).
2.7 MICROPROCESSOR
A processors instruction set is a determ ining factor in its architecture. O n the basis o f the instruction set,
m icroprocessors are classified as— Reduced Instruction Set C o m p u ter (RISC), and Com plex Instruction
Set C o m p u ter (CISC). T h e x86 instruction set o f the original Intel 8086 processor is o f the C ISC type.
T h e PCs are based on the x86 instruction set.
© CISC architecture hardwires the processor with complex instructions, which are difficult to create
otherwise using basic instructions. CISC combines the different instructions into one single CPU .
• C IS C has a large instruction set that includes simple and fast instructions for perform ing basic
tasks, as well as complex instructions that correspond to statem ents in the high level language.
• An increased num ber o f instructions (200 to 300) results in a m uch more com plex processor,
requiring millions o f transistors.
• Instructions are o f variable lengths, using 8, 16 or 32 bits for storage. T his results in the proces
sor’s tim e being spent in calculating where each instruction begins and ends.
• W ith large num ber o f application software program s being w ritten for the processor, a new pro
cessor has to be backwards com patible to the older version o f processors.
• A M D and Cyrix are based on C ISC .
® RISC has simple, single-cycle instructions, which perform s only basic instructions. RISC archi
tecture does n o t have hardw ired advanced functions. All high-level language support is done in the
software.
• RISC has fewer instructions and requires fewer transistors, which results in the reduced m anu
facturing cost o f processor.
• T h e instruction size is fixed (32 bits). T h e processor need not spend tim e in finding o u t where
each instruction begins and ends.
• RISC architecture has a reduced production cost com pared to C ISC processors.
• T h e instructions, simple in nature, are executed in just one clock cycle, which speeds up the
program execution when com pared to C IS C processors.
• RISC processors can handle m ultiple instructions sim ultaneously by processing them in parallel.
• Apple M ac G 3 and PowerPC are based on RISC.
Processors like A thlon XP and Pentium IV use a hybrid o f both technologies.
P ip e lin in g improves instruction execution speed by putting the execution steps into parallel. A
C P U can receive a single instruction, begin executing it, and reccivc another instruction before it has
com pleted the first. T his allows for more instructions to be perform ed, about, one instruction per
clock cycle.
Parallel P rocessing is the sim ultaneous execution o f instructions from the same program on differ
ent processors. A program is divided into m ultiple processes that are handled in parallel in order to
reduce execution time.
2.8 INTERCONNECTING THE UNITS OF A COMPUTER

C P U sends data, instructions and inform ation to the com ponents inside the com puter as well as to the
peripherals and devices attached to it. Bits is a set o f electronic signal pathways that allows inform ation
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The Computer System Hardware | 33
® USB Ports— to connect newer peripherals like cameras, scanners and printers to the com puter. It
uses a thin wire to connect to the devices, and m any devices can share that wire simultaneously.
® Firewire is another bus, used today m ostly for video cameras and external hard drives.
© RJ45 connector (called LAN or Ethernet port) is used to connect the com puter to a netw ork. It
corresponds to a netw ork card integrated into the m otherboard.
© VGA connector for connecting a m onitor. T his connector interfaces with the built-in graphics card.
® Audio plugs (line-in, line-out and m icrophone), for connecting sound speakers and the m icro
phone. T his connector interfaces w ith the built-in sound card.
® PS/2 port to connect mouse and keyboard into PC.
© SCSI port for connecting the hard disk drives and netw ork connectors.
2.10.3 Expansion Slots

T he expansion slots (Figure 2.17) are located on the motherboard. T he expansion cards are inserted in the expan
sion slots. These cards give the com puter new features or increased performance. There are several types o f slots:
© ISA (Industry Standard Architecture) slot— T o connect m odem and input devices.
® PC I (Peripheral C om ponent In te rc o n n e c t) slot— To connect audio, video and graphics. T hey are
m uch faster than ISA cards.
•) A G P (Accelerated G raphic Port) slot— A fast port for a graphics card.
© PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) Express slot— Faster bus architecture than AGP and PCI buses.
© PC Card— It is used in laptop computers. It includes Wi-Fi card, network card and external modem.
Figure 2.17 Expansion slots
2.10.4 Ribbon Cables

Ribbon cables (Figure 2.18) are flat, insulated and consist o f several tiny wires m oulded together that carry
data to different com ponents on the m otherboard. T here is a wire for each bit o f the word or byte and
additional wires to coordinate the activity o f moving inform ation. T hey also connect the floppy drives, disk
drives and C D -R O M drives to the connectors in the m otherboard. Nowadays, Serial Advanced Technol
ogy A ttachm ent (SATA) cables have replaced the ribbon cables to connect the drives to the m otherboard.
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Computer M em ory | 41
H igh H igh Low
Figure 3.2 Memory hierarchy
T h e internal m em ory and external m em ory are the two broad categories o f m em ory used in the
com puter. T h e internal m em ory consists o f the C P U registers, cache m em ory and prim ary m emory.
T h e internal m em ory is used by the C P U to perform the com puting tasks. T h e external m em ory is also
called the secondary m emory. T h e secondary m em ory is used to store the large am o u n t of data and the
software.
In general, referring to the com puter m em ory usually means the internal memory.
V _____ __ -.......................................................................................................................................................... . - V
0 Internal Memory— T h e key features o f internal m em ory are— (1) lim ited storage capacity,
(2) tem porary storage, (3) fast access, and (4) high cost. Registers, cache memory, and primary'
m em ory constitute the internal memory. T h e prim ary m em ory is further o f two kinds— RAM
and R O M . Registers are the fastest and the m ost expensive am ong all the m em ory types. T h e
registers are located inside the C P U , and are directly accessible by the C P U . T h e speed o f registers
is between 1—2 ns (nanosecond). T h e sum o f the size o f registers is about 200B. Cachc m em ory is
next in the hierarchy and is placed between the C P U and the main memory. T h e speed ol cache
is between 2 -1 0 ns. The cache size varies between 32 KB to 4M B. Any program or data that has
to be executed m ust be brought into RAM from the secondary memory. Prim ary m em ory is
relatively slower than the cache memory. T he speed o f RAM is around 60ns. T h e RAM size varies
from 512KB to 3GB.
0 Secondary M emory — T he key features o f secondary m em ory storage devices are— (1) very high
storage capacity, (2) perm anent storage (non-volatile), unless erased by user, (3) relatively slower
access, (4) stores data and instructions that are not currently being used by C P U b u t may be
required later for processing, and (5) cheapest am ong all memory. T h e storage devices consist
o f two parts— drive and device. For example, m agnetic rape drive and m agnetic tape, m agnetic
disk drive and disk, and, optical disk drive and disk. T h e speed o f m agnetic disk is around 60m s.
C o p y rig h te d m aterial
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® T h e R O M m em ory chip (Figure 3.5) stores the Basic Input Output System (BIOS). BIOS provides
the processor with the inform ation required to boot the system. It provides the system with the
settings and resources that are available on the system. BIOS is a perm anent p art o f the com puter.
It does n o t load from disk but instead is stored in a RO M m em ory chip. T h e program code in the
BIOS differs from ordinary software since it acts as an integral part o f the com puter. W hen the
com puter is turned on, the BIOS does the following things—
CM OS
battery
ROM
BIO S
Figure 3.5 ROM BIOS and CMOS battery on a motherboard
• Power On Self Test (POST) is a program that runs autom atically when the system is booted. BIOS
perform s the power-on self-test. It checks that the m ajor hardware com ponents are w orking
properly.
• BIOS setup program , which is a built-in utility in BIOS, lets the user set the m any functions
that control how the com puter works. BIOS displays the system settings and finds the bootable
devices. It loads the interrupt handlers and device drivers. It also initializes the registers.
• Bootstrap Loader is a program whose purpose is to start the com puter software for operation when
the power is turned on. It loads the operating system into RAM and launches it. It generally seeks
the operating system on the hard disk. T he bootstrap loader resides in the R O M . T h e BIOS initi
ates the bootstrap sequence.
® R O M s are o f different kinds. T hey have evolved from the fixed read only m em ory to the ones that
can be program m ed and re-program m ed. T hey vary in the num ber o f re-writes and the m ethod
used for the re-writing. Program m able R O M (PR O M ), Erasable Program m able R O M (EPR O M )
and Electrically Erasable Program m able R O M (EEPR O M ) are some o f the RO M s. All the differ
en t kinds o f R O M retain their content w hen the power is turned off.
• PROM can be program m ed w ith a special tool, b u t after it has been program m ed the contents
cannot be changed. PR O M m em ories have thousands o f fuses (or diodes). H igh voltage (12 V)
is applied to the fuses to be burnt. T h e b u rn t fuses correspond to 0 and the others to 1.
• EPRO M can be program m ed in a sim ilar way as PR O M , b u t it can be erased by exposing it to
ultra violet light and re-program m ed. E PR O M chips have to be removed from the com puter
for re-writing.
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Track
sector
sector
Figure 3.10 Tracks and sectors of a disk
0 M agnetic disk is inserted into a m agnetic disk drive for access. T h e drive consists o f a read/write
head that is attached to a disk arm, which moves the head. T h e disk arm can move inward and
outw ard on the disk.
0 D uring reading or w riting to disk, the m otor o f disk drive moves the disk at high speed (6 0 -1 5 0
times/sec.)
0 Accessing data o n the disk requires the following—
• T h e read/w rite head is positioned to the desired track where the data is to be read from or w rit
ten to. T h e tim e taken to move the read/write head to the desired track is called the seek time.
• O nce the read/w rite head is at the right track, then the head waits for right sector to com e under
it (disk is m oving at high speed). T h e tim e taken for desired sector o f the track to com e under
read/w rite head is called the latency time.
• O nce the read/w rite head is positioned at the right track and sector, the data has to be w ritten to
disk or read from disk. T h e rate at w hich data is w ritten to disk or read from disk is called data
transfer rate.
• T h e sum o f seek tim e, latency tim e and tim e for data transfer is the access tim e o f the disk.
0 T h e storage capacity o f disk drive is m easured in gigabytes (GB).
© Large disk storage is created by stacking together m ultiple disks. A set o f same tracks o n all disks
form s a cylinder. Each disk has its ow n read/w rite head which w ork in coordination.
© A disk can also have tracks and sectors on both sides. Such a disk is called double-sided disk.
T h e features o f m agnetic disk are—
© C heap storage device

© C an store a large am ount o f data
© Easy to carry or transport
© Suitable for frequently read/w rite data
© Fast access device
© M ore reliable storage device
© To be prevented from dust, as the read/w rite head flies over the disk. Any dust particle in between
can corrupt the disk.
______ 50 | Basics of Computer
Finding data on a m agnetic disk is as follows—
© In order to use a disk, it has to be form atted. Form atting includes assigning addresses to various
locations on disk, assigning location o f root directory and checking for defects on the surface o f
disk.
© D uring form atting, the tracks and sectors o f a disk are labeled, which provides an address to each
location o f the disk.
© T here are different m ethods to form at a disk. File Allocation Table (FAT) is the com m only used
logical form at for disk form atting perform ed by W indows.
© Four areas are created when a disk is form atted using FAT—
• Boot Sector It contains the program that runs when the com puter is started. T h e program
checks if the disk has files required to run the operating system. It then transfers control to an
operating system program which continues the startup process. Boot sector also contains infor
m ation about the disk, like num ber o f bytes per sector and n u m ber o f sectors per track. This
inform ation is required by the operating system to access the data on the disk.
• File Allocation Table It records the location o f each file and status o f each sector. W hile read
ing or w riting to disk, operating system checks the FAT to find free area o r locate where data is
stored on disk, respectively.
• Root Directory T his is the m ain folder o f disk. It contains other folders in it, creating a hier
archical system o f folders. T h e root directory contains inform ation about all folders on the disk.
• D ata Area T h e rem aining area o f the disk (after boot sector, FAT, root directory) is the data
area. It stores the program files and data files that are stored on the disk.
© T he W indow s XP and the W indow s 2000 operating system use the N ew Technology File System
(N TFS) 5 file system. T h e N T F S 5 file system offers better security and increased perform ance.
It allows using o f filenames that are more than eight characters long.
© Floppy disk, hard disk and zip disk are the different types o f m agnetic disks.
3.10.1 Floppy Disk

© Floppy disk (FD) is a flat, round, single disk m ade o f M ylar plastic and enclosed in square plastic
jacket (Figure 3.11).
© Floppy Disk Drive (F D D ) is the disk drive for floppy disk.
© T h e floppy disk is inserted into the floppy disk drive to read or w rite data to it.
© Floppy disk has a w rite-protcct slide tab that prevents a user from w riting to it.
© A floppy disk may be single-sided or double-sided disk, i.e., data can be read and w ritten on one
and both sides o f floppy disk, respectively.
© T hey are portable. T hey can be removed from the disk
drive, carried o r stored separately.
© T h e y are small and inexpensive.
© F lo p p y disks are slower to access than hard disk. They
have less storage capacity and are less expensive than
hard disk.
© T h e y com e in two basic sizes— 5 -lA inch and 3 -Vi
Figure 3 .11 Floppy disk inch.
® T h e 5 -V\ inch disk came around 1987. It can store 360 KB to 1.2 M B o f data.
® T h e 3-Vz inch disk has capacity o f 400 KB to 1.44 M B. It usually contains 40 tracks a n d 18 sectors
per track and can store 512 bytes per sector.
3.10.2 Hard Disk

® A hard disk (H D ) consists o f one or m ore platters divided into concentric tracks a n d sectors. It is
m o u n ted on a central spindle, like a stack. It can be read by a read/w rite head that pivots across
the rotating disks. T h e data is stored on the platters covered w ith m agnetic coating (Figure 3.12).
Spindle
arms head
Figure 3.12 Parts of hard disk
® H a rd disk is a fixed disk. T he disk is n o t removable from the drive, unlike floppy disk.
® T h e hard disk and H ard D isk Drive (H D D ) is a single unit.
® H ard disk can store m uch m ore data than floppy disk. T h e data in hard disk are packed m ore
closely (because fast spinning uses smaller m agnetic charges) and they have m ultiple platters, w ith
data being stored on b oth sides o f each platter. Large capacity hard disks m ay have 12 o r m ore
platters.
® U nlike floppy disk, the read/w rite head o f hard disk does n o t touch the disk d u rin g accessing.
® H ard disk can spin at the speed o f up to 10,000 revolutions per m inute a n d have an access tim e o f
9 -1 4 ms. It stores 512 bytes per sector b u t the num ber o f sectors are m ore per track (54 o r more)
than floppy disk.
S Nowadays, hard disks are available that can store up to 500 G B o f data. Generally, PCs come with
160 GB hard disk.
® H ard disk is the key secondary storage device o f com puter. T h e operating system is stored o n the
hard disk. T he perform ance o f com puter like speed o f com puter boot up, loading o f program s to
________ 52 | Basics o f Computer
prim ary m emory, loading o f large files like images, video, audio etc., is also dependent on the hard
disk.
0 Nowadays, portable external hard disk drive is available which can be attached to the USB drive o f
the com puter. T hey com e in the storage capacities o f 80 GB to 500 GB.
3.10.3 Zip Disk

0 T hey are high-capacity removable disk and drive.
0 T hey have the speed and capacity o f hard disk and portability o f
floppy disk.
0 Z ip disk are o f the same size as floppy disk, i.e., 3 -Vi inch b u t
have a m uch higher capacity than the floppy disk (Figure 3.13).
0 Z ip disk and drive were m ade by Iomega C orp. It comes as a
com plete unit— disk, drive, connection cable, power cord and
operating system. It can be connected to the com puter system
externally using a parallel chord o r SCSI cable.
0 T h eir capacity ranges from 100 M B to 750 M B. T hey can be
3.13 Zip disk
used to store large files, audio and video data.
3.11 OPTICAL DISK

O ptical disk (Figure 3.14) is a flat and circular disk which is coated w ith reflective plastic m aterial that can
be altered by laser light. O ptical disk does n o t use m agnetism . T h e bits 1 and 0 are stored as spots that are
relatively bright and light, respectively.
0 An optical disk consists o f a single spiral track

that starts from the edge to the centre o f disk.
D ue to its spiral shape, it can access large am o u n t
o f data sequentially, for example m usic and video.
T he random access on optical disk is slower than
that o f m agnetic disk, due to its spiral shape.
0 T h e tracks o n optical disk are further divided
into sectors w hich are o f same length. T hus, the
sectors near the centre o f disk w rap around the
disk longer th an the sectors on the edges o f disk.
Reading the disk thus requires spinning the disk
foster w hen reading near the centre and slower
w hen reading near the edge o f disk. O ptical disks
are generally slower th an hard disks. Figure 3.15
shows the tracks and sectors in a m agnetic disk
and optical disk.
Computer Memory 1____ 5 3
Track
(concentric
circles) Spiral Sectors
Sector wider track of same
at edge than width
center
Magnetic disk Optical disk
figure 3>15 Sectors and track in magnetic disk and optical disk
® O ptical disks can store large am o u n t o f data, up to 6 G B , in a small space. C om m only used optical
disks store 6 0 0 -7 0 0 M B o f data.
® T h e access tim e for an optical disk ranges from 100 to 200 ms.
® T here are tw o m ost com m on categories o f optical disks— read-only optical disks and recordable
optical disks.
3.11.1 CD-ROM
® Originally, C om pact D isk (C D ) was a popular m edium for storing music. Now, it is used in com
puters to store data and is called C om pact Disk-Read O n ly M em ory (C D -R O M ).
® As the nam e suggests, C D -R O M (Figure 3.16) is an optical disk th at can only be read and n o t
w ritten on. C D -R O M is w ritten on by the m anufacturer o f the C D -R O M using the laser light.
® A C D -R O M drive reads data from the com pact disk. D ata is stored as pits (depressions) and lands
(flat area) on C D -R O M disk. W hen the laser light is focused on the disk, the pits scatter the light
(interpreted as 0) and the lands reflect the light to a sensor (interpreted as 1).
® As C D -R O M is read only, n o changes can be m ade into the data contained in it.
® Since there is n o head touching the disk, b u t a laser light, C D -R O M does n o t get w orn o u t easily.
® T h e storage density o f C D -R O M is very high and cost is low as compared to floppy disk and hard disk.
® Access tim e o f C D -R O M is less. C D -R O M drives can read data at 150Kbps. T h ey com e in m ul
tiples o f this speed like— 2x, 4x, 52x, 75x, etc.
® It is a com m only used m edium for distributing software a n d large data.
3.11.2 DVD-ROM
® D igital Video Disk-Read O n ly M em ory (D V D -R O M ) is an optical storage device used to store
digital video or com puter data (Figure 3.17).
® D V D s look like C D s, in shape a n d physical size.
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I — _
Com■
p u te r M e m o ry 1
57
user, have slow access, store the data and instruc digital camera, mobile phone, printer, laptop com
tions that are not currently being used by C PU , and puter, and MP3 players.
are cheapest among all memory. M agnetic disk and © Magnetic tapes are inexpensive, can store a large
optical disk are storage devices. amount of data, are easy to transport, are slow access
® Organization o f memory with respect to the C PU , is device, and are suitable for back-up storage.
as follows— registers are placed inside C PU , cache © Magnetic disks are cheap storage device, can store a
memory is placed inside C PU , prim ary m em ory is large amount of data, are easy to carry, are suitable
placed next in the hierarchy, and secondary memory for frequently read/write data and are fast access
is the farthest from CPU . device. Access time o f disk is the sum o f seek time,
0 Registers are very high-speed storage areas located latency time and time for data transfer.
inside the C PU . Registers are manipulated direcdy ® Floppy disk is a flat, round, single disk enclosed in a
by the control unit o f the C PU during instruction jacket. It is portable, small, inexpensive and slower to
execution. access than hard disk. It comes in two basic sizes—
0 Cache, the fast memory, is placed between the C P U 5-V4 inch and 3-V4 inch.
and the RAM. T he contents from the RAM are ® Hard disk is a fixed disk and can store much more
stored in the cache. data than floppy disk. Hard disk is the key secondary
0 RAM stores data and instructions during the storage device of computer.
operation o f com puter. RAM is a random access © Zip disk have the speed and capacity of hard disk and
volatile m em ory having lim ited size due to its portability of floppy disk.
high cost. RAM affects the speed and pow er o f © Optical disk consists of a single spiral track that starts
th e com puter. from the edge to the centre o f disk. It can store large
© RAM memory chips are o f two types— D RAM and amount of data in small space.
SRAM. DRAM is used as main m em ory as it is © CD-ROM is an optical disk that can only be read
small and cheap. SRAM chip is used in cache m em and not written on. It has high-storage density and is
ory due to its high speed. a low-cost device compared to floppy disk and hard
® ROM is a non-volatile prim ary m em ory which stores disk.
the data needed for the start up o f the computer. © DVD-ROM is a high-density optical storage device
Instructions to initialize different devices attached which stores data on both sides o f the disk. It is used
to com puter and the bootstrap loader are stored in to store a full-length movie.
R O M . PRO M , EPRO M and EEPRO M are some 0 Recordable optical disks are CD-R, CD-RW and
o f the ROM s. DVD-R.
0 Flash memory is a kind o f semiconductor-based non © Computer uses its memory from the time you switch
volatile, rewritable com puter memory. It is used in on the computer till you switch it off.
KEYWORDS
Access time 40 Compact Disk - Read Only Digital Video Disk-Recordable
Basic Input Output System Memory (CD-ROM) 53 (DVD-R) 55
(BIOS) 45 Compact Disk-Recordable Direct Access 46
Bit 40 (CD-R) 55 Dual Inline Memory Module
Boot sector 50 Compact Disk-ReWritable (DIMM) 44
Bootstrap loader 45 (CD-RW) 55 Dynamic RAM (DRAM) 43
Byte 40 Complementary Metal-Oxide Electrically Erasable Programmable
Cache Hit 42 Semiconductor (CMOS) 45 ROM (EEPROM) 45
Cache memory 42 Data Transfer Rate 49 Erasable Programmable ROM
Cache Miss 42 Digital Video Disk-Read Only (EPROM) 45
Compact Disk (CD) 53 Memory (DVD-ROM) 53 File Allocation Table (FAT) 50
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INPUT A N D DUTPUT
DEVICES
0 Input-output unit— Input unit, output unit 0 Output devices— Hard copy devices, soft
0 Input devices— Human data entry devices, copy devices
source data entry devices * 0 Hard copy devices
0 Human data entry devices ♦ Printer— Impact printers (dot matrix,
• Keyboard daisywheel, drum), non-impact printers
• Pointing devices— Mouse, trackball, (ink-jet, laser)
joystick, digitizing tablet ♦ Plotter— Drum plotter, flatbed plotter
• Pick devices— Light pen, touch screen ♦ Computer output on microfilm
0 Source data entry devices (microfiche)
• Audio input device (microphone, sound 0 Soft copy devices— Monitor, visual display
card, speech recognition) terminal, video output, audio response
& * * • .£ ' 5. • Video input device (video camera, (speakers, headphone)
*:•:•?>'?! digital camera) 0 I/O port— Parallel port, serial port, USB
• Optical input devices— Scanner (hand port, firewire port
ihvrf '4
A:<V
held, flat bed), OCR, MICR, OMR, ® Working of I/O system— I/O devices,
^ : i j
barcode reader device controller, device driver
rS .sjL -
W h a t is the use of the com puter for us? W e m ay w ant to process data, w rite project re-
I ports, listen to sound recordings, watch a m ovie and do m any m ore things. But to do any
:: of these things, w e should be able to p ro vid e the data to the com puter and also get the
I outp ut from it. The in p ut devices and output devices are used this purpose. The aim of this
t chapter is to introduce the different kinds of in p ut and output devices.
l .-?j: ‘i « i - '••<:£’ .vs%'. c V -
4.1 INTRODUCTION
A com puter interacts w ith the external environm ent via the in p u t-o u tp u t (I/O ) devices attached to it.
In p u t device is used for providing data and instructions to the com puter. After processing the in p u t data,
com puter provides o u tp u t to the user via the o u tp u t device. T h e I/O devices that arc attached, externally,
to the com puter m achine are also called peripheral devices. D ifferent kinds o f in p u t and o u tp u t devices are
used for different kinds o f in p u t and o u tp u t requirem ents. In this chapter, we shall discuss different kinds
o f in p u t devices and o u tp u t devices.
C o p y rig h te d m a te ria l'

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Input and O utp ut Devices | 65
4.4.2 Pointing Devices

Pointing devices are used for providing the input to com puter by m oving the device to p o in t to a location
on com puter m onitor. T h e input data is not typed; instead, the data is entered by m oving the pointing
device. T h e cursor on the com puter m onitor moves with the m oving pointing device. O perations like
move, click and drag can be perform ed using the pointing devices. M ouse, trackball, joystick and digitiz
ing tablet are som e o f the com m on pointing devices.
4.4.2.7 Mouse
Features It is the m ost com m on p o in tin g in p u t device. T h e data is entered by p o in tin g the m ouse
to a location on the com puter screen. T h e m ouse m ay also be used to position the cursor on screen,
m ove an object by dragging, or select an object by clicking. T h e key benefit o f using a m ouse is th at the
cursor moves w ith the m ouse. So, the cursor can be positioned at any location on the screen by sim ply
m oving the m ouse. M oreover, it provides an easy way to select and choose com m ands from m enus,
dialog boxes, icons, etc. M ouse is used extensively, w hile w orking w ith graphics elem ents such as line,
curve, shapes, etc.
Description M ouse is a small hand-held device having two or three buttons on its u pper side. In addi
tion to the buttons, m ouse also has a small wheel between the buttons. Figure 4.3 (i) shows a mouse.
T h e wheel o f the m ouse is used for the up and dow n m ovem ent, for example, scrolling a long docum ent.
A m ouse is classified as physical mouse or optical mouse.
Figure 4.3 (i) Mouse, (ii) A user working with a mouse
Physical M ouse has a rubber ball on the bottom side th at protrudes w hen the m ouse is moved. It
requires a sm ooth, dust free surface, such as a m ouse pad, on which it is rolled.
O ptical Mouse uses a Light E m itting D iode (LED) and a sensor to detect the m ovem ent o f mouse.
O ptical mouse requires an opaque flat surface underneath it. O ptical mouse was introduced by M icrosoft
in 1999. O ptical m ouse is better than physical m ouse as there is no moving part that can cause wear and
tear, and d irt cannot get inside it. A user is w orking w ith an optical m ouse in Figure 4.3 (ii).
W orking In a plrysical mouse, rollers and sensors are used to sense the direction and rate o f m ovem ent
o f m ouse. W h en the ball o f m ouse moves, the rollers sense th e horizontal and vertical m ovem ent and
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Input and O utp ut Devices 69
generally used in applications like A utom ated Teller M achine (ATM ), public inform ation com puters like
hospitals, airline reservation, railway reservation, superm arkets, etc. (Figure 4.8).
Description Touch scrccn consists o f a clear glass panel that is placed over the view area o f com puter
screen. In addition to the glass panel with sensors, it has a device driver, and a controller that translates the
inform ation captured by the glass panel sensors to a form that the com puter can understand.
W orking Touch screens have an infrared beam that criss-cross the surface o f screen. W hen a fingertip is
touched on the screen, the beam is broken, and the location is recorded. Some touch screens have ultra
sonic acoustic waves that cross the surface o f screen. W hen a fingertip is touched on the screen, the wave is
interrupted, and the location is recorded. T h e recorded location is sent to the com puter via the controller
o f touch screen, in a form that the com puter can understand.
4.5 SOURCE DATA ENTRY DEVICES

Source data entry devices are used for audio input, video input and to enter the source docum ent directly
to the com puter. Source data entry devices do not require data to be typed-in, keyed-in o r pointed to a
particular location.
4.5.1 Audio Input Device

A udio input can be provided to the com puter using hum an voice or speech. Audio in p u t to the com puter
can be used for different purposes. It can be used for m aking telephone calls, for audio and video confer
encing over Internet, to record voice, to create audio files and em bed these files to be sent over e-mail, or,
to translate spoken words into text, etc.
A udio in p u t devices like a microphone is used to input a person’s voice into the com puter. A sound card
(Figure 4.9 (i)) translates analog audio signals from m icrophone into digital codes that the com puter can
store and process. Sound card also translates back the digital sound into analog signals that can be sent
to the speakers. Translating spoken words into text is
also known as speech recognition or voice recognition.
T h e audio in p u t along with the software for voice
recognition forms the speech recognition system or
voice recognition system.
T h e c o m p u te r can be operated using voice co m Software for
S ound card
m ands. T h e user can dictate the com m ands to the recording an d editing
sound
com p u ter, instead o f typing them . T h e co m p u ter
has to be trained to recognize the voice o f user
Figure 4.9 (i) Sound card, (ii) Audacity software
using the speech patterns and p ro n u n ciatio n o f
w o rd s. T h e s y s te m th u s a d a p ts to th e v o ic c o f user.
Speech recognition system s are costly and difficult to develop. T hey are generally used by people w ho
have difficulty in typing, people w ith disabilities or by corporate w orld for d ictatio n . A udio in p u t can
be recorded on an m p3 recorder and provided as an in p u t to com puter. O p en source softw are like
A udacity is used for recording and ed itin g of audio files (Figure 4 .9 (ii)).
4.5.2 Video Input Device

Video in p u t is provided to the com puter using video camera and digital camera (Figure 4.10). Video cam
era can capture full m otion video images. T h e images are digitized and can be compressed and stored in
the com puter disk. W ebcam is a com m on video camera device. It is placed on the com puter above the
screen to capture the images o f the user w ho is w orking on the com puter. A video capture card allows the
user to connect video devices like cam corders to the com puter.
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Input and O utp ut Devices | 75
(sharpness and clarity o f print) o f the printer is determ ined by the resolution o f the printer. Resolution is
m easured in dots per inch (dpi). Printers with a high resolution (more dpi) provide better quality output.
D ifferent kinds o f printers are available for different types o f applications. Printers are classified into two
categories— im pact printer and non-im pact printer.
Impact printers use the typew riter approach o f physically striking a typeface against the paper and inked
ribbon. Im pact printers can prin t a character or an entire line at a time. Im pact printers are low-cost p rin t
ers useful for bulk printing. D o t m atrix printers, daisy wheel printers and d ru m printers are examples o f
im pact printers.
® D ot M atrix Printers (Figure 4.17) p rin t one

character at a tim e. T h e speed o f d o t m atrix
p rin ter lies between 200 and 600 characters
per second (cps) and their resolution ranges
from 72 to 360 dpi. D ot m atrix printers nor
mally com e in two sizes— 80 colum n printer
and 132 colum n printer. D o t m atrix p rin t
ers can p rin t alphanum eric characters, special
characters, charts and graphs. T hey can prin t
only in black and w hite. Some d o t m atrix
printers can p rin t in both directions - left to
right and right to left. D o t m atrix printers are
com m only used for p rin tin g in applications
like payroll and accounting.
© Daisy W heel Printers (Figure 4.18) print one
character at a time. T hey produce letter qual
ity d o cu m ent which is better than a docum ent
p rin ted by a d o t m atrix printer. T h e speed o f
daisy wheel printers is about 100 cps. T he
p rin t head o f the printer is like a daisy flower,
hence the name. These printers are slow, can
only p rin t text (not graphics), and arc costly
in com parison to dot matrix printers. Daisy
wheel printers are used where high quality
prin tin g is needed and no graphics is needed. Figure 4.18 Daisy wheel for printers
© D rum Printers are line printers. T hey are
expensive and faster than character printers b u t produce a low quality output. T hey can print
2 0 0 -2 5 0 0 lines per m inute. D rum printers arc generally used for volum inous p rin t outputs.
Non-Impact Printers do n o t hit o r im pact a ribbon to print. T hey use electro-static chemicals and ink-jet
technologies. N on-im pact printers are faster and quieter than im pact printers. T hey produce high quality
o u tp u t and can be used for printin g text and graphics both in black and w hite, and color. Ink-jet printers
and laser printers are non-im pact printers.
© Ink-jet Printers spray ink drops directly on the paper like a jet (Figure 4.19 (i)). T h eir resolution
is m ore than 500 dpi. T hey produce high quality graphics and text. Ink-jet printers are com m only
found in hom es and offices.
© Laser Printers (Figure 4.19 (ii)) provide highest quality o f text and graphics printing. I-aser
printers process and store the entire page before printing and are also know n as page printers.
T h e laser printer can prin t 5-24 pages o f text per m inute and their resolution ranges from 400 to
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Figure 4.23 LC D m o n ito r
Figure 4.24 A user viewing the output on a LCD monitor

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35. Name three optical scanncr devices. 62. Describe the three factors on which the clarity o f
36. Why is a scanncr used? image on the com puter scrccn depends.
37. Describe hand-held scanners and flat-bed 63. Name the three factors on which the clarity o f
scanners. image on the com puter screen depends.
38. What is the purpose of OCR software in optical 64. Name some color adapters.
character recognition? 65. W hat is a visual display terminal?
39. An application where MICR is commonly used is 66. W hy arc screen image projectors used?
6 7 . Describe how the audio response system works.
40. Name an application of OMR. 68. Name two applications o f audio response system.
41. How docs optical character reader recognize char
acters? Section 4.7-4.8
42. How docs magnetic ink charactcr reader recognize 6 9 . Name the different types o f I/O ports.
the magnetic characters?
7 0 . Nam e at least one device each that can be con
43. How docs optical mark reader recognize marks? nected to the serial port, parallel port, USB port,
44. What is the use of barcode reader? M ID I port and firewire.
7 1. Explain the working o f the I/O system.
Section 4.6-4.6.1.1 72. W hat is the purpose o f ports, buses and controllers
in the I/O system?
45. Dot Matrix printers come in two sizes— _
column printer a n d ______ column printer. 73. W hat is a devicc driver?
46. The sharpness and clarity of print of the printer is 74. W hat is the use o f the device driver?
determined by th e _______ of printer. 75. Is device controller a hardware or software?
47. Resolution of printer is measured i n _______ . 76. Is device driver a hardware or software?
48. Describe a dot-matrix printer.
49. Describe a daisywheel printer. Extra Questions
50. Dot matrix and daisy wheel printers are charactcr 77 . Give full form o f the following abbreviations
printer but drum printer is a _______ printer and (i) I/O (ii) LED (iii) CAD
laser printer is a _______ printer.
(iv) ATxM (v) M IC R (vi) O M R
51. Describe non-impact printers.
(vii) O C R (viii) dpi (ix) cps
(x) CAM (xi) C O M (xii) C R T
Section 4.6.1.2—4.6.2.4 (xiii) LCD (xiv) V D T (xv) USB
52. What is the use of a plotter? (xvi) M ID I
53. Plotters are of two kinds—____ .plotter and 78. Write short notes on
___________p lo tte r .
(a) Input-iutput unit (b) Input Unit
54. Name two applications where plotters are used.
(c) O u tp u t unit (d) Keyboard
55. Define a microfilm.
(e) Mouse (f) Trackball
56. When do we use a microfilm?
(g) Joystick (h) Digitizing tablet
57. Give a description of the monitor. (i) Light pen (j) Touch screen
58. Define the resolution of the screen. (k) Input devices (I) Audio input dcvice
59. Define the refresh rate of the scrccn. (m) Video input device (n) Optical input deviccs
60. Define the dot pitch of the screcn. (o) Scanner (p) M IC R
61. The common resolution of computer screen is (q) OxMR (r) O C R
a n d ________. (s) Printer (t) Impact printers
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Data Representation | 89____
0 T h e position value and quantity o f a digit at different positions in a n u m ber are as follow*
Position: 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3
Position Value: 103 102 10' 10° 10-* 10-2 10-3
Q uantity: 1000 100 10 1 1/10 1/100 1/1000
5.2.2 Binary Number System

0 T h e binary num ber system consists o f two digits— 0 and 1.
0 All binary num bers are form ed using com bination o f 0 and 1. For example, 1001, 11000011 and
10110101 .
0 T h e position value and quantity o f a digit at different positions in a n u m b er are as follows—
Position: 3 2 1 0 . -1 -2 -3
Position Value: 23 22 V 2° 2 '1 2"2 2“3
Q uantity: 8 4 2 1 1/2 1/4 1/8
5.2.3 O ctal Number System

0 T h e octal num ber system consists o f eight digits— 0 to 1.
0 All octal num bers are represented using these eight digits. For example, 273, 103, 2375, etc.
0 T h e position value and quantity o f a digit at different positions in a n u m ber are as follows—
Position: 3 2 1 0 -1 -2 -3
Position Value: 83 82 8' 8° 8-' 8~2 8-3
Q uantity: 512 64 8 1 1/8 1/64 1/512
5.2.4 Hexadecimal Number System

0 T h e hexadecimal num ber system consists o f sixteen digits— 0 to 9, A, B, C , D , E, F, where (A is for
10, B is for 11, 0 1 2 , D -13, E-14, F-15).
0 All hexadecim al num bers are represented using these 16 digits. For example, 3FA, 87B, 113, etc.
0 T h e position value and quantity o f a digit at different positions in a n u m b er are as follows—
Position: 3 2 1 0 . - 1 - 2 - 3
Position Value: 163 162 16 1 16° 16~‘ 16"2 16"3
Q uantity: 4096 256 16 1 1/16 1/256 1/4096
Table 5.1 summ arizes the base, digits and largest digit for the above discussed n u m ber systems. Table
5.2 shows the binary, octal a n d hexadecimal equivalents o f the decim al num bers 0 -1 6 .
Base Digits Largest D igit

Decim al 10 0 -9 9
Binary 2 0,1 1
O ctal 8 0 -7 7
Hexadecim al 16 0 -9 , A, B, C, D, E, F F (15)
Table 5.1 Summary of number system
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Data Representation
(3) Record the non-fractionaJ part o f the resulting num ber.

(4) Repeat the above steps at least four times.
(5) W rite the digits in the non-fractional part starting from upwards to downwards.
C onvert 0.2345 from Base 10 to Base 2.

0.2345
x2
0.4690
.4690
___x_2
0.9380
.9380
____ * 2
1.8760
.8760
1.7520
.7520
___ x_2
1.5040
.5040
___ x .2
1.0080
T h e binary equivalent o f (0.2345),0 is (0.001 111),
Example 5a: C onvert 0.865 from Base 10 to Base 2, 8 a n d 16
0.865 0.865 0.865

__*2 __JLS _x_j_6
1.730 6.920 5190
_& 2 _JL 8 865 x
1.460 7.360 13.840
x2 ___ X..8 x 16
0.920 2.880 5040
____ x l _§40x_
1.840 7.040 13.440
. x.2 x 16
1.680 The octal equivalent of 2640
___x_2 (0.865)10 is (.6727)8 -44.0 .x
1.360 7.040
The binary equivalent of The num ber 13 in hexadeci

(.865)l0 is (.110111)2 mal is D.
The hexadecim al equivalent
of (O.865)10 is (.DD7),'16
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Computer
Fundamentals
A n ita G oel
Any undergraduate course, irrespective of the streams— commerce, humanities, management, science or
engineering— cannot be completed without a basic understanding of computers. This book has been written
keeping in mind the requirements of this vast audience. The language used in the book is lucid, simple and
reader-friendly so that a novice can easily comprehend underlying concepts in computing. Logical organization
of the chapters, step-by-step presentation of the concepts, illustrations, flow charts, photographs (both color
and black-and-white) and chapter-end exercises makes the book a perfect choice for an introductory course.
9 CONTEMPORARY IN COVERAGE EXCLUSIVE AND EXHAUSTIVE CHAPTERS

I Windows Vista and Windows 7 I Information Systems
I Flash, SIMM and DIMM Memory I Fundamentals of Databases
I • Wireless Networking I Computer Security
I Notebook, Netbook and Smartphones I MS Access and LaTeX
I Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP) I Network and Internet Connections
I Digital Signature and Biometrics
PRACTICE WHILE YOU LEARN SUPPLEMENTS FOR SUPPORT

I Creating MP3 Files from an Audio CD I Lecture Slides
I Assembling a PC I Solution Manual
I Working with MS Office 2007 I mQuest
Anita Goel is Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science, Dyal Singh College, University of Delhi. She
has teaching experience of over two decades. She is guiding several students for their doctoral studies, and has
several national and international research publications to her credit. She has been appointed as Fellow for
Computer Science, Institute of Life Long Learning (ILLL), at the University of Delhi.
T.illmQues
U n lin e resources a va i
PEARSON
www.pearsoned.co.in/anitagoel
u Copyrighted material

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UNIT II USER-COMPUTER INTERFACE

7. Operating System 131

UNIT 111 APPLICATIONS AND SECURITY

UNIT IV COMPUTER PRACTICALS

2, The Computer System Hardware 19

2.3 Memory Unit 22

3.10 Magnetic Disk 48

4. Input and Output Devices__________________________________________ 6 }

4.2 Input-Output Unit 62

4.4 Human Data Entry Devices 64

4.6.2 Soft Copy Devices 77

UNIT II USER-COMPUTER INTERFACE 115

6. Interaction of User and Computer 115

7. Operating System 131

7.10 User Interface 143

Computer Programming Fundamentals 150

Data Communication and Computer Network 163

9.4 Data Transmission Across Media 168

9.5 Data Transmission and Data Networking 175

9.6 Computer Network 178

9.7 Wireless Networking 189

10. The Internet and Internet Services 196

10.5 Managing the Internet 199

UNIT III APPLICATIONS AND SECURITY 219

11. Information Systems219

11.8 Operations Support System 226

Fundamentals of Database 236

12.5 Database System Architectures 250

13. Multimedia 256

14. Computer Security 284

14.3.3 Trojan Horses 287

UNIT IV COMPUTER PRACTICALS 307

15. Windows XP 307

15.5 Windows XP Explorer 314

Word 2007 342

MS-Excel 2007 379

MS-PowerPoint 2007 422

MS-Access 2007 458

19.4 MS-Access Screen and Its Components 461

20. Network and Internet Connections 486

20.8 Wireless Network Setup 496

21. Using LaTeX 503

ABOUT THE BOOK

STRUCTURE OF THE TEXT

Figure 1 Modular structure of text

® S ta rt-o f Chapter Aids

® Digital and analog computers © Classification of computer— Micro­

1.2 DIGITAL AND ANALOG COMPUTERS

1.3 CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER

® Calculating M achines ABACUS was the first mechanical

Figure 1.2 Slide rule

quard to control the power loom in 1801. He

as binary zero. T he Os and Is are the basis of

1.6 CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTER

Fast Expensive Complex Large

Slow Cheap Simple Small

Figure 1.8 Classification of computers based on size and type

Tablet PD A Sm art Phone

Figure 1.9 Microcomputers

h • Mcroscrt Office Aae«

® Digital and analog computers © Classification of computer— Micro

The binary equivalent of The num ber 13 in hexadeci