Chapter One

Introduction to Computer

Computer
A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored
in its own memory that can accept data (input), process the data according to specified
rules, produce information (output), and store the information for future use1.

Functionalities of a computer2
Any digital computer carries out five functions in gross terms:

Computer Components
Any kind of computers consists of HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE.

Hardware:
Computer hardware is the collection of physical elements that constitutes a computer
system. Computer hardware refers to the physical parts or components of a computer
such as the monitor, mouse, keyboard, computer data storage, hard drive disk (HDD),
system unit (graphic cards, sound cards, memory, motherboard and chips), etc. all of
which are physical objects that can be touched.3

1
Vermaat, Misty E. Microsoft Office 2013 Introductory. Cengage Learning, p.IT3. 2014
2
http://www.tutorialspoint.com/computer_fundamentals/computer_quick_guide.htm
3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_hardware

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Input Devices
Input device is any peripheral (piece of computer hardware equipment to provide data
and control signals to an information processing system such as a computer or other
information appliance.
Input device Translate data from form that humans understand to one that the computer
can work with. Most common are keyboard and mouse

Example of Input Devices:-

1. Keyboard 2. Mouse (pointing device) 3. Microphone
4. Touch screen 5. Scanner 6. Webcam
7. Touchpads 8. MIDI keyboard 9.
10. Graphics Tablets 11. Cameras 12. Pen Input
13. Video Capture Hardware 14. Microphone 15. Trackballs
16. Barcode reader 17. Digital camera 18. Joystick
19. Gamepad 20. Electronic Whiteboard 21.

Note: The most common use keyboard is the QWERTY keyboard. Generally standard Keyboard
has 104 keys.

2
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
A CPU is brain of a computer. It is responsible for all functions and processes.
Regarding computing power, the CPU is the most important element of a computer
system.

The CPU is comprised of three main parts :

* Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): Executes all arithmetic and logical operations.
Arithmetic calculations like as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Logical operation like compare numbers, letters, or special characters
* Control Unit (CU): controls and co-ordinates computer components.
1. Read the code for the next instruction to be executed.
2. Increment the program counter so it points to the next instruction.
3. Read whatever data the instruction requires from cells in memory.
4. Provide the necessary data to an ALU or register.
5. If the instruction requires an ALU or specialized hardware to complete, instruct
the hardware to perform the requested operation.
* Registers :Stores the data that is to be executed next, "very fast storage area".

Primary Memory:-
1. RAM: Random Access Memory (RAM) is a memory scheme within the computer
system responsible for storing data on a temporary basis, so that it can be promptly
accessed by the processor as and when needed. It is volatile in nature, which means
that data will be erased once supply to the storage device is turned off. RAM stores
data randomly and the processor accesses these data randomly from the RAM
storage. RAM is considered "random access" because you can access any memory
cell directly if you know the row and column that intersect at that cell.
2. ROM (Read Only Memory): ROM is a permanent form of storage. ROM stays
active regardless of whether power supply to it is turned on or off. ROM devices
do not allow data stored on them to be modified.

Secondary Memory:-
Stores data and programs permanently :its retained after the power is turned off

1. Hard drive (HD): A hard disk is part of a unit, often called a "disk drive," "hard drive," or "hard
disk drive," that store and provides relatively quick access to large amounts of data on an
electromagnetically charged surface or set of surfaces.
2. Optical Disk: an optical disc drive (ODD) is a disk drive that uses laser light as part of the process
of reading or writing data to or from optical discs. Some drives can only read from discs, but recent
drives are commonly both readers and recorders, also called burners or writers. Compact discs,
DVDs, and Blu-ray discs are common types of optical media which can be read and recorded by
such drives. Optical drive is the generic name; drives are usually described as "CD" "DVD", or
"Bluray", followed by "drive", "writer", etc. There are three main types of optical media: CD,
DVD, and Blu-ray disc. CDs can store up to 700 megabytes (MB) of data and DVDs can store up
to 8.4 GB of data. Blu-ray discs, which are the newest type of optical media, can store up to 50
GB of data. This storage capacity is a clear advantage over the floppy disk storage media (a
magnetic media), which only has a capacity of 1.44 MB.

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3. Flash Disk
A storage module made of flash memory chips. A Flash disks have no mechanical platters or access
arms, but the term "disk" is used because the data are accessed as if they were on a hard drive. The
disk storage structure is emulated.

Output devices
An output device is any piece of computer hardware equipment used to communicate
the results of data processing carried out by an information processing system (such
as a computer) which converts the electronically generated information into human-
readable form.

Example on Output Devices:

1. Monitor 2. LCD Projection Panels
3. Printers (all types) 4. Computer Output Microfilm (COM)
5. Plotters 6. Speaker(s)
7. Projector

Note Basic types of monitors are a.Cathode Ray Tube (CRT). B. Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD).
c.light-emitting diode (LED).
Printer types: 1-Laser Printer. 2-Ink Jet Printer. 3-Dot Matrix Printer

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Software
Software is a generic term for organized collections of computer data and instructions,
often broken into two major categories: system software that provides the basic non-
task-specific functions of the computer, and application software which is used by
users to accomplish specific tasks.

Software Types
A. System software is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the
individual hardware components of a computer system so that other software and
the users of the system see it as a functional unit without having to be concerned
with the low-level details such as transferring data from memory to disk, or
rendering text onto a display. Generally, system software consists of an operating
system and some fundamental utilities such as disk formatters, file managers,
display managers, text editors, user authentication (login) and management tools,
and networking and device control software.
B. Application software is used to accomplish specific tasks other than just running
the computer system. Application software may consist of a single program, such
as an image viewer; a small collection of programs (often called a software
package) that work closely together to accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet or
text processing system; a larger collection (often called a software suite) of related
but independent programs and packages that have a common user interface or
shared data format, such as Microsoft Office, which consists of closely integrated
word processor, spreadsheet, database, etc.; or a software system, such as a
database management system, which is a collection of fundamental programs that
may provide some service to a variety of other independent applications.
Comparison Application Software and System Software
System Software Application Software
Computer software, or just software is a
general term primarily used for digitally stored Application software, also known as an
data such as computer programs and other application or an "app", is computer software
kinds of information read and written by designed to help the user to perform specific
computers. App comes under computer tasks.
software though it has a wide scope now.
Example: 1) Opera (Web Browser)
1) Microsoft Windows
2) Microsoft Word (Word Processing)
2) Linux
3) Microsoft Excel (Spreadsheet software)
3) Unix
4) MySQL (Database Software)
4) Mac OSX
5) Microsoft PowerPoint (Presentation Software)
5) DOS
6) Adobe Photoshop (Graphics Software)
Interaction: Users always interact with application software
Generally, users do not interact with system
while doing different activities.
software as it works in the background.
Dependency: System software can run independently of the Application software cannot run without the
application software. presence of the system software.

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Unit of Measurements
Storage measurements: The basic unit used in computer data storage is called a bit
(binary digit). Computers use these little bits, which are composed of ones
and zeros, to do things and talk to other computers. All your files, for
instance, are kept in the computer as binary files and translated into words
and pictures by the software (which is also ones and zeros). This two
number system, is called a “binary number system” since it has only two
numbers in it. The decimal number system in contrast has ten unique digits,
zero through nine.
Computer Storage units
Bit BIT 0 or 1
Kilobyte KB 1024 bytes
Megabyte MB 1024 kilobytes
Gigabyte GB 1024 megabytes
Terabyte TB 1024 gigabytes
Size example
• 1 bit - answer to an yes/no question
• 1 byte - a number from 0 to 255.
• 90 bytes: enough to store a typical line of text from a book.
• 4 KB: about one page of text.
• 120 KB: the text of a typical pocket book.
• 3 MB - a three minute song (128k bitrate)
• 650-900 MB - an CD-ROM
• 1 GB -114 minutes of uncompressed CD-quality audio at 1.4 Mbit/s
• 8-16 GB - size of a normal flash drive

Speed measurement: The speed of Central Processing Unit (CPU) is measured by

Hertz (Hz), Which represent a CPU cycle. The speed of CPU is known as Computer
Speed.
CPU SPEED MEASURES
1 hertz or Hz 1 cycle per second
1 MHz 1 million cycles per second or 1000 Hz
1 GHz 1 billion cycles per second or 1000 MHz

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Computers classification***
Computers can be generally classified by size and power as follows, though there is
Considerable overlap:
• Personal computer: A small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. In
addition to the microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering
data, a monitor for displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.
• workstation : A powerful, single-user computer. A workstation is like a personal
computer, but it has a more powerful microprocessor and a higher-quality
monitor.
• minicomputer : A multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to hundreds of
users simultaneously.
• mainframe : A powerful multi-user computer capable of supporting many hundreds
or thousands of users simultaneously.
• supercomputer : An extremely fast computer that can perform hundreds of millions
of instructions per second.

Laptop and Smartphone Computers

LAPTOP: A laptop is a battery or AC-powered personal computer that can be easily
carried and used in a variety of locations. Many laptops are designed to
have all of the functionality of a desktop computer, whichmeans they can
generally run the same software and open the same types of files. However,
some laptops, such as netbooks, sacrifice some functionality in order to be
even more portable.

Netbook: A netbook is a type of laptop that is designed to be even more portable.

Netbooks are often cheaper than laptops or desktops. They are generally less
powerful than other types of computers, but they provide enough power for
email and internet access, which is where the name "netbook" comes from.
Mobile Device: A mobile device is basically any handheld computer. It is designed to
be extremely portable, often fitting in the palm of your hand or in your pocket.
Some mobile devices are more powerful, and they allow you to do many of

***http://www.acobas.net/teaching/survival/handouts/pcwebopedia.pdf

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 the same things you can do with a desktop or laptop computer. These include
tablet computers, e-readers, and smartphones.

Tablet Computers: Like laptops, tablet computers are designed to be portable.

However, they provide a very different computing experience. The most
obvious difference is that tablet computers don't have keyboards or touchpads.
Instead, the entire screen is touch-sensitive, allowing you to type on a virtual
keyboard and use your finger as a mouse pointer. Tablet computers are mostly
designed for consuming media, and they are optimized for tasks like web
browsing, watching videos, reading e-books, and playing games. For many
people, a "regular" computer like a desktop or laptop is still needed in order
to use some programs. However, the convenience of a tablet computer means
that it may be ideal as a second computer.

Smartphones: A smartphone is a powerful mobile phone that is designed to run a

variety of applications in addition to phone service. They are basically small
tablet computers, and they can be used for web browsing, watching videos,
reading e-books, playing games and more.

Data, Information and Knowledge

Data: Facts and figures which relay something specific, but which are not organized
in any way and which provide no further information regarding patterns, context, etc.
So data means "unstructured facts and figures that have the least impact on the typical
manager."

Information: For data to become information, it must be contextualized, categorized,

calculated and condensed. Information thus paints a bigger picture; it is data with
relevance and purpose. It may convey a trend in the environment, or perhaps indicate
a pattern of sales for a given period of time. Essentially information is found "in
answers to questions that begin with such words as who, what, where, when, and how
many".

Knowledge: Knowledge is closely linked to doing and implies know-how and

understanding. The knowledge possessed by each individual is a product of his
experience, and encompasses the norms by which he evaluates new inputs from his
surroundings.

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The content of the human mind can be classified into four categories:
1. Data: symbols
2. Information: data that are processed to be useful; provides answers to "who", "what",
"where", and "when" questions
3. Knowledge: application of data and information; answers "how" questions
4. Wisdom: evaluated understanding.
We need to understand that processing data produced Information and process
Information produces Knowledge and so on
Characteristics of Computer
Speed, accuracy, diligence, storage capability and versatility are some of the key
characteristics of a computer. A brief overview of these characteristics are
• Speed: The computer can process data very fast, at the rate of millions of instructions
per second. Some calculations that would have taken hours and days to
complete otherwise, can be completed in a few seconds using the computer.
For example, calculation and generation of salary slips of thousands of
employees of an organization, weather forecasting that requires analysis of a
large amount of data related to temperature, pressure and humidity of various
places, etc.
• Accuracy: Computer provides a high degree of accuracy. For example, the computer
can accurately give the result of division of any two numbers up to 10 decimal
places.
• Diligence: When used for a longer period of time, the computer does not get tired or
fatigued. It can perform long and complex calculations with the same speed and
accuracy from the start till the end.
• Storage Capability: Large volumes of data and information can be stored in the
computer and also retrieved whenever required. A limited amount of data can
be stored, temporarily, in the primary memory. Secondary storage devices like
floppy disk and compact disk can store a large amount of data permanently.
• Versatility: Computer is versatile in nature. It can perform different types of tasks
with the same ease. At one moment you can use the computer to prepare a letter
document and in the next moment you may play music or print a document.
Computers have several limitations too. Computer can only perform tasks that
it has been programmed to do.

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Computer cannot do any work without instructions from the user. It executes
instructions as specified by the user and does not take its own decisions.
Computer Viruses*
Viruses: A virus is a small piece of software that piggybacks on real programs. For
example, a virus might attach itself to a program such as a spreadsheet program.
Each time the spreadsheet program runs, the virus runs, too, and it has the
chance to reproduce (by attaching to other programs) or wreak havoc.
•E-mail viruses: An e-mail virus travels as an attachment to e-mail messages, and
usually replicates itself by automatically mailing itself to dozens of people
in the victim's e-mail address book. Some e-mail viruses don't even require
a double-click -- they launch when you view the infected message in the
preview pane of your e-mail software [source: Johnson].
•Trojan horses: A Trojan horse is simply a computer program. The program claims to
do one thing (it may claim to be a game) but instead does damage when you
run it (it may erase your hard disk). Trojan horses have no way to replicate
automatically.
•Worms: A worm is a small piece of software that uses computer networks and security
holes to replicate itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for another
machine that has a specific security hole. It copies itself to the new machine
using the security hole, and then starts replicating from there, as well.
What are some tips to avoid viruses and lessen their impact?*
 Install anti-virus software from a reputable vendor. Update it and use it
regularly.
 In addition to scanning for viruses on a regular basis, install an "on access"
scanner (included in most anti-virus software packages) and configure it to start
each time you start up your computer. This will protect your system by
checking for viruses each time you run an executable file.
 Use a virus scan before you open any new programs or files that may contain
executable code. This includes packaged software that you buy from the store
as well as any program you might download from the Internet.
 If you are a member of an online community or chat room, be very careful
about accepting files or clicking links that you find or that people send you
within the community.
 Make sure you back up your data (documents, bookmark files, important email
messages, etc.) on disc so that in the event of a virus infection, you do not lose
valuable work.

*http://computer.howstuffworks.com/virus.htm
*http://www.us-cert.gov/publications/virus-basics

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 Basics of Computer :: 1

1
Basics of Computer

1.1 INTRODUCTION
In this lesson we present an overview of the basic design of a
computer system: how the different parts of a computer system
are organized and various operations performed to perform a
specific task. You would have observed that instructions have to
be fed into the computer in a systematic order to perform a
specific task. Computer components are divided into two major
categories, namely, hardware and software. In this lesson we will
discuss about hardware, i.e., the machine itself and its connected
devices such as monitor, keyboard, mouse etc., as well as
software that makes use of hardware for performing various
functions.

1.2 OBJECTIVES
After going through this lesson you would be able to:
l explain basic organization of computer system
l explain different types of input and output devices
l define Software and its classification
l distinguish between system software and application
software
l describe computer language and its classification
2 :: Data Entry Operations

1.3 WHAT IS A COMPUTER?

Computer is a device that transforms data into meaningful
information. Data can be anything like marks obtained by you in
various subjects. It can also be name, age, sex, weight, height,
etc. of all the students in a class.

Computer can also be defined in terms of functions it can

perform. A computer can i) accept data, ii) store data, iii) process
data as desired, and iv) retrieve the stored data as and when
required and v) print the result in desired format.

The major characteristics of a computer are high speed, accuracy,

diligence, versatility and storage.

1.3.1 Computer Organisation

The block diagram of computer is shown in Fig. 1.1.

Memory Unit

Input unit Control Unit Output unit

Arithmetic
Logic Unit

Fig. 1.1 Block diagram of Computer Organisation

The computer performs basically five major operations of

functions irrespective of their size and make. These are 1) it
accepts data or instruction by way of input, 2) it stores data, 3) it
can process data as required by the user, 4) it gives results in
the form of output, and 5) it controls all operations inside a
computer. We discuss below each of these operations.

1. Input: this is the process of entering data and programs

into the computer system.
 Basics of Computer :: 3

2. Control Unit (CU): The process of input, output, processing

and storage is performed under the supervision of a unit
called 'Control Unit'. It decides when to start receiving data,
when to stop it, where to store data, etc. It takes care of step
-by-step processing of all operations in side the computer.
3. Memory Unit: Computer is used to store data and
instructions.
4. Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): The major operations
performed by the ALU are addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division, logic and comparison.
5. Output: This is the process of producing results from the
data for getting useful information.
The ALU and the CU of a computer system are jointly known as
the central processing unit (CPU). You may call CPU as the brain
of any computer system.

INTEXT QUESTIONS
1. What are the five basic operations performed by the
computer?
2. Define ALU, CU and CPU.
3. Choose the correct answer.
(a) The task of performing arithmetic and logical
operations is called:
(i) ALU (ii) editing (iii) storage (iv) Output
(b) The ALU and CU jointly are known as
(i) RAM (ii) ROM (iii) CPU (iv) None of above
(c) The process of producing results from the data for
getting useful information is called:
(i) output (ii) input (iii) processing (iv) storage

1.4 PERIPHERAL DEVICES

Peripheral devices are connected to the computer externally.
These devices are used for performing some specific functions.
Peripheral devices are as follows:
1. Input Devices
2. Output Devices
3. Other Peripherals
4 :: Data Entry Operations

Disk drives
Monitor

Mouse
Keyboard

Fig. 1.2 Different peripheral devices of Computer

1.5 INPUT DEVICES

Input devices accept data and instructions from the user.
Following are the examples of various input devices, which are
connected to the computer for this purpose.
1. Keyboard
2. Mouse
3. Light Pen
4. Optical/magnetic Scanner
5. Touch Screen
6. Microphone for voice as input
7. Track Ball

1.5.1 Keyboard
A keyboard (as shown in figure 1.3) is the most common input
device. Several kinds of keyboards are available, but they
resemble each other with
minor variations. The
keyboard in most common
use is the QWERTY board.
Generally standard
keyboard has 104 keys. In
these keyboards, the cursor
control keys are duplicated
to allow easier use of the
Fig. 1.3 Keyboard
numeric pad.
 Basics of Computer :: 5

1.5.2 Mouse
A mouse is an electro-mechanical, hand-held device (as shown
in figure 1. 4). It is used as a pointer. It can perform functions
like selecting menu commands, moving icons, resizing windows,
starting programs, and choosing options.

Fig. 1.4 Mouse

The most common mouse uses an internal, magnetically coated

ball, to detect the movement of the mouse across a flat surface,
usually a desktop. Now a days Optical or laser mouse is used to
detect the movement. All windows based applications today are
designed to work with a mouse. A mouse is used to replace hard
-to-remember key combinations with easier "Point and Click"
actions. However, it cannot substitute all keyboard operations.
It can be alternative for commands based operations.

1.5.3 Light pen

An input device that utilizes a light-sensitive
detector to select objects on a display screen.
A light pen is similar to a mouse (as shown in
figure 1.5), except that with a light pen you can
move the pointer and select objects on the
display screen by directly pointing to the
objects with the pen.

1.5.4 Optical Scanner Fig. 1.5 Light Pen

These devices are used for automatic data collection. The

devices of this category completely eliminate manual input of
data. For example, the bar-code reader is actually just a special
type of image scanner. An image scanner translates printed
6 :: Data Entry Operations

images into an electronic format that can be

stored in a computer’s memory, and with the
right kind of software, one can alter a stored
image. Another example of scanner is optical
character recognition (OCR) device, used by
banks to convert the scanned image of a
typed or printed page into text that can be
edited on the computer. Fig. 1.6 Scanner

1.5.5 Touch Screen

Touch panel displays and pads are now being offered as
alternatives to keyboard. Here the input can be given through the
computer screen, that accepts the input through monitor; users
touch electronic buttons displayed on the screen or they may use
light pen.

Fig. 1.7 Touch Screen Monitor

1.5.6 Microphone
Microphone is an input device, which takes voice as input. The
voice communication is more error-prone than information
through keyboard. There are two types of microphones available
(as shown in figure 1.8):

1. Desktop Microphone
2. Hand held Microphone

Fig. 1.8 Desktop microphone and Hand-held Microphone

 Basics of Computer :: 7

1.5.7 Track Ball

Trackball, a pointing device, is a mouse
lying on its back (as shown in figure 1. 9).
To move the pointer, you rotate the ball
with your thumb, your fingers, or the
palm of your hand. There are usually one
to three buttons next to the ball, which
Fig. 1.9 Track Ball
you use just like mouse buttons.

The advantage of trackballs over mouse is that the trackball is

stationary so it does not require much space to use it. In addition,
you can place a trackball on any type of surface, including your
lap. For both these reasons, trackballs are popular pointing
devices for portable computers.

1.6 OUTPUT DEVICES

Output devices return processed data that is information, back
to the user. Some of the commonly used output devices are:

1. Monitor (Visual Display Unit)

2. Printers
3. Plotter
4. Speakers

1.6.1 Monitor
Out of all the output devices,
monitor (as shown in figure
1.10) is perhaps the most
important output device
because people interact with
this device most intensively
than others. Computer Fig. 1.10 CRT and LCD Monitor
information is displayed,
visually with a video adapter card and monitor. Information
processed within the CPU, that needs to be visually displayed,
is sent to video adapter. The video adapter converts information
from the format used, in the same manner as a television displays
information sent to it by a cable service.
8 :: Data Entry Operations

Two basic types of monitors are used with microcomputers,

which are as follows:

1. CRT
2. LCD
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT): CRT or Cathode Ray Tube Monitor is
the typical monitor that you see on a desktop computer. It looks
a lot like a television screen, and works the same way. This type
uses a large vacuum tube, called cathode ray tube (CRT).

Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD): This type of monitors are also

known as flat panel monitor. Most of these employ liquid crystal
displays (LCDs) to render images. These days LCD monitor are
very popular.

When people talk about the capabilities of various monitors, one

critical statistic is the resolution of the monitor. Most monitors
have a resolution of at least 800 x 600 pixels. High-end monitors
can have resolutions of 1024 x 768 pixels or even 1280 x 1024
pixels. Thus monitors are available either in low resolution or in
high resolution.

1.6.2 Printer
After a document is created on the computer, it can be sent to a
printer for a hard copy (printout). Some printers offer special
features such as colored and large page formats. Some of the
most commonly used printers are:

1. Laser Printer
2. Ink Jet Printer
3. Dot Matrix Printer
4. Line Printer
Laser Printer: A laser printer produces
high quality print that one normally finds
in publishing. It is extremely fast and
quiet. Moreover, the operation of a laser
printer is easy with automatic paper
loading and no smudging or messing up
Fig. 1.11 Laser Printer
of ink ribbons. The fastest laser printer
 Basics of Computer :: 9

can print up to 200 pages per minute in monochrome (black and

white) and up to 100 pages per minute in colour.

Ink-Jet Printer: An ink-jet printer

creates an image directly on paper by
spraying ink through as many as 64
tiny nozzles. Although the image it
produces is not generally quite as
sharp as the output of a laser printer,
the quality of ink-jet images is still high.

In general, ink-jet printer offers an Fig. 1.12 Ink-Jet Printer

excellent middle ground between dot
matrix and laser printer. Like laser printer, an ink-jet printer is
quiet and convenient, but not particularly fast.

Typically, an ink-jet printer is more expensive than a dot-matrix

printer, but costs only half as much as a laser printer.

Dot Matrix Printer: The dot matrix

printer was very popular at one point of
time. It is a very versatile and inexpensive
output device. In dot matrix printer the
print head physically "hits" the paper
through the ribbon and produces text (or
images) by combinations of dots; hence
the name dot matrix printer. Its speed is
measured in characters per second Fig. 1.13 Dot Matrix
(CPS). Although it is less expensive, it is Printer
louder, slower and produces lower print
quality.

Line Printer: A line printer is generally

used with large computer systems to
produce text based data processing
reports. Line printers are high-speed
printers with speeds ranging anywhere
from 100 to about 3800 lines per minute.
In the past, print quality on line printers
was not high. Developments in
technology are improving the print quality
on line printers. These are in the cost Fig. 1.14 Line Printer
range of lacs of Rupees.
10 :: Data Entry Operations

1.6.3 Plotter
A plotter is a special kind of output device that, like a printer,
produces images on paper, but does so in a different way. Plotters
are designed to produce large drawings or images, such as
construction plans for buildings or blueprints for mechanical
objects. A plotter can be connected to the port normally used by
a printer.

An array of different colored pens in a clip rack and a robotic arm

is part of plotter. The instructions that a plotter receives from a
computer consist of a color, and beginning and ending
coordinates for a line. With that information, the plotter picks up
the appropriate pen through its arm, positions it at the beginning
coordinates drops the pen down to the surface of the paper and
draws to the ending coordinates. Plotters draw curves by creating
a sequence of very short straight lines.

Plotters usually come in two designs:

1. Flat Bed: Plotters of small size to be kept on table with

restriction of paper size.
2. Drum: These plotters are of big size using rolls of paper of
unlimited length.

Fig. 1.15 Flat bed and Drum Plotter

1.6.4 Speaker
Speakers (as shown in figure 1.16) are
another type of output device, which
allow you to listen to voice like music,
and conversation with people.

Fig. 1.16 Speaker

 Basics of Computer :: 11

INTEXT QUESTION
4. Write True or False for the following:
(a) Mouse is an output device.
(b) OCR stands for Optical Content Reader.
(c) LCD Monitor is used in notebook computer.
(d) Speed of DOT Matrix Printer is measured in
Characters Per Second.
(e) Plotters are used to produce high quality drawings
and images, such as construction plans for buildings
or blueprints for mechanical objects.

1.7 SOFTWARE
As you are aware, computer cannot do anything on its own. It is
the user who instructs computer; what to do, how to do and when
to do. In order to perform any task, you have to give a set of
instructions in a particular sequence to the computer. These sets
of instructions are called Programs. Software refers to a set of
programs that makes the hardware perform a particular set of
tasks in particular order. Software can be classified mainly
into following categories and sub-categories are shown in
Figure 1.17.

Software

System Software Application Software

Operating Generalized Customized

System Utilities Packages Packages

Fig. 1.17 Classification of Software

12 :: Data Entry Operations

1.7.1 System Software

When you switch on the computer the programs stored in ROM
are executed which activates different units of your computer and
makes it ready for you to work on it. This set of programs can be
called system software.

System softwares are sets of programs, responsible for running

the computer, controlling various operations of computer
systems and management of computer resources. Operating
System (OS) falls under this category.

An operating system is a system software that provides an

interface for a user to communicate with the computer, manages
hardware devices (disk drives, keyboard, monitor, etc), manages
and maintains disk file systems and supports application
programs. Some popular Operating systems are UNIX, Windows
and Linux.

Although operating system provides all the features users need

to use and maintain their systems, inevitably, they still do not
meet everyone’s expectations. This has led to another type of
system software called "Utilities". These are programs that bridge
the gap between the functionality of an OS and the needs of users.
Utility programs are a broad category of software such as
compress (zip)/uncompress (unzip) files software, anti virus
software, split and join files software, etc.

1.7.2 Application Software

Application software is a set of programs, which are written to
perform specific tasks, for example: An application package for
managing library known as library information system is used
to manage information of library such as: keeping book details,
account holder details, book issue details, book return details
etc. Another application package for managing student details is
called student’s information system, manages student’s roll no,
name, parents name, address, class, section, processing of
examination results etc. Application software can be broadly
classified into two types:

(a) Generalized packages

(b) Customized packages
 Basics of Computer :: 13

Generalized Packages

These are user friendly softwares written to cater to user’s very

general needs such as preparing documents, drawing pictures,
database to manage data/information, preparing presentations,
play games etc.

It is a group of programs that provide general purpose tools to

solve specific problems. Some of the generalized packages are
listed below:

l Word Processing Software(for preparing documents): Word

Perfect, MS-Word, OpenOffice.org Writer
l Spreadsheets (Data Analysis): Lotus Smart suites, MS-
Excel, OpenOffice.org Calc, Apple Numbers
l Presentations : Presentation Graphics, MS-PowerPoint,
OpenOffice.org Impress
l Database Management System: MS-Access, OpenOffice.org Base,
MS-SQL Server, ORACLE
l Graphics Tools: Paint shop pro, Adobe Photoshop
Customized Packages

These are the applications that are customized (or developed) to

meet the specific requirements of an organization/institution. For
Example: Student information details, Payroll packages,
inventory control etc.

These packages are developed using high-level computer

language.

1.8 COMPUTER LANGUAGES

Languages are a means of communication. Normally people
interact with each other through a language. On the same pattern,
communication with computers is carried out through a
language. This language is understood both by user and the
machine. Just as every language like English, Hindi has its
grammatical rules; every computer language is bound by rules
known as SYNTAX of that language. The user is bound by that
syntax while communicating with the computer system.
14 :: Data Entry Operations

Computer languages are broadly classified as:

1. Low Level Language:

The term low level means closeness to the way in which machine
understand. The low level languages are:

a. Machine Language:

This is the language (in the form of 0’s and 1’s, called binary
numbers) understood directly by the computer. It is machine
dependent. It is difficult to learn and even more difficult to write
programs.

b. Assembly Language:

This is the language where the machine codes comprising of 0’s

and 1’s are substituted by symbolic codes (called mnemonics)
to improve their understanding. It is the first step to improve
programming structure.

Assembly language programming is simpler and less time

consuming than machine level programming, it is easier to locate
and correct errors in assembly language than in machine
language programs. It is also machine dependent. Programmers
must have knowledge of the machine on which the program will
run.

2. High Level Language

You know that low level language requires extensive knowledge
of the hardware since it is machine dependent. To overcome the
limitation, high level language has been evolved which uses
normal English like, easy to understand statements to solve any
problem. Higher level languages are computer independent and
programming becomes quite easy and simple.

Various high level languages are given below:

l BASIC (Beginners All Purpose Symbolic Instruction Code):

It is widely used, easy to learn general purpose language.
Mainly used in microcomputers in earlier days.
 Basics of Computer :: 15

l COBOL (Common Business Oriented language): A

standardized language used for commercial applications.
l FORTRAN (Formula Translation): Developed for solving
mathematical and scientific problems. One of the most
popular languages among scientific community.
l C: Structured Programming Language used for all purpose
such as scientific application, commercial application,
developing games etc.
l C++: Popular object oriented programming language, used
for general purpose.

1.9 COMPILER AND ASSEMBLER

As you know that High Level language is machine independent
and assembly language though it is machine dependent yet
mnemonics that are being used to represent instructions are not
directly understandable by machine. Hence to make the machine
understand the instructions provided by both the languages,
Compiler and Assembler are required to convert these
instructions into machine language.

The software (set of programs) that reads a program written in high

level language and translates it into an equivalent program in
machine language is called as Compiler.

The program written by the programmer in high level language

is called source program and the program generated by the
compiler after translation is called as object program.

Source Program Object Program

(Higher Level Language) Compiler (Machine Language)

Fig. 1.18 Compiler

The software (set of programs) that reads a program written in

assembly language and translates it into an equivalent program
in machine language is called as Assembler.
16 :: Data Entry Operations

Source Program Object Program

(Assembling Language) Assembler (Machine Language)

Fig. 1.19 Assembler

INTEXT QUESTION
5. Write True or False for the following:
(a) Operating System (OS) is an Application Software.
(b) High level languages are easy to program than low
level language.
(c) Computer language FORTRAN is used to solve
Scientific and Mathematical problems.
(d) C is an object oriented programming language.
(e) Compiler converts high level languages into machine
language.

1.10 WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNT

A computer is useful only when it interacts with the external
devices such as keyboard, mouse, monitor, speaker, which are
called as peripheral devices. In this lesson we have discussed
in details about major peripheral devices of a computer system.
You have learnt that only hardware does not do anything of its
own without the help of software. Hence we have explained in
details about software, its types and the computer languages
used to prepare the software.

1.11 TERMINAL QUESTIONS

1. What is a computer? Draw a block diagram to illustrate the
basic organisation of a computer system and explain the
functions of various units.
2. What is an input device? Briefly describe varioius important
input devices.
3. Discuss two basic types of monitors CRT and LCD.
 Basics of Computer :: 17

4. What is a software? Discuss its various categories with the

help of diagram.
5. Distinguish between system and application software.
6. Write short notes on:
(a) Laser Printer
(b) High level language
(c) Compiler
(d) Plotter
7. Write a note on Computer language and its classification.

1.12 FEEDBACK TO INTEXT QUESTIONS

1. The five basic operations that a computer performs are
input, storage, processing, output and control.
2. ALU : Arithmetic Logic Unit
CU : Control Unit
CPU : Central Processing Unit
3. (a) i (b) iii (c) i
4. (a) False (b) False (c) True (d) True (e) True
5. (a) False (b) True (c) True (d) False (e) True
Printer and its Types
 What is printer?

A printer is an external hardware output device that

takes the electronic data stored on a computer or
other device and generates a hard copy of it.
Types Of Printer:
There are two types of printers:

• Impact Printer

• Non-Impact Printer
Impact Printer:
 Dot Matrix Printer
 Daisy Wheel Printer
 Line Printer
 Drum Printer
 Chain Printer

Non-Impact
Printer :
Ink-jet Printer
Laser Printer
1:Impact Printers:
In this hammers or pins strike against a ribbon and paper to print
the text. This mechanism is known as electro-mechanical
mechanism.

1.1: Dot Matrix Printers

Dot matrix Printers use print heads to shoot ink or strike
an ink ribbon to place hundreds to thousands of little dots
to form text and images. Today, dot matrix printers are
utilized far less than they used to be due to their low
quality images and slow print speed when compared
to inkjet and laser printers. However, they still see a lot of
use in certain sectors such as auto part stores and
package delivery companies.
1.2: Daisy-Wheel Printers
It is called daisy-wheel printer because the print mechanism
looks like a daisy; at the end of each “Petal” is a fully formed
character which produces solid-line print. A hammer strikes a
“petal” containing a character against the ribbon, and the
character prints on the paper. Its speed is slow typically 25-55
characters per second.

1.3: Line Printers

Line printers, or line-at-a-time printers, use special mechanism
that can print a whole line at once; they can typically print the
range of 1,200 to 6,000 lines per minute. Drum and Chain
printers are line-at-a-time printers.
1.4: Drum Printers
An old line printer technology that used formed character
images around a cylindrical drum as its printing mechanism.
When the desired character for the selected position rotated
around to the hammer line, the hammer hit the paper from
behind and pushed it into the ribbon and onto the character.

1.5: Chain Printers

A chain printer uses a chain of print characters wrapped around two pulleys. Like the
drum printer, there is one hammer for each print position. Circuitry inside the printer
detects when the correct character appears at the desired print location on the page.
The hammer then strikes the page, pressing the paper against a ribbon and the
character located at the desired print position. An impression of the character is left
on the page. The chain keeps rotating until all the required print positions on the line
have filled. Then the page moves up to print the next line.
2: Non-impact Printers:
Non-impact printers do not use a striking device to produce
characters on the paper; and because these printers do not
hammer against the paper they are much quieter. Following are
some non-impacted printers.

2.1: Ink-jet Printers

It prints characters by spraying patterns of ink on the
paper from a nozzle or jet. It prints from nozzles having
very fine holes, from which a specially made ink is
pumped out to create various letters and shapes. The ink
comes out of the nozzle in a form of vapors. After passing
through a reflecting plate, it forms the desired letter/shape
at the desired place.
2.2: Laser Printers
Laser Printer is a type of printer that utilizes a laser
beam to produce an image on a drum. The light of the
laser alters the electrical charge on the drum wherever it
hits. The drum is then rolled through a reservoir of toner,
which is picked up by the charged portions of the drum.
Finally, the toner is transferred to the paper through a
combination of heat and pressure. This is also the way
copy machines work. Because an entire page is
transmitted to a drum before the toner is applied, laser
printers are sometimes called page printers.
Microsoft Word Basics
Getting Started
● Open word. You may choose a blank document, or browse a template
that’s right for you. Blank or unformatted documents are best to use at
this stage of instruction.

● The blue column on

the left shows your
most recent saved
files. You may select
one of these to
resume work on a
saved document.
 Margins
Cursor
Page

Scroll bar

Zoom
Page and word count
Read modes
 Quick save
Undo
Redo Quick print Quick Access toolbar
Print preview
New document Customize toolbar

You may add frequently used tools to

your quick access bar by right clicking
the tool button and selecting “add to
Quick Access toolbar”
 Home toolbar: font style & clipboard
Font name Font size Automated Clear all
cases formatting
Clipboard: use to copy and paste, or
ctrl+c and ctrl+v

Strikethrough
Bold Italic
Underline Text effects
Text color
Superscript
Highlight

Subscript
Home toolbar: format paragraphs
Numbered list

Bulleted list Multilevel list

Increase and decrease

indentation

Left, right, center, Line spacing Table drawing tools

justified alignments
Home toolbar: editing tools

Find, ctrl+f for PCs and Command-F for Macs,

allows you to find words within the text

Replace words with

other words in your
text

Choose how to
select portions of
your text
Now you
know your You can ignore the stylized presets to the
right of your home toolbar for now as
basic tools! they can be cumbersome to customize
 Insert/add media
Add a preset cover
page Insert image files
saved to your Add shapes such as
computer arrows

Grab a screenshot
(for PCs press the
Prtscn key, then
paste your clipboard
contents. For Macs
press Command +
shift + 4 to copy, and
Create a table of then paste your
columns and rows Add infographics clipboard contents)
Add a blank page
between pages of
text Search images when
Break your chapter
or subheading of connected to the
text to the next page internet with a Bing
image search
 Insert/add media
Search for or embed
online videos
Insert Wikipedia content Bookmark select Add headers,
portions of your text footers, and page
for easy reference numbers

Hyperlink portions of your

Add or manage apps text for reader’s reference
(e.g. subsections in legal
documents)

Add comments for

Link your text to outside
multireader editing (to
sources with a URL
delete comments go to the
(for example:
Review/editing tab)
www.youtube.com)
 Insert/add media
Add a moveable text
box to your article or Add a signature or
graphic design timestamp your
document
Custom text-image Open math or
headings symbol menus

Automate format
templates for Add another file or Embed .swf files for
recurring, stylized document to your sound clips
text (such as Add an epigraphic current document throughout your text
captions or asides) letter or word to
begin your article or
chapter
 Page layout options
Divide text into Your menu listing names
Manually adjust the
columns Page break of image files that appear
spacing before and
in the document for quick
Paper dimensions after paragraph
toggling
breaks

Margin adjustment
in print inches Position images within
text, select style of Align, group, or
Manually adjust the “wrapping” text around rotate images
Portrait or landscape dimensions of images, and select the
Number each line of
orientation indentations order in which multiple
text, and hyphenate
each line item in list layers of images will
appear. To test this
function, upload an image
to your document.
As you add
tables and
They will be highlighted and color-coded as shown above.
images, more To stick to our basic agenda, we will skip these accessories
for now. But if you’re interested, many of the functions

tab menus
include basic photo editing for more graphic documents, or
table editing, which gives you a greater range for
infographic presentations. Test out the tools as you would

appear with
any of the tools and effects described throughout this
dossier.

various tool
options
 References/works cited

Insert footnote or Add and link indexed Formatting settings

Add and manage
endnote items for legal documents
sources

Add a formatted
Hyperlink portions of
bibliography
Jump to next text
according to what
Add a preset, footnote in your text type of document
formatted table of you’re drafting
contents, and
update an existing
table using the Insert captions
Display menu of all
buttons to the right. below images
notes
 Review/edit
Track changes that
have been made
Find synonyms for
throughout the
words you’ve used too
Always check creation and editing Compare and
often throughout your
spelling & grammar! of your document combine revisions of
document
(very useful!) same document
Translate and adjust
language settings

Accept or reject
Count total words in changes that have
document Add, delete, and been made by other
toggle through Control editing
editors
Define a word by document’s capabilities (it’s a
highlighting and comments by privilege not a
clicking this button multiple users right!)
 View options
See next slide (17)
Read Split or add
Edit Show ruler Automate
document as documents and Arrange your split
document as measurements or frequently used
if it were a toggle between windows, or
it will look grid to give you tasks by creating a
pdf or epub each synchronize
when printed spatial relations on series of commands
file scrolling
the page and instructions

Draft returns Navigate your

you to regular document View the Toggle
Edit text edit as with quick document between your
Magnify or
document as opposed to searches one or two documents
broaden your
it will look outline mode pages at a
view of the
when printed time, adjust
document
page width
 Outlining is a simple way of creating a list or taxonomy Outlining
When this is checked, it shows your
stylized/designed text, rather than the
Quickly refer to each level of your list normal text format, which looks more like
the text of this explanatory caption Insert other documents into or create
documents of portions of your outline

When this is checked, it shows the first line only of the level you
have selected. The higher the level, the more lines are shown.

Start by typing your first and second lines. Then drag the minus
symbol at the head of the line right to subordinate the second
line to the first line
 Problems w/multi-user comments

It is difficult to manage or delete comments from

the Insert tab. Instead, delete user comments
from the Review tab.
 Problems w/track changes
If you’re having trouble turning track changes off, be sure that it is unlocked.

This is what Track Changes looks like. The blue is unedited text, the
crossed-out red has been deleted by an editor, and the underscored red
word to the left of the deleted word is the word the editor chose to replace
the previous word. All red underscored words are additions made to the
original text.