Unit-1 Fundamentals of Computer

Computer-Computer is an electronic machine that converts raw data into useful information.

Computers play a role in every field of life. They are used in homes, business, educational institutions,
research organizations, medical field, government offices, entertainment, etc.
Uses of computer-

Home
Computers are used at homes for several purposes like online bill payment, watching movies or shows
at home, home tutoring, social media access, playing games, internet access, etc. omputers help the
student community to avail online educational support.

Medical Field
Computers are used in hospitals to maintain a database of patients’ history, diagnosis, X-rays, live
monitoring of patients, etc. Surgeons nowadays use robotic surgical devices to perform delicate
operations, and conduct surgeries remotely.

Entertainment
Computers help to watch movies online, play games online; act as a virtual entertainer in playing
games, listening to music, etc. MIDI instruments greatly help people in the entertainment industry in
recording music with artificial instruments.

Industry
Computers are used to perform several tasks in industries like managing inventory, designing purpose,
creating virtual sample products, interior designing, video conferencing, etc. Online marketing has seen
a great revolution in its ability to sell various products to inaccessible corners like interior or rural areas.

Education
Computers are used in education sector through online classes, online examinations, referring e-
books, online tutoring, etc. They help in increased use of audio-visual aids in the education field.

Government
In government sectors, computers are used in data processing, maintaining a database of citizens and
supporting a paperless environment. The country’s defense organizations have greatly benefitted from
computers in their use for missile development, satellites, rocket launches, etc.
Banking
In the banking sector, computers are used to store details of customers and conduct transactions, such
as withdrawal and deposit of money through ATMs.

Business
Nowadays, computers are totally integrated into business. The main objective of business is
transaction processing, which involves transactions with suppliers, employees or customers.
Computers can make these transactions easy and accurate. People can analyze investments, sales,
expenses, markets and other aspects of business using computers.

Training
Many organizations use computer-based training to train their employees, to save money and improve
performance. Video conferencing through computers allows saving of time and travelling costs by
being able to connect people in various locations.

Arts
Computers are extensively used in dance, photography, arts and culture. The fluid movement of dance
can be shown live via animation. Photos can be digitized using computers.

Science and Engineering

Computers with high performance are used to stimulate dynamic process in Science and Engineering.
Supercomputers have numerous applications in area of Research and Development (R&D).
 Fundamentals of computer-

Components of computer-
The 4 components to make up a computer are as follow.
 Central Processor Unit (CPU)
 Memory (RAM)
 Input (keyboard, mouse, etc)
 Output (monitor, printer, etc)

 Process cycle of computer-

1.Input- Accepts data given by the user
2.Processing- Works on data according to the instructions
3. Output- Gives the desired results
4. Storage- Stores the information according to our need.
Block diagram of computer-
 Input Devices as well as output devices are a necessity in order to
ensure that data is entered into a computer to be processed and the
results output. Such data and information need to be stored to eliminate
re-entry and/or reprocessing.

Hardware- The physical parts of a computer that you can touch or feel are called
Hardware.
I.Input devices
An input device is a peripheral which accepts data and sends it to
the CPU. Data presented to an input device has to be in the right form
for the device, e.g. a bar-code reader will only read bar codes. The input
device converts the data into the computer's own internal code before
sending it to the CPU.

a) Keyboard
It is a text base input device that allows the user to input alphabets,
numbers and other characters. It consists of a set of keys mounted on a
board.
(b) Mouse
The mouse is a small device used to point to a particular place on
the screen and select in order to perform one or more actions. It can be
used to select menu commands, size windows, start programs etc.
The most conventional kind of mouse has two buttons on top: the
left one being used most frequently.
c) Joystick-The joystick is a vertical stick which moves the
graphic cursor in a direction the stick is moved. It typically has a button
on top that is used to select the option pointed by the cursor. Joystick is
used as an input device primarily used with video games, training
simulators and controlling robots.

(d) Scanner
Scanner is an input device used for direct data entry from the
source document into the computer system. It converts the document
image into digital form so that it can be fed into the computer. Capturing
information like this reduces the possibility of errors typically
experienced during large data entry.

Hand-held scanners are commonly seen in big stores to scan codes

and price information for each of the items. They are also termed the bar
code readers.

(e) Barcodes
A bar code is a set of lines of different thicknesses that represent a
number. Bar Code Readers are used to input data from bar codes. Most
products in shops have bar codes on them. Bar code readers work by
shining a beam of light on the lines that make up the bar code and
detecting the amount of light that is reflected back.
 (f) Light Pen
It is a pen shaped device used to select objects on a display screen.
It is quite like the mouse (in its functionality) but uses a light pen to
move the pointer and select any object on the screen by pointing to the
object. Users of Computer Aided Design (CAD) applications commonly
use the light pens to directly draw onscreen.

(g)Touch Screen
It allows the user to operate/make selections by simply touching the
display screen.
Common examples of touch screen include information kiosks, and bank
ATMs.

(h) Digital camera

A digital camera can store many more pictures than an ordinary
camera. Pictures taken using a digital camera are stored inside its
memory and can be transferred to a computer by connecting the camera
to it. A digital camera takes pictures by converting the light passing
through the lens at the front into a digital image.

(i) Microphone-
The “Microphones - Speech Recognition” is a speech Input device.
To operate it we require using a microphone to talk to the computer.
Also we need to add a sound card to the computer. The Sound card
digitizes audio input into 0/1s .A speech recognition program can
process the input and convert it into machine-recognized commands or
input.
II. Output Devices
(a) Monitor
Monitor is an output device that resembles the television screen
and uses a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) to display information. The
monitor is associated with a keyboard for manual input of characters and
displays the information as it is keyed in. It also displays the program or
application output. Like the television, monitors are also available in
different sizes.
 (b) Liquid Crystal Display(LCD)
LCD was introduced in the 1970s and is now applied
to display terminals also. Its advantages like low energy
consumption, smaller and lighter have paved its way for
usage in portable computers (laptops).

(c) Printer
Printers are used to produce paper (commonly known
as hardcopy) output. Based on the technology used, they
can be classified as Impact or Non-impact printers.
(d) Plotter
Plotters are used to print graphical output on paper. It
interprets computer commands and makes line drawings on
paper using multicolored automated pens. It is capable of
producing graphs, drawings, charts, maps etc.
Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) applications like
CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CAM (Computer
Aided Manufacturing) are typical usage areas for plotters.

(b) AudioOutput: Sound Cards and Speakers:

The Audio output is the ability of the computer to
output sound. Two components are needed: Sound card –
Plays contents of digitized recordings, Speakers – Attached
to sound card.

StorageUnit:A storage unit is that part of the

computer system which is used tostore the data and
instructions to be processed. There are two types of
storage:
 1) Primary storage
2) Secondary storage.

Primary memory is also known as internal memory

.This is a sectionof the CPU which holds program
instructions, input data and intermediate results.
Primary memory is also known as main memory.

Secondary storage is a memory that is stored

external to the computer. It is used mainly for
permanent and long term storage of programs
and data.

PRIMARY STORAGE

Primary storage is characterized by faster access time, less storage

capacity and higher costs as compared to secondary storage units.
Primary storage or main memory is that part of the computer system
which stores the programs, data and intermediate results during the
program execution.
The primary storage is volatile. Whenever the power is turned off
the data is lost. Primary storage is also called Random Access
Memory (RAM). RAM means it is possible to randomly select and
use any storage location for storage and retrieval of data. RAM is
also called read/write memory because data can both beread from
and written onto these units. When the power is switched off the data
stored in the RAM is lost.

ROM: ROM is Read Only Memory. In this type of memory the data
is permanently stored. The information can only be read and new
data cannot be written onto this memory. However the contents of the
ROM are not lost even when the power is turned off i.e. this memory
is non-volatile. Such memories are also called as field stores, or
permanent stores.
Examples of Storage Device
 Magnetic Storage Device – one of the most popular types of storage
used.
 Floppy diskette – A normal 3 ½ inch disk can store 1.44 MB of data.
 Hard drive – An internal hard drive is the main storage device in a
computer. An external hard drive is also known as removable hard
drive. It is used to store portable data and backups.
 Magnetic strip – Magnetic tape drive stores video and audio using
magnetic tape, like tape and video tape recorders.
 Optical Storage Device – uses lasers and lights as its mode of saving
and retrieving data.
 Blu-ray disc – A digital optical storage device which was intended to
replace the DVD format.
 CD-ROM disc – An optical storage device that is read-only or cannot
be modified nor deleted.
 CD-R and CD-RW disc – CD-R is a recordable disc that can be written
to once, while CD-RW is a rewritable disc that can be written to multiple
times.
 DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW and DVD+RW disc – DVD-R and DVD+R
are recordable discs that can be written to once, while DVD-RW and
DVD+RW are rewritable discs that can be written to multiple times. The
difference between the + and – is in the formatting and compatibility.
 Flash Memory Device – is now replacing magnetic storage device as it is
economical, more functional and dependable.
 Memory card – An electronic flash memory device used to store digital
information and commonly used in mobile electronic devices.
 Memory stick – A memory card that is removable.
 USB flash Drive,Pen Drive– A small, portable storage device
connected through the USB port.

Software
Software means a set of programs, procedures and other
associated documentation which describes what the program
does and how it is to be used. Hardware and software both
have to work together. A number of software’s can be run
on the same hardware to perform different types of jobs. The
software acts as an interface between the user and the
computer.
 Software is mainly classified into:
Application Software
System Software

Application Software:
Application software is a program or a set of
programs which are written to carry out a specific
application.eg. Payroll, financial accounting etc.
System Software:
The systems software controls the working of the computer system.
It helps the user to use the computer by allowing him to
communicate with the system. System software controls the working
of other software’s, hardware, hardware devices like printers,
memory, CPU etc. Thus, they make the operation of the computer
more efficient..

What is an Operating System?

An operating system is a type of software that manages the hardware
and software components of a computer system, all programmes,
excluding firmware, require an operating system in order to function.
Operating systems (OS) are found on any device that contains a
computer, such as mobile phones, videogame consoles, web servers, and
smart watches. Ex.- Windows 7, Windows 10, Linux, Mac etc.

Disk Storage -Disk storage (also sometimes called drive storage) is a general
category of storage mechanisms where data is recorded by various electronic,
magnetic, optical, or mechanical changes to a surface layer of one or more rotating
disks.
Disk defragmentation-When a program saves a file on a disk, it puts the file into an
empty space on the disk. ... Disk defragmentation takes all the pieces of each file, and
stores them in one place. It also makes sure programs are each in one place, and that
unused space on the hard disk is all together.
 How to Create Folders on a Flash Drive
1. Open your flash drive in a Windows Explorer window.
2. Right-click in the window to activate the context menu and select "Folder"
from the "New" sub-menu. You can also create a new folder by selecting
"New" from the "File" menu and choosing "Folder."
3. Give your new folder a name and press "Enter."

What is mean by disc cleanup?

Disk cleanup is a maintenance utility that was developed by Microsoft for its
Windows operating system. The utility scans your computer's hard drive for
files that you no longer need such as temporary files, cached webpages, and
rejected items that end up in your system's Recycle Bin.

Disk cleanup in Windows 10

1. In the search box on the taskbar, type disk cleanup, and select Disk Cleanup
from the list of results.
2. Select the drive you want to clean up, and then select OK.
3. Under Files to delete, select the file types to get rid of. To get a description of
the file type, select it.
4. Select OK.

What is the Recycle Bin in Windows?

When you delete a file or folder in Windows, it is placed in the Recycle Bin.
Items are temporarily stored in the Recycle Bin before they are permanently
deleted by the user. The Recycle Bin is located on the Windows desktop.

How to restart your Windows computer

1. Click the Start button in the lower-left corner of your screen. You can also
press the Windows key on your keyboard to open the Start menu.
2. Choose the Power icon. ...
3. When you click the power button, you will have the option to put
your computer to sleep, restart it, or power it down.
Wild Card characters:- A wildcard character is a special character that represents one or
more other characters. The most commonly used wildcard characters are the asterisk (*),
which typically represents zero or more characters in a string of characters, and the question
mark (?), which typically represents any one character.

The wildcard is an advanced search technique that can be used to maximize your
search results in library databases.Wildcards are used in search terms to represent
one or more other characters.

The two most commonly used wildcards are:

 An asterisk(*) may be used to specify any number of characters. It is
typically used at the end of a root word, when it is referred to as
"truncation." This is great when you want to search for variable endings of
a root word.
o For example:searching for educat*would tell the database to look for
all possible endings to that root. Results will include
educate,educated, education, educational or educator.

 A question mark(?) may be used to represent a single character, anywhere

in the word.It is most useful when there are variable spellings or a word, and
you want to search for all variants at once.
o For example, searching for colo?r would return both color nd colour.
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