COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS

Information technology (IT) refers to anything related to computing technology, such as networking,
hardware, software, the Internet, or the people that work with these technologies.

Data vs information

Data:
Data is all the raw facts such as: words, numbers, dates, images, sounds that has not been processes.
Data items by themselves have no meaning, it need to be part of a structure, such as a sentence, in
order to give them meaning. Below is a list of data items:

42 apples
rabbits 5922162119
16:00 $120
35 Georgetown

Information:
Information is data that has been processed in such a way as to be meaningful to the person who
receives it.

For example, take these data items from above, when used to form part of a sentence they gain
meaning:
 there are 42 apples in that box and each one of them has been bitten by rabbits
 the bus fare to Georgetown is $120 and the journey takes 35 minutes
 my telephone number is 5922162119, call me at 16:00.

This is information – data that has been put into context.

Computers
Computers are an important aspect of information technology. A computer is an electronic device that
operates under the control of instructions stored in its memory. Computers can process data with speed
and accuracy.

Why do we use computers?

 Speed – Computers can perform tens of millions of operations per second. Eg. Performing an
internet search.
 Accuracy – Computers are very accurate. If errors do occur it is because the incorrect
instructions were given by humans.
 Vast Storage – Computers can store large amounts of information in a small space. Eg. An entire
volume of books can be stored on a flash/pen drive.
 Work Continuously – Computers can work continuously for long periods without much
maintenance.

NB: Text highlighted in blue are for additional information and are not part of the notes that you have
to study.
The term 'computer' generally refers to desktop machines and laptops but it can also include handheld
games consoles as well as portable devices, such as smartphones and tablets. Computers perform four
basic functions, they can:

 accept data (input)

 manipulate data according to instructions stored (processing)
 produce results (output) from the processing
 store the data and results for future use (storage).

These four basic tasks of any computer represent the IPOS cycle

Components of a computer
The basic components of a computer are categorised as either hardware or software.

Hardware
This is the name given to the physical parts of a computer. There are five general categories of
hardware:
1. The central processing unit (CPU)
2. Input devices
3. Output devices
4. Memory
5. Storage media
The central processing unit (CPU)

The CPU or processor is the brain of a computer and controls how the rest of the computer works. The
CPU is located inside the system unit. The two most popular companies that currently produce CPUs are
Intel and AMD (Advanced Micro Devices). A CPU can contain one or more processing units. Each unit is
called a core. A core contains an Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU) and the Control Unit (CU), {the CPU
also contain memory or storage unit and registers}.

It is common for computers to have two (dual), four (quad) or even more cores. CPUs with multiple cores
have more power to run multiple programs at the same time.

Below is an advertisement found on a local website, if you look at the highlighted sections on the first
two statements, you will notice that one is dual core and the other is quad core.

Clock speed
The clock speed - also known as clock rate - indicates how fast the CPU can run. This speed of the CPUs
that are currently used in computer are measured in gigahertz (gHz) and corresponds with how many
instruction cycles the CPU can deal with in a second. A 2 gHz CPU performs two billion cycles a second.
A faster CPU uses more energy and creates more heat.

A computer will normally have a maximum clock speed set by manufaturer, but it is possible to change
this speed in the computer BIOS. Some people increase a CPU clock speed to try to make their computer
run faster - this is called overclocking.

The CU carries out instructions in the software and directs the flow of data through the computer.
– Fetch the instructions from memory
– Decode the instructions (determine what the instruction is saying).

The ALU performs the calculations and logic operations.

– calculations includes: addition +, subtraction -, multiplication *, division /
– Logic operations includes comparisons such as: equal to =, less than <, more than >, more than or
equal to >=, less than or equal to <=, not equal to <>.