Jean Carla J.
Silva Garbage-In, Garbage-Out” (GIGO)
BSMA- 2103
IT Application Tools In Business
CHAPTER 1
Computer Appreciation
WHAT IS COMPUTER?
 Balagurusamy (2009), states that a computer is an
electronic machine that takes input from the user,
processes the given input and generates output in the
form of useful information.
 (Shelly et al., 2011), say a computer is an electronic
device, operating under the control of instructions
stored in its own memory, that can accept data, process
the data according to specified rules, produce results,
and store the results for future use.
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER
 Balagurusamy (2009), states those unique capabilities
and characteristics of a computer have made it very
popular among its various users, including engineers,
managers, accountants, teachers, students, etc.
 Speed
 A computer is a fast electronic device
that can solve large and complex
problems in few seconds. The speed of a
computer generally depends upon its
hardware configuration.
 Storage capacity
 A computer can store huge amount of
data in its different storage components
in many different formats. The storage
area of a computer system is generally
divided into two categories, main
memory and secondary storage.
 Accuracy
 A computer carries out calculations with
great accuracy. The accuracy achieved
by a computer depends upon its
hardware configuration and the
instructions.
 Reliability
 A computer produces results with no
error. Most of the errors generated in
the computer are human errors that are
created by the user itself. Therefore,
they are very trustworthy machines.
 Versatility
 Computers are versatile machines. They
can perform many different tasks and
can be used for many different purposes.
 Diligence
 Computers can perform repetitive
calculations any number of times with
the same accuracy. Computers do not
suffer from human traits, such as
tiredness, fatigue, lack of concentration,
etc.
 computers are highly reliable and versatile machines,
they do possess certain limitations
 Since computers are capable of doing only what they
are instructed to do, any wrong instruction (or faulty
logic) or any wrong data may result in erroneous output.
INPUT UNIT AND ITS FUNCTIONS
 the input units are used to enter the data into the
computer
 According to Sinha P.K. et al, (2008), an input unit of a
computer system performs the following functions:
1. It accepts (or reads) instructions and data from
outside world
2. It converts these instructions and data in
computer acceptable form
3. It supplies the converted instructions and data
to the computer system for further processing
OUTPUT UNIT AND ITS FUNCTIONS
 is used to display the information generated by the
computer to the user (Balagurusamy, 2009).
 According to Sinha P.K. et al, (2008), an output unit of a
computer system performs the following functions:
1. It accepts the results produced by the computer,
which are in coded form and hence, cannot be easily
understood by us
2. It converts these coded results to human
acceptable (readable) form
3. It supplies the converted results to outside world
STORAGE UNIT AND ITS FUNCTIONS
 According to Sinha P.K. et al, (2008), the storage unit of
a computer system holds (or stores) the following :
1. Data and instructions required for processing
(received from input devices)
2. Intermediate results of processing
3. Final results of processing, before they are
released to an output device
 TWO TYPES OF STORAGE
1. Primary Storage/Main Memory (RAM)
 Used to hold running program
instructions
 Used to hold data, intermediate results,
and results of ongoing processing of
job(s)
 Fast in operation
 Small Capacity
 Expensive
 Volatile (loses data on power dissipation)
2. Secondary storage (ROM)
 Used to hold stored program
instructions
 Used to hold data and information of
stored jobs
 Slower than primary storage
 Large Capacity
 Lot cheaper that primary storage
 Retains data even without power
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)
 which is popularly referred to as the “brain” of the
computer, is responsible for processing the data inside
the computer system.
 It is also responsible for controlling all other
components of the system (Balagurusamy, 2009).
The main operations of the CPU include four phases:
1. Fetching instructions from the memory.
2. Decoding the instructions to decide what operations
to be performed.
3. Executing the instructions.
4. Storing the results back in the memory.
 According to Shelly et al, (2011), It is also called a
processor. CPU is an electronic component that
interprets and carries out the basic instructions that
operate the computer.
 (Sinha P.K. et al, 2008), say it is responsible for
controlling the operations of all other units of a
computer system and consists of the following
subsystems
 Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) + Control Unit (CU)
= Central Processing Unit (CPU)
1. Arithmetic Logic Unit
 It is the place where the actual executions of
instructions take place during processing operation.
 According to Balagurusamy (2009), Arithmetic Unit (AU)
is a part of the CPU that performs arithmetic operations
on the data.
 The arithmetic operations can be addition, subtraction,
multiplication or division.
 The multiplication and division operations are usually
implemented by the AU as the repetitive process of
addition and subtraction operations respectively
2. Control Unit
 It manages and coordinates the operations of all other
components of the computer system.
 According to Balagurusamy (2009), Control Unit (CU) is
an important component of CPU that controls the flow
of data and information.
 It maintains the sequence of operations being
performed by the CPU.
COMPUTER SYSTEM
 function of any computer system revolves around a
central component known as central processing unit
(CPU).
 A system has following three characteristics:
1. A system has more than one element
2. All elements of a system are logically related
3. All elements of a system are controlled in a
manner to achieve the system goal
 as it comprises of integrated components (input unit,
output unit, storage unit, and CPU) that work together
to perform the steps called for in the executing program
(Sinha P.K. et al, 2008).
FIVE BASIC OPERATIONS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM
 Inputting
 The process of entering data and instructions
into the computer system
 Storing
 Saving data and instructions to make them
readily available for initial or additional
processing whenever required
 Processing
 Performing arithmetic operations (add,
subtract, multiply, divide, etc.) or logical
operations (comparisons like equal to, less
than, greater than, etc.) on data to convert
them into useful information
 Outputting
 The process of producing useful information
or results for the user such as a printed report
or visual display
 Controlling
 Directing the manner and sequence in which
all of the above operations are performed.
NUMBER SYSTEM
 According to Balagurusamy (2009), computer is a digital
system that stores and processes different types of data
in the form of 0s and 1s.
 Different number systems, which come under the
category of positional number system
1. DECIMAL SYSTEM
 is the most common number system
used by human beings. It is a positional
number system that uses 10 as a base to
represent different values.
 is also known as base10 number system.
 Sinha P.K. et al, (2008), give the
characteristic of decimal number system
which are the following:
 A positional number system
 Have 10 symbols or digits (0, 1,
2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). Hence, its
base = 10
 The maximum value of a
single digit is 9 (one less than
the value of the base)
 Each position of a digit
represents a specific power of
the base (10)
 We use this number system in
our day-to-day life
2. BINARY SYSTEM
 According to Balagurusamy (2009),
among all the positional number
systems, the binary system is the most
dominant number system that is
employed by almost all the modern
digital computer systems.
 uses base 2 to represent different values.
 uses base 2 to represent different values.
 These symbols are 0 and 1, which are
also known as bits in computer
terminology.
 Using binary system, the computer
systems can store and process each type
of data in terms of 0s and 1s only.
 The following are some of the technical terms used in
binary system:
  Bit
 It is the smallest unit of information used in a
computer system. It can either have the value
0 or 1. Derived from the words Binary digIT.
 Nibble
 It is a combination of 4 bits.
 Byte
 It is a combination of 8 bits. Derived from
words ‘by eight’.
 Word
 It is a combination of 16 bits.
 Double word
 It is a combination of 32 bits.
 Kilobyte (KB)
 It is used to represent the 1024 bytes of
information.
 Megabyte (MB)
 It is used to represent the 1024 KBs of
information.
 Gigabyte (GB)
 It is used to represent the 1024 MBs of
information.
 While Sinha P.K. et al, (2008), give the characteristic of
binary number system which are the following:
 A positional number system
 Have only 2 symbols or digits (0 and 1).
Hence its base = 2
 The maximum value of a single digit is 1 (one
less than the value of the base)
 Each position of a digit represents a specific
power of the base (2)
 This number system is used in computers
OCTAL SYSTEM
 The octal system is the positional number system that
uses base 8 to represent different values.
 Therefore, this number system is also known as base-8
system.
 As this system uses base 8, eight symbols are available
for representing the values in this system. These
symbols are the digits 0 to 7 (Balagurusamy, 2009).
 Moreover, Sinha P.K. et al, (2008), give the
characteristic of octal number system which are the
following:
 A positional number system
 Have total 8 symbols or digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7). Hence, its base = 8
 The maximum value of a single digit is 7 (one
lessthan the value of the base
 Each position of a digit represents a specific
power of the base (8)
 Since there are only 8 digits, 3 bits (23 = 8) are
sufficient to represent any octal number in
binary
HEXADECIMAL SYSTEM
 The hexadecimal system is a positional number system
that uses base 16 to represent different values.
 Therefore, this number system is known as base-16
system.
 As this system uses base 16, 16 symbols are available for
representing the values in this system.
 These symbols are the digits 0–9 and the letters A, B, C,
D, E and F.
 The digits 0–9 are used to represent the decimal values
0 through 9 and the letters A, B, C, D, E and F are used
to represent the decimal values 10 through 15
(Balagurusamy, 2009).
 Moreover, Sinha P.K. et al, (2008), give the
characteristic of hexadecimal number system which are
the following:
 A positional number system
 Has total 16 symbols or digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F) Hence its base = 16
 The symbols A, B, C, D, E and F represent the
decimal values 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15
respectively
 The maximum value of a single digit is 15 (one
less than the value of the base)
 Each position of a digit represents a specific
power of the base (16)
 Since there are only 16 digits, 4 bits (24 = 16)
are sufficient to represent any hexadecimal
number in binary
CONVERTING A DECIMAL NUMBER TO A NUMBER OF
ANOTHER BASE (Sinha P.K. et al, 2008)
Division-Remainder Method
 Step 1: Divide the decimal number to be converted
by the value of the new base
 Step 2: Record the remainder from Step 1 as the
rightmost digit (least significant digit) of the new
base number
 Step 3: Divide the quotient of the previous divide
by the new base
 Step 4: Record the remainder from Step 3 as the
next digit (to the left) of the new base number
 Repeat Steps 3 and 4, recording remainders from right
to left, until the quotient becomes zero in Step 3
 Note that the last remainder thus obtained will be the
most significant digit (MSD) of the new base number
COMPUTER CODES
 Computer codes are used for internal representation of
data in computers. As computers use binary numbers
for internal data representation, computer codes use
binary coding schemes.
ASCII CODE
 According to Balagurusamy (2009), the ASCII code is
pronounced as ASKEE and is used for the same purpose
for which the EBCDIC code is used.
 This code is more popular than EBCDIC code as unlike
the EBCDIC code this code can be implemented by most
of the non-IBM computer systems.
 this code was developed as a 7-bit BCD code to handle
128 characters but later it was modified to a 8-bit code.
 Meanwhile, according to Sinha P.K. et al, (2008), ASCII
stands for American Standard Code for Information
Interchange having two types:
 1. ASCII-7
 It uses 7 bits to represent a symbol and
can represent 128 (27) different
characters
2. ASCII-8
 It uses 8 bits to represent a symbol and
can represent 256 (28) different
characters
UNICODE AND ITS FEATURES
 According to Balagurusamy (2009), the computer
systems can only understand data in the form of
numbers.
 each character should be first coded into a specific
number before being processed by the computer
systems.
Chapter 2
COMPUTER ORGANIZATION
THE COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER
 According to Shelly et al. (2011), a computer contains
many electric, electronic, and mechanical components
known as hardware.
 Accepting the raw data
 The first task to be performed by a computer
is to accept the data from the user, with the
help of an input device, such as mouse and
keyboard.
 Processing the data
 The data is processed with the help of specific
instructions known as programs after taking
the input from the user
 Storing the data
 The data is stored in the main memory of a
computer in its processed form.
 Delivering the output
 The processed data is delivered as useful
information to the user with the help of
output devices, such as printer and monitor.
 Balagurusamy ( 2009), says that a Computer System,
small or big, in order to carry out its functions
successfully, must essentially include the following four
sub-systems:
 Hardware
 Software
 Data
 People
HARDWARE
 The physical devices that make up the computer
 The hardware units are responsible for entering, storing
and processing the given data and then displaying the
output to the users.
INPUT DEVICE
 is any hardware component that allows you to enter
data and instructions into a computer.
 Five widely used input devices are the keyboard, mouse,
microphone, scanner, and Web cam
OUTPUT DEVICES
 is any hardware component that conveys information to
one or more people.
 Three commonly used output devices are a printer, a
monitor, and speakers
System Unit
 is a box-like case that contains electronic components of
the computer that are used to process data
 The circuitry of the system unit usually is part of or is
connected to a circuit board called the motherboard.
 Two main components on the motherboard are
processor and memory.
 The processor, also called the CPU (central
processing unit), is the electronic component that
interprets and carries out the basic instructions
that operate the computer (Shelly et al, 2011)
MAIN MEMORY
 Shelly et al, (2011), say that memory consists of
electronic components that store instructions waiting to
be executed and data needed by those instructions.
 referred to as the internal memory or primary memory
of the computer.
 It is also known as Random Access Memory (RAM).
 It is a temporary storage medium that holds the data
only for a short period of time.
CACHE MEMORY
 is a small, fast and expensive memory that stores the
copies of data that needs to be accessed frequently
from the main memory.
 There are usually two types of cache memory found in
the computer system:
1. Primary cache
 It is also known as Level 1 (L1) cache or
internal cache. The primary cache is
located inside the CPU. It is smaller but
fastest type of cache that provides a
quick access to the frequently accessed
data by the microprocessor.
2. Secondary cache
 It is also known as Level 2 (L2) cache or
external cache. The secondary cache is
located outside the CPU. It is normally
positioned on the motherboard of a
computer. The secondary cache is larger
but slower than the primary cache.
STORAGE DEVICE
 Storage holds data, instructions, and information for
future use.
 For example, computers can store hundreds
or millions of customer names and addresses.
Storage holds these items permanently
(Shelly et al., 2011).
 A computer keeps data, instructions, and information
on storage media.
 Examples of storage media are USB flash
drives, hard disks, optical discs, and memory
cards.
 A storage device records (writes) and/or retrieves
(reads) items to and from storage media. Storage
 devices often function as a source of input because they
transfer items from storage to memory.
 USB flash drive is a portable storage device that is small
and lightweight enough to be transported on a keychain
or in a pocket. The average USB flash drive can hold
about 4 billion characters.
 A hard disk provides much greater storage capacity than
a USB flash drive. The average hard disk can hold more
than 320 billion characters. Hard disks are enclosed in
an airtight, sealed case.
 An optical disc is a flat, round, portable metal disc with
a plastic coating. CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs are three
types of optical discs. A CD can hold from 650 million to
1 billion characters.
COMMUNICATION DEVICES
 is a hardware component that enables a computer to
send (transmit) and receive data, instructions, and
information to and from one or more computers or
mobile devices.
 A widely used communications device is a modem
NETWORKS
 is a collection of computers and devices connected
together, often wirelessly, via communications devices
and transmission media.
 When a computer connects to a network, it is online.
 Networks allow computers to share resources, such as
hardware, software, data, and information. Sharing
resources saves time and money.
INTERNET
 is a worldwide collection of networks that connects
millions of businesses, government agencies,
educational institutions, and individuals
 Web, short for World Wide Web, is one of the more
popular services on the Internet. The Web contains
billions of documents called Web pages. A Web page
can contain text, graphics, animation, audio, and video
 A Web site is a collection of related Web pages. Some
Web sites allow users to access music and videos that
can be downloaded, or transferred to storage media in a
computer or portable media player.
 Millions of people worldwide join online communities,
each called a social networking Web site or online
social network, that encourage members to share their
interests, ideas, stories, photos, music, and videos with
other registered users.
 A blog is an informal Web site consisting of time
stamped articles in a diary or journal format, usually
listed in reverse chronological order.
 Podcasts are a popular way people verbally share
information on the Web. A podcast is recorded audio
stored on a Web site that can be downloaded to a
computer or a portable media player such as an iPod.
 A microblog, such as Twitter, allows users to publish
short messages, usually between 100 and 200
characters, for others to read.
 Web application is a Web site that allows users to
access and interact with software from any computer or
device that is connected to the Internet.
MULTIMEDIA
 refers to any application that combines text with
graphics, animation, audio, video, and/or virtual reality.
 Multimedia Web pages often require specific hardware
and software and take more time to download because
they contain large graphics files or video or audio clips.
 more time to download because
 they contain large graphics files or video or audio clips.
The sections that follow discuss how the Web uses:
 Graphics
 A graphic, or graphical image, is a digital
representation of nontext information such as
a drawing, chart, or photo.
 A thumbnail is a small version of a larger
graphic. You usually can click a thumbnail to
display a larger image.
 Animation
 which is the appearance of motion created by
displaying a series of still images in sequence.
 Animation can make Web pages more visually
interesting or draw attention to important
information or links.
 Audio
 includes music, speech, or any other sound.
Simple applications on the Web consist of
individual audio files available for download
to a computer or device.
 To listen to an audio file on your computer,
you need special software called a player.
 Streaming is the process of transferring data
in a continuous and even flow.
 A podcast is recorded audio, usually an MP3
file, stored on a Web site that can be
downloaded to a computer or a portable
media player such as an iPod.
 Video
 consists of images displayed in motion. Most
video also has accompanying audio.
 The Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)
defines a popular video compression standard,
a widely used one called MPEG-4 or MP4.
 Virtual Reality
 is the use of computers to simulate a real or
imagined environment that appears as a
three-dimensional (3-D) space.
 VR involves the display of 3-D images that
users explore and manipulate interactively.
SOFTWARE
 According to Balagurusamy (2009), the term software
refers to a set of programs and instructions that help
the computers in carrying out their processing.
 Software, also called a program, is a series of related
instructions, organized for a common purpose, that tells
the computer what task(s) to perform and how to
perform them.
 With a graphical user interface (GUI pronounced gooey),
you interact with the software using text, graphics, and
visual images such as icons.
 The two categories of software are the following:
 1. System software
 It consists of the programs that control or
maintain the operations of the computer and
its devices.
 Operating System - is a set of programs
that coordinates all the activities among
computer hardware devices.
 Utility Program - allows a user to
perform main tenance-type tasks usually
related to managing a computer, its
devices, or its programs.
2. Application Software
 It consists of programs designed to make
users more productive and/or assist them
with personal tasks.
 Word Processing Software - sometimes
called a word processor, allows users to
create and manipulate documents
containing mostly text and sometimes
graphics.
 Spreadsheet Organization - spreadsheet
file is similar to a notebook that can
contain more than1,000 related
individual worksheets. Data is organized
vertically in columns and horizontally in
rows on each worksheet.
 Database Software - is a collection of
data organized in a manner that allows
access, retrieval, and use of that data. is
application software that allows users to
create, access, and manage a database.
 Presentation Software - is application
software that allows users to create
visual aids for presentations to
communicate ideas, messages, and
other information to a group.
DATA
 refer to the raw facts and pieces of information that is
usually entered into the computer system by the user,
so as to generate the desired output.
 TWO FORMS OF DATA:
 Qualitative data
 The data, which are represented in words or
text form, are known as qualitative data.
 This type of data can also include images,
videos and audios used for the graphical
presentation.
 Quantitative data
 The data, which are represented in numerical
form, are known as quantitative data.
 This type of data include different numbers
and symbols used for representing a
particular quantity.
 The data entered by a user into the computer
system can be in the form of numbers, text or
images. The data—stored in the memory of
the computer system—is in the form of bits
and bytes.
 A bit is defined as the smallest unit of
information used in the computer system and
a byte equals to a group of eight bits.
PEOPLE
 According to Balagurusamy (2009), computer systems
are designed by the people, for the people. People,
therefore, include the people who design and build
hardware and software (known as systems people) and
the people who actually use computer systems for their
applications (known as users).
 Systems people include hardware engineers, software
engineers, programmers, etc. Users might include a
variety of people working in different areas of
applications, such as education, business, entertainment,
training, etc.
 However, Shelly et al, (2011), give the five categories of
users are as follows:
1. Home User - In an increasing number of homes, the
computer is a basic necessity. Each family member, or
home user, spends time on the computer for different
reasons.
2. Small Office/Home Office User (SOHO) - includes any
company with fewer than 50 employees, as well as the
self-employed who work from home.
3. Mobile User - who work on a mobile computer or
device while away from a main office, home office, or
school. Some examples of mobile users are sales
representatives, real estate agents, insurance agents,
meter readers, package delivery people, journalists, and
students.
4. Power User - requires the capabilities of a powerful
desktop computer, called a work station. Examples of
power users include engineers, scientists, architects,
desktop publishers, and graphic artists.
5. Large Business User - employee or customer who
uses a computer in the enterprise.
 enterprise computing, to refer to the huge
network of computers that meets their
diverse computing needs.
 Telecommuting is a work arrangement in
which employees work away from a
company’s standard workplace and often
communicate with the office through the
computer.
CATEGORIES OF COMPUTERS
1. Personal Computer
 is a computer that can perform all of its input,
processing, output, and storage activities by itself.
 Two types of personal computers
 Desktop Computer - is designed so that the
system unit, input devices, output devices,
and any other devices fit entirely on or under
a desk or table.
 Mobile Computers- is a personal computer
you can carry from place to place. and Mobile
Devices - Similarly, a mobile device is a
computing device small enough to hold in
your hand. The most popular type of mobile
computer is the notebook computer.
 Notebook Computers - also called a
laptop computer, is a portable, personal
computer often designed to fit on your
lap.
  Tablet PCs - is a special type of notebook
computer that allows you to write or
draw on the screen using a digital pen.
2. Mobile Devices
 which are small enough to carry in a pocket, usually
store programs and data permanently on memory
inside the system unit or on small storage media such as
memory cards.
 Some mobile devices are Internet-enabled, meaning
they can connect to the Internet wirelessly.
 Five popular types of mobile devices
 Smartphones - is an Internet enabled phone that
usually also provides PDA capabilities and personal
information management functions such as a
calendar, an appointment book, an address book, a
calculator, and a notepad.
 A text message is a short note, typically fewer
than 300 characters, sent to or from a smart
phone or other mobile device.
 An instant message is a real-time Internet
communication, where you exchange
messages with other connected users.
 A picture message is a photo or other image,
sometimes along with sound and text, sent to
or from a smart phone or other mobile device.
A phone that can send picture messages often
is called a camera phone.
 A video message is a short video clip, usually
about 30 seconds, sent to or from a smart
phone or other mobile device. A phone that
can send video messages often is called a
video phone.
 PDA - (personal digital assistant) provides personal
information management functions such as a
calendar, an appointment book, an address book, a
calculator, and a notepad.
 Smartwatches - A smart watch is an Internet-
enabled watch that automatically adjusts to time
zone changes and stores personal information.
 Handheld Computers - sometimes referred to as
an Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC), is a computer small
enough to fit in one hand.
 Portable Media Players - is a mobile device on
which you can store, organize, and play digital
media
 Digital Cameras - is a device that allows users to
take pictures and store the photographed images
digitally, instead of on traditional film.
3. Game Consoles
 is a mobile computing device designed for single player
or multiplayer video games
4. Servers
 A server controls access to the hardware, software, and
other resources on a network and provides a centralized
storage area for programs, data, and information
 Types of Servers
 Mainframes - is a large, expensive, powerful
computer that can handle hundreds or thousands
of connected users simultaneously
 Supercomputers - is the fastest, most powerful
computer — and the most expensive
Embedded Computers
 is a special-purpose computer that functions as a
component in a larger product. A variety of everyday
products contain embedded computers:
 Consumer electronics
 Home automation devices
 Automobiles
 Process controllers and robotics
 Computer devices and office machines
COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN SOCIETY
 Education
 Computers are used in schools and colleges to
teach students in a better and easy way.
 Business
 Computers are used in different types of business
to store a large amount of information in the form
of databases.
 Communication
 Computers that are connected with each other can
be used to transfer data to and from other
computers.
 Science
 Computers are used by various scientists for the
purpose of research and development.
 Engineering
 Computers are used by the engineers for the
creation of complex drawings and designs while
working in different fields, like automobiles and
construction.
 Entertainment
 Computers are used in the entertainment industry
for creating graphics and animations.
 Banking
 Nowadays, computers are being increasingly used
for online banking. Through online banking, the
users or customers can transfer and receive money
by using computers and Internet.
 Health
 Computers are used by doctors to diagnose various
kinds of diseases and ailments
 Government
 Computers play a crucial role in almost all
government departments.The concept of ‘e-
governance’ is becoming popular among various
government agencies.