UNIT I

B. Sc. (Hons.) – II Semester

Course Title: Fundamental of IT (CABSVO2005)
Under VOC Category of FYUP
Dr. Shabbir H. DAY-1 Date: 05.02.2024

What is Computer?
Computer can be referred to as an electronic device that can store and process a large amount
of data quickly and accurately. It consists of various hardware and software components.
Mainly the hardware components include memory, Central Processing Unit (CPU),
input/output devices, etc. The software components include application software and operating
system.

CPU can be referred to as the brain of computers as it controls all of its functions. It will execute
instructions, perform logical operations, data manipulation, etc. The storage devices like hard
drives and solid-state drives store a large amount of data for long-term storage.

With the help of input devices, the user enters the information or commands and with the help
of output devices it gets the result.

The OS or operating system is the software that manages the computer’s resources by
allocating them to processes accordingly and it also provides a user interface for interaction.
Whereas the application software performs some the specific tasks like video editing, word
processing, or gaming.

Various characteristics of computers have played a major role in making computers such an
important part of today’s world.

What are the Characteristics of a Computer?

Here are some key characteristics of computers.

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 Speed: The first and tone of the most important characteristics of computers that comes to
everybody’s mind is the speed of the computer. It is way faster than humans. They can process
the information in gigahertz (GHz). The speed proves to be very useful in cases of scientific
calculations, video editing, and complex simulations.

 Accuracy: Accuracy plays a major role in adapting computers as they are highly accurate and
can perform the calculator with extreme precision. They do not mistake like humans due to
distraction, or forgetfulness. They will follow the programmed instructions resulting in
accurate results.

 Flexibility: Computers can be programmed to perform a wide range of tasks, from simple
calculations to complex operations. They can also be easily reprogrammed to perform new
tasks, making them highly flexible.

 Consistency: Computers are consistent in their performance, which means they can perform
the same task repeatedly without any variation in their output. This makes them highly reliable
for performing critical tasks.

 Data Storage Capacity: The data storage capacity of computers are enhancing day by day
although they can store huge amount of data. Modern computers can store data in terms of
Terabytes where a byte is a term used for storage capacity. This will help in tasks such as
graphic design, video editing, and data analysis.

Some More Characteristics of Computer

Here is a list of some more common characteristics of computer systems, which are:

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 Versatility: Computers are versatile machines that can perform a wide range of
tasks, from simple calculations to complex simulations. They can be used in various
fields such as business, education, healthcare, engineering, and entertainment.

 Automation: Computers can automate repetitive tasks, which can save time and
improve efficiency. Automation can be achieved through software programs or
hardware devices, such as robots and sensors.

 Remembrance power: Computers have the ability to store and retrieve large
amounts of data quickly and efficiently. This enables them to remember and recall
information, which is important for many applications such as data analysis,
research, and decision-making.

 Reliability: We can rely on computers for our work as they can perform tasks
without breaking down or malfunctioning. They work on the specified instructions
without involving in emotions or feelings like humans do.

 Scalability: The computers can be scaled according to the need of the user we can
either increase the capacity or decrease the capacity. We can add additional hardware
and software that makes them perform complex tasks and can handle more amount
of data. With the help of scalability, the user can mold the computer according to its
need.

 Multitasking: The computers are able to perform various tasks simultaneously

which makes the user work on various projects at once. This characteristic of
computers is helpful in tasks like data analysis, video editing, etc.

Limitations of Computer
Computers have lots of advantages but along with them it also has some
disadvantages.

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 Dependence on Electricity: One of the main limitations of computers is that we have to
provide electricity to them to keep them working so if there are many power outages, and surges
then there will be problems as we will not be able to use them.

 Vulnerability to Malware: Viruses and malware can cause significant problems and damage
to the system as they might steal crucial information from your system or even can hack your
computer.

 Limited Learning Capacity: We have to program the operations that we want our computer
to perform as it cannot perform the operations on its own it will only work for certain
operations.

 Lack of Emotion: A computer is a machine so it lacks human emotions and feelings it cannot
understand our feeling in a meaningful way. Computers lack emotions and the ability to
empathize with humans. They cannot understand human feelings or respond to them in a
meaningful way.

 Expensive Maintenance: We have to keep our computer updated to protect it from viruses
and to keep it up with the changing world for that we need regular maintenance which can be
expensive and time-consuming.

Computer Applications and Information Technology

Information technology is the use of computers to store, retrieve, transmit, and manipulate data
or information. The field is typically used within the context of business operations as opposed
to personal or entertainment technologies. An information technology system is generally an
information system, a communications system or, more specifically speaking, a computer
system – including all hardware, software and peripheral equipment – operated by a limited
group of users.

*refer to other PDF (#Applications Hardware and IO Units)

What are basic components of computer hardware?

There are several basic components of computer hardware including:

1. Central processing unit (CPU)

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The CPU controls the computer processes and communicates with the other components of a
personal computer. A computer's CPU may be one of the most complicated parts of the
computer because of its intricacies.

2. Motherboard
The motherboard provides the structure for all other components and connects them, while also
providing a way to distribute power, deliver information and connect to devices such as a
printer or mouse. It controls how data transfers and what type of monitor or screen device to
use, for example. It houses the CPU, memory and secondary storage devices such as hard
drives.

3. Random Access Memory (RAM)

RAM is where data lives temporarily while it's being actively used by programs, such as when
a user launches a computer application.

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4. Video Graphics Array Port
A video graphics array (VGA) port is a video input that is primarily used on PC monitors.
Troubleshooting a VGA port could include verifying there isn't a loose connection, faulty cable
or a broken monitor.

5. Switched-Mode Power Supply (SMPS)

A switched-mode power supply (SMPS), also called switching-mode power supply, switch-
mode power supply, switched power supply, or simply switcher, is an electronic power
supply that incorporates a switching regulator to convert electrical power efficiently.

6. Cooling Fan
Cooling fans are a computer's system to decrease overheating. Many computers have more than
one cooling fan to help users who run their computer heavily, such as video streaming or
gaming.

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7. Hard Drive
Hard drives are data storage devices used to store files, programs or other information on a
computer system. They use magnetically coated discs called hard disks that store digital
representations of information. If a hard drive fails, a computer technician may suspect a
corrupt hard drive. They may use data recovery software to repair the computer or may replace
the hard drive.

8. Monitor
A computer monitor is an electronic device that displays what's what programs are running on
your computer so a user can see.

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9. Printer
This is a machine that produces copies of text or images on paper using ink. Popular printers
include laser or inkjet and computer technicians may be skilled in troubleshooting issues across
multiple brands and varieties.

10. Scanner
A scanner is a device that digitally copies an image or and makes it available as a file for access
on a computer.

11. Computer Mouse

A computer mouse can have a wire or is wireless and is an input device used to control a cursor
on the computer monitor. A wired computer mouse has a cord that connects to a USB port on
a computer while a wireless mouse has no physical connection with a computer system.
Instead, a wireless mouse communicates using an adapter that is usually plugged into an
available USB port and runs off its own batteries using Bluetooth technology.

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12. Keyboard
The computer keyword is an important piece of hardware used to input text, characters and
other important commands. The keyboard contains keys for alphabets, numerals and symbols,
alongside having special keys for specific purposes and commands. In many tablets and virtual
PCs, the keyboard may also be virtual.

What is a VDU?
The term VDU is a more seasoned British term, which stands for visual display unit and uses
to describe any device to show text and pictures. For case, examples of VDU are a projector
and a flat-panel display. Although the term VDU usually depicts the CRT (Cathode Ray Tube)
screen, a presently age-old standard that has been replaced by LED screens (flat-panel
display). VDU functions to display pictures that are generated by any electronic devices like
computer system.

The term VDU is often referred to use synonymously with "monitor," but it can also be used
to describe the display as a digital projector. Generally, it is a device that may be integrated
with the other components or may be peripheral devices. For instance, an all-in-one design is
used by Apple iMac, in which computers and screens are integrated into a single unit.

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Early VDUs had a 13" screen size or less and typically were primarily cathode ray tube display.
During the 1990s, VDU display became more popular with 15," and 17" screen sizes and 20"
screen size displays also began to produce by some manufacturers. During the early 2000s,
flat-panel displays started to replace the CRT displays and became more popular; Even CRT
displays became hard to find. In modern times, 20" to 30" of screen size is most common to
come with computers. Also, the new technology LCD, plasma, and LED come with a large
screen and much more cost-effective as compared to before technology.

Types of Visual Display Units (VDUs)

There are two types of screen technologies liquid crystals, and organic light-emitting diodes
are most common for visual displays. The cathode ray tube, an earlier technology, has almost
disappeared due to the invention of a flat-panel display. However, the use of plasma monitors
may see in some applications.

1. Liquid Crystal Displays

Liquid crystals are fluid materials that are made of liquid crystals, which act like a cluster of
tiny shades that convey or block light. A backlight (bright light source) is located on the
backside of the screen, which sparkles with the help of LCD and creates thousands of tiny dots
of red, blue, and green that generate a colour picture. You will never be unable to see the
backlight directly as it is situated inside the display; it is only filtered with the help of an LCD
panel.

2. Cathode Ray Tube

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Sometime recently, in the 1990s, cathode-ray tube technology was used by nearly all computer
displays, video screens, and television sets. A CRT is a thick vacuum tube containing a
flattened screen on one end with a phosphor covering on the interior. For producing a glow
within the vacuum, a beam of electrons from a hot metal filament screen strikes the phosphors
at the end opposite side of the screen. For checking over and down the screen, an electronic
controlling component bends the beam that scans the screen at the downside, which led to an
arrangement of visible images on the screen. Although CRTs offer high-quality images, LCD
and other unused innovations have driven the cathode-ray tube's obsolescence because they are
more secure and much lighter in size.

3. LCD with Fluorescent Backlight

A fluorescent lamp, which produces a bright white light, is used by some LCD displays. It is
cheaper, thin, and lightweight. The small amounts of mercury vapor are contained by
fluorescents on the downside. In office settings and household, mercury does not create a
serious problem.

4. LCD with LED Backlight

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The LED backlight utilizes light-emitting diodes rather than a fluorescent lamp, which (LED
backlight) is a newer technology for LCD displays. Although the LED does not use mercury,
it produces white light.

5. Plasma Screens
Plasma screens produce a high-resolution image as they contain tiny gas capsules in the form
of a grid, which shines much like a neon sign. The three-pixel colors (red, green, and blue) are
combined by plasma display screens in order to form the whole range of colors, which is a
much richer color as compared to CRT or LCD shows. However, due to battery life concerns,
LCDs are more energy-efficient while comparing with plasma screens. Also, nearly all laptop
computers do not use plasma technology, and they use the LCD screen. With most plasma
screens, image quality helps justify the greater energy consumption as currently, they come in
the 40-inch to the 60-inch size range. Although very large widescreens commonly use plasma
shows, there are various plasmas that can be used as computer shows.

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6. Organic Light-Emitting Diode
The OLED screen does not require a backlight, and they produce their own light; however, it
is superficially similar to LCD technology. Due to this advantage, as compared to LCD
equivalent, OLED displays can be much thinner in size. Also, OLEDs help to enhance battery
life in mobile devices as a backlight consumes significant amounts of energy. Additionally, the
working lifetime of OLEDs is currently not good as compared to LCDs, but their image quality
is very good.

Input and Output Devices

Input Devices: An input device is a hardware device that takes instructions from the user and
passes it to a processing unit, such as a CPU. Input devices can transmit data to other devices
by taking it from one device but cannot receive data—for example, the keyboard or the mouse.

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List of Input Devices: Some commonly used input devices are listed below:

Keyboard: It is a hardware device with keys with alphabets and numbers on it and is used to
take alphanumeric input. It is the most commonly used input device.

Mouse: It is a hardware device that takes input by clicking on keys on the surface of the mouse.
The mouse is a pointing device that points to icons on the screen to select them.

Microphone: It takes sound as a form of input and can convert it to a digital or electrical form.

Joystick: It is usually used to play games. It has a stick that is inclined to angle to control
movement in video games.

Light Pen/stylus: It is a device used to give input by touching the device. A stylus is a light-
dependent tool.

Scanner: It is used to scan images, text, or documents to convert them into digital form.

Output Devices: Output devices are hardware devices that receive data from the processing
unit and other devices and return the result of the data—for example, monitors and speakers.

List of Output Devices: Some commonly used output devices are listed below:

Monitor: It is a device through which we see and operate our software. All icons, text, and
images are displayed here. We see all the outputs on this screen.

Printer: It produces hard copies or prints of images, text, or documents on the computer.

Speakers: They yield output in the form of audio and allow users to listen to music, game
sounds, etc. Speakers can be wired and wireless.

Projector: It produces output by projecting images and videos on a big screen. When
connected to a computer, the image on the monitor will only be displayed on the screen.

Headphones: These devices also produce audio outputs but are only for personal use.

Input / Output Devices

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An input/output device can perform the job of both input and output devices. In other words, it
can receive data from other devices or users (input) and send it to other devices (output).

Examples of input/output devices include: CD/DVD drives: They copy data received from the
computer and store it. They can also transfer data on the drive and pass it to the computer’s
storage. USB/Flash drives: They receive and send data from the computer to the drive and vice-
versa.

Difference between Output Devices and Input Devices

Below table shows the difference between Output devices and Input devices:

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