Coland Systems Technology, Incorporated

Peñas Building Sinsuat Avenue

Cotabato City

IT FUNDAMENTALS W/ WORD PROCESSING AND

SPREADSHEET

_____________________________________
Student’s Name

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Course and Year

S.Y. 2023 – 2024

Chapter 1
What is a computer?
People living in the 21st century can be generally considered “techie”
people. Almost everywhere we go, we notice people using their phones,
taking selfie or “groupie” photos, update their status in social media or
having video calls; others are may be using laptops while doing their
presentations or checking their smart watches while doing their routine
exercises, submit application online, book for a ticket or hotel reservations
or make research. All of these and more are things we can do with
computers.

Computers are basically any form of electronic device that manipulates information, or data. It is a device
that can be instructed to carry out a sequence of arithmetic or logical operations automatically via computer
programming. It has the ability to accept data from the user (input), process and store data entered, as well
as generate the desired output result.

History of Computers
The development of computational devices can be grouped into:
1. Manual Computational Devices

• Abacus – Over 5,000 years ago, the abacus (see figure 1.1) was used in
Babylon 2000 years before the Greeks used it to help with calculating. It
was also used in Europe, China, and Russia but its exact origin is still
unknown. To use it, you slide the beads up and down on the rods to add
and subtract.

• Napier’s bones – John Napier (see figure 1.3) invented “logarithms” which used lookup tables
to find the solution to otherwise tedious and errors-prone mathematical calculations.

• Oughtred’s Slide Rule - Though it appeared in various forms in Europe during the 17th century,
the early form of a slide rule (See figure 1.4) was created in 1632 by the English mathematician
William Oughtred. A slide rule consists of a moveable ruler placed between two fixed and marked
rulers.
2. Manual-Mechanical Calculators

• Pascaline - This famous French philosopher and mathematician, Blaise Pascal invented the first
calculator in 1645 to help with collecting taxes. It could add and subtract by rotating dials.

• Leibnitz’s Calculator – Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibnitz invented the machine in 1674, around
30 years after Pascal invented his machine. He called it the “Stepped Reckoner” and it could not
only add and subtract but multiply and divide as well.

• Jacquard’s Weaving Loom – Joseph-Marie Jacquard was a weaver. In 1804, he got the bright
idea of adapting the use of punched cards used in musical boxes to control his looms. His invention
provided a model for the input and output of data in the electro-mechanical and electronic
computing industry.

Difference Engine
Analytical Engine

• Difference Engine and Analytical Engine – In 1830, Charles Babbage an English

mathematician invented the “Difference Engine” that would solve certain equations. After the
British government withdrew its financial supports to his project, he later conceived the idea to
invent the “Analytical Engine” which he hoped would perform many kinds of calculations. His
idea embodied the five key features of our modern computer today: an input device, a place for
storage, a processor, a control unit, and an output device. This invention earns him the title “Father
of Computer”. After Babbage’s death, his son was able to design and construct the analytical
engine based on his model. Charles Babbage has a colleague in his work with the analytical engine.
 Her name was Augusta Ada Byron, a gifted mathematician who helped him develop the
instructions for doing computations on it. She is daughter of the English poet Lord Byron, and
later become the Countess of Lovelace. Because of her close association with Babbage and her
publications of notes about his work, she was named “the first computer programmer”.

3. Electromechanical Computer

• Hollerinth’s punched card machines – In the 1880s, Dr. Herman Hollernith, a statistician
with the US Bureau of Census, completed a set of machines to help process the result of the
1890 census. Using 3”x5” punched cards, he constructed an electromagnetic counting machine
to sort and tabulate the data.

4. Electronic Computers

• Atanasoff-Berry Computer (ABC)

- 1939
- A German engineer Konrad Zuse invented the first general-purpose computer.
- An American professor Dr. John Vincent Atanasoff of the Iowa State College (now University)
and his graduating engineering student Clifford Berry began building the prototype of the first
computing machine to use electricity and vacuum tubes, binary numbers, capacitors in a rotating
drum for memory elements and logical systems for computing, The result was ABC or the
Atanasoff-Berry Computer, the world’s first automatic electronic digital computer.

• Mark I

- 1940s
- Harvard University Professor Howard Hathaway Aiken invented the automatic general purposes
calculator called Mark I in 1944 which in turn was financed by the International Business Machine
(IBM). The official name of Mark I was Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator. It was
approximately 50 feet long and 8 feet high and consisted of some 700 000 moving parts and several
hundred miles of wiring.
 • Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC)

- John Mauchly and John Presper Eckert invented the Electronic Numerical Integrator and
Computer (ENIAC) that was used in World War II to calculate trajectory tables for new guns.

• Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer (EDVAC)

- In 1946, Dr. John von Neumann, a Hungarian born

mathematician, proposed a modified version of the
ENIAC. He suggested the use of Binary
arithmetic in the operations of the computer and
suggested the stored-program concept. Dr.
Neumann developed the concept where the program
and data reside in the same memory locations in the
computer and a system was used to differentiate
instructions from data values. These proposals was later
adopted by Princeton University, which developed EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable
Automatic Computer)

• Universal Automatic Computer (UNIVAC)

- When World War II was over, Mauchly and Eckert developed

the UNIVAC 1, the First general-purpose commercial computer.
This was used by the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

Generations of Computers
• First Generation (1940 to 1956):
First generation computers used to wire circuits containing
several thousands of vacuum tubes (each tube is about the size
of a light bulb) and used punched cards as the main storage
medium and computer input. Sir John Ambrose Fleming was
an English electrical engineer and physicist, known primarily for
inventing in 1904 the first vacuum tube.
• Second Generations (1956 to 1963):
The invention of transistors in 1947 paved the way for the
development of the second-generation computers. The three
physicists who invented the transistors are William
Shockley, John Bardeen, and Walter Brattain.
Transistors were smaller, more efficient and consumed less
energy. The second-generation computers used magnetic
core technology for primary memory. They used magnetic
tapes and magnetic disks for secondary storage. The Input
was still though punched cards and the output using
printouts. They used the concept of a stored program, where
instructions were stored in the memory of the computer.

• Third Generation (1964 to 1971):

Third generation computer used Integrated Circuits (ICs)
or chips. These computers were called minicomputers and
were compact, reliable and less expensive. The keyboard
and monitor were used to interact with the third-generation
computer, instead of the punched card and printouts. Jack
Kilby of Texas Instrument and Robert Noyce of
Fairchild Semiconductor Incorporated developed the
first IC in 1958.

• Fourth Generation (1971 to present):

Fourth generation computers use a microprocessor (also
called “computer-on-a-chip”) wherein several computer
functions are integrated. These computers are much
smaller, faster and more powerful than the earlier models.
These computers are called microcomputers.
This generation of computers supported Graphical User
Interface (GUI). GUI is a user-friendly interface that
allows the user to interact with the computer via menus
and icons. High-level programming languages are used for the writing of programs. The first
microprocessor was introduced in the year 1971 by Intel and was named Intel 4004.
 • Fifth Generation (present and next):
The goal of fifth generation computing is to develop computers that are capable of learning and
self-organization. The fifth-generation computer use Super Large Scale Integrated (SLSI) chips
that are able to store millions of components on a single chip. These computers have large memory
requirements.
This generation of computers uses parallel processing that allows several instructions to be
executed in parallel, instead of serial execution. Parallel processing result in faster processing
speed. The Intel dual-core microprocessor uses parallel processing.
The Fifth generation’s computers are based on Artificial Intelligence (AI). They try to simulate
the human way of thinking and reasoning. Artificial Intelligence includes areas like Expert System
(ES), Natural Language Processing (NLP), speech recognition, voice recognition, robotics, etc.

Computer Revolution: Timeline (In the 1970s)

- In the mid-1970s, Apple, Tandy, and Commodore computer companies had introduced the first low-
cost computers that are considered as powerful as many of the room-sized computer in early the 1950s
and 1960s.

- In 1971, the world’s first commercially available microprocessor (the brain of the computer), Intel 4004,
was designed and created by Dr. Ted Hoff of Intel Corporation. It was originally designed for the use in
calculator that paved the way its use in the computer. At the same year, Steve Wozniak (co-founder of
Apple Computer) together with his colleague Bill Fernandez designed and created a computer which
they called Cream Soda Computer. They named it after had drunk Cragmont cream soda during the
construction of the computer.

- In 1972, the 5.25 floppy disk (diskette) was first introduced in the market. This limited storage device
makes it easy to transfer data, program, or any software from one computer to another. Today, computer
users are typically using USB Mass Storage Device (Thumb drive or Flash Drive) to move their data,
program or software anywhere, anytime.

- In 1973, the hard disk as a mass storage device was introduced by IBM Corporation. It was originally
designed to hold 70 MB of data. Today’s hard disk is over 1 Terabyte in capacity. As of October 26,
2018, the 15 TB Ultrastar DC HC620 (see figure 6.4 of the Western Digital was considered as the world’s
highest capacity hard drive.

- In 1974, Intel Corporation and Motorola Inc. introduced an 8-bit microprocessor with 64 KB of RAM
memory and runs a speed of 2 MHz. today’s microprocessor is a 64-bit, with 2 GB of RAM and runs over
a speed of 2.3 GHz.
- In 1975, the first commercially available Personal Computer (PC) called Altair was introduced in the
United States.

- In 1976, the first Apple I computer was designed and marked by the founders of Apple company: Steve
Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Their company apple, Incorporated was established and named it after their
favorite snack food.

- In 1978, the Epson Company introduced its first dot-matrix printer with model number MX-80.

Functions of a Computer
A computer has four main functions: Input, Processing, Output and Storage
▪ Input – is the data entered to a computer from the input devices such as a keyboard, mouse, scanner,
camera, microphone, etc. The input data can also be a character, word, image, sound, etc.
▪ Processing – the task of performing operations like logical and arithmetic operations. It performs all
types of calculations based on the instructions given such as editing or modifying a document, etc. it
is then stored in the computer’s main memory.

▪ Output – the result generated after processing the input data. Output data can be in the form of text,
sound, images, printed document, etc. the devices used in displaying or generating an output may be a
monitor, printer, speaker, etc.

▪ Storage – the process of storing instructions and data permanently. Storage devices include a flash
drive, disk or tape.

Characteristics of a Computer
The reasons why computers are widely used are the following characteristics:
▪ Speed – the computer can process data fastly that no human being can compete. It can solve complex
computations and analyze data in a few seconds. Examples are calculators, weather forecasting, PCOS
machines.

▪ Accuracy – aside from being fast, computers can give result accurately. Since it is programmed, any
error that may occur can be attributed to human error (either the user or the programmer).

▪ Diligence – unlike humans, a computer can consistently perform any task for a long period of time.
They do not suffer from human traits like boredom and tiredness so it can perform a series of repetitive
tasks with the same speed and accuracy from beginning till end.

▪ Storage Capability – Today’s computers can store a large volume of data. Once data or information
is stored, it can never be forgotten and can be retrieved at any time.

▪ Versatility – computers are capable of performing any task even at the same time.

Advantage and Disadvantage of using a Computer

Just like any other things, computers have a pros and cons.
The advantages of using a computer include:
1. Multitasking – with the use of computers, processing of tasks becomes faster and easier. Since
computers perform fastly and accurately, people can save time and energy.
2. Record Keeping – Since computers have large storage capacity, organizations can maintain accounts
and manage transactions even for a long period of time.
3. Best for entertainment and online services – People can use their gadgets
4. Great Educational tool – Students can have access to any information on the internet. They can have
their research for traditional information other than what is taught inside the classroom.
The disadvantage of using computer include:
1. Reduction in employment opportunity – Since task are performed automatically using computers,
it reduces the need for people.
2. Wastage of time and energy – Other people do not use computers wisely. They spend most of their
time using social media or playing computer games.
3. Computer Crimes – Computers become a venue for committing cybercrimes like hacking,
cyberbullying, pornography, etc.
4. Health Risk – the use of computers for a prolonged period of time can result in neck and back pain,
poor eye sight, etc.

Types of Computers
Based on the operational principle of computers, they are categorized as analog, digital and hybrid
computers.
• Analog Computers – These are the most extinct today. These are different from a digital computer
because an analog computer can perform several mathematical operations simultaneously. It uses
continuous variable for mathematical operations and utilizes mechanical or electrical energy. Example of
analog computers are the thermometer, analog clock, speedometer, and tire pressure gauge.

• Digital Computers – They use digital circuits and are designed to operate on two states, namely bits 0
and 1. They are analogous to state ON and OFF. Data on these computers is represented as a series of 0s
and 1s. Digital computers are suitable for complex computation and have higher processing speeds. They
are programmable. Digital computers are either general purpose computers or special purpose ones.
Special Purpose Computers, as their name suggest, are designed for specific types of data processing
while General Purpose Computers are meant for general us. Example of special purpose computers are
digital watches, Fitbit, smartphones, calculators, etc. Example of general purpose computers are the IBM
PC, the apple Macintosh, desktop computers, netbooks, and laptops.

• Hybrid Computers – These computers are a combination of both digital and analog computers. In this
type of computers, the digital segments perform process control by conversion of analog signals to digital
ones. Example of hybrid computers are those used in the hospitals, to measure the heartbeat of the patient
and devices used in the petrol pump.

Classification of Computers
The following are the classification of the different types of computer based on their sizes and functionalities.

Mainframe Computer Minicomputer Supercomputer

 Server Computer
Microcomputer

Mainframe Computers – Large organizations use mainframes for highly critical. Applications such as bulk
data processing and ERP. Most of the mainframe computers have the capacities to host multiple operating
systems and operate as a number of virtual machines and can substitute for several small servers.
Minicomputer – In terms of size and processing capacity, minicomputers lie in between mainframes and
microcomputers. Minicomputers are also called mid-range systems or workstations. The term began to be
popularly used in the 1960s to refer to relatively smaller third generation computers.
Servers – they are computers designed to provide services to client machines in a computer network. They
have larger storage capacities and powerful processors. Running on them are programs that serve client
requests and allocate resources like memory and time to client machines. Usually, they are very large in size,
as they have large processors and many hard drives. They are designed to be fall-safe and resistant to crash.
Supercomputer – The highly calculation-intensive tasks can be effectively performed by means of
supercomputers. Quantum physics, mechanics, weather forecasting, molecular theory are best studied by
means of supercomputers. Their ability of parallel processing and their well-designed memory hierarchy give
the supercomputers, large transaction processing powers. Example of supercomputers include Belle Deep
Blue, and Hydra, for playing chess, Gravity Pipe for astrophysics, MDGRAPE-3 for protein structure
computation molecular dynamics and Deep Crack, for breaking DES cipher.
Microcomputers – a computer with a microprocessor and its central processing unit is known as a
microcomputer. They do not occupy space as much as mainframes do. When supplemented with keyboard
and a mouse, microcomputers can be called personal computers. A monitor, a keyboard and other similar
input-output devices, computer memory in the form of Ram and a power supply unit come packaged in a
microcomputer. These computers can fit on desks or tables and prove to be the best choice for single-user
tasks.
Microcomputers include desktops, laptops, netbooks, PDAs, tablet computers and wearable
computers.
Desktop Laptop Netbook

PDA Tablet Computer Wearable Computer

Desktop – a desktop is intended to be used on a single location. The spare parts of a desktop computer are
readily available at relatively lower costs. Power consumption is not as critical as that in laptops. Desktops
are widely popular for daily use in the workplace and households.
Laptops – Similar in operation to desktop, laptop computers are miniaturized and optimized for mobile use.
Laptops run on a single battery or an external adapter that changes the computer batteries.
Netbooks – They fall in the category of laptops. But are inexpensive and relatively smaller in size. They had
a smaller feature set and lesser capacities in comparison to regular laptops, at the time they came into the
market.
Personal Digital Assistants (PDA’s) – It is a handheld computer and popularly known as a palmtop. It has a
touch screen and a memory card for storage of data. PDAs can also be used as portable audio players, web
browsers and smartphones. Most of them can access the internet by means of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi
communication.
Tablet Computers – Tablets are mobile computers that are very handy to use. They use touch screen
technology. Tablets come with an onscreen keyboard or use a stylus or digital pen. Apple’s iPad redefined the
class of tablet computers. Samsung tablets and Microsoft surface are also examples of tablet computers.
Wearable Computers – A record-setting step in the evolution of computers was the creation of wearable
computers. These computers can be worn on the body and are often used in the study of behavior modeling
and human health. Military and health professionals have incorporated wearable computers into their daily
routine, as a part of such studies. When the users’ hands and sensory organs are engaged in other activities,
wearable computers are of great help in tracking human actions. Wearable computers do not have to be turned
on and off and remain in operation without user intervention. Examples of wearable watches are Google glass,
oculus rift, smart watches, and fitness bands
Computer Environment

User A diagram showing how the user interacts with application software on typical
desktop computer. The application software layer interfaces with the operating
system, which in turn communicates with the hardware. The arrows indicate
Application Software information flow.

Operating System

Hardware

The computer system consist of three parts: Hardware, Software, Peopleware.

• Computer Hardware – is the collection of physical components that constitute a computer system.
Computer hardware is the physical part or component of a computer, such as a monitor, keyboard,
computer data, storage, graphics card, sound card, motherboard, and so on, all of which are tangible
objects.
• Computer Software – or simply software, is a part of a computer system that consist of data or
computer instructions, in contrast to the physical hardware from which the system is built. In computer
science and software engineering, computer software is all information processed by computer system,
programs, and data. Computer software includes computer programs, libraries and related non-
executable data, such as online documentation or digital media.
 • Peopleware – is a term used to refer to one of the three core aspects of computer technology, the other
two being hardware and software. Peopleware can refer to anything that has to do with the role of
people in the development or use of computer software and hardware systems, including such issues
as developer productivity, teamwork, group dynamics, the psychology of programming, project
management organizational factors, human interface design, and human-machine interaction.

Types of Hardware
• Input Devices – allow the user to enter information into the system, or control its operation. Most
personal computers have a mouse and keyboard, but laptop systems typically use a touchpad instead
of a mouse. Other input devices include webcams, microphones, joysticks, and image scanners.

• Output Devices – displays information in a human-readable form. Such devices could include printers,
speakers, monitors or a braille embosser.

• Storage Devices – is any computing hardware and digital media that is used for storing, porting and
extracting data files and objects. It can hold and store information both temporarily and permanently
and can be internal or external to a computer, server or any similar computing devices. Data storage is
a core function and fundamental component of computers. Examples: hard disk, DVD’s, CD’s,
Magnetic Tape, Flash Memory (USB memory sticks).

Two types of Input Devices

1. Keyboard Entry – data is inputted to the computer through keyboard.
• Keyboard – the first input devices developed for the PC. Data is transferred to the PC over a
short cable with a circular 6-pin Mini-din connector that plugs into the back of
the motherboard. The QWERTY keyboard layout was patented by Sholes and his
partner James Densmore in 1878 and still the most popular keyboard layout on
devices of all types in English speaking world.
2. Direct Entry – A form of input that does not require data to be keyed by someone sitting at a keyboard.
Direct-entry devices create machine-readable data on paper, or magnetic media, or feed it directly into
the computer’s CPU.
Three Categories of Direct Entry Devices
1. Pointing Devices – an input used to move the pointer (cursor) on screen.

• Mouse – the most common pointing device used in PC’s. Every mouse has two buttons and
most have one or two scroll wheels. The mouse was invented by Douglas Engelbart
in 1964 and consisted of a wooden shell, circuit board, and two metal wheels. 8 years
later in 1972, Bill English developed that design further by inventing the “ball
mouse”. In 1988, the US patent was issued for an optical mouse invented by Lisa
M. Williams and Robert S. Cherry.

• Touch Screen – A display screen that is sensitive to the touch of a finger or stylus. Used in
myriad applications, including ATM machines, retail point-of-sales, car
navigation, and industrial controls. The touch screen became widly popular for
smartphones and tablets.
 • Light Pen – a light-sensitive stylus wired to a video terminal used to draw pictures or select
menu options. The user brings the pen to the desired point on the screen and
presses the pen button to make contact.

2. Scanning Devices – A device that can read text or illustrations printed

on paper and translates the information into a form the computer can
use.

3. Voice-Input Devices – Audio input devices are also known as speech or voice recognition systems
that allow a user to send audio signals to a computer for processing, recording, or
carrying out commands. Audio input devices such as microphones allow users to
speak to the computer in order to record a voice message or navigate the software.

4. Web Camera – a small camera which images can be accessed through the
internet, instant messaging or video conferencing. This webcam is attached to
our desktop computer or already built-in our laptop computer.

Output Devices
1. Computer Display Monitor – it displays information in visual form, using text and graphics. The
portion of the monitor that displays the information is called the screen or video display terminal.
Types of Monitor

a. LCD Monitors Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) technology has been used in laptops for some time.
It has recently been made commercially available as monitors for desktop PCs.

b. CRT Monitors Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT) are the only type of displays for use with desktop PCs.
They are relatively big (14” to 16” deep) and heavy (over 15 lbs).

c. LED Monitors (Light Emitting Diode) – A display and lighting technology used in almost every
electrical and electronic product on the market, from a tiny on/off light to digital readouts, flashlights,
traffic lights, and perimeter lighting.
2. LCD Projectors – utilize two sheet of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between them.
An electric current passed through the liquid crystal to align so that light cannot
pass through them. Each crystal, therefore is like a shutter, either allowing light to
pass through or blocking the light.

3. Printer – A device that prints text or illustrations on paper

4. Speaker – it is used to play sounds. They may be built into the system unit or
connected with cables. Speakers allow you to listen to music and hear effects from
your computer.

5. Headset – it is a hardware device that connects to a telephone or computer that

allows the user to talk and listen while keeping their hands free. Headsets are
commonly used in technical support and customer service centers and allow the
employee to talk to a customer while information into a computer.

Types of Storage Devices

• Floppy Diskette – a random access, and removable data storage medium that can be used with
personal computers. The term usually refers to the magnetic medium housed in a rigid plastic
cartridge measuring 3.5 inches square and about 2 millimeters thick.

• Compact Disk (CD) – it is also called optical disc is a nonmagnetic polished metal disk used to
store digital information. The disc is read by the CD-ROM. A standard 120mm CD can hold about
700 MB.

• Jump Drive and USB Flash Drive – it is a plug-and-play portable storage device that uses flash
memory and is lightweight enough to attach to a key chain. A USB drive can be used in place of
floppy disk, zip drive disk, or CD. Flash Drives capacity can be 2GB, 4GB, 8GB, 16GB, 32GB,
etc.
 • Hard Drive – the main, and usually largest, data storage device in a computer. The operating
system, software titles and most other files are stored in the hard disk drive.

Hard drives can be grouped into 4 types:

1. Parallel Advance Technology Attachment (PATA) – these refer to as Integrated
Drive Electronics (IDE) and Enhanced Integrated Drive Electronics (EIDE). PATA
drives were introduced by Western Digital back in 1986. They provide a common
drive interface technology for connecting hard drives and other devices to computers.

2. Serial Advance Technology Attachment (SATA) – these hard drives have

replaced the PARA drives in desktop and laptop computers. SATA drives can
transfer data faster than PATA types using serial signaling technology.

3. Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) – they are quite similar to IDE hard
drives but they make use of the Small Computer System Interface to connect to the
computer. These are well –adapted for storing and moving large amounts of data.

4. Solid State Drive (SSD) – these are the largest in drive technology. They do not
consist of moving parts, do not store data in magnetism. Instead, they make use of
flash memory technology. They make use of integrated circuits or semiconductor
devices to store data permanently.