Introduction to Computers

Lecture 1
By Zarmina Jahangir
Lecturer at
Department of Computing
Riphah Institute of Computing and Applied Sciences
 What are Computers
• A computer is an electronic machine that has the
capability of performing computation and
processing on the supplied data. It can also store
data as well as generated results
• A computer is a machine that, under a
program’s direction and control, performs four
basic operations:
– Input
– Processing
– Output
– Storage
 What is a program
• A program is a list of instructions that tells the
computer how to perform these four
operations in order to accomplish a task.
 Information life cycle
• Input
– The computer accepts the data that has been represented in a
way the computer can use
– “The term data refers to unorganized raw material”
• Processing:
– The computer performs arithmetic or logical operations on the
represented data
• Storage:
– The computer saves the result so that they can be used again
• Output:
– The computer can show the result of processing in a way people
can understand
– “The processed data becomes information”.
Information life cycle
 Computer Systems
• A computer system is a collection of related
components that have all been designed to
work together smoothly. It includes:
• Hardware : physical components of computer,
including the computer itself and matched
peripherals
• Software : Programs that run on computer
Hardware Physical components of computer

Computer Components
 Input Devices
• Input devices enable user to get data into the
computer for processing.
• Input devices also used to give a command.
• Keyboard
– Input type : character, numeric, alphanumeric and
special functions
• Mouse
– Input type : pointing, cursor movement, special
functions
• Microphone
– Input type : voice, spoken commands
Input Devices
 Output Devices
• Output devices shows the result of processing
operations.
• Monitor
– Output type : CRT, LCD or LED display
• Speakers
– Output type : Sounds, Speech
• Printers
– Output type (on Paper) : Inkjet, laser
Output Devices
 Input Output Devices
• Some devices are input and output
– Touch screens
 Processing Device
• Processing device is called “Central Processing
Unit (CPU)” located in a case called System Unit
• Now a days, computers has mini CPU called
micro-processor or processor consist of an
electronic chip
• System unit contains additional components
along with central processing unit :
– Motherboard
– Memory
– Buses
– Expansion slots
 Processing Devices
• What are Control Unit and ALU?
– The arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) contains the
electronic circuitry that executes all arithmetic
and logical operations.
– The control unit (CU) of the CPU contains circuitry
that uses electrical signals to direct the entire
computer system to carry out, or execute, stored
program instructions
 Memory Devices

• Stores data or programs

• Random Access Memory (RAM)
– Volatile Memory
– Stores current data and programs
– More RAM results in a faster system
• Read Only Memory (ROM)
– Permanent storage of programs
– Holds the computer boot directions
• Cache?
• Virtual Memory?
• Storage devices hold data permanently, all of
programs and data that computer system uses.
• Magnetic Storage
– Magnetic disk or magnetic tapes
– Stores data encoded magnetically
• Optical Storage
– CDs, DVDs
– Stores data in form of microscopic pits that are etched
into the surface of a disc
– Uses a laser to access data
Storage media vs. Storage Devices
• Storage media
– Physical material on which data, instructions, and
information are stored
• Storage device
– Records and retrieves items to and from storage
media
 Communication Devices
• Communication devices are used to move
data between computers
• Communication devices enable computers to
connect to computer networks
• “Modem
– NIC (Network Interface Card) or network
connector
– Wifi Cards
 Computer Bus
• Bus is use for computer components internal
communication
Bus Structure
Types of Computers
How computer works
 Input Devices
• Input is any data or instructions entered into
the memory of a computer
• An input device is any hardware component
that allows a user to enter data and
instructions into a computer
• The following is a list of the most common
input devices which are nowadays found in a
computer system
 Keyboard  Magnetic Ink Card
 Mouse  Optical Character
 Joy Stick  Bar Code Reader
 Light pen  Optical Mark
 Track Ball
 Scanner
 Graphic Tablet
 Microphone
Input Devices
 Key Board
• Contain many keys that’s why called keyboard
• Allow a user to enter data and instructions
into the computer
• You can type letters of the alphabet, numbers,
punctuation marks, and other basic keys
• A standard computer keyboard is called a
QWERTY keyboard because of the layout of
its typing area which is similar to that of a
typewriter.
 keyboard
• Advantages of using keyboards for data input
include
– Entering data and instructions with keyboards is
generally faster than with pointing devices.
• Disadvantages of using keyboards for data
input include
– It takes a lot of time to practice in order to type
quickly and accurately
– Typing speeds are still very slow when compared
with computer speeds.
 Mouse
• A mouse is the most widely used pointing device
with a GUI environment
• A mechanical mouse has a rubber ball on its
underside to detect movement of the mouse
• An optical mouse uses devices that emit and sense
light to detect the mouse's movement
• A cordless mouse (either mechanical or optical)
transmits data using wireless technology such as
radio waves or infrared light waves
 Mouse
• Advantages of using a mouse include
– A mouse is easy and convenient to use with a
graphical user interface
– Using a mouse to select items or move to a particular
position on the screen is faster than using a keyboard
• Disadvantages of using a mouse include
– Issuing commands by using a mouse is slower than by
using a keyboard.
– A mouse usually requires a flat surface to operate
– A mouse needs more desk space to operate when
compared with a trackball
 Touch Pad
• Is a small pressure- and motion-sensitive area
on a portable computer that you can use to
move the mouse pointer
• A touch pad is an alternative to a mouse.
• Advantages of a touch pad include
– Easy and Fast one finger control.
– Ideal for portable devices
• Disadvantages of using a touchpad include
– Expensive & found in specific devices e.g. laptops
 Touch Screens
• A touch screen is an input/output touch-sensitive display.
– Touch screens are often used for information kiosks located in
department stores, hotels, airports, and museums
– Touch screens are also used for ATM machines to allow easy
access of bank accounts.
• Advantages of a touch screen include
– No extra peripherals are needed except the monitor
– A touch screen allows easy access to commands, which are
usually identified by words or symbols on the screen
• Disadvantages of a touch screen include
– Touch screens are not suitable for inputting a large amount of
data because they require a lot of arm movements
– Only items already on the screen can be selected
 Bar Code Reader
• A bar code reader uses laser beams to read bar codes
• A bar code reader reads a bar code by using light patterns that pass
through the bar code lines
• Bar code readers are widely used in a POS e.g. supermarkets,
department stores, libraries, etc.
• Advantages of using bar codes and bar code readers include
– The process of data entry is fast and accurate
– Bar codes can be printed by normal printing methods
– No need to write down or key in the name of the item or its actual price
• Disadvantages of using bar codes and bar code readers include
– A bar code reader may misread a bar code if there is any dirt or mark on
the code
– Only numbers can be coded
 Magnetic Ink Character Reader
• Read text printed with magnetized ink
• Magnetic ink character recognition is used most
exclusively by the banking industry for processing
cheque
• The characters represent the cheque number, the bank
number, and the account number of customers
• Advantages of MICR readers include
– Documents can still be read when folded or written on
– Fast
• Disadvantages of MICR readers include
– MICR readers and encoders are very expensive
– The system can only accept a few different character sets
 Image Scanner
• A scanner is a light-sensing input device that converts printed text
and graphics into a digital form that can be further processed by
the computer
• Two popular types of scanners are:
• A flatbed scanner works like a copy machine except that it creates
a file of the document in computer rather than a paper copy
• A handheld scanner can be manually passed over the image to be
scanned
– A portable device you can use to copy an image from paper to your
computer
– Hand-held scanners are ideal for capturing small images, such as
signatures and logos. A hand-held scanner is smaller, less expensive,
and more portable than a flatbed scanner.
 Image Scanner
• Advantages of a scanner include
– A scanner with appropriate OCR software can
work as an OCR system
• Disadvantages of a scanner include
– A scanner is best for two-dimensional objects
only, difficult to scan 3-D objects
– Scanned images usually take up a lot of storage
space
 OCR optical character recognition
• Most OCR readers include a small optical scanner for
reading characters and sophisticated OCR software for
analyzing what is read
• Advantages of OCR readers include
– Written data and printed data can be read at the same time
– Hard copies of documents can be read directly into a computer
without retyping
– The characters converted can later be edited by word processing
software
• Disadvantages of OCR readers include
– OCR readers often do not work well with handwritten
characters or those in unusual fonts
 Microphone
• Microphone is an input device to input sound
that is then stored in digital form
• The microphone is used for various
applications like adding sound to a multimedia
presentation or for mixing music
 Output Devices
• An output device is any device used to send
data from a computer to another device or
user
• The following is a list of the most common
output devices which are nowadays found in a
computer system
 Monitors
 Graphic Plotter
 Printer
Output Devices
 Monitor
• Monitors, commonly called as Visual Display Unit
(VDU), are the main output device of a computer
• It forms images from tiny dots called pixels that
are arranged in a rectangular form
• The sharpness of the image depends upon the
number of pixels
• There are two kinds of viewing screen used for
monitors
– Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT)
– Flat- Panel Display
 Printer
• Printer is an output device, which is used to
print information on paper
 Other Devices
• Plotter
– Draw multiple, continuous lines onto paper rather than a
series of dots like a traditional printer
– Advantages:
• Print on large paper with high resolution
• Can print on any material without image degradation
– Disadvantages:
• Expensive
• Large in size
• Speakers
– Produce sound waves
– A hardware device connected to a computer's sound card
that output sound generated by the computer
 Storage Devices
• It is used to store data and instructions
• Computer memory is the storage space in
computer where data is to be processed and
instructions required for processing are stored
• Memory is primarily of three types
– Primary Memory/Main Memory
– Secondary Memory
 Primary Memory
• Primary memory holds only those data and
instructions on which computer is currently
working
• It has limited capacity and data is lost when
power is switched off
• It is generally made up of semiconductor
device
• It is divided into two subcategories RAM and
ROM
 RAM - Random Access Memory
• RAM(Random Access Memory) is the internal
memory of the CPU for storing data, program
and program result
• Data in the RAM can be accessed randomly
but it is very expensive
• RAM is volatile, i.e. data stored in it is lost
when we switch off the computer or if there is
a power failure
 ROM – Read Only Memory
• Is permanent memory
• Non – volatile
• Information is stored permanently in such
memories during manufacture
• Stores such instructions that are required to
start a computer (bootstraps)
 Secondary Memory
• This type of memory is also known as external
memory or non-volatile
• It is slower than main memory
• These are used for storing data/Information
permanently
• Contents of secondary memories are first
transferred to main memory, and then CPU
can access it. For example : disk, CD, DVD,
floppy, USB etc. [1]
 Cache
• Cache memory is a very high speed
semiconductor memory which can speed up CPU
• It is used to hold those parts of data and program
which are most frequently used by CPU
• Advantages
– Cache memory is faster than main memory
– It consumes less access time as compared to main
memory
• Disadvantages
– Cache memory has limited capacity
– It is very expensive[3]
 Assignment - 1
1. What is cache memory and virtual memory. Write a brief
note about these two types of memories.
2. What are the different types of printers? Explain briefly
each type. Also add image of each type of printer.
3. What are the different types of RAM & ROM? Add image
for each type.
4. How hard disk store data? Explain and show its hardware
design/structure in diagrams.

Note: Type your Assignment on computer and submit it in the

proper format in hard form

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