INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS WHAT IS A COMPUTER? A computer is an electronic de ice t!at is under t!

e control o" a set o" instructions stored in its memor#$ T!e "our %asic "unctions o" a computer are& Input Processin' Output Stora'e

AD(ANTA)ES O* USIN) COMPUTERS +$ -$ .$ /$ 1$ 3$ 4$ Speed, Accurac#, Sa es time and mone#, Wor0 is less tedious, Can 2or0 2it! lar'e amounts o" in"ormation, Stores lar'e amounts o" in"ormation 2it!out ta0in' up muc! space, and Is 5user6"riendl#7$

DISAD(ANTA)ES O* USIN) COMPUTERS +$ In asion o" pri ac#, -$ In"ormation ma# %e lost, .$ Users can e8perience p!#sical discom"ort9 e8ample9 e#e strain9 %ac0ac!e and carpal tunnel s#ndrome etc, P:ACES WHERE COMPUTERS ARE USED Computers are used e er#2!ere$ Some e8amples o" places 2!ere computers are used& +$ ;usiness and Industr# <e$'$9 %an0s and manu"acturin' companies=, -$ Products 2e use <e$'$9 cars and micro2a es=,

.$ /$ 1$ 3$ 4$

Science and Tec!nolo'# <e$'$9 medical researc! and !ospitals=, Education <e$'$9 sc!ools9 colle'es and uni ersities=, )o ernment, :e'al S#stems <e$'$9 police and la2 en"orcement a'encies=, Recreation and Entertainment$

T>PES O* COMPUTERS COMPUTER Palmtop :aptop Des0top Minicomputer Main"rame Supercomputer SI?E Small Small Small Medium :ar'e :ar'e @ O* USERS One One One Multiple Multiple Multiple @ O* TASAS One One One OneBMultiple Multiple Multiple

Some Common Terms and Acron#ms )I)O 6 )ar%a'e In )ar%a'e Out W>SIW>) 6 W!at >ou See Is W!at >ou )et DATA 6 Ra2 "acts suita%le "or processin'$ IN*ORMATION 6 Meanin'"ul 0no2led'e produced "rom ra2 data$

BASIC COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

An# computer9 "rom a simple !and!eld calculator to a comple8 main"rame computer9 can %e %ro0en do2n into t!e same "unctional components$ T!e simpli"ied component %rea0do2n is s!o2n in t!e dia'ram %elo2$

Computer Components and The Flow of ata w!th!n a Computer S"stem

STORAGE

Storage

Input
INPUT

CPU

Output

An input de ice is an# de ice t!at sends in"ormation to t!e CPU CPU (CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT) T!e CPU is t!e %rain o" t!e computer$ It consists o"& <a= Control unit <%= Arit!metic and :o'ic unit

a) Control Unit T!e control unit is t!at part o" t!e Central Processin' Unit <CPU= t!at controls t!e fetchin ! "eco"in ! e#ec$tion and %tora e o" pro'ram instructions$ Fetchin re"ers to t!e o%tainin' o" t!e ne8t pro'ram instruction "rom main memor#$ &eco"in is translatin' t!e instructions into commands t!at t!e computer can process$ E#ec$tin re"ers to t!e actual processin' o" t!e computer commands$ Storin ta0es place 2!en t!e result o" t!e instruction is 2ritten to main memor#$

') Arith(etic Lo ic Unit ) (ALU) T!is unit !as t2o %asic "unctions& i$ ii$ Per"ormin' arit!metic operations suc! as addition9 su%traction9 multiplication and di ision$ Per"ormin' lo'ical comparison %et2een t2o items o" stored data suc! as less t!an C9 eDual to E9 and 'reater t!an F operations$

Me(or* T!is is 2!ere instructions <or pro'rams= and data are stored$ It is called Primar# Memor# or Main Memor# or Immediate access stora'e$ Memor# ser es as t!e scratc!6pad "or t!e processor 2!ic! is t!e Arit!metic :o'ic Unit$ As it 2or0s t!e processor places data in memor# and t!en retrie es it 2!en necessar#$ Application pro'rams9 <"or e$'$9 Microso"t Word9 E8cel and Access= and operatin' s#stems <li0e Windo2s GP= are stored in memor# 2!ile t!e# are runnin' <%ein' used=$

Memor# is transient or temporar# stora'e used %# t!e CPU in its computin' duties$ T#picall# an# in"ormation stored in a computer7s memor# is lost 2!en t!e computer no lon'er !as po2er$ OUTPUT An output de ice is a piece o" eDuipment t!at recei es in"ormation "rom t!e CPU$ A printer and displa# screen are t!e most o% ious e8amples o" output de ices$ STORAGE Stora'e is di""erent "rom memor#9 in t!at it is permanent$ T!at is9 in"ormation placed on a stora'e de ice remains t!ere until it is erased or o er2ritten$ A ma'netic dis0 is an e8ample o" a stora'e de ice$ REGISTER T!is is a permanent location in t!e internal memor# o" t!e processor used "or t!e temporar# stora'e o" data durin' processin' operations$