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What is a Computer?

What is a Computer?. ICAICT101A Operate a Personal Computer. What is a Computer?. A computer is an electronic device that allows you to process and store data (information)…. Hardware. Hardware refers to the physical components of the computer – the things you can actually touch.

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What is a Computer?

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  1. What is a Computer? ICAICT101A Operate a Personal Computer

  2. What is a Computer? A computer is an electronic device that allows you to process and store data (information)…

  3. Hardware • Hardware refers to the physical components of the computer – the things you can actually touch • Keyboard • Monitor (screen) • Mouse • Speakers • Printer

  4. Central Processing Unit (CPU) • The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is a chip or the “brain” of the computer and directs activities on the computer. • Its job is to receive and carry out instructions millions of times every second.

  5. Peripheral Devices • A peripheral device is a device that is attached to the computer by port or wireless. • It usually performs some input or output task, eg printer, scanner, speakers, internal/external DVD or hard drive.

  6. Attaching Peripheral Devices • Peripheral devices are attached to the computer via ports located at the back or front of the computer, or by wireless technology. • The most common type of physical port used today is a USB port.

  7. Input/Output Devices • Computer devices are classed as either input, output or sometimes even bothI/O (input/output). • Input devices get data into thecomputer, eg mouse, keyboard, scanner. • Output devices get data out of thecomputer, eg monitor, printer, speakers. • Devices such as USB drives, DVD burners are both input and output.

  8. Software • Software refers to the instructions or programs that make the computer work.You can’t actually touch the software. • Software tells the computer what to do.

  9. Two types of Software • Operating (system) • Windows 7 • Windows Vista • Windows XP • Linux • Application (program) • Microsoft Office: • Word • Excel • Outlook • PowerPoint • Accounting, eg MYOB • Games

  10. Why do we save data? • If the computer is turned off or if there is a power failure, all the data that is stored in Random Access Memory (RAM) is lost! • If you want to keep data to use again later you must save it. • You can save it to a permanent storage device such as the hard disk (C:) a USB, a DVD/CD or an external hard drive.

  11. Permanent Storage • Computers come with a built-in DVD burner and hard disk drive. These storage devices allow you to save data as a file for future use. • The hard disk is a fixed disk installed inside the computer. Most hard disks store between250gb and 4tb. • DVD and CD drives store datadigitally and can hold as much as 17gb.

  12. Permanent Storage • USB / flash drives are small, portable devices that are good for storing data or transferring data between different computers. They plug into a USB port and range in capacity from 1gb to 64gb. • External hard drives plug into a USB port and are good for keeping backup copies of data. The range in capacity from 500gb to 16tb.

  13. Computer Memory Storage capacity is measured in bytes. 1 byte equals approximately 1 typed character. • Kilobyte (kb) approximately 1024 bytes • Megabyte (mb) approximately 1 million bytes • Gigabyte (gb) approximately 1,000 million bytes • Terabyte (tb) approximately 1 trillion bytes (1,000 gb)

  14. Working with Files A computer file is an electronic document. When a file is saved it needs to be correctly named. • Every file name ends with a dot(.) followed by an extension of 3 or 4 letters. • Windows operating system automatically puts the correct extension on a file for you. You must never use a dot (.) in a filename. • A file saved in MS Word will have an extension of .docx, Excel .xlsx, PowerPoint .pptx. A picture file is likely to have an extension of .jpg.

  15. Working with Files • After a while you will become familiar with the various file extensions and recognise what program a file was created in. • Files also have different icons to help identify the program they were created in: • Filenames can include upper and lower case characters and/or numbers, but cannot include most symbols, eg / \ : * ? “ ” < >

  16. System Files • System files are used by the computer and should never be renamed, deleted or altered. • Some system file extensions include: .com .exe .bat .sys .dll .cfg

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