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Introduction to Computers “The Basics”. Information Processing System. DATA is a collection of independent and unorganized facts. INFORMATION is the processed and organized data presented in a meaningful form. DATA PROCESSING is the course of doing things in a sequence of steps.
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Information Processing System • DATA is a collection of independent and unorganized facts. • INFORMATION is the processed and organized data presented in a meaningful form. • DATA PROCESSING is the course of doing things in a sequence of steps.
Many people believe that knowing how to use a computer, is one of the basic skills needed to succeed in the workplace. In order to use the computer it is necessary to understand how the computer works. Computers
The computer is an electronic machine that performs the following four general operations: Input Storage Processing Output. Computers
Three Major Components of an Information Processing System • HARDWARE is the tangible part of a computer system. • SOFTWARE is the non-tangible part that tells the computer how to do its job. • PEOPLEWARE refer to people who use and operate the computer system, write computer programs, and analyze and design the information system.
Computer hardware is made up of the equipment used to make up you computer unit. These parts include your monitor, central processing unit (CPU), keyboard, mouse, printer, and modem. Hardware
The input hardware allows you to enter data into the computer. Keyboard - The keyboard looks like the typewriter. A numeric keypad is located to the right of the keyboard. Mouse - The mouse is a device that allows you to control the movement of the insertion point on the screen. Input (Hardware)
The central processing unit or (CPU) is the "brain" of your computer. It contains the electronic circuits that cause the computer to follow instructions from ROM (read only memory) or from a program in RAM (random access memory). By following these instructions information is processed. The CPU contains three parts. Processing
Arithmetic Logic Unit- ALU is where the "intelligence" of the computer is located. It can add and compare numbers. Memory - Two types of memory contained on a chip are RAM (Random Access Memory) or ROM (Read Only Memory). Control Unit- This is the part of the unit, which directs information to the proper places in your computer, such as calculation of information by the ALU unit or to store and print material. CPU (central processing unit)
ROM is the memory that determines all the basic functions of the operation of your machine, such as startup, shut down, and placing a character on the screen. ROM (Memory)
RAM is temporary memory, which displays the information you are working on. RAM remembers what you see on your screen while you are working. RAM (Memory)
Output devices such as a monitor or printer make information you input available for you to view or use. A monitor's front is called a screen with a cathode ray tube (CRT) attached to the screen. Portable computers use a (LCD) liquid crystal display. super video graphics array (SVGA) monitors display 256 sharp and clear colors. Output
Auxiliary storage devices, also called secondary storage devices. are used to store instructions and data when they are not being used in memory. Two types of auxiliary storage more often used on personal computers are floppy disks and hard disks. Also, CD-ROM drives are common. Storage
Much like a floppy, the hard disk located inside the computer case is made of a stack of rotating disks, called platters. Data is recorded on a series of tracks that have been divided into sectors. Most computers have one hard drive, located inside the computer case. Hard Drive
Basic Units of Measurement • BIT is a unit of information equivalent to the result of a choice between only 2 possible alternatives in the binary number system. • BYTE is a sequence of 8 bits (enough to represent one character of alphanumeric data) processed as a single unit for information.
Since each CD-ROM can store 600 million bytes of data or 300,000 pages of text, they are today's answer to make you computer feel like a machine twice its size. Because of its external storage, you can use your machine to access an encyclopedia, games, graphics, and a variety of sources that use large amounts of memory. CD-ROM Storage
A computer stores data in units called bits and bytes. Computer chips called integrated circuits have one of two states, off or on. Therefore, a system was developed that used only two numbers, 0 and 1. Zero representing off and 1 representing on. You can think of this as a sort of light switch. Bits are grouped together in sets of eight. Bits and Bytes
8 bits = 1 byte 1024 bytes = 1 Kilobyte (K) 1024 Kilobytes = 1 Megabyte (MG) 1024 Megabytes = 1 Gigabyte (GB) Bits and Bytes
Computer productivity is determined by programs which are step by step instructions telling the computer how to process data. Software can be divided into two groups, system and application. Software
System software - The operation of your computer is controlled by system software. As you boot the computer, the system software is stored in the computer's memory which instructs the computer to load, store, and execute an application. Software
Word Processing - Word processing is the most commonly used software in schools, home, and business. A key advantage of word processing software is that users can make changes such as spelling, margins, additions, deletions, and movement of text. Software
Database Software - Database software allows us to store and manipulate large quantities of data using the computer. It would be possible to add or delete data and produce printed reports using the database. Software
A computer system consists of both hardware and information stored on hardware. Information stored on computer hardware is often called software. The hardware components of a computer system are the electronic and mechanical parts. The software components of a computer system are the data and the computer programs. Components of a Computer System
Computers can be connected to multimedia, such as sound graphics, photographs, and video equipment to manipulate, input, and generate output, but special software is required. If a personal computer is within 1,000 feet of another computer, a cable can directly connect it. If the devices are more than 1,000 feet, the electrical signal weakens. Then a modem is used. A computer is designed to process data as digital signals, individual electrical pulses grouped together to represent characters. Communications
Processor Main memory Secondary memory Input devices Output devices The major hardware components of a computer system are: