“Introduction

To the world of Computers “

 “ We live in the age of computers”
People today use computers to
pay bills
 shop
Manage investments
Communicate with others
Prepare taxes
Play games
Research products
Download and listen to music
Make travel arrangements
Check current news and weather
People today use computers to
Look up phone numbers
 view maps of locations
Modify and print digital photos
Perform other imp. Daily tasks etc.,
 Businesses, schools, Govt. and other
organizations use computers and related
technologies to facilitate

day-to-day transactions
Provide better services to customers
Assist managers in making good decisions
Computers and other forms of technology impact
our lives daily.

We encounter computers
 in stores
Restaurants
And other retail establishments
……
We use computers and internet regularly
 to obtain information
Experience online entertainment
Buy products and services
Communicate with others

It is becoming common to use computers to pay

for your purchases
Play online games with others
Watch news, tv and movies
How businesses are using computers ?
Businesses use computers

to keep track of
 financial transactions
 Inventories
 Sales
 Control robots and other machines in factories
 …….

to provide business executives with the

up-to-date information they need to
make decisions.
How Governments are using computers ?
(classwork)
Why learn about computers ?
50 years ago,
Computers were primarily used by
researchersand scientists .

Today,
Computers are an integral part of our lives.
Computers are found virtually everywhere
and computing technology is integrated
into scores of devices

to give those devices additional functions or

to enable them to communicate with each other
on an ongoing basis

.
Prior to about 1980,
Computers were large and expensive,
And few people had access to them

The average person did not need to know how to

use a computer for his/her job

And it was uncommon to have a computer

at home.

.
Furthermore, the use of computers generally
required a lot of technical knowledge.

.
Suddenly in the early 1980s,
Things began to change.

Micro-computers (inexpensive PCs) were

invented and computer use increased
dramatically.
Today, more than 60% of all US households have
PCs.
.
Whether you become
 a teacher
 Attorney
 Doctor
 Salesperson
 Professional athlete
 Musician
 Executive
or a skilled tradesperson
You will likely use a computer to obtain and
evaluate information.
Today’s computers are also taking on new roles,
Such as providing a means of entertainment
and facilitating the tasks we need to accomplish
in our day-to-day lives.
In fact, computers and the traditional devices
that we use every day such as –
Telephone
Television
Sterio and music player

Have begun to converge into single units with

multiple capabilities.
As a result of this convergence trend the PC has
moved beyond being a primarily a productivity
tool.

Today, it is also a personal entertainment and

communications hub that can be used to help
individuals obtain information from internet,
organize and access multimedia content,
communicate with others, and more.
Just as you can learn to drive a car without
knowing much about car engines,

you can learn lot to use a computer without

understanding the technical details of
how a computer works.
Computers in the workplace
Although computers have been used in the
workplace for years,
Their role is continually evolving.

Originally used as a research tool for computer

experts and scientists, and then as a
productivity tool office workers,
The computer today is used by all types of
employees and all types of businesses.
Computers in the workplace

Ex:
CEOs
Retail store clerks
Travelling salespersons
Police officers
Insurance adjusters
…
In essence, the computer has become a universal
tool for on-the-job decision making,
productivity and communications.

It is also used extensively for access control at

many organizations.
(via magnetic card/fingerprint/ or hand scan)
One of the fastest growing uses for workplace
Computing is in the service industry,
- To record and process customer orders
- Access needed information
- Capture customer signatures for purchases
- Deliveries
- ……
One of the fastest growing uses for workplace
Computing is in the service industry,
- To record and process customer orders
- Access needed information
- Capture customer signatures for purchases
- Deliveries
- ……
It is also becoming norm for individuals
To carry web-enabled mobile phones, handheld
computers or other portable devices with them on
a regular basis
 to regularly keep in touch with others
To obtain stock quotes
Driving directions
Airline flight updates
Movie times
News headlines
And other needed info while on the go.
On a day-to-day basis, many individuals
encounter kiosks (small computer based
station) such as ATM machines and ticketing
system.
an emerging payment option is the use of
m-commerce systems { payments done via
portable devices }
Individuals need to swipe their ID card through a
reader or passing a fingerprint check.

GPS capabilities built into cars, computers,

mobile phones and other devices are
increasingly being used by individuals to obtain
driving directions and other navigational aids
while travelling or hiking.
What is a computer ?
and what does it do ?

“ A computer can be defined as a programmable

electronic device that accepts data, performs
operations on that data, presents the results,
and stores the data or results as needed “
Being programmable the computer, a computer will do
whatever the instructions (called the program) – tell it
to do.

The 4 operations described in this definition are more

technically referred to as
- input { entering the data into the comp.}
- processing
{ performing operations on the data}
- output { presenting the results}
- storage
{ saving data, programs, or o/p for future use}
Ex : look at a supermarket barcode reader
input Grocery item is read by the
barcode reader
processing Description and price of the
item are looked up
output Item description and price are
displayed on cash register &
printed on the receipt
storage The inventory, ordering and
sales records are updated.
In addition to these 4 primary operations
computers also perfom ‘communications’
function.

such as, sending/retrieving data via internet

- updating information in a shared database
- exchanging e-mail messages
 Data Information

Any kind of fact or set of facts When data is processed into a meaningful
form it becomes information.

Ex: letters in a letter to a friend

numbers in a monthly buddget Ex: how many seats are available on a
a photograph particular flight ?
a song
Computers then and now >

The basic ideas of computing are very old, going

back thousands of years.

However, the computer in the form in which it is

recognized today is fairly recent invention.

In fact, PCs have only been around since the late

1970s.
Computers then and now >

The history of computers is often referred to in

terms of generations.

With each generation characterized by a major

technological development.
Hardware >

The physical parts of a computer (the parts one

can touch) are collectively referred to as
hardware.

Software >

The instructions or programs used with a

computer - called software
Hardware >

Hardware components can be internal (located

inside the main box/system unit) or
External (located outside the system unit).

External hardware components typically plug

into connectors called ports, located on the
exterior of the system unit.
 Hardware >
Input devices Keyboard, mouse, scanners, touch screens,
digital cameras, electronic pens, touch
pads, fingerprint readers, joy sticks and
microphones.
Processing devices CPU (is a computer chip located inside the
system unit),
Various types of memory – additional chips
located in the system unit that computer
uses to temporarily store data and
instructions while it is working with them
Output devices monitor, paper via printer,
speakers, headphones, projectors. o/p
devices can be connected via a wired or
wireless connection.
Storage devices Hard drive, Floppy disks, CD/DVD disks,
flash memory
Communications devices modems, network adapters
Software>

Software is usually purchased in a CD/DVD or

downloaded from the internet.
Once the program has been obtained, it needs to
be installed on a computer before it can be
used.

Computers use 2 types of software :

- System software
- application software
Programs that allow a computer to operate are
collectively referred to as System software .
The main system software is the operating
system (OS), which starts up the computer and
control it’s operation.
Common OS tasks: setting up the hardware,
allowing users to run other s/w,
allowing users to manage their documents
stored on their computers.
Without an O/S, a computer can not function.

Ex: Wiindows, Mac OS, Unix and Linux

Application software consists of programs
designed to allow people to perform specific
tasks or applications using a computer,
Such as
creating letter, preparing budgets,
managing inventory, playing games
editing digital photographs,
viewing web pages/movies,
playing/recording CDs,
exchanging e-mail.
There are also application programs that help
users write their own programs using a
programming language.

A programming language is a set of commands

written in a form that the computer system can
understand, once the the program is written
and prepared correctly.
ex: Basic, Pascal, COBOL, C, C++ and Java.
The people involved in preparing a computer
System include both the people who make the
computers work and those who use them.

Computer user/end users = people who use a

computer to obtain information.
Programmers = computer professionals whose
primary job is to write programs that
computers use.
Computers to fit every need >

The types of computers available today vary

widely from
- tiny computers embedded in consumer devices
and appliances
- pocket computers and mobile phones that do
limited no. of computing tasks,
- Powerful and versatile desktop computers and
portable PCs found in homes and businesses.
- Super powerful computers
Computers are classified in one of 6 categories
based on size, capability and price >
Embedded Computers Tiny computers embedded into
products to perform specific
functions/tasks for that product.

Mobile Devices Mobile phones and other

communication devices with
. computing or internet capabilities.

Personal Computers Conventional desktop, notebook, tablet

and handheld computers.

Midrange Servers Computers that host data and

programs available to a small group of
users.
Mainframe Computers Powerful computers used to host a
large amount of data and programs
available to a wide group of users.

Super Computers Extremely powerful computers used for

complex computations and Processing
For example,

some high-end PCs are as powerful as midrange

servers
and some PCs today are as small as web-
enabled mobile phones.
Embedded Computers >

Ex : computers embedded into household

appliances such as
washing machines, microwaves, coffee
machines, DVD players, T.Vs etc
Mobile devices >

Ex : Smart Phones, iPhone etc.

(web browsing, messaging, audio video

recording and playing, e-mail, and phone calls
capabilities)
Portable PCs >

Ex : Notebooks, Tablet PCs

Handheld Computers >

Ex : size of a pocket calculator,

have in built key board, or touch screen.

“ they can perform functions of a smartphone

as well as more general computing functions
(view and edit documents)
they are also referred as UMPCs (ultra mobile)
Mid range servers >

Is a medium sized computer used to host

programs and data for a small network.

More powerful and more expensive than a PC.

> Users connect to the server through as

network, using their laptops/PCs.
Mainframe computers >

They are Larger, more expensive, more powerful

Than midrange servers.
 Usually they operate 24hrs a day, serving 1000s PCs
connected to it.
 Large organizations such as big hospitals, universities,
banks, government departments are using mainframes.
 Typically located in a climate controlled data centers.
 Sometimes referred as high-end servers or enterprise
class servers
 Usually cost several lakhs of dollars each.
Super computers >
Some applications require extraordinary
- speed
- accuracy
- and processing capabilities
Ex: space/ missile/ satellite applications
scientific research, 3D medial scans
>> to reduce the cost several less-expensive mid
range servers are connected together to operate
as one super computer. (cluster acts as single
computer).
GRID Computing >

>> a growing trend of utilizing the unused

processing power of a large no. of computers
– typically PCs – connected through the
internet to work together on a single task, on
demand.

i.e, idle PCs processing power will be utilized.