COMPUTER APPLICATIO

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Mrs.Marti

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Introduction to Computers

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WHAT IS A COMPUTER?An electronic, programmable device that:

Accepts data in the form of Input

Manipulates that data by Processing

Produces results in the form of Output Stores for future use through Storage

devices

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Four basic operations:1. Input2. Processing3. Output4. Storage

INFORMATION PROCESSING CYCLE

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DATA VS. INFORMATION

Computers perform operations comprising the information

processing cycle to manipulate data into information and store for future

use.

Data is a collection of facts, or unprocessed items.

Information is the portion of those facts that conveys meaning and is useful to the user.Slide

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HARDWARE VS. SOFTWARE

Hardware-the physical components that make up a computer system. Six primary components include:

Software-detailed set of instructions that tells a computer exactly what to do. {aka Computer Program}Booting is the process that loads the operating

system into RAM (Random Access Memory).

Input Devices Output DevicesProcessor Storage devicesMemory Communication

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INPUT DEVICESAllow you to enter data, programs, commands, and

user responses into a computer.

Keyboard-contains keys you press to enter data. Mouse-pointing device that controls the pointer. Microphone-a device that converts sound waves

into electrical energy to be broadcast, recorded or amplified.

Scanner-light-sensing device that reads printed text and graphics and translates the results into digital form.

 Digital Camera-records photographic images, sound and/or video in digital form.Slide

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INPUT DEVICES CONT’D

Graphics/Digitizing Tablet-uses a stylus to sketch drawings or images on surface.

Stylus-resembling a pen, uses pressure to input data.

Touchpad-controls pointer movements by sliding your fingertip on the pad.

Touch Screens –LCD display capable of sensing multiple points of contact. 

Game Controllers-consist of game pads, joysticks, gloves, steering wheels, trackballs, etc. Slide

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SYSTEM UNITCase that contains electronic components of the

computer used to process data. The Motherboard is the main circuit board and

includes the processor, memory and expansion slots.

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SYSTEM UNIT-BREAKDOWN Processor, aka Central Processing Unit

(CPU)-is the brain of the computer that interprets and executes the instructions that operate a computer. Control Unit-interprets the instructions Arithmetic/Logic Unit-performs the logical and

arithmetic processes.

Memory, aka Random Access Memory(RAM)- consists of the electronic components that temporarily store instructions waiting to be executed by the processor.

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The amount of memory in computers is measured in bytes.

Terabyte (TB)- one trillion memory locations

Gigabyte (GB)-one billion memory locations

Megabyte (MB)-one million memory locations

Kilobyte (K)-one thousand memory locations

Byte-one memory location

DATA HIERARCHY

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OUTPUT DEVICESMake information resulting from processing

available for use.

Printers-produce a hard copy also called a printout and classified as either Impact or Nonimpact.

Monitors-produce a soft copy that visually conveys text, graphics, and video information.

Speakers-converts electrical signals into sounds loud enough to be heard at a distance.

Projectors-an optical instrument that projects an enlarged image onto a screen.

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IMPACTOUTPUT DEVICES-PRINTERS Impact Printers-print by striking an

inked ribbon against the paper. Dot-Matrix Printer-produces printed

images when tiny pins strikean inked ribbon on continuous form paper.

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Nonimpact Printers-form characters by means other than striking a ribbon against paper.

Ink-jet Printers (DeskJet or Photo Printers)-produce images by using a nozzle that sprays tiny drops of ink onto a page.

Laser Printers-high-speed, highest- quality printers that form images to be printed from a beam of light focused on a photoconductor drum similar to a copying machine.

NONIMPACTOUTPUT DEVICES-PRINTERS

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OUTPUT DEVICES-MONITORSMonitors are composed of individual picture

elements called Pixels that form parts of a character or graphic shape on the screen.

Flat Panel Monitors-take up much less desk space. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)-Monitors use

a liquid display crystal, similar to a digital watch, to produce images on the screen.

Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)-display graphics through technology used in most televisions.

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STORAGE DEVICESUsed to store instructions, data, and information when they are not being

used in memory.

Four basic types of storage media include:Magnetic DisksOptical DiscsTapeMiniature Mobile Storage Media

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Use magnetic particles to store items such as data, instructions, and information on a disk’s surface.

Hard Disk-contains one or more inflexible, circular platters that magnetically store data, instructions, and information.

Floppy Disks (Diskette)-inexpensive portable storage medium. 3.5” only stores 1.44 MB

STORAGE DEVICES-MAGNETIC DISKS

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FORMATTING A DISKProcess of preparing a disk to be read from or written on by dividing the disk into tracks and

sectors. Track-a narrow recording

band that forms a full circle on the surface of a disk.

Sector-pie-shaped storage section, which breaks the tracks into small arcs storing up to 512 bytes of data.Slide

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STORAGE DEVICES-OPTICAL DISCS Flat, round, portable storage medium that reads and records data using laser technology.

CD-ROM & DVD-ROM (Read-Only Memory)-can read but not write on (record) or erase.

CD-R & DVD-R (Recordable)-record on each part only one time but cannot erase.

CD-RW & DVD-RW (Rewritable)-erasable optical discs you can write on multiple times.

DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs) are the highest capacity optical discs capable of storing 4.7-17

GB.Slide

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OPTICAL DISC FORMATS

Optical Disc Read Write

Erase

CD-ROM CD-R CD-RW DVD-ROM DVD-R DVD-RW

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STORAGE DEVICES-TAPEMagnetically coated ribbon of plastic housed in a tape cartridge capable of

storing large amounts of data at a low cost. Primarily used for long-term storage and

Backup.

A Backup is a duplicateof a file, program, or disk that you can use incase the original is lost,damaged, or destroyed.

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STORAGE DEVICES-MINIATURE MOBILE STORAGE DEVICES

Flash Memory Cards-solid-state media that consist entirely of electronics and contain no moving parts.USB Flash Drive-flash memory storage device that plugs into a USB port on a computer or mobile device.Smart Card-stores data on a thin microprocessor embedded in the card.

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