1、Basic Computer Understanding and Skills,Instructor: Doug Bloodworth Email: ,Basic Computer Understanding,Section 1: What is a computer? Section 2: Different Types Section 3: Different Operating Systems Section 4: Different Brands Section 5: Basic Components Section 6: How to Buy a computer Section 7
2、: How a computer boots up Section 8: Different States of a computer Section 9: I bought a computer, now what?,Understanding - What is a computer?,Computers are machines that perform tasks or calculations according to a set of instructions, or programs. The first fully electronic computers, introduce
3、d in the 1940s, were huge machines that required teams of people to operate. Compared to those early machines, todays computers are amazing. Not only are they thousands of times faster, they can fit on your desk, on your lap, or even in your pocket,Understanding What is a computer?,Computers work th
4、rough an interaction of hardware and software. Hardware refers to the parts of a computer that you can see and touch, including the case and everything inside it. The most important piece of hardware is a tiny rectangular chip inside your computer called the central processing unit (CPU), or micropr
5、ocessor. Its the “brain“ of your computerthe part that translates instructions and performs calculations. Hardware items such as your monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and other components are often called hardware devices, or devices.,Understanding What is a computer?,The computer processes input
6、through input devices like mouse and keyboard. The computer displays output through output devices like color monitor and printer. Computers have become indispensable in todays world. Millions of people use computers all over the world. There are several uses of computers:,Understanding What is a co
7、mputer?,Word Processing - Word Processing software automatically corrects spelling and grammar mistakes. If the content of a document repeats you dont have to type it each time. You can use the copy and paste features. You can printout documents and make several copies. It is easier to read a word-p
8、rocessed document than a handwritten one. You can add images to your document. Internet - It is a network of almost all the computers in the world. You can browse through much more information than you could do in a library. That is because computers can store enormous amounts of information. You al
9、so have very fast and convenient access to information. Through E-Mail you can communicate with a person sitting thousands of miles away in seconds. There is chat software that enables one to chat with another person on a real-time basis. Video conferencing tools are becoming readily available to th
10、e common man. Digital video or audio composition Audio or video composition and editing have been made much easier by computers. It no longer costs thousands of dollars of equipment to compose music or make a film. Graphics engineers can use computers to generate short or full-length films or even t
11、o create three-dimensional models. Anybody owning a computer can now enter the field of media production. Special effects in science fiction and action movies are created using computers. Desktop publishing - With desktop publishing, you can create page layouts for entire books on your personal comp
12、uter. Computers in Medicine - You can diagnose diseases. You can learn the cures. Software is used in magnetic resonance imaging to examine the internal organs of the human body. Software is used for performing surgery. Computers are used to store patient data. Mathematical Calculations - Thanks to
13、computers, which have computing speeds of over a million calculations per second we can perform the biggest of mathematical calculations. Banks - All financial transactions are done by computer software. They provide security, speed and convenience.,Understanding What is a computer?,Travel - One can
14、 book air tickets or railway tickets and make hotel reservations online. Telecommunications - Software is widely used here. Also all mobile phones have software embedded in them. Defense - There is software embedded in almost every weapon. Software is used for controlling the flight and targeting in
15、 ballistic missiles. Software is used to control access to atomic bombs. E-Learning Instead of a book it is easier to learn from an E-learning software. Gambling-You can gamble online instead of going to a casino. Examinations-You can give online exams and get instant results. You can check your exa
16、mination results online. Computers in Business - Shops and supermarkets use software, which calculate the bills. Taxes can be calculated and paid online. Accounting is done using computers. One can predict future trends of business using artificial intelligence software. Software is used in major st
17、ock markets. One can do trading online. There are fully automated factories running on software. Certificates - Different types of certificates can be generated. It is very easy to create and change layouts. ATM machines - The computer software authenticates the user and dispenses cash. Marriage - T
18、here are matrimonial sites through which one can search for a suitable groom or bride.,Understanding What is a computer?,News-There are many websites through which you can read the latest or old news. Classmates-There are many alumni websites through which you can regain contact with your classmates
19、. Robotics - Robots are controlled by software. Washing Machines - They operate using software. Microwave Oven - They are operated by software. Planning and Scheduling - Software can be used to store contact information, generating plans, scheduling appointments and deadlines. Greeting Cards - You c
20、an send and receive greetings pertaining to different occasions. Sports Software is used for making umpiring decisions. There are simulation software using which a sportsperson can practice his skills. Computers are also to identify flaws in technique. Aero-planes Pilots train on software, which sim
21、ulates flying. Weather analysis Supercomputers are used to analyze and predict weather.,Understanding - Different Types,Different types of Computers Based on the operational principle of computers, they are categorized as analog computers and hybrid computers.Analog Computers: These are almost extin
22、ct today. These are different from a digital computer because an analog computer can perform several mathematical operations simultaneously. It uses continuous variables for mathematical operations and utilizes mechanical or electrical energy.http:/ Computers: These computers are a combination of bo
23、th digital and analog computers. In this type of computers, the digital segments perform process control by conversion of analog signals to digital ones.,Understanding - Different Types,Hybrid Computers Examples: bomb site on a WW2 bomber. Instead of using ones and zeros, it had a series of continuo
24、us gears into which factors the airplanes speed and altitude that could be used to factor the exact time to drop the bombs. the computer used in hospitals to measure the heartbeat of the patient. Hybrid Machines are generally used in scientific applications or in controlling industrial processes,Und
25、erstanding - Different Types,Following are some of the other important types of computers.Mainframe Computers: Large organizations use mainframes for highly critical applications such as bulk data processing and ERP. Most of the mainframe computers have the capacities to host multiple operating syst
26、ems and operate as a number of virtual machines and can thus substitute for several small servers.Microcomputers: A computer with a microprocessor and its central processing unit is known as a microcomputer. They do not occupy space as much as mainframes. When supplemented with a keyboard and a mous
27、e, microcomputers can be called as personal computers. A monitor, a keyboard and other similar input output devices, computer memory in the form of RAM and a power supply unit come packaged in a microcomputer. These computers can fit on desks or tables and serve as the best choices for single-user t
28、asks.,Understanding - Different Types,Personal computers come in a variety of forms such as desktops, laptops and personal digital assistants. Let us look at each of these types of computers. Desktops: A desktop is intended to be used on a single location. The spare parts of a desktop computer are r
29、eadily available at relative lower costs. Power consumption is not as critical as that in laptops. Desktops are widely popular for daily use in workplaces and households. Laptops: Similar in operation to desktops, laptop computers are miniaturized and optimized for mobile use. Laptops run on a singl
30、e battery or an external adapter that charges the computer batteries. They are enabled with an inbuilt keyboard, touch pad acting as a mouse and a liquid crystal display. Its portability and capacity to operate on battery power have served as a boon for mobile users.,Understanding - Different Types,
31、Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs): It is a handheld computer and popularly known as a palmtop. It has a touch screen and a memory card for storage of data. PDAs can also be effectively used as portable audio players, web browsers and smart phones. Most of them can access the Internet by means of Bl
32、uetooth or Wi-Fi communication.Minicomputers: In terms of size and processing capacity, minicomputers lie in between mainframes and microcomputers. Minicomputers are also called mid-range systems or workstations. The term began to be popularly used in the 1960s to refer to relatively smaller third g
33、eneration computers. They took up the space that would be needed for a refrigerator or two and used transistor and core memory technologies. The 12-bit PDP-8 minicomputer of the Digital Equipment Corporation was the first successful minicomputer.,Understanding - Different Types,Supercomputers: The h
34、ighly calculation-intensive tasks can be effectively performed by means of supercomputers. Quantum physics, mechanics, weather forecasting, molecular theory are best studied by means of supercomputers. Their ability of parallel processing and their well-designed memory hierarchy give the supercomput
35、ers, large transaction processing powers.Wearable Computers: A record-setting step in the evolution of computers was the creation of wearable computers. These computers can be worn on the body and are often used in the study of behavior modeling and human health. Military and health professionals ha
36、ve incorporated wearable computers into their daily routine, as a part of such studies. When the users hands and sensory organs are engaged in other activities, wearable computers are of great help in tracking human actions. Wearable computers are consistently in operation as they do not have to be
37、turned on and off and are constantly interacting with the user.,What Computer type am I?,What Computer type am I?,What Computer type am I?,What Computer type am I?,What Computer type am I?,What Computer type am I?,What Computer type am I?,What Computer type am I?,What Computer type am I?,What Comput
38、er type am I?,What Computer type am I?,Understanding - Different Operating Systems,Operating System or OS - is software, consisting of programs and data, that runs on computers, manages computer hardware resources, and provides common services for execution of various application software. The opera
39、ting system is the most important type of system software in a computer system. Without an operating system, a user cannot run an application program on their computer, unless the application program is self booting.,Understanding - Different Operating Systems,An OS has brand Name Each Brand has dif
40、ferent versions of OS Can anyone name a brand name of an OS?,Understanding - Different Operating Systems,Common Brands. Windows or Mac Others: UNIX / Linux, Google Chrome OS, Novel Before Windows, Microsoft used Dos. Dos was a non- GUI OS (Graphical User Interface) Window versions: Windows CE, Windo
41、ws 3.x, Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows 98 SE, Windows ME, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 7,Understanding - Different Operating Systems,Mac versions: Apple DOS 3.1, Apple System 1-7, Mac OS 8, Mac OS 9, Mac OS 10, Mac OS X Unix/Linux got its start in 1957- Bell Labs fou
42、nd they needed an operating system for their computer center that at the time was running various batch jobs. The BESYS operating system was created at Bell Labs to deal with these needs.,Understanding - Different Operating Systems,Unix/Linux has many variations or brands that have evolved since the
43、n Brands: BSD, FreeBSD, SCO/Caldera, Red Hat, Solaris, Linux Linux was not started until 1991, but it is the most noted UNIX OS,Understanding - Different Operating Systems,Todays computers are: Multi-user - A multi-user operating system allows for multiple users to use the same computer at the same
44、time and different times. Multiprocessing - An operating system capable of supporting and utilizing more than one computer processor.Multitasking - An operating system that is capable of allowing multiple software processes to run at the same time.Multithreading - Operating systems that allow differ
45、ent parts of a software program to run concurrently.,Understanding - Different Operating Systems,Operating System or OS - is software, consisting of programs and data, that runs on computers, manages computer hardware resources, and provides common services for execution of various application softw
46、are. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system. Without an operating system, a user cannot run an application program on their computer, unless the application program is self booting.,Understanding - Different Operating Systems,Operating System or OS -
47、is software, consisting of programs and data, that runs on computers, manages computer hardware resources, and provides common services for execution of various application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system. Without an operating system,
48、 a user cannot run an application program on their computer, unless the application program is self booting.,Understanding - Different Operating Systems,Operating System or OS - is software, consisting of programs and data, that runs on computers, manages computer hardware resources, and provides co
49、mmon services for execution of various application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system. Without an operating system, a user cannot run an application program on their computer, unless the application program is self booting.,Understanding
50、 - Different Operating Systems,Operating System or OS - is software, consisting of programs and data, that runs on computers, manages computer hardware resources, and provides common services for execution of various application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system. Without an operating system, a user cannot run an application program on their computer, unless the application program is self booting.,
