Computer

• Components of a computer:

  • A computer is an electronic device that can accept data, process it according to specified rules, produce results, and store the results for future use
• Advantages of using computers:

  • Speed: data, instructions, and information travel at incredibly fast speeds
  • Reliability: modern computers rarely break or fail
  • Consistency: computers produce the same results consistently
  • Storage: computers store enormous amounts of data and make it available for processing
  • Communications: computers allow users to communicate with each other
• Disadvantages of using computers:

  • Violation of privacy: personal and confidential records stored on computers can lead to privacy violations and identity theft
  • Public safety: sharing personal information online can lead to crimes committed by dangerous strangers
  • Impact on labor force: some jobs have been replaced by computers, leading to the need for workers to keep their education up-to-date
  • Health risks: prolonged computer use can lead to health injuries or disorders
• • Impact on environment: computer manufacturing processes and waste deplete natural resources and pollute the environment
• Types of computer hardware components:

  • Input devices: keyboard, mouse, microphone, scanner, webcam
  • Output devices: printer, monitor, speakers
  • System unit: contains electronic components used to process data
  • Storage devices: USB flash drives, hard disks, optical discs, memory cards
  • Communications devices: enable computers to send and receive data to and from other devices
• Uses of the Internet and World Wide Web:

  • The Internet connects millions of businesses, government agencies, educational institutions, and individuals
  • People use the Internet for communication, research, shopping, banking, entertainment, sharing information, downloading music and videos, and accessing web applications
• Podcasts are a popular way people verbally share information on the Web
• A microblog, such as Twitter, allows users to publish short messages, usually between 100 and 200 characters, for others to read
• A podcast is recorded audio stored on a Web site that can be downloaded to a computer or a portable media player such as an iPod
• A Web application is a Web site that allows users to access and interact with software from any computer or device connected to the Internet
• Web sites such as social networking Web sites, blogs, and Web applications are categorized as Web 2.0 sites
• Software, also called a program, is a series of related instructions organized for a common purpose that tells the computer what task(s) to perform and how to perform them
• The two categories of software are system software and application software
• System software consists of the programs that control or maintain the operations of the computer and its devices
• An operating system is a set of programs that coordinates all the activities among computer hardware devices
• A utility program allows a user to perform maintenance-type tasks usually related to managing a computer, its devices, or its programs
• Application software consists of programs designed to make users more productive and/or assist them with personal tasks
• Popular types of application software include word processing software, spreadsheet software, database software, and presentation software
• Personal computers can perform all of their input, processing, output, and storage activities by themselves
• Two popular architectures of personal computers are the PC and the Apple
• Desktop computers are designed so that the system unit, input devices, output devices, and any other devices fit entirely on or under a desk or table
• A notebook computer, also called a laptop computer, is a portable, personal computer often designed to fit on your lap
• Tablet PCs are a special type of notebook computer you can interact with by touching the screen with your finger or a digital pen
• Mobile devices, which are small enough to carry in a pocket, usually store programs and data permanently on memory inside the system unit or on small storage media such as memory cards
• A game console is a mobile computing device designed for single-player or multiplayer video games
• A server controls access to the hardware, software, and other resources on a network and provides a centralized storage area for programs, data, and information
• A mainframe is a large, expensive, powerful computer that can handle hundreds or thousands of connected users simultaneously
• A supercomputer is the fastest, most powerful computer and the most expensive
• An embedded computer is a special-purpose computer that functions as a component in a larger product
• The computer has changed society today as much as the industrial revolution changed society in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries
• Computers are everywhere: at work, at school, and at home. Mobile devices, such as many cell phones, often are classified as computers.
• Computers are a primary means of local and global communication for billions of people.
• In the workplace, employees use computers to create correspondence such as e-mail messages, memos, and letters; manage calendars; calculate payroll; track inventory; and generate invoices.
• Computer literacy


  Having a current knowledge and understanding of computers and their uses
• Computer


  An electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory, that can accept data, process the data according to specified rules, produce results, and store the results for future use
• Information Processing Cycle


  1. Input

  2. Process

  3. Output

  4. Storage
• Computer hardware components


  • Input devices
  • Output devices
  • System unit
  • Storage devices
  • Communications devices
• System unit


  A case that contains electronic components of the computer that are used to process data
• Memory


  Electronic components that store instructions waiting to be executed and data needed by those instructions
• Storage media


  • USB flash drives
  • Hard disks
  • Optical discs
  • Memory cards