C OMPUTER B ASICS

C OMPUTER A computer is an electronic device used to process data, converting the data into information that is useful to people A computer consists of 4 main parts 1. Hardware 2. Software 3. Users 4. Data

H ARDWARE Hardware - The mechanical, magnetic, electronic, and electrical components making up a computer system Anything you can touch

Hardware

C OMPUTER H ARDWARE Central Processing Unit (CPU) Hard Drive Motherboard Sound Card and Video Card Memory Card Power Supply Computer Case Monitor Keyboard & Mouse Disk Drive, Zip Drive, CD-ROM, DVD, Speakers Printer

C ENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU) The CPU contain the brains of the computer. They can be desktop models that the monitor sits on top of, or tower models that stand up tall.

H ARD D ISK D RIVE The Hard Disk Drive is a magnetic storage device. All the computer programs and files you create and save are located there. This is permanent storage (at least until you uninstall software or delete a file). The hard drive is normally signified by the drive letter “C”. Today’s hard drives can store a HUGE amount of information. A new computer might have a hard drive that will hold 250 GB’s!

Inside the Hard Disk Drive case you’ll find circular disks that are made of steel. On the disks, there are many tracks, or cylinders. An electronic reading device called the head passes back and forth over the cylinders, reading information from the disk or writing to it. H ARD D ISK D RIVE

Hard Disk Drives can spin at 7200 or more rpm’s (Revolutions Per Minute). That means in one minute, the hard drive spins around more than 7200 times! H ARD D ISK D RIVE

T HE M OTHERBOARD

Your computer couldn’t work without the motherboard. It ties everything together! It allows every part of your computer to receive power and communicate with each other. Everything that runs the computer or enhances it’s performance is either part of the motherboard or plugs into one of it’s expansion slots or ports. T HE M OTHERBOARD

S OUND AND V IDEO C ARDS Sound and Video Cards are Output Devices. They contain special circuits that allow your computer to play sounds and display graphics on your monitor.

M EMORY C ARD RAM cards will remember what you tell them and can even change to remember new information. But, when the computer is turned off, it forgets everything you did! That’s why you always save your work! ROM is good at remembering, but cannot change it’s mind. It holds the information that was built into it! Remember RAM (Random Access Memory) and ROM (Read-Only Memory)

P OWER S UPPLY If there is any one component that is absolutely vital to the operation of a computer, it is the power supply! Without it, a computer is just a box full of plastic and metal.

You can see the power supply from the back of your computer because of the power cord and the cooling fan. Computers put out a LOT of heat and need the fan to keep them from overheating. P OWER S UPPLY

S TORAGE D EVICES Storage devices are both input and output devices in one. A storage device is a place to keep data that has been processed so that it can be retrieved at a later time to be used again. Hard Disk Floppy Disk CD’s, DVD’s Flash Memory, Jump Drive

F LOPPY DISK A flexible removable magnetic disk, typically encased in hard plastic, used for storing data.

CD/DVD A small plastic disc on which music or other digital information is stored, and from which the information can be read

F LASH DRIVE ( JUMP DRIVE, THUMB DRIVE ) A small electronic device containing flash memory that is used for storing data or transferring it to or from a computer

E XTERNAL HARD DRIVE An external hard disk drive is a type of hard disk drive which is connected to a computer by a USB

I’ VE HEARD THOSE WORDS, BUT WHAT ’ S A B YTE ?? All the information that moves through your computer is based on 2 commands. That’s all, just two. The two commands are ON and OFF. They are symbolized by 1’s and 0’s.

That’s right! The only information your computer can understand is ON (1) and OFF (0)! The millions of combinations of those two commands given in series are what makes your computer work.

B YTES, K ILOBYTES, M EGABYTES AND G IGABYTES Byte 8 Bits=1 byte KB Kilobyte=1,000 bytes MB Megabyte=1,000,000 (1 million) bytes GB Gigabyte=1,000,000,000 (1 billion) bytes TB Terabyte=1,000,000,000,000 (1 trillion) bytes

S TORAGE DEVICES DeviceAmount of Storage Floppy Disc1.4 MB CD670 MB – 4 GB DVD9 GB – 20 GB Flash Drive200 MB – 250 GB External Hard Drive100 GB – 4 TB Byte 8 Bits=1 byte KB Kilobyte=1,000 bytes MB Megabyte=1,000,000 (1 million) bytes GB Gigabyte=1,000,000,000 (1 billion) bytes TB Terabyte=1,000,000,000,000 (1 trillion) bytes

To get an idea of how much data a computer can store, imagine pressing any key 1 billion times. How long would it take?

You would have to press a key 5 times a second non-stop for over 6 YEARS to reach 1 billion keystrokes. One billion keystrokes equals just 1 GB of memory! Think about that the next time you think a webpage is loading too slowly!

H ARDWARE There are three types/categories of hardware 1. Input Devices 2. Output Devices 3. Storage Devices

I NPUT D EVICES Input basically means getting data into the computer to be processed. Keyboard, Mouse, Trackball, Touch Pad Light Pen, Laser Scanner, Pointing Stick Touch Screen, Bar Code Reader, Scanner Microphone, Joystick

O UTPUT D EVICES Output basically means getting data out of the computer. Monitor Printer Speakers Headphones Modem Fax

S OFTWARE Software is the programs and applications that tell the computer what to do and how to look. Computer programmers write the codes/instructions that make-up software applications/programs. HTML is a type of computer programming language that allows programmers to make web pages. The next 2 slides show what HTML codes look like and the web page the codes produce.

T WO T YPES OF S OFTWARE Application Software Operating System Software

O PERATING S YSTEM S OFTWARE Directs all the activities and sets all the rules for how the hardware and software will work together. Examples would be: DOS, Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, XP, 7 Unix, Linux, MAC system OS 6,7,8,9,10

C OMMAND L INE O PERATING S YSTEMS DOS is an example of a command line operating system. On the next slide, Notice that there are no: Icons (pictures) Colors Mouse Pointer Buttons You have to memorize commands in order to use this text based operating system.

O PERATING S YSTEMS : GUI GUI stands for Graphical User Interface Uses pictures (icons) to represent files, folders, disk drives, modems, printers, etc. GUI’s were created to make using a computer easier, more interesting, non-threatening to inexperienced users. A mouse allows users to point at something and click to make it work. With command line you have to have all of the commands to make your programs work. Here is an example of a GUI

A PPLICATION S OFTWARE Programs that work with operating system software to help the computer to do specific types of work. There are six basic types of application software...

A PPLICATION S OFTWARE 1.Business software: word processors, spreadsheets, and database programs. 2.Communication software: allows computers to communicate with other computers: , wireless software 3.Graphics software: software that allows users to create and manipulate graphics...Photoshop, Print Shop, etc.

A PPLICATION S OFTWARE 4.Education and Reference software: Programs that help teach new material and ideas, and programs that can be used to find information... Worldbook Encyclopedia, Jumpstart Kindergarten, MicroType. 5.Entertainment and Leisure software...Warcraft, Age of Empires, Barbie Design Center, Mrs. Pacman, Solitaire 6.Integrated software: Combines several types of software into one program or package...Quicken (Spreadsheet/data base/communications/reference) or Print Shop (Graphics/Word processor).

S OFTWARE

T YPES OF C OMPUTERS There are 4 main types of computers. 1. Supercomputers...are used to process very large amounts of information including processing information to predict hurricanes, satellite images and navigation, and process military war scenarios. 2. Mainframes...are used by government and businesses to process very large amounts of information. 3. Mini-Computers...are similar to mainframes...they are used by business and government to process large amounts of information. 4. Personal Computers (PC)…

T YPES OF C OMPUTERS Personal Computers (Continued) Personal Computers...also known as PC’s...are smaller and less powerful than the others. They are used in homes, schools, and small businesses.

T YPES OF P ERSONAL C OMPUTERS There are 3 main types of PCs Desktop Portable (Notebook/Laptop) When portable (notebook/laptop) computers were first created they were HUGE. They weighed around 100 lbs., and were carried in a large luggage suitcase. The creators of the portable (notebook/laptop) computer dreamed that one day it would be the size a notebook or pocket dictionary. With today’s technology, we have been able to accomplish this goal and more.. Hand-Held