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2. Introduction to Computers

3. Just What Is a Computer? A computer can:
Accept input
Process data
Store data
Produce output
Utilize a series of stored instructions to direct the performance of these tasks
Use of stored instructions differentiates a computer from many other types of devices

4. What is Data?
Data is something that represents facts, ideas, symbols, characters, images, sounds, statistics or quantities regarding virtually anything
Examples of electronic data might be:
Text in a web page or Word document
Photographs stored on a CD
Music stored on your computer
A movie stored on a DVD
A list of your friend's birthdays stored in a file

5. Data is not necessarily Information
Data is frequently not useful in its raw form
A DVD has data but not in a form we can use
A list of dates is data but lack meaning and context
Information is data that has meaning because it has been translated or given context
A movie shown on your TV is information
DVD player & TV convert data to a form we can use
A list of dates with the heading “My Friend’s Birthdays” is information
The heading provides meaning to the data

6. many Devices Accept Input
Calculator (numbers and operations)
Car (speed and direction)
Thermostat (temperature)
Elevator (button "calls" to a floor)
DVD player (audio and video signals from DVD)

7. Sources of Computer Input
A computer typically accepts input from:
Keyboard (text input)
Mouse (move pointer, click to select)
Touch screen (if equipped with one)
A computer can also accept input from:
Microphone (sound)
Digital camera (pictures, images)
Scanner (pictures, images)
CD or DVD (programs, data, music, movies)
The Internet (any sort of data)

8. Many devices Process data
A car processes input from the steering wheel
A thermostat reacts to changes in temperature
A DVD player reads and processes data on a disk
Most “processing” is of a mechanical sort
Most devices process input in one particular way
Inherent in design and very difficult to change
What would it take to change your car’s steering mechanism to a joy stick type of approach?

9. Computers process electronic data
Computers process data electronically in a central processing unit or CPU
Instructions that determine how data should be processed are contained in a stored program
The CPU simply executes the instructions found in the stored program
Want to change how your data is processed?
Just change the instructions in the stored program
The stored program concept makes computers very flexible devices that can be adapted to many tasks

10. versatility of stored instructions
Computers perform a wide variety of tasks
Research a topic on the internet (web browsing)
Organize findings into a paper (word processing)
Listen to music (media player)
Discuss findings with a friend (instant messenger)
Very different tasks performed by the same device
Each task utilizes a different stored program
Device reacts very differently for different programs
Stored program concept makes computers unique

11. Is the CPU the “brain” of a computer?
CPU executes instructions found in a program
Consider someone trying to complete a task
What if they needed written instructions to complete any sort of task?
What if they still needed those instructions even though they’d done that same task 100 times?
Would you consider them “smart”?
Where are the real “brains” of a computer?

12. Computers produce output
Output must be information, not just data
Therefore, output must be in a form we can use
What devices format data in a way we can use?
Monitor or touch screen
Printer
Speakers

13. Computers store data Computers store vast quantities of data
Most other devices store little or no data
Computers use 2 different means to store data
Memory used to temporarily store data and instructions currently being processed
Workspace for current tasks, like your desktop
Data in memory is lost if no power
Storage retains data on a semi-permanent basis
Large amount of data for long-term, like your file cabinet
Data in storage retained, even without power

14. What devices qualify as computers?
Your car?
A calculator?
Your cell phone?
A thermostat?
A DVD player?
An XBox game system?

15. Types of computers
Personal computers are designed for 1 user at a time and include:
Desktop
Designed to mostly stay in one place
Notebook
Designed to be a mobile device
Tablet
Mobile device allowing user to write or type on the screen
Lacks a physical keyboard, touch screen used instead

16. Types of computers Personal electronic devices are computers too:
MP3 player – play music and videos
PDA – personal digital assistant
Send and receive
To do lists, contacts, expenses
Browse the world wide web
A smart phone combines a PDA, MP3 player, cell phone, & camera all in one device
Ongoing trend is to combine different types of electronic devices

17. Types of computers Mainframe computer
A computer designed for many users with the ability to serve a large number of dumb terminals
A dumb terminal is an input/output device consisting of a display, keyboard, and possibly a mouse, but no processor or storage devices

18. Types of computers Supercomputer Used to:
Incredibly fast
Solves highly complex problems involving thousands of variables
Used to:
model weather systems, especially hurricanes
Code-breaking
Complex simulations such as nuclear explosions
Supercomputers typically combine the power of thousands of processors and storage devices

19. Personal computer components
A personal computer nearly always consists of:
System unit
Central processing unit (CPU)
Display device (monitor or touch screen)
Keyboard (tablet has touch screen based keyboard)
Pointing device (mouse, touchpad, or touch screen)
Main storage device (hard drive or solid state)
CD/DVD drive (desktop & most laptop computers)
Network port or WiFi connection for Internet
Speakers for sound

20. Personal computer components
You can also add peripheral devices such as:
CD/DVD drive if not included with computer
Tablets don’t usually include one
Some laptops exclude to save size and weight
Printer – a requirement for many
Scanner – input device to digitize images
Often found in multi-function print devices
Digital camera
Joystick – used in many computer games

21. A computer needs software
Hardware consists of physical components
If you can touch it, it’s hardware
Software is the stored instructions or programs your computer relies on to tell it what to do
Two main types of software:
System software - controls all the activities and functions of the computer
Application software – performs a specific task needed by a user

22. Think of it in terms of a house
A house has many electrical devices people use such as lights and televisions (applications)
These devices use the electrical system supplied by the builder (system software)
People use the shower (application)
The shower needs the plumbing system (system software) to supply water
People use the plumbing and electrical systems indirectly when they use certain devices
In computers, system software provides commonly needed services to application software

23. Compatibility between computers
Relies on two factors that determine platform:
Processor
Operating system – the primary component of system software
Application software is always for a given platform
Windows apps won’t run on a Linux OS and vice-versa
Mac apps won’t run on a Windows OS and vice-versa
Windows applications won’t run on a mainframe
Both processor and OS are different in that case