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WHAT IS A COMPUTER?
• A computer is 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 (Shelly Cashman, 2011)
• A programmable electronic device for storing and processing data, making calculations, or performing control.
(Guidelines for the on-board use an application of computers)

Data is a collection of raw, unprocessed facts, including text, numbers, sound, images, and video.
A computer includes hardware and software. The actual machine—wires, transistors, and circuits—is called hardware.
Software consists of instructions, or programs, for controlling the computer so it performs tasks. To perform tasks, a computer
receives data through an input device such as a keyboard, processes the data, produces information on an output device
such as a monitor, and stores the information on a storage device. The input and output devices connected to the computer
such as keyboards and monitors are also types of hardware called peripherals. When data is processed into a meaningful
form, it becomes information.

Computer-based System - a system of one or more computers, associated software, peripherals and interfaces.
Integrated System - A combination of computer-based systems which are interconnected in order to allow centralized
access to sensor information and/or command/control.
Integrated systems may, for example, perform one or more of the following operations:
• passage execution (e.g. steering, speed control, traffic surveillance, voyage planning);
• communications (e.g. radiotelephone, radiotelex, GMDSS);
• machinery (e.g. power management, machinery monitoring, fuel oil/lubrication oil transfer);
• cargo (e.g. cargo monitoring, inert gas generation, loading/discharging);
• safety and security (e.g. fire detection, fire pump control, watertight doors).

Information Processing Cycle

Computers are designed to perform four basic functions - it accepts data (input), perform operations on the data according to
programmed instructions (process), produce and displays the result (output), and store the results for future use (storage).
The terms input, output, processing and storage are collectively known as the “information processing cycle”.

If you work as a clerk in a store, you might use a computer

to complete a sale for a customer as follows:
• Input data: As you scan an item with a barcode reader,
the computer records the name and code of the item.
• Process data: The computer uses software instructions
to process the data—the item name and code—by
looking up the price.
• Output information: The computer displays the
information—the name and price of the item—on a
screen, and then prints it on a receipt.
• Store data and information: The computer temporarily stores the item name and code as it looks up the price, and then
permanently stores information about the sale on a hard disk, which is hardware for storing data.

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Most computers today communicate with other computers such as sending or retrieving data via the internet, accessing
information located in a shared company database, or exchanging email messages. As a result, communications also is
becoming an essential element of the information processing cycle.

Computer Literacy
Innovations in computer technology have been rapid since the computer was introduced. To keep up with the pace
of change, you need to be computer literate, which means that you can use today’s computer hardware and software
efficiently to enhance your life and the lives of those around you. Besides having polished computer skills, being computer
literate also means that you understand a wide range of information about current computer technology and how it’s used to
solve problems. Not everyone has the opportunity to be computer literate, however. A digital divide is an economic gap
between those who are computer literate and enjoy access to computer technology and those who do not. The term can refer
to people divided from technology by geography, age, education, or socioeconomic status. Attaining computer literacy is
important because it can help you succeed in a career, keep in touch with people around the world, and participate as an
active, contributing member of contemporary society.

CATEGORIES OF COMPUTERS
Computers are generally classified in one of the six categories, based on size, capability and price – embedded computers,
mobile devices, personal computers, midrange servers, mainframe computers, and supercomputers.

Embedded Computer
An embedded computer is a processor built into a household appliance or other device such as an ATM, navigation
system, refrigerator, television, or other consumer electronics. The appeal and strength of an embedded computer are that it
adds computing power to a device without needing intervention from a user.
For example, a washing machine with an embedded computer can use power and water more efficiently than one
without an embedded computer. Cars use many embedded computers. Features such as sensing when your car moves out
of its lane or when a person or object is blocking your path as you back up are controlled by embedded computers.

Embedded computer in a car

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Mobile Computers/Mobile Devices
A Mobile Computer is a computer that you can carry from place to place.

Laptop Computer

A laptop computer (sometimes called a notebook) is a

lightweight mobile computer about the size of a paper notebook
that includes the system components, keyboard, pointing device,
and display screen in a single unit. Laptops use a battery as a
power source, though you can also plug them into a wall output to
recharge the battery and to power the computer. Many personal
computer users prefer laptops to desktop computers because
laptops are easy to carry and move, use less energy, and can fit
almost anywhere, including on a user’s lap. In addition, you can
use laptops without cables for power or peripheral devices, which reduces clutter. Laptops are especially popular
with students and mobile workers such as salespeople who can take their computers with them to classes, the
library, meetings, and other out-of-office activities.

Netbook computers (also called ultrabooks) look like laptops but are smaller (about
11 X 8.5 inches rather than 15 X 10 inches) and lighter (about 3 pounds rather than 5
pounds). Netbook computers have less power and storage capacity, lack a CD/DVD
drive, and provide a smaller keyboard and display screen than laptops, but include
batteries that hold a charge longer. Netbooks are suitable for mobile users who access
the Internet frequently or for long periods and don’t need to store a lot of data or
software on a hard drive.

If mobility is important to you and you use a computer to perform basic to advanced productivity tasks (those where
you produce a report or presentation, for example), you should choose a standard laptop as your computing device.

Tablet Computers
Tablet computer is a one-piece handheld computer that typically includes a touchscreen. Like laptops, tablets run
on battery power and can be plugged into a wall outlet as necessary. They can be either slate tablets (which are
just one-piece computer with just a screen on top and no keyboard) or convertible tablets (which use a hybrid
design that includes a swivel screen or removable keyboard so you can use the computer as a laptop or tablet)

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Smartphones
Smartphone is a cell phone that includes many features of a computer, allowing it to run general-purpose computing
applications. Smartphones connect wirelessly to the Internet; include built-in cameras, music players, and global
positioning systems (GPSs); and let you send and receive phone calls, e-mail messages, and text messages.
Many smartphones have touchscreens, though some include a small keyboard below the display screen or one that
slides out from behind the display screen.

The main advantage smartphones offer over other mobile computing devices is communication. As a type of
cell phone, the smartphone was originally designed for making and receiving voice calls. Tools and features
on a smartphone support phone calls. For example, smartphones include a small microphone and speaker for
voice calls and a camera for video calls.

Other Mobile Devices

Mobile devices besides laptops, tablets, and smartphones include electronic book (e-book) readers, portable
media players, and handheld game devices.

Many of these mobile devices provide wireless connections to the Internet, but do not include other features or
capabilities that mobile computers have. For example, you cannot install productivity applications or other
software on a handheld game device. Instead, each of these devices is dedicated to a particular purpose, and
only lets you perform tasks related to that purpose. Features of these other mobile devices include the following:

• E-book readers—You use an e-book reader (also called an e-reader) to download and read
electronic versions of printed books, magazines, and newspapers. Most e-book readers have

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touchscreens, though some have buttons and a small touchpad you use to navigate digital media. E-
book readers are usually smaller than a tablet, but larger than a smartphone, and include a hard drive
with up to 4 GB of storage. Another notable difference is that instead of using LCD screens, e-book
readers use electronic paper displays, which consume less power and provide higher contrast in
bright lighting than LCDs. Many e-book readers also offer backlights to improve readability when the
light is low.
• Portable media players—A portable media player is a mobile device that can store digital media
such as songs, videos, and photos, typically on a small hard drive. Portable media players are also
called MP3 players, a term that refers to the MP3 file format used for many digital audio files.
However, some portable media players, such as the iPod, also play audio files in other formats. Most
portable media players are smaller than a smartphone, though one, the iPod Touch, is the same size
as the iPhone. Many portable media players include wireless connections to the Internet so you can
download audio, video, and other files easily; otherwise, you transfer digital media from a computer
to the device, which includes a hard drive or flash drive for storage (typically up to 64 GB).
• Handheld game device—A handheld game device is a mobile device designed for a single video
game player to use at one time. Many handheld game devices can connect to the Internet and to
other game devices so that the user can play against others who are using their game device at the
same time. About the size of a smartphone, these devices include built-in screens, speakers,
batteries, and controls in one unit. The screens are smaller than those on a smartphone to provide
room for the game controls. Recent models provide touchscreens and up to 16 GB of data storage.

Personal Computers
A personal computer (PC) or microcomputer is a small computer designed to be used by one person at a time. Personal
computers are widely used by individuals and businesses today.

Desktop Computers
A desktop computer is a computer that fits on or next to a desk, is designed to be stationary, and runs on power
from a wall outlet. With a traditional desktop computer, the system unit, monitor, keyboard, and pointing devices are
separate pieces of hardware. The system unit containing the processing components is called a tower, which usually
stands vertically on the floor. Some cases are designed to sit horizontally on a desktop, under the monitor. A
recently developed type of desktop computer is called an all-in-one desktop, which houses the processing
components in the same case that holds the monitor; there is no tower.

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Midrange Servers

Also sometimes called a minicomputer or midrange computer – is a medium-sized computer used to host programs and
data for a small network. Typically more powerful, larger and more expensive than a desktop computer, a midrange is usually
located in a closer or other out-of-the-way place and can serve many users at one time. A server is a computer that provides
network services such as e-mail to client computers. Some servers look similar to the tower used with desktop computers,
while others look like racks containing cases of storage media. Midrange servers are often used in small-to-medium size
businesses (such as medical offices) as well as in schools.

Servers are dedicated to handling data with minimal user interaction. They do not include optical storage drives, speakers,
high-end graphics displays, or other peripherals that make computers entertaining to use. Most include system components
only—no monitor, keyboard, or other peripherals for users to provide input with. A server is usually dedicated to a single type
of task. A Web server handles the exchange of information across the Internet.
For example:
An Internet service provider (ISP) is a company that uses Web servers to provide Internet access to subscribers for activities
such as viewing Web pages, sending and receiving e-mail, and transferring files.
Large corporations use enterprise servers to provide employees access to special software used to run the company’s
business.
Smaller businesses use file servers to share files and programs among employees.

Mainframes

A mainframe computer is a powerful computer designed for processing huge amounts of data for hundreds or thousands of
users at the same time. Mainframe computers are larger and more expensive than servers, and are typically located in climate-
controlled, secure data centers to keep the processing components cool and the data safe.

Typical tasks for a mainframe computer include processing payroll and billing operations for a large corporation, handling
millions of credit card transactions for a bank, gathering and tabulating census information for the U.S. government, and
scheduling flights for an airline.

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Although both servers and

mainframes can process data for
thousands of users, these types
of computers are different in
terms of their design and usage.
Mainframes are designed to
handle extremely large volumes
of data on their own, while
servers transfer data around a
network, responding to requests
from client computers to retrieve,
send, and store data. In fact, mainframes can store hundreds to thousands of times as much data as a server and access it
much more quickly. Large organizations rely on mainframes to process and store records of data that are too large for other
computers. In contrast, organizations use servers to share data and provide services to other computers, especially for
communication.

Supercomputers
A supercomputer is also a very powerful computer distinguished by its processing capacity, especially its speed of
calculation. To be classified as a supercomputer, a computer must be one of the fastest computers in the world.

Rather than using the quad-core processors that personal computers use, supercomputers have processors with a million or
more cores. The extraordinary power of supercomputers is used primarily for scientific applications that need to perform
complex calculations very rapidly, such as launching astronauts or robots into space.

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