Introduction to

Computers
Essential Understanding of
Computers and Computer
Operations
Topics
 The term “computer” 
 Four basic computer operations 
 Data and information 
 Principal components of computer 
 Data storage devices and usage 
 Software 
 The Internet & WWW 
What is a Computer?
 A programmable machine that inputs,
processes, and outputs information
 An electronic device for storing and
processing data
 Composed of hardware and software
 Can exist in a variety of sizes and
configurations
Examples
What Do Computers Do?
 Input, Process, Output, & Store data

Input Process Output

Store Data
Input, Processing, Storage,
and Output Devices
What is Data?
 The raw material of information
 Contain facts w/o interpretations
 The information entered into, and stored
within a computer or file
 Used by applications to accomplish tasks
 Unprocessed information
 E.g. text, numbers, images, audio, & video
What is Information?
 Contains meaning, knowledge, instruction,
communication, & representation of data
 Result of processing, manipulating and
organizing data in a way that adds to the
knowledge of the person receiving it
 The output of information systems
Flow of Computing
 Data  Processing  Information
 Example

Retrieve data
Pat Brown
1001 Jump Street Calculate weekly wage:
Shoreline, WA 98123 $25 X 40 hours = $1000
$25 per hour
Send information to
40 hours
output device
Principal Components of
Computer
 Input devices
 System units
 Storage (memory) devices
 Importance of Saving
 Output devices
Input Devices
 Keyboard, mouse, scanner, & etc
System Units
 CPU (Central Processing Unit)
 Random Access Memory (RAM)
 Secondary Storage Devices
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
 Main processor of a computer that makes
everything work
 Interprets & carries out the basic instructions
 Performs all the instruction, logic, &
mathematical processing
Storage (memory) Devices
 Two types:
 Primary & Secondary
 Primary:
 Temporary memory for dynamic access by the
processor (CPU)
 RAM (Random Access Memory)
 Secondary:
 For large data storage, e.g. hard disk drive
 RAM is much faster than disk drives for
dynamically interacting with the processor
Random Access Memory
(RAM) – the Primary Memory
 Temporarily stores instructions and data waiting
to be processed by the processor
 Memory units are measured in kilobytes,
megabytes, or gigabytes
 1 kilobytes = 1,000 bytes
= 1,000 memory locations ≈ 1,000 characters
 1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million memory locations
 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion memory locations
 E.g. 512 MB = 512 million characters
1 MB can hold approx. 500 pages of text
Secondary Memory (Semi-
permanent)
 Magnetic Disks
 Hard disks, floppy disks, zip disks
 Optical Disks
 CD-ROM, CD-R (Recordable), CD-RW, DVD
 Flash Memory Cards
 USB flash drive: Small, lightweight, & large
storage capacity
Importance of Saving and
Saving Often
 When using an application, data is stored in
RAM temporarily
 When the file, application, or computer
closes, the data in the RAM is erased
 Where do I save the files?
 At the Lab: Removable disks such as floppy, zip,
or USB.
 At home: Hard drive (C:\) or any removable disk.
 Never remove a disk while the light flashes
 Saving on an existing file replaces the old
data with new (Save vs. Save As)
Importance of Data Backup
 All secondary storage devices such as floppy
and hard drive disks eventually fail, and you
lose the data
 Make backup files weekly, if not daily
 If you have a computer, use the hard drive or
a removable disk as your backup
 Otherwise, use the second removable disk
Output Devices
 Printers
 Monitors
 and more
Personal Computers
 PC, Mac, and other microcomputers
 Desktop, Laptop, PDA
 Windows, Mac OS, Linux, etc.
 Increasingly more capable, portable,
affordable, and mobile
System Software
 Manages computer operations
 Instructs computer how to perform functions of
loading, storing, and executing an application
software and how to transfer data
 Examples: Windows, Mac OS, Linux, & etc.
Application Software
 Programs that tell a computer how to perform
tasks and produce information
 Categories:
 Word processing
 Spreadsheet
 Database
 Presentation graphics
 Web and Internet access
 Desktop publishing / image editing / multimedia
editing
The Internet and WWW
 The Internet is the world’s largest network
 Uses:
 Send messages (e-mail)
 Access a wealth of information
 Electronic commerce
 Online meeting
 Access entertainment and multimedia
 WWW (World Wide Web)
 The more popular component of the Internet
 Web page: A document containing text, hyperlinks, images,
& other multimedia contents
 Web site: A collection of Web pages
Communications Devices
 Modem
 Network card
 Router
 Wireless modem, network card, & router