COMPUTER - QUICK GUIDE

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COMPUTER - OVERVIEW
Todays world is an information-rich world and it has become a necessity for everyone
to know about computers. Purpose of this tutorial is to introduce you about computer
and its fundamentals.

Functionalities of a computer
Any digital computer carries out five functions in gross terms:
Takes data as input.
Stores the data/instructions in its memory and use them when required.
Processes the data and converts it into useful information.
Generates the output
Controls all the above four steps.

Definition
Computer is an electronic data processing device which
accepts and stores data input,
processes the data input, and
generates the output in a required format.

Advantages
Following list demonstrates the advantages of computers in today's arena.

High Speed
Computer is a very fast device.

It is capable of performing calculation of very large amount of data.

The computer has units of speed in microsecond, nanosecond, and even the
picosecond.
It can perform millions of calculations in a few seconds as compared to man
who will spend many months for doing the same task.

Accuracy
In addition to being very fast, computers are very accurate.
The calculations are 100% error free.
Computers perform all jobs with 100% accuracy provided that correct input has
been given.

Storage Capability
Memory is a very important characteristic of computers.
A computer has much more storage capacity than human beings.
It can store large amount of data.
It can store any type of data such as images, videos, text, audio and many others.

Diligence
Unlike human beings, a computer is free from monotony, tiredness and lack of
concentration.
It can work continuously without any error and boredom.
It can do repeated work with same speed and accuracy.

Versatility
A computer is a very versatile machine.
A computer is very flexible in performing the jobs to be done.
This machine can be used to solve the problems related to various fields.
At one instance, it may be solving a complex scientific problem and the very
next moment it may be playing a card game.

Reliability
A computer is a reliable machine.

Modern electronic components have long lives.

Computers are designed to make maintenance easy.

Automation
Computer is an automatic machine.
Automation means ability to perform the given task automatically.
Once a program is given to computer i.e., stored in computer memory, the
program and instruction can control the program execution without human
interaction.

Reduction in Paper Work

The use of computers for data processing in an organization leads to reduction
in paper work and results in speeding up a process.
As data in electronic files can be retrieved as and when required, the problem of
maintenance of large number of paper files gets reduced.

Reduction in Cost
Though the initial investment for installing a computer is high but it
substantially reduces the cost of each of its transaction.

Disadvantages
Following list demonstrates the disadvantages of computers in today's arena

No I.Q
A computer is a machine that has no intelligence to perform any task.
Each instruction has to be given to computer.
A computer cannot take any decision on its own.

Dependency
It functions as per a users instruction, so it is fully dependent on human being

Environment
The operating environment of computer should be dust free and suitable.

No Feeling
Computers have no feelings or emotions.

It cannot make judgement based on feeling, taste, experience, and knowledge

unlike a human being.

COMPUTER - APPLICATIONS
Following list demonstrates various applications of computers in today's arena.

Business
A computer has high speed of calculation, diligence, accuracy, reliability, or versatility
which made it an integrated part in all business organisations.
Computer is used in business organisations for:
Payroll calculations
Budgeting
Sales analysis
Financial forecasting
Managing employees database
Maintenance of stocks etc.

Banking
Today banking is almost totally dependent on computer.
Banks provide following facilities:

Banks provide online accounting facility, which includes current balances,

deposits, overdrafts, interest charges, shares, and trustee records.
ATM machines are making it even easier for customers to deal with banks.

Insurance
Insurance companies are keeping all records up-to-date with the help of computers.
The insurance companies, finance houses and stock broking firms are widely using
computers for their concerns.
Insurance companies are maintaining a database of all clients with information
showing
procedure to continue with policies
starting date of the policies
next due installment of a policy
maturity date
interests due
survival benefits
bonus

Education
The computer has provided a lot of facilities in the education system.
The computer provides a tool in the education system known as CBE (Computer
Based Education).
CBE involves control, delivery, and evaluation of learning.
The computer education is rapidly increasing the graph of number of computer
students.
There are number of methods in which educational institutions can use
computer to educate the students.
It is used to prepare a database about performance of a student and analysis is
carried out on this basis.

Marketing
In marketing, uses of computer are following:
Advertising - With computers, advertising professionals create art and graphics,
write and revise copy, and print and disseminate ads with the goal of selling
more products.
At Home Shopping - Home shopping has been made possible through use of
computerised catalogues that provide access to product information and permit
direct entry of orders to be filled by the customers.

Health Care
Computers have become important part in hospitals, labs, and dispensaries. The
computers are being used in hospitals to keep the record of patients and medicines. It
is also used in scanning and diagnosing different diseases. ECG, EEG, Ultrasounds and
CT Scans etc., are also done by computerised machines.
Some major fields of health care in which computers are used are:
Diagnostic System - Computers are used to collect data and identify cause of
illness.
Lab-diagnostic System - All tests can be done and reports are prepared by
computer.
Patient Monitoring System - These are used to check patient's signs for
abnormality such as in Cardiac Arrest, ECG etc.
Pharma Information System - Computer checks Drug-Labels, Expiry dates,
harmful drugs side effects etc.
Surgery : Nowadays, computers are also used in performing surgery.

Engineering Design
Computers are widely used in Engineering purpose.
One of major areas is CAD (Computer aided design). That provides creation and
modification of images. Some fields are:
Structural Engineering - Requires stress and strain analysis for design of Ships,
Buildings, Budgets, Airplanes etc.
Industrial Engineering - Computers deal with design, implementation and
improvement of integrated systems of people, materials and equipments.
Architectural Engineering - Computers help in planning towns, designing
buildings, determining a range of buildings on a site using both 2D and 3D
drawings.

Military
Computers are largely used in defence. Modern tanks, missiles, weapons etc. Military
also employs computerised control systems. Some military areas where a computer
has been used are:
Missile Control
Military Communication
Military Operation and Planning
Smart Weapons

Communication
Communication means to convey a message, an idea, a picture or speech that is
received and understood clearly and correctly by the person for whom it is meant for.
Some main areas in this category are:
E-mail
Chatting
Usenet
FTP
Telnet
Video-conferencing

Government
Computers play an important role in government. Some major fields in this category
are:
Budgets
Sales tax department
Income tax department
Male/Female ratio
Computerization of voters lists
Computerization of driving licensing system
Computerization of PAN card
Weather forecasting

COMPUTER - GENERATIONS
Generation in computer terminology is a change in technology a computer is/was
being used. Initially, the generation term was used to distinguish between varying
hardware technologies. But nowadays, generation includes both hardware and
software, which together make up an entire computer system.
There are totally five computer generations known till date. Each generation has been
discussed in detail along with their time period and characteristics. Here approximate
dates against each generations have been mentioned which are normally accepted.
Following are the main five generations of computers

S.N.
1

Generation & Description

First Generation
The period of first generation: 1946-1959. Vacuum tube based.

Second Generation
The period of second generation: 1959-1965. Transistor based.

Third Generation
The period of third generation: 1965-1971. Integrated Circuit based.

Fourth Generation
The period of fourth generation: 1971-1980. VLSI microprocessor based.

Fifth Generation
The period of fifth generation: 1980-onwards. ULSI microprocessor based

First Generation
The period of first generation was 1946-1959. The computers of first generation used
vacuum tubes as the basic components for memory and circuitry for CPU (Central
Processing Unit). These tubes, like electric bulbs, produced a lot of heat and were
prone to frequent fusing of the installations, therefore, were very expensive and could
be afforded only by very large organisations. In this generation mainly batch processing
operating system were used. Punched cards, paper tape, and magnetic tape were used
as input and output devices. The computers in this generation used machine code as
programming language.

The main features of first generation are:

Vacuum tube technology

Unreliable
Supported machine language only
Very costly
Generated lot of heat
Slow input and output devices
Huge size
Need of A.C.
Non-portable
Consumed lot of electricity
Some computers of this generation were:
ENIAC
EDVAC
UNIVAC
IBM-701
IBM-650

Second Generation
The period of second generation was 1959-1965. In this generation transistors were
used that were cheaper, consumed less power, more compact in size, more reliable
and faster than the first generation machines made of vacuum tubes. In this
generation, magnetic cores were used as primary memory and magnetic tape and
magnetic disks as secondary storage devices. In this generation assembly language and
high-level programming languages like FORTRAN, COBOL were used. The computers
used batch processing and multiprogramming operating system.

The main features of second generation are:

Use of transistors
Reliable in comparison to first generation computers
Smaller size as compared to first generation computers
Generated less heat as compared to first generation computers
Consumed less electricity as compared to first generation computers
Faster than first generation computers
Still very costly
A.C. needed
Supported machine and assembly languages
Some computers of this generation were:
IBM 1620
IBM 7094
CDC 1604
CDC 3600
UNIVAC 1108

Third Generation
The period of third generation was 1965-1971. The computers of third generation used
integrated circuits (IC's) in place of transistors. A single IC has many transistors,
resistors and capacitors along with the associated circuitry. The IC was invented by
Jack Kilby. This development made computers smaller in size, reliable and efficient. In
this generation remote processing, time-sharing, multi-programming operating
system were used. High-level languages (FORTRAN-II TO IV, COBOL, PASCAL PL/1,
BASIC, ALGOL-68 etc.) were used during this generation.

The main features of third generation are:

IC used
More reliable in comparison to previous two generations
Smaller size
Generated less heat
Faster
Lesser maintenance
Still costly
A.C needed
Consumed lesser electricity
Supported high-level language
Some computers of this generation were:
IBM-360 series

Honeywell-6000 series
PDP(Personal Data Processor)
IBM-370/168
TDC-316

Fourth Generation
The period of fourth generation was 1971-1980. The computers of fourth generation
used Very Large Scale Integrated (VLSI) circuits. VLSI circuits having about 5000
transistors and other circuit elements and their associated circuits on a single chip
made it possible to have microcomputers of fourth generation. Fourth generation
computers became more powerful, compact, reliable, and affordable. As a result, it gave
rise to personal computer (PC) revolution. In this generation time sharing, real time,
networks, distributed operating system were used. All the high-level languages like C,
C++, DBASE etc., were used in this generation.

The main features of fourth generation are:

VLSI technology used
Very cheap
Portable and reliable
Use of PC's

Very small size

Pipeline processing
No A.C. needed
Concept of internet was introduced
Great developments in the fields of networks
Computers became easily available
Some computers of this generation were:
DEC 10
STAR 1000
PDP 11
CRAY-1(Super Computer)
CRAY-X-MP(Super Computer)

Fifth Generation
The period of fifth generation is 1980-till date. In the fifth generation, the VLSI
technology became ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) technology, resulting in the
production of microprocessor chips having ten million electronic components. This
generation is based on parallel processing hardware and AI (Artificial Intelligence)
software. AI is an emerging branch in computer science, which interprets means and
method of making computers think like human beings. All the high-level languages
like C and C++, Java, .Net etc., are used in this generation.
AI includes:
Robotics
Neural Networks
Game Playing
Development of expert systems to make decisions in real life situations.
Natural language understanding and generation.

The main features of fifth generation are:

ULSI technology
Development of true artificial intelligence
Development of Natural language processing
Advancement in Parallel Processing
Advancement in Superconductor technology
More user friendly interfaces with multimedia features
Availability of very powerful and compact computers at cheaper rates
Some computer types of this generation are:
Desktop
Laptop
NoteBook
UltraBook
ChromeBook

COMPUTER - TYPES

Computers can be broadly classified by their speed and computing power.

Sr.No.

Type

Specifications

PC (Personal
Computer)

It is a single user computer system having moderately

powerful microprocessor

WorkStation

It is also a single user computer system which is similar

to personal computer but have more powerful
microprocessor.

Mini Computer

It is a multi-user computer system which is capable of

supporting hundreds of users simultaneously.

Main Frame

It is a multi-user computer system which is capable of

supporting hundreds of users simultaneously. Software
technology is different from minicomputer.

Supercomputer

It is an extremely fast computer which can execute

hundreds of millions of instructions per second.

PC (Personal Computer)
A PC can be defined as a small, relatively inexpensive computer designed for an
individual user. PCs are based on the microprocessor technology that enables
manufacturers to put an entire CPU on one chip. Businesses use personal computers
for word processing, accounting, desktop publishing, and for running spreadsheet and
database management applications. At home, the most popular use for personal
computers is playing games and surfing Internet.
Although personal computers are designed as single-user systems, these systems are
normally linked together to form a network. In terms of power, now-a-days High-end
models of the Macintosh and PC offer the same computing power and graphics
capability as low-end workstations by Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, and Dell.

Workstation
Workstation is a computer used for engineering applications (CAD/CAM), desktop
publishing, software development, and other such types of applications which require
a moderate amount of computing power and relatively high quality graphics
capabilities.
Workstations generally come with a large, high-resolution graphics screen, large
amount of RAM, inbuilt network support, and a graphical user interface. Most
workstations also have a mass storage device such as a disk drive, but a special type of
workstation, called a diskless workstation, comes without a disk drive.
Common operating systems for workstations are UNIX and Windows NT. Like PC,
Workstations are also single-user computers like PC but are typically linked together to
form a local-area network, although they can also be used as stand-alone systems.

Minicomputer
It is a midsize multi-processing system capable of supporting up to 250 users
simultaneously.

Mainframe
Mainframe is very large in size and is an expensive computer capable of supporting
hundreds or even thousands of users simultaneously. Mainframe executes many
programs concurrently and supports many simultaneous execution of programs

Supercomputer
Supercomputers are one of the fastest computers currently available. Supercomputers
are very expensive and are employed for specialized applications that require immense
amount of mathematical calculations (number crunching). For example, weather
forecasting, scientific simulations, (animated) graphics, fluid dynamic calculations,
nuclear energy research, electronic design, and analysis of geological data (e.g. in
petrochemical prospecting).

COMPUTER - COMPONENTS
All types of computers follow a same basic logical structure and perform the following
five basic operations for converting raw input data into information useful to their

users.

Sr.No.

Operation

Description

Take Input

The process of entering data and instructions into the

computer system

Store Data

Saving data and instructions so that they are available for

processing as and when required.

Processing
Data

Performing arithmetic, and logical operations on data in

order to convert them into useful information.

Output
Information

The process of producing useful information or results for

the user, such as a printed report or visual display.

Control the
workflow

Directs the manner and sequence in which all of the above

operations are performed.

Input Unit
This unit contains devices with the help of which we enter data into computer. This
unit makes link between user and computer. The input devices translate the
information into the form understandable by computer.

CPU (Central Processing Unit)

CPU is considered as the brain of the computer. CPU performs all types of data
processing operations. It stores data, intermediate results and instructions(program).
It controls the operation of all parts of computer.

CPU itself has following three components

ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)
Memory Unit
Control Unit

Output Unit
Output unit consists of devices with the help of which we get the information from
computer. This unit is a link between computer and users. Output devices translate the
computer's output into the form understandable by users.

COMPUTER - CPU
CPU consists of the following features:
CPU is considered as the brain of the computer.
CPU performs all types of data processing operations.
It stores data, intermediate results and instructions(program).
It controls the operation of all parts of computer.

CPU itself has following three components.

Memory or Storage Unit
Control Unit
ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)

Memory or Storage Unit

This unit can store instructions, data and intermediate results. This unit supplies
information to the other units of the computer when needed. It is also known as
internal storage unit or main memory or primary storage or Random access
memory(RAM).
Its size affects speed, power and capability. Primary memory and secondary memory
are two types of memories in the computer. Functions of memory unit are:
It stores all the data and the instructions required for processing.
It stores intermediate results of processing.
It stores final results of processing before these results are released to an output
device.
All inputs and outputs are transmitted through main memory.

Control Unit
This unit controls the operations of all parts of computer but does not carry out any
actual data processing operations.
Functions of this unit are:
It is responsible for controlling the transfer of data and instructions among other
units of a computer.
It manages and coordinates all the units of the computer.
It obtains the instructions from the memory, interprets them, and directs the
operation of the computer.

It communicates with Input/Output devices for transfer of data or results from

storage.
It does not process or store data.

ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)

This unit consists of two subsections namely
Arithmetic section
Logic Section

Arithmetic Section
Function of arithmetic section is to perform arithmetic operations like addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division. All complex operations are done by making
repetitive use of above operations.

Logic Section
Function of logic section is to perform logic operations such as comparing, selecting,
matching and merging of data.

COMPUTER - INPUT DEVICES

Following are few of the important input devices which are used in a computer:
Keyboard
Mouse
Joy Stick
Light pen
Track Ball
Scanner
Graphic Tablet
Microphone
Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
Optical Character Reader(OCR)
Bar Code Reader
Optical Mark Reader(OMR)

Keyboard
Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device which helps in inputting

data to the computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional typewriter,
although there are some additional keys provided for performing additional functions.
Keyboards are of two sizes 84 keys or 101/102 keys, but now keyboards with 104 keys or
108 keys are also available for Windows and Internet.
The keys on the keyboard are as follows:

Sr.No

Keys

Description

Typing Keys

These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and digit keys
(0-9) which generally give same layout as that of
typewriters.

Numeric Keypad

It is used to enter numeric data or cursor movement.

Generally, it consists of a set of 17 keys that are laid out
in the same configuration used by most adding
machines and calculators.

Function Keys

The twelve function keys are present on the keyboard

which are arranged in a row at the top of the keyboard.
Each function key has unique meaning and is used for
some specific purpose.

Control keys

These keys provide cursor and screen control. It

includes four directional arrow keys. Control keys also
include Home, End, Insert, Delete, Page Up, Page
Down, Control(Ctrl), Alternate(Alt), Escape(Esc).

Special Purpose
Keys

Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys such

as Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, Num Lock, Space bar, Tab,
and Print Screen.

Mouse
Mouse is most popular pointing device. It is a very famous cursor-control device having
a small palm size box with a round ball at its base which senses the movement of
mouse and sends corresponding signals to CPU when the mouse buttons are pressed.
Generally it has two buttons called left and right button and a wheel is present between
the buttons. Mouse can be used to control the position of cursor on screen, but it
cannot be used to enter text into the computer.

Advantages
Easy to use
Not very expensive
Moves the cursor faster than the arrow keys of keyboard.

Joystick
Joystick is also a pointing device which is used to move cursor position on a monitor
screen. It is a stick having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper ends. The lower
spherical ball moves in a socket. The joystick can be moved in all four directions.
The function of joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It is mainly used in Computer
Aided Designing(CAD) and playing computer games.

Light Pen
Light pen is a pointing device which is similar to a pen. It is used to select a displayed
menu item or draw pictures on the monitor screen. It consists of a photocell and an
optical system placed in a small tube. When the tip of a light pen is moved over the
monitor screen and pen button is pressed, its photocell sensing element detects the
screen location and sends the corresponding signal to the CPU.

Track Ball
Track ball is an input device that is mostly used in notebook or laptop computer,
instead of a mouse. This is a ball which is half inserted and by moving fingers on ball,

pointer can be moved. Since the whole device is not moved, a track ball requires less
space than a mouse. A track ball comes in various shapes like a ball, a button and a
square.

Scanner
Scanner is an input device which works more like a photocopy machine. It is used
when some information is available on a paper and it is to be transferred to the hard
disc of the computer for further manipulation. Scanner captures images from the
source which are then converted into the digital form that can be stored on the disc.
These images can be edited before they are printed.

Digitizer
Digitizer is an input device which converts analog information into digital form.
Digitizer can convert a signal from the television or camera into a series of numbers
that could be stored in a computer. They can be used by the computer to create a
picture of whatever the camera had been pointed at. Digitizer is also known as Tablet
or Graphics Tablet because it converts graphics and pictorial data into binary inputs. A
graphic tablet as digitizer is used for doing fine works of drawing and image
manipulation applications.

Microphone
Microphone is an input device to input sound that is then stored in digital form. The
microphone is used for various applications like adding sound to a multimedia
presentation or for mixing music.

Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)

MICR input device is generally used in banks because of a large number of cheques to
be processed every day. The bank's code number and cheque number are printed on
the cheques with a special type of ink that contains particles of magnetic material that
are machine readable. This reading process is called Magnetic Ink Character
Recognition (MICR). The main advantages of MICR is that it is fast and less error
prone.

Optical Character Reader(OCR)

OCR is an input device used to read a printed text. OCR scans text optically character
by character, converts them into a machine readable code and stores the text on the
system memory.

Bar Code Readers

Bar Code Reader is a device used for reading bar coded data (data in form of light and
dark lines). Bar coded data is generally used in labelling goods, numbering the books
etc. It may be a hand held scanner or may be embedded in a stationary scanner. Bar
Code Reader scans a bar code image, converts it into an alphanumeric value which is
then fed to the computer to which bar code reader is connected.

Optical Mark Reader(OMR)

OMR is a special type of optical scanner used to recognize the type of mark made by
pen or pencil. It is used where one out of a few alternatives is to be selected and
marked. It is specially used for checking the answer sheets of examinations having
multiple choice questions.

COMPUTER - OUTPUT DEVICES

Following are few of the important output devices which are used in a computer.
Monitors
Graphic Plotter
Printer

Monitors
Monitors, commonly called as Visual Display Unit (VDU), are the main output device
of a computer. It forms images from tiny dots, called pixels that are arranged in a
rectangular form. The sharpness of the image depends upon the number of pixels.
There are two kinds of viewing screen used for monitors.
Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT)
Flat- Panel Display

Cathode-Ray Tube (CRT) Monitor

The CRT display is made up of small picture elements called pixels. The smaller the
pixels, the better the image clarity, or resolution. It takes more than one illuminated
pixel to form whole character, such as the letter e in the word help.
A finite number of characters can be displayed on a screen at once. The screen can be
divided into a series of character boxes - fixed location on the screen where a standard
character can be placed. Most screens are capable of displaying 80 characters of data
horizontally and 25 lines vertically. There are some disadvantages of CRT:
Large in Size
High power consumption

Flat-Panel Display Monitor

The flat-panel display refers to a class of video devices that have reduced volume,
weight and power requirement in comparison to the CRT. You can hang them on walls

or wear them on your wrists. Current uses of flat-panel displays include calculators,
video games, monitors, laptop computer, graphics display.
The flat-panel display is divided into two categories:
Emissive Displays - The emissive displays are devices that convert electrical
energy into light. Example are plasma panel and LED(Light-Emitting Diodes).
Non-Emissive Displays - The Non-emissive displays use optical effects to
convert sunlight or light from some other source into graphics patterns.
Example is LCD(Liquid-Crystal Device)

Printers
Printer is an output device, which is used to print information on paper.
There are two types of printers:
Impact Printers
Non-Impact Printers

Impact Printers
The impact printers print the characters by striking them on the ribbon which is then
pressed on the paper.
Characteristics of Impact Printers are the following:

Very low consumable costs

Very noisy
Useful for bulk printing due to low cost
There is physical contact with the paper to produce an image
These printers are of two types
Character printers
Line printers

Character Printers
Character printers are the printers which print one character at a time.
These are further divided into two types:
Dot Matrix Printer(DMP)
Daisy Wheel

Dot Matrix Printer

In the market one of the most popular printers is Dot Matrix Printer. These printers are
popular because of their ease of printing and economical price. Each character printed
is in form of pattern of dots and head consists of a Matrix of Pins of size (5*7, 7*9, 9*7 or
9*9) which come out to form a character that is why it is called Dot Matrix Printer.
Advantages
Inexpensive
Widely Used
Other language characters can be printed
Disadvantages
Slow Speed
Poor Quality

Daisy Wheel
Head is lying on a wheel and pins corresponding to characters are like petals of Daisy
(flower name) that is why it is called Daisy Wheel Printer. These printers are generally
used for word-processing in offices which require a few letters to be sent here and there
with very nice quality.
Advantages
More reliable than DMP
Better quality
The fonts of character can be easily changed
Disadvantages
Slower than DMP
Noisy
More expensive than DMP

Line Printers
Line printers are the printers which print one line at a time.

These are of further two types

Drum Printer
Chain Printer

Drum Printer
This printer is like a drum in shape so it is called drum printer. The surface of drum is
divided into number of tracks. Total tracks are equal to size of paper i.e. for a paper
width of 132 characters, drum will have 132 tracks. A character set is embossed on track.
The different character sets available in the market are 48 character set, 64 and 96
characters set. One rotation of drum prints one line. Drum printers are fast in speed
and can print 300 to 2000 lines per minute.

Advantages
Very high speed
Disadvantages
Very expensive
Characters fonts cannot be changed

Chain Printer
In this printer, chain of character sets are used so it is called Chain Printer. A standard
character set may have 48, 64, or 96 characters.
Advantages
Character fonts can easily be changed.
Different languages can be used with the same printer.
Disadvantages
Noisy

Non-impact Printers
Non-impact printers print the characters without using ribbon. These printers print a
complete page at a time so they are also called as Page Printers.
These printers are of two types
Laser Printers
Inkjet Printers

Characteristics of Non-impact Printers

Faster than impact printers.
They are not noisy.
High quality.
Support many fonts and different character size.

Laser Printers
These are non-impact page printers. They use laser lights to produce the dots needed
to form the characters to be printed on a page.

Advantages

Very high speed

Very high quality output
Give good graphics quality
Support many fonts and different character size

Disadvantages
Expensive.
Cannot be used to produce multiple copies of a document in a single printing.

Inkjet Printers
Inkjet printers are non-impact character printers based on a relatively new technology.
They print characters by spraying small drops of ink onto paper. Inkjet printers
produce high quality output with presentable features.
They make less noise because no hammering is done and these have many styles of
printing modes available. Colour printing is also possible. Some models of Inkjet
printers can produce multiple copies of printing also.

Advantages
High quality printing

More reliable

Disadvantages
Expensive as cost per page is high
Slow as compared to laser printer

COMPUTER - MEMORY
A memory is just like a human brain. It is used to store data and instructions. Computer
memory is the storage space in computer where data is to be processed and
instructions required for processing are stored. The memory is divided into large
number of small parts called cells. Each location or cell has a unique address which
varies from zero to memory size minus one. For example if computer has 64k words,
then this memory unit has 64 * 1024=65536 memory locations. The address of these
locations varies from 0 to 65535.
Memory is primarily of three types
Cache Memory
Primary Memory/Main Memory
Secondary Memory

Cache Memory
Cache memory is a very high speed semiconductor memory which can speed up CPU.
It acts as a buffer between the CPU and main memory. It is used to hold those parts of
data and program which are most frequently used by CPU. The parts of data and
programs are transferred from disk to cache memory by operating system, from where
CPU can access them.

Advantages
The advantages of cache memory are as follows:
Cache memory is faster than main memory.
It consumes less access time as compared to main memory.
It stores the program that can be executed within a short period of time.
It stores data for temporary use.

Disadvantages
The disadvantages of cache memory are as follows:
Cache memory has limited capacity.
It is very expensive.

Primary Memory (Main Memory)

Primary memory holds only those data and instructions on which computer is
currently working. It has limited capacity and data is lost when power is switched off. It
is generally made up of semiconductor device. These memories are not as fast as
registers. The data and instruction required to be processed reside in main memory. It
is divided into two subcategories RAM and ROM.

Characteristics of Main Memory

These are semiconductor memories

It is known as main memory.
Usually volatile memory.
Data is lost in case power is switched off.
It is working memory of the computer.
Faster than secondary memories.
A computer cannot run without primary memory.

Secondary Memory
This type of memory is also known as external memory or non-volatile. It is slower
than main memory. These are used for storing data/Information permanently. CPU
directly does not access these memories instead they are accessed via input-output
routines. Contents of secondary memories are first transferred to main memory, and
then CPU can access it. For example : disk, CD-ROM, DVD etc.

Characteristic of Secondary Memory

These are magnetic and optical memories
It is known as backup memory.
It is non-volatile memory.
Data is permanently stored even if power is switched off.
It is used for storage of data in a computer.
Computer may run without secondary memory.
Slower than primary memories.

COMPUTER - RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY

RAM(Random Access Memory) is the internal memory of the CPU for storing data,
program and program result. It is read/write memory which stores data until the
machine is working. As soon as the machine is switched off, data is erased.
Access time in RAM is independent of the address that is, each storage location inside
the memory is as easy to reach as other locations and takes the same amount of time.
Data in the RAM can be accessed randomly but it is very expensive.
RAM is volatile, i.e. data stored in it is lost when we switch off the computer or if there
is a power failure. Hence a backup uninterruptible power system(UPS) is often used
with computers. RAM is small, both in terms of its physical size and in the amount of
data it can hold.
RAM is of two types
Static RAM (SRAM)
Dynamic RAM (DRAM)

Static RAM (SRAM)

The word static indicates that the memory retains its contents as long as power is
being supplied. However, data is lost when the power gets down due to volatile nature.
SRAM chips use a matrix of 6-transistors and no capacitors. Transistors do not require
power to prevent leakage, so SRAM need not have to be refreshed on a regular basis.
Because of the extra space in the matrix, SRAM uses more chips than DRAM for the
same amount of storage space, thus making the manufacturing costs higher. So SRAM
is used as cache memory and has very fast access.

Characteristic of the Static RAM

It has long life
There is no need to refresh
Faster
Used as cache memory
Large size
Expensive
High power consumption

Dynamic RAM (DRAM)

DRAM, unlike SRAM, must be continually refreshed in order to maintain the data. This
is done by placing the memory on a refresh circuit that rewrites the data several
hundred times per second. DRAM is used for most system memory because it is cheap
and small. All DRAMs are made up of memory cells which are composed of one
capacitor and one transistor.

Characteristics of the Dynamic RAM

It has short data lifetime
Need to be refreshed continuously
Slower as compared to SRAM
Used as RAM
Lesser in size
Less expensive
Less power consumption

COMPUTER - READ ONLY MEMORY

ROM stands for Read Only Memory. The memory from which we can only read but
cannot write on it. This type of memory is non-volatile. The information is stored
permanently in such memories during manufacture. A ROM, stores such instructions
that are required to start a computer. This operation is referred to as bootstrap. ROM
chips are not only used in the computer but also in other electronic items like washing
machine and microwave oven.

Following are the various types of ROM

MROM (Masked ROM)

The very first ROMs were hard-wired devices that contained a pre-programmed set of
data or instructions. These kind of ROMs are known as masked ROMs which are
inexpensive.

PROM (Programmable Read only Memory)

PROM is read-only memory that can be modified only once by a user. The user buys a
blank PROM and enters the desired contents using a PROM program. Inside the PROM
chip there are small fuses which are burnt open during programming. It can be
programmed only once and is not erasable.

EPROM(Erasable and Programmable Read Only Memory)

The EPROM can be erased by exposing it to ultra-violet light for a duration of up to 40
minutes. Usually, an EPROM eraser achieves this function. During programming, an
electrical charge is trapped in an insulated gate region. The charge is retained for more
than ten years because the charge has no leakage path. For erasing this charge, ultraviolet light is passed through a quartz crystal window(lid). This exposure to ultra-violet
light dissipates the charge. During normal use the quartz lid is sealed with a sticker.

EEPROM(Electrically Erasable and Programmable Read Only

Memory)
The EEPROM is programmed and erased electrically. It can be erased and
reprogrammed about ten thousand times. Both erasing and programming take about 4
to 10 ms (milli second). In EEPROM, any location can be selectively erased and
programmed. EEPROMs can be erased one byte at a time, rather than erasing the entire
chip. Hence, the process of re-programming is flexible but slow.

Advantages of ROM
The advantages of ROM are as follows:
Non-volatile in nature
These cannot be accidentally changed
Cheaper than RAMs
Easy to test
More reliable than RAMs
These are static and do not require refreshing
Its contents are always known and can be verified

COMPUTER - MOTHERBOARD
The motherboard serves as a single platform to connect all of the parts of a computer
together. A motherboard connects CPU, memory, hard drives, optical drives, video
card, sound card, and other ports and expansion cards directly or via cables. It can be
considered as the backbone of a computer.

Features of Motherboard
A motherboard comes with following features:
Motherboard varies greatly in supporting various types of components.
Normally a motherboard supports a single type of CPU and few types of
memories.
Video Cards, Hard disks, Sound Cards have to be compatible with motherboard
to function properly
Motherboards, cases and power supplies must be compatible to work properly
together.

Popular Manufacturers
Intel
ASUS
AOpen
ABIT
Biostar
Gigabyte
MSI

Description of Motherboard
The motherboard is mounted inside the case and is securely attached via small screws

through pre-drilled holes. Motherboard contains ports to connect all of the internal
components. It provides a single socket for CPU whereas for memory, normally one or
more slots are available. Motherboards provide ports to attach floppy drive, hard drive,
and optical drives via ribbon cables. Motherboard carries fans and a special port
designed for power supply.
There is a peripheral card slot in front of the motherboard using which video cards,
sound cards and other expansion cards can be connected to motherboard.
On the left side, motherboards carry a number of ports to connect monitor, printer,
mouse, keyboard, speaker, and network cables. Motherboards also provide USB ports
which allow compatible devices to be connected in plug-in/plug-out fashion for
example, pen drive, digital cameras etc.

COMPUTER - MEMORY UNITS

Memory unit is:
the amount of data that can be stored in the storage unit.
that in which storage capacity is expressed in terms of Bytes.
Following are the main memory storage units:

Sr.No.

Unit

Description

Bit (Binary Digit)

A binary digit is logical 0 and 1 representing a passive or

an active state of a component in an electric circuit.

Nibble

A group of 4 bits is called nibble.

Byte

A group of 8 bits is called byte. A byte is the smallest

unit which can represent a data item or a character.

Word

A computer word, like a byte, is a group of fixed

number of bits processed as a unit which varies from
computer to computer but is fixed for each computer.
The length of a computer word is called word-size or
word length and it may be as small as 8 bits or may be
as long as 96 bits. A computer stores the information in
the form of computer words.

Few higher storage units are following

Sr.No.

Unit

Description

Kilobyte (KB)

1 KB = 1024 Bytes

Megabyte (MB)

1 MB = 1024 KB

GigaByte (GB)

1 GB = 1024 MB

TeraByte (TB

1 TB = 1024 GB

PetaByte (PB)

1 PB = 1024 TB

COMPUTER - PORTS
What is a Port?
A port:
is a physical docking point using which an external device can be connected to
the computer.
can also be programmatic docking point through which information flows from
a program to computer or over the internet.

Characteristics
A port has the following characteristics:

External devices are connected to a computer using cables and ports.

Ports are slots on the motherboard into which a cable of external device is
plugged in.
Examples of external devices attached via ports are mouse, keyboard, monitor,
microphone, speakers etc.

Following are few important types of ports:

Serial Port
Used for external modems and older computer mouse
Two versions : 9 pin, 25 pin model
Data travels at 115 kilobits per second

Parallel Port
Used for scanners and printers
Also called printer port
25 pin model
Also known as IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics port

PS/2 Port

Used for old computer keyboard and mouse

Also called mouse port
Most of the old computers provide two PS/2 port, each for mouse and keyboard
Also known as IEEE 1284-compliant Centronics port

Universal Serial Bus (or USB) Port

It can connect all kinds of external USB devices such as external hard disk,
printer, scanner, mouse, keyboard etc.
It was introduced in 1997.
Most of the computers provide two USB ports as minimum.
Data travels at 12 megabits per seconds
USB compliant devices can get power from a USB port

VGA Port
Connects monitor to a computer's video card.
Has 15 holes.
Similar to serial port connector but serial port connector has pins, it has holes.

Power Connector
Three-pronged plug
Connects to the computer's power cable that plugs into a power bar or wall
socket

Firewire Port
Transfers large amount of data at very fast speed.
Connects camcorders and video equipments to the computer
Data travels at 400 to 800 megabits per seconds
Invented by Apple
Three variants : 4-Pin FireWire 400 connector, 6-Pin FireWire 400 connector and
9-Pin FireWire 800 connector

Modem Port
Connects a PC's modem to the telephone network

Ethernet Port
Connects to a network and high speed Internet.
Connect network cable to a computer.
This port resides on an Ethernet Card.
Data travels at 10 megabits to 1000 megabits per seconds depending upon the
network bandwidth.

Game Port
Connect a joystick to a PC
Now replaced by USB.

Digital Video Interface, DVI port

Connects Flat panel LCD monitor to the computer's high end video graphic
cards.
Very popular among video card manufacturers.

Sockets
Connect microphone, speakers to sound card of the computer

COMPUTER - HARDWARE
Hardware represents the physical and tangible components of a computer i.e. the
components that can be seen and touched.
Examples of Hardware are following:
Input devices -- keyboard, mouse etc.
Output devices -- printer, monitor etc.
Secondary storage devices -- Hard disk, CD, DVD etc.
Internal components -- CPU, motherboard, RAM etc.

Relationship between Hardware and Software

Hardware and software are mutually dependent on each other. Both of them
must work together to make a computer produce a useful output.
Software cannot be utilized without supporting hardware.
Hardware without set of programs to operate upon cannot be utilized and is
useless.
To get a particular job done on the computer, relevant software should be loaded
into the hardware
Hardware is a one-time expense.
Software development is very expensive and is a continuing expense.
Different software applications can be loaded on a hardware to run different
jobs.
A software acts as an interface between the user and the hardware.
If hardware is the 'heart' of a computer system, then software is its 'soul'. Both
are complimentary to each other.

COMPUTER - SOFTWARE
Software is a set of programs, which is designed to perform a well-defined function. A

program is a sequence of instructions written to solve a particular problem.

There are two types of software
System Software
Application Software

System Software
The system software is collection of programs designed to operate, control, and extend
the processing capabilities of the computer itself. System software are generally
prepared by computer manufactures. These software products comprise of programs
written in low-level languages which interact with the hardware at a very basic level.
System software serves as the interface between hardware and the end users.
Some examples of system software are Operating System, Compilers, Interpreter,
Assemblers etc.

Features of system software are as follows:

Close to system
Fast in speed
Difficult to design
Difficult to understand
Less interactive
Smaller in size
Difficult to manipulate
Generally written in low-level language

Application Software
Application software products are designed to satisfy a particular need of a particular
environment. All software applications prepared in the computer lab can come under
the category of Application software.
Application software may consist of a single program, such as a Microsoft's notepad for
writing and editing simple text. It may also consist of a collection of programs, often

called a software package, which work together to accomplish a task, such as a

spreadsheet package.
Examples of Application software are following:
Payroll Software
Student Record Software
Inventory Management Software
Income Tax Software
Railways Reservation Software
Microsoft Office Suite Software
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Powerpoint

Features of application software are as follows:

Close to user
Easy to design
More interactive
Slow in speed
Generally written in high-level language
Easy to understand
Easy to manipulate and use
Bigger in size and requires large storage space

COMPUTER - NUMBER SYSTEM

When we type some letters or words, the computer translates them in numbers as
computers can understand only numbers. A computer can understand positional
number system where there are only a few symbols called digits and these symbols
represent different values depending on the position they occupy in the number.

A value of each digit in a number can be determined using

The digit
The position of the digit in the number
The base of the number system (where base is defined as the total number of
digits available in the number system).

Decimal Number System

The number system that we use in our day-to-day life is the decimal number system.
Decimal number system has base 10 as it uses 10 digits from 0 to 9. In decimal number
system, the successive positions to the left of the decimal point represent units, tens,
hundreds, thousands and so on.
Each position represents a specific power of the base (10). For example, the decimal
number 1234 consists of the digit 4 in the units position, 3 in the tens position, 2 in the
hundreds position, and 1 in the thousands position, and its value can be written as
(1x1000)+ (2x100)+ (3x10)+ (4xl)
(1x103)+ (2x102)+ (3x101)+ (4xl00)
1000 + 200 + 30 + 4
1234

As a computer programmer or an IT professional, you should understand the following

number systems which are frequently used in computers.

S.N.
1

Number System and Description

Binary Number System
Base 2. Digits used : 0, 1

Octal Number System

Base 8. Digits used : 0 to 7

Hexa Decimal Number System

Base 16. Digits used : 0 to 9, Letters used : A- F

Binary Number System

Characteristics of binary number system are as follows:

Uses two digits, 0 and 1.
Also called base 2 number system
Each position in a binary number represents a 0 power of the base (2). Example
20
Last position in a binary number represents a x power of the base (2). Example 2x
where x represents the last position - 1.

Example
Binary Number : 101012
Calculating Decimal Equivalent:

Step

Binary
Number

Decimal Number

Step 1

101012

((1 x 24) + (0 x 23) + (1 x 22) + (0 x 21) + (1 x 20))10

Step 2

101012

(16 + 0 + 4 + 0 + 1)10

Step 3

101012

2110

Note : 101012 is normally written as 10101.

Octal Number System

Characteristics of octal number system are as follows:
Uses eight digits, 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7.
Also called base 8 number system
Each position in an octal number represents a 0 power of the base (8). Example
80
Last position in an octal number represents a x power of the base (8). Example 8x
where x represents the last position - 1.

Example
Octal Number : 125708
Calculating Decimal Equivalent:

Step

Octal
Number

Decimal Number

Step 1

125708

((1 x 84) + (2 x 83) + (5 x 82) + (7 x 81) + (0 x 80))10

Step 2

125708

(4096 + 1024 + 320 + 56 + 0)10

Step 3

125708

549610

Note : 125708 is normally written as 12570.

Hexadecimal Number System

Characteristics of hexadecimal number system are as follows:
Uses 10 digits and 6 letters, 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,A,B,C,D,E,F.
Letters represents numbers starting from 10. A = 10. B = 11, C = 12, D = 13, E = 14,
F = 15.
Also called base 16 number system
Each position in a hexadecimal number represents a 0 power of the base (16).
Example 160
Last position in a hexadecimal number represents a x power of the base (16).
Example 16x where x represents the last position - 1.

Example
Hexadecimal Number : 19FDE16
Calculating Decimal Equivalent:

Step

Binary Number

Decimal Number

Step 1

19FDE16

((1 x 164) + (9 x 163) + (F x 162) + (D x 161) + (E x 160))10

Step 2

19FDE16

((1 x 164) + (9 x 163) + (15 x 162) + (13 x 161) + (14 x

160))10

Step 3

19FDE16

(65536+ 36864 + 3840 + 208 + 14)10

Step 4

19FDE16

10646210

Note : 19FDE16 is normally written as 19FDE.

COMPUTER - NUMBER CONVERSION

There are many methods or techniques which can be used to convert numbers from
one base to another. We'll demonstrate here the following:
Decimal to Other Base System
Other Base System to Decimal
Other Base System to Non-Decimal
Shortcut method - Binary to Octal
Shortcut method - Octal to Binary
Shortcut method - Binary to Hexadecimal
Shortcut method - Hexadecimal to Binary

Decimal to Other Base System

steps
Step 1 - Divide the decimal number to be converted by the value of the new base.
Step 2 - Get the remainder from Step 1 as the rightmost digit (least significant
digit) of new base number.
Step 3 - Divide the quotient of the previous divide by the new base.
Step 4 - Record the remainder from Step 3 as the next digit (to the left) of the
new base number.
Repeat Steps 3 and 4, getting remainders from right to left, until the quotient becomes
zero in Step 3.
The last remainder thus obtained will be the most significant digit (MSD) of the new
base number.

Example
Decimal Number : 2910
Calculating Binary Equivalent:

Step

Operation

Result

Remainder

Step 1

29 / 2

14

Step 2

14 / 2

Step 3

7/2

Step 4

3/2

Step 5

1/2

As mentioned in Steps 2 and 4, the remainders have to be arranged in the reverse order
so that the first remainder becomes the least significant digit (LSD) and the last
remainder becomes the most significant digit (MSD).
Decimal Number : 2910 = Binary Number : 111012.

Other base system to Decimal System

Steps
Step 1 - Determine the column (positional) value of each digit (this depends on
the position of the digit and the base of the number system).
Step 2 - Multiply the obtained column values (in Step 1) by the digits in the
corresponding columns.
Step 3 - Sum the products calculated in Step 2. The total is the equivalent value
in decimal.

Example
Binary Number : 111012
Calculating Decimal Equivalent:

Step

Binary
Number

Decimal Number

Step 1

111012

((1 x 24) + (1 x 23) + (1 x 22) + (0 x 21) + (1 x 20))10

Step 2

111012

(16 + 8 + 4 + 0 + 1)10

Step 3

111012

2910

Binary Number : 111012 = Decimal Number : 2910

Other Base System to Non-Decimal System

Steps
Step 1 - Convert the original number to a decimal number (base 10).

Step 2 - Convert the decimal number so obtained to the new base number.

Example
Octal Number : 258
Calculating Binary Equivalent:

Step 1 : Convert to Decimal

Step

Octal
Number

Decimal Number

Step 1

258

((2 x 81) + (5 x 80))10

Step 2

258

(16 + 5 )10

Step 3

258

2110

Octal Number : 258 = Decimal Number : 2110

Step 2 : Convert Decimal to Binary

Step

Operation

Result

Remainder

Step
1

21 / 2

10

Step
2

10 / 2

Step
3

5/2

Step
4

2/2

Step
5

1/2

Decimal Number : 2110 = Binary Number : 101012

Octal Number : 258 = Binary Number : 101012

Shortcut method - Binary to Octal

Steps
Step 1 - Divide the binary digits into groups of three (starting from the right).
Step 2 - Convert each group of three binary digits to one octal digit.

Example
Binary Number : 101012
Calculating Octal Equivalent:

Step

Binary Number

Octal Number

Step 1

101012

010 101

Step 2

101012

28 58

Step 3

101012

258

Binary Number : 101012 = Octal Number : 258

Shortcut method - Octal to Binary

Steps
Step 1 - Convert each octal digit to a 3 digit binary number (the octal digits may
be treated as decimal for this conversion).
Step 2 - Combine all the resulting binary groups (of 3 digits each) into a single
binary number.

Example
Octal Number : 258
Calculating Binary Equivalent:

Step

Octal Number

Binary Number

Step 1

258

210 510

Step 2

258

0102 1012

Step 3

258

0101012

Octal Number : 258 = Binary Number : 101012

Shortcut method - Binary to Hexadecimal

Steps
Step 1 - Divide the binary digits into groups of four (starting from the right).
Step 2 - Convert each group of four binary digits to one hexadecimal symbol.

Example
Binary Number : 101012
Calculating hexadecimal Equivalent:

Step

Binary Number

Hexadecimal Number

Step 1

101012

0001 0101

Step 2

101012

110 510

Step 3

101012

1516

Binary Number : 101012 = Hexadecimal Number : 1516

Shortcut method - Hexadecimal to Binary

steps
Step 1 - Convert each hexadecimal digit to a 4 digit binary number (the
hexadecimal digits may be treated as decimal for this conversion).
Step 2 - Combine all the resulting binary groups (of 4 digits each) into a single
binary number.

Example
Hexadecimal Number : 1516
Calculating Binary Equivalent:

Step

Hexadecimal Number

Binary Number

Step 1

1516

110 510

Step 2

1516

00012 01012

Step 3

1516

000101012

Hexadecimal Number : 1516 = Binary Number : 101012

COMPUTER - DATA AND INFORMATION

What is data?
Data can be defined as a representation of facts, concepts or instructions in a
formalized manner which should be suitable for communication, interpretation, or
processing by human or electronic machine.
Data is represented with the help of characters like alphabets (A-Z,a-z), digits (0-9) or
special characters(+,-,/,*,<,>,= etc.).

What is Information?
Information is organised or classified data which has some meaningful values for the
receiver.
Information is the processed data on which decisions and actions are based.
For the decision to be meaningful, the processed data must qualify for the following
characteristics:
Timely - Information should be available when required.
Accuracy - Information should be accurate.
Completeness - Information should be complete.

Data Processing Cycle

Data processing is the re-structuring or re-ordering of data by people or machine to
increase their usefulness and add values for particular purpose. Data processing
consists of basic steps input, processing and output. These three steps constitute the
data processing cycle.

Input - In this step the input data is prepared in some convenient form for
processing. The form will depend on the processing machine. For example,
when electronic computers are used, the input data could be recorded on any
one of several types of input medium, such as magnetic disks, tapes and so on.
Processing - In this step input data is changed to produce data in a more useful
form. For example, pay-checks may be calculated from the time cards, or a
summary of sales for the month may be calculated from the sales orders.
Output - Here the result of the proceeding processing step are collected. The
particular form of the output data depends on the use of the data. For example,
output data may be pay-checks for employees.

COMPUTER - NETWORKING
What is a Computer Network?
A computer network is a system in which multiple computers are connected to each
other to share information and resources.

Characteristics of a computer network

Share Resources from one computer to another
Create files and store them in one computer, access those files from the other
computer(s) connected over the network
Connect a printer, scanner, or a fax machine to one computer within the
network and let other computers of the network use the machines available over
network.

Following is the list of hardware's required to setup a computer network.

Network Cables
Distributors
Routers
Internal Network Cards
External Network Cards

Network Cables
Network cables are used to connect computers. The most commonly used cable is
Category 5 cable RJ-45.

Distributors
A computer can be connected to another one via a serial port but if we need to connect
many computers to produce a network, this serial connection will not work. The
solution is to use a central body to which other computers, printers, scanners etc. can
be connected and then this body will manage or distribute network traffic.

Router
A router is a type of device which acts as the central point among computers and other
devices that are part of a network. A router is equipped with holes called ports and
computers and other devices are connected to a router using network cables. Now-adays router comes in wireless modes using which computers can be connected
without any physical cable.

Network Card
Network card is a necessary component of a computer without which a computer
cannot be connected over a network. It is also known as network adapter or Network
Interface Card (NIC). Most branded computers have network card pre-installed.
Network cards are of two types : Internal and External Network Cards.

Internal Network Cards

Motherboard has a slot for internal network card where it is to be inserted. Internal
network cards are of two types in which first type uses Peripheral Component
Interconnect (PCI) connection while the second type uses Industry Standard
Architecture (ISA). Network cables are required to provide network access.

External Network Cards

External network cards come in two flavours : Wireless and USB based. Wireless
network card need to be inserted into the motherboard but no network cable is
required to connect to network

Universal Serial Bus (USB)

USB card are easy to use and connect via USB port. Computers automatically detect
USB card and can install the drivers required to support the USB network card
automatically.

COMPUTER - OPERATING SYSTEM

It is a program with following features:
An operating system is a program that acts as an interface between the software
and the computer hardware.
It is an integrated set of specialised programs that are used to manage overall
resources and operations of the computer.
It is specialised software that controls and monitors the execution of all other
programs that reside in the computer, including application programs and other
system software.

Objectives of Operating System

To make a computer system convenient to use in an efficient manner
To hide the details of the hardware resources from the users
To provide users a convenient interface to use the computer system
To act as an intermediary between the hardware and its users and making it
easier for the users to access and use other resources
To manage the resources of a computer system
To keep track of who is using which resource, granting resource requests,
according for resource using and mediating conflicting requests from different
programs and users
To provide efficient and fair sharing of resources among users and programs

Characteristics of Operating System

Memory Management -- keeps tracks of primary memory i.e. what part of it is in
use by whom, what part is not in use etc. and allocates the memory when a
process or program requests it.
Processor Management -- allocates the processor(CPU) to a process and
deallocates processor when it is no longer required.
Device Management -- keeps track of all devices. This is also called I/O
controller that decides which process gets the device, when, and for how much
time.
File Management -- allocates and de-allocates the resources and decides who
gets the resources.
Security -- prevents unauthorized access to programs and data by means of
passwords and similar other techniques.
Job accounting -- keeps track of time and resources used by various jobs and/or
users.
Control over system performance -- records delays between request for a service
and from the system.
Interaction with the operators -- The interaction may take place via the console

of the computer in the form of instructions. Operating System acknowledges the

same, does the corresponding action and informs the operation by a display
screen.
Error-detecting aids -- Production of dumps, traces, error messages and other
debugging and error-detecting methods.
Coordination between other software and users -- Coordination and
assignment of compilers, interpreters, assemblers and other software to the
various users of the computer systems.

COMPUTER - INTERNET AND INTRANET

Internet
It is a worldwide system which has the following characteristics:
Internet is a world-wide / global system of interconnected computer networks.
Internet uses the standard Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)
Every computer in internet is identified by a unique IP address.
IP Address is a unique set of numbers (such as 110.22.33.114) which identifies a
computers location.
A special computer DNS (Domain Name Server) is used to give name to the IP
Address so that user can locate a computer by a name.
For example, a DNS server will resolve a name http://www.tutorialspoint.com
to a particular IP address to uniquely identify the computer on which this
website is hosted.
Internet is accessible to every user all over the world.

Intranet
Intranet is system in which multiple PCs are connected to each other.
PCs in intranet are not available to the world outside the intranet.
Usually each company or organization has their own Intranet network and
members/employees of that company can access the computers in their
intranet.
Each computer in Intranet is also identified by an IP Address which is unique
among the computers in that Intranet.

Similarities in Internet and Intranet

Intranet uses the internet protocols such as TCP/IP and FTP.
Intranet sites are accessible via web browser in similar way as websites in
internet. But only members of Intranet network can access intranet hosted sites.
In Intranet, own instant messengers can be used as similar to yahoo messenger/
gtalk over the internet.

Differences in Internet and Intranet

Internet is general to PCs all over the world whereas Intranet is specific to few
PCs.
Internet has wider access and provides a better access to websites to large
population whereas Intranet is restricted.
Internet is not as safe as Intranet as Intranet can be safely privatized as per the
need.

COMPUTER - HOW TO BUY?

This chapter gives the following information:
In this guide, we'll help you to buy a desktop on component by component
basis.
As desktops are highly customizable, so it is better to learn about main parts and
then go to manufacturer or retailer shop or site instead of looking at some
specific model directly.
Popular desktop brands are Dell, Lenovo, HP and Apple.
Compare the desktops based on their specifications and base price.

Monitor
Size - It is the diagonal size of the LCD screen. Larger the area, bigger the picture
screen. A bigger picture is preferable for movie watching and gaming. It will
increase productivity as well.
Resolution - This is the number of pixels on the screen. For example, 24-inch
display is 1920x1200 (width by length) and 22-inch display which is 1680x1050.
High resolution provides better picture quality and a nice gaming experience.
Inputs - Now-a-days monitors can accept inputs from cable as well apart from
computer. They also can have USB ports.
Stand - Some monitors come with adjustable stands while some may not.
Recommended - 24 Inch LCD.

Operating System
Operating System is the main software of the computer as everything will run on
it in one form or other.
There are primarily three choices : Windows, Linux, Apple OS X.
Linux is free but people generally do not use it for home purpose.
Apple OS X works only on Apple Desktops.
Windows 7 is very popular among desktop users.
Most of the computers come pre-equipped with Windows 7 Starter edition.
Windows 8 is recently introduced and is available in market.
Windows 7 and Windows 8 come in multiple versions from starter, home basic,
home premium, professional, ultimate and enterprise editions.
As edition version increases, their features list and price increases.
Recommended - Windows 7 Home Premium.

Optical Drive (CD / DVD / Blu-ray)

Optical drive is the drive on a computer which is responsible for using CD, DVD
and Blu-ray discs.

Now-a-days, DVD burners are industry standards.

DVD Burner can burn CD, DVD and play them.
DVD Burner is cheaper than Blu-ray drives.
Blu-ray drives can play HD movies but are costlier component.
Recommended - DVD Burner.

Memory
RAM is considered as Computer Memory as performance of a computer is
directly proportional to its memory and processor.
Today's software and operating system require high memory.
Today commonly used RAM is DDR3 which operates at 1066Mhz
As per Windows 7, 1 GB is the minimum RAM required to function properly.
Recommended - 4 GB.

Hard Drive
Hard disk is used for storage purpose. Higher the capacity, more data you can
save in it.
Now-a-days computers are equipped with 500GB hard drive which can be
extended to 2TB.
Most hard drives in desktop operate at the standard performance speed of
7200RPM.
Recommended - 500GB.

CPU
Frequency (GHz) - This determines speed of the processor. More the speed,
better the CPU.
Cores - Now-a-days CPUs come with more than one core, which is like having
more than one CPU in the computer. Programs which can take advantage of
multi-core environment will run faster on such machines.
Brand - Intel or AMD. Both are equivalent. Intel is in lead.
Cache - Higher the L1, L2 cache, better the CPU performance
Recommended - Intel Core i3 i3-3225 3.30 GHz Processor.

COMPUTER - AVAILABLE COURSES

Nowa-days, various types of educational courses are provided by educational
institutions.

Course

Name

Duration
(years)

Minimum Qualification

B.C.A

Bachelor of Computer
Applications

10+2

P.G.D.C.A

Post Graduate Diploma in

Computer Applications

Graduation

M.C.A

Master of Computer
Applications

Graduation

B.Sc.(CS)

Bachelor of Science
(Computer Science)

10+2

M.Sc.(CS)

Master of Science
(Computer Science)

Graduation

B.Tech.(CSE)

Bachelor of Technology
(Computer Science and
Engineering)

10+2

B.Tech.(IT)

Bachelor of Technology
(Information Technology)

10+2

M.Tech.(CSE)

Master of Technology
(Computer Science and
Engineering)

B.Tech / B.E.

M.Tech.(IT)

Master of Technology
(Information Technology)

B.Tech / B.E

B.E.(CSE)

Bachelor of Engineering
(Computer Science and
Engineering)

10+2

B.E.(IT)

Bachelor of Engineering
(Information Technology)

10+2

Diploma Courses
Apart from regular degree courses, now computer centers also provide short term
courses (from 3 months to 1 year).
Online courses are also getting popularity.
Computer Basics
Programming Language Trainings
Hardware Trainings
Network Certifications