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Introduction To Information Technology

 Raw – means unorganized, unprocessed and one can’t
TOPIC -1 take decision upon it. Examples are Naveed, 670, Blue,
Dheri, etc.
INTRODUCTION TO IT
Types of Data
There are four types of data usually used as input to
computer.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
1. CHARACTER DATA
 Information Technology or “infotech” is a technology
that merges computing (Computer Technology) with  Character Data consist of numbers, letters, or other
high-speed communication links (Communications symbols that are represented each by a single byte
Technology), carrying different types of data i.e. Text, in the ASCII.

According To the Syllabus

Audio, Graphics, and Video.  Character data takes less space in memory than all
other types of data.
COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY  Character data can further be divided into the following
four types.
 Computer technology consist of a programmable,
multi-use machine that accepts data (raw facts and
figures) and process or manipulates it into information, NUMERIC DATA
we can use, such as summaries, totals, or reports.  Consist of decimal numbers from 0 to 9 and decimal
 Purpose of the computer technology is to speed up point notations.
problem solving and increase productivity.
 Different types of computer are Calculator, Desktop ALPHABETIC DATA (TEXT DATA)
Computer, Portable Computer, Mainframe, Super and
Petrol Pump.  Consist of any alphabets from ‘A’ to ‘Z’ or from ‘a’ to
‘z’. For example Ali, Dheri, etc.

COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY
ALPHANUMERIC DATA
 Communication technology or Telecommunication
technology consists of electromagnetic devices and
 Consist of alphabets and numbers in combined form.
For example B52, F16, etc.
systems for communicating over long distances.
 Purpose of the communication technology is to link
remote places of the world together, so that, SPECIAL-CHARACTERS DATA
information can easily be exchanged.  Consist of special characters alone or in combination
 Different types of devices used in communications are with other characters. For example, $12, 50%, &, {, >,
Telephone, Radio, Broadcast television, Cable television, etc.
Satellite, Cellular phone, WebTV and Telegraph.
2. GRAPHICS DATA
In essence, the combination of computer  Graphics data consist of still pictures, which are in
technology and communication technology is computer terminology the digital representation of
referred to as Information Technology. non-character information such as drawing, chart, or
photograph.
 The present age is without any doubt, the age of  Graphics data takes more space in memory than
information technology. Because computers speedily Character data.
provides information and communications links sends  There are two types of graphics used in computer.

According To the Syllabus

these information to the remote places of the world in no
time.
BITMAPS
 All electronic, electromagnetic and other devices and
systems that are used in computer technology or  Bitmap graphics have information about each pixel
communications technology make the Information stored in the file i.e. they are resolution dependent.
Technology.  Bitmaps are easy to be displayed but scaling (sizing)
the bitmap will cause it of the poor quality.
 BMP (Bitmap), GIF (Graphics Interchange Format),
TOPIC -2
JPEG (Joint Photographic Expert Technology), etc. are
DATA AND INFORMATION files that stores bitmap graphics data.

VECTOR GRAPHICS
 Vector graphics do not store information about
DATA each pixel in the image. Rather vector graphics store
mathematical equations that describe how to redraw
 Data is a plural form of the Latin word Datum, which
the image.
means “something given”. In computer terminology the
 In other words vector graphics are resolution
term data is defined as:
independent and that is why they retain their original
quality in case of scaling.
“Any thing given in raw form like numbers, words and facts
 Graphics of CorelDraw, AutoCAD, etc. are vector
is called data.” OR graphics.

“Raw facts and figures about something is referred to as

data.”

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Introduction To Information Technology
3. AUDIO DATA  Input devices such as mouse, keyboard, joystick, etc.
are used to enter data for processing.
 Audio data includes digitized music, speech, or any
other sound.
 Audio data exists (is stored on computer) in various file 2. MANIPULATING THE DATA
formats e.g. WAV, WMA (Windows Media Audio),  Manipulation means to process the input data.
MPEG, RealAudio, QuickTime and MP3 (Moving  Processing may consist of the organizing (classifying),
Pictures Experts Group Audio Layer 3). arranging (sorting), calculating, and/or and
 MP3 is a special audio file format that reduces summarizing of data.
(compresses) an audio file to about one-tenth of its
original size with little or no change in its original quality.

According To the Syllabus

 Audio data takes more space in memory than 3. MANAGING THE OUTPUT RESULTS
Graphics data.  The processed and manipulated data is then ready to
be displayed as information for decision making.
 The output results are either displayed on display device,
4. VIDEO DATA
which is called soft-copy or printed on a paper by
 Video data consist of a series of still pictures printer, which is called hard copy.
(frames) that are displayed one after another. These
pictures or frames are displayed or projected one after
another at a typical speed of 15-30 frames per
second, creating an illusion of movement or video. Difference between MDP and EDP
 With so many frames of pictures, you can imagine that Following is the difference between Manual Data
video files will really take the most space in memory Processing (also called Conventional Data Processing)
than any other file format. and Electronic Data Processing.
 Video data is stored on computer in various file formats
such as MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group), AVI
(Audio Video Interleave), QuickTime, WMF (Windows MDP EDP
Media Format), and RealVideo. 1. All performed by 1. Performed by
human himself electronic machines

INFORMATION
2. Slow method 2. Faster method
3. More error chances 3. Less or no error
4. Unreliable results chances
 Information is the organized, processed or
5. Cheap system 4. Reliable results
manipulated, and meaningful form of data. 6. Difficult to perform 5. Expensive system
 Decision can be taken upon Information. 7. Time consuming 6. Easy to perform
 Computers process data into information, e.g. To 7. Time saving
produce a paycheck (information), a computer processes
the employee’s name, number of hours worked, and the
hourly rate of pay (data).
 Examples of information are Summaries, Totals,
Reports, NIC, Pictures, Movies, Bill etc.
 Types of data are also types of Information.
TOPIC -4
TOPIC -3 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER
DATA PROCESSING

According To the Syllabus

COMPUTER
DATA PROCESSING  A computer is an electronic machine that can
accepts data (raw facts and figures), manipulate
 Data Processing means to input data, manipulate or (process) it according to the given instructions,
process it and finally provide a meaningful output produces results and store the results for future use.
called information.
 Data processing is done either manually i.e. by hand
(Manual Data Processing) or electronically by computer Characteristics of Computer
(Electronic Data Processing). The following characteristics (features) of computer can help
you understand what a computer is?

Functions of Electronic Data Processing (EDP) ELECTRONIC MACHINE

In EDP, Data is transformed into information electronically.  It is not a manual machine. Rather it uses electricity to
Following are the functions performed in EDP. run.

1. CAPTURING THE INPUT DATA PROGRAMMABLE

 The first function performed by an EDP system is  Its programmer can program computer. Programmable
capturing the input data. means you can control its operations by giving
 The data captured may be in discrete-states (digital) instructions to it.
form or continuous (analog) form. Discrete data is for
example, 24, 25 or 0 & 1.
 Continuous data is for example, the speed of an
MULTI-USE (VERSATILITY)
automobile or temperature of the day.  Computer can be used for multiple functions such as
playing audio/video, creating memos and reports,

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Introduction To Information Technology
sending mail, playing games, forecasting weather  Still used in the Far East and its users can calculate at
reports, purchases, calculations and so on, both at the amazing speed.
same time and at intervals.
JOHN NAPIER’S BONE - 1617
SPEED  By John Napier
 Computer can perform in a few seconds the amount of  It was consisting of a set of numbered rods carved on
work that a human being can do in an entire year. bones.
 A powerful computer is capable performing about 3 to 4  Made long calculations faster and accurate than
million simple arithmetic operations per second. before.

ACCURACY
1642 – 1842 (Mechanical)

According To the Syllabus

 A computer performs an operation accurately. Errors
can occur in a computer, but these are mainly due to  Machines invented in this duration were all-mechanical
human rather than technological weaknesses. (automatic) or semi-mechanical.

DILIGENCE (NO TIREDNESS) 1642

 Unlike human beings a computer is free from tiredness  Blaise Pascal invented first mechanical Adding
and lack of concentration, etc. and hence can work for Machine.
hours together without creating any error and without  Addition and subtraction
grumbling.
1671
POWER OF REMEMBERING  Gottfried Leibniz of Germany invented the first calculator
 Unlike human beings, computer can remember (store) for multiplication.
and recall any amount of information.
 A computer does not forget something, once stored. 1842
 Computer stores data, information, and instructions on
its secondary storage devices such as Hard disk,  Charles Babbage, a nineteenth century professor at
Floppy disk, CD, etc. Cambridge University, is considered to be the father of
modern digital computer.
 Babbage designed a “Difference Engine” in the year
NO I.Q. 1822, which could produce reliable tables.
 I.Q. stands for Intelligence Query. Computer has no  In 1842, he made an “Analytical Engine” that was
intelligence of its own. It can only perform tasks that intended to be completely automatic.
a human being has told to it.  Analytical Engine was capable of performing the basic
 A programmer gives instructions to computer to make arithmetic functions.
the computer able perform its tasks. A computer can’t  60 additions per second
take its own decision.  Used punched card system as input.
 Analytical Engine had input unit, control unit,
processing unit (mill) and storage unit (store), which
NO FEELINGS
was the basis for modern digital computer.
 Computers have no emotions and feelings because
they are machine. No computer possesses the equivalent
of a human heart and soul. They are only as good as
man makes and uses them.
1937 – 1944 (Electro-Mechanical)

According To the Syllabus

MARK-I (1937-1944)
TOPIC –5
 Mark-I was the first Electro-mechanical device
HISTORY / EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS invented in 1937 by Howard A. Aiken of Harvard
University in collaboration with IBM (International
Business Machines).
 Also called Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator.
 “Necessity is the mother of invention.”  Technique was based on punch card.
 Computer is invented as a result of man’s search for fast  Five basic arithmetic operations are performed by
and accurate calculating machine. MarkI i.e. Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, Division
 The history of computer is described below. and Table reference.
 3 seconds needed for addition of two numbers, and

600BC – 1617 (All manual) 4.5 seconds for multiplication.

 During this duration all machines invented were all 1948

operated by hands (manually)
 Transistor, the smaller and reliable successor to the
Vacuum Tube was invented.
ABACUS (SOROBON) – 600BC
 Abacus was the first digital computer, although not EDVAC (1946-1952)
having all the features of a digital computer.
 Dr. John Von Neumann designed the EDVAC
 It permits the user to represent numbers by positioning
(Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) on
the beads on a rack or string.
“stored program” concept.
 Simple addition and subtraction can be done by
 “Stored Programs” means that a sequence of instructions
abacus.
(programs) and data can be stored in the memory of

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computer for the purpose of automatically directing the  In computer electricity is either on or off. Vacuum
flow of operations. tubes, which were about the size and shape of small light
 Von Neumann also introduced the idea of storing bulbs, stored data by turning individual tubes on or off,
instructions and data in the binary form (0 and 1), so that to represent 0s and 1s. Vacuum tube was
instead of human readable words. nothing than a switch (on or off).
 The ENIAC, which belongs to this generation, used
18,000 tubes.
EDSAC (1947-1949)
 These Computers were programmed in machine
 The EDSAC (Electronic Delay Storage Automatic language.
Calculator) was developed by Britishers (Professor  Computers belongs to this generation are ENIAC,
Maurice Wilkes at the Cambridge University), almost at EDVAC, EDSAC, etc.
the same time with EDVAC of U.S.A.
 The EDSAC was also developed on “stored program
concept”. ADVANTAGES
 Addition took 1500 microseconds and  Vacuum tube technology made possible the advent of

According To the Syllabus

multiplication took 4000 microseconds. electronic digital computers.
 Fastest calculating devices of their time.
Computations were done in milliseconds.
UNIVAC (1951)
 UNIVAC (Universal Automatic Computer) was the first
digital commercial computer developed by Sperry DISADVANTAGES
Rand.  Too bulky (big) in size and has more weight. Size of
 UNIVAC I, was used for business firstly by General ENIAC was 1500 square feet, and weighed 30 tons.
Electric Corporation in 1954.  Unreliable (A vacuum tube failure occurred on average
 In 1952, IBM (International Business Machines) once every 7minutes and it took about 15minutes to find
introduced the 701 commercial computer. and replace the faulty tube.
 In 1953, IBM produced the IBM-650 and sold over  Heat Problem (due to thousands of Vacuum tubes).
1000 of these computers.  Air-conditioning required.
 Manual assembly of individual components into a
function unit.
1964
 Non-portable – these computers were fixed on their
 Integrated Circuits (ICs) were introduced in the world place.
of computer. The process of miniaturization of  Commercial production was difficult and costly.
computer started.

1965 Second Generation (1955 – 1964)

 First Mini Computer was developed, which used  Transistor – the parent of today’s computer
Integrated Circuits. components was used as the new technology.
 Transistor is a smaller and more reliable successor
to the vacuum tube.
1970
 Transistor is a tiny electrically operated switch, or
 Large Scale ICs (LSI) were developed. Large Scale gate, that can alternate between on and off many
means a large amount of Transistors are formed on a millions of times per second.
single IC chip.  Transistors were made individually and then formed into
an electronic circuit with the use of wires and solder.
1975  Programmed in machine or symbolic language.
 First Microcomputer was developed.
ADVANTAGES

According To the Syllabus

1980  Computers were small in size. The fist transistor was
one-hundredth of the size of a vacuum tube.
 CPU (Processor) was designed on a single chip.  More reliable.
 Less heat generated.
TOPIC -6  Computational times were reduced from milliseconds
to microseconds.
GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER  Better portability and wider commercial use than
first generation.

 In computer terminology, a generation means ‘a step in

technology’. DISADVANTAGES
 Originally the term ‘generation’ was used to distinguish  Air-conditioning required.
between different hardware technologies, because  Manual assembly of individual components into a
computer was only a hardware device at that time. But functioning unit required.
nowadays, it has been extended to include both the  Commercial production was difficult and costly.
hardware and software.
 There are five generations of computer, known till
today. Third Generation (1964 – 1975)
 IC (Integrated Circuit), which was the big step to the
First Generation (1942 – 1955) miniaturization of electronic devices, was used as the
new most important component in computers, belonging
 Vacuum Tube – The Grandfather of today’s computer this generation.
components was used in these computers as the most
important component.

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 IC is an entire electronic circuit including wires  Totally general purpose.
formed on a single “chip”, or piece of special material,  Cheapest.
usually silicon.
 Silicon is an element that is widely found in clay and
DISADVANTAGES
sand. It is used because
 Highly sophisticated technology required for the
 Its abundance makes it cheap manufacture of LSI, VLSI, and ULSI chips.
 It is a semiconductor. A semiconductor is a
material whose electrical properties are intermediate
between a good conductor of electricity and a non- Fifth Generation (1980 – onwards)
conductor of electricity.  Machine with genuine I.Q. – is the basic feature of this
 It has a partial resistance to electricity. generation.
 I.Q. means that computers in this generation are
 A “chip” or “microchip”, is a tiny piece of silicon that supposed to be upgraded to a stage where AI (Artificial

According To the Syllabus

contains millions of micro-miniature electronic Intelligence) techniques such as voice recognition,
components, mainly transistors. computer vision and natural language understanding, will
 Procedure-oriented languages were used. be incorporated in them.
 Mini Computers belong to this generation.  Japan has chosen the PROLOG (Programming in Logic)
language as its operating software and plans to have the
ADVANTAGES final machine talk with human beings see and deliver
pictures and hear the normal natural language.
 Smaller in size, even more reliable, and lower heat-
 Industrial and Personal robots have been developed for
generated as compared to previous generations.
now.
 Easily portable.
 Scrub Mate is a robot, which is equipped with
 Totally General-purpose. Widely used for various
computerized controls, ultra-sonic “eyes”, sensors,
commercial applications all over the world.
batteries, three different cleaning and scrubbing tools,
 Less power required.
and a self-squeezing mop. This robot is used to clean
 Manual assembly of individual components into a
bathrooms.
functioning unit not required.
 Commercial production was easier and cheaper.
 Computer memory became volatile. ADVANTAGES
 Increased internal memory and fast processing
DISADVANTAGES speed.
 Robots and Expert Systems assist human beings in
 Air-conditioning required.
many problems to solve.
 Highly sophisticated technology required for the
 Computers were made possible to adopt some human
manufacture of IC chips.
qualities.
 Time sharing and multiprogramming problem.

DISADVANTAGES
Fourth Generation (1975 – 1980)  Highly sophisticated software and hardware
 Used LSI (Large Scale Integration), VLSI (Very Large technology required developing such machines with
Scale Integration), ULSI (Ultra Large Scale Integration) humanlike qualities.
chips instead of SSI (Small Scale Integration) and MSI
(Medium Scale Integration). TOPIC –7
 SSI, MSI, LSI, VLSI, ULSI, etc. are the technologies that
represent number of components (mainly transistors) TYPES OF COMPUTERS
on a single IC chip.

According To the Syllabus

 SSI ----------- (10 – 20 components)  Types or kinds of computers refer to their classification
 MSI-----------(Up to 100 components) on the basis of their working. There are three basic
 LSI------------(30,000 components) types of computers.
 VLSI----------(More than 1 million components)
 ULSI----------(More than 10 million components)
Analog Computer
 This generation used semiconductor, laser and bubble  Accepts analog input and provides and analog output
memories technologies. of information.
 Multiprocessing and distributed processing  Data is directly (without having to convert it into
capabilities. numbers and codes) feed into it in continuously
 Significant Application Software. varying form.
 Significant advances in input/output devices.  Used to represent physical quantities such as distance,
(Optical readers, audio response terminals, graphics velocity, acceleration, temperature, pressure, etc.,
display terminals, etc.) because these quantities are continuously changing.
 Mini and Microcomputers.  No storage capability required, because they measure
and compare quantities in a single operation.
ADVANTAGES  Faster than digital, but not accurate, precise, and
repeatable.
 Smallest in size and very reliable.
 Output is generally in the form of readings on a series
 Heat generated is negligible and thus no air-
of dial.
conditioning required.
 Uses
 Much faster in computation than previous generations.
 Easily portable.
 Engineering and scientific works
 Use of microprocessor.
 Oil refinery

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Introduction To Information Technology

 Examples are speedometer, thermometer, Super computers

barometer and analog clocks.  Super computer refers to the most powerful
scientific computer at a given time.

Digital Computer  Fastest, most powerful, most expensive and may be

largest in size.
 Digital computer accepts digital input and provides  Number of simultaneously connected users is from
digital information. hundreds to thousands.
 Data is feed into it in the form of discrete states of  General Price is from 500,000 dollars to more than
electricity (Electrical charge present or absent i.e. 0 or 85 million dollars.
1). It means that data is not entered in continuous  Physical size is usually full room of equipment.

According To the Syllabus

form.  ASCII White (Accelerated Strategies Computing
 Used to represent digital quantities. Digital quantities Initiative white) is the fastest super computer in the
usually consist of digits. For example, 12:15, no of world has the following features.
students in a class, 0 and 1, etc.
 They have storage capabilities or in other words  8,192 processors
memory.  Can process 12.3 trillion operations per second
 Results are more accurate, precise and repeatable.  Takes up 12,000 square-feet space (which is the
 Uses space required by two basket-ball courts)
 Weighs 106 tons
 Scientific operations  97,000 times the memory of 64MB microcomputer
 Business operated jobs  16,000 time the secondary storage capacity of a
10GB microcomputer hard disk.
 Examples are Accounting machines, calculators,  83 miles of wiring
digital watches and other digital machines, etc.  Cost 85 million dollars

 Applications/ Uses
Hybrid Computer
 Sending astronauts into space
 Hybrid computer is having the best features of both
 Testing safety and aerodynamic features on
analog and digital computers.
cars and aircraft
 Controlling missile guidance systems
 The speed of analog computer
 Weather forecasting
 The accuracy of digital computer
 Modeling molecules
 Census count
 Used to represent quantities both in physical as well
 Oil exploration
as digital forms.
 Simulating nuclear weapons tests
 Different measurements are converted into digits
and are processed by the computer.
 Examples are ASCII White, Cray T3E, and CYBER-
 Uses
205.
 Air defense system
 Petrol pump (New)
Mainframe Computers (High-End Servers)
Computer  Large, expensive, very powerful computer that can

According To the Syllabus

s handle hundred or thousand of connected users
simultaneously.
Analog Digital Hybrid  Each user accesses the mainframe’s resources through a
Computer Computer Computer device called a terminal or some times PCs.
s s  Two types of terminals are used:

TOPIC –8  A dumb terminal – does not have its own CPU or

storage devices. It has a display screen and a
keyboard and can input and output data but cannot
CLASSIFICATION/CATEGORIES OF COMPUTERS by itself process store data.
 An intelligent terminal – can perform some
processing operations, but it usually does not have
 Classification of computers refers to the subtypes of any storage.
digital computer.
 Digital computers are typically classified into five  Mainframes have usually very large memory. They can
categories according to their physical size, price, store tremendous amount of data, instructions and
speed and processing power. information.
 Physical size is Partial room to a Full room of
 Super or Super-powerful computers equipment.
 Mainframe or Large computers  General price ranges from 300,000 dollars to
 Mid-range or Mini or Medium-size computers several million dollars. Thus a standard choice for
 Micro or personal or Small-size computers almost any large business.
 Mobile or portable devices/ computers  Midrange Servers (Mini computers) and other
mainframes can access data and information from a
mainframe.
 Large companies such as Airlines, banks and
insurance companies use mainframes.
 Examples are IBM 4381, ICL 2900, and NEC 610.

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Midrange Servers (Mini Computers or Minis) NOTEBOOK COMPUTERS
 Also called laptop computers, are lightweight,
 Released in 1960. portable computers with built-in monitor, keyboard,
 Smallest of their time, that is why they were called hard-disk drive, battery and Ac adapter – that can be
Mini computers. plugged into an electrical outlet.
 Medium-size, medium-power, and medium cost  Notebook means that you can fold and shut them just
computers. Medium means – their size, power and cost like a notebook.
fall between mainframes and Microcomputers.  Laptop means that they are small enough to fit on your
 Number of simultaneously connected users is from two lap.
to several thousands.
 Physical size is about a small cabinet.
 General price ranges from 5,000 dollars to 850,000 TABLET PC

According To the Syllabus

dollars.  Tablet PC combines the features of a traditional
 In many cases, one Midrange server accesses data on notebook computer with the simplicity of pencil
another server. In other cases, people use personal and paper.
computers or terminals to access programs on a  Moreover, they usually do not fold shut and haven’t a
server. keyboard – they usually are touched with finger or
 Examples: HP 3000, PRIME 9755, and IBM System- special digital pen.
36.

Mobile Devices/ Computers

Note: Both Mainframes and Midrange Computers are  Very small devices usually designed to allow
wireless access to the Web and E-mail.
used as servers, but Mainframes are costly and good
 They usually do not have disk drives. Instead, these
choice for large organization and businesses, while
devices store programs and data permanently on
Midrange computers are cheaper than mainframes and
memory inside the system unit or small storage media
good choice for smaller businesses and organizations.
such as memory cards.
 Popular types of mobile devices are hand-held
computers, PDAs, and Smart phones.

Microcomputers (Personal Computers/PCs) HAND-HELD (Palmtop Computers)

 Released in 1970 onwards when CPU was designed on
 They are small enough to fit in one hand while you
a single chip.
operate it with the other hand.
 PCs are those computers that can perform all of its
 They have small keyboards.
input, processing, output, and storage activities by
 Hand-held computer is the best choice for mobile
itself.
employees, such as meter readers and parcel delivery
 A personal computer contains a processor, memory
people.
and one or more input, output, and storage devices.
 Uses
PDAs (Pocket PCs)
 Small businesses  They usually do not have keyboards; instead like
 Large businesses Tablet PCs – the screen is touched with the finger or
 Home and offices special pen called stylus.
 A stylus uses pressure to write and draw.
 Popular examples are:  PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) provide personal

According To the Syllabus

organizer functions such as a calendar,
 PC-Compatible appointment book, address-book, calculator, and
 Apple notepad.
 PDAs also provide facilities such as messaging,
 PC- compatible was originally designed by IBM and electronic mail, word processing and spreadsheet
used Windows as its operating system software. software and games.
 Apple was designed by Apple Company and used
Macintosh operating system software.
 According to their specific uses, PCs are divided into the SMART PHONES
following four types.  Smart phones are web-enabled telephones offering
the convenience of one-hand operation.
DESKTOP COMPUTERS  Smart phones are usually designed to allow wireless
access to the Web and E-mail, in addition to their
 Those in which the case or system unit sits on a desk, regular telephone and paging capabilities.
with keyboard in front and monitor (screen) often on top  Some higher priced models have color screens and
of system unit. play music.
 All mobiles having the capabilities to access the Web
TOWER PCS and E-mail fall in this category.
 Those in which the case/system unit sits as a
“tower”, often on the floor beside a desk, thus freeing
up desk surface space.

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Digital
Computers

Super Mainframe Midrange Personal / Mobile

Computers Computers Servers/ Mini Micro Computers
Computers Computers /Devices
(PCs)

According To the Syllabus

Desktop Tower PCs Notebook Tablet PCs
Computers Computers

Hand-held PDAs Smart

computers Phones

 If the CPU is the computer’s brain, then the input devices

are its eyes and ears.
TOPIC –9  Popular input devices include the keyboard, mouse,

COMPONENTS OF COMPUTERS stylus, digital pen, microphone, digital camera,

scanner and joystick.

THE KEYBOARD
 “Components of computer” refers to the details of
Hardware and Software components of computer, but  Keyboard is an input device that converts letters,
you must keep it in mind that usually the title numbers, and other characters into electrical
“Components of Computer” is used for only hardware signals readable by the processor.
components. We are using the title in its original sense,  Keyboards consist of keys that are pressed by users to
because we find it necessary to organize the topics and enter data into a computer.
subtopics in a way that is easily understandable.  Desktop computer keyboards typically have from
 There are two major components of modern computer 101 to 105 keys and keyboards for smaller computers
– hardware and software. such as notebook computers have fewer keys.
 In Desktop computer keyboards often attach via a cable
to a serial port, a keyboard port, or a USB (Universal
HARDWARE (Basic Computer Organization) 
Serial Bus) port on the system unit.
On notebook and many hand-held computers the

According To the Syllabus

 Students should note that components of computer in keyboard is built into the top of the system unit.
question paper would mean the hardware components
of computer.
 Electric, electronic and mechanical components of
computer are known as hardware. Hardware consists Pointing Devices (Mouse and other)
of all the machinery and equipment in a computer A pointing device is an input device that allows a user to
system. Hardware can be touched physically. control a pointer on the screen. In a graphical user
 Basic Computer Organization means that how interface (GUI), a pointer is a small symbol on the screen,
different hardware components of computer are whose location and shape changes as a user moves a
organized to form a whole system. pointing device. Some pointing devices are discussed
 The internal architectural design of computers differs below.
from one system model to another. However, basic
organization remains the same for all computer systems. MOUSE
 Basic computer organization/Hardware Components
 Mouse is an input device that is used to manipulate
of computer include input devices, output devices, a
objects viewed on the computer display screen.
system unit, storage devices and communication
 A mouse fits comfortably under the palm of you hand. It
devices.
is the most widely used pointing device.
 With the mouse, users control the movement of the
Input Devices 
pointer, often called a mouse pointer in this case.
The top and sides of a mouse have one to four
 Input devices are the hardware components that buttons; some also have small wheel. The bottom of
allow users to enter data or instructions into a mouse is flat and contains the mechanism that detects
computer. movement of the mouse.
 In other words input devices convert (translate) data  Two types of mouse are:
and instructions from people-readable form (i.e.
letters, numbers, other symbols) into a form that  A mechanical mouse – has a rubber or a metal
computer can process (i.e. binary 0s and 1s). ball on its underside and you place it on a mouse

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 Introduction To Information Technology
12:08 AM
pad. Movement of ball is necessary to move the  Computers in restaurants, cafeterias, gift shops, and
pointer. resorts usually have touch screens.
 An optical mouse – has no ball; rather it uses  Most PDAs, Tablet PCs, and some Notebook computers
devices that emits and sense light to detect the have touch screens.
mouse’s movement.
 Mice (Plural of Mouse) can be attached to the system
unit through serial port, mouse port, or USB port. STYLUS, DIGITAL PEN, AND CURSOR
 Cordless or Wireless mice are also available.  A stylus and digital pen look like a ballpoint pen, but
uses pressure, instead of ink, to write text and draw
TRACKBALL lines.
 A digital pen typically provides more functionality than
 Similar to a mechanical mouse, but it has a ball on its a stylus. These pens are quite sophisticated, featuring
top. erasers and programmable buttons.
 You rotate the ball with your thumb, fingers, or the  Architects, mapmakers, artists, and designers
palm of your hand to move the pointer. create drawings ad sketches by using a pen or a cursor
 A trackball usually has one or more buttons just like

According To the Syllabus

on a graphics tablet. A graphics tablet (also called
mouse buttons. digitizer) is a flat, rectangular, electronic plastic board.
 Requires less space than mouse, because here you  A cursor looks similar to a mouse, except it has a
rotate only the ball not the whole device. window with cross hairs, so the user can see through to
the tablet.
TOUCH PAD (TRACK PAD)
 A small stationary, flat, rectangular pointing device
that is sensitive to pressure and motion. Voice/Audio Input Devices (Microphone)
 To move the pointer, simply slide your fingertip across An audio input device records analog sound such as
the surface of the pad. speech, music, or other sound effects, and translates it for
 Most often used with notebook computers. digital storage and processing.

POINTING STICK MICROPHONE

 A pressure-sensitive pointing device shaped like a  Microphone is the most commonly and may be solely
pencil eraser that is positioned between keys on used audio input device.
mostly a notebook computer keyboards.  An audio signal (continuously variable wave within a
 The pointer on the screen moves in the direction, you certain frequency range) recorded by the microphone
push the pointing stick. can be digitized in two ways – by an audio board or a
 Some notebook computers have both a touch pad and a MIDI board.
pointing stick.
 An audio board (sound-card) is an add-on circuit
JOYSTICK AND WHEEL board in a computer that converts analog sound
from a cassette player or a microphone to digital
 Users running game software or flight and driving
sound and stores it for further processing and/or
simulation software often use a joystick or wheel
plays it back, providing output directly to speakers
as pointing devices.
or an external amplifier.
 A Joystick is a vertical lever mounted on a base. You
 A MIDI board (usually found in the sound card)
move the lever in different directions to control the
stands for Musical Instrument Digital Interface –
actions of the simulated vehicle or player.
provides a standard for the interchange of musical
 A wheel is a steering-wheel type input device. Users
information between musical instruments,
turn the wheel to simulate driving a car, truck, or other
synthesizers, and computers.
vehicle.
 Most wheels also include foot pedals for accelerations
 Microphone may be

According To the Syllabus

and braking actions.
 A joystick or wheel typically attaches via a cable to the
 A stand-alone peripherals that sits on top of a desk
game port on a sound card or game card or to a USB
 Built into the computer or device
port.
 Or in a headset

LIGHT PEN  Some external microphones have a cable that

 Light pen is a hand-held input device that can detect attaches to a port on the sound card on the computer.
the presence of light on the specially designed monitor, Others communicate using wireless technology.
or a standard monitor.  Voice recognition, also called speech recognition, is the
 To select object on the screen, a user presses the computer’s capability of distinguishing spoken words.
light pen against the surface of the screen or Voice recognition programs do not understand speech.
points the light pen at the screen and the presses a They recognize a vocabulary of pre-programmed words.
button on the pen.
 Health care professionals, such as doctors and
dentists, use light pens, because they can slid ea Video Input Devices (Video cameras)
protective sleeve over the pen – keeping their finger free Video input is the process of capturing full-motion
of pollution. images into a computer and storing them on a storage
 Light pens also are ideal for areas where employees’ medium such as a hard disk or DVD.
hands might contain food, dirt, grease, or other
chemical that could damage the computer.
VIDEO CAMERAS (Cam-Corders)
TOUCH SCREEN  Video Camera is the most commonly or may be solely
video-input device. In some cases a television may be
 A touch-screen is a touch-sensitive display device. used for video input.
 Users interact with these devices by touching areas of  Two types of video cameras are used.
the screen with a finger.

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ANALOG VIDEO CAMERAS converts them into digital data that a computer can
process.
 Analog Video Cameras input analog video signals.
 Three types of optical readers are OCR, OMR and Bar
Computers, by contrast, use digital signals. To input
Code Reader.
video from these analog cameras, the analog signal is
converted into a digital signal using Video Capture
 OCR – (Optical Character Recognition) is used to
card. Simply plug a video camera, VCR, or other analog
read typewritten, computer-printed, or hand-
video device into a video capture port on the system
printed characters from ordinary documents and
unit. TV Tuner card is used to capture the video (and
translating the images into a form that the computer
audio) from television signals and display them on your
can process.
PC.
 OMR – (Optical Mark Recognition) is used to read
DIGITAL VIDEO CAMERAS hand-written marks such as small circles or
 The new generation of Video Cameras is called a Digital rectangles. A person places these marks on a form,
Video (DV) camera. such as a test, survey, or questionnaire answer
 A digital camera records video as digital signals instead sheet.

According To the Syllabus

of analog signals.
 Many DV cameras have the capability of capturing still  Bar Code Reader – An optical reader that uses
images (frames), as well as motion. laser beams to read bar codes. A bar code is an
 To transfer recorded images to a hard disk or CD or identification code that consists of a set of vertical
DVD, users convert DV cameras directly to a USB port line and spaces of different widths. The bar code
or a Fire-Wire ports on the system Unit. Thus the represents data that identifies the
computer does not need a video capture card. manufacturer and the item. Each industry uses
its own type of bar code. The most familiar type of
 A PC video camera or PC-camera is a types of bar code is UPC (Universal Product Code). Using a
digital video camera that enables a home or small- Bar Code Reader, you can also observe the original
business user to capture video and still images, send price of thee item.
e-mail messages with video attachments, add live
images to instant messages and make video MICR READERS
telephone calls.
 MICR (Magnetic Ink character Recognition) is a
 Web Cam is a video camera that displays its
technology that reads text printed with magnetized
output on a Web page (Web browser). A Web
ink.
Cam attracts web site visitors by showing images
 A MICR reader converts MICR characters into a form the
that change regularly.
computer can process.
 Used widely in banks for check processing. The MICR
reader reads the bank number, customer account
Scanners and Reading Devices number, and the check number, already coded in
magnetized form.
These are devices that capture data directly from a
source document, without human intervention. Source
documents, for examples, are time cards, order forms,
invoices, paychecks, advertisements, photographs, or
any other documents that contains data to be processed.
Three types of Scanning Devices are:

OPTICAL SCANNER
 An optical scanner, usually called a scanner, is a light-
sensing input device that read the printed text and
graphics (drawing and photos, and the like); and then

According To the Syllabus

translates the results into a form, the computer
can process.
 Four types of scanners are flatbed, pen, sheet fed, and
drum.

 Flatbed – Works similar to a copy machine, except

it creates a file of the document inmemory instead
of a paper copy.

 Pen or Handheld – Move pen over text to be

scanned, then transfer data to computer. (Ideal for
mobile users)

 Sheet-fed – Item to be scanned is pulled into a

stationary scanning mechanism.

 Drum – Item to be scanned rotates around

stationary scanning mechanism. Very expensive,
used in publishing industries.

OPTICAL READERS
 An optical reader is a device that uses light source
to read characters, marks, and codes and then

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