NAFOWA SECONDARY SCHOOL

NIGERIAN AIR FORCE BASE, NAF VALLEY ESTATE, ASOKORO, ABUJA

SUBJECT: COMPUTER STUDIES CLASS: SS 1

PREPARED BY: Rejoice Alpha
SCHEME OF WORK
WEEK TOPIC
THEME: FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER
1. Overview of Computer System: (a) Definition of a computer (b) Two main constituents of a
computer (i) computer hardware
(ii) computer software
2. Overview of Computer System: (c) Computer hardware (i) System unit (ii) Peripherals (d)
Computer software (i) Systems software (ii) Applications software (e) Characteristics of a
Computer.
3. Data and Information: (a) Definition of data and information (b) Differences between data
and information (c) Examples of data and information.
THEME: COMPUTER EVOLUTION.
4. Computing devices I (Pre-computer age to 19 th century): Features, components and uses
of: (i) Abacus (ii) Slide rule
(iii) Napier’s bone (iv) Pascal’s calculator (v) Leibnitz multiplier (vi) Jacquard’s loom (vii)
Charles Babbage (viii) Analytical Engine (xi) Hollerith Census Machine (x) Burroughs’s
Machine.
5. Computing devices II (20th Century to date): Features, components and uses of (i)ENIAC (ii)
EDVAC (iii)UNIVAC 1 (iv) Desktop Personal Computers (v)Laptop &Notebook computers
(vi)Palm Top computer.
THEME: COMPUTER HARDWARE
6. Input Devices: (a) Definition of input devices (b) Types of input devices (i) Keyboard (ii)
Mouse (iii) Scanner (iv) Microphone (v) Joystick (vi) Card readers (vii) Light pen (viii) Digital
camera etc.
7. Input Devices (cont’d): (c) Keyboard (i) Structure and function (ii) Keys on the Keyboard –
Function keys, Numerical keys, Alphabetic keys, Special character keys, cursor control keys,
Command keys etc. (d) Mouse- features, functions and operation.
8. Output Devices: (a) Definition of output devices (b) Features and uses of output
devices :monitor ,printer, speaker and plotter (c) Monitor-structure, types and functions:
Type-monochrome, color.
9. Output Devices (cont’d): (c) Printer types: Impact- Dot-matrix printers, Line printers,
Character printers. Non- Impact: Inkjet printers, Laser printers and Thermal printers. (d)
Comparative study of common printer.
10. Revision.
11. Examination.

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OVERVIEW OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

DEFINITION OF A COMPUTER

DEFINITION 1:
A Computer is an electronic device which under the control of a stored program can accept
process, store, retrieve data and output the result as information in a specified form.

DEFINITION 2:
A Computer is an advanced electronic device that takes raw data as input from the user, processes these
data under the control of set of instructions (called program), gives the result (output) and saves output for
future use.
DFINITION 3:
A Computer can be defined as a programmable electronic device designed for performing
prescribed operations on data at high speed. It can also be linked to other devices for inputting,
storing, retrieving, and output of information.

The three basic operations of the computer are:

Input (Data)
Input is the raw data entered into a computer from the input devices. It is the collection of letters,
numbers, images etc.
Process
Process is the operation of data as per given instruction. It is totally internal process of the
computer system.
Output
Output is the processed data given by computer after data processing. The output is known as
Information. We can save these results in the storage devices for the future use.

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CONSTITUENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM:

A system is a set of connected parts forming a complex whole. Therefore a computer system is a functional
unit of interconnected parts or devices working together to achieve a common output.
It is made up of the CPU, memory and related electronics (main cabinet), all the peripheral devices
connected to it and its operating system.
The computer system can be grouped into two namely:
1. Computer Hardware
2. Computer Software

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Study the topic ‘COMPUTER SYSTEM’ using your students’ textbook

OVERVIEW OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

1. Computer Hardware
2. Computer Software
3. Characteristics of a Computer
COMPUTER HARDWARE
Computer hardware is the collection of physical elements that constitute a computer system.
Computer hardware refers to the physical parts or components of a computer such as monitor,
keyboard, hard drive disk, mouse, CPU (graphic cards, sound cards, memory, motherboard and
chips), etc. all of which are physical objects that you can actually touch.
Computer hardware is divided into two main categories namely:
 System unit, and
 Peripherals
The System Unit is the electronic components such as CPU, primary memory and other devices
that are used to process and store data, It is the computer casing or cabinet that contains the
Central Processing Unit (CPU) and many other electronic components. It contains many hardware
components that can be seen only when the case or cabinet is open.

A Peripheral device is any piece of hardware attached to the computer’s system unit to facilitate or
enhance input and output operations. Those devices which are not an integral part of the CPU are
referred to as peripherals. These attachments increase the capabilities of the computer. Peripherals

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are usually used for either input, storage, output and communication devices (such as a hard
disk, keyboard, printer, modems, digital camera, etc.).
Fig 1a.

Fig 1b

The main hardware components of a computer system

Input devices are hardware devices which take information from the user of the computer
system, convert it into electrical signals and transmit it to the processor. The primary function of
input devices is to allow humans to interact with the computer system. For instance
a mouse allows the user to control the movement of the pointer (a common element in user
interface design).
Output devices take data from the computer system and convert it to a form that can be
interpreted by humans. For instance a monitor creates a visual electronic display to output
information created by the processor to the user.
Processing devices are the components responsible for the processing of information
within the computer system. This includes devices such as the CPU, memory and motherboard.
Storage devices are components which allow data to be stored within a computer system.
This includes devices such as hard disk drives and compact disk drives.

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COMPUTER SOFTWARE:
Computer software (often called just software) is a set of instructions and associated documentation that
tells a computer what to do or how to perform a task or it can mean all the software on a computer,
including the applications and the operating system
It is also a set of instructions (programs) that commands the computer hardware what to do, how
to do and as well as when to do. In other words, software is a set of programs, procedures,
algorithms and its documentation. It is the driver of the hardware. Without the software, the
computer becomes useless and an idle piece of metal.
In contrast to hardware, software is intangible, meaning it ‘it cannot be touched’.
Software as a whole can be divided into a number of categories based on the types of work done
by programs. The two primary software categories are;
1. SYSTEM SOFTWARE:
 This is a collection of computer software designed to operate the computer hardware and
to provide and maintain a platform for running application software.
 Systems software includes the programs that are dedicated to managing the computer itself, such
as the operating system, file management utilities, and disk operating system (DOS) which control
the workings of the computer.
 More so, it can be defined as a collection of programs designed to operate, control, and
extend the processing capabilities of the computer hardware. System software is generally
prepared by the computer manufacturers. 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 the hardware and the end users.
Some examples of system software are Operating System, Compilers, Interpreter,
Assemblers, etc.
Categories of System software includes:
1. Operating systems : An operating system is a program that acts as an interface between the
software and the computer hardware e.g windows o/s, Linus o/s, disk operating system, handroid
o/s, symbian o/s, etc.
2. Device drivers : is a computer program that operates or controls a particular type of device that is
attached to a computer e.g. scanner driver, printer drivers, network drivers, graphics driver, sound
card drivers, etc.
3. Utility software : designed to help analyze, configure, optimize or maintain a computer.It is used to
support the computer infrastructure in contrast to application software, which is aimed at directly
performing tasks that benefit ordinary users. Examples are: anti-virus, clipboard managers, disk
checkers, disc cleaner, disk defragmenters, file managers, etc
4. Translators : is a software that converts high level language(human language or source code) to
machine language
2. APPLICATION SOFTWARE:
An application program (app or application for short) is a computer program designed to perform a
group of coordinated functions, tasks, or activities for the benefit of the user.
also known as software application, application or app, consists of programs that instruct
the computer to accomplish specific tasks for the user, such as word processing, operating a
spreadsheet, managing accounts in inventories, record keeping, or playing a video game.

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 These programs, called applications, are run only when they are needed. The number of
available applications is as great as the number of different uses of computers. Some
examples of this category of software includes;

o Accounting software e.g Peachtree Complete Accounting

o Computer-aided design e.g. Corel Draw
o Databases e.g. Microsoft access
o Decision making software e.g. Microsoft project
o Educational software e.g. Microsoft Encarta
o Image editing e.g. Adobe photo-shop
o Mathematical software e.g. SAGE
o Word processor e.g. Microsoft word
o Spreadsheets e.g. Microsoft excel
o Media players and database applications

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SYSTEM SOFTWARE AND APPLICATION SOFTWARE

SYSTEM SOFTWARE APPLICATION SOFTWARE
(i) Can run independently of the (i) It cannot run without the presence
application software of the system software
(ii) It gets installed when the operating (ii) It is installed according to the
system is installed on the computer requirements of the user
(iii) They are programs that run and (iii) They are programs designed to
control the hardware units of the meet specific needs of users
system
(iv) It provides a platform for running (iv) It helps the user to perform single
the application software or
multiple tasks
(v) Some examples of system software (v) Some examples of application
are computer operating systems like software are Microsoft Word,
Windows XP, Linux, MacOs and Ubuntu Accounting software like Microsoft Excel
and Microsoft Access
(vi) They are intricately(carefully) (vi) They are programmed by
programmed by system programmers applications programmers.

CHARACTERISTICS OF A COMPUTER
The following are the major characteristics of a computer, depending on their types and
application:
• Speed
A computer works at amazing speed. It can carry out instructions at a very high speed because it
uses an electronic signal which runs at the speed of light. It can perform in a few seconds the
amount of work that a human being can do in an entire year – if he works day and night and does
else.

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Some calculations that would have taken hours and days to complete otherwise, can be completed
in a few seconds using the computer. The speed of computer is calculated in MHz, that is one
million instructions per second.

• Accuracy
The accuracy of a computer is consistently high. The degree of accuracy depends on the
instructions and the type of processor. It performs operations at fast rate gives the result of
division of any number up to 10 decimal points without errors such that the accuracy is beyond
expectation. Since it is programmed, the result can only be wrong if the input is wrong.

• Versatility
Versatility is one of the most wonderful things about computer. Multi-processing features of
computer makes it quiet versatile in nature. One moment, it is preparing the results of particular
examination, the next moment it is busy preparing electricity bills, and in between it may be
helping an office secretary to trace an important letter in seconds.

It can perform different types of tasks with same ease. All that is required to change its talent is to
slip in a new program into it. Briefly, a computer is capable of performing almost any task provided
that the task can be reduced to a series of logical steps.

• Reliability
Computer provide very high speed accompanied by an equality high level for reliability. Thus
computers never make mistakes of their own accord.

• High Storage and Retrieval Capacity

A computer can store and recall any amount of information because of its secondary storage
capability. Every piece of information can be retain as long as desired by the user and it can be
recalled information almost instantaneously. Even after several years, the information recalled will
be as accurate as on the day when it was fed to the computer.

• Diligence
The computer is a machine, does not suffer from the human traits of tiredness. Nor does it loses
concentration even after working continuously for a long time.

This characteristics is especially useful for those jobs where same tasks is done again and again. It
can perform long and complex calculations with same speed and accuracy from the start till the
end.

• Storage
The computers have a lot of a storage devices which can store a tremendous amount of data. Data
storage is essential function of the computer. Secondary storage devices like floppy disk can store a
large amount of data permanently.
. Automation
Once the instructions are fed into computer it works automatically without any human intervention
until the completion of execution of program until it meets logical instructions to terminate the job.
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READING ASSIGNMENT:
Study the topic ‘DATA AND INFORMATION’ using your students’ textbook

DATA AND INFORMATION

Definition of Data and Information

DATA Can be defined as basic facts about a place someone or something. Data are raw facts. Data
are unprocessed facts. Data can also mean facts, events, activities and transactions that have been
recorded. Examples of data are names, scores, words, figures etc. Data can also be referred to as
raw facts that have not been processed. As a result such data is not meaningful yet, since it has not
yet been processed by the computer system. Data is the plural of datum.

INFORMATION: Can be defined as data that have been converted into a more meaningful and
useful form unlike data. Information is the end-product of a processed data. Information may
however be used as an input data for further processing. Therefore Data and Information are often
used interchangeably. Information is organized and meaningful unlike data. Examples of
information are Processed examination score arranged according to grade levels or positions in
class.

EXAMPLES OF DATA AND INFORMATION

Examples of data are: Height, name, sex, age of students, numbers etc., while examples of
information is examination scores arranged according to grade, level or position.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DATA AND INFORMATION

The differences between data and information are given below;

No. DATA INFORMATION
1. They are unprocessed facts They are processed
2. They are not meaningful They are Related and meaningful
3. They serve as computer input They serve as computer output
4. They are unorganized They are organized
5. They do not make meaning They make meaning.

READING ASSIGNMENT:
Students are expected to read ‘Computing Devices’

COMPUTING DEVICES

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FEATURES, COMPONENTS AND USES OF COMPUTING DEVICES

ABACUS: Abacus is an instrument used in performing arithmetic calculations. It is probably the first
calculating device. The Chinese invented it, and because of its success it spread from China to other
countries. The abacus is also called a counting frame, it consist of a tablet or frame bearing parallel
wires or grooves on which counters or beads are moved. A modern abacus consists of wooden
frame with beads on parallel wires, and a crossbar oriented perpendicular to the wires that divides
the beads into two groups. Each column or wire represents one place in the decimal system. The
Abacus was used for addition and subtraction. It could not carry out complex mathematics
operation.

The Abacus

SLIDE RULE: Slide rule is a mechanical analog computer.It is also known as slipstick. It is used
primarily for multiplication and divisions, and also for functions such as roots, logarithms, and
trigonometry. It is not normally used for addition and subtraction. Slide rule come in a diverse
range of style and generally appear in a linear or circular form with standardised set of
markings(scales) essential to perform mechanical operations.
The slide rule was developed by William Oughtred, an English mathematician. The slide rule looks
much like a heavily caliberated ruler with a movable mid section.

The Slide Rule

NAPIER’S BONE: Napier's bones is an abacus created by John Napier of Merchiston for
calculation of products and quotients of numbers, in 1600. John Napier was a Scottish
mathematician who invented logarithms and the decimal point. The device consists of a set of
graduated rods based on the principle of logarithms. It was then used as a multiplication aid.
To use Napier’s bones, the rods are moved up and down in a sliding manner against each other,
matching the graduated rods. The device was a fore-runner of the slide rule which emerged in the
middle of 17th century. Formerly used to perform multiplication and division but now taken over by
modern electronic calculator.

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 Napier Bones

PASCAL’S CALCULATOR: Blaise Pascal a French Mathematician, Physicist and a religious

philosopher, invented the Pascal’s calculator in 1642. Pascal’s calculator was first called the
arithmetic machine, Pascal’s calculator and then the Pascaline. This machine was invented as a
result of trying to help his father who was a tax collector and had the need for subtraction,
addition, multiplication and division. Hence the need for this machine.
Pascaline's mechanism was very promising but in practice was very complicated and the weighted
ratchets have a tendency to jam. Except that the ratchets didn't let the gears to rotate in both
directions, so subtraction had to be implemented with nines complements trick, which is not so
elegant way to perform a subtraction.
In addition as you can see from the previous examples, Pascaline is not a calculating machine, but
actually just an adding machine. In fact all similar machines with stylus setting mechanisms should
be called adding machines rather than calculating machines.
Despite all that Pascaline was a historical achievement and it is considered today as the first
calculating device that the human race has discovered.

Pascaline

LEIBNIZ MULIPLIER: The Step Reckoner (or Stepped Reckoner) was a digital mechanical
calculator invented by German mathematician Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz around 1672 and
completed in 1694.The name comes from the translation of the German term for its operating
mechanism; staffelwalze meaning 'stepped drum'. It was the first calculator that could perform all
four arithmetic operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Its intricate precision gear work, however, was somewhat beyond the fabrication technology of the
time; mechanical problems, in addition to a design flaw in the carry mechanism, prevented the
machines from working reliably.

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 Stepped reckoner (Leibniz Multiplier)

FEATURES, COMPONENTS AND USES OF COMPUTING DEVICES (Continued)

JACQUARD LOOM: The Jacquard loom is a mechanical loom, invented by Joseph Marie
Jacquard, first demonstrated in 1801, that simplifies the process of manufacturing textiles with
complex patterns such as brocade, damask and matelasse. The loom was controlled by a "chain of
cards", a number of punched cards, laced together into a continuous sequence. Multiple rows of
holes were punched on each card and each row of punched holes corresponded to one row of the
design. Several such paper cards, generally white in color, can be seen in the images below. Chains,
like the much later paper tape, allowed sequences of any length to be constructed, not limited by
the size of a card.

Jacquard’s Loom

DIFFERENCE ENGINE: Difference engine is an automatic mechanical calculator designed to

tabulate polynomial functions. The name derives from the method of divided differences, a way to
interpolate or tabulate functions by using a small set of polynomial coefficients. Both
logarithmic and trigonometric functions, functions commonly used by both navigators and
scientists, can be approximated by polynomials, so a difference engine can compute many useful
sets of numbers.
The historical difficulty in producing error free tables by teams of mathematicians and human
"computers" spurred Charles Babbage's desire to build a mechanism to automate the process.

Difference engine

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CHARLES BABBAGE: Charles Babbage, FRS (26 December 1791 – 18 October 1871) was an
English polymath. He was a mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer, who is
best, remembered now for originating the concept of a programmable computer.
Considered a "father of the computer", Babbage is credited with inventing the first mechanical
computer that eventually led to more complex designs. His varied work in other fields has led him
to be described as "pre-eminent" among the many polymaths of his century.

Father of Computer

HOLLERITH CENSUS MACHINE: Herman Hollerith (February 29, 1860 – November 17,
1929) was an American statistician and inventor who developed a mechanical tabulator based
on punched cards to rapidly tabulate statistics from millions of pieces of data. He was the founder
of the Tabulating Machine Company that later merged to become IBM. Hollerith is widely
regarded as the father of modern automatic computation.

Herman Hollerith

ANALYTICAL ENGINE: The Analytical Engine was a proposed mechanical general-

purpose computer designed by English mathematician Charles Babbage.
It was first described in 1837 as the successor to Babbage's Difference engine, a design for a
mechanical computer. The Analytical Engine incorporated an arithmetic logic unit, control flow in
the form of conditional branching and loops, and integrated memory, making it the first design for
a general-purpose computer that could be described in modern terms as Turing-complete.
Babbage was never able to complete construction of any of his machines due to conflicts with his
chief engineer and inadequate funding. It was not until the 1940s that the first general-purpose
computers were actually built.

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 Analytical engine

BURROUGH’S MACHINE: Burroughs Adding Machine Company traced its founding to William
Seward Burroughs who invented and patented the first workable adding and listing machine in St.
Louis, Missouri in 1885.
1885: The first workable adding and listing machine is built and patented by William Seward
Burroughs.
1886: The American Arithmometer Company is formed.
1886: The sales of the first adding and listing machine of the American Arithmometer Company
began at a price of $475 each.
1886: Thomas Metcalfe was elected the first president of the American Arithmometer Company.
1891: Charles E. Barney becomes the second president of the American Arithmometer Company.
1895: Total sales for 1895 were 284 machines.
1898: William Seward Burroughs dies.
1900: Total sales for 1900 were 972 machines.

READING ASSIGNMENT:
COMPUTING DEVICE II (20TH CENTURY TO DATE)

FEATURES, COMPONENTS AND USES OF ENIAC

INTRODUCTION:
The twentieth century computers are mechanical and electro-mechanical devices that possesses
input unit, memory unit, processing etc and can as well perform automatic operations. Among the
early computing device the twentieth century are Mark1, ENIAC, EDVAC, UNIVAC and Von Newman
machine etc.

FEATURES, COMPONENTS AND USES OF ENIAC:

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ENIAC, in full Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer, the first programmable general-
purpose electronic digital computer, built during World War II by the United States. In the United
States, government funding during the war went to a project led by John Mauchly, J. Presper
Eckert, Jr., and their colleagues at the Moore School of Electrical Engineering at the University of
Pennsylvania; their objective was an all-electronic computer.
ENIAC was something less than the dream of a universal computer. Designed for the specific
purpose of computing values for artillery range tables, it lacked some features that would have
made it a more generally useful machine. It used plugboards for communicating instructions to the
machine; this had the advantage that, once the instructions were thus “programmed,” the machine
ran at electronic speed. Instructions read from a card reader or other slow mechanical device
would not have been able to keep up with the all-electronic ENIAC. The disadvantage was that it
took days to rewire the machine for each new problem. This was such a liability that only with
some generosity could it be called programmable.
Nevertheless, ENIAC was the most powerful calculating device built to date. It was the first
programmable general-purpose electronic digital computer. This gave ENIAC a lot of flexibility and
meant that, while it was built for a specific purpose, it could be used for a wider range of problems.
ENIAC ran continuously (in part to extend tube life), generating 150 kilowatts of heat, and could
execute up to 5,000 additions per second, several orders of magnitude faster than its
electromechanical predecessors. It and subsequent computers employing vacuum tubes are known
as first-generation computers. (With 1,500 mechanical relays, ENIAC was still transitional to later,
fully electronic computers.)

EDVAC

EDVAC (Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer) was one of the

earliest electronic computers. Unlike its predecessor the ENIAC, it was binary rather than decimal,
and was a stored program computer.
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The EDVAC was a binary serial computer with automatic addition, subtraction, multiplication,
programmed division and automatic checking with an ultrasonic serial memory capacity of 1,000
44-bit words (later set to 1,024 words, thus giving a memory, in modern terms, of 5.5 kilobytes).
Physically, the computer comprised the following components:
 A magnetic tape reader-recorder (Wilkes 1956:36 describes this as a wire recorder.)
 A control unit with an oscilloscope
 A dispatcher unit to receive instructions from the control and memory and direct them to other
units
 A computational unit to perform arithmetic operations on a pair of numbers at a time and send
the result to memory after checking on a duplicate unit
 A timer
 A dual memory unit consisting of two sets of 64 mercury acoustic delay lines of eight words
capacity on each line
 Three temporary tanks each holding a single word
EDVAC's addition time was 864 microseconds (about 1.16 kHz) and its multiplication time was 2900
microseconds (about 0.38 kHz).
The computer had almost 6,000 vacuum tubes and 12,000 diodes, and consumed 56 kW of power.
It covered 490 ft² (45.5 m²) of floor space and weighed 17,300 lb (7,850 kg). The full complement of
operating personnel was thirty people per eight-hour shift.

UNIVAC I
The UNIVAC I (Universal Variable Automatic Computer I) was the second commercial computer
produced in the United States. It was designed principally by J. Presper Eckert and John Mauchly,
the inventors of the ENIAC. Design work was started by their company, Eckert–Mauchly Computer
Corporation, and was completed after the company had been acquired by Remington Rand (which
later became part of Sperry, now Unisys). In the years before successor models of the UNIVAC I
appeared, the machine was simply known as "the UNIVAC".

The UNIVAC I was the first American computer designed at the outset for business and
administrative use (i.e., for the fast execution of large numbers of relatively simple arithmetic and
data transport operations, as opposed to the complex numerical calculations required by scientific
computers). As such the UNIVAC competed directly against punch-card machines (mainly made by
IBM). Oddly enough the UNIVAC originally could not read or punch cards, hindering sales to
companies concerned about the high cost of manually converting large quantities of data on cards.
This was corrected by adding offline card processing equipment, the UNIVAC Card to Tape
converter and the UNIVAC Tape to Card converter, to transfer data between cards and UNIVAC
magnetic tapes. However, the early market share of the UNIVAC I was lower than the Remington

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Rand Company wished. To promote sales, the company joined with CBS to have UNIVAC I predict
the result of the 1952 Presidential election. UNIVAC I predicted Eisenhower would have a landslide
victory over Adlai Stevenson who the pollsters favoured. The result was a greater public awareness
of computing technology.

Desktop Personal Computer

A desktop computer is a personal computer in a form intended for regular use at a single location,
as opposed to a mobile, laptop or portable computer. Early desktop computers are designed to lie
flat on the desk, while modern towers stand upright. Most modern desktop computers have
separate screens and keyboards.
Prior to the widespread use of microprocessors, a computer that could fit on a desk was considered
remarkably small. Early personal computers, like the IBM PC, were "desktop" machines, with a
horizontally oriented computer case, usually intended to have the display screen placed on top to
save space on the desktop. In modern usage the word "desktop" usually refers to tower cases that
are in fact more often located on the floor under the desk than on a desk.
Personal computers are also crucial component of Information Technology (IT) and play a key role
in modern economies worldwide.
The usefulness and capabilities of personal computers can be greatly enhanced by connection to
the World Wide Web, as well as smaller networks that links to local computers or databases. It can
also be used to access content stored on the Compact Disks (CDs), and to transfer files to personal
media devices and video players.
Personal computers are sometimes called microprocessors or micros. Powerful PCs designed for
professional or technical use are known as work station.

Laptop Computer
A laptop is a portable personal computer with a clamshell form factor, suitable for mobile use. A
laptop has most of the same components as a desktop computer, including a display, a keyboard, a
pointing device such as a touchpad (also known as a trackpad) and/or a pointing stick, and speakers
into a single unit. A laptop is powered by mains electricity via an AC adapter, and can be used away
from an outlet using a rechargeable battery. Laptops are also sometimes called notebook
computers or notebooks. Other terms, such as ultrabooks or netbooks, refer to specific types of
laptop / notebook. Most of the modern day laptop computers also have a webcam and a mic
(microphone) pre-installed.
Portable computers, originally monochrome CRT-based and developed into the modern laptops,
were originally considered to be a small niche market, mostly for specialized field applications such
as the military, accountants and sales representatives. As portable computers became smaller,
lighter, cheaper, and more powerful and as screens became larger and of better quality, laptops
became very widely used for a variety of purposes.

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Palmtop Computers
Palmtop is a computer that has asmall screen and compressed keyboard and is small enough to be
heldin the hand, often used as a personal organizer.
A Handheld PC, or H/PC for short, is a computer built around a form factor which is smaller than
any standard laptop computer. It is sometimes referred to as a Palmtop. The first handheld device
compatible with desktop IBM personal computers of the time was the Atari Portfolio of 1989. Some
Handheld PCs use Microsoft's Windows CE operating system, with the term also covering Windows
CE devices released by the broader commercial market.
The Handheld PC was a hardware design for PDA devices running Windows CE. It provides the
appointment calendar functions usual for any PDA . The intent of Windows CE was to provide an
environment for applications compatible with the Microsoft Windows operating system, on
processors better suited to low-power operation in a portable device. Originally announced in
1996, the Handheld PC is distinct from its more recent counterparts such as the Palm-Size
PC, Pocket PC, or Smartphone in that the specification provides for larger screen sizes as well as a
keyboard.

READING ASSIGNMENT
Read and summarize in not more than two pages “INPUT DEVICES”.

INPUT DEVICES

DEFINITION OF INPUT DEVICES

An input device is any computer hardware equipment used to send data into the main storage of
the computer for processing.
It is the part of the computer or any device that is used to invoke a command or instructions into
the computer to obey in order to accomplish its task.
TYPES OF INPUT DEVICES
(i) Keyboard (ii) Mouse (iii) Scanner (iv) Microphone (v) Joystick (vi) Card readers (vii) Light pen (viii)
Digital camera etc.
Keyboard

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A keyboard is an input device which is used to input data into the computer system. It remains the
most vital interface device between the user and the computer. It is the most common input device
for entering data into the computer. It is also an electronic device with several groups of keys
electronically linked to the processor when attached to the computer.

There are two main types of keyboard:

a. Standard Keyboard
b. Enhanced Keyboard

Mouse
This is a small device moved with the hand to control the movement of the pointer on a computer
screen. It is an input device which can be used by clicking and dragging. Mouse is used for drawing
as well as pointing images.

Mice are grouped into two:

i. Optical mouse
ii. Ball track mouse
Basic function of the mouse includes:
 Clicking
 Double clicking
 Dragging
 Pointing
Scanner

It is an input device which uses light-sensing equipment to convert images such as pictures or text
into electronic signals that can be manipulated by a computer. It can be used to store, change and
send image or text into the system unit.
Joystick

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Joysticks are used mainly for playing computer games. It is a pointing device composed of a lever
that moves in multiple directions to navigate a cursor or other graphical objects on a computer
screen. A button on the top of the joystick sends command to the computer.
Card Readers

Card readers as the name implies, can read data from a memory card. It is highly used in
exchanging data among different digital products such as camera, MP3, MP4, mobile phones and
computer.
Light Pen

It is a stylus with a light-sensitive tip that is used to draw directly on a computer’s video screen, or
to select information on the screen by pressing a clip in the light pen or by pressing the light pen
against the surface of the screen.
Digital Cameras

These are digital devices that capture pictures and video, and send them into the computer
through a connected specialized cable such as USB (Universal Serial Bus). A good example of this is
the common webcam which are used for recording videos and for taking pictures that are shared
live on the internet.

READING ASSIGNMENT
Read the structure and functions of keyboard and in one page, describe the structure of the
keyboard.

INPUT DEVICES (Cont’d)

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KEYBOARD
A Keyboard is an input device which is used to input data into the computer system. Keyboard is an
electronic device with several groups of keys electronically linked to the processor when attached
to a computer system.

Structure and Function

The keyboard is structure in such a way that makes typing easy and easily accessible by the fingers.
It has different sets of Keys for performing various functions in controlling the computer. In
General, there are three types of arrangement of letters on the keyboard, namely:
i. Qwerty ii. Azerty iii. Dvorak

The standard layout of letters, numbers, and punctuation is known as a QWERTY keyboard because
the first six keys on the top row of letters spell QWERTY. The QWERTY keyboard was designed in
the 1800s for mechanical typewriters and was actually designed to slow typists down to avoid
jamming the keys. The AZERTY keyboard is the French version of the standard QWERTY keyboard.
AZERTY keyboards differ slightly from the QWERTY keyboard.
Another keyboard design, which has letters positioned for speed typing, is the DVORAK keyboard.
Unlike the traditional QWERTY keyboard, the Dvorak keyboard is designed so that the middle row
of keys includes the most common letters.

QWERTY keyboard

Keys on the Keyboard

Keyboard is basically divided into seven
i. Function Keys
ii. Numerical Keypad
iii. Alphabetic keys
iv. Special Character Keys
v. Alphanumeric keys
vi. Cursor Control keys
vii. Command Keys

FUNCTION KEYS
This contains button labeled F1 to F12 that can be used as special command which can perform
some operations that are included in the operating system or application. A program is capable of
not only using each of the function keys, but also combining the function keys with the
ALT or CTRL key, for example, Microsoft Windows users can press ALT + F4 to close the program
currently active.

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NUMERIC KEYPAD
This is a special section of the keyboard that contains numbers and functions to enter data in the
form of numbers and arithmetic operations. Numeric keypads usually operate in two modes: when
Num Lock is off, keys 8, 6, 2, 4 act like arrow keys and 7, 9, 3, 1 act like Home, PgUp, PgDn
and End; when Num Lock is on, digits keys produce corresponding digits. Numeric keypads are
useful for entering long sequences of numbers quickly, for example in spreadsheets,
financial/accounting programs, and calculators. Input in this style is similar to that of a calculator
or adding machine.

ALPHABETIC KEYS
This is a section of the keyboard that contains the alphabets A to Z for typing text. These keys can
be used in conjunction with some other control keys to perform certain functions in window
applications.

SPECIAL CHARACTER KEYS

Special character keys are those keys that cannot be found on the keyboard. They are inserted by
pressing a combination of keys on the keyboard, or using the character map. They may be letters,
fonts, or symbols. To access the character map in Windows, click through the ff links:
“Windows Button > All Programs > Accessories > System Tools > Character Map”

ALPHANUMERIC KEYS
These keys include the same letter, number, punctuation, and symbol keys on a traditional
typewriter. A-Z and 0-9. The alphabetic characters become uppercase when the shift key or Caps
Lock key is depressed. The numeric characters become symbols or punctuation marks when the
shift key is depressed.

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CURSOR CONTROL KEYS
These keys provide control over the cursor and display on the computer screen.

COMMAND KEYS
These are keys on the keyboard that perform certain actions in windows once they are pressed.
They are Escape, Application, Enter, Delete, Backspace, Print Screen/SysRq, Scroll Lock,
Pause/Break, Insert and Delete.

MOUSE
This is a common pointing device used with a computer system with GUI (Graphic User Interface). It
enables the computer user to select or activate items on screen by placing pointer arrow on items
and performing required action. Physically, a mouse consists of an object held under one of the
user's hands, with one or more buttons.

There are three basic types of mice:

1. Mechanical: Has a rubber or metal ball on its underside that can roll in all directions.
Mechanical sensors within the mouse detect the direction the ball is rolling and move the screen
pointer accordingly.
2. Optomechanical: Same as a mechanical mouse, but uses optical sensors to detect motion of the
ball.
3. Optical: Uses a laser to detect the mouse's movement. You must move the mouse along a
special mat with a grid so that the optical mechanism has a frame of reference. Optical mice have
no mechanical moving parts. They respond more quickly and precisely than mechanical and
optomechanical mice, but they are also more expensive.

Other types of mouse

1. Serial Mouse
2. Ps/2 Mouse
3. Wireless Mouse

Features of the Mouse

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1. Button: The mouse typically has two buttons – a primary button (usually the left button)
and a secondary button (usually the right button).
2. Wheel: It is located in between the two buttons. It is used to scroll up and down, zoom in
and zoom out in some application.
3. Motion Technique: They are used in controlling cursor movement on the screen. There are
three types: i. Mechanical Technique ii. Optomechanical iii. Optical
4. Battery Life: If you go wireless, you're going to be replacing those batteries from time to
time. To extend the battery life of your mouse, look for one that comes with an on/off
switch and use it.

Function of the Mouse

1. Pointing:
2. Clicking
3. Dragging
4. Double clicking

Operations of the Mouse

To use the mouse, you need just two fingers; your right thumb and third finger. Your fist finger
should be on the left button while the third finger should also rest on the right button, ready to
click.

Reading Assignment
Read week 8 topic and summarize it in your own expression.

OUTPUT DEVICES

DEFINITION OF OUTPUT DEVICES

This is a device that releases the processed data from the computer to either the user or any of the
storage devices. Or they are peripherals of the computer that transfer information from the
computer to the user. There are many devices that produce data in different form such as audio,
visual and hard copy. E,g. Monitor, printer, plotter, speaker, headphone etc

Features and uses of output devices

Monitor
This is an output device that resembles the television screen. Modern computer monitors can
display a wide variety of information, including text, icons (pictures representing commands),
photograph, graphics, video and animation. It is the most commonly used output device. The
monitor is a soft copy (means we can modify contents of data and data is temporarily on the
screen) output device.

Flat Screen Monitor

CTR Monitor (LCD)
(Cathode Ray Tube)

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Printers:
Printers are the most commonly used output devices that can be found in almost all computer
centers. Printers are used to get prints of important documents on a paper. The output, which is
generated by a printer, is called hard copy of the data. Printer is also called a hard copy output
device.

Projector:
Projector is also an output device.
It is used to show presentations. There two main types of projector.

Speaker
A computer peripheral that converts computer digital sound files into audible sound. File format
used to save sound file determines quality of audio file. They can be built into the system unit or
connected with cables.

Plotter
A specialized printer designed to print onto very large pieces of paper. Pen plotters print by moving
a pen or other instrument across the surface of a piece of paper. The bill boards, like the ones we
see by the road side, are printed using plotters.

Plotter

STRUCTURE OF THE MONITOR

The main features of the monitor are the screen, the cable and the monitor screen size.
The portion of the monitor that displays information is called the screen. Like a television screen, a
computer screen can show still or moving pictures. The monitor is a soft copy (means we can
modify contents of data and data is temporarily on the screen) output device.
The monitor also has a connecting cable tethered to the system unit. This cable is called VGA
(Visual Graphic Array) cable.
There are two forms of monitors: CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and LCD (liquid crystal display)
monitors.

Types of Monitors
1. Monochrome Monitors
2. Color Monitors
3. Composite Color Monitor

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Monochrome Monitor
These monitors display images only in single colour. This colour can be white, green, blue, red or
amber. This monitor can display shades of one colour and the computer industry uses the term
gray scales to refer to the number of shades of a colour that can be shown on a monochrome
monitor’s screen.

Colour Monitor
This monitor shows graphics with full colours. These monitors produce images in three mixed
colours, which are red, green and blue that is why these are also called RGB monitors. A typical
monitor can display 256 to 65536 colours.
Composite Color Monitor
The composite color screen is similar to a color television set, but it can handle data more quickly
and has a sharper picture (better resolution) and more colors. Each monitor must be paired with an
appropriate video display adapter card. (i.e EGA – Enhanced Video Adapter, VGA – Video Graphic
Adapter, CGA – Color Graphic Adapter, SVGA – Super Video Graphic Adapter)

Uses of Monitor
1. It is used to see data as they are inputed
2. It is used to display output.
3. It is used to display error messages on the screen
4. I display graphical images/text

READING ASSIGNMENT
Read the nine week topic and summarize them in your own expression.

OUTPUT DEVICES (Cont’d)

PRINTER TYPE
There are various types of printers, depending on the technology they use in printing on paper or
other material medium. They can be categorized into two namely: Impact Printers and Non-
Impact printers

Impact Printers
This type of printing devices creates an image by using some mechanism to physically press an
inked ribbon against the paper, thereby causing the ink to be deposited on the page in the shape
desired. They tend to be noisy when they are in use.

Examples are:
1. Dot-Matrix Printer: These types of printers form each character as a group of small dots,
using group of wire located in the printing element. They are also known as dot character
printers.

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2. Line Printers: They print line by line. The disadvantages of line printers are that they cannot
print graphics, the print quality is low, and they are very noisy.
3. Character Printers: Character printers print one character at a time and hence they are
slow printers.
4. Daisy-Wheel Printers

Non-Impact Printers
They are the type of printers that do not operate by striking a head against a ribbon. They work by
applying ink on paper. They are the most commonly used types today.

Examples are:
1. Inkjet Printers: They create a digital image by propelling droplets of ink onto paper.
2. Laser Printers: They are electro-photographic printers that use a cylindrical drum that rolls
electrically charged ink onto paper.
3. Thermal Printers: A thermal printer produces a printed image by selectively heating
coated thermal paper when the paper passes over the thermal head.

Comparative study of common printers

The most commonly used printers today at home, small offices and large scale businesses are the
inkjet and laser printers. The following table presents their advantages over each other.

S/N Inkjet Printer Laser Printers

1. Less expensive to purchase More expensive to purchase
2. Cost of maintenance is high Cost of maintenance is relatively low
3. It is fragile and can only print a few number It is rugged and can print large number
Of papers per time of papers at a time
4. The ink printed on the paper can become The toner dries up with the paper, and
Smeared when water touches the paper is not affected when water touches the
Printed on. paper printed on.

READING ASSIGNMENT
Revise your topics for the whole weeks.

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