What is computer

Contents
What is Computer............................................................................................................................................................................ 1
Definition.................................................................................................................................................................................... 1
TYPES OF COMPUTERS..................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Analog Computers.................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Digital Computers................................................................................................................................................................... 2
Hybrid Computers.................................................................................................................................................................. 2
Types of Computers based on Configuration..............................................................................................................................3
Super Computers....................................................................................................................................................................3
Mainframe Computers........................................................................................................................................................... 3
Mini Computers...................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Micro Computers................................................................................................................................................................... 4
Laptop Computers..................................................................................................................................................................4
Handheld Computers............................................................................................................................................................. 4
What is software?............................................................................................................................................................................ 5
Types of software’s..................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Programming Software........................................................................................................................................................... 5
What is Hardware?.......................................................................................................................................................................... 6
Random Access Memory (RAM).............................................................................................................................................7
The Hard Disk......................................................................................................................................................................... 7
The Mouse............................................................................................................................................................................. 7
The Keyboard......................................................................................................................................................................... 8
Input and output devices of computer............................................................................................................................................9
INPUT DEVICES............................................................................................................................................................................ 9
KEYBOARD.............................................................................................................................................................................. 9
MOUSE................................................................................................................................................................................... 9
BAR CODE READER...............................................................................................................................................................10
DIGITAL CAMERA..................................................................................................................................................................10
LIGHT PEN............................................................................................................................................................................ 10
SCANNER.............................................................................................................................................................................. 10
Computer Output Devices.........................................................................................................................................................10
Monitor................................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Printer.................................................................................................................................................................................. 10

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 What is computer

What is Computer
Computer is an electronic device that is designed to work with Information.The term
computer is derived from the Latin term ‘computare’, this means to calculate.Computer can not
do anything without a Program.it represents the decimal numbers through a string of binary
digits. The Word 'Computer'usually refers to the Center Processor Unit plus Internal memory.

Definition
A computer is a machine that can be programmed to manipulate symbols. Its principal
characteristics are:
It responds to a specific set of instructions in a well-defined manner.
It can execute a prerecorded list of instructions (a program).
It can quickly store and retrieve large amounts of data.
Therefore computers can perform complex and repetitive procedures quickly, precisely and
reliably. Modern computers are electronic and digital. The actual machinery (wires, transistors,
and circuits) is called hardware; the instructions and data are called software

TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Computers can be classified based on their principles of operation or on their configuration. By
configuration, we mean the size, speed of doing computation and storage capacity of a computer.
Types of Computers based on Principles of Operation
There are three different types of computers according to the principles of operation. Those three
types of computers are
 Analog Computers
 Digital Computers
 Hybrid Computers

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Analog Computers
Analog Computer is a computing device that works on continuous range of values. The results
given by the analog computers will only be approximate since they deal with quantities that vary
continuously. It generally deals with physical variables such as voltage, pressure, temperature,
speed, etc

Digital Computers
On the other hand a digital computer operates on digital data such as numbers. It uses binary
number system in which there are only two digits 0 and 1. Each one is called a bit.
The digital computer is designed using digital circuits in which there are two levels for an input
or output signal. These two levels are known as logic 0 and logic 1. Digital Computers can give
more accurate and faster results.
Digital computer is well suited for solving complex problems in engineering and technology.
Hence digital computers have an increasing use in the field of design, research and data
processing.
Based on the purpose, Digital computers can be further classified as,
 General Purpose Computers
 Special Purpose Computers
Special purpose computer is one that is built for a specific application. General purpose
computers are used for any type of applications. They can store different programs and do the
jobs as per the instructions specified on those programs. Most of the computers that we see
today, are general purpose computers.

Hybrid Computers
A hybrid computer combines the desirable features of analog and digital computers. It is mostly
used for automatic operations of complicated physical processes and machines. Now-a-days
analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters are used for transforming the data into suitable
form for either type of computation.
For example, in hospital’s ICU, analog devices might measure the patients temperature, blood
pressure and other vital signs. These measurements which are in analog might then be converted
into numbers and supplied to digital components in the system. These components are used to
monitor the patient’s vital sign and send signals if any abnormal readings are detected. Hybrid
computers are mainly used for specialized tasks.

Types of Computers based on Configuration

There are four different types of computers when we classify them based on their performance
and capacity. The four types are
 Super Computers
 Mainframe Computers
 Mini Computers
 Micro Computers

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Super Computers
When we talk about types of computers, the first type that comes to our mind would be Super
computers. They are the best in terms of processing capacity and also the most expensive ones.
These computers can process billions of instructions per second. Normally, they will be used for
applications which require intensive numerical computations such as stock analysis, weather
forecasting etc. Other uses of supercomputers are scientific simulations, (animated) graphics,
fluid dynamic calculations, nuclear energy research, electronic design, and analysis of geological
data (e.g. in petrochemical prospecting). Perhaps the best known super computer manufacturer is
Cray Research. Some of the "traditional" companies which produce super computers
are Cray, IBM and Hewlett-Packard.

Mainframe Computers
Mainframe computers can also process data at very high speeds vi.e., hundreds of million
instructions per second and they are also quite expensive. Normally, they are used in banking,
airlines and railways etc for their applications.

Mini Computers
Mini computers are lower to mainframe computers in terms of speed and storage capacity. They
are also less expensive than mainframe computers. Some of the features of mainframes will not
be available in mini computers. Hence, their performance also will be less than that of
mainframes.

Micro Computers
The invention of microprocessor (single chip CPU) gave birth to the much cheaper micro
computers. They are further classified into
 Desktop Computers
 Laptop Computers
 Handheld Computers(PDAs)
 Desktop Computers

Today the Desktop computers are the most popular computer systems.These desktop computers
are also known as personal computers or simply PCs. They are usually easier to use and more

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affordable. They are normally intended for individual users for their word processing and other
small application requirements.

Laptop Computers

Laptop computers are portable computers. They are lightweight computers with a thin screen.
They are also called as notebook computers because of their small size. They can operate on
batteries and hence are very popular with travellers. The screen folds down onto the keyboard
when not in use.

Handheld Computers

Handheld computers or Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are pen-based and also battery-
powered. They are small and can be carried anywhere. They use a pen like stylus and accept
handwritten input directly on the screen. They are not as powerful as desktops or laptops but they
are used for scheduling appointments,storing addresses and playing games. They have touch
screens which we use with a finger or a stylus.

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What is software?
Software is a general term for the various kinds of programs used to operate computers and
related devices. (The term hardware describes the physical aspects of computers and related
devices.)
Software can be thought of as the variable part of a computer and hardware the invariable part.
Software is often divided into application software (programs that do work users are directly
interested in) and system software (which includes operating systems and any program that
supports application software). The term middleware is sometimes used to describe
programming that mediates between application and system software or between two different
kinds of application software (for example, sending a remote work request from an application in
a computer that has one kind of operating system to an application in a computer with a different
operating system).

Types of software’s
Programming Software
This is one of the most commonly known and popularly used types of computer software. These
software come in the form of tools that assist a programmer in writing computer programs.
Computer programs are sets of logical instructions that make a computer system perform certain
tasks. The tools that help programmers in instructing a computer system include text editors,
compilers and interpreters. Compilers translate source code written in a programming language
into the language which a computer understands (mostly the binary form). Compilers generate
objects which are combined and converted into executable programs through linkers. Debuggers
are used to check code for bugs and debug it. The source code is partially or completely
simulated for the debugging tool to run on it and remove bugs if any. Interpreters execute
programs. They execute the source code or a precompiled code or translate source code into an
intermediate language before execution.

System Software
It helps in running computer hardware and the computer system. System software refers to the
operating systems; device drivers, servers, windowing systems and utilities. System software
helps an application programmer in abstracting away from hardware, memory and other internal
complexities of a computer. An operating system provides users with a platform to execute high-
level programs. Firmware and BIOS provide the means to operate hardware.

Application Software
It enables the end users to accomplish certain specific tasks. Business software, databases and
educational software are some forms of application software. Different word processors, which
are dedicated to specialized tasks to be performed by the user, are other examples of application
software.

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What is Hardware?
Your PC (Personal Computer) is a system, consisting of many components. Some of those
components, like Windows XP, and all your other programs, are software. The stuff you can
actually see and touch, and would likely break if you threw it out a fifth-story window, is
hardware.

Not everybody has exactly the same hardware. But those of you who have a desktop system, like
the example shown in Figure 1, probably have most of the components shown in that same
figure. Those of you with notebook computers probably have most of the same components.
Only in your case the components are all integrated into a single book-sized portable unit.

Figure 1
The system unit is the actual computer; everything else is called a peripheral device. Your
computer's system unit probably has at least one floppy disk drive, and one CD or DVD drive,
into which you can insert floppy disks and CDs. There's another disk drive, called the hard disk
inside the system unit, as shown in Figure 2. You can't remove that disk, or even see it. But it's
there. And everything that's currently "in your computer" is actually stored on that hard disk.
(We know this because there is no place else inside the computer where you can store
information!).

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The floppy drive and CD drive are often referred to as drives with removable
media or removable drives for short, because you can remove whatever disk is currently in the
drive, and replace it with another. Your computer's hard disk can store as much information as
tens of thousands of floppy disks, so don't worry about running out of space on your hard disk
any time soon. As a rule, you want to store everything you create or download on your hard disk.
Use the floppy disks and CDs to send copies of files through the mail, or to make backup copies
of important items.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

There's too much "stuff" on your computer's hard disk to use it all at the same time. During the
average session sitting at the computer, you'll probably use only a small amount of all that's
available. The stuff you're working with at any given moment is stored in random access
memory (often abbreviated RAM, and often called simply "memory"). The advantage using
RAM to store whatever you're working on at the moment is that RAM is very fast. Much faster
than any disk. For you, "fast" translates to less time waiting and more time being productive.

The Hard Disk

All of the information that's "in your computer", so to speak, is stored on your computer's hard
disk. You never see that actual hard disk because it's sealed inside a special housing and needs to
stay that way. Unlike RAM, which is volatile, the hard disk can hold information forever -- with
or without electricity. Most modern hard disks have tens of billions of bytes of storage space on
them. Which, in English, means that you can create, save, and download files for months or
years without using up all the storage space it provides.
In the unlikely event that you do manage to fill up your hard disk, Windows will start showing a
little message on the screen that reads "You are running low on disk space" well in advance of
any problems. In fact, if that message appears, it won't until you're down to about 800 MB of
free space. And 800 MB of empty space is equal to about 600 blank floppy disks. That's still
plenty of room!

The Mouse
Obviously you know how to use your mouse, since you must have used it to get here. But let's
take a look at the facts and buzzwords anyway. Your mouse probably has at least two buttons on
it. The button on the left is called the primary mouse button, the button on the right is called
the secondary mouse button or just the right mouse button. I'll just refer to them as the left and
right mouse buttons. Many mice have a small wheel between the two mouse buttons, as
illustrated in

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The idea is to rest your hand comfortably on the mouse, with your index finger touching (but not
pressing on) the left mouse button. Then, as you move the mouse, the mouse pointer (the little
arrow on the screen) moves in the same direction. When moving the mouse, try to keep the
buttons aimed toward the monitor -- don't "twist" the mouse as that just makes it all the harder to
control the position of the mouse pointer.
If you find yourself reaching too far to get the mouse pointer where you want it to be on the
screen, just pick up the mouse, move it to where it's comfortable to hold it, and place it back
down on the mousepad or desk. The buzzwords that describe how you use the mouse are as
follows:
Point: To point to an item means to move the mouse pointer so that it's touching the item.
Click: Point to the item, then tap (press and release) the left mouse button.
Double-click: Point to the item, and tap the left mouse button twice in rapid succession - click-
click as fast as you can.
Right-click: Point to the item, then tap the mouse button on the right.
Drag: Point to an item, then hold down the left mouse button as you move the mouse.
To drop the item, release the left mouse button.
Right-drag: Point to an item, then hold down the right mouse button as you move the mouse.
To drop the item, release the right mouse button.

The Keyboard
Like the mouse, the keyboard is a means of interacting with your computer. You really only need
to use the keyboard when you're typing text. Most of the keys on the keyboard are laid out like
the keys on a typewriter. But there are some special keys like Esc (Escape), Ctrl (Control), and
Alt (Alternate). There are also some keys across the top of the keyboard labeled F1, F2, F3, and
so forth. Those are called the function keys, and the exact role they play depends on which
program you happen to be using at the moment.
Most keyboards also have a numeric keypad with the keys laid out like the keys on a typical
adding machine. If you're accustomed to using an adding machine, you might want to use the

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numeric keypad, rather than the numbers across the top of the keyboard, to type numbers. It
doesn't really matter which keys you use. The numeric keypad is just there as a convenience to
people who are accustomed to adding machines.

Most keyboards also contain a set of navigation keys. You can use the navigation keys to move
around around through text on the screen. The navigation keys won't move the mouse pointer.
Only the mouse moves the mouse pointer.
On smaller keyboards where space is limited, such as on a notebook computer, the navigation
keys and numeric keypad might be one in the same. There will be a Num Lock key on the
keypad. When the Num Lock key is "on", the numeric keypad keys type numbers. When the
Num Lock key is "off", the navigation keys come into play. The Num Lock key acts as a toggle.
Which is to say, when you tap it, it switches to the opposite state. For example, if Num Lock is
on, tapping that key turns it off. If Num Lock is off, tapping that key turns Num Lock on.

Input and output devices of computer

INPUT DEVICES
The input unit is formed by the input devices attached to the computer. Ex -
Keyboard, Microphone etc. An input unit takes the input & converts it into
binary form so that it can be understood by the computer.

KEYBOARD
This is most commonly used device which acts as input device. Its structure is like typewriter.It
contains no. of keys which have some specific ASCII values. Like ‘A’ has ASCII value 65.
When this is pressed , it is converted into 65 & this 65 is sent to CPU in the form of Binary
language (i.e. 1000001). Then operations are done on this data.

MOUSE
This is a pointing device which contains a roller in its base. When the mouse is moved on any
surface, the pointer on the screen is also moved. It contains a potentiometer coupled with the
roller. This potentiometer senses the motion of mouse & convert it into digital value. A mouse
may contain two or three buttons.
Now a day's optical mouse are very popular.

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BAR CODE READER

It is a device which is used to read the code from the products which are usually in the form of
Bars. It contains a light sensitive detector which identifies the values of the bars on the product &
converts them into numeric code.
These Bar readers are used in Shopping malls in a very large scale.

DIGITAL CAMERA
As the name specifies, these camera stores the data digitally, which then can be stored in the
computer & can be stored for a long time. But it has very limited storage capacity. These are
very popular because of less expensive photographs & Speed.

LIGHT PEN
It is a pointing device which contains a photocell mounted at its tip. It senses the light from the
screen when it becomes closer to the screen, & generates a pulse. So for identifying a particular
location on the screen these light pens are very useful. But this is not in very much use these
days.

SCANNER
The scanner is an input device like the photocopier machine which makes the electronic copy of
the picture or document which can be further edited.

Computer Output Devices

Monitor
A monitor is also called video display terminal (VDT). The users can view the visual display of
the processed data on the monitor. Computer monitors come in a variety of screen sizes and not
to forget, visual resolutions. All monitors have a video card, which processes the data into
images, to be eventually displayed. Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) and flat panel displays are the two
types of monitors. CRTs are cheaper, and have good viewing angle.

Printer
Printer is an external hardware device, which takes processed data from the computer to generate
a hard copy of the same. After the monitors, printers are the most used peripherals of computers
and they are commonly used to print text data, images, etc. There are three main types of
computer printers, namely inkjet, laser and dot matrix printers. The dot matrix printer is an
impact printer. It uses striking pins against a ribbon to produce the characters in order to print the
data. The inkjet printer uses magnetized plates that spray ink on the paper to produce the data.
On the other hand, laser printers use a laser beam to produce the data.

Speaker
A speaker is a hardware device, that is connected to a computer's sound card, which outputs the
sound generated by the card. Audio data generated by the computer is sent to the audio card that
is located in the expansion slot. The card translates the data into audio signals, which are then
sent to either the speakers or the headphones. In the initial phase, computers had on-board
speakers, which generated series of different tones and beeps..

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