CHAPTER 1:

AN OVERVIEW OF
COMPUTER CONCEPTS,
SYSTEM UNIT
 Objective
Recognize the importance of the computer literacy
Define the term, computer
Identify the components of the computer
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the
computer
Distinguish between computer software and
application software
Describe the categories of computers
 Objective
Discuss various computer application in society
Differentiate among various style of system units
Identify chips, adapter cards and other
components of a motherboard
Describe the components of a processor and how
they complete a machine cycle
A World of Computers
What is computer literacy (digital literacy)?
Current knowledge and understanding
of computers and their uses
Computers are everywhere
What Is a Computer?
How is a computer defined?
Electronic device operating under the control of
instructions stored in its own memory, that can accept data
according to specified rules, produce results, and store the
results for future use.

Accepts data
Collection of unprocessed items

Collects Produces Produces

data Processing information and stores
(input) (output)
results

Processes data into information

Conveys meaning and is
useful to people
What Is a Computer?

What is the information processing cycle?

Input
Process
Output
Storage
Communication
The Components of a Computer
A computer contains many electric, electronic,
and mechanical components known as hardware
Input Device Allows you to enter data and instructions into a computer

Hardware component that conveys information to one or more

Output Device people

Case that contains the electronic components of the computer

System Unit that are used to process data

Storage Device Holds data, instructions, and information for future use

Enables a computer to send and receive data, instructions, and

Communications information to and from one or more computers or mobile
Device devices
The Components of a Computer

What is an input device?

Hardware used
to enter data
and instructions
The Components of a Computer

What is an output device?

Hardware that
conveys
information
to one or more
people
The Components of a Computer

What is the system unit?

Case that contains the electronic components of the
computer that are used to process data
The Components of a Computer
What are two main components on the
motherboard?
Processor
Also called a Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The electronic component that interprets and carries
out the basic instructions that operate the computer

Memory
Consists of electronic components that store
instructions waiting to be executed and data needed by
those instructions
The Components of a Computer

What is storage?
Holds data, instructions, and information
for future use
Storage media
Physical material on which data, instructions,
and information are stored

Storage device
Records and retrieves items to and
from storage media
The Components of a Computer
What is a USB flash drive?

Portable storage device

Small and lightweight enough to be transported on
a keychain or in a pocket
The average USB flash drive can hold about 2
billion characters
The Components of a Computer

What is a hard disk?

Provides greater storage
capacity than a
USB flash drive
Most are housed inside
the system unit
The Components of a Computer

What is a compact disc?

Flat, round, portable metal disc
CD
DVD
The Components of a Computer

What is a communications device?

Hardware component that

enables a computer to
send and receive data, instructions,
and information

Occurs over cables, telephone

lines, cellular radio networks,
satellites, and other
transmission media
Advantages and Disadvantages
of Using Computers
What are the advantages of using computers?

Speed
Reliability
Consistency
Storage
Communication
Advantages and Disadvantages
of Using Computers

What are the disadvantages of using computers?

Violation Privacy
Public Safety
Impact on Labor Force
Health Risk
Impact on Environment
Networks and the Internet

A network is a
collection of
computers and
devices connected
together, often
wirelessly, via
communications
devices and
transmission media
Networks and the Internet

The Internet is a worldwide collection of

networks that connects millions of businesses,
government agencies, educational institutions,
and individuals
Networks and the Internet

People use the Internet for a variety of reasons:

Communicate Research and Shop Bank and Invest Online Trading

Access
Information

Entertainment Download Videos Share Information Web Application

Networks and the Internet

A social networking Web site encourages

members to share their interests, ideas, stories,
photos, music, and videos with other registered
users
Computer Software Consists of a series
of instructions that
tells the computer
What is software? what to do and
how to do it
Also called a
program

System Software
Operating system
Utility program

Application Software
Computer Software
What is system software?
Programs that control or maintain the operations of
the computer and its devices

Operating System (OS)

is a set of programs
that coordinates all Utility Programs allow the user to
activities among perform maintenance-type tasks
computer hardware usually related to managing a
devices computer, its devices or its programs
Computer Software

What is application software?

Programs designed to make
users more productive
Word Processing
Spreadsheet
Database
Presentation Graphics
Categories of Computers
What are the categories of computers?
Personal Computers
(desktop)
Mobile Computers and
Mobile Devices

Game Consoles

Servers

Mainframes

Supercomputers

Embedded Computers
Personal Computers
What are the two most popular styles of personal
computers?
PC and compatibles Apple Macintosh
use the Windows usually uses the
operating system Macintosh operating
system (Mac OS X)
Personal Computers
What is a desktop computer?
Designed so all of the components fit entirely on
or under a desk or table
Mobile Computers and Mobile
Devices
What is a notebook computer?
Portable, small enough
to fit on your lap
Also called a laptop
computer
Usually more expensive
than a desktop computer
with equal capabilities
Mobile Computers and Mobile
Devices
What is a Tablet PC?
Resembles a letter-sized slate
Allows you to write on the screen using a digital pen
Especially useful for taking notes
Mobile Computers and Mobile
Devices
What are mobile devices?

Small enough to
carry in a pocket
Internet-enabled
telephone is a
smart phone
Mobile Computers and Mobile
Devices

Mobile Mobile
Computer Device
Personal computer Computing device
you can carry from small enough to hold
place to place in your hand

Examples include
Examples include
smart phones,
notebook
PDAs, handheld
computers, laptop
computers,
computers,
portable media
netbooks, ultra-thins,
players, and digital
and Tablet PCs
cameras
Mobile Computers and Mobile
Devices
What is a handheld computer?
Small Used
enough to fit by mobile
in one employees such as
hand meter readers and
delivery people
Mobile Computers and Mobile
Devices
What is a personal digital assistant (PDA)?
Provides personal organizer functions
Calendar
Appointment book
Address book
Calculator
Notepad
Mobile Computers and Mobile
Devices
What are smart phones?
Game Consoles

What are game consoles?

Mobile computing device designed for single-player
or multiplayer video games
Servers, Mainframe, Supercomputer
What types of servers are there?
A server controls access to network
resources and provides centralized
storage

Mainframe Very powerful,

expensive computer that supports
thousands of connected users

Supercomputer The fastest, most

powerful, most expensive
computer. Used for applications
requiring complex mathematical
calculations
Embedded Computers
What is an embedded computer?
A special-purpose computer that functions as a
component in a larger product
 Process Computer Devices
Consumer Home Automation
Automobiles Controllers and and Office
Electronics Devices
Robotics Machines
Mobile and digital Thermostats Antilock brakes Remote Keyboards
telephones Sprinkling Engine control monitoring Printers
Digital televisions systems modules systems Faxes
Cameras Security Airbag controller Power monitors Copiers
Video recorders monitoring Cruise control Machine
DVD players and systems controllers
recorders Appliances Medical devices
Answering Lights
machines
Examples of Computer Usage

What are the needs of the large business user?

Payroll
Inventory
E-commerce
Desktop
publishing
Computer Applications in Society
What are some examples
of computer applications
in society?
Education
Finance
Government
Health Care
Science
Publishing
Travel
Manufacturing
Elements of an Information System

Hardware Software Data

People Procedures
Summary of Introduction to
Computers
Basic computer concepts
The term, computer
The components of the computers
The advantages and disadvantages of using
computers
The purpose of network
The uses of the Internet
Computer software
Categories of computers
 Objective
Define a bit and describe how a series of bits
represents data
Explain how programs transfer in
and out of memory
Differentiate among the various
types of memory
Explain the differences among a serial port, a
parallel port, a USB port, a FireWire port, and other
ports
 The System Unit

What is the system unit?

Case that contains
electronic components
of the computer used
to process data
Sometimes called
the chassis
 The System Unit
What are common components inside the system unit?

Processor
Memory
Adapter cards
Sound card
Video card
Drive bays
Power supply
 The System Unit

What is the motherboard?

Main circuit board
of the system unit
Contains
expansion slots,
processor chips,
and memory slots
Also called system
board
 The System Unit

What is a chip?
Small piece of semi-conducting material on which
integrated circuits are etched
Integrated circuits contain many microscopic pathways capable
of carrying electrical current
Chips are packaged so that they can be attached to a
circuit board
 Processor

What is the central processing unit (CPU)?

Interprets and carries out basic instructions that
operate a computer

Control Unit (CU) Arithmetic Logic Unit

directs and (ALU) performs
coordinates arithmetic, comparison,
operations in and logical operations
computer
Also called the processor
 Processor

Processor
Control Arithmetic
Unit Logic Unit (ALU)

Instructions
Data
Information

Input Output
Devices
Data Memory Information
Devices

Instructions
Data
Information

Storage
Devices
 Processor

What are multi-core processors?

A multi-core processor is a chip with two or more
separate processors
A dual-core processor is a single chip that contains two
separate processors
A quad-core processor is a single chip that contains four
separate processors
Each processor on a multi-core chip generally
runs at a slower clock speed, but increases overall performance
Processor
 Processor
What is a machine cycle?
Four operations of the CPU comprise a machine cycle
Step 1. Fetch
Obtain program instruction
or data item from memory

Step 2.
Memory
Decode
Translate
Step 4. Store
instruction into
Write result to memory
commands
Processor
ALU Control Unit
Step 3. Execute
Carry out command
 Processor

What is pipelining?
Processor begins fetching second instruction before
completing machine cycle for first instruction
Results in faster processing
 Processor

What is a register?
Temporary high-speed storage area that holds
data and instructions

Stores location
from where instruction
was fetched
Stores Stores data
instruction while it is while ALU
being decoded computes it
Stores results
of calculation
 Processor

What is the system clock?

Controls timing of all computer operations
Generates regular electronic pulses, or ticks, that
set operating pace of components of system unit
Pace of system
clock is clock speed
Each tick Processor speed can
Most clock speeds are
also be measured in
is a in the gigahertz (GHz)
millions of instructions
clock cycle range (1 GHz = one
per second (MIPS)
billion ticks of system
clock per second)
 Processor
What are heat sinks, heat pipes, and liquid cooling?
Heat sinkcomponent
with fins that cools
processor
Heat pipe smaller
e

device for notebook

computers
Liquid coolinguses a
continuous flow
of fluids to transfer heat away
 Processor

What is parallel processing?

Using multiple Control Processor
processors
simultaneously to
execute a
program faster Processor 1 Processor 2 Processor 3 Processor 4

Requires special Memory Memory Memory Memory

software to divide
problem and
bring results
together results combined
 Data Representation

How do computers represent data?

Most computers are digital
Recognize only two discrete
states: on or off
Use a binary system to
recognize two states
Use Number system with
two unique digits: 0 and 1,
called bits (short for binary
digits)
 Data Representation

What is a byte?
Eight bits grouped together as a unit
Provides enough different combinations of 0s and 1s
to represent 256 individual characters
Numbers
Uppercase
and lowercase
letters
Punctuation
marks
Other
 Data Representation

What are three popular coding systems to represent data?

ASCIIAmerican Standard Code for Information Interchange
EBCDICExtended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code
Unicodecoding scheme capable of representing all
worlds languages

ASCII Symbol EBCDIC

00110000 0 11110000
00110001 1 11110001
00110010 2 11110010
00110011 3 11110011
 Memory

What is memory?
Electronic components that
store instructions, data, and
results
Consists of one or
more chips on
motherboard or
other circuit board
Each byte stored
in unique location
called an address,
similar to seats in a concert
hall
 Memory

How is memory measured?

By number of bytes available for storage

Term Abbreviation Approximate Size

Kilobyte KB or K 1 thousand bytes
Megabyte MB 1 million bytes
Gigabyte GB 1 billion bytes
Terabyte TB 1 trillion bytes
Random Access Memory (RAM)

What is random access memory (RAM)?

Memory chips that can be
read from and written
to by processor
Most RAM is
Also called
volatile, it is lost
main memory
when computers
or primary
power is
storage
turned off

The more RAM a

computer has, the
faster it responds
 Memory

What are two basic types of RAM chips?

Do not have to
Most Static be re-energized
common
type RAM as often as
DRAM
(SRAM)

Dynamic
Faster and
Must be RAM more reliable
re-energized
constantly
(DRAM) than DRAM
chips

Newer Type: Magnetoresistive RAM (MRAM)

 Memory

Dynamic RAM
Synchronous DRAM

Double Data Rate SDRAM

Dual Channel SDRAM

Rambus DRAM
 Memory

Dynamic RAM DRAM

Re-energized constantly or they lose their
content.
Existing variations of DRAM - Faster than
basic DRAM.
 Memory

Synchronous DRAM SDRAM

Faster than DRAM.
Synchronous to the system.

Double Data Rate SDRAM DDR SDRAM

Faster than SDRAM.
Transfer data twice for each clock cycle.
DDR2 & DDR3 faster than DDR
 Memory

Dual Channel SDRAM

Faster than single channel SDRAM.
Deliver twice the amount data.

Rambus DRAM RDRAM

Faster than SDRAM
Use pipelining techniques.
 Memory

Static RAM SRAM

Faster and more reliable then any
variation of DRAM.
Do not have to re-energized as often
the DRAM
The term static.
More expensive then DRAM.
 Memory

Magnetoresistive RAM - MRAM

Storage data using magnetic charges.
Greater storage capacity, consumes
less power, faster access times then
electronic RAM.
Power removed which could prevent
loss of data
Replace both of DRAM and SRAM.
 Memory

Where does memory reside?

Resides on small circuit

board called memory
module
Memory slots on
motherboard hold memory
modules
 Memory

How much RAM does an application require?

Depends on the types of software you plan to use
For optimal performance, you need more than
minimum specifications
 Memory
What is cache?
Helps speed computer processes by storing frequently used
instructions and data
Also called memory cache
L1 cache built into processor
L2 cache slower but has larger capacity
L2 advanced transfer cache is faster, built
directly on processor chip
L3 cache is separate from processor chip on
motherboard (L3 is only
on computers that use L2 advanced transfer
cache)
Memory
 What is Read-Only Memory
(ROM)
Memory chips that store Nonvolatile memory, it is not
permanent data lost when computers
and instructions power is turned off

Three types:
EEPROM
Firmware (electrically
Manufactured with erasable programmable
permanently written read-only memory)
data, instructions, Type of PROM
or information containing microcode
PROM programmer
(programmable can erase
read-only
memory)
Blank ROM
chip onto which
a programmer
can write permanently
 Memory
What is CMOS?

Complementary Used in some

metal-oxide RAM chips, flash
semiconductor memory chips, and
memory other types of
memory chips

Uses battery Stores date,

power to retain time, and
information when computers
other power is startup
turned off information
 Memory

What is access time?

Amount of time it takes processor
to read data from memory
Measured in nanoseconds (ns),
one billionth of a second
It takes 1/10 of a second to blink
your eye; a computer can perform
up to 10 million operations in same amount of time

Term Speed
Millisecond One-thousandth of a second
Microsecond One-millionth of a second
Nanosecond One-billionth of a second
Picosecond One-trillionth of a second
 Power Supply

What is a power supply?

Converts Fan keeps

AC Power system unit
into components
DC Power cool

External peripherals
might use an AC
adapter, which is an
external power supply
 Summary of System Unit

Components of the system unit

How memory stores data, instruction
and information
Sequence of operations that occur
when a computer executes an
instruction
CHAPTER 1 - COMPLETE

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INPUT AND OUTPUT