BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF COMPUTER

COMPUTER

Computer is an electronic device or programmable machine that manipulates information or data (input) and produces the result (output). It has the ability of storing, retrieving and processing the data.It is composed of hardware and software in it.

Functioning

Input Devices – Access the data

Central Processing Unit (CPU) – Process the data

Output Devices- Produces the result

Storage Devices (RAM) – Stores the result

Hope!! You understood this concept how computer access the data (input) and provides the output using some major components. Explanation is given for each and every component at below

HARDWARE

Term hardware refers to physical components or elements of the computer like keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Printer, Disk and Chips

SOFTWARE

Term Software refers to set of instructions that tell the hardware what to do.  

•       Software will be loaded from Disk to RAM (Random Access Memory)                                
•       Some of the examples are Games, web browsers and word processors such as Microsoft word

Can a computer run without software???

• —  Yes, it is possible .But if u wants to create some documents and power points you need some software’s.
• —  For example if you want to create a document you need word processor
• —  Software will give some additional capabilities to your computer

Confused????????

To prepare the Food, Vegetables are required and to preserve the Vegetables, a Refrigerator is essential. Similarly to run a program Software is required and to establish the Software, Hardware is essential.

Hope you understood this. Let’s move to hardware components

                                    HARDWARE COMPONENTS

Internal hardware components

• —  CPU
• —  Mother Board
• —  RAM
• —  Sound Card
• —  Video Card
• —  Hard Drive
• —  DVD

External Hardware components

• —  Keyboard
• —  Mouse
• —  Printer
• —  Scanner
• —  Monitor
• —  Speakers

Input Devices (accesses the data)
Devices which helps us to interact with computer is nothing but input devices
Ex: Keyboard and Mouse

Output Devices (provides the output)
Devices which sends back the information to you is nothing but Output Devices
Ex: Monitor and Printer

Central Processing Unit (processes the data)

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

•       Central Processing Unit is also called as the “Brain of the Computer” or Main Processor which controls all the systems inner functions.
•        It is very easy to replace because it is inserted into the socket and is not soldered onto the motherboard

A computer may contain more than one CPU which is nothing but MULTIPROCESSING

Two main parts of CPU are

•     Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU)
•     Control Unit (CU).

Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU): ALU is also called as basic building blocks of Central Processing Unit, which performs all arithmetic and logical operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division

Control Unit (CU): Control Unit controls the entire processing. It helps in the communication between Memory and ALU

Memory (stores the result)

A place where we can store the data or set of instructions to access them while performing the operations 

There are two types of memories (storage devices)

•    RAM (Random Access Memory)
•    ROM (Read Only Memory)

RAM (Random Access Memory)

RAM (Random Access Memory) is one of the storage devices which performs both read and write operations. But RAM is Volatile in nature it loses the data when there is no power supply. It is fast while programming when compared to ROM

There are two types of RAM

•       DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory)
•       SRAM ( Static Random Access Memory)

ROM (Read Only Memory)

Main advantage of ROM is that we can easily alter the data or reprogrammable. Advantage of ROM is Non –Volatile in nature which does not loses any data when there is no power supply. Motherboard may consist of more than one ROM chips.

Types of ROM

• ROM- Read only Memory
• PROM- Programmable Read only Memory
• EPROM- Erasable Programmable Read only Memory
• EEPROM- Electrically Erasable Programmable Read only Memory
• Flash EEPROM memory

RANDOM  ACCESS MEMORY(RAM)	READ ONLY MEMORY(ROM)
Volatile	Non-Volatile
Both Read and Write	Only Read
Data is Temporary	Data is Permanent(Reusable)
Faster While Programming	Slower
High Cost	Low Cost
Larger in Size	Smaller in Size

                            OPERATING SYSTEMS (OS)

Operating System is a type of software that allows computer hardware to communicate with software. A computer without OS is a mere machine

Ex: DOS (Disk Operating System), Linux, Solaris

Types of operating systems

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

GUI is an interface, which allows us to interact with electronic devices like mobiles, gaming devicesand Mp3 players using some graphical icons

Ex:Windows 98, Windows CE, System 7.X

Multi-user operating system

Application software which allows multiple users to access the computer with time sharing system

Ex: Linux, UNIX, Windows 2000

Multiprocessor operating system

An operating system which supports the utilization of two or more processors on single computer Ex: Linux, UNIX, Windows 2000

Multi-Tasking

An operating system which supports multiple processes at the time Ex: Unix, Windows 2000

Multithreading

This operating system will allows the software to perform some parts of program to run concurrently

Ex: Linux, UNIX, Windows 2000