Transcript CIS110 Unit1Ax

Unit 1
Section A
Computer Basics
JUST WHAT IS A COMPUTER?
A computer can:
Accept input
Process data
Store data
Produce output
Utilize a series of stored instructions to direct the
performance of these tasks
Use of stored instructions differentiates a
computer from numerous other devices
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WHAT IS DATA?
Data is anything that represents facts, ideas, or
information about various kinds of things
Examples of data:
Text in a newspaper
A file containing a photograph
A file containing music
The current temperature
A list of your friend's birthdays
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DATA IS NOT NECESSARILY INFORMATION
Data is frequently not useful in its raw form
A DVD has data but not in a form we can use
A list of dates is data but lack meaning and context
Information is data that has meaning because
it has been translated or given context
A movie shown on your TV is information
DVD player & TV convert data to a form we can use
A list of dates with the heading “My Friend’s
Birthdays” is information
The heading provides meaning to the data
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MANY DEVICES ACCEPT INPUT
Calculator (numbers and operations)
Car (speed and direction)
Thermostat (temperature)
Elevator (button "calls" to a floor)
VCR (audio and video signals)
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SOURCES OF COMPUTER INPUT
A computer typically accepts input from:
Keyboard (text input)
Mouse (move pointer, click to select)
A computer can also accept input from:
Microphone (sound)
Digital camera (pictures, images)
Scanner (pictures, images)
CD or DVD (programs, data, music, movies)
The Internet (any sort of data)
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MANY DEVICES PROCESS DATA
Many devices process data
A car processes input from the steering wheel
A thermostat reacts to changes in temperature
A DVD player reads and processes data on a disk
Most “processing” is of a mechanical sort
Most devices process input in one particular way
Inherent in design and very difficult to change
What would it take to change your car’s steering
mechanism to a joy stick type of approach?
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COMPUTERS PROCESS ELECTRONIC DATA
Computers process data electronically in a
central processing unit or CPU
Instructions that determine how data should be
processed are contained in a stored program
The CPU simply executes the instructions found
in the stored program
Want to change how your data is processed?
Just change the instructions in the stored program
This concept allows for tremendous flexibility
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Starting Out
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VERSATILITY OF STORED INSTRUCTIONS
Computers perform a wide variety of tasks
Research a topic on the internet (web browsing)
Organize findings into a paper (word processing)
Listen to music (media player)
Discuss findings with a friend (instant messenger)
Very different tasks performed by the same device
Each task utilizes a different stored program
Device reacts very differently for different programs
Stored program concept makes computers unique
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IS THE CPU THE “BRAIN” OF A COMPUTER?
CPU executes instructions found in a program
Consider someone trying to complete a task
What if they needed written instructions to
complete any sort of task?
What if they still needed those instructions even
though they’d done those same tasks 100 times?
Would you consider them “smart”?
Where are the real “brains” of a computer?
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COMPUTERS PRODUCE OUTPUT
Output must be information, not just data
Therefore, output must be in a form we can use
What devices format data in a way we can use?
Monitor
Printer
Speakers
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COMPUTERS STORE DATA
Computers store vast quantities of data
Most other devices store little to no data
Computers use 2 different means to store data
Memory used to temporarily store data and
instructions currently being processed
Workspace for current tasks, like your desktop
Data in memory is lost if no power
Storage retains data on a semi-permanent basis
Large amount of data for long-term, like your file cabinet
Data in storage retained, even without power
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WHAT DEVICES QUALIFY AS COMPUTERS?
Your car?
A calculator?
Your cell phone?
A thermostat?
A VCR?
A PlayStation?
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TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Personal computers include:
Desktop
Notebook
Tablet
User can write on the screen
Turns the display into an input device
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TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Personal electronic devices are computers too:
MP3 players – play music and videos
PDA – personal digital assistant
Send and receive e-mail
To do lists, contacts, expenses
Browse the world wide web
Cell phones
The iPhone combines a cell phone, MP3, and PDA
The BlackBerry combines a cell phone and PDA
Trend is to combine different types of devices
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TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Mainframe computer
A computer designed for
many users with the ability
to serve a large number of
dumb terminals
A dumb terminal is an input/output device
consisting of a display, keyboard, and possibly a
mouse, but no processor or storage devices
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TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Supercomputer
Incredibly fast
Solves highly complex
problems involving
thousands of variables
Used to:
model weather systems, especially hurricanes
Code-breaking
Complex simulations such as nuclear explosions
Supercomputers often combine the power of
thousands of processors and storage devices
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PERSONAL COMPUTER COMPONENTS
A personal computer nearly always consists of:
System unit
Display device (monitor)
Keyboard
Mouse
Hard disk drive (main storage device)
CD and/or DVD drive
Network port – network or fast internet connection
Sound card and speakers
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PERSONAL COMPUTER COMPONENTS
CD and/or DVD drive may allow you to write
data as well as read it
You can also add peripheral devices such as:
Floppy drive – floppy disks rarely used these days
Printer – a requirement for many
Scanner – input device to digitize images
Often found in multi-function print devices
Digital camera
Joystick – used in many computer games
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A COMPUTER NEEDS SOFTWARE
Hardware consists of physical components
If you can touch it, it’s hardware
Software is the stored instructions or programs
your computer relies on to tell it what to do
Two main types of software:
System software - controls all the activities and
functions of the computer
Application software – performs a specific task
needed by a user
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THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF A HOUSE
A house has many electrical devices people use
such as lights and televisions (applications)
These devices use the electrical system supplied
by the builder (system software)
People use the shower (application)
The shower needs the plumbing system (system
software) to supply water
People use the plumbing and electrical systems
indirectly when they use certain devices
In computers, system software provides commonly
needed services to application software
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COMPATIBILITY BETWEEN COMPUTERS
Relies on two factors that determine platform:
Processor
Operating system – the primary component of system
software
Software is designed for a specific platform
Windows and Linux operating systems are both
designed for the PC’s in our labs
But Windows software won’t run under a Linux OS
Windows software won’t run on a Macintosh
Both processor and OS are different in that case
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