Computer Basics

Mohd. Abdul Hannan Chowdhury

What is computer?
 The word “computer” comes from the word “compute”
which means to calculate. So a computer is normally
considered to be a calculating device that can perform
arithmetic operations at enormous speed.
 As the basic operation, computer-
 Takes input;
 Process it;
 Gives output in the human understandable form;
Basic organization of
Computer

Processing Unit
ALU

Data Input Unit Control Unit Output Unit Result

Memory Unit Data

Control Signal

Basic Organization of a Computer System

Components of a computer
 A Computer must have two basic components-
 1. Hardware
 According to processing function Hardware is classified as-
 Input Unit

 Processing Unit

 Output Unit

 According to physical groups, they are classified as:

 System unit

 Peripherals

 2. Software
 Computer instructions or data, anything that can be stored
electronically is software.
Input Unit
 The input unit performs the following functions:
 It accepts (or reads) the list of instructions and data from
the outside world.
 It converts these instructions and data in computer
acceptable form.
 It supplies the converted instructions and data to the
computer system for further processing.

 Example: Key-Board, Mouse,

Microphone, Joy-stick, Disk,
Scanner, Card Reader,
Digital Camera, etc.
Output Unit
 The output unit performs the
following functions:
 It accepts the results produced by
the computer which are in coded
form and hence cannot be easily
understood by us.
 It converts these coded results to
human acceptable (readable) form.
 It supplies the converted results to
the outside world.
 Example: Monitor, Printer, Plotter,
Disk, and Speaker.
Processing Unit

 The Processing unit

performs arithmetic
operations (addition,
subtraction, etc.) or
logical operations
(comparisons like
equal to, less than,
greater than, etc.) on
data in order to
convert them into
useful information.
System Unit
 A System Unit contains the following
components-
 Processor  CD/DVD ROM Drive
 Motherboard  Ports/Slots
 Display Adapter (AGP/VGA)  Buses
 Audio Adapter (Sound card)  Chipsets
 NIC (Network Interface Card)
 Connecting Cables
 Power Supply Unit
 RAM
 Hard Disk Drive
Peripheral
 It means the external units of a computer casing. Some
common types of peripherals are discussed below.
 Monitor
 It displays the activity of the computer. CRT Monitor is the most
common type. Now a days LCD Monitor is getting its popularity
because it have no electromagnetic radiation that CRT Monitor has.
But LCD monitor is still too expensive to common people.
 Keyboard and Mouse
 These are input devices, send input information to the computer. An
extra arrow like pointer indicates the presence of the mouse. Every
computer must have at least a keyboard.
 Printer
 It is used to print text and still image on the paper.
 Speaker, Microphone
 These devices are used as audio output and input devices
respectively.
The Computer System we are
familiar with
What is Software
 Software is a general term used to describe a collection of
computer programs, procedures and documentation that perform
some tasks on a computer system.
 Software is untouchable. Software exists as ideas, concepts, and
symbols, but it has no substance.
 Software includes websites, programs, video games etc. that are
coded by programming languages like C, C++, etc.
 Software is classified into two categories-
 Application software such as word processors which perform
productive tasks for users, for example, MS Word, MS Excell, etc
 System software such as operating systems, which interface with
hardware to provide the necessary services for application
software, for example, MS Windows XP, RedHat Linux, etc.
 Windows / Window
 Windows:
 A family of operating systems for personal computers designed by Microsoft.
 Windows dominates the personal computer world, running, by some estimates, on
80% of all personal computers. The remaining 20% are mostly Linux and Macintosh
computers.
 Windows provides a graphical user interface (GUI), virtual memory management,
multitasking, and support for many peripheral devices.
 Window:
 A portion of the screen where programs and processes can be run. You can open
several windows at the same time. For example, you can open your e-mail in one
window, work on a budget in a spreadsheet in another, and download pictures from
your digital camera in another window. Windows can be closed, resized, moved,
minimized to a button on the taskbar, or maximized to take up the whole screen.
What is Desk top and Booting
 When the power button of a computer is pressed,
computer performs come routine task for a period of few
seconds.
 After a certain time a calm environment appears with few
icons on the left side and a task bar at the bottom. This
is called desktop.
 The work done before appearing the desktop is called
booting.
 The taskbar contains programs list (in the start menu),
opened program’s link and time display.
 The common icons in the desktop are
 My Computer,
 Internet Explorer,
 My Network Places,
 My Documents,
 Recycle Bin, etc.
Navigating Windows
 Using Windows Explorer
 Windows Explorer displays the hierarchical structure of files, folders,
and drives on your computer.
 It also shows any network drives that have been mapped to drive
letters on your computer.
 Using Windows Explorer, you can create, copy, move, rename, and
search for files and folders. For example, you can open a folder that
contains a file you want to copy or move, and then drag the file to
another folder or drive.
 To open Windows Explorer, click Start, point to Programs, point to
Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.
 Or, Double click on My Computer, then click Folders button on the
toolbar.
File, Folder and Drives
 File
 File is a container of data and programs that can be either
information or a set of code to perform some task.
 File types are associated with a file name extension. For example,
files that have the .txt or .log extension are of the Text Document
type and can be opened using any text editor.
 The file type identifies the program, such as Microsoft Word, that is
used to open the file.
 Folder
 A container for programs and files in graphical user interfaces,
symbolized on the screen by a graphical image (icon) of a file
folder. A folder is a means of organizing programs and documents
on a disk and can hold both files and additional folders.
File, Folder and Drives
 Drive:
 Drive is an area of storage that is formatted with a file system
and has a drive letter (A:, C:, D:, etc.). The storage can be a
floppy disk, a CD, a hard disk, or another type of disk. You can
view the contents of a drive by clicking its icon in Windows
Explorer or My Computer.

 My Computer
 My Computer shows you the contents of your floppy disk, hard
disk, CD-ROM drive, and network drives. You can also search
for and open files and folders, and gain access to options in
Control Panel to modify your computer's settings.
 To open My Computer, click Start, and then click My
Computer. Or, Double click on My Computer.
Creating/Renaming File and
Folders
 To create a new
folder in any folder
or drive or desktop,
right click on a
blank area point to
New, and then
clicking Folder.
 Delete the text
‘New Folder’ and
write a something
to name the folder.
 Creating/Renaming File and

Folders
Creating files can be done
in two ways:
 Using Programs:
 Open a program, e.g.,
Microsoft word.
 Write or add content by
writing or inserting some text
or other form of information.
 Save it by a name using the
program’s saving feature.
 You will get a file with a
default extension of that
program.
 Using Pop up menu.
 Right click on blank area in a
folder or drive or desktop
 Point to New and select
program name to create that
type of file.
Creating/Renaming File and
Folders
 To rename a
file/folder, right-
clicking on it and
then click Rename.
 Edit the existing
text and press
Enter key or click
some where else to
finalize the
renaming.
Copying and Moving File and
Folder
 To copy a file or folder
from one place to another
place:
 Right click on the file or
folder and click on Copy (or
press Ctrl+C) to copy the
file/folder or Cut (or press
Ctrl+X) to move the
file/folder.
 Go to the destination, right
on blank area and click Past
(or press Ctrl+V) to place
the file/folder.