INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER

The word "COMPUTER" originates from the word

"COMPUTE" which means to calculate. The earlier
computer was considered to be a calculating device,
which can perform arithmetic operations at enormous
speed

It Is a data processing device, i.e. it is an automatic

electronic machine or device which accepts raw
information as an input and reveals useful
information as output or its processes according to a
list of instructions and gives the output.

It can perform a variety of jobs which are

mentioned as under:

• Speedy and accurate calculations

• Storage of information

• Retrieval of information

• Combining information
 CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER

The following are the characteristics which computers

possess:

1. Speed:

A computer is a very fast device. It can perform in few seconds,

the amount of work that a human being can do in an entire year.
The speed of a computer measure in microseconds(10-6),
nanoseconds(10-9), and picoseconds (10-12). A powerful
computer is capable of performing several billion arithmetic
operations per second

2.Accuracy:

The computer is a very accurate device. The accuracy of a

computer is principle high. The degree of accuracy of a
particular computer depends upon its design

3.Automatic:

A machine is no sooner than done to be automatic if it,

works by itself without human intervention. A computer is
an automatic machine because one started on a job, they
carry on, until the job is finished, without any human
assistance. However, computers being machines can not start
themselves.
4.Diligence:
The computer has, unlike human beings. A computer is free
from dullness and lack of concentration. It can continuously
work for hours without creating any error. The computer can
perform a number of calculations with exactly the same
accuracy and speed as the first one.

5.versatality

Versatility is the most important characteristic of the

computer. It means the capacity to perform completely
different types of work.

6.. Intelligence (Quotient):

A computer is not a magical device. It is no intelligence of its

own. Users can determine, what tasks will the computer
perform. So a computer cannot take its own decision as you
can.

7.No Feelings:

The computer has no feelings. They have no emotions

because they are machines. The computer is not like the
human heart and soul. The computer cannot make such
judgments on its own. Their judgment is based on the
instructions given to them in the form of programs, that are
written by us.
 Classification of computer

Modern computers are electronic and digital. These digital

computers are broadly classified into the following four
categories depending upon their performance, size, and cost.

1 . Microcomputers
2 . Minicomputers
3 . Mainframes
4 . Super Computers

Microcomputers :

These are low-cost small-size computers. These have been

named microcomputers on account of their employing
microprocessor. They represent a typically single-user
system, meaning that a microcomputer can be used by only
one user at a time. The personal computers (PC) that you are
using in your computer lab are microcomputers. These are
named personal they can be used by any person for personal
use.
Minicomputers:

Minicomputers perform better, are larger in size, and cost

more than microcomputers. They also possess larger storage
capacities and are faster in speed. Normally, they are designed
to support more than one user at a time. That is why these may
also be used as servers in LAN. Minicomputers, thus a
multiuser computer, can support ten to hundreds of users
simultaneously.

Mainframes:

Mainframe computers are more powerful and faster than

minicomputers. They have a quite larger storage capacity and
are able to support many hundreds of users simultaneously.
Their real value lies in their processing power to handle large
database systems i.e. handling the records of thousands of
employees working in an organization.

Super Computers:

Where microcomputers lie at the lowest end of the computer

range, the supercomputers stand at the highest end of the
computer range. They are the most powerful, fastest, and most
expensive machines and thus can be afforded only by the rare
organization working on the national level. These computers
have remarkable performance as billions of calculations may
be performed by them in a second.
 Components of a Computer System

All general-purpose computers require the following hardware

components:

• Memory:- Memory Enables a computer to store at least

temporarily data and programs.

• The central processing unit (CPU):- The heart of the

computer, is the component that actually executes
instructions.

• Mass Storage:- It Allows a computer to permanently

retain large amounts of data. Common mass storage
devices include disk drives and tape drives.

• Input Unit:- Usually a keyboard and mouse the input

device is the conduit through which data and instructions
enter a computer.

Computer Devices:

1. Input Devices:

Input devices are those devices that are meant for feeding
data and instructions into the memory of the computer in
computer understandable form. Some input devices are given
below:
• Keyboard: A computer keyboard is one of the primary input
devices for a computer system. Many styles of keyboards exist,
but a few common components of most keyboards include a
keypad, a QWERTY-style keyboard, and function buttons.
Keyboards may also contain special knobs and buttons at the
top for opening Internet browsers and other applications in
addition to controlling volume.

• Mouse: Mouse is another wide input device. It is a pointing

device that is used in the process of feeding the data. It is
moved across a flat surface or a plane table. It is supported by
a long wire which is connected to the motherboard of the
computer. It shows the arrow-like image on the screen. This
arrow is called a mouse pointer.

• The mouse is associated with two or three push buttons that

can be gently pressed by the fingers.

• When the mouse is activated, we see a flashing arrow on the

monitor screen.

• When the mouse is moved on the surface of the table or

mouse pad, this arrow comes in the movement.
2. Output Unit:

In the world of computers, input/output (I/O) refers to the

communication between a computer and the user. Input is the
data sent to the system, whereas the output is the data sent by
the system to the outside world.

Computer output devices are computer hardware equipment, that

is used to communicate the results of data processing carried out
by a computer to the user. There are number of devices, which
produce data in different forms, which include audio, video, or
hard copy.

The output devices of computers are types of peripheral hardware

connected, that is connected to the computer, either using cables
or over a wireless network. Immaterial whether you have desktop
computers, laptop computers, supercomputers, etc., you will
require at least one computer output device.

Types of Output:

Monitor:

A monitor is also called a video display terminal (VDT). The

visual display of the processed data, which the users can view is
got through the monitor. Computer monitors come in a variety of
screen sizes and not to forget visual resolutions. There are two
types of computer monitors available, namely CRT and flat panel.
Printer :
In computing, a printer is a peripheral which produces text and/or
graphics of documents stored in electronic form, usually on
physical print media such as paper or transparencies. Many
printers are primarily used as local peripherals and are attached by
a printer cable or, in most newer printers, a USB cable to a
computer that serves as a document source.

Types of Printers

*Dot Matrix printer

*Inkjet printer
*Laser printer
*Thermal printer
*LED printer

Speaker:

~ A speaker is a hardware device, that is connected to a

computer's sound card, which outputs 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 headphones.
~ In the initial phase, computers had onboard speakers,
which generated series of different tones and beeps
Projector:

~ It is a hardware device, with which an image like a computer

screen is projected onto a flat-screen.
~ Image data is sent to the video card, by the computer which is
then translated into a video image and sent to the projector.
~ A projector is often used in meetings or to make
presentations, because they allow for a large image to be
shown, with which the display is available for a large audience.

Sound card :

It is Also known as a soundboard or an audio card, a sound

card is an expansion card or integrated circuit that provides a
computer with the ability to produce a sound that can be
heard by the user either over speakers or headphones.

3. Memory Unit:

A data storage device is a device for recording (storing)

information (data).

Recording can be done using virtually any form of energy,

spanning from manual muscle power in handwriting, to
acoustic vibrations in phonographic recording, to
electromagnetic energy modulating magnetic tape and
optical discs.
A storage device is a hardware device capable of storing information.
There are two types of storage devices used in computers; a primary
storage device such as computer RAM and a secondary storage
device such as a computer hard disk drive.

Hierarchy of storage

Primary Storage •

Primary storage (or main memory or internal memory), often

referred to simply as memory, is the only one directly accessible to
the CPU. The CPU continuously reads instructions stored there and
executes them as required. Any data actively operated on is also
stored there in a uniform manner.

1. Primary Storage Device :

~ Also known as internal memory and main memory, primary

storage is a storage location that holds a memory for short
periods of time while the computer is on.

~ For example, computer RAM and cache are both examples of

primary storage devices

~ This type of storage is the fastest type of memory in your

computer and is used to store data while it's being used. For
example, when you open a program data is moved from the
secondary storage into the primary storage.
2. Random Access Memory :

RAM, also known as main memory or system memory, is a term

commonly used to describe the memory within a computer.
Unlike ROM, RAM is a volatile memory and requires power; if
power is lost, all data is also lost.

Secondary storage device:

Also known as external memory and auxiliary storage, secondary
storage is a storage medium that holds information until it is
deleted or overwritten regardless if the computer has power.

For example, a floppy disk drive and a hard disk drive are both
good examples of secondary storage devices.

1. Floppy Disk Drive :

• A Floppy Disk Drive, or FDD for short, is a computer disk drive

that enables a user to easily save data to removable diskettes.

• Although 8" disk drives made available in 1971 were the first
real disk drives, the first widely used floppy disk drives were
the 5 1/4' floppy disk drives, which were later replaced with 3
1/2" floppy disk drives.

• However, today because of the limited capacity and reliability

of floppy diskettes many computers no longer come equipped
with floppy disk drives and are being replaced with CD-R and
other writable disc drives and flash drives.
1. Hard drive
The computer's main storage media device used to permanently
store all data on the computer. Also referred to as a hard disk drive
or abbreviated as HD or HDD, the hard drive was first introduced
September 13, 1956, and consists of one or more hard disk platters
inside of air-sealed casing

Most hard drives are permanently stored in an internal drive bay

at the front of the computer and are connected with either ATA,
SCSI, or a SATA cable and power cable

Below is an illustration of the inside of a hard disk drive

~Magnetic Tape
~Diskettes
~Compact Disc
~Digital Versatile Disc

~USB Flash Drives

Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is an office suite of interrelated desktop
applications, servers, and services for the Microsoft Windows
and Mac OSX operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in
1989.
THERE ARE THREE MAIN COMPONENTS OF MS OFFICE

1.MS WORD
2.MS POWERPOINT
3.MS EXCEL

MICROSOFT WORD
Word is an application program that allows you to create and
type letters, reports, memos, proposals, newsletters, brochures,
graphic presentations, web pages, tables, from letters-virtually
all communication required in today's businesses.
FEATURES OF MICROSOFT WORD

• Using the word you can create the document and edit them
later, as and when required, by adding more text, modifying
the existing text, deleting/moving some part of it.

• Changing the size of the margins can reformat the complete

document or part of the text.

• Font size and type of fonts can also be changed. Page

numbers and Header and Footer can be included.

• Spelling can be checked and corrections can be made

automatically in the entire document. Word count and other
statistics can be generated.
 Components of ms word:

• Insertion point: - It is a blinking vertical cursor that indicates

the position on the screen where the text or graphic will be
inserted.

• Workspace:- It is the area in the document window where the

text is typed.

• Vertical scroll bar: - It is used to move a vertically

• View buttons: - They allow you to view a document in

different layouts.

• Horizontal scroll bar: - It is used to move documents

horizontally.

MICROSOFT POWERPOINT
• PowerPoint is a tool you can use to communicate your ideas
through visual aids that appear professionally designed yet
are easy to produce.

• With Powerpoint you can create a variety of media,

including black and white overheads, colour overheads, 35-
mm slides, and an on-screen electronic slide show.

• In addition, you can prepare speaker's notes and print

outlines and handouts for your audience. All these
components integrated into one file make up a PowerPoint
Presentation.
 FEATURES OF MICROSOFT POWERPOINT

~ Quick and easy, high-impact visuals: PowerPoint 's

Auto Content and Pick a Look wizards and templates
not only help to design a presentation, but also gives a
basic presentation outline to follow.

~ Fact-filled presentation with plenty of graphs and

charts: Power-Point's Graph, organization chart and Table
modules can help to create elaborate visuals that depict
Numeric information, detail the structure of an
organization and make comparisons among ideas.

MICROSOFT EXCEL

WORKBOOK AND WORKSHEET:

When you open Excel, the Excel application window

opens with a new Excel workbook. A workbook is a
multipage Excel document. Each page in the workbook is
called a Worksheet.

Row and column:

Each worksheet is divided into columns and rows. The

horizontal divisions are known as row and vertical ones are
known as column. They are separated by gridlines.
Cells:

A cell is a point where the row and the column intersect. For
example, cell al is the intersection of column a and row 1. A
collection of these cells is called a worksheet.

Active cell:

When a cell is active, you can type data in it. The active cell has
a dark outline.

Sheet tabs:
Excel allows you to have multiple worksheets stored in a single
File. The first worksheet is designated as "sheet 1" while the
Second as "sheet 2" and so on.

CREATING CHARTS IN MS-EXCEL

• To create a chart in Excel, you start by entering the data

for the chart on a worksheet (worksheet: The primary
document that you use in Excel to store and work with
data. Also called a spreadsheet. A worksheet consists of
cells that are organized into columns and rows; a
worksheet is always stored in a workbook.).
• The data can be arranged in rows or columns — Excel
automatically determines the best way to plot the data in
the chart. Some chart types (such as pie and bubble charts)
require a specific data arrangement.
• Once you have entered the data for your chart, you can
select the chart type that you want to use on the Office
Fluent Ribbon (Insert tab Charts group)
INTERNET

Internet is the short name or abbreviation for the internetwork

system. Internet is known as the largest WAN in the existing
today.

Accordingly, it may be defined as the world's largest

internetwork system that may provide the fastest, easiest, and
cheapest means for countless users to get and provide
information as well as communicate among themselves on a
global basis.

Internet may be considered as a name for a fast World Wide

System consisting of people, information, and computers,
capable of communicating and sharing data among the indefinite
number of users at a time scattered all over the world.

Application of Internet

Internet is playing a very important role in National

Development by extending the following major benefits to the
citizens worldwide:

~ Education

~ Publishing

~ advertising

~ shopping
Hardware and Software requirements for Internet

The minimum hardware and software required to get an Internet

connection is as follows:

~ Computer: All types of computers right from PC (having DOS

or Windows) to Pentium and mainframes suitable for the
Internet.

~ Modem: It is a device that converts the digital signal from a

computer into an analog one, which is suitable for transmission
over a telephone line or other convenient communication
channels.

~ Linkage Mechanism: The following are the methods using

which linkage can be established on the Internet:

Surfing Internet
Web browser:-

A web browser or Internet browser is a software application for

retrieving, presenting, and traversing information resources on the
World Wide Web. An information resource is identified by a
Uniform Resource Identifier (URI) and maybe a web page, image,
video, or another piece of content like google.com
Various types of web browser are used to access information like

~ Internet explorer

~ Mozila firefox

~ Google chrome opera

Email
E-mail i.e. electronic mail or the letter which is sent
electronically started in 1970 with just a simple text facility.
But as time progress, it has developed as a great
communication tool with fast speed and minimal cost.

Electronic mail, commonly called email or e-mail, is a method

of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more
recipients modern email operates across the internet or other
computer networks.

The general structure of Email:

~ Head
~ To: This section of the mail contains the unique e-mail ID of
the receiver of your message.
~ CC: This section contains the email ID of the person to
whom you want to send a copy of your mail.
~ BCC: This section contains the email ID where your message
is returned if it is not delivered to the above-mentioned ID.
~ Subject: This section contains the tag line of your message
and brief information about the detailed message inside the
body part. It can be treated as the title of a lesson.
~ File attachment: This section contains the path of the
document or file which you want to attach with your message. It
can be a text, audio, video, or image file as well.
~ Body: This part of an E-Mail contains the original message
just like a handwritten letter. It can be simple text or text with
additional features like formatting, colour, highlighter, and
smart emoticon, etc.

~ Signature: This is the part of the body but not an actual part of
the message. This part is not just a ordinary signature but it is
the detailed information about the sender of the message which
he/she want to tell the receiver of the message like:- name,
contact number, job information, designation, etc.

HANDLING AVAILABLE EQUIPMENT

1. EPIDIASCOPE:

Epidiascope is a device with the help of which the opaque

objects can be shown on the screen. It is also known as the
picture-expansion device. This device is more effective than
magic lantern.
The main characteristics of epidiascope are as follows:

• There is no need of making the slides in the case of

epidiascope. By this device, without making the slides, small
pictures, maps, pages of the books can be shown on the
screen in their magnified form.

2.OVERHEAD PROJECTOR

Overhead projector is a very helpful teaching aid. It is quite an

advanced type of teaching aid. It is used for projecting image
of the transparency on the screen. This projector makes the
image above the shoulders of the teacher. Therefore, it is
called overhead projector. It can be used in many ways as it
projects words or pictures written on transparent sheet.

~ Therefore, it is a substitution for a picture, graph, chart,

or chalkboard.
~ In the overhead projector, a transparent sheet is placed
horizontally on the top of a light source
SMART CLASSROOM
Smart class is a modern and smart class using multimedia,
Internet & learning devices in classroom teaching. These classes
are something different from traditional classes because
traditional classes use traditional teaching-learning devices.

• A smart classroom is a "Whiteboard classroom", using

whiteboard (Projector), computers and multimedia in
classroom teaching-learning. In the future we may hear some
new words for our classroom; such as "Digital class",
whiteboard classroom, or e based classroom." Smart class" is
a modernized method of teaching-

BENEFITS OF SMART CLASSROOMS:

~ Introduction Of concept in a thrilling and exciting manner.

~ A student's better engagement with the content and a

smartboard are dynamic and visually more appealing

~ Storage of teachers' written notes.

~ Teaching skills can be enhanced by showing various videos

to the students
Smart classroom Equipment
As a teacher or even a presenter, one comes across a variety of
problems while delivering lectures, discourses, seminars or
presentations, etc. These issues are numerous and basically
stem when there's a failure in meeting out an organized course
or study material and data to the audience. To cope up with
such problems and situations a person has to guarantee that
certain things be carried out.

Here's a list of some important items you need in order to set

up a smart classroom:

2.Document camera/VisuaIisers
3.Projector
4.Camera
5.CD/DVD player
6.Graphic tablets
7.Remote controls