NURSING INFORMATICS

What is a computer?
- “an electronic device capable of receiving data and performing a series of operations in
accordance with predetermined procedural instructions or programmers to produce a result in the
form of information or signals.”

1. Hardware
- Computer hardware is the umbrella term used to describe the physical collection of elements that
complete a whole computer system. Hardware encompasses the external tools that allow users to
operate a computer, such as the keyboard and mouse, outer elements of the machine such as the
monitor and tower, and internal components like the motherboard, graphics card, and data storage.
- Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer. Computer Hardware is any part of the
computer that we can touch these parts. These are the primary electronic devices used to build up
the computer. Examples of hardware in a computer are the Processor, Memory Devices, Monitor,
Printer, Keyboard, Mouse, and the Central Processing Unit.

2. Software
- Computer software is the term used to define the sets of code, data, and instructions stored on the
computer’s hard drive that operate the machine from behind the scenes. In other words, software
allows a computer to actually perform tasks, without software, computer hardware would be
entirely useless. Application software gives functionality to an app, which will then run on
operating software within a computer.
- Software is a collection of instructions, procedures, documentation that performs different tasks
on a computer system. we can say also Computer Software is a programming code executed on a
computer processor. The code can be machine-level code or the code written for an operating
system. Examples of software are MS Word, Excel, Power Point, Google Chrome, Photoshop,
MySQL etc.

Difference Between Hardware and Software:

HARDWARE SOFTWARE

Hardware is a physical parts computer that cause Software is a set of instruction that tells a
processing of data. computer exactly what to do.
It is manufactured. It is developed and engineered.
Hardware cannot perform any task without Software cannot be executed without hardware.
software.
As Hardware are physical electronic devices, we We can see and also use the software but can’t
can see and touch hardware. actually touch them.

It has four main categories: input device, output It is mainly divided into System software,
devices, storage, and internal components. Programming software and Application software.

Hardware is not affected by computer viruses. Software is affected by computer viruses.

 It cannot be transferred from one place to another But, it can be transferred.
electrically through network.

If hardware is damaged, it is replaced with new If software is damaged, its backup copy can be
one. reinstalled.

Ex: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Printer, CPU, Ex: Ms Word, Excel, Power Point, Photoshop,
Hard disk, RAM, ROM etc. MySQL etc.

What is an Operating System?

- An operating system is a type of software that manages the hardware and software components of
a computer system, all programmers, excluding firmware, require an operating system in order to
function. Operating systems (OS) are found on any device that contains a computer, such as
mobile phones, videogame consoles, web servers, and smart watches. The most popular desktop
operating system today is Microsoft Windows, with a total market share of 83.3%, followed by
Apple’s macOS with 11.2%, and versions of Linux in third with 1.55%. In mobile devices, such
as smartphones and tablets, Android by Google sits at 87.5% of worldwide market share, with
Apple’s iOS at 12.1%.
Types of Operating System:

1. Windows
- Windows is the name given to the many versions of an operating system designed, developed,
marketed and sold by Microsoft. The first version of Windows was introduced in November 1985
as a graphical operating system shell in response to an increasing interest in graphical user
interfaces.
- As of 2016, Windows is still the most popular operating system on PC’s, but the exponential
growth of Android smartphones has led to the sharp decline of Windows in mobile devices. In
2016, Microsoft released Windows 10 for PC’s, smartphones, and tablets, whilst a specialized
version of Windows is used on Microsoft’s Xbox One games console.

2. Mac
- The family of Macintosh operating systems is a graphical user interface designed by Apple Inc.
for specific use on its series of Macintosh personal computers and has been installed as standard
on the devices since 2002. Apple’s first operating system debuted in 1984 and is now referred to
as ‘classic’ Mac OS. Apple uses its current operating system, High Sierra, which has an entirely
new architecture and annual updates on all of its device software including: iOS, watch OS, and tv
OS.

3. Linux
- Linux was originally created for personal computers in 1991 by Finnish-American software
developer Linus Torvalds as an operating system modelled around the free and open-source
development and distribution of software. Linux, although not as widely used on personal or
handheld devices in the consumer market, is the leading operating system used on servers and
mainframe computers, with a 99.6% market share of the Top500 supercomputers.

4. Android
- Designed for use on touchscreen mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, Android is a
mobile operating system created entirely by Android Inc., which Google bought in 2005. The
user-interface works on the principle of direct manipulation and transforms touch gestures that
 correspond with real world actions, such as tapping, swiping, and pinching, to move on-screen
objects.

5. iOS
- Formerly known as iPhone OS, iOS is a mobile operating system created by Apple Inc.
exclusively for its mobile and handheld devices such as iPhone, iPad, and iPodTouch. Boasting a
total worldwide download of 130 billion, Apple’s App Store consists of more than 2.2 million iOS
applications, and major versions of iOS software are released annually.

Types of Hardware:
1. Desktops
- A desktop computer is a personal computer designed to be used at a single location. They sit on,
or near a desk or table due to their size and power requirements. The ‘computer’ is the tower that
houses the power, motherboard and memory, which can be positioned horizontally or vertically,
dependent on space available. Additional electronic components attach to the tower to allow the
user to operate it, such as a key board, mouse, and crucially, the monitor. There are also ‘all in
one’ desktop computers that combine the tower and monitor into one unit. While desktops have
long been the common configuration of computers, since the mid-2000s, laptop computers have
taken higher prominence in the market, due to their portability.

2. Monitors
- Also known as displays, a computer monitor is a visual display for computers that can be
connected to a computer via VGA, HDMI, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt or DVI connections.
Originally, computer monitors were used for data processing, while television receivers were used
for entertainment. From the 1980s onwards, both televisions and computer monitors have been
used for both processing and entertainment purposes.
- Today’s monitors are moving away from liquid-crystal display (LCD) technology, which uses
cold cathode fluorescent lamps (CCFLs) for backlighting. Developers are opting for light-emitting
diode (LED) technology instead, which uses much smaller, brighter, and economically efficient
light-emitting diodes to illuminate a screen.
- Organizations such as Sharp are constantly innovating monitor technologies. It was the first
business to successfully manufacture and mass produce ‘IGZO’ ultra-high-definition signage
solutions. The monitors utilize artificial transparent crystalline oxide semiconductors, composed
of idiom, gallium, zinc, and oxygen for a more energy efficient and well-lit 4k display.

3. Laptops
- A laptop is a portable computer, suitable for use while travelling and working on the move. They
generally offer the same capabilities as desktop devices but cost more due to their more compact
and complex design.
- When opened, the lower part of the device hosts the keyboard, whilst the upper part houses the
screen. Laptops have integrated screens, speakers, keyboards, trackpads, processors, memory,
integrated webcams and microphones, some laptops also use touchscreen technology.
- They tend to run on AC power or batteries, such as NiMH, Nicad or Li-ion packs, allowing them
to be used unplugged for several hours until needing to be charged again. Apple Mac laptops have
a magnetized power port instead of the standard plug-in power cord.
4. Thin Clients
- A thin client is a basic lightweight computer specifically created to connect into a server remotely,
usually via desktop virtualization and cloud environments. They contrast with conventional PCs
in functionality; thin clients are heavily reliant on another computer (server) to be useful, whereas
PCs can perform computational tasks alone.
 - Thin clients can be used to enter shared sets of virtual applications, and shared or virtual desktops,
to process data or access vast amounts of stored data.

5. Tablets
- A tablet computer, is a flat thin mobile computer with a touchscreen display. They are typically
larger than, but strongly resemble, smartphones, using touch technology to navigate rather than a
keyboard or a mouse.
- The format of a tablet was conceptualized in the mid-20th century, however it wasn’t until April
2010 when Apple released the first mass-market tablet – the iPad. Since then, the popularity of
tablets has grown rapidly, becoming one of the most popular devices for both personal and
workplace applications. There are seven distinct categories of tablet produced today, each defined
by internal systems, size, and input/output compatibility:

6. Slate
- Varying in size, slates start from 6 inches, with some exceeding 18 inches. The word slate implies
a flat surface and an overall sleek and thin device. It is for this reason that slate tablets are
designed to be held in one hand while the other interacts with the device.
- Mini Tablet As the name suggests, mini tablets are a smaller and lighter version of their larger
counterparts, typically between 7-8 inches.