Lec3 - An Introduction To Computer Systems
Lec3 - An Introduction To Computer Systems
2. Networking Principles
3. Computer Hardware
4. Computer Software
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By the end of this topic, you should be able to:
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Basic Computing Concepts
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WHAT IS A COMPUTER ?
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COMPUTER SIMPLIFIED
The first electronic computer, the Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer (ENIAC),
was developed in 1946. It measured 18 feet by 80 feet and weighed 30 tons.
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TYPES OF COMPUTER
Desktop Computers
- The term desktop actually refers to
the casing, or the tower. Once you add
a monitor, mouse, and a keyboard, you
have what is typically known as a
desktop computer.
- Most desktop computers are easy to
upgrade and expand, or add new parts.
- Cost reduction.
- The term desktop computer originated
when the computer case was wide and
flat, and was designed specifically
to fit on your desktop with the monitor
on top.
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TYPES OF COMPUTER…
Laptop Computers
- Battery or AC-powered personal
computers.
- Can be easily carried and used in a
variety of locations.
- Difficult to expand or upgrade.
While the desktop computer case is
relatively easy to open and access
internal components, the small
laptop case makes this more
difficult in comparison.
- A laptop computer is sometimes
called a notebook computer because
of its size.
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TYPES OF COMPUTER…
Others
o Workstations are similar to desktop computers, but are more powerful and
are usually connected to a network.
o Servers are specialized computers that store and deliver, or “serve up”,
information to other computers on a network (file/database/web/… servers).
o Main-frames computers are powerful computers used mainly by large
organizations for critical applications, typically bulk data processing such as
census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and
financial transaction processing.
o Supercomputer is a computer that is at the frontline of current processing
capacity, particularly speed of calculation.
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OPERATING SYSTEMS
DEFINE?
- The most important software that runs on a computer (Software is any
set of instructions that performs some task on a computer.)
PURPOSE?
- Performs many essential tasks for your computer.
- Controls the memory needed for computer processes, manages disk
space, controls peripheral devices, and allows you to communicate with
the computer without knowing exactly how a computer works.
- Without an operating system, a computer is useless.
TYPES:
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OPERATING SYSTEMS: TYPES
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BASIC PARTS OF A COMPUTER
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Chipset External peripherals
PCIe
Socket
USB
port
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SATA & IDE connectors
CPU
CPU/Processor (Central Processing Unit)
- The brain of the computer, or the computer's engine.
- Carry out commands. Whenever you press a key, click the mouse,
or start an application, you're sending instructions to the CPU.
- The processor determines how fast a computer can execute
instructions.
- A processor’s speed is measured in megahertz (MHZ), or millions
of instructions per second, and gigahertz (GHZ), or billions of
instructions per second.
- The power of the processor is measured in bits. The more bits a
processor can handle, the more data it can handle, and therefore,
the more powerful the processor.
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RAM
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BASIC PARTS OF A COMPUTER…
PORTS
PS/2 Port
These ports are called PS/2 ports and are used for
the mouse and keyboard.
Ethernet Port
This port looks a lot like the modem or telephone
port but it is actually wider.
Audio In/Audio Out
Every computer has a bank of audio ports where
you can connect various devices, including speakers,
microphones, headsets, and more.
VGA Port
Your monitor is connected to this port.
USB Port
The Universal Serial Bus let you attach a variety of
devices such as mice, printers, keyboards, web
cameras, USB/flash drives, and digital cameras to
your computer quickly.
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Networking principles
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COMPUTER NETWORK
DEFINE: A network is a group of two or more computer systems
linked together. There are many types of computer networks,
including:
• Local-Area Networks (LANs): The computers are geographically
close together (that is, in the same building).
• Wide-Area Networks (WANs): The computers are farther apart and
are connected by telephone lines or radio waves.
• Campus-Area Networks (CANs): The computers are within a limited
geographic area, such as a campus or military base.
• Metropolitan-Area Networks (MANs): A data network designed for a
town or a city.
• Home-Area Networks (HANs): A network contained within a user's
home that connects a person's digital devices.
Computers on a network are sometimes called nodes.
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INTERNET
A global network connecting millions of
computers. More than 100 countries are linked
into exchanges of data, news and opinions.
Unlike online services, which are centrally
controlled, the Internet is decentralized by
design. Each Internet computer, called a host,
is independent.
Its operators can choose which Internet
services to use and which local services to
make available to the global Internet
community.
There are a variety of ways to access the
Internet. It is also possible to gain access
through a commercial Internet Service
Provider (ISP)
The Internet is not synonymous with World
Wide Web.
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HOW TO CONNECT TO INTERNET?
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REQUIRED HARDWARE
Modem
a device or program that enables a computer to transmit data over, for example,
telephone or cable lines. Computer information is stored digitally, whereas
information transmitted over telephone lines is transmitted in the form of analog
waves. A modem converts between these two forms.
The type of Internet access will determine what type of modem: Dial-up access uses
a telephone modem, which may come installed on your computer, DSL service uses
a DSL modem, Cable access uses a cable modem, and Satellite service uses
a satellite adapter.
Network Card
− A network card is a piece of hardware that allows computers to communicate over a
computer network. Most newer computers have a network card built into the
motherboard.
Router
− A router is a hardware device that allows you to use several computers on a single
Internet connection from your ISP.
− With a router, all the computers in your home can connect to the Internet and all you
pay for is one account with an ISP and one IP address. Additionally, cable, DSL, and
satellite users can use a router as a hardware firewall.
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Learning Objectives
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HARDWARE BASICS
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HARDWARE BASICS
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COMPUTER HARDWARE FUNCTIONS
Input
⚫ Keyboards, mouse, optical scanners
⚫ Convert data into electronic form
Processing
⚫ Central Processing Unit (CPU)
⚫ Arithmetic-logic unit performs the arithmetic functions
⚫ Control unit
Output
⚫ Video display units, printers, etc.
⚫ Convert electronic information into human-intelligible form
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COMPUTER HARDWARE FUNCTIONS
Storage
⚫ Primary Storage Unit or memory
⚫ Secondary Storage
Control
⚫ Control unit of the CPU
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Computer System Components
System unit
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Central Processing Unit
⚫ Instruction phase
⚫ Step 1: Fetch instruction
⚫ Access the primary memory by the control unit, computer
program is a sequence of instructions.
⚫ Step 2: Decode instruction
⚫ The instruction is decoded the central processor can
understand what is to be done.
⚫ Execution phase
⚫ Step 3: Execute the instruction
⚫ The ALU does what is instructed to do
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Primary Storage
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Semiconductor memory
Advantage
⚫ Small size
⚫ Fast
⚫ Shock and temperature resistance
Disadvantage
⚫ Volatility: must have uninterrupted electric power or lose
memory
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Random Access Memory (RAM)
⚫ Volatility: do not retain its contents when the power is switched off
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Random Access Memory (RAM)
⚫ Cache memory
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Read Only Memory (ROM)
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Flash Drive – USB Stick
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Input Devices
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Popular input devices
⚫ Keyboard
⚫ most widely-used
⚫ Mouse
⚫ One or more control buttons housed in a palm size case and designed so
that one can move it on the table.
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Pointing Devices
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Automated Input Devices
• Optical data readers: read text or graphic and store as an
digital image.
✓ Optical character recognition: read and convert to text
✓ Point-of-sale (POS) devices: terminal used in retail
operations to enter sales information into computer system.
• Bar code scanner: point of sales, inventory
• Magnetic strip: Can hold about kilobytes of information.
✓ Smartcard: that embed a microprocessor chip and several
kilobytes of memory (like credit card, debit card)
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Automated Input Devices
• Digital cameras: captures still images or video as a series of 0s and 1s
• Automatic teller machine (ATM) devices: special I/O devices, a
terminal of most bank customers
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Output Technologies
⚫ Video displays
⚫ Cathode ray tube (CRT) like a television
⚫ Most desktop PC screens
⚫ Liquid crystal displays (LCDs)
⚫ Laptop and PDAs, some PCs
⚫ Printed Output
⚫ Inkjet printer
⚫ Spray ink on page
⚫ Laser printer
⚫ Electrostatic process like photocopying machine
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Secondary Storage Devices
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Computer Storage Fundamentals
⚫ Binary representation
⚫ Data are processed and stored in computer system through the presence
or absence of signals
⚫ Either ON or OFF
⚫ ON = number 1
⚫ OFF = number 0
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Bit and Byte
⚫ Byte
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Representing characters in bytes
(using coding scheme)
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Computers use binary system to calculate
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Communication Devices
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Communication
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Computer Software
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Learning Objectives
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Types of software
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Software types
Application software
System software
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Application software
General purpose
Programs that perform common information
processing jobs for end users
e.g., word processing, spreadsheet, etc.
also called productivity packages
Application-specific
Programs that support specific applications of end
users
e.g., electronic commerce, customer relationship
management, etc.
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Software classifications
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Software: for sale/free/rent
Commercial software
Shareware
Distributed free of charge but requires users to make
a monetary contribution to continue using it
Freeware
Copyright software that is distributed free of
charge
Rental-ware
The users lease software
Pirated software # counterfeit software
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Software Suites
Disadvantages
Features not used by all users
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Software Suites
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Web Browser
Software applications that support navigation through the point-and-
click resources of the Web
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E-mail, Instant Messaging and Weblogs
E-mail
Software to communicate by sending and receiving messages and attachments via the
Internet, intranet or extranet
Weblog or blog
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Word processing and Desktop publishing
Word processing
Create, edit, revise and print documents
E.g., Microsoft Word, Lotus WordPro and Corel
WordPerfect
Desktop Publishing
Produce printed materials that look professionally
published
E.g., Adobe PageMaker, Microsoft Publisher and
QuarkXPress
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Electronic Spreadsheets and Presentation Graphics
Electronic Spreadsheets
Worksheet of rows and columns
Used for calculations and charts
E.g., Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Excel, Corel QuatroPro
Presentation Graphics
Convert numeric data into graphics displays
Prepare multimedia presentations including graphics,
photos, animation, and video clips
E.g., Microsoft PowerPoint, Lotus Freelance, Corel
Presentations
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System software
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Popular Operating Systems
Windows
GUI, multitasking, networking, multimedia
Microsoft’s operating system
Different versions manage servers
Unix
Multitasking, multiuser, network-managing
Portable – can run on mainframes, midrange and PCs
Linux
Low-cost, powerful reliable Unix-like operating system
Open-source
MAC OS X
Apple operating system for the iMac
GUI, multitasking, multimedia
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Programming Languages
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Object-Oriented Languages (5th Language)
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Examples: Web Languages
HTML
A page description language that creates hypertext
documents for the Web
XML
Describes the contents of Web pages by applying
identifying tags or contextual labels to the data in Web
documents
Java
Object-oriented programming language that is simple,
secure and platform independent
Java applets can be executed on any computer
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