Unit 1.

Basic knowledge and common uses of

computers

Topic A: Basic knowledge of computers

• System unit
• Basic parts of a computer system
• Hard drive, USB drive, and printer

Topic B: Start a computer system or program

• Start and shut down a computer system

• Start a program
• Close a program

Topic C: Online communication

• Email and video conferencing

• Social networking

Topic D: Common uses of computers in society

• Computers at home
• Computers in education and business
• Computers in healthcare and science/engineering

Unit 1 Self-test

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Topic A: Basic knowledge of computers

Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.

A BCcampus element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://opentextbc.ca/
computerstudies/?p=61

System Unit

System unit – the main part of a desktop computer (the case) that contains all
of the main electronic components of a computer.

• Other common names of the system unit: tower, chassis, or main unit.
• A system unit includes the motherboard, CPU (Central Processing
Unit), RAM (Random-Access Memory), hard drive, expansion cards,
power supply, etc.
• A system unit does not include peripheral devices, such as keyboard,
mouse, monitor, printer, etc.
• The term system unit is used to distinguish between the computer and its peripheral devices
(keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, scanner, etc.).

Motherboard (mainboard) – the main circuit board of the

computer.

• The motherboard is the system core of a computer.

• The motherboard is a computer’s central structure that
connects the different parts of a computer together.
• Whole computer system is connected, managed, and
controlled by the motherboard.

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CPU (Central Processing Unit) – CPU is often referred to as the

brain or engine of a computer where most of the processing and
operations take place.

• Other common names of the CPU: main processor, central

processor, etc.
• The CPU is the primary component of a computer that executes, interprets, and carries out all
instructions.

RAM (Random-Access Memory) – a type of data storage (memory

element) used in computers that temporarily stores programs and
data.

• RAM only holds onto data and programs while the

computer is on.
• All information that was stored in RAM is erased when
the computer is turned off.

Basic Parts of a Computer System

A computer system includes a system unit along with all its software (such as Office 2016, Windows
10, etc.) and peripheral devices (such as a mouse, keyboard, monitor, printer, etc.) connected to it.

Computer monitor – a display screen used to display information (text, image, video, etc.) processed
by a computer.
 Topic A: Basic knowledge of computers | 7

Keyboard – an input device (the set of typewriter-like keys) that allows a user to enter characters
(letters, numbers, symbols, etc.) into a computer.

Mouse – a hand-held pointing device that can control the position of a cursor (pointer) on a display
screen.

Trackpad (or touchpad) – a small flat surface on a laptop or other computer that does the same things
as a mouse (a trackpad is a built-in mouse).

Hard Drive, USB Drive, and Printer

Hard disk drive (HDD) – the main data storage device in a computer.
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• Other common names for a hard disk drive: hard

disk, hard drive, fixed disk, etc.
• A hard disk drive is a spindle of a set of stacked magnetic
disks (platters) that records and stores information (like
phonograph records).
• When you install programs or save data on hard disk of
your computer, the information is written to the hard disk.
• Hard drives can be internal or external.

USB drive – a small portable storage device used to store or transfer data for computers. It is often
used for storage, data backup, and transfer of computer files.

• USB stands for Universal Serial Bus.

• Other common names for a USB drive: flash drive, USB stick,
pen drive, thumb drive, etc.

Printer – an output device linked to a computer. It transfers the

information (text, images, etc.) to paper.
Topic B: Start a computer system or program

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computerstudies/?p=76

Start and Shut Down a Computer System

Start a computer system

1. Press the computer’s Power button.

If the monitor is not turned on, press the Power button on the monitor.
2. When the computer has finished booting, it will show a dialogue box that will ask for a
username and password.
3. Enter your username and password, then click “→ ” (the submit button) or press the Enter
key on keyboard.

Shut down a computer system (Windows 10)

Method 1

1. Click the Start icon (at the bottom left corner).

2. Click the Power icon on the main menu.

3. Click Shut down.

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Method 2

1. Right-click the Start icon.

2. Click or hover over Shut down or sign out.
3. Click Shut down.

Log off (or sign out) a computer (Windows 10):

Method 1

1. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del keys at the same time.

2. Click Sign out.

Method 2

1. Click the Start icon.

2. Click the User profile icon.

3. Click Sign out.

Method 3

1. Right-click the Start icon.

2. Click or hover over Shut down or sign out.
3. Click Sign out. (Or click Restart to reboot the computer.)

Start a Program

Start a program or application such as Word, PowerPoint, Paint, etc. (Windows 10)

Method 1

1. Click the Start icon.

2. Click the name of the program that you wish to start (e.g. Word, PowerPoint, etc.).
 Topic B: Start a computer system or program | 11

Method 2

1. Type the program name in the Search box.

2. Click the name of the program that you wish to start.

Method 3

1. Double-click a program shortcut icon on the desktop. (If the program icon is on the desktop.)

Method 4

1. Click an open program on the taskbar (the bottom edge of the screen).
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Close a Program

Close (exit) a program (close an active open window)

Method 1

1. Click the Close icon (x) in the upper-right corner of the window.

Method 2

1. Click the File, and then click Close.

 Topic B: Start a computer system or program | 13

Method 3

On your keyboard, press Alt + F4 at the same time.

(Always save your document before closing.)

Topic C: Online communication

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computerstudies/?p=83

Email and Video Conferencing

Online communication refers to the sharing of information or communication over a computer

network (the Internet).

Some popular types of online communication:

• Email (electronic mail) – an Internet service that allows users who

have an email account (or address) to send and receive messages
anywhere in the world.
◦ An email may contain attachments (files, photos, etc.).
◦ Some free email accounts and service providers: Gmail, AOL
Mail, Outlook, Zoho Mail, Yahoo Mail, ProtonMail, Yandex
Mail, GMX Mail, etc.
• Video conferencing – a live video-based meeting between two or more
users in different locations conducted by transmitting audio and video
data in real time.
◦ Some popular video conferencing services: Skype, Zoom, Lifesize, BlueJeans,
UberConference, Adobe Connect, etc.

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Social Networking

• Social networking – the use of websites and other Internet services to communicate with
other people (talk, make new friends, share information, ideas and interests).
◦ Some popular social media websites: Facebook, WeChat, Skype, YouTube,
Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Tumblr, Pinterest, TikTok, Instagram, etc.

• Blog (weblog) – a personal website or webpage that is like an online diary/journal. Blogs are
written and updated by bloggers (they write about their opinions and thoughts).

• VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) – a telephone connection over the Internet. It allows
users to make calls over the Internet.
◦ Some popular VoIP: Skype for Business, RingCentral, 8×8, Dialpad, Jive, etc.
 Topic C: Online communication | 17

• Chat room – an online service that allows people to communicate by typing messages to
each other in real time.
◦ Some popular chatting sites: Zobe, Badoo, Tiny Chat, Imvu, Chat Avenue, Second
life, ChatIb, MocoSpace, FaceFlow, Chat Random, Moco Space, etc.
Topic D: Common uses of computers in society

Click play on the following audio player to listen along as you read this section.

A BCcampus element has been excluded from this version of the text. You can view it online here: https://opentextbc.ca/
computerstudies/?p=92

Computers at Home

There are many things that a computer can do at home, such as:

Manage home budget

• Personal finance software can help you create budget, track

debt, track spending and savings, reduce or eliminate
expenses, plan tax, plan for emergencies, determine short
and long-term financial goals, or even just get a better
handle on your monthly household spending.
• Some personal finance software: Personal Capital, Quicken,
Buxfer, Moneydance, AceMoney Lite, Buddi, GnuCash, etc.

Work from home

• Some work from home jobs: data entry, web developer,

freelance writer, travel agent, call centre representative,
online teaching job, software engineer, social media
manager, translator, accountant, bookkeeper, etc.

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Online banking

• Online banking is a banking transaction system that allows

the bank customers to handle account management and
conduct a range of financial transactions via the Internet,
rather than visiting a branch.
• Online banking allows users to make bill payments, view
account details, open a new account, money transfers, pre-
authorized payments, e-transfer, apply for loans, etc.

Entertainment

• Computers are used in a variety of areas for entertainment

purposes, such as videos, movies, television, music, photo
editing, and art (for example, paintings, pictures, poetry,
etc., are just a click away).

Computer games

• Some intelligence games are specially developed to

improve a user’s cognitive abilities and boost thinking power and mental capability.

Computers in Education and Business

Computers in education

The uses of computers in education are plentiful, such as:

• Distance education
• Online courses, programs, and degrees
• Online training resources
• eLearning
• Computer aided teaching and learning. This includes research, school work, storage of
information, quick data processing, audio-visual aids in teaching, better presentation of
information (PowerPoint, Moodle, smart-boards, etc.), entering and viewing grades online,
quick communication between students and instructors, etc.
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Computers in business

Computer can help a business start, run, manage, and grow.

Computers can be used in business for:

• Marketing and advertising

• Storage, archiving, and order fulfillment
• Budgeting and forecasting
• Customer relationship management
• e-commerce
• And more

Without a computer, it can be very difficult to start, run, and grow the business.

Computers in Healthcare and Science/Engineering

Computers in healthcare

Computers play a crucial role in the healthcare field, such as:

• Storing medical and patient data

• Managing appointments with doctors
• Medical imaging and equipment. This includes X-rays,
CT scans, MRI scans (Magnetic Resonance Imaging—it
can produce a detailed body image), etc.
• Patient monitoring
• Computer-controlled surgeries
• Diagnostic databases (create a database of a patient records with their treatment and medicine
records)
• Medical research
• Blood testing (take blood samples and analyze the results with computer)

Computers in science/engineering

Computers play a critical role in science/engineering because today is a world of computers.

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• Research
• Design (prototype)
• Modelling
• Simulate experiments
• Record, organize, and analysis data
• Report/communication