CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER

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 WHAT IS DATA?
 It is a collection of raw facts that represent features or
details about something, like people, object, place, ideas
or events.
 It is a set of isolated and unrelated raw facts.

 In digital age, data can be found in the form of :

 numbers, •text,
 characters, •picture,
 symbols,
•photograph or
 sound,
 animation,
•the combination of these.
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 THE PROPERTIES OF DATA
Data is, when clean, a fact.
Data can be stored easily, and at a low cost.
Data can be copied easily, often using computerized
methods.
Data can exist in more than one place, so data is often
duplicated.
Data can be modified and moved quickly and simply.
Data can be misrepresented, depending on its
interpretation.
Data has no value until it is used.
Data does not mature, nor does it improve with age — in fact,3
data decays.
 EXAMPLES OF DATA
 Student Data on Admission Forms: -
 when students get admission in a college. They fill
admission form. This form contains raw facts (data of
student) like name, father’s name, address of student
etc.
 Data of Citizens: -
 During census, data of all citizens is collected.

 Survey Data: -
 Different companies collect data by survey to know the
opinion of people about their product.

 Students Examination data: -

 In examination data about obtained marks of different4
subjects for all students is collected.
 WHAT IS INFORMATION?

 Information is a collection of meaningful facts and

figures that can be used as basic for guidance and
decision making.

 It is the processed outcome of data or it is derived

from data.

 When data is organized and converted into meaningful

forms, it is called information.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF INFORMATION:

Information should be available when required.

Information should be accurate.

Information should be complete.

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 EXAMPLES OF INFORMATION:

 Census Report :- Total population, Literacy Rate, Male/

Female ratio etc.

 Survey Reports and Results.

 Result Cards of Individual Students, Result sheets of a

particular Class.

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 DATA PROCESSING
 Data is the raw material for information.
 Hence, data must be processed in some way to make it
meaningful or to change it to information. This process
is known as Data processing.

What is Data Processing?

 It is the re-structuring or re-ordering of data by

people or machine to increase their usefulness and
add values for particular purpose.
 It is simply the conversion of raw data to meaningful
information through a process.
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 DATA PROCESSING

 Data processing consists of basic steps input,

processing and output.

 These three steps constitute the data processing cycle.

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 METHODS OF DATA PROCESSING
 Depends on the volume of task to be accomplished,
there are two ways of data processing.
1. Manual data processing
• data is processed manually
• No machine or device is used
• Brain, pen and paper are the main tools

2. Electronic data processing

▪ data is processed with the help of electronic devices or
machines (computers, calculators, etc…)
▪ very fast and accurate
▪ used in almost every field of life 10
 WHAT IS COMPUTER?

 It is an electronic device that:

 accepts data,

 performs computations, and makes logical decisions

according to instructions that have been given to it;

 then produces meaningful information in a form that

is useful to humans and in a required format

 It is a programmable electronic device 11

 CLASSIFICATIONS OF COMPUTER
 Computers are available in different shapes, sizes and
weights, due to these different shapes and sizes they
perform different sorts of jobs from one another.
 They are classified according to:
 Purpose of Application
1. Special purpose Computer
2. General purpose Computer
 Data handling

1. Analog Computer
2. Digital Computer
3. Hybrid Computer
 Functionality

1. Super Computer
2. Mainframe Computer
3. Mini Computer
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4. Micro Computer
 1. CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS BASED ON
PURPOSE OF APPLICATION
1. Specific purpose computers
 designed to handle a specific problem or to perform a
specific task.
 designed to solve a single type of problem, that is
their components and function are uniquely adapted to a
specific situation involving specific application.
 Most analog computers are specific purpose computers.

 Examples: The public telephone box, Traffic control

system, Ticket machines (used in grocery, super market
etc.), Pocket calculators etc.

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2. General purpose computers
 designed to solve variety of problems through the
use of “store program concept”
 They have the ability to store numerous programs,
but lack in speed and efficiency.
 more flexible and versatile than specific purpose
computers.
 Examples: Micro computers, Mini computers, Super
computers etc.

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 2. CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS BASED ON
DATA HANDLING
1. Analog computers
 work on the principle of measuring, in which the
measurements obtained are translated into data.
 deal with continues variables; they don’t compute
directly with numbers, rather, they operate by measuring
physical magnitude such as pressure, temperature,
voltage, current etc.
 Analog computers are specific purpose computers and
they have limited accuracy.
 Examples: Thermometer, Voltmeter, Speedometer,
Gasoline pomp, etc.

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2. Digital computers

 deal with discrete variables; they operate by counting

rather than measuring.

 They operate directly up on numbers (or digits) that

represent numbers, letters, or other special symbols.

 They give the results with more accuracy and at a

faster rate than analog computer.

 Examples: Abacus, Desk & pocket computers, general

purpose computers.

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3. Hybrid computers
 The best features of analog and digital computers can be
combined into a single device to form a hybrid computer.
 They incorporate the measuring feature of an
analog computer and counting feature of a digital
computer.
 They use analog components for computational purposes,
and digital memories for storage purposes.

 Example: In hospital insensitive-care unit analog devices

may measure a patient’s heart function, temperature and
other vital signs. These measurements may then be converted
into numbers and supplied to a digital component in the
system. This component is used to monitor the patient’s vital
signs and to send an immediate signal to the nurse’s station if
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any abnormal readings are detected.
 3. CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS BASED ON
FUNCTIONALITY
 There is a wide variety of general purpose digital
computers on the market place today, in terms of
physical size, price, capacity, and performance.
1. Super computers
 the fastest, largest and most powerful & potential types
of computer.
 multi-user systems in intercontinental range
 very expensive and are employed for specialized
applications that require immense amounts of
mathematical calculations.

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1. Super computers
 Such type of computers are used in:
• weather forecasting
• fluid dynamic calculations
• nuclear energy research,
• petroleum exploration
• space technology centers,
• meteorology stations,
• astronomical observatories
• intercontinental communications

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2. Mainframe computers
 smaller in size, capacity, lower in speed, memory
capacity than the super computers.
 also very expensive
 multi-user systems (hundreds or even thousands of users)
 executes many programs concurrently and supports
much simultaneous execution of programs.
 usually used in large organizations and centralized
databases, such as insurance company, banks, and
airline & railway reservation systems.
 also used as controlling nodes in wide area network.
 In some ways, mainframes are more powerful than
supercomputers because they support more simultaneous
programs. But supercomputers can execute a single
program faster than a mainframe.
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3. Mini computers
 a midsize multi-processing system.

 multi-user (capable of supporting up to 250 users)

 use terminals for inputs and output.

 used in small organizations and used as servers in local

area network.

 popular in scientific laboratory, research centers,

colleges, universities, etc

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4. Micro computers
 the lowest end of the computer range in terms of speed
and storage capacity

 whose CPU is microprocessor

 since its CPU is integrated in a single circuit, it can serve

only a single user at a time.

 most of home and personal office computers are

microcomputers.

 include Desktop computer, Laptop computer, and hand

held models computer such as personal digital assistants
(PDA). 22
 CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTER

 The characteristics of a computer show the capability

and the potential of the computer for processing data.

 This saves time, space, money, labors etc.

 And they answer the questions why computers are

used? Why have they become so popular?

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1. Speed
 carry out their instructions in a very short period of time.

 can perform within a matter of seconds or minutes tasks

that would be impossible for a person to complete by
hand in lifetime

 its speed measured in terms of micro second (10-6 one

millionths), nano second (10-9 one billionths), and Pico
second (10-12 one trillionths).

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2. Accuracy
 In addition to speed, the computers are very accurate.
 Now a day’s computers are being used life-and-death
situations
 For example, jet pilots rely on computer computations for
guidance, Hospitals rely on patient-monitoring systems in
critical –care units: which needs almost hundred percent
accuracy

 The degree of accuracy level of computer is very high and

every calculation is performed with the same accuracy.
 The level of accuracy depends on the instructions
given to the computer and the machines being
used.
 Therefore, the errors in computer are due to human and
inaccurate data.
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 GIGO (Garbage In Garbage Out)
3. Storage
 A computer has much more storage capacity than human
beings.
 It can store large amount of data.
 It can store any type of data such as images, videos, text,
audio and many others.

4. Diligence
 Unlike human beings, a computer is free from tiredness,
lack of concentration, fatigue, etc.
 It can work for hours without creating any error
 They constantly perform similar tasks over and over
again without creating error.
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5. Automation
 Automation means ability to perform the given task
automatically.
 Once a program is given to computer i.e., stored in computer
memory, the program and instruction can control the
program execution and it continuous without the need of
human interaction and intervention until completion.
 It does not require any human intervention between its
processing operations.

6. Versatility
 Computers are quite versatile in nature.
 They can perform multiple tasks simultaneously with
equal ease.
 For example, at one moment it can be used to prepare a
letter, the other moment it can be used to play music and in
between you can print a document as well.
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 All this work is possible by changing the program (sequence

of instructions for computers).

 LIMITATIONS OF COMPUTER
▪ No IQ: - it cannot do any work without instruction from the
user. It is you to decide what you want to do and in what
sequence. So a computer cannot take its own decision as you
can.
▪ Cannot think: - even if computer is artificially intelligent,
it does nothing more than it is programmed to do. It does
not create a brand new idea.
▪ No feeling: - It does not have feelings or emotion, taste,
knowledge and experience. It does not distinguish between
users.
▪ Computer can only operate on the user provided data.
▪ A computer needs well-defined instructions to perform any
operation.
▪ It cannot identify its problem.
▪ It cannot decide the input needed to solve the problem
▪ Software that generate automatically is also designed by
humans 28

▪ Computers are merely tools, useless without humans.

 APPLICATIONS OF COMPUTER
 Today, it would be difficult to think about our world without
computer.
 Every company, large or small, is now directly or indirectly
dependent on computers.
 The following are some of the capability of Computers,
which are reasons to use Computers.
 Store and process large amount of information with high
speed and accuracy;
 Transmit information across continents via communication
channels;
 Simulate events;
 Perform complex mathematical computations and make
comparisons;
 Monitor ongoing industrial operations;
 Perform repetitive processes with great ease, speed, and
reliability;
 The main areas of computer applications can be listed as
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follows:
Business
 Computers are needed to perform business operations that
require handling large amounts of data.
 Computer is used in business organizations for: payroll
calculations, budgeting, sales analysis, financial forecasting,
managing employees database, maintenance of stocks etc.
Education
 Currently, the class rooms, libraries, and others are
efficiently utilizing computers to make the education much
more interesting.
Science
 Scientists have been using computers to develop theories,
to analyze and to test the data.
 Satellite based applications have not been possible
without the use of computers and also it would not be
possible to get the information our solar system without
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computers.
Medicine and Health care
 The computers are being used in hospitals to keep the record
of patients and medicines.
 It is also used in scanning and diagnosing different diseases.
 ECG, EEG, Ultrasounds and CT Scans etc., are also done by
computerized machines.
Engineering/Architecture/ Manufacturing
 The architect and engineers are extensively using
computers in designing and drawing.
 One of major areas is CAD (Computer aided design), which
provides creation and modification of images.
 Computers are also used in Design of machines and
Control of manufacturing process.
Military
 Computers are used in defense in missile control, military
communication, military operation and planning, smart
weapons.
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 Computers are used in tanks, planes and ships to target
enemy forces.
Marketing
 In marketing computers are used for advertizing and
home shopping.
 E-commerce
Banking
 Today banking is almost totally dependent on computer.
 Banks provide following facilities:
 Banks provide online accounting facility, which includes
current balances, deposits, overdrafts, interest charges,
shares, and trustee records.
 ATM machines are making it even easier for customers to
deal with banks.
Communication
 Computers play a major role in communication through
wide area network and local area network
 Some main areas in this category are: E-mail, Chatting,
Usenet, FTP, Telnet, Video-conferencing. 32
 ASSIGNMENT
 Briefly discuss the application of computer in
Business and Management with Examples.

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