LECTURE 1: COMPUTER

SYSTEMS AND INTERNETS

 CONTENTS

1. Computer Concepts
• Hardware
• Software
• Operating System

2. Network and Internet Connections

• Computer Network
• Internet
• Email account and Personal Email Account
• Compose and Send Email
 LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Outline the major technologies and uses of computer peripherals for input, output, and storage
 Identify and give example of the components and functions of a computer system
 Identify the computer systems and peripherals required or recommended for a business of

choice and explain the reasons for the selection

 WHAT IS A COMPUTER?

 DEFINE:
 A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or "data." It has the ability
to store, retrieve, and process data.
 USAGE of a computer:
‒ Type documents, send email, and surf the Internet.
‒ Handle spreadsheets, accounting, database management, presentations, games, and more.

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 COMPUTER STRUCTURE SIMPLIFIED

 All types of computers consist of two basic parts:

 Hardware is any part of computer that has a physical structure such as the computer monitor or

keyboard.
 Software is any set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do. It is what guides the hardware

and tells it how to accomplish each task. Some examples of software are web browsers, games, and
word processors.

Inside a Computer -- Part of the Computer Motherboard

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 TYPES OF COMPUTER (I)
A. Desktop Computer
 The term desktop actually refers to the casing, or the tower. Typically known as a desktop computer once

including a monitor, mouse, and a keyboard.

 Most desktop computers are easy to upgrade and expand or add new parts.
 Cost reduction.

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 TYPES OF COMPUTER (II)
B. Laptop Computers
 Battery or AC-powered.
 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.
 It is sometimes called a notebook computer because of its size.

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 TYPES OF COMPUTER (III)
C. Tablet Computers
 Battery or AC-powered
 Can be easily carried and used in a variety of locations.
 Does not have full access to all applications as a personal computer or laptop.

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 TYPES OF COMPUTER (IV)
D. Others:
 Workstations are similar to desktop computers, but are more powerful (e.g. graphic

design, CAD, 3-D design, or RAM intensive programs). A workstation typically has a
top of the line, fast processor, multiple hard drives, and a lot of RAM memory.
 Servers are specialized computers that store and deliver, or “serve up,” information to

other computers on a network (file/database/web/… servers).

 Mainframes 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.
 Supercomputer is a computer that is at the frontline of current processing capacity,

particularly speed of calculation.

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 OPERATING SYSTEM (I)
DEFINE
 An operating system (OS) is system software that manages both computer hardware and software

resource and provides common services for computer programs.

PURPOSE
 Performs many essential tasks for computer, i.e. run other application software.
 Controls the memory needed for computer processes, manages disk space, controls peripheral

devices, and allows the communication with the computer without knowing exactly how a computer
works.
 Without an operating system, a computer is useless.

TYPES

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OPERATING SYSTEM (II)

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Examples of Operating System

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 HARDWARE: BASIC PARTS OF A COMPUTER
 All of the basic parts of a desktop computer are considered hardware.
 Inside the computer case:
1. CPU (Central processing unit)
2. Motherboard
3. Power supply unit
4. RAM
5. Hard Disk Drive (HDD)
6. Video card/Sound card/Network card
 And: monitor, keyboard, mouse, and power cord, Optical/blue-ray disks are considered
peripherals.

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 CPU (I)
 CPU (Central Processing Unit) is also known as Processor.
 CPU is considered to be the brain of the computer, or the computer's engine. It is located inside

the computer case and on the motherboard.

 Carry out commands. Pressing a key, clicking the mouse, or starting an application means

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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 CPU (II)
Processor manufacturers for personal computers including Intel, Atmel, Cyrix, VIA, and
AMD.

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 MOTHERBOARD & POWER SUPPLY UNIT
 Motherboard:
 The motherboard is the computer's main circuit board.
 A thin plate that holds the CPU, memory, connectors for the hard drive and optical drives, expansion

cards to control the video and audio, and connections to computer's ports (such as USB ports).
 The motherboard connects directly or indirectly to every part of the computer.

 Power Supply Unit:

 The power supply unit in a computer converts the power from the wall outlet to the type of power

needed by the computer.

 It sends power through cables to the motherboard and other components.

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MOTHERBOARD

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POWER SUPPLY UNIT

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 MEMORY/RAM (I)
 RAM (Random Access Memory) is the system's short-term memory. Data is temporarily stored here

until saving the work to the hard disk drive, which acts as a long-term storage.
 This short-term memory disappears when the computer is turned off.

 The computer's work takes place in RAM, e.g. when using Word to create a letter, or Excel to produce a

company spreadsheet.
 RAM is measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes (GB).

 More RAM leads to more things the computer can do at the same time, and the faster the computer

performs certain tasks.

 Note: A bit is the smallest unit of data in computer processing.
 A byte is a group of eight bits. A megabyte is about one million bytes. A gigabyte is 1,024 megabytes.

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 MEMORY TYPES

Hard Disk Drive

Random Access Memory (HDD): store the
(RAM) (internal memory) permanent data (unit:
Gb/Tb)

Universal Serial Bus

Read Only Memory(ROM) (USB): store the data
(internal memory): store the (unit: Gb), movable
operational program and a number
of important software programs
 MEMORY/RAM (II)
 Example: a printed page of single-spaced text contains about 3,000 characters. One MB holds
about 400 pages of single-spaced text.

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 HARD DISK DRIVE (HDD)

 The hard disk drive, or hard drive, on the computer is where the software is installed, and it

is also where the documents and other files are stored.

 The hard drive is long-term storage, which means the data is still saved even if computer is

turned off or unplugged.

 When running a program or opening a file, the computer copies some of the data from the hard

drive onto the RAM. When saving a file, the data is copied back to the hard drive.
 The faster the hard drive is, the faster the computer can start up and load programs.

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 PORTS AND POSITION ON CPU(I)
1. PS/2 Port
These ports are used for the mouse and keyboard.
2. Ethernet Port
This port looks a lot like the modem or telephone port but it is
actually wider.
3. Audio In/Audio Out
Audio ports that can connect various devices, including speakers,
microphones, headsets, and more.
4. VGA (Video Graphic Array) Port
The monitor is connected to this port.

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 PORTS AND POSITION ON CPU (II)
5. USB (Universal Serial Bus) Port
This ports let the attachment of a variety of devices such as mice, printers, keyboards, web cameras,
USB/flash drives, and digital cameras to the computer quickly.
6. Other ports:
 Parallel Port
One of the two original ports on the first personal computer (commonly known as the printer port)
 Serial Port
This port is less common in modern computer and is normally replaced by USB or other ports. Serial ports
were frequently used to connect peripherals like digital cameras.
 Expansion Slots
These empty slots are where expansion cards are added to computers.

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 COMPUTER NETWORK
 DEFINE:
 A network is a group of two or more computer systems linked together. Computers
on a network are sometimes called nodes.
 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 city.
 Home-area networks (HANs): A network contained within a user's home that
connects a person's digital devices. 28
 INTERNET
 A global network connecting millions of computers. More than 100

countries are linked into exchanges of data, news and opinions.

 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
 Requirements: An Internet Service Provider (ISP), a modem, and an Internet browser.
 Types of Internet Access:
 Dial-up access: usually the least expensive way to access the Internet; however, the slowest. A phone
line and PC modem are required. Can't use the phone and computer at the same time.
 DSL, or Digital Subscriber Line, provides high-speed, Internet access through a phone line. Can talk on the telephone

and access the Internet at the same time. A DSL modem and an Ethernet card are required for installation. A splitter
may also be required to filter the DSL signal from the low frequency voice signal;
 Cable access: is provided through local TV cable. Like DSL access, it is considered broadband, high-speed

Internet access.
 Satellite access: used in locations where there is no broadband cable or DSL Internet available, most

expensive. Satellite access is available across the world and can provide you with a broadband connection.
 Mobile access (via cellular network (GSM/CDMA)): very portable but higher cost than DSL

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 REQUIRED HARDWARE
 Modem:
 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 Internet Service Provider and one IP address. Additionally, cable, DSL, and satellite users can use a
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INTERNET CONNECTION SET UP PATHWAY

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EMAIL AND EMAIL ACCOUNTS
 Electronic Email or E-mail is a message sent and received
by computer networks
 Email software is a type of support software for the users to
send and receive information, help to writing documents,
read, print, or store the electronic emails
 Personal email accounts:
 Personal communication with friends and family
 Corporate emails:
 Only be used for business communications, e.g. customer
services, scheduling meetings, communicating with employees
and partners
Example of an email address:
User_name @domain name (e.g., [email protected])
COMPOSE AND SEND EMAIL