1	A Brief Introduction to Computers Based upon Chapter 1 of Microsoft Office Introductory Concepts and Techniques, by Shelly, Cashman & Vermaat, Thompson- Course Technology.
2	What Is a Computer? A computer is an electronic device, operating under the control of instructions stored in its own memory, that can accept data (input), process the data according to specified rules (process), produce results (output), and store the results (storage) for future use Information Processing Cycle
3	What Are the Components of a Computer?
4	PC Block Diagram
5	Input Devices Any hardware component that allows you to enter data, programs, commands, and user responses into a computer Input Device Examples Keyboard Mouse
6	System Unit The motherboard, or system board, is the main circuit board of the system unit The processor, also called the central processing unit (CPU), interprets and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer The control unit interprets the instructions The arithmetic/logic unit performs the logical and arithmetic processes Memory, also called random access memory (RAM) and read only memory (ROM) consists of electronic components that store data, instructions, and information, as needed by the processor
7	Memory How does the computer Remember? Binary System Bits Bytes ASCII and Unicode
8	System Unit
9	Output Devices Output devices make the information resulting from processing available for use Output Device Examples Printers Impact Nonimpact Photo Display Devices CRT LCD
10	Storage Devices Used to store instructions, data, and information when they are not being used in memory
11	Storage Devices Magnetic disks use magnetic particles to store items on a disk’s surface Floppy disks Zip disks Hard disks
12	Storage Devices Optical discs CD-ROM CD-R CD-RW DVD-ROM DVD-R DVD+R DVD-RW DVD+RW DVD+RAM HD/BluRay Tape
13	Storage Devices Miniature mobile storage media
14	Communications Devices A communications device is a hardware component that enables a computer to send (transmit) and receive data, instructions, and information to and from one or more computers Communications occur over transmission media, such as telephone lines, cables, cellular radio networks, and satellites
15	Peripherals WiFi Broadband Bluetooth Modems External Storage Printers Music Synthesizers Serial Parallel USB SCSI Firewire (IEEE-1394) Joystick/Game port TV in/out Infrared Audio in/out
16	Software
17	Applications Software
18	Operating Systems
19	Computer Software System software consists of programs to control the operations of computer equipment Instructions in the operating system tell the computer how to perform the functions of loading, storing, and executing an application program and how to transfer data When a computer is turned on, the operating system is loaded into the computer’s memory from auxiliary storage, a process called booting Most computers use an operating system that has a graphical user interface (GUI)
20	Computer Software
21	Turning on the Computer Boot process (cold vs. warm) Power on self – test (POST) BIOS from ROM Operating System from disk a:, c:, d:, etc. Application software
22	Networks and the Internet A network is a collection of computers and devices connected via communications media and devices A local area network (LAN) connects computers in a limited geographic area A wide area network (WAN) covers a large geographical area
23	Networks and the Internet The world’s largest network is the Internet Most users connect to the Internet in one of two ways: Internet service provider Online service provider
24	Internet Applications WWW Email IM VOIP (voice over IP) Video Conferencing BLOGs Interactive multi-user gaming