Basic Computer Operations
The computer performs five basic operations to carry out any task and they are Input, Process, Output, Storing and Controlling.
Process: It is the transformation process to convert the input into output. Output: It is the result, which comes from the transformation process or it is the outcome of the process. Storing: It is the process of storing or retaining the data or information or instructions, so that the user can retain and retrieve it whenever required. Controlling: It is the process of directing the manner and the sequence in which all the operations are to be performed.
What are the components of a computer? (A)
Modern personal computers usually contain the following components: B. A Motherboard - The backbone of the computer, designed to transfer information and power to and from all of the major components. Other components are usually plugged into this device, and it is almost always the largest board in the computer. It is also called a "Mainboard" or "mobo". The motherboard contains the BIOS (Basic Input/ Output System) that allows all the components to communicate with each other. C. CPU (Central Processing Unit) - The Central Processing Unit that is usually attached directly to the motherboard. It is comprised of a chip with usually dozens of pins which are connected to the motherboard. RAM (Random Access Memory) - Usually Dual-Inline Memory Modules (DIMMs), they are plugged directly into the motherboard as well. Some high-performance versions are cased in metal which helps to cool the chips on them. There are usually 8 chips on a stick of RAM (random access memory), sometimes there is a 9th "parity" chip, which helps to check for errors within the memory. D. ROM (Read Only Memory), usually on a Hard drive - This is usually a large metallic rectangular prism-shaped device about 3.5 inches wide. It stores data onto metal discs within the device and has recently come out with capacities as large as 1 TB (Terabyte, or 1000 Gigabytes, 1,000,000 Megabytes, etc.). A Power Supply - Computers need specific power voltages for each component and always have a power supply which takes power from the outputs power at specific voltages on specific format cable within the computer. E. The OS - This is the programmed Operating System that is the 'brain' of the computer. If it is a PC it will be a Microsoft derivative of the common Windows systems. It began its earlier days as DOS (Disk Operating System) which was developed by Bill Gates for IBM. If it is an Apple Mac (Macintosh) computer it will likely use a Mac OS system developed by Apple Inc., which first developed the graphical user interface-based operating systems that we all use today. The other alternative operating systems include UNIX, and some others. F. There is a case to hold all the components, usually in a tower. Human Interface Devices (HID) - These are the components that allow a human being to interact with the computer and access and/or process data. These can include a keyboard, mouse, monitor (digital video screen, usually a LED monitor), video cam, microphone, headphones/speakers, or other devices. G. Accessories and Peripherals include: Optical Devices - It has become common for a computer to contain CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, BLU-RAY ROM or writing devices of different types. LAN CARD - Known officially as a Network Interface Card (NIC), these devices connect a computer to a network, usually to a router or modem which establishes connectivity to the Internet. These are usually PCI expansion cards or built into a motherboard and output in RJ-45 format. The cable tips (RJ-45) look similar to a phone cable (RJ-11), but are larger. They are commonly called Ethernet Cables. USB ports, printers and Flash Drives also belong to this group of devices.
Computer Components (B) Every computer consists of the following basic components: 1. Computer Case - Where all of the components are stored. 2. CPU - It is basically the brain of your computer. The CPU is a used to process everything from basic to complex functions in a computer. 3. RAM - RAM is memory that attaches to the motherboard. RAM is hardware used to temporarily store and access data. 4. Motherboard - A Motherboard is the most important component in a computer system. All the other hardware in a computer system is connected to the motherboard. 5. Power Supply - A Power Supply sends power to all of the other hardware so that they can operate. 6. Hard Drive - A Hard Drive is used for permanently storing files and programs. 7. Disk Drives - Disk Drives can be a floppy drive, CD drive, DVD drive or other possible file storage devices that are used in a computer. 8. Video Card - A Video Card is the part of a computer system that converts binary code from the CPU so you can view it on a monitor. 9. Monitor - The part of a computer that allows you to see what the computer is processing. 10. Keyboard - A keyboard allows a computer user to enter text commands into a computer system. 11. Mouse - A mouse allows a computer user to use a point and click interface to enter commands.
A keyboard is a device that converts keystrokes into codes that can be electronically manipulated by the computer. With it, you can enter commands or data into the computer. A personal computer keyboard includes a typewriter layout and a set of keys marked with arrows that control the movement of a visual aid — a cursor — on the display screen. Some keyboards include a numeric keypad for number-intensive data entry and calculations as well as a set of function keys. These are general-purpose keys that perform special functions, depending on the application. Keyboards are not the only way to communicate with a computer. Touching the screen with your finger, talking to a computer, writing with an electronic pen, and rolling a mouse or trackball are all alternative input devices.
4. Answer the questions a. What is a keyboard designed for? b. When do you use a numeric keypad? c. Can you explain the difference between CRT and LCD? d. What is a printer? e. In what way are printers classified? f. What type of printers is the best? Why? g. How are printers connected to the computer?
5. Translate into English a. Клавіатура — це пристрій, призначений для введення в комп’ютер інформації та команд керування. b. Група цифрових клавіш призначена для введення чисел. c. Клавішi зі стрілками керують переміщенням курсора по екрану монітора. d. Миша і трекбол використовуються для керування курсором і подання деяких команд. e. Принтери під’єднуються до комп’ютера за допомогою кабеля через порт.
Monitor (A) A computer monitor is a very important component in the computer system. Without it you can’t see what is going on, and might not have a computer too. The computer monitor is an electronic device that shows pictures. It is usually used to see programs on the computer. The main difference between a monitor and a television is that a monitor hasn’t a TV tuner to change channels. The monitor can be used to watch TV if it is connected to a device which has a TV tuner. Some models of monitors can be used as a TV-set, and some TV-sets are used with computers.
Monitor (B) A display, often called a monitor, is one of the output parts of the system. A display is a device that is used (1) to give you feedback while you operate the computer and (2) to view the computer’s output. For example, when you type on the keyboard, the letters are immediately displayed along with the cursor, which indicates where the next letter you type will appear. The display is often a CRT (cathode ray tube). Flat screens, such as LCDs (liquid crystal displays), are commonly used in portable computers. LCDs are lager versions of the displays found in digital watches and calculators.
The computer mouse is a hand-opened device that lets you easily control the location of the pointer on your screen. You can make selections and choices with the mouse button. The ball’s movements up and down and left and right cause the two axles inside the mouse to turn. As they turn, detectors register the changing position. A small integrated circuit inside the mouse sends signals to the operating system. This system moves the pointer on your screen accordingly. When you move the mouse on your desk, the pointer makes the same movement, in the same direction, on the computer screen. To indicate where you want to start the action, you move the mouse so that the pointer is in the right place on the screen. You then press and release the mouse button. This action is called clicking. Computer mouse (B) A mouse is a pointing device that combines the traditional cursor movements — accomplished by pressing arrow keys — with the means to select an object on the display screen. One or more buttons located on the top of the mouse enable you to choose options. Small portable computers sometimes use a built-in or attachable trackball in lieu of a mouse. Rolling the trackball with your fingertips produces the same results as moving the mouse.
A printer transfers data from a computer on the paper. You don’t need a printer to use your computer, but when you have it, you can print e-mail, cards, invitations, announcements, and other materials. Many people also like to be able to print their own photos at home. The two main types of printers are inkjet printers and laser printers. Inkjet printers are more popular printers for home. They can print in black and white or in full colour, they can produce high-quality photographs when used with special paper. Laser printers are faster and generally better as they can handle the heavy use. Printer (B) A printer is a device that produces paper-copy output from a computer system. One way to classify printers is by the method used to form the printed images. Dot-matrix printers form characters with a pattern of dots. Laser printers create images with a laser beam scanning across an electrically charged drum. As in a copier, toner or ink with an opposite charge sticks to the drum and is then transferred to paper by pressure and heat to create the finished image. Laser printers offer higher speed and quality than conventional printers. They can mix type styles and sizes as well as graphic images on the same page. Printers for personal computers are connected to the computer by a cable through a port — the location through which the computer exchanges information with an external device. A port has a physical connector and an address, so that programs know where to send information. The two basic types of ports are serial and parallel.
Scanners convert optically focused images, such as text, line drawings, or photographs into digital representations that are suitable for processing. When an image is translated into a series of Os and 1s, it can then be processed like any other digital data.Scanners trace their roots to several technologies and devices, including magnetic-ink character recognition, bar codes, and optical character recognition. The earliest form of scanner used magnetic-ink character recognition (MICR), a form of character recognition that reads text printed with magnetically charged ink. At the time MICR was developed, optical methods had not yet been developed. MICR is still predominantly used by the banking industry for processing checks. MICR makes check processing faster and more accurate by capturing data directly from their source without a separate transcribing step. Another form of scanning uses bar codes. Supermarkets use the Universal Product code (UPC), which consists of a series of thick and thin bar codes that represent numbers. Today, bar codes are used in factories and offices. Optical character recognition (OCR) is the process of examining characters on a printed page and translating them into computer text. OCR was originally designed for input to typesetting machines for the newspaper industry. It was though that relatively untrained typists could retype copy for OCR input and fill it into scanner, thus cutting costs, reducing mistakes, and speeding up the newspaper composition process. In 1976 Raymond Kurzweil introduced a reading machine to scan printed documents and, using electronic voice output, read them aloud to the blind or visually impaired. This OCR breakthrough technology could be trained to read the different fonts it encountered. Although some problems are still formidable, today there are a wide variety of low-cost OCR software interfaces between scanners and personal computers. These programs use various methods of character recognition to convert scanned text into a file, suitable for import into a word processor, spreadsheet, or database program. They also interface with most popular scanners; are able to differentiate automatically among graphics, text, and multiple columns; and handle such nuances as regular text versus boldface, italic, or underlined text. A useful application for scanners is to capture images such as line drawings, illustrations, or photographs, and convert them into digital data that can be manipulated, retouched, cropped or resized, and printed. The resolution of a scanner is defined as the number of bits per unit of measure, simply called dots per inch (dpi). Scanner resolution ranges from 75 dots per inch to thousands of dots per inch, but the most common scanner resolution is 300 dots per inch.
6. Answer the questions a. What is a scanner? Give the definition in your own words. b. What technology is used in scanners? c. What was the purpose of developing MICR? d. What are the advantages of MICR application? e. In what businesses are bar codes used? f. What is OCR? Explain in your own words. g. What was OCR originally designed for? h. How is the resolution of a scanner defined? 7. Translate into English a. Принтер — це пристрій, призначений для виведення на папір результатів роботи програм. b. Сканери призначені для введення в комп’ютер графічних об’єктів (малюнків, фотографій та ін.). c. Принцип дії сканера ґрунтується на перетворенні зображення в електричні сигнали. d. Основною характеристикою сканера є роздільна здатність, яка визначається кількістю точок на дюйм. e. Сканери використовуються також для введення текстової інформації.
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Input: It is the process of capturing or acquiring the information, or it is the process of accepting data or information, by using input the computer can do any process.
A. Historically, a computer is any device that can store and process data. Today it usually refers to an electronic device with circuits that allow data to be manipulated in binary form. So the main components are software (memory and programs to process data) and hardware (devices used for the storing and processing of those data). And, finally there is an array of components for humans to interact with the electronic data 'machine.'
Keyboard
There two basic types of monitors: CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors. Both types produce sharp images, but LCD monitors have the advantage of being much thinner and lighter. CRT monitors, however, are generally more affordable.
Computer mouse (A)
Printer (A)
Scanner
