Module 1 CC 101

CC 101 – Introduction to Computing
Module in
Prepared by:
HERNAN B. DE HONOR, EdD

Associate Professor III
Disclaimer/Non-disclosure: “This material is distributed for the students of Aklan

State University for academic purposes only. Reproduction of this material without the
consent of the University is strictly prohibited.”
AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY-College of Industrial Technology 1

WHAT ARE COMPUTERS?
Computers are programmable electronic devices that can store, retrieve and
process data. Data are collections of facts (Input) while information are collections
of processed data (Output). They are capable of interpreting and executing
program commands for input/output computation and logic operation. It stores
the information that can be retrieved at anytime for future use. It can process huge
amounts of data at a fast speed. It can do the same task repeatedly with no
mistakes. However, a computer cannot think for itself. It is dependent on the
instructions you will give to it. These instructions will then be followed by the
computer.
THE EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS
Human fingers are known to be the simplest and earliest computing device.
Pebbles and stones as well as markings scratched on rocks were also used to do
simple computing.
Abacus
This device allows users to make computations using

a system of sliding beads arranged on a rack. Early
merchants used the abacus in conducting their
business transactions.
Difference Machine
In 1822, Charles Babbage, a British Mathematics professor,

invented the Difference Engine. Powered by steam and as large
as a locomotive, the machine had the capacity to perform
calculations and print the results.

Analytical Engine
In 1833, several years after Babbage worked on the

Difference Engine, he began working on the first general-
purpose digital computer, which he called the
ANALYTICAL ENGINE. It was intended to use loops of
Jacquard's punched cards to control an automatic
calculator, which could make decisions based on the
results of previous computations. This machine was also intended to employ
several features subsequently used in modern computers, including sequential
control, branching, and looping.
ENIAC
Between 1943 and 1946, the ENIAC or the Electronic

Numerical Integrator and Computer was developed
by John Presper Eckert and John Mauchly, was the
first large-scale, electronic, digital computer capable of
being reprogrammed to solve a full range of
computing problems, although earlier computers had
been built with some of these properties. ENIAC was
designed and built to calculate artillery firing tables for the U.S. Army’s Ballistics
Research Laboratory.
EDVAC
Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer was

one of the earliest electronic computers. Unlike its
predecessor the ENIAC, it was binary rather than
decimal, and was a stored program computer. ENIAC
inventors John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert proposed
the EDVAC's construction in August 1944. A contract to
build the new computer was signed in April 1946 with
an initial budget of US$100,000. EDVAC was delivered
to the Ballistics Research Laboratory in August 1949. The
computer had almost 6,000 vacuum tubes and 12,000
diodes, and consumed 56 kW of power. It covered 490
ft² (45.5 m²) of floor space and weighed 17,300 lb (7,850 kg). The full complement
of operating personnel was thirty people per eight-hour shift.

UNIVAC 1
In 1948, the UNIVAC or the Universal Automatic

Computer was manufactured by Remington
Rand Corporation. This became one of the first
commercially available computers to benefit from
the various advances in computing.
IBM 360
The IBM 360 is introduced in April of 1964 and

quickly becomes the standard institutional
mainframe computer. On early computers,
program control was still partially under manual
control. Much debugging could also take place.
Programs could be stopped, execution could be
stepped instruction by instruction, or program
control is switched to other memory locations and restarted there. The contents of
all registers, any memory cell, and the status of input-output channels could be
displayed by the operator.
ALTAIR 8800
January 1975, it is hailed as the first "personal" computer. The

Altair is generally credited with launching the PC revolution.
Microsoft was founded to make software (BASIC) for the Altair.
APPLE II
1977: The Apple II is announced the first personal computer to

come in a plastic case and include color graphics, the Apple II
was an impressive machine. And with the introduction in
early ‘78 of the Apple Disk II, the most inexpensive, easy to
use floppy drive ever (at the time).

APPLE MACINTOSH
The Apple Macintosh debuts in 1984. It features a

simple, graphical interface, uses the 8-MHz, 32-bit
Motorola 68000 CPU, and has a built-in 9-inch B/W
screen. The Mac also had a floppy disk drive that used
3.5" disks, which were physically smaller than their 5.25"
PC counterparts, but were sturdier and could hold more
data (400k).
POWER MAC FAMILY
In 1994 Apple announced the PowerMac family, the first

Macs to be based on the PowerPC chip, an extremely fast
processor co-developed with IBM and Motorola. The
PowerPC processor allowed Macs to compete with, and in
many cases beat, the speed of Intel's newer processors.
CLASSIFICATION OF COMPUTERS
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.
Here we are going to introduce different classifications of computers.
1. Supercomputer
An extremely fast computer that can perform

hundreds of millions of instructions per
second. Governments
use this type of computer for their different

calculations and heavy jobs. In most of the
Hollywood's movies it is used for animation
purposes. This kind of computer is also
helpful for forecasting weather reports worldwide.

2. Mainframe Computer
A giant computer after the Supercomputer, which can

also process millions of instruction per second and
capable of accessing billions of data. This computer is
commonly used in big hospitals, airline reservations
companies, and many other huge companies.
3. Minicomputer
A multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to

hundreds of users simultaneously. This computer is next in
line but offers less than mainframe in work and
performance. These are the computers, which are mostly
preferred by the small type of business, colleges, etc.
4. Personal Computer/Microcomputer
A small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. In addition to the

microprocessor, a personal computer has a keyboard for entering data, a monitor
for displaying information, and a storage device for saving data.
Laptop also called notebook, laptops are

portable computers that integrate the display,
keyboard, a pointing device or trackball,
processor, memory and hard drive all in a
battery-operated package slightly larger than an
average hardcover book. The approach for this
computer is also the same as the personal
computer. It can store the same amount of data
having a memory of the same size as that of a
personal computer.
MAIN COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM
A computer system consists of hardware, software, and peopleware. These

components go hand in hand in enabling computers to function accordingly and
support your various needs and wants. Without any one of these components, the
computer system will not operate.

1. HARDWARE
The term hardware refers to the physical

components of your computer. These are the
parts that you can touch and see. Input and
output devices, the computer’s memory and the
CPU are examples of hardware.
2. SOFTWARE
Software is a set of programs that control the

operations of the computer system. Computer
programs are sets of instructions that instruct the
computer on what to do and what to perform.
a. System Software is a computer program that assists your computer to

function well. An Operating system, such as Microsoft Windows 7, is
an example of System Software.
b. Application Software is a computer program that performs a specific

task. Examples of application software include so software used in
word processing, spreadsheet, computer presentations, graphics and
multimedia and entertainment.
Programming Languages
A programming language is a standardized communication technique for

expressing instructions to a computer. Like human languages, each language has
its own syntax and grammar.
Programming languages enable a programmer to precisely specify what data a

computer will act upon, how these data will be stored/transmitted, and precisely
what actions to take under various circumstances.
Types of Programming Languages:
1. Machine Language
The computer’s native language, which differs among different types of
computers, is its machine language – a set of built-in primitive instructions.
These instructions are in the form of binary code, so in telling the machine what

to do, you have to enter binary code.
2. Assembly language
Assembly language is a low-level programming language in which a
mnemonic is used to represent each of the machine language instructions.
Assembly languages were developed to make programming easy. However,
since the computer cannot understand assembly language, a program called
the assembler is used to convert assembly language programs into machine
code. Assembly language is machine dependent; an assembly program can be
executed only on a particular kind of machine.
3. High-Level Languages
High-level languages are developed to overcome the platform specific problem
of assembly language and make programming easier.
High-level languages are English-like and easy to learn and program. There
are over one hundred high-level languages. The well-known ones are:
COBOL (COmmon Business Oriented Language)

FORTRAN (FORmula TRANslation)
BASIC (Beginner’s All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code)
Pascal (named for Blaise Pascal)
Ada (named for Ada Lovelace)
C (whose developer designed B first)
Visual Basic (Basic-like visual language developed by Microsoft)
Delphi (Pascal-like visual language developed by Borland)
C++ (an object-oriented language, based on C)
C# (a Java-like language developed by Microsoft)
Java
A program written in a high-level language is called a source-program or source

code. Since a computer cannot understand a source program, a program called a
compiler is used to translate the source program into a machine language
program.
Operating Systems
The Operating Systems (OS), the most important program that runs on a
computer, enables it to manage and control its activities. Application programs,
such as a Web browser or a word processor, cannot run without an operating
system.

The major tasks of the operating system are:

1. Controlling and monitoring system activities
2. Allocating and assigning system resources
3. Scheduling operations
3. PEOPLEWARE
Peopleware is the one who uses the computer system.
Computer Engineers
The Computer Engineers are commonly engage in software design and

application to address the needs of a particular industry or sector. The Computer
Engineers are primarily responsible for the update in the software as well as
providing additional customization of current software to ensure the system's
functionality. In addition to this, the field of robotics needs the expertise of a
Computer Engineer to improve its designs and functions proficiently.
Software Engineers
The Software Engineer is primarily responsible for the design and

development of the software of the computers, as well as its testing and evaluation.
They usually work on computer chips to ensure that it is functioning well and
suited to the company's needs.
Information Technology Specialists
The IT Specialists are tasked to plan and coordinate the installation,

operation, troubleshooting and maintenance of the computer's software and
hardware systems. They ensure that the necessary security programs, procedures
and policies are implemented to guaranty the company's data are safe and secure.
Website Designer
Website designers engage in the construction of the navigation schemes of

a website. Their job also includes putting together online content and applications
in the internet. They also work on the web page's layout as well as the strategic
placement of the useful and practical information about the website. At times, they
are also responsible for conceptual design and branding.

Computer Technicians
These technicians are in charge with the repair and maintenance of

computers and its servers. They also build or configure new hardware as well as
installing and bringing up to date the software. They are also tasked with the
creation and maintenance of computer networks.
BASIC COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER
Just like human body, a computer has parts. The parts of your computer should
be functioning well so that the entire computer will function well, too.
1. INPUT DEVICES
Input devices are used to enter data into the computer. The keyboard and
the mouse are the most common examples of input devices.
a. KEYBOARD
A keyboard is used to type data into your computer. It is also used

to issue commands to the computer. A computer keyboard has keys
for letters, numbers and symbols. It has keys that perform special
functions as well as keys that will allow you to move around your
screen monitor.
KEYBOARD LAYOUT TYPES
QWERTY KEYBOARD LAYOUT
The standard layout of letters,

numbers, and punctuation is
known as a QWERTY keyboard
because the first six keys on the
top row of letters spell QWERTY.
It was designed in the 1800s for
mechanical typewriters and was
actually designed to slow typists
down to avoid jamming the keys.

DVORAK KEYBOARD LAYOUT
The Dvorak keyboard is designed so

that the middle row of keys includes
the most common letters. In addition,
common letter combinations are
positioned in such a way that they can
be typed quickly. In addition to the
standard Dvorak keyboard, there are
two additional Dvorak keyboards, a left-handed and right-handed keyboard.
These keyboards are designed for people who have only one hand for typing.
KEYBOARD CONNECTION TYPES
1. PS/2
The PS/2 connector is used for connecting, a

keyboard to a PC compatible computer system. Its
name comes from the IBM Personal System/2
series of personal computers, with which it was
introduced in 1987. The keyboard connector
replaced the larger 5-pin DIN used in the IBM
PC/AT design.
Universal Serial Bus (USB)
Is a serial bus standard to interface devices. The

connectors are designed to be robust. Many
previous connector designs were fragile, with
pins or other delicate components prone to
bending or breaking, even with the application
of only very modest force. The electrical contacts
in a USB connector are protected by an adjacent
plastic tongue, and the entire connecting
assembly is further protected by an enclosing
metal sheath. As a result USB connectors can safely be handled, inserted, and
removed, even by a small child. The encasing sheath and the tough molded plug
body mean that a connector can be dropped, stepped upon, even crushed or
struck, all without damage; a considerable degree of force is needed to
significantly damage a USB connector.

Cordless
It uses low-powered radio waves to transmit data

between devices. The term refers to communication
without cables or cords, chiefly using radio
frequency and infrared waves.
GENERAL KEYBOARD FUNCTIONS
 Caps Lock key- locks the keyboard into capital letters. When
Caps Lock is on the shift key produces lower case letters.
 Tab key- is usually marked by two arrows pointing in

opposite directions to vertical lines, to indicate that its purpose is to
indent text from the margins.
 Escape key- usually marked Esc, is in the top left hand corner.
If something is happening on your computer that you want to stop,
try pressing this key. In most computer applications this will stop, or
cancel, the operation.
 Delete key- usually does what it says. Deletes whatever the

cursor is on.
 The keys marked Control and Alt (Alternate); and the Shift
Keys can all be used in combination with other keys to give
commands.
 A block of Four Arrow keys is at the bottom, to the

right of the typewriter pad. These keys are properly called
cursor control keys.

 The key marked End usually moves the cursor to the end of
the line.
 The Space bar at the bottom generally makes

spaces on the screen. But, like the other keys, it
can do different things at different
applications.
 The large key on the right with a downwards-pointing bent

arrow is one of the two Enter (or Return) keys. There is another
on the far right with "Enter" written on it. Either key can be used
to start a new line for what you are writing on screen or to tell the
computer to carry out, an instruction you have given it.
 One of the biggest differences

between a typewriter keyboard
and the computer keyboard is the
row of keys at the top of the
keyboard that are labeled F1
through F12.
 F1 – If you press Fl while working in a program, help for that program will
usually appear. If you press F1 while at the Windows desktop or when the
Windows Explorer is open, a Windows help screen will pop up.
 F2 – You can use the F2 key to rename an item when working in Windows.
Highlight any folder or tile, and press F2. You will then be able to type a new
name for the object.
 F3 – When you are working in Windows, the F3 key will open the Find Files
window.
 F4 – You can use this key to open the Address bar when working in Internet
Explorer. This will allow you to type the address of a Web Page for quick
access. You can also press the Alt key and the F4 at the same time to close the
open Window that you are currently working on.

 F5 –it is the refresh key. You can press F5 when viewing a Web page to make
sure that you have the most current version of that web page. You can also use
F5 when in Windows to refresh the screen.
 F6 – This key is often used to move the cursor around the structure of the
program. Pressing it will often cycle you from window to window.
 F7 – The key does not have any functionality in Windows. It may, however be
used in some individual programs. To find out if it is available in the program
you are using, bring up the program's help screen and type in the words
function key.
 F8 – This key can be used to access Safe Mode if pressed during the computer’s
boot up process. This is a troubleshooting mode, which will start the computer
with minimal drivers.
 F9 – This key does not have any functionality in Windows. It may, however be
used in some individual programs. To find out if it is available in the program
you are using, bring up the program's help screen and type in the words
function key.
 F10 – is the key that is used to activate the menu bar in many programs. You
can use F10 to highlight the first menu choice, and then use the arrow keys to
move around the menus. Pressing the Shift key while pressing F10 will bring
up the shortcut menu. This is similar to right clicking on an object.
 F11 – Press F11 when you are working in Internet Explorer and the window
will open to full screen mode. This will make all toolbars disappear and can be
useful to see more information on the screen. Press F11 when you are in full
screen mode will toggle you back to your normal view.
 F12 - This key does not have any functionality in Windows. It may, however
be used in some individual programs. To find out if it is available in the
program you are using, bring up the program's help screen and type in the
words function key.
b. MOUSE
A mouse is used to execute commands by pressing a button. A

mouse has the left and right buttons. As you move the mouse, a
mouse pointer also moves on your screen monitor.

***** Trivia: In 1964, the first prototype computer mouse was made to use with a graphical
user interface (GUI), “windows”. Engelbert received a patent for the wooden shell with
two metal wheels in 1970, describing it in the patent application as an “X-Y position
indicator for a display system.” It was nicknamed the mouse because the tail came out the
end,” Engelbert revealed about his invention. *****
TYPES OF MOUSE
There are basically two different types of mice: mechanical and optical.
1. The mechanical mouse has a small hard rubber

ball underneath that moves against two rollers as
it is passed across a flat surface. Mechanical
sensors detect the movement of the rollers as an
“x” and “y” axis and the cursor on screen is
moved accordingly.
2. An optical mouse is more accurate or precise and has

no moving parts. It uses a laser to detect movement
and has to be paired with a special pad or mat that has
an embedded optical reference grid.
MOUSE CONNECTION TYPES
1. The serial mouse is, by far, the most popular and the easiest
to install. They connect to an RS-232C serial port; one of the
COM ports on the back of the computer (a DB-9 or a DB-25
male connector). A serial port is an interface that transmits
one bit at a time, and RS-232C is a standard that most serial
ports conform to.
2. The PS/2 mouse seems to be the answer to both problems. It

is a type of serial mouse but it connects to a PS/2 connector
(female mini-DIN-6). It installs as simply as any serial mouse,
does not use up a COM port, and needs no expansion card
installed.

3. A cordless mouse uses infrared technology to do away

with the cord. It seems like it would be a good idea
because the cord on a mouse can be a real pain. It drags
across the top of the desk, gets caught and hangs up in
the other cords, or anything that might be lying on
your desktop. They also have a receptor that must be
visible to the mouse (line of sight), if anything is in the
way, the mouse won't respond.
4. The USB mouse has become one of the most

advanced (and one of the best) connections
around for mice, printers and other peripherals.
Installation is simple. It is hot swappable, so you
can plug it in even when your computer is
running. The mouse is immediately recognized
and you can use it right away.
GENERAL MOUSE FUNCTIONS:
1. Point - Point is pointing your mouse pointer over an object.

2. Click – Click is done by pressing the left button of the mouse once and then
releasing it.
3. Right Click – is done by pressing the right button of the mouse once and
then releasing it.
4. Double click – is done by pressing the left button of the mouse twice in
rapid succession.
5. Drag and Drop – drag is done by clicking the object and moving it while
pressing the left button of the mouse and then drop is done by simply
releasing the left button of the mouse.
c. Joystick
Joystick is also a pointing device which is used to

move cursor position on a monitor screen. It is a stick
having a spherical ball at its both lower and upper
ends. The lower spherical ball moves in a socket. The
joystick can be moved in all four directions.
The function of joystick is similar to that of a mouse. It is mainly used in

Computer Aided Designing(CAD) and playing computer games.

d. Light Pen
Light pen is a pointing device which is

similar to a pen. It is used to select a
displayed menu item or draw pictures
on the monitor screen. It consists of a
photocell and an optical system placed
in a small tube. When the tip of a light
pen is moved over the monitor screen and pen button is pressed, its
photocell sensing element detects the screen location and sends the
corresponding signal to the CPU.
e. Track Ball
Track ball is an input device that is

mostly used in notebook or laptop
computer, instead of a mouse. This
is a ball which is half inserted and
by moving fingers on ball, pointer
can be moved. Since the whole
device is not moved, a track ball
requires less space than a mouse. A track ball comes in various shapes
like a ball, a button and a square.
f. Scanner
Scanner is an input device which works more like

a photocopy machine. It is used when some
information is available on a paper and it is to be
transferred to the hard disc of the computer for
further manipulation. Scanner captures images
from the source which are then converted into the digital form that can
be stored on the disc. These images can be edited before they are printed.
g. Microphone
Microphone is an input device to input

sound that is then stored in digital form.
The microphone is used for various
applications like adding sound to a
multimedia presentation or for mixing
music.

h. Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
MICR input device is generally used in banks

because of a large number of cheques to be
processed every day. The bank's code number
and cheque number are printed on the
cheques with a special type of ink that contains
particles of magnetic material that are machine
readable. This reading process is called
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR).
The main advantages of MICR is that it is fast and less error prone.
i. Optical Character Reader(OCR)
OCR is an input device use d to read a

printed text. OCR scans text optically
character by character, converts them into a
machine readable code and stores the text
on the system memory.
j. Bar Code Readers
Bar Code Reader is a device used for

reading bar coded data (data in form of
light and dark lines). Bar coded data is
generally used in labeling goods,
numbering the books etc. It may be a
hand held scanner or may be
embedded in a stationary scanner. Bar
Code Reader scans a bar code image, converts it into an alphanumeric
value which is then fed to the computer to which bar code reader is
connected.
k. Optical Mark Reader(OMR)
OMR is a special type of

optical scanner used to
recognize the type of mark
made by pen or pencil. It is
used where one out of a few
alternatives is to be selected
and marked. It is specially used for checking the answer sheets of
examinations having multiple choice questions.

2. OUTPUT DEVICES
Output devices are used to display what you are doing with your computer.
The monitor and the Printer are the most common examples of output
devices.
a. MONITOR
A monitor looks like a television screen. It displays what you are currently
doing in your computer. The monitor shows information on the screen
when you type. This is called outputting information.
TYPES OF MONITOR
 Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)
The CRT, or cathode ray tube, is the picture tube of

your monitor. Although it is a large vacuum tube, it
is shaped more like a bottle. The tube tapers near the
back where there is a negatively charged cathode, or
electron gun. The electron gun shoots electrons at
the back of the positively charged screen, which is coated with a
phosphorous chemical. This excites the phosphors causing them to glow as
individual dots called pixels (picture elements). The image you see on the
monitor's screen is made up of thousands of tiny dots (pixels).
 Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)
Is a thin, flat display device made up of any

number of color or monochrome pixels arrayed in
front of a light source or reflector. It is prized by
engineers because it uses very small amounts of
electric power, and is therefore suitable for use in
battery-powered electronic devices. Each pixel of
an LCD consists of a layer of liquid crystal
molecules suspended between two transparent
electrodes, and two polarizing filters, the axes of polarity of which are
perpendicular to each other. Without the liquid crystals between them, light
passing through one would be blocked by the other.

MONITOR CONNECTION TYPES
1. Analog (VGA) Connection
Most CRT monitors require the signal information in analog

(continuous electrical signals or waves) form and not digital
(pulses equivalent to the binary digits 0 and 1), they typically
use an analog connection. Once the display information is in
analog form, it is sent to the monitor through a VGA cable.
The cable connects at the back of the computer to an analog
connector (also known as a D-Sub connector) that has 15 pins
in three rows.
2. DVI Connection
DVI keeps data in digital form from the

computer to the monitor. There is no need
to convert data from digital information to
analog information. LCD monitors work in
a digital mode and support the DVI format.
(Although, some also accept analog
information, which is then converted to
digital format.) At one time, a digital signal
offered better image quality compared to
analog technology. However, analog signal
processing technology has improved over
the years and the difference in quality is
now minimal.
GENERAL MONITOR FUNCTIONS
Power -Turns the monitor on/off.

Brightness - Using this button or wheel the user can increase and decrease the
brightness on the screen.
Contrast - Using this button or wheel can increase and decrease the amount of
contrast on the screen.
Horizontal Size - Allows for the picture on the screen to be stretched to the
horizontal edge of the monitor.
Vertical Size - Allows the picture on the screen to be stretched to the vertical edges
of the monitor.
Horizontal Position - Allows the picture to move moved Horizontally, once in the
center the user can then use the Horizontal size to stretch it to have an equal
amount of black border on each side.

Vertical Position - Like the Horizontal Position, using this button or wheel the
user can move the picture up or down to center the picture more appropriately.
Full Screen - Sets monitor to full screen
b. PRINTER
A printer is used to print on paper what you have done in your computer.
The printer takes the information on your screen and transfers it to paper
or a hard copy. There are many different types of printers with various
levels of quality. The three basic types of printer are; dot matrix, inkjet, and
laser.
TYPES OF PRINTER
 Dot matrix printer
Refers to a type of computer printer with a print head that runs

back and forth on the page and prints by impact, striking an
ink-soaked cloth ribbon against the paper, much like a
typewriter.
 Ink jet printer
A computer printer that operates by propelling tiny

droplets of liquid ink onto paper. This is the most
common type of computer printer for the general
consumer due to their low cost, high quality of output,
capability of printing in vivid color, and ease of use.
Work like dot matrix printers but fires a stream of ink
from a cartridge directly onto the paper.
 Laser printer
A common type of computer printer that rapidly produces

high quality text and graphics on plain paper. Like
photocopiers, laser printers employ a xerographic printing
process but differ from analog photocopiers in that the image
is produced by the direct scanning of a laser beam across the
printer's photoreceptor.

PRINTER CONNECTION TYPES
1. Parallel Connection
The cable connection between the computer and

another device's parallel ports, which allows a
computer to send several bits of data
simultaneously.
2. Serial Connection
A cable that can be used to transfer

information between two devices. Serial
cables use the RS-232 standards for their
connectors. The serial cable can be any
combination of male or female in a DB9 or
DB25 connector type. The original RS-232
connector was intended to be a 25-pin connector (DB25).
3. USB Connection
An external bus standard that supports data transfer rates of 12

Mbps. A single USB port can be used to connect up to 127
peripheral devices.
GENERAL PRINTER FUNCTIONS
Dot Matrix Printers
 It has the ability to handle a wide range of paper types, including

continuous paper, multipart forms, labels, envelopes and postcards.
 High speed of printing of up to 285 characters per second at 10
characters per inch.
Ink-jet Printers
 The dots can have different colors combined together to create photo-
quality images.
Laser Printers
 Laser printer print speeds of up to 15 pages per minute. It has 150 sheets
input tray and supports plain paper up to legal size, as well as
envelopes, transparencies, post cards and labels.

 Laser print cartridge is simple to use featuring ultra precise toner and
the imaging drum. Print cartridge installation & replacement is quick
and convenient.
c. Projector
Projectors are display devices that project

a computer-created image. The computer
sends the image data to its video card,
which then sends the video image to the
projector. They are typically used for
presentations or for viewing videos.
d. Audio Output/Speaker
Computers produce audio data that requires output

devices such as speakers and headphones to deliver
the sound to you. Audio data is created by the
computer and then sent to the audio card, which is
located in an expansion slot. The card translates the
data into audio signals, which are sent to the audio
output device.
e. Plotter
Plotters create a hard copy of a digitally

rendered design. The design is sent to the
plotter via a graphics card and creates the
design using a pen. Generally used with
engineering applications, plotters basically
draw an image using a series of straight lines.
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (SYSTEM UNIT)
The CPU or the Central processing Unit is the "brain' of the

Computer. It is responsible for processing instructions and carrying out
commands.

Motherboard
Supplies all the electrical connections among various components of a

computer. The motherboard is inside the CPU box. It is a circuit board that
the CPU, Input/Output chips and peripheral cards plug into
Microprocessor
The exact term processor is a sub-system of a data processing system, which

processes received information after it has been encoded into data, by the
input sub-system. These data are then processed by the processing sub-
system before being sent to the output sub-system where they are decoded
back into information. However, in common parlance, processor is usually
to the microprocessor, the brain of the modern day computers.
Processor speed is measured in Megahertz (MHz), a unit of measurement

used to compare the clock speeds of computers. The higher the value (eg.
MHz), the quicker computer actions are processed.

TYPES OF PROCESSOR
Budget/Value Processor
Intel Celeron and AMD

Sempron – is a large number
of different budget x86
microprocessors produced
by Intel and AMD marketed
as a budget/value CPU line.
It is suitable for most
applications and their performance is somewhat limited when it comes to
running intense applications. It was used in many low-end machines and in
some ways, became the standard for non-gaming computers.
Performance Processor
Intel Core 2 Quad and AMD 64

Athlon X2 - designed to deliver
performance across usages—
such as image processing, video
content creation, games and
multimedia—where end-users
can truly appreciate the
advanced performance and multitasking capabilities.
Power supply
Is an electrical transformer regulates the electricity

used by the computer.
Random-Access Memory or RAM
The RAM is the temporary storage of data and programs. RAM in a

computer is considered main memory or primary storage: the working area used
for loading, displaying and manipulating applications and data.

Memory
Memory chips are normally only

available as part of a card called a module.
You have probably seen memory listed as
8x32 or 4x16. These numbers represent the
number of the chips multiplied by the capacity
of each individual chip, which is measured in
megabits (Mb), or one million bits. Take the
result and divide it by eight to get the number
of megabytes on that module. For example,
4x32 means that the module has four 32-
megabit chips. Multiply 4 by 32 and you get 128 megabits. Since we know that a
byte has 8 bits, we need to divide our result of 128 by 8. Our result is 16 megabytes.
TYPES OF RAM
DIP 18-pin (DRAM chip, usually pre-FPRAM)
SIPP (usually FPRAM)
SIMM 30 -pin (usually FPRAM)
SIMM 72-pin (so-called "PS/2

SIMM", usually EDO RAM)
DIMM 168-pin (SDRAM)
DIMM 184-pin (DDR SDRAM)

STORAGE MEDIA
Storage media are used to store your data and programs. The floppy disk,
the hard disk and the CD-ROM are the most common examples of storage media.
 3 ½ FIoppy Disk
A 3½ floppy disk is the most common storage medium for

small amounts of data. A floppy disk can store 1.44 or 2.88
megabytes of data. You insert a floppy disk into a floppy
drive to read and write data from and to the floppy disk.
 Hard Disk
The hard disk is the storage

medium for huge amount of data.
A hard disk can store several
gigabytes of data. The hard disk is
usually installed inside the CPU
box. Almost all hard disks today
are of either the 3.5" or 2.5"
varieties, used in desktops and
laptops, respectively. 2.5" disks are
usually slower and have less
capacity but use less power and are more tolerant of movement. An
increasingly common size is the 1.8" disks used in portable MP3 players and
subnotebooks, which have very low power consumption and are highly
shock-resistant.
Capacity is measured in bytes, and speed is measured by transfer rate in

bytes per second and access time in milliseconds (ms). Hard disk access
times range from 3ms to about 15ms, whereas CDs and DVDs range from
80ms to 120ms.

Hard Disk Interface
Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE) -was later renamed to ATA, and then
PATA. The name comes from the way early families had the hard disk
controller external to the disk.
Moving the hard disk controller
from the interface card to the disk
helped to standardize interfaces,
reducing cost and complexity.
The data cable was originally 40
conductors, but UDMA modes
from the later disks requires
using an 80 conductor cable (note
that the 80 conductor cable still uses a 40 position connector.) The interface
changed from 40 pins to 39 pin. The missing pin acts as a key to prevent
incorrect insertion of the connector, a common cause of disk and controller
damage.
Serial Advance Technology Attachment (SATA) - The SATA data cable

has only one data pair for the
differential transmission of data to the
device, and one pair for receiving, from
the device. That requires that data be
transmitted serially. The same
differential transmission system is
used in RS485, LocalTalk, USB,
Firewire, and differential SCSI. In 2005/2006 parlance, the 40 pin IDE/ATA
is called "PATA" or parallel ATA, which means that there are 16 bits of data
transferred in parallel at a time on the data cable.
 Compact disk-Read Only Memory or CD-ROM
The CD-ROM is the storage medium of many computer

programs. A CD-ROM can store about 640 megabytes of
data. It is circular in shape. The CD-ROM is inserted into
the CD-ROM drive which reads information from it.

Digital Versatile Disc or DVD
The DVD is an optical disc storage media format

that can be used for data storage, including movies
with high video and sound quality. DVDs resemble
compact discs as their physical dimensions are the
same (120mm (4.72 inches) or occasionally 80mm
(3.15 inches) in diameter) but they are encoded in a
different format and at a much higher density.
 USB Flash Drive
USB flash drives are storage devices about the size of

your thumb. They plug into the side or the back of your
computer, into a socket called USB port. They can store
billion bits of data. USB flash drives are compact and
easy-to-use devices that are similar in use to your
computer hard drive.
 Secure Digital (SD) Card
Is a non-volatile memory card format developed for

use in portable devices. It is widely used in digital
cameras, digital camcorders, handheld computers,
netbook computers, PDAs, media players, mobile
phones, GPS receivers, and video games. The
capacity range for standard- and high-capacity
(SDHC) cards overlap, beginning at 4 GB, but
SDHC's upper limit had reached 32 GB as of mid-
2009. SDXC (eXtended Capacity), a specification
announced at the 2009 Consumer Electronics Show,
allows for up to 2 TiB cards.

WHAT IS A NETWORK?
A computer network is simply two or more computers connected together

so they can exchange information. A small network can be as simple as two
computers linked together by a single cable.
TYPES OF NETWORK
1. By Scale
 Workgroup – is a computer network made up of

an interconnection of local area networks
(LANs) within a limited geographical area.
 Intranet - An intranet is a private computer network that uses Internet

Protocols, Network connectivity, and
possibly the public telecommunication
system to securely share part of an
organization's information or operations
with its employees. Sometimes the term
refers only to the most visible service, the
internal website. The same concepts and
technologies of the Internet such as clients and servers running on the
Internet protocol suite are used to build an intranet.
 Internet – It is a "network of networks"

that consists of millions of smaller
domestic, academic, business, and
government networks, which together
carry various information and services,
such as electronic mail, online chat, file
transfer, and the interlinked web pages
and other documents of the World Wide
Web.
2. By Connection Method
 Wi-Fi – short or wireless fidelity and is meant

to be used generically when referring of any
type of 802.11 network, whether 802.11b,
802.11a, dual-band, etc. The term is
promulgated by the Wi-Fi Alliance. A person

with a Wi-Fi enabled device such as a computer, cellphone or PDS can

connect to the Internet when in proximity of an access point. The region
covered by one or several access points is called Hotspot.
 DSL – is a family of technologies that

provide digital transmission over the
wires of a local telephone network.
DSL originally stood for Digital
Subscriber Loop, although in recent
years, many have adopted Digital
Subscriber Line as a more marketing-
friendly term for the most popular version of DSL.
 Dial-up access – is a form of data

access (mainly used for Internet
access) in which the client uses a
modem to connect a computer to a
telephone line and dials into an
Internet Service Provider's (ISP)
node to establish a modem-to-
modem link, which is then routed to the Internet.
3. Functional Relationship
 Peer-to-Peer Network - You can build a

simple, small network without using the
complex and expensive equipment used in
large networks. On such a network, often
called a peer-to-peer network, each
computer can communicate with any other
computer on the network.
 Client-Server Network - Large

networks use powerful servers to
provide networking services. This
type of network is often called a
client-server network. The servers
control network access and provide
services such as file storage, network
printing, and Internet access. The
computers or clients on the network
access the servers to log on, access
files, and print documents.

NETWORKING HARDWARE
1. Network adapter cards

Expansion cards that provide the
physical connection between each
computer and the network. The card that
is installed into a slot on your computer,
just like a sound card or modem card.
Some newer computers have a network
adapter already built into the system.
2. Network hub
The central connection point for network
cables that connect to computers or other
devices on a network. The hub has several
network cable jacks or ports that you use to
connect network cables to computers. The hub
contains circuitry that enables each computer
to communicate with any other computer
connected to the hub.
3. Network cables
This is special, unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) cables
used to connect each computer to the hub. The cable
you need is Category 5 UTP cable with a square plastic
RJ-45 connector on each end.
What can I do with Simple Networks?

Without a network, you can access resources only on your own computer.
These resources may be devices in your computer, such as a folder or disk drive,
or they may be connected to your computer, such as a printer or CDROM drive.
These devices, accessible only to you, are local resources. Networking allows you
to share resources among a group of computer users.

Sharing Files and Drives

If your computers are connected to a
network, each computer can make its
resources available to other computers in
your office by sharing them over the
network. Each computer, on your network
can share folders, entire disk drives, or a CD-
ROM drive. Then other computers on your
network can access documents and other
files stored in the folders and on the drives.
Instead of copying a document to a diskette
and giving it to another person to view,
anyone can open and view the document
using the network.
Sharing a Printer
If you have a printer
connected to your computer, you
can share the printer with other
computers on the network. Then
instead of buying a printer for
every computer, all the computers
can print across the network to the
printer. Suppose you want to print
a document on a color laser printer
that is connected to another
computer in the office. Instead of copying your file to a disk, going to the other
computer, and interrupting the person using that computer, you can print directly
over the network.

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CC 101 – Introduction to Computing

CC 101 – Introduction to Computing

HERNAN B. DE HONOR, EdD

Disclaimer/Non-disclosure: “This material is distributed for the students of Aklan

AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY-College of Industrial Technology 1

WHAT ARE COMPUTERS?

THE EVOLUTION OF COMPUTERS

This device allows users to make computations using

In 1822, Charles Babbage, a British Mathematics professor,

AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY-College of Industrial Technology 2

In 1833, several years after Babbage worked on the

Between 1943 and 1946, the ENIAC or the Electronic

Electronic Discrete Variable Automatic Computer was

AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY-College of Industrial Technology 3

In 1948, the UNIVAC or the Universal Automatic

The IBM 360 is introduced in April of 1964 and

January 1975, it is hailed as the first "personal" computer. The

1977: The Apple II is announced the first personal computer to

AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY-College of Industrial Technology 4

The Apple Macintosh debuts in 1984. It features a

POWER MAC FAMILY

In 1994 Apple announced the PowerMac family, the first

An extremely fast computer that can perform

use this type of computer for their different

AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY-College of Industrial Technology 5

A giant computer after the Supercomputer, which can

A multi-user computer capable of supporting from 10 to

A small, single-user computer based on a microprocessor. In addition to the

Laptop also called notebook, laptops are

MAIN COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

A computer system consists of hardware, software, and peopleware. These

AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY-College of Industrial Technology 6

The term hardware refers to the physical

Software is a set of programs that control the

a. System Software is a computer program that assists your computer to

b. Application Software is a computer program that performs a specific

A programming language is a standardized communication technique for

Programming languages enable a programmer to precisely specify what data a

Types of Programming Languages:

AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY-College of Industrial Technology 7

to do, you have to enter binary code.

COBOL (COmmon Business Oriented Language)

A program written in a high-level language is called a source-program or source

AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY-College of Industrial Technology 8

The major tasks of the operating system are:

Peopleware is the one who uses the computer system.

The Computer Engineers are commonly engage in software design and

The Software Engineer is primarily responsible for the design and

Information Technology Specialists

The IT Specialists are tasked to plan and coordinate the installation,

Website designers engage in the construction of the navigation schemes of

AKLAN STATE UNIVERSITY-College of Industrial Technology 9

These technicians are in charge with the repair and maintenance of

BASIC COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER

A keyboard is used to type data into your computer. It is also used

KEYBOARD LAYOUT TYPES

QWERTY KEYBOARD LAYOUT

The standard layout of letters,