CHAPTER 1

Introduction to
Computer and
Systems

Course Instructor: Tareq Al Zayyat

Overview

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Hardware & Software
1.3 How Computers Store Data
1.4 How a Program Works
1.5 Types of Software
Definition of a Computer

Computer is an electronic device

that can perform all arithmetic and
logical operations
1.1 Introduction

• People use computers at…

– School for writing papers, research, email, online classes,
etc.
– Work for analyzing data, make presentations, business
transactions, communicating, control machines, etc.
– Home for paying bills, shopping online, communicating,
playing computer games, etc.

What are some of the ways you use computers?

Devices that are computers…

– SmartPhones
– iPods
– Tablets
– Car navigation system (GPS)

Can you think of some other devices

that are computers?
Computer Program
• Computers are designed to do any job that
their programs tell them to do.
• A program is a set of instructions that a computer
follows to perform a task.
For example: Microsoft Word and PowerPoint
• Programs are commonly referred to as
software.
What software have you used?
• Programmers or Software Developers are the
individuals that create computer software.
• They have the training and skill to design,
create, and test computer programs.

What are some of the fields in which

computer programs are used?
Overview

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Hardware & Software
1.3 How Computers Store Data
1.4 How a Program Works
1.5 Types of Software
1.2 Hardware and Software

Concept:

The physical devices that a computer is

made of are referred to as the
computer’s hardware.

The programs that run on a computer

are referred to as software.
1.2 Hardware

Hardware
• The physical devices that a computer is
made of are referred to as the computer’s
hardware.
• A computer is a system of devices that
work together.
Computer System
1.2 Hardware

Hardware
A Computer System consists of:
– Central Processing Unit (CPU)
– Main memory
– Secondary storage
– Input devices
– Output devices
1.2 Hardware

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

• The CPU is the part of a computer that runs the
programs.
• Often referred to as the processor.
• Without a CPU, a computer cannot run software.
Running or executing a program is the term used
when the computer performs the tasks that the
program tells it to do.
 1.2 Hardware
ENIAC (Electronic Numeric Integrator
and Calculator)
• World’s first programmable computer
• Built in 1945
• Designed to calculate artillery
ballistic tables for the U.S. Army
• CPU was 8 feet tall, 100 feet long,
and weighed 30 tons
Transistors

Today's Processor:
Much smaller & more Powerful
1.2 Hardware –Memory

Memory

Primary Secondary
Memory Memory

ROM RAM
Types of Data Access

• There are two types of access

• Random Access (also called Direct Access) devices
retrieve the data you want straight away e.g. CD-ROM
drive, Hard disc drive, floppy disc drive.
• Sequential (also called Serial) devices have to move
through all the data, record after record, to find the
data you need e.g. Cassette tape, magnetic tape.
Types of Data access
• Sequential Access
– Goes from file A to file Z in a
sequential-access system, you must pass
through all files in between.
– Sequential access is sometimes called serial
access. E.g. Tapes are sequential access media.
• Random Access
– Refers to the ability to access data
at random. In a random-access system, you
can jump directly to file .
E.g. Disks are random access media
1.2 Hardware –Memory
RAM
• Considered the computer’s work area
• Computer stores the program that is running as
well as the data
• Commonly known as the random-access
memory (RAM)
• Data is quickly accessed (random)
• RAM is a volatile (temporary) type of memory
• Used for temporary storage
• RAM is erased when computer is turned off
1.2 Memory
• Read-Only Memory (ROM)
– A computer can read the contents of ROM, but it
cannot change its contents, or store additional data
there.
– ROM is nonvolatile. It does not lose its contents,
even when the computer’s power is turned off.
– ROM is typically used to store programs that are
important for the system’s operation. For example,
the computer’s startup program, which is executed
each time the computer is started.
1.2 Memory
Secondary Storage Devices
• Type of memory that can hold data for long periods of
time.
• Programs and important data are stored in secondary
storage
• Disk drive is a common type of secondary storage
– Data is stored by magnetically encoding it onto a circular disk
– Most computers have an internal disk drive
– Some have external disk drives; they are used to
create backup copies

1-21
1.2 Memory
Secondary Storage Devices
• Solid-State drives are becoming increasingly popular
– Does not contain a disk. Instead, it stores data in solid-
state memory
– No moving parts
– Operates faster than a traditional disk drive
• USB drives are small devices that plug into the computer’s
universal serial bus (USB) port
– It does not contain a disk
– The data is stored on flash memory
– Also known as memory sticks and flash drives
– Inexpensive, reliable, and small
Secondary Storage Devices

• Optical devices (CD or DVD)

– Data is encoded as a series of pits on the disc’s
surface
– Uses laser to encode the data
– Holds large amounts of data
– Good medium for creating backups
Storage Devices
• Optical discs
– CD-ROM
– CD-R
– CD-RW
– DVD-ROM
– DVD-R
– DVD+R
– DVD-RW
– DVD+RW
– DVD+RAM
• Tape
Memory

Secondary Storage Devices

• Cloud Storage
– When you store data in the cloud, you are storing it on a
remote server via the internet, or via a company’s private
network.
– You can access it from many different devices, and from
any location where you have a network connection.
– Can also be used to backup important data that is stored
on a computer’s disk.

1-26
Input Devices
• Any data the computer collects from people and from other
devices is called input.
• The hardware component that collects the data is called an
input device.
• Common input devices are:
– Keyboard
– Mouse
– Touch screen
– Scanner
– Microphone
– Digital camera

Can you think of any other input devices?

 Keyboards
• QWERTY - Christopher
Latham Sholes, 1870's.
Designed to "slow down"
typing, to prevent the types
from jamming.
Mouse

• Mouse
Invented by Doug Englebart,
Xerox PARC, in 1966
Wireless

• Footmouse
Equivalent to conventional
mouse but no RSI (Repetitive
Stress Injury)
Bar Code Readers
• Photoelectric scanner
• Read bar codes
– Alternating black & white vertical bars
– Universal Product Code (UPC)
• Seen in grocery stores, retail stores
Microphone, Voice Recognition …

• Speech (also for text input)

 Brain activity input …

• Brain activity
input - this neural
network system
distinguishes 5
brain patterns - for
up, down, L, R &
click
Touchscreens
Output Devices

• Any data the computer produces for people or for

other devices is called output.
• The hardware component that formats and presents
the data is called an output device.
• Common output devices are:
– monitor
– printer

Can you think of any other output

devices?
Monitor
• Resolution
• Pixel (Picture Element)
• Size
Printer

• Inkjet
• Laser Jet Printer
1.2 Software

Software

• Everything a computer does is controlled by software.

• Two categories of software:
• System software
• Application software
1.2 Software

System Software
• Programs that control and manage the basic operations
of a computer are referred to as system software.
• Includes the following types:
• Operating System controls the internal operations of the
computer’s hardware and manages all of the devices
connected to the computer.
• Utility Programs perform a specialized task that enhances
the computer’s operation or safeguards data.
• Software Developments Tools are programs that are used to
create, modify, and test software.
1.2 Software
Application Software
• Programs that people normally spend most of their
time running on their computers performing everyday
tasks are referred to as application software.
• For example:
• Word processing
• Spreadsheet
• Database
• Presentation

Can you think of any other application software?

Overview

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Hardware & Software
1.3 How Computers Store Data
1.4 How a Program Works
1.5 Types of Software
1.3 How Computers Store Data

Concept:

All data that is stored in a computer is

converted to sequences of 0s and 1s.
1.3 How Computers Store Data

• A computer’s memory is divided into tiny storage locations

known as bytes
• One byte represents one number
• A byte is divided into eight smaller storage locations known
bits (binary digits)
• Bits are tiny electrical components that can hold either a
positive or a negative charge.
• A positive charge is similar to a switch in the on position
• A negative charge is similar to a switch in the off position

Figure 1-6 Think of a byte as

eight switches 1-42
1.3 How Computers Store Data

Storing Numbers
• The positive charge or the on position is represented by the
digit 1
• The negative charge or the off position is represented by the
digit 0
• This corresponds to the binary numbering system where all
numeric values are written as a sequence of 0s and 1s
• Each digit in a binary number has a value assigned to it

Figure 1-8 The values of binary

digits as powers of 2
1.3 How Computers Store Data

Storing Numbers
For example:
Figure 1-10 Determining the Figure 1-11 The bit pattern for 157
value of 10011101
1.3 How Computers Store Data
Storing Numbers
• The largest value that can be stored in a byte with eight bits is
255
• Two bytes are used for larger numbers; maximum value is
65535

Figure 1-12 Two bytes used for a large number

1.3 How Computers Store Data
Storing Characters
• Characters are stored in the computer’s memory as binary
number
• ASCII (American Standard Code for Information
Interchange) is a coding scheme

Figure 1-13 The letter A is stored in memory as the number 65

1.3 How Computers Store Data

Storing Characters
• ASCII is a set of 128 numeric codes
• ASCII is limited
• Unicode is an extensive encoding scheme
• It is compatible with ASCII
• It represents characters for many languages in the
world
1.3 How Computers Store Data

Other Types of Data

• Digital data is data that is stored in binary
• A digital device is any device that works with binary
data
• Digital images are composed of tiny dots of color
known as pixels (picture elements)
• Digital sound is broken into small pieces known as
samples
Overview

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Hardware & Software
1.3 How Computers Store Data
1.4 How a Program Works
1.5 Types of Software
1.4 How a Program Works

Concept:

A computer’s CPU can only understand

instructions that are written in machine
language. Because people find it very
difficult to write entire programs in machine
language, other programming languages
have been invented.
1.4 How a Program Works

• CPU is the most important component in a

computer
• CPU is not a brain
• CPU is not smart
• CPU is an electronic device that is
designed to do specific things.
1.4 How a Program Works

CPU is designed to perform the following operations:

• Read a piece of data from main memory
• Adding two numbers
• Subtracting one number from another number
• Multiplying two numbers
• Dividing one number by another number
• Moving a piece of data from one memory location to
another
• Determining whether one value is equal to another value
1.4 How a Program Works

• CPU only understands instructions written in machine

language
• Machine language instructions are written in 1s and 0s
• The entire set of instructions that a CPU can execute is
known as the CPU’s instruction set
• Each brand of microprocessors (Intel, AMD, and
Motorola) has a unique instruction set
1.4 How a Program Works

• Fetch-decode-execute cycle is the term used when the CPU

executes the instructions in a program.
• The cycle consist of three steps:
– Fetch
– Decode
– Execute

Figure 1-16
The fetch-decode-
execute cycle
 1.4 How a Program Works

From Machine Language to Assembly Language

•Computers only understand machine language
•Machine language is difficult to write
•Assembly language uses short words that are known as mnemonics
•Assembler is used to translate an assembly language program to
machine language

Figure 1-17
An assembler translates
an assembly language
program to a machine
language program 1-55
1.4 How a Program Works
High-Level Languages
•Assembly language is referred to as a low-level language
•High-level languages allow you to create powerful and complex
programs without knowing how the CPU works, using words that
are easy to understand.
For example:
Java, C++, Python, Visual Basic, C#, Ada, Fortran

Do you know of any other high-level

computer programming languages?
1.4 How a Program Works

Key Words, Operators, and Syntax: an Overview

•Key words or reserved words have specific meaning and purpose in

the programming language
•Operators perform various operations on data
•Syntax is a set of rules that must be strictly followed when writing
a program
•Statements are individual instructions written in a programming
language
1.4 How a Program Works
Compilers and Interpreters

•The statements written in a high-level language are called source

code or simply code
•Source code is translated to machine language using a compiler
or an interpreter
•Syntax error is a mistake such as a:
• Misspelled word
• Missing punctuation character
• Incorrect use of an operator
1.4 How a Program Works
Compilers and Interpreters

•Compiler is a program that translates a high-level language

program into a separate machine language program
Figure 1-18 Compiling a high-level program and executing it
1.4 How a Program Works

Compilers and Interpreters

•An interpreter is a program that both translates and executes the
instructions in a high-level language program
Figure 1-19 Executing a high-level program with an interpreter
Overview

1.1 Introduction
1.2 Hardware & Software
1.3 How Computers Store Data
1.4 How a Program Works
1.5 Types of Software
1.5 Types of Software
Programs generally fit into one of two
categories
– System software
• The set of programs that control or enhance the
operation of a computer such as an Operating
System, Utility Programs, or Software Development
Tools.
– Application software
• Programs that make a computer useful for every day
tasks such as Microsoft Word, email programs, and
Web browsers.
Recap
1.1 Introduction
1.2 Hardware & Software
1.3 How Computers Store Data
1.4 How a Program Works
1.5 Types of Software