COMMUNICATION & COMPUTER SKILLS

Instructor: Mr. Mgwalima

NC1
 COURSE OUTLINE

1. Introduction to computers
2. Computer Equipment
3. Computer Systems Architecture
4. Configuration
5. Computer Security
6. Software
7. DOS
8. Windows
9. Data processing: Word and Spreadsheet

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 Computer Defined
A computer is an electronic device operating under the
control of instructions stored in its own memory that can
accept data, process the data according to specified
rules, produce results and store the results for future
use.

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 Computer system
Computer system - collection of electronic and
mechanical devices operating as a unit. The main parts
are:

1. System unit
2 1
2. Monitor 5
3. Keyboard
4. Mouse
5. Speakers
3 4

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 Peripherals
Peripherals are devices that connect to the system unit
using cables or wireless technologies. Typical
peripherals include:

• Monitor
• Keyboard
• Printer
• Plotter
• Scanner
• Speakers Plotter

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 Hardware & Software
Hardware: The term hardware refers to the physical components
of a computer such as the system unit, mouse, keyboard,
monitor, CPU, motherboard, RAM, Hard disk, CD, DVD etc.

Software is the instructions that make the computer work. Software

is held either on your computer’s hard disk, CD-ROM, or on a
DVD copied from the disk into the computers RAM (Random
Access Memory) as and when required.

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 Information Processing Cycle
A computer converts data into information by
performing various actions on the data. For example, a
computer might perform a mathematical operation on
two numbers and then display the result. Another
example might be a user giving data input by typing
using a keyboard and the computer processes the input
by formatting the letter which is displayed as an output
by a printer. These operations are part of a process
called the information processing cycle. It is a series of
steps the computer follows to receive data, process the
data according to instructions from a program, display
the resulting information to the user and store results.

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 Information Processing Cycle
Each step in the information processing cycle involves one or more
specific components of the computer:
1. Input. The computer accepts data from some source, such as
the user, a program, or some sort of hardware for processing.
2. Processing. The computer’s processing components perform
actions on or with the data, based on instructions from the user or a
program.
3. Output. The computer provides the results of its processing.
Typically, the results appear as text, numbers, or a graphic on the
computer’s screen or as sounds from its speaker. During the
information processing cycle, the computer will always produce
some form of output, but that output will not necessarily be
noticeable for its user.
4. Storage. The computer stores the results of its processing. To
store information permanently, the computer will save its output to a
hard drive or some other kind of storage medium.
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 INPUT DEVICES
An input device is any device that enters information into a
computer from an external source. Input devices allow users to
put data into the computer. Without any input devices, a
computer would only be a display device and not allow users to
interact with it. The following are examples of input devices.
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Joy Stick
• Light pen
• Track Ball
• Scanner
• Microphone
• Magnetic Ink Card Reader(MICR)
• Bar Code Reader

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 INPUT DEVICES cont…
Keyboard
A keyboard is an input device which is
represented as a layout of buttons and each
button or key, can be used to either input a
linguistic character to a computer or to call
upon a particular function of the computer.
Mouse
A mouse is most popular pointing device. The
mouse is important for graphical user
interfaces because the user can simply point
to options and objects and click a mouse
button. Mouse can be used to control the
position of cursor on screen, but it cannot be
1A-10 used to enter text into the computer.
 INPUT DEVICES cont…
Joysticks
A joystick is also a pointing device which is used to
move cursor position on a monitor screen. The joystick
can be moved in all four directions. The function of
joystick is similar to that of a mouse. A joystick is used
as an input device primarily used with video games,
training simulators and controlling robots.

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 INPUT DEVICES cont…
Bar code scanners
A bar-code scanner is an electronic device for reading
printed barcodes usually on a product. It consists of light
source, a lens and light sensor that translates optical
impulses into electrical signal.

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 INPUT DEVICES cont…
Scanner
A 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. A scanner allows you to scan printed material
and convert it into a file format that may be used within the
PC.

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 INPUT DEVICES cont…
Microphone
A 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
Computers foror for mixing music.
Organizations

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ID
 INPUT DEVICES cont…
Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)
A MICR can identify characters printed with a special ink
that contains particles of magnetic material. 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 advantage of a
MICR is that it is fast and less error prone

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 INPUT DEVICES cont…
Magnetic Ink Card Reader (MICR)

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 OUTPUT DEVICES
Output device are devices that display, print or transmit
the results of processing from the computer’s memory.
Before an output can be produced by a computer it
must have an output device connected to it. The
following are examples of output devices.
• Monitors
• Graphic Plotter
• Printer
• Speakers

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 Output Devices cont…..
Monitors, commonly called as Visual Display Unit
(VDU) are the main output device of a computer.
The computer screen is used for outputting information
in an understandable format. A monitor is an output
device that resembles the television screen.
There are two kinds of viewing screens used for
monitors, Cathode-Ray Tubes (CRT) and Flat- Panel
Displays.

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 Output Devices cont….
A printer is an output device that can be connected to a computer
in order to make copies on paper of documents or other information
held by the computer. The most common types of printers are inkjet
and laser printers. In large organizations laser printers are most
commonly used due to the fact that they can print very fast
and give a very high quality output. The printed output produced
by a printer is often called a hard copy, which is the physical
version of an electronic document.

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 Output Devices cont….
Dot-matrix printers produce printed documents using a number of
pins striking against an inked ribbon to display small dots in the form
of characters. Most DMPs use a single print head that moves
across the page. Dot matrix are the least expensive printers but are
less frequently used because they do not offer a high-quality output.
Ink-jet printers spray tiny drops of ink onto the paper from a nozzle
on the print head. Ink can be propelled by heat or pressure through
any combination of nozzle holes to form a character or image on the
Paper. Standard weight paper is suitable, but heavier weight
premium paper is recommended to prepare better looking
documents which prevent ink-bleeding. These can also print
overhead projector transparency sheets.
Laser printers operate similarly to a photocopier, converting data
from the computer into a laser beam which attracts toner to the
drum before transferring the data to the page for heat & pressure
fusion. All laser printers produce high-quality text & graphics
1A-20 suitable for business correspondence.
 Output Devices cont……
Speakers
A speaker or speaker system converts an electrical signal to
sound. It is a hardware device connected to a computer's sound
card that outputs sounds generated by the computer. Speakers
can be used for various sounds meant to alert the user as well as
music and spoken text.

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 Output Devices cont……
Plotters
A plotter is an output device similar to a printer but allows printing
of large images. A plotter is a large printer that generates high-
quality documents by moving ink pens over the surface of a page.
Plotters are particularly useful to engineers and architects, as they
produce high-quality blueprints, maps and floor plans.

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 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
A CPU is brain of a computer. It is responsible for all functions and
processes. Regarding computing power, the CPU is the most
important element of a computer system.
• CPU itself has following three components.
• Memory or Storage Unit
• Control Unit
• ALU(Arithmetic Logic Unit)

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 CPU cont…..
ALU: It is the arithmetic logic unit, which performs arithmetic and
logical functions. Arithmetic functions include addition, subtraction,
multiplication division, and comparisons. Logical functions mainly
include selecting, comparing, and merging the data. A CPU may
contain more than one ALU.
Control Unit: It is the circuitry in the control unit, which makes use
of electrical signals to instruct the computer system for executing
already stored instructions. It takes instructions from memory and
then decodes and executes these instructions. So, it controls and
coordinates the functioning of all parts of the computer. The
Control Unit's main task is to maintain and regulate the flow of
information across the processor. It does not take part in
processing and storing data.
Memory or Storage Unit. This unit can store instructions, data, and
intermediate results. This unit supplies information to other units of
the computer when needed. It is also known as internal storage
1A-24 unit or the main memory or Random Access Memory (RAM).
 BEGINNING TO USE A COMPUTER

Before you start using programs to carry out specific tasks (e.g.
producing a document) you need to understand a few basic
principles about computers. This includes starting the computer,
interpreting what is on the screen, choosing and starting a
program, saving your work, closing a program and organizing your
saved work.
Turning ON a Computer
• Find the ‘ON’ button.
• Push the button.

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 Computers for Organizations
Turning off a computer
If you right-click the Start
button, you will see a
lengthy pop-up shortcut
menu with "Shut down or
sign out" right near the
bottom as shown. Hover
your mouse over that option
and then click "Shut down."
The computer will turn off.

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 The Windows Desktop
The screen that appears when you turn on a computer is called
the desktop. The Windows operating system provides you with a
graphical user interface. A graphical user interface allows you
to interact with a computer (tell it what you want it to do, and get
information back from it). The figure shows a desktop background
of a computer. Below are some of the features of a graphical user
interface:
• Desktop This is the first screen you will see when the
computer starts up. It is the background of the Windows screen
on which windows, icons and dialogue boxes appear.
• Windows These are frames on the screen in which programs
are run.
• Icon A picture that represents a program, a file or a system
resource (e.g. a printer). In a program, an icon can also
represent a command (for example Save or Open).
• Taskbar It contains the Start button and buttons for each open
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program.
 Computers for Organizations

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 SOFTWARE
Software is the instructions that tell the computer what to do. Software is the
computerized instructions that direct a computer to perform specific tasks or
operations. There are two types of software
System Software
Application Software

SYSTEM SOFTWARE
The system software is a collection of programs designed to operate, control and
extend the processing capabilities of the computer itself. System software is
generally prepared by computer manufactures. System software serves as the
interface between hardware and the end users. Systems software includes the
operating system and all the utilities that enable them to function. The most
important program that runs on a computer is the operating system. Every
computer must have an operating system in order to run other programs.
Examples of operating systems are Windows 7, Linux and Mac. An operating
system is a collection of software that allows a computer to function. Operating
systems perform all basic tasks, such as identifying basic input/output
devices, accepting input from the input devices, sending results to the output
devices, keeping track of files on the disk and controlling other peripheral
devices such as disk drives and printers.
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 Software
The functions of an operating system can be broadly outlined as
follows:
• Communicate with hardware and the attached devices [Device
Manager]
• Manage different types of memories [Memory Manager]
• Provide a user interface [Interface Manager]
• Provide a structure for accessing an application [Program
Manager]
• Enable users to manipulate programs and data [Task Manager]
• Manage the files, folders and directory systems on a computer
[File Manager]

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 Software
OS

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 Application Software
Application software is computer software designed to help the
user to perform specific tasks.
Examples of application software are: word processing software,
spreadsheet application software, computer graphics software,
database application software and desktop publishing software.
Word Processing applications are software programs capable of
creating, storing, and printing documents. Examples of word
processors are Microsoft Word, WordPro and AppleWorks.
Database management application software allows people to
create and manipulate data in a database. A database is a
collection of related information that can be manipulated and used
to sort information, conduct statistical analyses or generate
reports. MS Access, MySQL, and Oracle are some of the
examples of database software.

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 Software
Presentation applications are used to display the information in
the form of slide show. The three main functions of presentation
software is editing that allows insertion and formatting of text,
including graphics in the text and executing the slide shows. The
best example for this type of application software is Microsoft
PowerPoint.
Multimedia software allows the user to create audio and videos.
The different forms of multimedia software are audio converters,
players, burners, video encoders and decoders. Media players
and real players are the examples of multimedia software.
Spreadsheet applications are capable of organizing, storing and
analyzing data in tabular form. They are used to maintain budget,
financial statements, grade sheets and sales records.
Spreadsheet applications allow the users to perform calculations
on the numbers entered in rows and columns. Examples of
spreadsheet applications are Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, Apple
1A-33 Numbers and OpenOffice Calc.