COMPUTER FUNDAMENTALS CONTENT

Information Technology (IT) is the term used to describe the equipment (hardware, and
software) that allows us to access, retrieve, convert, store, organize, manipulate and present data
and information. IT refers to the use of these equipment to produce information.

Types of Computer Systems

Super Computers
Mainframes
Desktop systems.
Mobile devices
Embedded devices

 The mainframe computer is a very large, expensive and powerful computer that can handle
hundreds of thousands of connected users at the same time. A mainframe computer can store
a large amount of data, instructions and information and processes millions of instructions
per second. Mainframes are used in large companies such as airlines, banks and insurance
companies. They can be used to act as servers in a network environment. Programs can be
accessed from the mainframe by the use of terminals or personal computers.
 Supercomputer- This is the fastest, most powerful and most expensive computer. The fastest
super computers can process more than 100 trillion instructions in one second. The super
computer can store more than 16,000 times the data and information than an average desktop
computer. It is made to use or accommodate thousands of personal computer processors.
All large scale websites, games, chat programs etc. use a supercomputer to handle the
clients. They are also used for weather forecasting, climate research, oil and gas exploration
and in the fields of computer science.
 Desktop Computers- This is a computer that is designed to have the system unit, input
devices, output devices and any other devices fit on or under a desk or on a table. Some
desktop computers are powerful. It is intended for regular use at a single location.
 Mobile devices- A mobile device is a handheld tablet or other device that is made for
portability, and is usually compact and lightweight. Mobile devices are also known as
handheld computers, for example, laptops, notebooks, netbooks, smartphones, tablets and
game consoles
 Embedded Systems- An embedded device is an object that contains a special-purpose
computing system which is completely enclosed by the object. The device may or may
not be able to connect to the Internet. An embedded device's operating system will only
run a single application which helps the device to do its job. Examples of embedded
devices include dishwashers, banking ATM machines, routers, car ignition, answering
machines and microwaves.

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Functions of the Major Hardware Components of a Computer
The main function of a computer system is to process information.
The Information Processing Cycle
The major hardware components of a computer system are shown in the diagram below.

CPU
CU
Input devices Output devices

ALU

Main Memory

Secondary Storage

1. Input
Input devices are any device that is used to put data and instructions into the computer. These
devices create a link between the user and the computer. The input devices translate the
information into a form understandable by the computer.
2. Processing
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The CPU is also called the processor. It takes raw data, follows a set of instructions (programs)
and converts it into information. The CPU consists of two smaller units known as the control unit
(CU) and the arithmetic and logic unit (ALU).

Control Unit (CU)

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This is the main part of the CPU. It directs and coordinates all activities within the CPU. It
determines the sequence in which instructions are executed. The CU executes an instruction by
performing the following steps:
1. Fetching the instructions from memory
2. Decoding the instructions
3. Fetching the data required by the instructions from memory
4. Sending the data and instructions to the ALU for processing
5. Sending the data to memory after processing

Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)

The ALU performs all the arithmetic and logic functions in a computer. The arithmetic
operations include addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*) and division (/).

The logic functions are comparisons, such as

1. Equal to (=)
2. Not equal to (≠)
3. Less than (<)
4. Greater than (>)
5. Less than or equal to (<=)
6. Greater than or equal to (>=)
7. AND
8. OR
9. NOT

3 Main Memory (Primary Storage)

Main Memory is a form of Immediate Access Storage also known as primary storage, it is
volatile memory directly accessible to the CPU and is used to store data actively operated on.
Primary storage is located on the computers main circuit board also called the mother board.
Primary storage consists of two memory chips. These are Random Access Memory (RAM) and
Read Only Memory (ROM) RAM is said to be volatile meaning it is easily changed while ROM
is said to be non-volatile meaning it is not easily changed. The CPU continuously reads
instructions stored there and executes them as required. Information stored in main memory is
lost when the computer is powered off.

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  RAM

RAM chips hold data and instructions temporarily while processing is taking place using that
data and instruction. It also holds the data that results from processing. RAM is also called
working memory.
 ROM
ROM chips hold data and instruction necessary for starting up the computer when it is switched
on. It is commonly used to store system-level programs such as the BIOS (Basic Input/Output
System) program. Variations of ROM include:
PROM
EPROM
EEPROM
4. Output
The output unit consists of devices with the help of which we get the information from the
computer. Output devices provide a link between the computer and the users. Output devices
translate the computer's output into a form understandable by the users. Some commonly used
output devices are VDU or monitor, printer, plotter, speakers and multimedia projector.
5. Secondary Storage (Permanent)

Secondary storage is also called auxiliary storage, backing storage or disk storage. These devices
are used to store data and instructions when they are not being processed. Secondary storage is
more permanent than main memory, since data and instructions are not lost when the power is
turned off. It is also much cheaper than primary storage and is unlimited since you can have as
much of it as you can afford. The most commonly used auxiliary storage devices are magnetic
storage (tapes and disks), optical storage (CD ROM, CD-R, DVD-ROM, DVD-R and DVD-RW
and solid state memory (flash memory and USB drives).

Units of Storage
Bit: Smallest unit of storage in a computer.

Byte: This is the combination of 8 bits and represents a character .

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Kilobyte (KB) ------- 1024 bytes
Megabyte (MB) ---- 1024 KB
Gigabyte (GB) ----- 1024 MB
Terabyte (TB) ------ 1024 GB

Cloud vs. Local Storage

Local storage refers to data/files that a stored on the hard drive of a computer.

Advantages:
 Inexpensive
 Easy to use
 Data is under control

Disadvantages:
 Data will not be available unless you have the device with you
 Can be lost or stolen
 Device can suffer physical damage

Cloud computing refers to the storing of files/data over the internet instead of your computer
hard drive. The data is stored on remote hard drives and can be accessed anywhere from the
cloud.

Advantages:
 Allows you to access the same data across multiple devices
 Free versions are available to store limited amount of data
 Greater storage capacity at lower cost
 Files can be accesses anywhere at any time
 Facilitates file sharing and collaboration
 Strong protection for backup


Disadvantages:

 Requires an internet connection to access

 You will need to pay to store large amount of information
 Third party storage vulnerable to theft and hardware failure

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The role of the different types of software
This is a collection of computer programs, procedures and documentation that perform specific
tasks on a computer system.

There are two categories of software:

 System software

 Application software

System software

Systems software is software that controls the way the computer works and lets you use the
computer.

For example, it:

-makes sure that all of the pieces of computer hardware communicate with each other.

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-takes care of the computer's memory and storage.

-lets you load and use application software packages

-lets you save your work.

Types of System software

1. Utility software

This is a specialized software that tries to protect and maintain the operating system. Some jobs
done by the utility software include:

 protecting the operating system against damage caused by the computer viruses.

 making copies of files(back up)

 recover files after the system software has stopped working.

2. Operating system

An operating system is a collection of programs that manages all the other programs (i.e,
application programs) in a computer as well as the allocation and use of hardware resources such
as the CPU (central processing unit), memory and the hard disk drive (HDD).

Functions of the operating system

Software control

The operating system controls how all software applications, games and other programs work on
the computer, these include file management, multi-tasking, multi-user and security.

Hardware control

The operating system has a set of rules for controlling hardware resources. Some hardware
resources controlled by the operating system includes:

 Peripherals- example keyboards, printers,scanners and so on

 memory

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  CPU

 Disk space

Types of Operating Systems

The following are some of the operating systems available.

 Single User processing-This system allows only one user at a time, running only one
program at a time.

 Single user multi-tasking processing: A Single user multi-tasking processing system is

one in which the use of the computer is limited to one person at a time, who is allowed to
do multiple tasks.

 Batch processing: This is a system that group tasks together and process them
collectively, in the same order in which they were grouped. This is referred to as a "first
in first out" (FIFO) processing.

 Time-sharing multi-processing: This is a system that allows more than one user to have
access to the system unit, with each user having the impression that they have full control
of the processor. Each job is allotted a time-slice, with processing switching from one job
to another in a round-robin basis, until the jobs have been completed.

 Real time online processing: A Real time online processing system is one in which
processing is done immediately on receipt of the input data, with the results been returned
at once. This is used in critical situations, such as, with critically ill patients; and in
nuclear plants.

Application software

Application software are programs that allow the computer to carry out specific tasks for users.

Types of Application Software

 General purpose software: These are programs that are designed to meet the needs of a
wide variety of users. The programs are multi-purposed and can be used by schools,
business places, homes and so on. Examples include word processing, databases,

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 spreadsheet, presentation and so on. General purpose software is much cheaper than other
types of application software.

 Custom-written software: These are software designed to perform specific tasks for users.
Sometimes general purpose software are edited to perform specific tasks for the user.
Custom-written software is generally tailored to meet the needs for a specific business or
organization and is more expensive than general purpose software.

 Specialized software: These are software which is written only for a special or specific
task. Examples of specialized software include:

1. software used by air traffic controllers to control flight of air craft.

2. accounting software
3. airline reservation software
4. computer-aided design

 Integrated software: This is a program that includes all the major types of application is a
single software package. Some types of applications included in integrated software are
word processing, spreadsheet, database and so on. An example of integrated software is
Microsoft Works.

 Source off the shelf: Off the shelf software are standardised software applications that are
mass-produced, available to the general public, and fit for immediate use. They are
designed for a broad range of customers, offering a comprehensive set of features to
streamline operations. Examples include; anti-virus programs, Gmail, Media players.

Notes: User Interfaces

Software interfaces
There are three (3) types of software user interfaces:
1. Command driven interface: This type of interface is used in a DOS operating system.
To communicate with the computer, the user has to type a command in codes or words
when prompt on the display screen. E.g. C :\> dir tells the OS to list all the files on the
hard drive.
2. Menu driven interface: to communicate the user can either use the mouse or arrow keys
to make a selection from a menu which contains commands e.g. Print, Save As, Open.
There are two (2) types of menus:
Pull-down menu – usually drops down from the menu bar when it is clicked.
Pop-up menu – pops up from nowhere when the right mouse button is clicked.
3. Graphical user interface (GUI): This interface is also called WIMP (windows, icons,
menus and pointing devices). To communicate with the user, it uses buttons, icons,
menus and keystrokes to choose commands, start programs and see lists of files and other

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 options. Icons are small pictures that represent programs, folders, files, tasks etc. In a The
GUI all objects that are related to each other are shown in a window. More than one
window can be opened on the desktop at the same time. The desktop is common visual
background which appears on the display screen when the computer has finished booting.

Hardware user interfaces:

Touch screens
To communicate with the computer, the user touches the display of the device by a finger or
stylus. This interface incorporates aspects of GUI and allows the user to make selections and
send commands by touching icons on the screen. The interface is used for both input and output,
since you view information and the options available to you on the screen.
Non-visual interfaces
This type of interface utilizes audio (sound) and gestures (head, hand and device) to send
commands and make selections.

Sensors
This type of interface utilizes changes (chemical or physical) in the environment to communicate
with the computer.
Braille keyboards
This device aids the blind in communicating with the computer. The keys have raised dots which
represent different characters.

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