MBEYA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY
UQF 8 2021/22 1st YEAR

Course Code: IT 8101

Course Title: Fundamentals of IT
LECTURE 1
 INTRODUCTION

• Definition : A Computer is an electronic device that can perform

activities that involve Mathematical, Logical and graphical manipulations.
• Generally, the term is used to describe a collection of devices that
function together as a system.
• It performs the following three operations in sequence.
It receives data & instructions from the input device.
Processes the data as per instructions.
Provides the result (output) in a desired form.
 Terms
• Data : It is the collection of raw facts, figures & symbols.
• Ex : Names of students and their marks in different subjects listed in
random order.
• Information : It is the data that is processed & presented in an
organized manner.
• Ex : When the names of students are arranged in alphabetical order,
total and average marks are calculated & presented in a tabular form, it
is information.
• Program : Set of instructions that enables a computer to perform a
given task.
What is Process?
Computer works on data as per programme is called process.

Processing means operations like…..

 Calculations,

 Logical decision making,

 Outputting data,

 Communicating with others computer etc.

 Advantages of computers :

 
• High speed : Computers have the ability to perform routine tasks at a greater
speed than human beings. They can perform millions of calculations in
seconds.
• Accuracy : Computers are used to perform tasks in a way that ensures
accuracy.
• Storage : Computers can store large amount of information. Any item of data
or any instruction stored in the memory can be retrieved by the computer at
lightning speeds.
• Automation : Computers can be instructed to perform complex tasks
automatically ( which increases the productivity).
Advantages of computers :(cont.…)
• Diligence : Computers can perform the same task
repeatedly & with the same accuracy without getting
tired.
• Versatility : Computers are flexible to perform both
simple and complex tasks.
• Cost effectiveness : Computers reduce the amount of
paper work and human effort, thereby reducing costs.
 Limitations of computers :

I. Computers need clear & complete

instructions to perform a task accurately. If
the instructions are not clear & complete, the
computer will not produce the required
result.
II. Computers cannot think.
III. Computers cannot learn by experience.
 Generations of computers :
Generation Component used
First Generation Vacuum tubes
(1946-1954 )
Second Generation Transistors
(1955-1965)
Third Generation Integrated Circuits (IC)
(1968-1975 )
Fourth Generation Very Large Scale Integrated Circuits
( 1976-1980) (VLSI)
Fifth Generation Ultra Scale Integrated Circuits (ULSI)
(1980 – till today ) Micro Processor (SILICON CHIP)
 Classification of Computers

• Computers are classified according to the storage

capacity, speed and the purpose for which they are
developed. These can be classified into three types:
Analog Computes
Digital Computers
Hybrid Computers
Classification of Computers(cont.)
• Analog computers: They operate by measuring instead of counting.
The name (derived from Greek word analog) denotes that the
computer functions by establishing similarities between the two
quantities. They are powerful tools for solving differential equations.
• Digital Computers: These computers operate by counting. All
quantities are expressed as discrete digits or numbers. These are
useful for evaluating arithmetic expressions and manipulations of
data.
• Hybrid Computers: Computers which combine the features of analog
and digital computers.
Classification of Computers(cont…)
• A majority of the computers that are in use are digital.
• Developments in the computers led to the use of digital computers in
variety of applications.
• Depending on the use of applications, the digital computers are
classified into:
i. Special Purpose Computers
ii. General Purpose Computers
Classification of Computers(cont.)
i. Special Purpose Computers:
These are developed with a specific purpose. Some of the areas where these computers are
being used are soil testing, drip irrigation, medical scanning, traffic signals, spacecraft, rocket
technology etc.,

ii. General Purpose Computers:

These are developed to meet the requirements of several areas such as simulation, solving
mathematical equations, payroll and personnel database. These computers are available in
different sizes and capabilities and are further classified (based on memory, speed, storage)
as follows.
a)Super Computers
b) Mainframe Computers
c) Mini Computers
d) Micro Computers
Classification of Computers(cont.)
• Super Computers:
These have extremely large storage capacities and computing speeds which are at least 10
times faster than other computers.
These are used for large scale numerical problems in scientific and engineering disciplines
such as electronics, weather forecasting etc.,.
• Mainframe Computers:
They also have large storage and high computing speed (but relatively lower than the
super computers).
They are used in applications like:
 weather forecasting,
 space applications etc.
They support a large number of terminals for use by a variety of users simultaneously, but
are expensive
 Classification of Computers(cont…)
• Mini Computers: It is a medium sized computer with moderate cost, available indigenously
and used for large volume applications. It can serve multi-users simultaneously
•
Micro Computers: A micro computer is the smallest general purpose processing system.
Micro computers are also referred as ―personal computers(PC). These are self
contained units and usually developed for use by one person at a time but can be linked to
very large systems. They are cheap, easy to use even at homes and can be read for variety
of applications from small to medium range.
• These are available in three models:
• PC : Personal Computer
• PC-XT : PC with Extended Technology
• PC-AT : PC with Advanced Technology
Classification of Computers(cont.)
PERSONAL COMPUTERS
• A personal computer has a Monitor (VDU), a keyboard , Disk Drive (s),
printer and CPU.
• The CPU of PC has a mother board with several chips mounted on a
circuit board.
• The major components of the circuit board are : Microprocessor,
RAM and ROM chips and other supporting circuits.
 Microprocessor:
• The Microprocessor chip is like a brain of human being which contains
circuits and registers to perform arithmetic, logic and control
functions. i.e. it contains ALU & CU.
• These chips will be able to retrieve data from the input /output
devices, store, manipulate and process a byte of data at a time.
• There is an address bus which is built into these chips to determine
the storage locations (of RAM) of the data and the instructions of the
program
Microprocessor(cont.…)
Different microprocessors were developed and the first in the series is
INTEL 8080.
• The other processors are 8088, 80286, 80386, 80486, Pentium I, II, III
and Pentium 4.
• The Pentium 4 can execute any piece of code that ran on the original
8088, but it does it about 5000 times faster.
 Peripherals:
• The input, output and secondary storage units like printer, scanner,
keyboard, mouse, etc., are called peripherals.
The computer system consists of three units:

• 1. Input device
• 2. Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• 3. Output device
 Block diagram of a Computer :
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT(CPU)
 Functions of these units

Unit Function
• Input device : Reads information from input media and enters to the
computer in a coded form
• CPU
Memory unit :Stores program and data
Arithmetic Logic unit :Performs arithmetic and logical functions
Control Unit :Interprets program instructions and controls the input
and output devices
• Output device : decodes information and presents it to the user
 Input Devices
• Devices used to provide data and instructions to the computer are
called Input devices.
• Some important input devices are:
Key board,
 Mouse,
Scanner,
MICR,
Web camera,
Microphone etc.
 Keyboard:

• The Key board is used for typing text into the computer
• It is also known as standard Input device.
• A computer keyboard is similar to that of a type writer with additional keys. The
most commonly available computer keyboard has 104 keys.
• There are different types of keys on the keyboard.
• The keys are categorized as :
i. Alphanumeric keys , including letters & numbers.
ii. Punctuation keys, such as colon (:), semicolon (;) Question mark (?),
iii. Special keys such as arrow keys, control keys, function keys (F1 to F12), HOME, END etc
 Mouse:
• It is a device that controls the movement of the cursor on a monitor.
A mouse will have 2 buttons on its top, left and right buttons
• There will be a wheel between the left and right buttons.
• The left button is the most frequently used button.
• This wheel enables us to smoothly scroll through screens of
information.
• As we move the mouse, the pointer on the monitor moves in the
same direction.
• Optical mouse is another advanced pointing device that uses a light
emitting component instead of the mouse ball.
• Mouse cannot be used for entering the data.
 Scanner: :
• It is an input device that can read text or illustrations printed on paper
and translate into digital form.
• The main advantage of these scanners is that the data need not be
entered separately resulting in saving lot of time.
• Scanners are of two types:
i) Optical scanners
ii) Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR)
 Optical scanners
Types of Optical scanners:
i. Optical character Recognition(OCR):
In this, characters are read with the help of a light. This is used in office atomization,
documentation in library etc.

Ii Optical mark recognition(OMR):

It is a technology where an OMR device senses the presence or absence of a mark such as a
pencil mark. OMR is used in tests such as aptitude tests.

iii. Optical barcode recognition(OBCR):

Barcode readers are photoelectric scanners that read the bar codes or vertical zebra striped
marks printed on product containers. This is used in super markets, book shops etc.
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition(MICR):
• This is widely used in banks to process the cheques.
• It allows the computer to recognize characters printed
using magnetic ink.
• It is a character recognition technology used primarily
by the banking industry to facilitate the processing of
the cheques.
• MICR characters ( cheque No., Acc.No.etc) are printed
in special ink usually containing iron oxide.
Magnetic Ink Character Recognition(MICR)
(cont…):
• When a document that contains the ink needs to be
read, it passes through a machine which magnetizes
the ink and there will be a reader sorter unit which
translates the magnetic information into characters.
• MICR provides a secure, high speed of scanning and
processing information.
• It scans about 2600 cheques/min.
 Central Processing Unit(CPU)
• It is the part of the computer that carries out the instructions of a
computer program.
• It is the unit that reads and executes program instructions.
• Hence it is known as the brain of the computer.
• The CPU consists of storage or memory unit, Arithmetic Logic Unit
(ALU) and control unit (CU).
 Memory Unit

• Memory or storage is one of the important components of a

computer.
• Any storage unit of a computer system is classified on the basis of
the following criteria:
i. Access time: This is the time required to locate and retrieve
stored data from the storage unit in response to program
instructions.
ii. Storage capacity: It is the amount of data that can be stored in
the storage unit.
iii. Cost per bit of storage.
 Units of memory:
• The computer stores a character in the storage cells with
binary (0,1) mechanism.
• Thus the basic unit of memory is a bit (binary digit – 0,1).
• To store a character, a computer requires 8 bits or 1 byte.
• 1 byte is called the word length of the storage unit.
• Hence the storage capacity of the computer is measured in
the number of words it can store and is expressed in terms of
bytes.
 Units of measurements 

8 Bits = 1 Byte
1024 Bytes = 1 Kilo Byte (KB)
1024 KB = 1 Mega Byte (MB)
1024 MB = 1 Giga Byte (GB)
 ASCII – American Standard Code for Information
Interchange.
 

• This code has given alphabets like some

numbers which can be converted to Binary
form.
• A- 65 …….Z – 90 and a – 97z – 121
• By using these codes the alphabets can be
converted to digital & hence to Binary form.
 Types of Memory :
• A computer memory is of two types
Primary Memory ( Internal storage)
 Secondary Memory ( External storage)
Primary Memory :
• Primary memory is also called internal memory
• It is the main area in a computer where the data is stored.
• The stored data can be recalled instantly and correctly
whenever desired.
• This memory can be quickly accessed by the CPU for reading
or storing information.
• Primary memory is further classified into two types:
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Read- Only Memory (ROM )
 RAM:

• RAM is also known as read/write memory as information can be read

from and written onto it.
• RAM is a place in a computer that holds instructions for the computer,
its programs and the data.
• The storage of data and instructions in RAM is temporary, till the time
the computer is running.
• It disappears from RAM as soon as the power to the computer is
switched off. i.e. it is volatile memory.
 ROM:

• It is called Read-only memory as information can only be

read from and not written or changed onto ROM.
• ROM is the built-in memory of a computer.
• It stores some basic input /output instructions put by the
manufacturer to operate the computer.
• The storage of data and instructions in ROM is permanent.
• It does not depend on the power supply. i.e it is non-volatile
memory.
 Secondary memory:
• The primary memory which is faster (and hence expensive) is generally not
sufficient for large storage of data.
• As a result, additional memory, called the auxiliary or secondary memory is
used.
• It is also referred as ―backup storage as it is used to store large volume of
data on a permanent basis which can be transferred to the primary memory
whenever required for processing.
• Data are stored in secondary storage in the same binary codes as in the main
(primary memory) storage.
• Some of the devices of secondary storages are Hard Disk, CD-ROM, DVD and
Flash drive.
 Hard Disk:
• A hard disk is fixed inside the CPU and its capacity ranges from GB to
TB 16GB onwards 12 TB.
• The hard disk is made up of a collection of discs (one below the other)
known as platters on which the data is recorded.
• These platters are coated with magnetic material.
• It is less sensitive to external environmental disorders and hence the
storage in hard disk is safe.
• Storage Capacity of hard disks varies from GB to TB several Gega
bytes like 80GB, 160GB, 500 GB and more.
CD-ROM:
• CD-ROM stands for Compact Disk–Read Only Memory. It is used to store a
wide variety of information. Its main advantage is that it is portable and can
hold a large amount of data.. The storage capacity of most CD-ROMs is
approximately 650 MB or 700 MB.
• CD-ROMs have the following variations:
• CD-R(Compact disc Recordable): Data can be written onto it just once. The
stored data can be read. Data once written onto it cannot be erased.
• CD-RW(Compact disc Rewritable): It is also called erasable CD. Data once
written onto it can be erased to write or record new information many times.
• To use a CD-ROM, a device called CD drive is needed.
DVD:
• DVD stands for Digital Versatile Disc.
• It is similar to a CD-ROM, except that it can store larger amounts of
data.
• The storage capacity of a DVD is at least 4.7MB.
• DVDs that can store up to 17GBs are also available. Because of their
capacity, DVDs are generally used to store a very large multimedia
presentations and movies that combine high quality sound and
graphics.
 Flash Drive:
• It is a small, portable device that can be used to store, access and transfer data.
• Due to its small size, it is commonly called Pen drive.
• It is also called Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive.
• We can read, write, copy, delete, and move data from computer to pen drive or
pen drive to computer.
• It comes in various storage capacities of 2GB, 4GB, 8GB etc.
• It is popular because it is easy to use and small enough to be carried in a
pocket.
• This device is plugged into the USB port of the computer and the computer
automatically detects this device.
 Arithmetic and Logical Unit(ALU):
• It is the unit where all Arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction etc.)
and logical functions such as true or false, male or female are
performed.
• Once data are fed into the main memory from input devices, they are
held and transferred as needed to ALU where processing takes place.
• No process occurs in primary storage.
• Intermediate generated results in ALU are temporarily placed in
memory until needed at later time.
• Data may move from primary memory to ALU and back again to storage
many times before the process is finalized.
 Control Unit :
• It acts as a central nervous system and ensures that the information is
stored correctly and the program instructions are followed in proper
sequence as well as the data are selected from the memory as
necessary.
• It also coordinates all the input and output devices of a system .
Output devices

• Any device that is capable of representing information

on a computer is called an Output device.
• Output devices receive information from the CPU and
present it to the user in the desired form.
• Some important Output devices are : Monitor, Printer.
 Terminal/Monitor:
• It is similar to TV screen- either a monochrome (black & white) or colour
– and it displays the output.
• It is also referred as Visual Display Unit(VDU).
• Types of monitors are in use.
i. Colour Graphic Adapter(CGA),
ii. Enhanced Graphics Adaptor(EGA) ,
iii. Video Graphics Adapter (VGA)
iv. Super Video Graphics Adapter (SVGA).
• The screen sizes differ from system to system.
• The standard size is 24 lines by 80 characters.
 Printer:
• A printer is used to transfer data from a
computer onto paper.
• The paper copy obtained from a printer is often
referred as ―printout.
Types of printers and their speeds are as follows:

S. No. Type Mode of Printing Speed

1 Prints the character in dotted pattern

Dot – Matrix 200/300 to 700
through printer ribbon using either 24
pin or 9 pin CPS
printer

2 Ink Jet printer Work by spraying ionized ink Slow, 90 CPS

3 Laser printer Also called page printer. Uses laser 6 to 12 PPM
beam to produce an image.

4 Line printer Prints lines at a time instead of single 300 to 600 LPM
characters.

5 Plotter  
Produces drawings or graphs through
pens which are filled with different
colours.
Laser printer
HARDWARE and SOFTWARE

•Hardware: The physical components of the computer are

known as Hardware.
• It refers to the objects that we can actually touch.
•Ex: input and output devices, processors, circuits and the
cables.

•Software: Software is a program or set of instructions that

causes the Hardware to function in a desired way.
Software is classified as follows:
 System software

• System software refers to the operating system and all utility

programs that manage computer resources.
• Operating system controls and manages the computing resources.
Operating System (OS) :
• The software that manages the resources of a computer system and schedules its operation
• The operating system acts as interface between the hardware and the user programs and
facilitates the execution of programs.
• Generally the OS acts as an interface between the user and the Hardware of the computer.
• The operating system loads programs into the computer's memory, runs these programs, and
manages peripherals like disks and printers
• It is a bridge between the user and the Hardware.
• Types of User interface.
CUI -- Character user Interface
GUI -- Graphical user Interface
• CUI : It is operated with keyboard only. Ex: MS-DOS, UNIX
• GUI : The system can be operated with mouse and keyboard. Ex: Windows 95, Windows XP etc
 Functions of Operating System

•  Processor management: It manages the assignment of processor to different tasks being

performed by the computer system.
• Memory management: It manages the allocation of main memory and other storage areas
to the system programmes as well as user programmes and data.
• Input / Output management: It manages the co-ordination and assignment of different
Input and Output devices while one or more programmes are executed.
• File management: It allows all files to be easily changed and modified through the use of
text editors or some other file manipulation routines.
• Establishment and enforcement of a priority system: It determines and maintains the order
in which jobs are to be executed in the computer system.
• Interpretation of commands and instructions.
• Facilitates easy communication between the computer system and the computer operator.
 Examples of operating system

Windows,
MSDOS,
Linux,
Unix,
Mac.
Disk Operating System (DOS)

• In the 1980s or early 1990s, the operating system that shipped with
most PCs was a version of the Disk Operating System (DOS) created by
Microsoft: MS-DOS.
• MS-DOS is a disk-based, single-user, single-task and character based
user interface (CUI) operating system.
WINDOWS

• An operating system with a graphical user interface (GUI).

• Graphical User Interface (GUI) is a user interface based on graphics
(icons and pictures and menus) instead of text; uses a mouse as well
as a keyboard as an input device)
 Applications software
• Applications software comprises programs designed for an end user,
such as word processors, database systems, and spreadsheet programs.
• Application software makes computer popular and easy to use.
• Common application software:
 Microsoft Word, WordPerfect
 PowerPoint
 Netscape, Internet Explorer
 PhotoShop, Photo-Paint
 Quick Time
 Dreamweave
Computer viruses and Vaccines:

• Def: A VIRUS is a set of instructions (or program) or software prepared

to destroy a package and data.
• A virus kills data and program files. Although the purpose for
developing such software is not known, they appear to be basically
developed for a check against the ―piracy of program packages.
 Symptoms of Virus Attack

• Computer runs slower than usual

• Computer no longer boots up
• Screen sometimes flicker
• Speaker beeps periodically
• System crashes for no reason
• Files/directories sometimes disappear
• Denial of Service (DoS)
 Types Computer Viruses

• Trojan Horse

• Requires Windows to work

• Once infected, runs in the background
• Worm
• Spread over network connection
• Worms replicate
• Macro
• Specific to certain applications
• Comprise a high percentage of the viruses
• E-mail viruses
• An e-mail virus travels as an attachment to e-mail messages, and usually replicates itself by automatically mailing
itself to dozens of people in the victim's e-mail address book.
• Some e-mail viruses don't even require a double-click -- they launch when you view the infected message in the
preview pane of your e-mail software.
   Worms

• A worm is a small piece of software that uses computer networks and security holes to
replicate itself. A copy of the worm scans the network for another machine that has a
specific security hole. It copies itself to the new machine using the security hole, and then
starts replicating from there, as well.
• Worms use computer time and network bandwidth when they replicate. A worm called Code
Red made huge headlines in 2001. Experts predicted that this worm could clog the Internet
so effectively that things would completely grind to a halt.
• A worm usually exploits some sort of security hole in a piece of software or the operating
system. For example, the Slammer worm (which caused mayhem in January 2003) exploited
a hole in Microsoft's SQL server.
• Worms normally move around and infect other machines through computer networks. Using
a network, a worm can expand from a single copy incredibly quickly. The Code Red worm
replicated itself more than 250,000 times in approximately nine hours on July 19, 2001.
 Vaccines

• Vaccines or Antivirus software is a computer program that detects,

prevents, and takes action to disarm or remove malicious software
programs, such as viruses and worms.
• New viruses, worms, and other threats are created by cyber terrorists
and discovered every day.
• So updating antivirus software is periodically mandatory.
List of some top Anti Virus Programs which are very useful to users:

• Norton AntiVirus – Norton AntiVirus is the most popular and secure

virus scanner for checking boot sector records at startup.
• The live update feature automatically installs new updates for
regular protection against viruses.
• AVG Free Edition – AVG Resident Shield provides real-time protection
executions of files and programs. It features a smart e-mail scanner,
virus updates and virus vault for secure handling of the files which are
infected by viruses. The base version for windows is Free for private
and non-commercial use.
• McAfee VirusScan for Windows: This antivirus package detects all virus
types, including Word and Excel macros; boot-sector infections; and file,
multipartite, stealth, polymorphic, and encrypted viruses.
• Kaspersky Anti-Virus Personal Pro – It is a commonly used virus protection
solution offering full protection against macro- viruses and unknown viruses.
• ESET NOD32 Antivirus – ESET NOD32 Anti-virus is available as an anti-
virus for small businesses, individuals and for large
• networks.
• avast! Home Edition – A free antivirus solution for scanning disk, CDs, and E-
mail.
• Panda Antivirus Platinum – It is a complete virus protection package
for home and business users. It comes with an easy installation and
automatic protection from latest viruses.
• Avira - Windows and Linux anti virus, firewall, anti spam, recovery
solutions against malware infection