Computer Basics

Definition of Computer

A device that computes,

especially a
programmable electronic
machine that performs
high-speed mathematical
or logical operations or
that assembles, stores,
correlates, or otherwise
processes information.
Look at this picture of a
computer from our
Computer Lab. A
computer is made up of
many parts.
Types of Computers

 Supercomputers...are used to process very

large amounts of information including
processing information to predict hurricanes,
satellite images and navigation, and process
military war scenarios.
 Mainframes...are used by government and
businesses to process very large amounts of
information.
 Mini-Computers...are similar to
mainframes...they are used by business and
government to process large amounts of
information.
 Personal Computers (PC)…
Types of Computers

Personal Computers (Continued)

Personal Computers...also known

as PC’s...are smaller and less
powerful than the others. They
are used in homes, schools, and
small businesses.
Types of Computers

There are 3 main types of PCs

 Desktop
 Portable (Notebook/Laptop)
When portable (notebook/laptop) computers
were first created they were HUGE. They
weighed around 100 lbs., and were carried
in a large luggage suitcase. The creators
of the portable (notebook/laptop) computer
dreamed that one day it would be the size a
notebook or pocket dictionary. With
today’s technology, we have been able to
accomplish this goal and more..
 Hand-Held
Networks

 A network is a group of computers that share

information and hardware.
 The computers are connected together using
copper phone wires, fiber optic cables, or
radio waves.
 Our computers are on a network here at
school...Look under the table and see the
blue wires that connect your computer to the
network.
 The internet is many networks around the
world that are all connected together to
make 1 huge network.
Computers Have Two Main Parts

 There are two basic parts that make

up a computer...

1-Hardware 2-Software
 What is Computer Hardware?

Computer Hardware is
the physical part of
the computer system,
the machinery and
equipment.
Parts of the computer
“you can see”
Hardware
Hardware is basically anything that
you can touch with your fingers.
Computer Case
CPU (central processing unit...Pentium
chip)
Monitor
Keyboard & Mouse
Disk Drive, Zip Drive, CD-ROM, DVD,
Hard Drive
Memory (RAM)
Speakers
Printer
Hardware (Continued)

 There are three

types/categories
of hardware
1. Input Devices
2. Output Devices
3. Storage Devices
Input Devices

 Input basically means getting data

into the computer to be processed.

Keyboard, Mouse,
Trackball, Touch Pad
Light Pen, Laser
Scanner,
Pointing Stick
Touch Screen,
Bar Code Reader,
Scanner
Microphone, Joystick
Output Devices

 Output basically means getting data

out of the computer.

Monitor
Printer
Speakers
Headphones
Modem
Fax
Storage Devices
Storage devices are both input
and output devices in one. A
storage device is a place to keep
data that has been processed so
that it can be retrieved at a
later time to be used again.
Hard Disk
Floppy Disk
CD’s, DVD’s
Magnetic Tape
Flash Memory, Jump Drive
Computer Input Devices
 Computer Devices that input
information in the computer

Examples
 Key Board
 Mouse
 Scanner
 Digital Camera
Computer Output Devices

Computer Devices that output

information from the computer.

Examples
Monitor
Printer
The Monitor

The monitor
looks like a
TV and lets
lets you see
your work and
your files.
 The CPU
CPU stands for
“Central
Processing Unit”.
They contain the
brains of the
computer. They
can be desktop
models that the
monitor sits on
top of, or tower
 Examples of Computer Hardware

Keyboard:
This device is used to type
information into the computer
and contains the numbers 0-9.
 Examples of Computer Hardware

Mouse:

a small device, which you

move across the top of the
desk to move the pointer or
cursor on the screen.
 Floppy Disk Drive
The CPU has places to insert
disks. One kind of disk drive
is a floppy disk drive. A
floppy disk drive reads
information from a very thin,
floppy disk inside a hard
plastic case. Floppy disks can
hold up to 1.44 megabytes of
information.
CD-ROM Disk Drive
CD-ROM stands for
Compact Disk-Read Only
Memory. They are flat,
shiny disks that store
information. Most new
computers have CD-RW
drives. CD-RW stands
for Compact Disk-
ReWrite. This type of
disk allows you to write
information to it, as
well as read from it.
 DVD Drive/Burner

The newest computers come with the

option of a DVD drive. A DVD
(Digital Video Disc) looks just
like a CD, but holds much more
information! They can store 4.7
gigabytes of data!
Flash Drive
A Flash Drive is a
relatively new
storage device.
It’s like a mini,
portable hard
drive! You plug
it into the USB
(Universal Serial
Bus) port on the
front of newer
What is Computer Software?

 Computer Software are programs that

tell the computer what to do.
Examples
 Microsoft Word-word processing
program
 Microsoft PowerPoint-presentation
program
 Microsoft Excel-work book program
used to track, calculate, and
analyze numeric data
How Do Computers Work?
 Input--This is when information is entered
into a computer. Some common input devices
include the keyboard, mouse and scanner.
 Output--This is the information that comes
out of a computer after it has been
processed. The information comes out on
output devices such as a printer or
computer monitor.
 Processing--This is when the information is
handled by the computer’s brain, known as
the CPU (Central Processing Unit).
Input Devices
The Keyboard

The keyboard is
probably the most
used input device.
It operates a lot
like a typewriter,
but has many
additional keys that
let it do special
things a typewriter
Special Keyboard
Keys

The flashing light on the

computer screen is called
the cursor. This cursor
can be moved up and down
or left and right by
pressing the 4 keys that
have arrows on them.
These arrow keys are
called cursor keys.
 Shift Key

When this key is pressed at

the same time you press a
letter key, a capital letter
appears on your screen. When
it is held down when you
press a key with a symbol and
number, the top symbol
appears on the computer
screen. There are two shift
The Backspace Key
When this key is pressed,
the cursor moves back one
space to the left on your
computer screen. This key
is very helpful when you
press the wrong letter or
number. You can erase your
mistakes!
 The Caps Lock Key

When you press this key, a small

light on the keyboard comes on.
Whenever this light is on, any
letter key you press will result in
a capital of that letter appearing
on the screen. Pressing the CAPS
LOCK key a second time turns it
off.
 The Space Bar

This is the long bar located

at the bottom of the
keyboard. Every time you
press this bar, the cursor
moves one space to the right
on the computer screen.
 The Enter Key

When you write a letter or a

story pressing the Enter Key
makes the cursor jump down to
the next line. This is a very
helpful key to use when you
want to start a new paragraph
 The Function Keys

Most computer keyboards have

between 10 and 12 function keys.
These keys are usually located at
the top of the keyboard and give
the computer user fast ways to
give the computer special
instructions. For example,
pressing F1 when using a Windows
program will allow the user
 The Numeric Keypad
Keys
On the right side of the keyboard
there is a set of keys grouped
together in a square. These keys
have two functions. When the
number lock key is pressed, these
keys offer a quick and easy way
of entering numbers into the
computer. When the number lock
key isn’t pressed, these keys
control the movement of the
 Text Editing Keys

Located next to the numeric

keypad, there are six text
editing keys. These keys are
designed to be used in Word
Processing programs. They allow
you to move quickly around a
screen when you are writing a
letter or story. They are very
useful when you want to fix a
spelling mistake, add a sentence
 The Mouse

Nope, it’s not a rodent! It’s

another input device. It’s called
a mouse because of it’s shape and
the way the cable attaching it to
the computer looks a bit like a
tail. There are two kinds of mice.
Some use a roller ball that
allows the mouse to roll around a
flat surface. When you do that
and look up at the screen, you’ll
A laser mouse doesn’t have a
roller ball. It uses a laser
light that makes the pointer move.
Laser mice don’t have to have
their insides cleaned!
Scanner
A scanner is a very
useful input device.
You can place a
page of writing or
pictures in the
scanner and it will
send the information
to your computer.
There they can be
changed, saved into
 Output Devices
Printers
Soundboard
Audio Speakers
 Printers

One output device is a printer.

Once a computer user has
created something on the
computer, such as a story, he
can send it to the printer.
The printer prints exactly
what’s on the screen.
Two Common Types of
Printers

An inkjet printer usually

prints in color. It
prints by squirting out
small dots of ink onto the
paper.
A laser printer uses a laser
beam to create an image that
is transferred to paper. It
uses toner and a drum. The
ink is powder.
 Soundboards
A soundboard is an
electronic circuit
board, located
inside the
computer, that can
produce music and
high quality
sounds. If you
play video games
and multimedia
 Speakers

Speakers can be connected to your

computer so you can hear very
realistic sound effects and
wonderful music. Some computer
monitors come with built in
speakers.
Computer Processing
Once information has been
sent to a computer by one of
the input devices it’s
processed. The computer uses
it’s brain to process the
information. The computer’s
brain is called the CPU, or
Central Processing Unit.
The CPU is also
called the
microprocessor.
The word “micro”
means small.
Since the CPU is
located on a
small computer
chip about 1
inch square,
Random Access Memory

When a computer
processes
information, it uses
software programs.
Each program
requires a certain
amount of electronic
memory, or RAM
(Random Access
RAM is temporary memory. The
computer holds information in
this memory and gets it when it
needs it.
If a computer has more RAM, it
can solve problems and process
information faster! If you’re
updating your computer, more RAM
is a great thing to add!
 Read-Only Memory

A second kind of computer

memory is ROM, which stands
for Read-Only Memory. This
memory is permanent. The
information there was put
there when the computer was
made. The computer needs the
information in it’s ROM memory
in order to function.
What are all those parts
inside my computer and what
do they do???
 Computer Hardware
Hard Drive
Motherboard
Sound Card and Video Card
Memory Card
Power Supply
NIC Card
BIOS
 Hard Disk Drive
The Hard Disk Drive is a magnetic
storage device. All the computer
programs and files you create and
save are located there. This is
permanent storage (at least until you
uninstall software or delete a file).
The hard drive is normally signified
by the drive letter “C”. Today’s
hard drives can store a HUGE amount
of information. A new computer might
have a hard drive that will hold 250
Inside the Hard Disk
Drive case you’ll find
circular disks that
are made of steel. On
the disks, there are
many tracks, or
cylinders. An
electronic reading
device called the head
passes back and forth
over the cylinders,
reading information
Hard Disk Drives use
Magnetic Recording
Techniques. The
magnetic medium can
be easily erased and
rewritten and will
“remember” the
magnetic flux
patterns stored on it
for many years!
Hard Disk Drives can spin at 7200
or more rpm’s (Revolutions Per
Minute). That means in one minute,
the hard drive spins around more
than 7200 times!
The Motherboard
Your computer couldn’t work without the
motherboard. It ties everything
together! It allows every part of your
computer to receive power and
communicate with each other. Everything
that runs the computer or enhances it’s
performance is either part of the
motherboard or plugs into one of it’s
expansion slots or ports.
 Sound and Video
Cards

Sound and Video Cards are

Output Devices. They
contain special circuits
that allow your computer to
play sounds and display
graphics on your monitor.
 Memory Card
Remember RAM (Random Access Memory)

and ROM (Read-Only Memory)?

RAM cards will remember what you tell
them and can even change to remember
new information. But, when the
computer is turned off, it forgets
everything you did! That’s why you
always save your work!
ROM is good at remembering, but cannot
change it’s mind. It holds the
information that was built into it!
 Power Supply
If there is any one component that is
absolutely vital to the operation of
a computer, it is the power supply!
Without it, a computer is just a box
full of plastic and metal. The power
supply converts the alternating
current (AC) line from your home or
school to the direct current (DC)
needed by the computer.
You can see the
power supply from
the back of your
computer because
of the power cord
and the cooling
fan.
Computers put out
a LOT of heat and
need the fan to
keep them from
 Network Interface
Card

A NIC card (Network

Interface Card)
allows your
computer to talk to
other computers! A
cable called Cat5
is plugged into the
NIC card and your
computer can then
be attached to a
 BIOS CHIP
A BIOS chip (Basic
Input Output System)
is a very important
computer component.
In simple terms, the
BIOS chip wakes up
the computer when
you turn it on and
reminds it what
parts it has and
what they do!
 Bytes, Kilobytes,
Megabytes and Gigabytes

Byte 8 Bits=1 byte

KB Kilobyte=1,000 bytes
MB Megabyte=1,000,000
(1 million) bytes
GB Gigabyte=1,000,000,000
(1 billion) bytes
 words,
but what’s a Byte??

All the information

that moves through
your computer is based
on 2 commands.
That’s all, just two.
The two commands are
ON and OFF. They are
symbolized by 1’s and
0’s.
That’s right! The only
information your computer can
understand is ON (1) and OFF
(0)!
The millions of combinations of
those two commands given in
series are what makes your
The memory chips
in your computer
are divided into
thousands of tiny
compartments
called bits.
Each and every bit
has an electronic
switch, or gate.
ON means the gate
Remember, the computer reads
ON or open bits or switches
as the number 1. Closed
switches are OFF because
electricity can’t get
through.
The computer reads OFF bits
or switches as 0.
It is by grouping these bits
together to form 1/0 commands
that data is formed. Remember
bytes? Eight bits are grouped
together to form one byte.
In that group of 8, there are 256
possible combinations of 1/0.
Wow!!
The grouping of 1/0 within a byte
is called Binary Code.
Here is an example of Binary
Code: when you type in the
letter A on your keyboard,
electrical signals are sent from
the keyboard to the CPU. The CPU
turns the signals into Binary
Code. Then the computer reads
the code and sends it on to the
monitor to display the letter A.
All of that happens in an
So what about Megabytes
and Gigabytes????
 Megabytes and
Gigabytes

One megabyte equals one million

bytes. So, a computer with 512
megabytes of RAM (Random Access
Memory) means the computer can
handle 512,000,000
(512 million) bytes of RAM.
Hard disk space is also measured
in bytes. So, a 200 GB Hard
Disk Drive has 200,000,000,000
(200 billion) bytes for storing
To get an idea of
how much on/off
(1/0) data a
computer can
store, imagine
pressing any key 1
billion times.
How long would it
take?
You would have to press a key
5 times a second non-stop for
over 6 YEARS to reach 1
billion keystrokes.
One billion keystrokes equals
just
1 GB of memory!
Think about that the next
time you think a webpage is
Just the beginning…..
We just touched on the very
basics with this presentation!
There is so much more to
understanding computers. There
are books that are thousands of
pages long that explain how they
work in great detail. But now
maybe you understand them more
than you did before and you’ll
want to keep learning.
Keep
 General Understanding of how
your computer works!
 Overview
To understand anything it helps to break it
down into it's basic components. Then you
need to know how each component works.
Finally you look at how all the components
work together to achieve the desired end
product or result.
Motherboard
It is the main circuit board inside the CPU
case. It holds the microprocessor, memory and
other crucial circuits and components that
control the operation of the Personal
Computer. Every device inside or connected to
a Personal Computer finds it's way to this
board.
 General Understanding of how
your computer works!
 Memory
The mother board takes the input you give it like
mouse clicks, and produces output for you like
displaying or printing a file. It can't do this
without memory. The PC operating system used by
the PC is copied from storage to memory at power
up. The OS copy in memory then runs the PC. Memory
is volatile which means that when your PC is
turned off the contents of memory are lost. It is
completely blank and must reloaded each time the
PC is powered up.

Storage
Storage is non-volatile which means it retains
information even when it is powered off. It stores
programs which run the PC as well as data, which
is a digital form of everything you use like
documents, music, pictures, etc

 Input Devices
 General Understanding of how
your computer works!
 Output Devices
When you send inputs into the PC, it
processes them and produces useful output for
you. The primary output devices are the video
display, printer and speakers.
Software
Some people want to use the power of their
computer to create works of art, others want
to create music, or play games, surf the web,
or play the stock market. Whatever you want
to do with your computer, software is the key
to doing it.
What happens when your PC is powered on?
With a simple push of a button, your computer
comes to life.
Basic Computer Quiz
1. What is Computer Hardware?
2. What is Computer Software?
3. Can you operate a Computer with out the
Computer Software?
4. How can Computer Software help your
business?
5. What are Computer Input devices?
6. What are Computer Output devices?
7. Where is the Mother Board located?
8. Name a couple of Computer Software.
9. Define Internet
10. How would the Internet help your
 Answers to Basic Computer Quiz

1. Computer Hardware is the physical part

of the computer system, the machinery
and equipment. For example: Monitor,
Key Board, Printer and more.
2. Computer Software are programs that
tell the computer what to do. For
Example: Microsoft Word, Microsoft
PowerPoint and more.
3. No. You need Computer Software to
operate a computer, with out the
computer software the computer will be
 Answers to Basic Computer Quiz

4. There are computer software that can help

your business, for example, Accounting software
can help you do taxes and pay roll faster than by
hand. The computer soft ware will calculate
numbers for you.
5. Input Computer Devices are computer devices
that input information into the computer for
example, the mouse, keyboard and scanner.
6. Output Computer Devices are computer devices
that output information from the computer like
the printer and the monitor.
7. Mother Board is the main circuit board
inside the CPU case. It holds the microprocessor,
8. Computer Software comes in many programs. Here are a
few that you might be familiar with, Microsoft Word,
for word processing documents, Microsoft PowerPoint
for creating professional graphic slide presentations
and Microsoft Access for creating database.
9. Internet: A world wide network that connects
millions of computers to share and exchange data,
business, news, opinions, and research results. The
Internet is not the same as the World Wide Web (WWW).
The World Wide Web is a service that is provided on
the Internet.
10. The internet can advertise your business and network
all over the world. This will help your marketing and
boost sales and networking for your business.
Basic Computer Terms and Definitions

CPU: This computer component has several

names: Central Processing Unit,
microprocessor or processor. This unit is
the brain of the computer processes and
executes instructions in a software program.
The CPU’s primary functions include
retrieving instructions from the computer’s
memory, including random access memory,
comprehending and executing instructions,
and directing the input and output activity
of the computer.
Desktop: The first screen that you see when
any Windows operating system screen is up
and running. One of the main purposes of
the Desktop is to make it easier to access
different application programs, files and
Basic Computer Terms and Definitions

File: Unit for storing information that may

include a word-processing document, a
spreadsheet, a picture, a graphic, musical
piece, or even part of an application
program. Examples of "files" include text
files which could be a letter or report and
graphic files which could be a picture. Each
file has a name because the data or
information created in a software program is
saved with a file name.
Folder: Method for organizing files that is
related by topic, by purpose, by type, by
program, or even by a project that you are
working on. NOTE: When an application
program is loaded onto your computer, it
will group similar applications in a folder.
Hyperlink: Allows you to move from one web page document to another.
It can be text which is usually underlined or a graphic. When you
move your mouse over a hyperlink, the mouse cursor usually becomes
a hand which indicates a hyperlink is present. Once you click on
the link, you move to another web page document or to another place
on the same web page.

Icon: A small picture that represents processing options such as

programs, documents, and shortcuts. When you click on the icon,
the file or program will open. The most easily recognized icon is
the Recycle Bin which is the graphic below.

Input: Commonly known as data and refers to numbers, letters, words,

images, video, music and even sounds. Other computer input
includes commands and user response. A command directs the
computer to execute tasks or perform certain activities. One
example of a command is a command buttons OK, Cancel and Help seen
on the Shut Down Windows dialog box.

Internet: A world wide network that connects millions of computers

to share and exchange data, news, opinions, and research results.
The Internet is not the same as the World Wide Web (WWW). The
World Wide Web is a service that is provided on the Internet.

Keyboard: The keyboard is an input device that allows you to enter

letters, numbers and symbols into your computer. The keyboard keys
include the alphanumeric keys (letters and numbers), numeric
keypad, special function keys, mouse cursor moving keys, and status
lights.
Files and Folders: Think of a computer folder as being
similar to a filing cabinet folder, whereas a
computer file is similar to the pieces of paper that
are placed in the folders.

Graphic User Interface (GUI): Combines text and

graphics to make software easier to use. Graphical
User Interface features include icons, windows,
menus, and buttons.
Hard Copy: Usually refers to a printout on paper.
Hard Drive: The purpose of the hard drive is to
store information. This device that allows the
computer to permanently retain and store data like
the operating system, programs and information
data. The hard drive holds more data than
a diskette and accesses information faster than on
diskettes. Storage refers to the capability of
storing things, and as for the computer, it is
information.
Hardware: Refers to any component of the computer
system that you can like the monitor, keyboard,
mouse, printer, computer unit, scanner, speakers and
even the components inside of the computer unit if
Menu: List of options that may be commands or other options from which
you can choose from. The following illustration is the File Menu Bar
command menu list.

Mouse: Besides a keyboard, a mouse is the most common input device for
a computer. The mouse is a small, palm-sized input device that you
move across a flat surface, such as a desktop, to control the
movement of the pointer on the screen. Technically, there are many
operations that are much easier to perform with a mouse than a
keyboard because you can just point and click to select an item on a
screen or choose an item from a list of options.

Mouse Commands: Before examining the various commands, you must

understand how to execute each mouse command. The mouse commands
include move, point, click, deselect, double-click, drag, and right-
click.

My Computer: An icon that opens into a folder of icons for all of the
resources on the computer like the hard drive and printer.

Operating System: Software that acts as an interface between you, the

application software (like word processing or accessing the
Internet), and the computer components. This includes interpreting
and carrying out basic instructions that operate a computer like
recognizing information from the keyboard and mouse, sending
information to the monitor, printer, or speakers and scanners,
storing information to the hard drive and removable drives. Common
operating systems include Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME, and
RAM: This is an acronym for Random Access
Memory. This memory is a work area or a
temporary storage space where the computer
places program information so that it can
execute the program instructions and
information. When the program or file is
closed, the data or programs are removed
from RAM. The amount of RAM you have on your
computer is crucial in determining how many
programs can be opened (running) and how much
data is available for each program. RAM is
available in MB or megabytes. An example is
256MB of RAM.

Select: A single left mouse click to select a

file or folder icon.

Software: Instructions that provide the computer

with step-by-step actions that need to be
executed to complete a specific task. A