Introduction to Computer
A brief introduction of the computer, its components, different types of software used in the computer, and much more.
What Will You Learn?
In this lecture, you will learn
- Definition of computer
- Components of Computer
- Computer Softwares
What is a Computer?
A computer is an electronic device that processes data and converts it into valuable information.
Now the question is, from where data is coming? who processes that data and convert it into information? I will give you each and every answer in this article.
Data
Data is facts and figures, for example, a list of students in a class is a type of data which contains names of student. Data can be of different types(Numbers, words, phrases, etc.)
Information
The processed form of information is called information. We discussed above that list of students is data. If some person requires only one specific name from the list, the Computer search from the list and show the required name to that person, shown data is called information.
Processing
The process is an instance of a computer program running on the computer. In the above example searching from a list is processing.
There may be multiple types of Processing like add a new student, delete an existing student, update, Arithmetic Operations (+,*,/,-), and much more.
Components of Computer
following are the main components of a Computer.
- Hardware
- Software
Hardware
Physical parts of a computer are called computer hardware e.g Mouse, keyboard, motherboard, LCD(Liquid Crystal Display), etc.
We can subdivide Hardware Devices
- Input Devices
2. Output Devices
3. System Unit
1. Input Devices
A type of device used to Provide data to computers is called input devices. For example, Keyboard, Mouse, Microphone, etc. are input devices. Usually, to start any task first step is the use of the input device.
2. Output Devices
The device which shows information to the user is called Output Device, for example, monitor, LCD, Speaker, Printer, etc.
3. System Unit
System Unit is the main part of Desktop Computer, it consists of different parts. Some are listed below,
- Motherboard: It is the main part of the system unit where every other component is connected through ports.
- CPU: CPU Stands for Central Processing Unit and it processes all the instructions and it runs Operating System and other applications.
- RAM: RAM stands for Random Access Memory. Any program or application first loads in RAM then execute. It stores data for a short time duration also called primary storage.
- ROM: ROM stands for Read-only Memory, it stores data permanently and data cannot change once written on ROM.
- HardDisk: It is a type of secondary storage device and it stores data permanently.
- CD ROM: It stands for Compact Disk Read-only Memory. It is used to read data from Disk (CD or DVD)
Software
Software is a set of instructions or program which tells the computer how to work. There are two major types of software
- System Software
- Application Software
1.System Software
The system software is a set of computer programs that control and manage the operation of computer hardware. In simple, System Software is used to operate/execute computer hardware. MAC OS, LINUX, Ubunto, Windows are some examples of System Software.
2. Application Software
Application Software is a set of a computer program which perform a specific task and usually designed for End-Users. MS Office, Google Chome, Photo Editor, etc. are some examples of application software.
Conclusion
In this article, we have discussed the computer’s definition, input/output, and processing. we also discussed components of Computer and types of Softwares.
Your Questions and Suggestions are more than welcome!
