Lesson 1 A Introduction to Computers Definition

Lesson 1 A Introduction to Computers

Definition of a Computer A computer is an electronic device used to process data, converting the data into information that is useful to people home

Computers Consist of Four Parts Hardware Software Users Data Click to Enlarge home

Hardware Mechanical devices that make up the computer home

Hardware

Processing The procedure that transforms raw data into useful information is called processing The processor and memory perform this transformation home

Processor The computer’s brain, which organizes and carries out instructions from either the user or the software home

Motherboard Rigid rectangular card containing the circuitry that connects the processor to the other hardware home

Circuit board Motherboard is an example of a circuit board Attached to the motherboard are many smaller circuit boards that house many internal devices home

Central Processing Unit (CPU) Refers to a computer’s processor home

Memory When you launch a program, it is loaded into and run from memory home

Random Access Memory (RAM) Determines a computer’s speed and power home

Memory Measurements Kilobyte (KB) Megabyte (MB) Gigabyte (GB) Terabyte (TB) home

Input Devices Accept data and instructions from the user or from another computer system home

Most Common Input Devices Keyboard Mouse home

Output Devices Return processed data to the user or to another computer system home

Most Common Output Devices Monitor Printer home

Storage Holds data permanently home

Storage Terms Magnetic disk Read/write heads Disk drive Hard disk or hard drive Diskettes or floppy disks home

Storage Terms Continued CD-ROM drive Compact disks (CDs) Compact Disk-Read-Only Memory (CDROM) CD-Recordable (CD-R) CD-Re. Writable (CD-RW) Digital Video Disk (DVD) home

Software A set of electronic instructions consisting of complex codes, or programs, that make the computer perform tasks home

Examples of Software System software Application software home

Five Computer Categories Supercomputers Mainframe computers Minicomputers Workstations Microcomputers, or personal computers home

The Internet Started Out As ARPANET In 1969, the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the U. S. Department of Defense created the Internet when it connected the computers at universities and defense contractors. This system was called ARPANET. home

The Internet Today The Internet today is a cooperative community of over 100 million computer users connected worldwide. home

World Wide Web Accessed through the Internet, the World Wide Web lets users view specially formatted documents home

Web Browsers A Web browser is computer software that lets you navigate the Web First you connect to the Internet, then you launch the browser, then you view Web pages home

URL’s Every Web page has a unique address, called a uniform resource locator, or URL (pronounced as spelled: U-R-L) home

Hyperlinks A hyperlink is a part of the Web page that is linked to a URL home

Web Search Tools Directories Search Engines Metasearch engines Site-specific search tools home

Lesson 1 A Introduction to Computers and the Internet