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ECDL/ICDL - Module 1
Basic Concepts of Information
Technology
Benefits of becoming computer fluent
– Attractive to potential employers
– Makes you a knowledgeable consumer
• Easier to select the right computer for your needs
– Puts you in a better position to understand and use the
Computers and information
•
Computer
– is a programmable electronic device that can input, process, retrieve, and store data
– A computer takes data and converts it into information
•
Data
– Represents a single fact or idea; can be word, number, sound, picture
•
Information
Information processing cycle of a computer
•
Input
–
Computer gathers data or allows a user to
add data
•
Processing
–
Data is converted into information
•
Output
– Data or information is retrieved from the
computer
Understand the Basic Concepts of Hardware,
Software and Information Technology (IT).
•
Hardware
– The term hardware refers to the physical components of your computer such as the system unit, mouse, keyboard, monitor etc.
•
Software
– The software is the instructions that make the computer work.
Types of Computer
•
Make sure you understand the following terms:
– Super computer
– Mainframe computer
– Mini computer
Types of Computer
•
Mainframe Computers
– Very powerful, and very large computers. Used by large organizations such as banks, to control the entire business operation.
– Very expensive!
– They Multitask, as they can perform more than one task at the same time
• This capability is one of the primary ways mainframes differ from supercomputers
– Early mainframe computers were very large and required separate rooms to house them
•
Minicomputers –
– Used in medium-sized businesses that have smaller data storage requirements than businesses using mainframe computers
Types of Computer
•
Super computers:
–
Large, powerful computers devoted(
سﺮﻜﻣ
) to specialized
tasks
–
Fastest and most expensive of all computers
Types of Computer
•
Microcomputers – smallest type of computers
– Desktop computers(Personal Computers)
• Cheap and easy to use. Often used as stand-alone computers or in a network. May be connected to large mainframe computers within big companies.
• sit on your desktop, floor, table, or other flat surface and have a detachable keyboard, mouse, monitor and other pieces of equipment.
– Laptop computer:
• Small, portable ﺔﻟﻮﻤﺤﻣ , can run on batteries and power.
– Notebook computers • very small laptop.
– Tablet computers
• similar to notebooks but screen can be written on with a special pen called a stylus
– Personal digital assistants (PDAs) or handheld computers
• contain calendars, contact information, and many can also play music, take photos, access the Internet, and make phone calls
Understand the Terms Intelligent
and Dumb Terminal.
•
An intelligent terminal, for example a PC:
-– Performs a lot of the processing locally
– You could use a PC, linked to a mainframe
•
A dumb terminal:
-– Has very limited processing capabilities itself, but allows you to connect to a large powerful computer such as a mainframe.
Main Parts of a Personal Computer
•
System unit and motherboard
•
CPU
•
Main memory
•
Secondary memory
•
Input devices
Main Parts of a Personal Computer
•
System Unit
– The computer itself is known as the system unit, and contains many of the critical hardware and electrical components
– The system unit is sometimes referred to as the tower, box, or console
– If you remove the cover from the system unit, you find several key components inside
•
Motherboard
• a large printed circuit board ( ﺔﻋﻮﺒﻄﻤﻟا ﺮﺋاوﺪﻟا تﺎﺣﻮﻟ )to which all the other circuit boards in the computer are connected
Know the Main Parts of a Personal Computer:
The Central Processing Unit (CPU)
•
The CPU (Central Processing Unit)
– is the brain of the computer and is responsible for controlling all the commands and tasks the computer performs
– is normally an Intel Pentium (or equivalent) and it is one of the most important components within your computer.
– It determines how fast your computer will run and is measured by its MHz speed.
– Thus a 600 MHz Pentium is much faster than say a 400 MHz Pentium CPU.
– Has Two main parts- the control unit( ﻢﻜﺤﺘﻟا ةﺪﺣو) and the arithmetic logic unit (ALU)( ﻖﻄﻨﻤﻟا و بﺎﺴﺤﻟا ةﺪﺣو)
– The control unit is responsible for obtaining( ﻰﻠﻋ لﻮﺼﺤﻟا ) instructions from the computer’s memory, and then interprets(ﺮﺴﻔﻳ ) and executes them
– Arithmetic logic unit, or ALU, performs all the
Know the Main Parts of a Personal Computer:
Types of Memory
•
Memory is another critical computer
component found within the system unit
– Two types of memory: ROM and RAM
•
RAM
– Random Access Memory ( ﻲﺋاﻮﺸﻌﻟا لﻮﺻﻮﻟا ةﺮآاذ )
•
ROM
Understand RAM & ROM.
•
RAM - Random Access Memory
– The main 'working' memory used by the computer.
– When the operating system loads from disk when you first switch on the computer, it is copied into RAM.
– As a rough rule, a Microsoft Windows based computer will operate faster if you install more RAM.
– Data and programs stored in RAM are volatile (ﻩﺮﻳﺎﻄﺘﻣ )(i.e. the information is lost when you switch off the computer).
– Installing new memory is one of the cheapest and easiest upgrades
– RAM is usually measured in megabytes (MB)
Understand RAM & ROM.
•
ROM – Read Only Memory
– Read Only Memory (ROM) as the name suggests is a special type of memory chip that holds software that can be read but not written to.
– Nonvolatile memory -- it retains its contents even if the computer is turned off
– ROM is used to store critical information such as the program used to start up, or boot the computer (Like ROM- BIOS)
– The ROM-BIOS (Read Only Memory - Basic Input Output
System) chip is a special chip held on your computer's system (mother board).
– It contains software that is required to make your computer work with your operating system
Auxiliary Storage
•
Floppy Disk
– No longer standard
•
Hard (fixed) disk
– 30 GB and higher
•
Removable storage
– CD-ROM
– CD-R/CD-RW
– DVD/DVD-R/DVD-RW
– Zip disks
Know the Main Parts of a Personal Computer:
The Hard Disk
•
Hard disks
– are the main, large data storage area within your computer.
– are used to store your operating system, your application programs (i.e. your word processor, games etc) and your data.
Know the Main Parts of a Personal Computer:
Diskettes, Zip Disk & CD-ROM
•
Diskettes
– They are very slow compared to hard disks or CD-ROMs, and hold relatively small amounts of data (1.44 Mbytes). Unreliable
•
Zip and Jaz Drives
– Similar concept to diskettes, but hold a lot more data!
•
CD-ROM & DVDs
– Similar to the audio devices familiar in home use but hold computer data rather than music
– A record-only disk, or CD-R, allows you to record, or burn, information to the disc one time only
Know the Main Parts of a Personal Computer:
Flash memory
•
Flash memory
– is another popular form of storage
– Uses solid-state technology – it is completely electronic and has no moving mechanical parts
– Quick and easy form of rewritable storage,
Compare Memory Storage Devices
• Internal Hard Disks
•
Speed:
– Very fast!
– The speed of a hard disk is often quoted as "average access time" speed, measured in milliseconds. The smaller this number the faster the disk.
•
Capacity:
– Enormous(ﻢﺨﺿ )! Often in excess of 250 Gigabytes. A Gigabyte is equivalent to 1024 Megabytes.
•
Cost:
Compare Memory Storage Devices
• External Hard Disks
•
Speed:
– Normally slower than internal disks, but more expensive versions offer the same performance as internal hard disks.
•
Capacity:
– Same as internal disks.
•
Cost:
Compare Memory Storage Devices
• Diskettes (Floppy Disks)
•
Speed:
– Very slow!
•
Capacity:
– Normally 1.44 Mbytes.
•
Cost:
Compare Memory Storage Devices
• CD-ROM Disks
•
Speed:
– Much slower than hard disks.
•
Capacity:
– Around 700 Mbytes.
•
Cost:
Compare Memory Storage Devices
• DVD Drives
•
Speed:
– Much faster than CD-ROM drives but not as fast as hard disks.
•
Capacity:
– Up to 17 Gbytes.
•
Cost:
Compare Memory Storage Devices
•
Flash memory
•
Speed:
– Much faster than CD-ROM and DVD drives but not as fast as hard disks.
•
Capacity:
– Up to 256 Gbytes.
•
Cost:
Know How Computer Memory Is Measured
•
Bit
– All computers work on a binary numbering system, i.e. they process data in one's or zero's. This 1 or 0 level of storage is called a bit.
•
Byte
– A byte consists of eight bits.
•
Kilobyte
– A kilobyte (KB) consists of 1024 bytes.
•
Megabyte
– A megabyte (MB) consists of 1024 kilobytes.
•
Gigabyte
– A gigabyte (GB) consists of 1024 megabytes.
•
Terabyte
Know How Computer Memory Is Measured
•
Files
– Data and programs are stored on your disk as files.
– There are different types of files, such as the files that you store your data in, the files that contain your programs and also files used to store your operating system (such as
Microsoft Windows).
•
Records
– A record is a collection of data held within a file.
Know the Main Parts of a Personal Computer:
Common Input/output Devices
•
Input devices
– Keyboard
– Mouse
– Scanner
– Digital cameras
•
Output Devices
– Monitor (VDU Visual Display Unit)
Devices for Inputting Data
•
The Mouse
– Used to ‘drive’ Microsoft Windows
•
The Keyboard
– The keyboard is still the commonest way of entering information into a computer
•
Tracker Balls
– an alternative to the
Devices for Inputting Data
•
Scanners
– A scanner allows you to scan printed material and convert it into a file
format that may be used within the PC
•
Touch Pads
– A device that lays on the desktop and responds to pressure
•
Light Pens
– Used to allow users to point to areas on a screen
•
Joysticks
Devices for Inputting Data
•
Microphones
– used to digitally record sounds
•
Digital cameras and digital video recorders
Output Devices
•
Output devices help you retrieve data that has
been entered, processed, and stored in your
system and present it in a useful format
•
This format can be text, graphics, audio, or video
•
Monitors and printers are the two most common
Common Output Devices
• VDU (Video Display Unit)
– The computer screen is used for outputting
information in an understandable format for humans
– When a monitor outputs data or information, it is called soft copy – you can view it, but you can’t touch it
Common Output Devices
• Printers
– The ability to generate a hard copy – a permanent record of your work – is the primary benefit of a printer
– There are two categories of printers: impact and nonimpact.
–
Impact printers
• have small keys, similar to a typewriter’s, that strike an ink ribbon against paper, leaving behind an image of the character on the key
• The dot matrix printer is an example of an impact printer
Common Output Devices
•
Nonimpact printers
– do not actually touch the paper when printing
– There are a variety of nonimpact printers, but the two most commonly used with PCs are the ink-jet printer and the laser printer
• The ink-jet printer
– uses a special nozzle and ink cartridges to spray ink in small droplets onto the surface of the paper
– Ink-jets are able to easily print in color and in black and white, produce good quality copy, and are relatively inexpensive to buy
• Laser printers
– use the same process as photocopiers to produce their output
Common Output Devices
•
Plotters
– A plotter is an output device similar to a
printer, but normally allows you to print larger images.
•
Speakers
– Enhances the value of educational and presentation products.
•
Speech synthesisers
Other Hardware Devices
•
Multifunction Devices
– Some devices known as multifunction devices (MFD) combine input and output capabilities
– A good example is the telephone, because you can use it to both speak (output) and listen (input) to another person
– Other examples include the touch screen monitor at a
Know Some of the Factors That
Impact on a Computer's Performance
•
CPU speed
•
RAM size
Identify Types of Software
• Without software, the computer would just be a collection of
mechanical parts
• Software provides the instructions that tell the computer what to
do
• To perform various tasks, the computer requires a set of
instructions, called programs
• Such programs allow individuals to use the computer without the
need for special programming skills
• There are two categories of computer software – system
software and program software
Identify Types of Software
•
System Software
– System software provides the instructions the computer needs to run
– Contains the directions needed to start up the computer
(known as the boot process), checks to ensure everything is in good working order, and enables you to interface with the
computer and its peripheral devices so that you can use them
Know the Meaning of the Terms;
Operating Systems Software
•
Operating systems software
– Controls the way the computer works from the time it is turned on until it is shut down
– The operating system is a special type of program that loads automatically when you start your computer.
– The operating system allows you to use the advanced features of a modern computer without having to learn all the details of how the hardware works
– Manages the various hardware components including the CPU, memory, storage devices, and peripheral devices
– Coordinates with the various software applications that might be running
Understand the Term
Graphical User Interface (GUI)
•
Most current operating systems use a
point-and-click format known as graphical user interface
(GUI)
•
Mouse can be used to point and click on an icon
(a graphical representation of an object such as a
file or program) or a menu (a list of commands) to
perform a task
The Main Advantages of Using a GUI Interface.
• All programs look similar.
• When you switch from a program supplied by one
manufacturer to one from a different manufacturer,
you will find the transition very easy.
• Application programs work in the same way as the
underlying operating system.
different types of operating systems
– Different computers require different types of
operating systems
– There are several popular operating systems
available for home computers, including Microsoft
Windows, Mac OS, and Linux
–
Microsoft Windows
has the largest market share
and is found on most of today’s desktop systems
– There have been many versions of Microsoft Windows, including Windows 3.0, Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows ME, just to name a few
– Windows XP Home Edition is the current version installed on new home computers, and Windows XP Professional is often found in businesses
Identify Types of Software
•
Applications software (program software)
– An application program is the type of program that you use once the operating system has been loaded.
– There are many different kinds of program software, though they often fall into one of several general categories, each of which has a different purpose
List Some Common Software Applications
Together With Their Uses.
•
Word processing applications
– Microsoft Word
•
Spreadsheets
– Microsoft Excel
•
Database
– Microsoft Access
•
Presentation tools
– Microsoft PowerPoint
•
Communication and organizational
software
– Microsoft Outlook
•
Desktop publishing
– Adobe Photoshop
List Some Common Software Applications
Together With Their Uses.
–
Word processing software
• Used to create, edit, format, and save documents and
other text-based files. It can also include graphics, charts, and other graphic elements. (Ex: Microsoft Word)
–
Spreadsheet software
• Spreadsheet software allows you to perform calculations and other mathematical tasks. (Ex: Microsoft Excel)
–
Database software
• Databases are used to store and organize large amounts of data such as that found in inventories (دﺮﺟ), order
List Some Common Software Applications
Together With Their Uses.
–
Presentation software
• Used to create graphic presentations, known as
slideshows, that can be projected to large groups by
means of an overhead projector or presented on the Web. (Ex: Microsoft PowerPoint)
–
Communication and organizational software
• Communication software can cover a broad range of tasks including video conferencing, telephone and email. And Organizational software typically include an address book, a calendar, and task functions, which help users organize their personal and professional responsibilities. (Ex:
Understand How Computer-based
Systems Are Developed
•
Feasibility Study
•
Analysis
•
Design
•
Implementation
•
Testing
•
Deployment
Know About the Purpose and Value of
Backing Store of Computer Files
•
The most important thing that you
store on your computer is
information.
•
Often the contents of a hard disk
can represent years of work.
•
If the hard disk stops working one
day you could lose all those years
of work.
•
For this reason it is VITAL
اﺪﺟ
ﻢﻬﻣ
Know About the Purpose and Value of
Backing Store of Computer Files
•
Use passwords
•
Understand the Importance of
shutting down your computer
properly
Understand the Term Computer Virus
•
What are computer
viruses?
– Viruses are small programs that hide themselves on your disks (both diskettes and your hard disk).
– Unless you use virus
detection ﻒﺸﺘﻜﻣ software the first time that you know that you have a virus is when it activates.
– Different viruses are
Understand the Term Computer Virus
•
How do viruses infect PCs?
– Viruses hide on a disk and when you access the disk (either a
diskette or another hard disk over a network) the virus program will start and infect your computer.
– The worst thing about a computer virus is that they can spread from one computer to another, either via use of infected floppy disk, or over a computer network,
Understand the Term Computer Virus
•
How to prevent
ﻊﻨﻣ
virus damage
– There are a number of third party anti-virus products available.
– Most of these are better than the rather rudimentary ﻲﺋاﺪﺘﺑاproducts available within DOS and Windows, but of course you do have to pay for them!
– The main thing about your virus checker is that it should be kept up to date.
– Many companies supply updated disks on a regular basis or allow you to receive
