Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th edition

Unit A: Computer and Internet BasicsUnit A: Computer and Internet Basics

Objectives

Define computers

Explore how computers work

Categorize computers

Examine personal computers

Introduce software

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Objectives (continued)

Introduce the Internet and the Web

Understand email basics

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Defining Computers

Computer An electronic device that:

• Accepts input• Processes data• Stores data• Produces output

Uses instructions in stored programs

Personal computer (PC)

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Defining Computers (continued)

Computer system includes: Hardware

• Electronic and mechanical parts of the computer

Peripheral devices• Hardware that can be added to a computer

system to expand what a computer can do Software

• Computer program that tells the computer how to perform tasks

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Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 6

Figure A-1: A basic computer system

Defining Computers (continued)

Input devices: keyboard, mouse, etc.

Output devices: monitor, printer, speakers, etc.

Digitization Converting text, numbers, sound, photos,

and video into data that can be processed by digital devices

Digital convergence Blending several technologies into a single

product

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Exploring How Computers Work

Turning on a computer May need to enter user ID and password

Computer program, or program Instructions that tell a computer how to carry

out processing tasks

Central processing unit (CPU) Main processor in a computer

Memory: temporarily holds data

Storage: holds data on a permanent basis

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Exploring How Computers Work (continued)

File: named collection of data that exists on a storage medium

Storage medium: hard disk, CD, DVD, flash drive, etc.

Turning off a computer Microsoft Windows computer: use Start

button Apple Macintosh computer: use Apple icon

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Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 10

Figure A-4: Start button in different versions of Windows

Categorizing Computers

Personal computers include: Desktop computers Portable computers

• Notebook computers (sometimes called laptop computers)

• Netbooks• Tablet computers

Handheld computer A personal digital assistant (PDA) with

enhanced features

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Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 12

Figure A-5: Examples of personal desktop computers

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Figure A-6: Examples of portable personal computers

Categorizing Computers (continued)

Workstations Powerful desktop computers designed for

specialized tasks

Mainframe computer Large, expensive computer which can

process data for thousands of users

Supercomputer

The term server has several meanings Can refer to hardware, software, or a

combination of hardware and software

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Examining Personal Computers

Basic parts of a desktop personal computer system System unit Display device: monitor Keyboard Mouse Storage devices

• Hard disk drive• USB flash drive• Optical drives

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Examining Personal Computers (continued)

Basic parts of a desktop personal computer system (continued) Sound system Printer Network and Internet access

• Modem Web cam

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Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 17

Figure A-9: Typical desktop computer system with examples of peripherals

Examining Personal Computers (continued)

Portable computers Come with built-in flat-panel monitor,

keyboard, and speakers Other devices can be connected

Computer network Two or more computers and other devices

connected for sharing data and programs LAN (local area network)

Internet: the largest network in the world

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Introducing Software

Operating system (OS) Master controller for all activities that take

place within a computer system Classified as system software

Computer platform PC platform (also called Windows platform)

• Windows operating system Mac platform

• Macintosh OS Linux OS

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Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 20

Figure A-10: Popular operating systems

Introducing Software (continued)

Graphical user interface (GUI) Displays on-screen graphical controls

Application software Computer programs that help you use the

computer to carry out tasks Examples: Adobe Reader, Microsoft Word,

or Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo X2

Sharing files depends on system compatibility

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Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 22

Figure A-11: Popular elements of a GUI

Introducing the Internet andthe Web

Use the Internet to communicate with others Electronic mail (also called email) Chat group Instant messaging (IM) Internet telephony

• Also called Voice Over IP (VoIP) Blog

Web (short for World Wide Web) Collection of Web pages, interconnected

through the use of hypertext or links

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Introducing the Internet andthe Web (continued)

A browser is used to view Web pages

Web site: a group of Web pages Home page

Search site: to find information on the Web Search engine

URL (Uniform Resource Locator) Every Web page has a unique address

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) Communications standard used to transport

Web pages over the InternetComputer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 24

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Figure A-14: Viewing a Web page

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Figure A-15: Parts of a URL

Understanding Email Basics

Email account Need an email provider

• Such as Internet service provider, university, Gmail, Hotmail, etc.

Email address

An email message has several parts Recipient’s email address Address of additional recipients Message subject and body File attachments

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Understanding Email Basics (continued)

Email is based on store-and-forward technology

Email attachment Any file that travels with an email message

Netiquette (Internet etiquette) Guidelines for maintaining civilized, effective

communications online and in emails

Emoticons Symbols that can be added to a message to

help convey an emotion

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Computer Concepts – Illustrated 8th Edition 29

Figure A-16: Parts of an email address

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Figure A-17: Parts of an email message

Talking Points: Who Is Reading Your E-Mail?

Think of your email as a postcard rather than a letter FBI has e-mail scanning technology Many U.S. businesses monitor employee

email Your email may be forwarded to others E-mail providers store backups of your

email and can gather data from them Court decisions seem to state that email

messages on an organization’s system are the property of the organization

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Summary

This chapter introduced: Computer terms and concepts Basic parts of a computer system Different kinds of personal computers Various types of software The Internet, the World Wide Web, and e-

mail Ways to preserve your privacy when using

e-mail

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