- •What is a Computer?
- •The Personal Computer
- •The Minicomputer
- •The Mainframe Computer
- •The Supercomputer
- •The Modern Computer
- •The Analog Computer
- •How Computers Do Their Work
- •Yesterday eniac – The First Electronic Digital Computer
- •Computer Operations
- •The Five Data Processing Steps
- •Software
- •Summary
- •Getting Acquainted with Personal Computer. Hardware.
- •Yesterday. What Was the First Personal Computer?
- •Processing Hardware
- •The Motherboard
- •Peripheral Hardware
- •Input Devices
- •Output Devices
- •Storage Devices
- •Dos, the Disk Operating System
- •Dos Files
- •Dos Filenames
- •The dos Directory
- •Today. Commonly Used dos Commands
- •Beginning a Work Session
- •The Prompt
- •The Command Line
- •The Cursor
- •Using Application Programs
- •Ending a Work Session
- •Troubleshooting.
- •The Desktop Personal Computer
- •Personal Computer Configurations
- •Bits and Bytes
- •A Simple Configuration
- •A Full Configuration
- •Types of Personal Computers
- •Ibm pCs and pc-Compatibles
- •Using pCs and pc-Compatibles
- •Тhе ibm Personal System/2
- •Using ps/2s
- •The Apple Macintosh
- •Using the Macintosh
- •Tomorrow Tips for Buying a Personal Computer
- •Summary
- •Review Questions
- •Discussion Questions
- •Multiple-Choice
- •True/False
- •The World of Computers
- •General-Purpose and Special-Purpose Computers
- •Yesterday The Father of the Modern Computer
- •The Portable Personal Computer
- •Types of Portables
- •Portables and laptops
- •Ps/2-Compatible Laptops .
- •Macintosh Portables.
- •Using Laptops
- •The Palmtop Computer
- •The Workstation
- •Workstation Characteristics
- •The Microprocessor.
- •Types of Workstations
- •Scientific and Engineering Workstations.
- •Office Automation Workstations .
- •Educational Workstations.
- •Using Workstations
- •The Minicomputer
- •Types of Minicomputers
- •Using Minis
- •The Mainframe Computer
- •Types of Mainframes.
- •Using Mainframes
- •The Supercomputer.
- •Types of Supercomputers
- •Using Supercomputers
- •Tomorrow a Chilly Supercomputer
- •Parallel Processing
- •Using Parallel Processing
- •The Ever-Evolving Computer
- •Summary
- •Review Questions.
- •Discussion Questions.
- •Multiple-Choice.
- •Fill-in-the-Blank.
- •True/False.
- •Key Terms.
- •Vocabulary
Summary
1. Identify the processing and peripheral hardware components in a personal computer. All computers have four hardware components: a system unit, input/output devices or peripherals, storage devices, and routing and control components. Processing components include the motherboard, CPU, and main memory. Peripheral hardware includes the keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer, and floppy and hard disk drives.
2. Describe the steps involved in working with DOS. There are several ways to boot DOS and thus begin a work session: the cold boot and the warm boot. Booting works somewhat differently, depending on whether you are using a floppy disk or a hard disk. Commands are the way we issue instructions or perform tasks with the computer system. It is important to enter these commands in the proper syntax, or language, that DOS will understand. The key to working successfully with a personal computer is to take your time and do everything carefully.
3. List some of the commonly used DOS commands. DOS commands allow us to perform work and solve problems with the personal computer. Some commands list files; some start application programs; others prepare disks for use. Some commonly used DOS commands include DIR, FORMAT, DISKCOPY, COPY, DELETE, and RENAME.
4. Explain the way DOS organizes files and directories. The operating system provides the instructions that make personal computers perform tasks. DOS is an integrated set of programs that provide access to the CPU and the peripherals that allow us to perform a number of important tasks when working with applications. Files are the primary unit of data storage in personal computers. Files have filenames and are grouped into directories, such as the root directory or various subdirectories. DOS must be loaded into the computer; once it is, we can issue instructions at the prompt, which is found on the command line. The cursor shows us where the prompt is located.
5. Describe different types of personal computer configurations. Personal computers come in different configurations, which determine the complexity and sophistication of the tasks they are able to perform. The hardware elements that change a configuration include the monitor, the quality of the video display, the amount of RAM, the number and type of floppy and hard disk drives, and other devices such as the printer.
6. Identify the more commonly used types of personal computers. The most common personal computers are the IBM PC, the PC-compatible,the IBM PS/2,and the Apple Macintosh.
Review Questions
What steps and components are dependent on human control and interaction? What steps and components are not?
Describe the manner in which DOS works with files and filenames. Why are there five types of files?
How is a command like an instruction?
What are the major differences between a simple configuration and a full configuration? Why is the configuration important?
Discussion Questions
Why is it so important to take your time and do things carefully when working with a personal computer?
Discuss the relationship between the five data processing steps and the four hardware components.
In what ways are the computer system and the stereo system similar? What is the main difference between the two?
Discuss the various ways we most effectively utilize input, output, and storage devices.
Describe an ideal computer configuration for your own personal computer from the three types described and why you chose each characteristic or component.
Discuss why there seem to be so many more aspects of the PC-compatible configuration to choose from than there are with a Macintosh.
Discuss the manner in which DOS stores files in directories. Why do we need a root directory and subdirectories? Why not just store everything in one directory?
Discuss the relationship between commands, instructions, and programs.
Describe how we keep application programs and data separate on a personal computer with two floppy disk drives versus how we would do so with a single hard disk drive.