Computer Fundamentals



Computer Fundamentals

A Computer

A COMPUTER is an electronic machine that works with data and processes it into information. By Data we mean collection of facts. Facts can be words, pictures, numbers or things, places, feelings, etc. information in nothing but systematic collection of data in some order.

It’s Qualities

➢ A computer is a machine.

➢ It is automatic in operation.

➢ A computer can remember things. It has a high memory.

➢ It does hundreds of works together.

➢ It is very fast, reliable and accurate.

➢ It needs little power (Electricity).

Parts of Computer

Computer has three main parts. These are:

1. Monitor

2. Central Processing Unit (CPU)

3. Keyboard & Mouse

Monitor & Keyboard are connected to the CPU through electric wires.

Monitor

Monitor or Screen looks like a TV. It is an output device. It is also known as Visual Display Unit (VDU).

Central Processing Unit (CPU)

CPU is the brain of the computer. It does all the work given to it. It controls all the other parts of the computer. It stores and remembers all the things for future reference.

Keyboard

It is an Input Device. It looks like typewriter. With the help of keyboard we can feed (send) our data to the computer. Keyboard is the part through which we talk (communicate) to the computer. Keyboard has 84 or 101 keys.

Mouse

Mouse is an input device. It is also used to move the cursor on screen.

Input & Output Devices

➢ Keyboard – Input

➢ Mouse – Input

➢ Joystick – Input

➢ Printer – Output

➢ Monitor – Output

➢ Floppy Disk – Data-storage

➢ Compact Disk (CD) – Data-storage

➢ Disk Drive – Data-storage

Uses of Computers

➢ Computers are used at homes for playing games, telling stories, teaching lessons, writing letter, etc. they are very entertaining.

➢ Computers are used as educational aids. One can test his general knowledge, improve mathematics & spelling and even learn to write own program on the computer.

➢ Computers are used in home management. One can keep track of his monthly expenditure and budget, store addresses, phone numbers and recipes on it.

How to Start the Computer

• Switch on the electric supply.

• Switch on the CPU.

• Switch on the monitor.

Once the computer is switched on, you will see a blinker flashing on the screen. It is called the cursor. It indicates that the computer is ready for work.

How to Shut Down the Computer

• Click the mouse on the Start Button or Press the Window Picture Key on the Keyboard.

• Click Shut Down or Press Up-Arrow until it selects the shut down menu & then Press Enter Key.

• Choose the Shut Down menu from the list.

• Switch off the CPU when the command “It is now safe to turn off the computer” comes.

• Switch off the monitor.

• Switch off the electric supply.

Windows

As you know that an Operating System (OS) is a platform that allows the user to interact with the computer. Windows is also an operating system that integrates the software and hardware. It is an easy-to-use software, which displays all the commands in the form of a menu.

Windows is also known as a (GUI) Graphical User Interface. Everything in Windows is defined as “objects”. Every object has properties, method and event. The look & feel of Windows is easier and faster to get the work done.

When we start the computer, it opens in Windows. The large area, which we can see is called Desktop. Windows are too easy. We can work with only a mouse click and keyboard short cuts; totally different from earlier versions of DOS, where work can be done only on commands. In Windows, there is no need to remember such commands to operate the Computer.

Components of Windows

DESKTOP

➢ After starting the computer, the very first screen and the large area that you see, is called the Desktop.

TASKBAR

➢ The Taskbar is situated at the bottom of your screen. It contains the START button, which you can use to quickly start a program. It also displays the current System Date.

MY COMPUTER

➢ Every programs of your computer resides into My Computer. You can access your files and folders by double-clicking the My Computer icon on the desktop.

WINDOWS EXPLORER

➢ Windows Explorer is as same as the index of your schoolbook. You can see hierarchy of folders on your computer and all the files and folders in each selected folder. This is especially useful for copying and moving files.

FOLDERS

➢ A Folder is like a container where your documents and programs are stored, which you can see in My Computer and Windows Explorer.

SHORTCUT MENUS

➢ You can use your right mouse button to click any item and see a shortcut menu. This menu contains common commands that you can use on the item.

PROPERTIES

➢ When you want to view or change information about any item, such as a document, program, folder, disk drive or printer, you can look at its properties. Use the right mouse button to view or change the properties of any item.

LOGO

LOGO is one of the simplest and easiest computer languages developed especially for children. It can draw, write or do calculations.

Typing LOGO from the Keyboard can execute LOGO. The small triangular arrow seen on the LOGO screen is called the turtle. One can make drawings in LOGO by moving the turtle on the screen.

The instructions or to say orders which we give the turtle are known as primitives in LOGO language. They are also known as commands.

The center of the screen is Turtle’s home. Turtle’s body has two parts. The top point, which is facing the upper side of the screen, is called NOSE and the other part, i.e., the bottom part is called TAIL or BACK. Whenever Turtle moves on the screen, it leaves a trail (footstep).

When the screen has a question mark and a cursor. It means LOGO is ready take out instructions, and we can give primitives to the Turtle to do the work.

After one finishes working with LOGO, at question mark type .DOS (dot DOS) and press Enter Key. It will show the original screen.

LOGO Primitives

|Draw |Forward (FD) |

|Backward (BK) |Right (RT) |

|Left (LT) |SETH |

|Home |Clean |

|Clear Screen (CS) |Clear Text (CT) |

|Hide Turtle (HD) |Show Turtle (ST) |

|Print (PR) |Print Count (PR Count) |

|Print Item (PR Item) |First |

|Butfirst (BF) |Last |

|Butlast (BL) |Penup (PU) |

|Pendown (PD) |Penerase (PE) |

|Penreverse (PX) |Prepaint (PPT) |

|Show |Repeat |

|Textscreen |Repeat inside Repeat |

|To |End |

|Print Out Titles (POT) |Save |

|Load |Erase |

|Sum |Word |

CALCULATOR

As the name suggests CALCULATOR, is used to perform simple calculations. Using calculator you can do the arithmetical, statistical and scientific calculations.

How to perform a simple calculation

1. Enter the first number in the calculation.

2. Click + to add, - to subtract, * to multiply, or / to divide.

3. Enter the next number in the calculation.

4. Enter any remaining operators and numbers.

5. Click =.

To perform a statistical calculation

1. On the View menu, click Scientific.

2. Enter your first piece of data.

3. Click Sta, and then click Dat.

4. Enter the rest of the data, clicking Dat after each entry.

5. Click Sta.

6. Click the button for the statistics function you want to use.

Note:

• You can also use your numeric keypad to enter numbers and operators by pressing NUM LOCK.

NOTEPAD

▪ You can use Notepad to create or edit text files that do not require formatting and smaller than 64K.Notepad opens and saves text in ASCII (text-only) format only. To create or edit files that requires formatting or are larger than 64K, use WordPad.

▪ To start Notepad, click the start button, point to Programs, point to Accessories, click the Notepad item.

▪ Wrapping Text

Wrapping text enables you to see all the text on the line, but it doesn’t affect the way text appears when it is printed.

MEDIA PLAYER

Media player is used to play special types of media that is audio, video, and animations too. You can access it by clicking start button, point to programs, point to Accessories, point to Multimedia, and click on Media Player Item.

To play Multimedia file

1. On the device menu, click the device you want.

2. Double click the file you want play.

3. Click the play button to play the multimedia file

ADDRESS BOOK

The Address Book provides a convenient place to store contact information for easy retrieval by programs such as Microsoft Outlook Express. It also features access to Internet directory services, which you can use to look up people and businesses on the Internet.

In your Address Book you can:

Store important information about the people and groups who are important to you.

➢ Find people and businesses by using LDAP directory services.

Create groups of contacts for mailing lists.

Share your address book with other users.

➢ Import names from your other address books.

Send and receive business cards.

Print all or part of your address book and take it with you.

ANTIVIRUS

When you install any AntiVirus software and accept the preset options, your computer is safe. As part of the installation, your computer is scanned for viruses.

It automatically checks boot records for viruses at system startup, checks programs for viruses at the time you use them, scans all local hard drives for viruses once per week, and monitors your computer for any activity that might indicate the work of a virus in action. It also scans files you download from the Internet and checks floppy disks for boot viruses when you use them.

With this AntiVirus, you can scan files, folders, or entire drives for viruses, and quarantine infected files for submission to the Symantec AntiVirus Research Center (SARC). Files submitted to SARC are analyzed and the results are reported automatically within seven days.

To use AntiVirus software, click shortcut on the left side of the screen.

The important tasks that you can perform with AntiVirus program:

❑ Scan for viruses on your computer.

❑ Remove viruses from your computer.

❑ Update your virus protection with Live Update.

❑ Quarantine an infected file.

MS-PAINT

In the PAINTBRUSH you can draw pictures and create, edit and modify raster based graphics image as files.

In windows 95/98 Paintbrush has 16 tools and also a colour palette. Each Painting tool has a specific function.

To draw a straight line

1. In the toolbox, click.

2. At the bottom of the toolbox, click a line width.

3. To draw the line, drag the pointer.

To draw a free-form line

1. In the toolbox, click (

2. To draw the line, drag the pointer.

To draw a curve

1. In the toolbox, click

2. At the bottom of the toolbox, click a line width.

3. Draw a straight line by dragging the pointer.

4. Click where you want one arc of the curve to be, and then drag the pointer to adjust the curve. Repeat this step for a second arc.

To draw an ellipse or circle

1. In the toolbox, click

2. Drag the pointer diagonally.

3. You can draw a perfect circle by holding down SHIFT while you drag.

To draw a rectangle or square

1. In the toolbox, click to create a square-cornered shape, or click [pic]to create a round-cornered shape.

2. To draw a rectangle, drag the pointer diagonally in the direction you want.

3. To draw a square, hold down SHIFT while dragging the pointer.

To type and format text

1. In the toolbox, click A

2. To create a text frame, drag the pointer diagonally to the size you want.

3. On the text toolbar, click the font, size, and style you want for the text.

4. Click inside the text frame, type the text, and then do any of the following as needed.

o Move or enlarge the text frame.

o Click a color to change the color of the text.

o Click in the toolbox to insert the text on a colored background. Then right-click in the color box to change the background color.

To fill an area or object with color

1. In the toolbox, click fill tool

2. Click the area or object you want to fill.

To paint with a brush

1. In the toolbox, click paint-brush tool.

2. At the bottom of the toolbox, click a brush shape.

3. To paint, drag the pointer.

To create an airbrush effect

1. In the toolbox, click spray tool.

2. At the bottom of the toolbox, click a spray size.

3. To spray, drag the pointer.

To erase a small area

1. In the toolbox, click eraser.

2. At the bottom of the toolbox, click an eraser shape.

3. Drag the pointer over the area you want to erase.

To erase a large area

1. In the toolbox, click to select a rectangular area or click to select a free-form area.

2. Drag the pointer to select the area you want to erase.

3. On the Edit menu, click Clear Selection

To clear an entire image

1. If any part of the image is selected, click outside of the selected area.

2. On the Image menu, click Clear Image.

To change the size of your picture

1. On the Image menu, click Attributes.

2. Click the unit of measurement you want to use for the width and height.

3. Type the measurements in Width and Height.

To zoom in or out of a picture

On the View menu, point to Zoom, and then click Normal Size, Large Size, or Custom.

To enlarge the size of the viewing area

1. On the View menu, click View Bitmap.

2. Your picture fills the entire viewing area. You can return to your former view by clicking anywhere in the picture.

To flip or rotate a picture or object

1. In the toolbox, click to select a rectangular area or click to select a free-form area.

2. Drag a box around the item you want to flip or rotate.

3. At the bottom of the toolbox, select one of the following:

o Click to flip or rotate 

o Click to flip or rotate

4. On the Image menu, click Flip/Rotate.

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