1. CIS 251 – Lesson 2 Essential Computer Concepts Rod Rodrigues

2. Types of Computers Personal Computers or PCs Handheld Computer or PDA Large Business Computers –Midrange –Mainframe –Supercomputer

3. Interface An Interface is the way in which the computer’s basic system interacts with the user. Mainframe text-based –copy myfile.bas f:\ Windows or Mac GUI –Click and drag files

4. How Computers Represent Data In order for information to flow through a computer system in a form suitable for processing all symbols, pictures or words must be reduced to a string of binary digits.

5. bytes bits

6. ASCII Code and Unicode These are mappings between binary codes and characters of the alphabets of different languages. the ASCII code for “A” is 65, or 1000001 ASCII Chinese: over 2,000 symbols. Unicode blows the lid off of the ability to represent World Languages by computer.

7. A Typical System

8. CPUs and Microprocessors Microprocessors integrate all of the memory, logic and control circuits for an entire CPU on a single chip ROM

9. Volatile Storage RAM storage has three functions –Stores all or part of the program that is being executed –Stores the operating system programs that manage the operation of the computer –Holds the data that the program is using

10. Secondary Storage Floppy Disks or diskettes, Hard disk, ZIP disk, CDs (CD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD, DVD-R, DVD- RW, USB drive

11. Magnetic Tape An older storage technology that is still employed for secondary storage of large volumes of information Older reel-to-reel

12. Data Communications The transmission of text, numeric, voice, or video data from one computer to another Protocol is a set of rules, or language Analog and Digital

13. Modem

14. Networking

15. Computer Software System Software Application Software

16. A Reminder WebCT –All email should occur through WebCT Email me using WebCT and NOT my school or home email address I will ALWAYS email you through WebCT –ONLY IF WEBCT is NOT FUNCTIONING, may you email me using mrodrigues@ric.edu and I will use the email address you supplied when you signed up for WebCT mrodrigues@ric.edu –Logon to WebCT to check for announcements and email DAILY

17. The End http://www.ric.edu/mrodrigues