CS (140) COURSE - INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS

CS (140) - INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS

Teacher: Dr. Shrestha



Materials for class (3)
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GOALS FOR TODAY:

Take examination (2) on materials from Chapters (3) and (4)
Learn materials from Chapters (5) and (6)
Lecture and Lab

HOMEWORKS DUE TODAY:
Graphics embedded invitation card prepared by using PAINT
Decimal to binary and binary to decimal conversion
Mathematical equations

Exercises based on your visit to following websites:

MICROSOFT'S WINDOWS -

LINUX -

WEB SHOPPING -

ACTIVE DESKTOP -

MICROPROCESSORS -

UNIVERSAL SERIAL BUS -

DESKTOPS AND NOTEBOOKS -

TV TUNER CARDS AND VIDEO CLIPS -


Web site - http://www.mhhe.com/it/oleary/exercise.mhtml


ASSIGNMENT:

Read and review materials from Chapters (5) and (6)
Test (3) on these materials next class
Exercises on Internet
Construct a table by using WORD
Use EXCEL to prepare a table and a graph

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Save days' work in your diskette !

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CHAPTER (5) - INPUT AND OUTPUT

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KEY IDEAS

KEYBOARD ENTRY

Keyboard entry can be categorized as keyboards and terminals.

Keyboards

Both traditional and natural keyboards have various types of keys including escape, function, numeric, windows, spacebar, and navigator. They also include toggle keys and combination keys.

Terminals

These devices connect to host computer or server. There are four kinds of terminals:

(1)DUMB- sends and receives only; no processing
(2)INTELLIGENT - sends, receives, and processes; popular type is Net PC.
(3)NETWORK - provides low cost alternative to intelligent terminal.
(4)INTERNET - accesses Internet and displays on a television set; does not require microcomputer. It is also called as Web terminal or Web appliance.

DIRECT ENTRY

Direct entry devices can be categorized as pointing, scanning, or voice-input.

Pointing

Pointing devices allow users to directly use their hand to input data. Most common use is the mouse. Three similar devics are trackballs, touch surfaces, and pointing sticks. Others include:

Joysticks - control game action by varying pressure, speed, and direction
Touch screens - touching finger to screen control operations
Light pens - directed at screen controls operations
Digitizers - convert images to digital data
Digital cameras - record photos on disk and in memory
Webams - used for Internet broadcasting
Digital Video cameras - record motion digitally on tape, on disk, or in memory
Digital notebook - electronic pad records handwriting as digital data

Scanning

Scanners convert images to digital data. Widely used scanning devices include image scanners, fax machines, bar-code readers, Magnetic-ink character recognition (MICR), Optical character recognition (OCR), and Optical Mark recognition (OMR) devices.

Voice-Input

These devices convert a person's spoken words into digital data. Voice recognition systems are a combination of hardware and software that allow users to operate microcomputers and create documents using voice commands. Two types are:

Discrete-speech recognition system - recognizes only individual words

Continuous-speech recognition system - recognizes individual words and phrases in context

MONITORS

Monitors create images on screen by individual dots called pixels. Dot pitch is the distance between pixels. The three most common pixel standards are:

Pixels - Picture - Elements

Standard VGA (Video Graphics Array) - Pixels 640x480 - 13 inch monitor
Standard SVGA (Super Video Graphics Array) - Pixels 800x600 - 15 inch monitor
Standard XGA (eXtended Graphics Array) - Pixels 1024x768 - 17 and 19 inch monitor
Standard SXGA (Super eXtended Graphics Array) - Pixels 1280x1024 - 19 and 21 inch monitor
Standard UXGA (Ultra eXtended Graphics Array) - Pixels 1600x1200 - 19 inch monitor

Cathode Ray Tubes (CRT)

CRTs are the most common type of monitor. Similar to televisions in size and technology, they are typically placed on a system unit or directly on a desk. Primary advantages of CRTs are low cost and excellent resolution or clarity.

Flat-Panel Monitors

Flat-panel monitors are widely used for portable computers and are becomming more popular for desktop systems because they are less bulky and flat. Two basic types are:

Passive-matrix - require little power but images not as sharp

Active-matrix - require more power, are more expensive, but produce sharper images

PRINTERS

Output from monitors is called soft copy. Outptut from a printer is called hard copy. Three widely used types are:

(1) PRINTER:
Ink-jet
CHARACERISTICS:
High color quality, inexpensive, sprays drops of ink on paper
TYPICAL USE:
Internal and external communications, advertising pieces

(2) PRINTER:
Laser
CHARACTERISTICS:
Very high quality, uses photocopying process
TYPICAL USE:

Desktop publishing, external documents

(3) PRINTER:
Thermal
CHARACTERISTICS:
Very high quality, uses heat elements on special paper
TYPICAL USE:
Art and design work

PLOTTERS

Plotters produce multicolor bar charts, maps, architectural drawings, and three-dimensional illustrations. Four types are:

Pen

Pen plotters create a drawing by moving a pen or pencil over drafting paper. They are the most popular and least expensive.

Ink-Jet

Ink-jet plotters are fast, quiet, and very good at producing solid-color output. The jets, however, can become clogged and require maintenance.

Electrostatic

These plotters use electrostatic charges to create high quality and high volume output on specially treated paper. Costly chemicals considered dangerous to the environment, however, are required for the development process.

Direct-Imaging

Direct-imaging plotters use electrically charged pins to create two-color output on special heat-sensitive paper. Due to expensive paper requirements and limited color output, these plotters are speciality devices.

VOICE-OUTPUT

Voice-output devices make sounds resembling human speech. The most widely used devices are stereo speakers and headphones.

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CHAPTER (6) - SECONDARY STORAGE

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KEY-IDEAS

FLOPPY DISK

Floppy disks are also known as diskettes or simply as disks. They are inexpensive, direct access, and removable storage media. Floppy disks are primarily used to save and transport documents.

Today's Standard

Today's standard floppy disk is the 1.44 MB 3.5 inch 2HD. It is by far the most widely used floppy disk today. Due to its relatively low storage capacity, however, it is expected to be replaced by higher capacity floppy disks.

Tomorrrow's Standard

Three types known as floppy disk cartridges are competing to become the next standard. They are:

ZIP DISKS - 100 MB capacity; considered by many to be the leading contender to replace today's storage standard
SUPERDISKS - 120 MB capacity; SuperDisk drives are able to read today's standard disks.
HIFD - 200 MB capacity; HiFD drives are able to read today's standard disks.

Parts of a Floppy Disk

Data is recorded on disk in rings called tracks. Each track is divided into wedge-shaped sections known as sectors. The process of preparing a disk with tracks and sectors is called formatting or initializing.

HARD DISK

Hard disks provide direct and fast access to data on rigid disks. Compared to floppy disks, they are much faster and provide much greater storage. Hard disks are typically used to store programs and large amounts of data. Three types are internal, hard-disk cartridge, and hard-disk pack.

Internal Hard Disk

An internal hard disk is also known as a fixed disk because it is attached within the system unit. They are typically enclosed with one or more metallic disks to protect against a head crash.

Hard-Disk Cartridge

Unlike internal hard disks, hard-disk cartridges are removable and only the number of cartridges limits the amount of storage capacity. Two well-known hard-disk cartridges are Jaz and SparQ.

Hard-Disk Pack

Hard-disk packs consist of several platters and have a capacity that greatly exceeds both internal and hard-disk cartridges. Hard-packs are used primarily by minicomputer and mainframe computer systems.

Performance Enhancements

Three ways to improve hard disk performance are:

  • Disk caching - reduces time to access data by anticipating data needs

  • RAIDs - Redundant arrays of inexpensive disks - expand storage capacity by grouping inexpensive hard disk drives.

  • File compression and decompression - increases storage capacity by reducing the space required to store data and programs.

  • While floppy and hard disks use magnetic changes to represent data and programs, optical storage uses reflected light.
    OPTICAL DISK

    Optical storage uses reflected light. Pit and land on the disk's surface represent 1 and 0. A laser directs light on the surface, and the amount of reflected light indicates either a 0 or 1.

    Compact Disk

    Compact Diskes or CDs are the most widely used optical disks today. With a typical capacity of 650 MB, there are three basic types:

    CD-ROM - Compact Disk-Read Only Memory; widely used to distribute large databases, references, and large application packages
    CD-R - Compact Disk Recordable; also known as WORM (Write Once Read Many), used to archive large amounts of data
    CD-RW - Compact Disk Rewriteable; reusable; used to create and edit large multimedia presentations

    Digital Versatile Disk (DVD)
    Digital Verstile disks are similar to the CDs with far greater capacity. Present capacity is 4.7 GB moving to 17 GB soon. Three basic types are:

    DVD-ROM - Digital Versatile Disk - Read Only Memory; like CD-ROM with over seven times the capcity; widely used to distribute full length feature films with theater-quality video and sound
    DVD-R - Digital Versatile Disk - Recordable; due to higher cost not as popular as CD-R; expected to replace CD-R as prices decline
    DVD-RAM & DVD-RW - Digital Vesatile Disk - Random Access Memory & Digital Versatile Disk Rewriteable; two recently introduced standards for reusable DVD disks; used to develop very large scale multimedia projects

    MAGNETIC TAPE

    Magnetic tape is a sequential access storage medium. It is used primarily to back up or duplicate data and programs. Two types are streamers and tape reels.

    Magnetic Tape Streamers

    Magnetic tape streamers are also known as backup tape cartridge units. Used almost exclusively with microcomputers, these units use tape cartridges to back up hard disks.

    Magnetic Tape Reels

    Magnetic tape reels are used to back up minicomputer and mainframe storage devices. The tape is run on magnetic drives or magneetic tape units.


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