CPSC-114 Introduction to Internet Computing Computer Basics

Overview
The Basics Hardware

Software

CPU Memory I/O Devices

Begin at the Beginning

Computer: Device that receives, stores, and processes information. What other forms can a computer have? Why is this important?
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More Beginning
Hardware: Parts of the computer that you can touch.
Keyboard, monitor, hard drive, etc.

Software: Parts of the computer that you cant touch. von Neumann architecture:
Programs that run such as Word, IM, etc. Memory, Processing, Input/Output AKA stored-program computer
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Output

Processing and Memory

Input
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Under The Cover

Memory (RAM) Holds programs and data
s Bu

I/O Devices Receive input and give output

Bu s
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CPU Processes programs and data Cache

CPU
Central Processing Unit is brains of computer. Two main tasks: Instructions are very, very simple and each one is very fast. Common manufacturers:
Intel, AMD, Motorola
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1. Fetch instructions from memory. 2. Execute the instructions.

CPU (cont.)
Common CPU measurement is speed.
Instructions per second Measured in gigahertz 2.2GHz CPU = 2.2 billion instructions per second

Given computer A with CPU speed of 3.0 GHz and computer B with CPU speed of 4.0, which is faster?
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Memory
Stores programs and data. Bit: Unit of storage that can be either a zero or a one. Electronic circuits operate on states of on (one) and off (zero). All programs and data encoded as zeros and ones.
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Remember in the decimal system: 34 = (3 X 10) + (4 X 1) = (3 X 101) + (4 X 100) The decimal system is based on using the ten digits 0-9.
tens column 34 ones column
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Memory (cont.)

Memory (cont.)
Binary system works on the same principles as the decimal system. Operates on base 2:
Only have digits 0 and 1 101 = = = = (1 X 22) + (0 X 21) + (1 X 20) (1 X 4) + (0 X 2) + (1 X 1) 4 + 0 + 1 5 (in decimal)
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Common memory measurement is byte:

byte kilobyte (KB) megabyte (MB) gigabyte (GB) terabyte (TB) 8 bits 210 bytes 220 bytes 230 bytes 240 bytes

Memory (cont.)

8 bits Can represent 28 or 256 binary values

1 byte 1024 bytes 1,048,576 bytes 1,073,741,824 bytes 1,099,511,627,77 13 6 bytes

Memory (cont.)
Byte = 1 character. Kilobyte = 1 short article on CNN.com. Megabyte = 1 largish book or 1 photo or 1 minute compressed music. Gigabyte = 18 hours of MP3 music (at 128 kbit/sec). Terabyte = 1/8 of the books in the U.S. Library of Congress.
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Memory (cont.)
1.

Main Memory typically constructed from: Random Access Memory (RAM): Dynamic memory on separate chip. Cache: Very fast dynamic memory usually located on CPU chip.
256 bytes 2M
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512M 2GB

2.

Memory (cont.)
Secondary storage: Static memory with large capacity.
E.g., hard disk 500 GB drives available as of 11/05

Given computer A with 256MB of RAM and computer B with 1G of RAM, which is faster?
Which is better? Why?
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I/O Devices
I/O Devices allow computer to communicate. Multi-function keyboard: Contains built-in shortcuts for functions such as Print. Modem: Allows computers to communicate over phone lines.
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With other computers With humans

I/O Devices
Ethernet: Allows computers to be connected into network.

Wireless: Networks computers via radio waves.

Much more portable than Ethernet

Via hard wire Typically faster and more robust than wireless

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What Does This Tell Us?

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Software
Software: Collection of instructions to carry out a task.

Application Software: User-focused software to accomplish a user task. Operating System: System-focused software that manages CPU, memory and I/O devices.
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E.g., Word, Excel, Acrobat Reader

Software (cont.)
User Application Software Operating System Hardware
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Operating System
1.

2.

Two main tasks: Multitasking: Allowing more than one program to execute simultaneously. Managing computer memory.

File: Document that stores information such as text, a photo. Directory: Collection of files.
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Organized into files and directories.

Questions?

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