Computer Applications In

Business
Module 1 : Part 1
What is a computer?
 Classification of the types of
computers

• Desktop computers
• Network
(PC)
servers
• Workstations
• Mainframe
• Notebook Computers
computers
• Tablet computers
• Handheld computers
• Smart phones
 Classification of computers
Classification of
Computers

Micro Mini Mainframe Super

Desktop Laptop Hand-held

Information Processing Cycle

Processing

Input Output

Storage
Hardware – Input / Output devices
Input Devices
 Input Devices

• Input devices, such as keyboards or scanners, are

hardware components that capture, collect, and
transmit data and programs to the computer in a
form that computer can understand.
• Input devices transmit the input to the computer in a
series of electronic pulses representing bits, or digits,
of the binary code.
 Types of Input
• Data
– raw facts that a computer receives and processes to produce
information
• Programs
– instructions that direct the computer operations
• Commands
– key words that direct the computer to perform certain activities
• User Responses
– data a user enters to respond to a question or message.
 A. Keyboard
• The most commonly used input devices.
• Contains alphanumeric, cursors and function keys.

Function key

Numeric keypad
• Function Keys, labeled from F1 to F12, allow user to quickly
access commands and functions, such as saving a document
or calling up a program’s Help feature.

• Cursor-control Keys govern the movement of the cursor on

the screen. They include Up Arrow, Down Arrow, Left Arrow
and Right Arrow key on the keyboard.

• Special Purpose Keys are used in conjunction with other keys

to enter commands into a computer. Control (Ctrl), Alternate
(Alt) and Shift keys are example of special purpose keys.
• Toggle Keys are keys that, when pressed, activates a
certain mode or condition, and when pressed again,
deactivates the condition. The Num Lock key, Cap Lock
key and the Scroll Lock key are examples of toggle keys.
(For example, pressing the Cap Lock key will cause all the
alphanumeric characters to appear in capitals without
holding down the Shift key.)

• Numeric Keypad, located in the far right portion of the

keyboard, is used for entering numbers quickly and for
performing the same operations as a calculator.

Not all keyboards have the same layout. Most keyboards have adopted the
so-called QWERTY layout for the alphanumeric keys.
 Types of Keyboard

104-key keyboard
Natural keyboard

Keyboard for the Mac

 B. Pointing Devices

• Many people use pointing devices instead

of keyboards whenever possible.
• Pointing devices minimize the amount of
typing (and the number of errors).
 Mouse
• Palm-sized pointing devices
• a ball on the bottom senses its movement
• various actions can be preformed by moving the
pointer and then pressing one of the buttons on
top of the mouse.
 Types of Mouse

Cordless wheel mouse 3-button mouse

Wheel mouse for notebooks iMouse for iMac

 Trackball

• Up-side down mouse

• user rotates the ball itself while clicking
nearby buttons
TrackPoint Touchpad

The mouse is not practical for people using a notebook

computer in a small space. Track Point or Touch pad is
therefore used instead to control the pointer.
 Touch-Sensitive Screens

• Touch screens enable the user to select an option

by pressing a specific part of the screen.
• Touch screens are commonly used in grocery
stores, fast-food restaurants, and information
kiosks.

A touch screen kit solution

 Joysticks

• Use the movement of a vertical stem to

direct the pointer.
 C. Pen Input Devices

• Input data with hand written characters,

select items by pressing the pen against
the screen, and use gestures, which are
special symbols, to issue commands.
 Light Pen

• Used to select processing

options or to draw on the
screen

The tip of a light pen contains a highly sensitive photoelectric

cell. When the light pen is pointed close to the screen, the
photoelectric cell detects the light emitted from the exact spot
the pen is touching. This accuracy makes light pens very popular
among engineers and draftsmen who use computer-aided
design (CAD) software to create blueprints and drawings of
products or construction projects.
Chinese Handwriting Recognition
Device

• Used for inputting and recognizing Chinese

handwriting

Nowadays, sophisticated Chinese

handwriting recognition system also
contains voice recognition function.
D. Scanning Devices
 Image Scanner
• Electronically capture an entire image &
convert it into digital form that can be
processed by a computer
Image Scan Edit
 Bar Code Reader
An example of a bar code

• Bar code consists of a set of vertical lines and

spaces of different widths
• Universal Product Code (UPC) is very common
 Magnetic Ink Character Recognition
(MICR)
• Use a special ink that can be magnetized during
processing
• MICR is used by the banking industry as a means of
processing checks it receives in every day.

Magnetic Ink Character

Optical Character Recognition
 a system of producing machine-readable code on
a data source item and reading that code by
means of optical scanning devices.
• OCR software can be installed
in a computer to perform
character recognition.
 Optical Mark Recognition
• Optical marks are the filled-in shape, usually ovals
or rectangles, on scan sheets.
• The data collected on the scan sheets are
translated into binary form by an optical mark
reader (OMR)

Use lead pencil to mark on scan sheet Feed the scan sheets into the OMR
 Smart Card
• A smart card, often the size of a credit card,
contains a built-in microprocessor and
memory that identify the card (and its owner)
and assists in financial and other
transactions.
• Its primary advantage is increased security:
the information can only be read by an
authorized user with appropriated password.
E. Multimedia Input Devices
 Voice Input Devices

• A voice input device has two functions:

– First, it can simply record and play back the
voice input by the user.
– Secondly, it can record a human voice, then
with appropriate voice recognition software,
convert the voice input to ASCII characters.
 Digital Camera
• Record images in a form that can be stored by a
computer.
• Some digital cameras resemble traditional
cameras and are portable. Some are connected
directly to a computer.

Digital camera View Cam

 Video digitizers
• Video digitizers can capture input from
virtually any type of video device, such as
VCRs, televisions, and camcorders.
• Audio digitizers can digitize music or voice
from a microphone.
 Output Devices
• Any computer component capable of
conveying information to a user
– Display devices
– Printers
– Speakers
 Monitors
CRT Monitor LCD Monitor

• Cheapest • Expensive than CRT

• Large • Flatter
• Bulky size • Less bulky
• Noisy • Highly quality display
• Heavy • Lighter
• Generate a lot of heat • Consumes less
electricity
 Display Devices
• Flat-panel displays
– Gas plasma
• Large displays of up to
42” of viewable area
• Gas glows that produce
pixels that form an
image
• Higher display quality
• More expensive
 Printers
Printers

• An output device that

Impact Non-impact
produces text and
graphics on a physical Dot-matrix Ink-jet

medium such as paper

or transparency film Line Laser

– Hard copy (printout) Thermal

vs. softcopy (monitor)
– Portrait vs. landscape Portable

– Printing requirements
vary Plotters
and
Large Format
 Impact Printers

• Impact Printers
– Dot matrix printers
• Small dots form characters
• Continuous form paper
• More pins on print head means higher quality
• Speed measured in characters per second (cps)
 Non Impact Printers

• Non-impact Printers
– No mechanism strikes the paper
– Much quieter than impact printers
– Ink-jet printers
• Spray tiny drops of ink onto the paper
• Both black-and-white and colour
• Resolution measured in dots per inch
(dpi)
• Speed measured in pages per minute
(ppm)
• Nozzles spray ink
 Non Impact Printers contd

Thermal printers
• Pushes electrically heated pins against heat-
sensitive paper
– Thermal transfer printer
• Print head heats and melts the ink of the ink ribbon
to print the dot-composed character on normal
paper
 Audio Output
• Audio output devices
– Produce music, speech, or other sounds
– Speakers
• Low-quality sound
• For high quality sound
– Stereo speakers and woofer
– Sound card
– Headsets
 Other Output Devices
• Multifunction Devices
– Can print, scan, copy, and fax
– Less space
– Lower cost than separate units
– For example, OfficeJet by Hewlett-Packard is a
colour printer, scanner and photocopier all in
one device