How to Buy a Computer?

In this chapter, we will supply relevant information to help you buy a desktop on component by component basis. As desktops are highly customizable, so it is better to learn about the main parts and then visit the manufacturer or the retailer shop or site, instead of just looking at some specific model directly.

Popular desktop brands are Dell, Lenovo, HP and Apple. Always compare the desktops based on their specifications and base price.

Monitor

·        Size − It is the diagonal size of the LCD screen. Larger the area, bigger the picture screen. A bigger picture is preferable for movie watching and gaming. It will increase the productivity as well.

·        Resolution − This is the number of pixels on the screen. For example, 24inch display is 1920x1200 (width by length) and 22-inch display is 1680x1050. High resolution provides better picture quality and a nice gaming experience.

·        Inputs − Now-a-days monitors can accept inputs from cable as well apart from the computer. They can also have USB ports.

·        Stand − Some monitors come with adjustable stands while some may not.

·        Recommended − 24 Inch LCD.

Operating System

·        Operating System is the main software of the computer as everything will run on it in one form or other.

·        There are primarily three choices: Windows, Linux, Apple OS X.

·        Linux is free, however people generally do not use it for home purpose.

·        Apple OS X works only on Apple desktops.

·        Windows 7 is very popular among desktop users.

·        Most of the computers come pre-equipped with Windows 7 Starter edition.

·        Windows 8 is recently introduced and is available in the market.

·        Windows 7 and Windows 8 come in multiple versions from starter, home basic, home premium, professional, ultimate, and enterprise editions.

·        As the edition version increases, their features list and price increases.

·        Recommended − Windows 7 Home Premium.

Optical Drive (CD / DVD / Blu-ray)

·        Optical drive is the drive on a computer, which is responsible for using CD, DVD, and Blu-ray discs.

·        Now-a-days, DVD burners are industry standards.

·        DVD Burner can burn CD, DVD and play them.

·        DVD Burner is cheaper than Blu-ray drives.

·        Blu-ray drives can play HD movies but are costlier component.

·        Recommended − DVD Burner.

Memory

·        RAM is considered as Computer Memory as the performance of a computer is directly proportional to its memory and processor.

·        Today's software and operating system require high memory.

·        Today commonly used RAM is DDR3, which operates at 1066Mhz.

·        As per Windows 7, 1 GB is the minimum RAM required to function properly.

·        Recommended − 4 GB.

Hard Drive

·        Hard disk is used for storage purpose. Higher the capacity, more data you can save in it.

·        Now-a-days computers are equipped with 500GB hard drive, which can be extended to 2TB.

·        Most hard drives in desktop operate at the standard performance speed of 7200RPM.

·        Recommended − 500GB.

CPU

·        Frequency (GHz) − This determines the speed of the processor. More the speed, better the CPU.

·        Cores − Now-a-days CPUs come with more than one core, which is like having more than one CPU in the computer. Programs which can take advantage of multi-core environment will run faster on such machines.

·        Brand − Intel or AMD. Both are equivalent. Intel is in lead.

·        Cache − Higher the L1, L2 cache, better the CPU performance.

·        Recommended − Intel Core i3-3225 3.30 GHz Processor.

Computer Concepts - Introduction to Computer

 

In today's world, we use computers for all our tasks. Our day-to-day activities: paying bills, buying groceries, using social media, seeking entertainment, working from home, communicating with a friend, etc., can all be done using a computer. So it is important not only to know how to use a computer, but also to understand the components of a computer and what they do.

This topic explains all concepts related to computer in detail, from origin to end. The idea of computer literacy is also discussed, which includes the definition and functions of a computer. You learn about the components of a computer, the concept of hardware and software, representation of data/information, the concept of data processing and applications of IECT.

What is a Computer?

A computer is an electronic device that accepts data from the user, processes it, produces results, displays them to the users, and stores the results for future usage.

Data is a collection of unorganized facts & figures and does not provide any further information regarding patterns, context, etc. Hence data means "unstructured facts and figures".

Information is a structured data i.e. organized meaningful and processed data. To process the data and convert into information, a computer is used.

Functions of Computers

A computer performs the following functions −

Receiving Input

Data is fed into computer through various input devices like keyboard, mouse, digital pens, etc. Input can also be fed through devices like CD-ROM, pen drive, scanner, etc.

Processing the information

Operations on the input data are carried out based on the instructions provided in the programs.

Storing the information

After processing, the information gets stored in the primary or secondary storage area.

Producing output

The processed information and other details are communicated to the outside world through output devices like monitor, printer, etc.

Sr.No.	Computer Concepts & Description
1	History of Computers The history of the computer dates back to several years. There are five prominent generations of computers. Each generation has witnessed several technological advances which change the functionality of the computers.
2	Characteristics of Computer System Characteristics of Computer System involve Speed, Accuracy, Diligence, Versatility, Reliability, Automation, Memory.
3	Basic Applications of Computer Computers play a role in every field of life. They are used in homes, business, educational institutions, research organizations, medical field, government offices, entertainment, etc.
4	Components of Computer System Computer systems consist of three components as shown in below image: Central Processing Unit, Input devices and Output devices.
5	Input devices help to get input or data from user.
6	Other Input Devices There are few other input devices which help to feed data to the computer.
7	Output devices help to display output to user
8	Computer Memory Computer memory refers to storage area where data is stored. It is of two types Primary Memory & Secondary Memory.
9	Concept of Hardware and Software The term hardware refers to mechanical device that makes up computer. Software can be categorized into two types - System software & Application software
10	Programming Languages The languages that are used to write a program or set of instructions are called "Programming languages". Programming languages are broadly categorized into three types - Machine level language, Assembly level language, High-level language.
11	Representation of Data/Information Computer does not understand human language. Any data, viz., letters, symbols, pictures, audio, videos, etc., fed to computer should be converted to machine language first. Computers represent that data into different forms.
12	Data Processing & Data Processing Stages Data processing is a process of converting raw facts or data into a meaningful information.
13	Applications of IECT IECT stands for Information Electronics and Communication Technology.

Summary

In this chapter, we discussed different components of a computer, and familiarized ourselves with concept of hardware and software, representation of data/information, concept of data processing, and applications of IECT.

Elements of Word Processing

Microsoft Word is a popular word processing software. It helps in arranging written text in a proper format and giving it a systematic look. This formatted look facilitates easier reading. It provides spell-check options, formatting functions like cut-copy-paste, and spots grammatical errors on a real-time basis. It also helps in saving and storing documents.

It’s also used to add images, preview the complete text before printing it; organize the data into lists and then summarize, compare and present the data graphically. It allows the header and footer to display descriptive information, and to produce personalized letters through mail. This software is used to create, format and edit any document. It allows us to share the resources such as clip arts, drawing tools, etc. available to all office programs.

In this chapter, you will learn about Concepts related to MS Word in detail. You will know about Word Processing Basics, Opening and Closing the Document, Text Creation and Manipulation, Formatting Text, and Table Manipulation.

Basics of Word Processing

Word processor is used to manipulate text documents. It is an application program that creates web pages, letters, and reports.

Sr.No.	Word Processing Concepts & Description
1	Opening Word Processing Package Word processing package is mostly used in offices on microcomputers. To open a new document, click on "Start" button and go to "All Programs" and click on "Microsoft Word".
2	Opening and Closing Documents Word automatically starts with a blank page. For opening a new file, click on "New".
3	Page Setup Page setup options are usually available in "Page Layout" menu. Parameters defined by the user help in determining how a printed page will appear.
4	Print Preview This option is used to view the page or make adjustments before any document gets printed.
5	Cut, Copy and Paste In this section, we shall learn how to use cut, copy and paste functions in Word.
6	Table Manipulation Manipulation of table includes drawing a table, changing cell width and height, alignment of text in the cell, deletion/insertion of rows and columns, and borders and shading.

Summary

This topic provides us with a clear idea about components of word processing basics, opening and closing the documents, text creation and manipulation, formatting the text, table manipulation, etc.

Computer - Available Courses

                                    
Nowadays, various types of courses are provided by educational institutions. Following are some of the common as well as important courses.

Course	Name	Duration (years)	Minimum Qualification
B.C.A	Bachelor of Computer Applications	3	10+2
P.G.D.C.A	Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications	1	Graduation
M.C.A	Master of Computer Applications	3	Graduation
B.Sc.(CS)	Bachelor of Science (Computer Science)	3	10+2
M.Sc.(CS)	Master of Science (Computer Science)	2	Graduation
B.Tech.(CSE)	Bachelor of Technology (Computer Science and Engineering)	4	10+2
B.Tech.(IT)	Bachelor of Technology (Information Technology)	4	10+2
M.Tech.(CSE)	Master of Technology (Computer Science and Engineering)	2	B.Tech / B.E.
M.Tech.(IT)	Master of Technology (Information Technology)	2	B.Tech / B.E
B.E.(CSE)	Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science and Engineering)	4	10+2
B.E.(IT)	Bachelor of Engineering (Information Technology)	4	10+2

Diploma Courses

Apart from regular degree courses, computer centers also provide short-term courses (from 3 months to 1 year). Online courses on topics such as Computer Basics, Programming Languages Training, Hardware Training, and Network Certifications are also gaining in popularity.