Computer Fundamentals Course | Notes on the Basics of Computer

Hello there, My name is Edwin, and I'm here to teach you the fundamentals of computer science. Before I begin the course, honestly speaking, I'm not sure if I'll cover all of the topics that fall under the category of "fundamentals of computers," 😏 but I'm confident that you'll learn a lot 😊.

Everyone who uses a computer should have some familiarity with the fundamentals. To be an effective computer user, you should familiarize yourself with the basics.

Simply put, if you have even a passing familiarity with how computers work, you will be able to use your own machine efficiently, making few if any mistakes and experiencing few if any issues. Understanding how to use computers effectively is a vital skill in today's society, which is in large part due to the prevalence of technology. And perhaps in the not-too-distant future, everything will be done digitally.

When the fifth generation of computers comes out, it's possible that almost everything will be done on a computer using AI and machine learning. As a result, you cannot succeed in the modern world and have a promising future without computer literacy.

Before beginning the course "computer fundamentals," I believe the most important concept you should all be familiar with is the "computer." So, first and foremost, define it, and then go over some of the other important computer-related topics in this article one by one. This is the topic list.

What is computer?
Components of computers
Computer hardware
Computer software

Following the definition of these four topics, I included links to all of the other topics covered in this "computer fundamentals" course. Let's get started.

What is Computer?

One of the revolutionary words that changed everything in the modern world is "computer," and this article is being written and published to define it. Let's begin with the definition of it, shall we?

Definition of a computer

You can define a computer as

A versatile electronic device used for a variety of tasks.
A device used to perform mathematical calculations.
A machine that processes data.

You could also say that a computer is an electronic device that serves a variety of purposes and is used to manipulate raw data in accordance with a set of instructions, also known as a program, that is fed into it.

What can you do with a computer?

You can perform operations on a computer system using a set of instructions. This set of instructions, known as a computer program, causes the computer to output or display results based on the operation you performed on it.

If you want to understand and learn more about the most well-known usage or application of computers, refer to the article that is specifically dedicated to that topic.

Famous words and phrases in computer

The following is a list of some of the helpful words or phrases that are utilized in the field of computer science the most frequently. I also provided a concise explanation of these words.

Raw facts are known as data.
Meaningful data are known as information.
Instructions are commands that are used to tell the computer what to do or not to do.
All the computer equipment associated with it is known as computer hardware, such as the monitor, keyboard, mouse, CPU, modem, speaker, printer, etc.
A set of instructions that is used to tell the computer what to do is known as a program.
A set of programs that are used to perform particular tasks is known as computer software.

I highlighted the words and phrases by making them bold to draw your attention.

In conclusion, a computer is an electronic data processing machine that is versatile in its application and can be used for a wide variety of activities. When we talk about "activities," we're referring to things like storing data, processing data, retrieving data, and a lot of other things.

Components of computers

The following are some of the most important parts that make up a computer system:

Central Processing Unit (CPU)
Input Devices
Output Devices
Computer Memory
Computer Hardware
Computer Software

The CPU is the brain of a computer system, input devices are used to input or feed data into the computer system, output devices are used to output or print the result, computer memory is used to store the data in the system, hardware are the physical devices attached to the system such as a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, and software are the applications that are installed into the system to perform their respective tasks.

There are separate articles on the CPU, input devices, output devices, and memory, which you can access via the navigation menu on the left side or at the bottom of this article, where I have listed all of the topics covered in this "computer fundamentals" course.

However, let me expand on computer hardware and software right after this paragraph. I won't go into specifics because it has already been stated that this course is intended for beginners.

Computer Hardware

The physical component of any computer system is its hardware. The hardware of a computer can be electrical, electronic, mechanical, optical, magnetic, and so on.

Here are a few popular examples of computer hardware:

Microprocessors
Hard Disks
Integrated Circuits (ICs)
Optical Disks
Floppy Disks
Mouse
Monitor
Printer etc.

Computer Software

The term "computer software" refers to a collection or set of programs, procedures, and related or associated documentation that are stored within a computer system and used to carry out a variety of different functions.

The following is a list of some of the most widely used computer software:

Google Chrome
Safari
Mozilla Firefox
Microsoft Word
Microsoft PowerPoint
Skype
Notepad etc.

Types of Computer Software

There are two types of computer software, as shown below:

System Software
Application Software

Let us define each type of computer software briefly.

System Software

System software is a group of programs that work together to control how a computer system works.

System software is basically designed to:

run other computer software (application software).
communicate with peripheral devices such as pen drives, memory cards, printers, mice, keyboards, etc.
develop some other type of software
monitor the use of various computer hardware (devices) such as memory, CPU, etc.

Here are some well-known examples of system software:

MS-DOS
Windows 7
Windows 10
Ubuntu
OS/2 etc.

Application Software

Application software is also a collection of programs, but unlike other collections of programs, application software was developed or designed specifically to carry out or perform operations for a particular set of applications or tasks.

The following is a list of some of the most widely used application software:

Calculator
Opera
Adobe Reader
WhatsApp
MX Player
VLC Media Player, etc.

System software, as its name suggests, is used to run the system, while application software is used to run an application within the system. Both types of software are referred to simply as "software."

These are some of the fundamentals of computers. And now I believe it is time to begin the course, which is divided into a few articles, which are listed below. Best of luck as you go through it.

Message Intended for the Viewers

This "Computer Fundamentals" course is intended for students who are just starting out in the field of computer science. The following posts or articles comprise this course: