COMPUTER APPLICATION IN BUSINESS Submitted To:- Prof. Gulzar Ahmad Submitted By:- Usman Fazal (30209) Usman Anjum (30212) INTRODUCTION: A computer and the associated physical equipment directly involved in the performance of data-processing or communications functions is called computer hardware. Computer hardware is the physical part of a computer, including the digital circuitry, as distinguished from the computer software that executes within the hardware. The hardware of a computer is infrequently changed, in comparison with software and data, which are "soft" in the sense that they are readily created, modified or erased on the computer. Firmware is a special type of software that rarely, if ever, needs to be changed and so is stored on hardware devices such as read-only memory (ROM) where it is not readily changed (and is, therefore, "firm" rather than just "soft"). Most computer hardware is not seen by normal users. It is in embedded systems in automobiles, microwave ovens, electrocardiograph machines, compact disc players, and other devices. Personal computers, the computer hardware familiar to most people, form only a small minority of computers (about 0.2% of all new computers produced in 2003). Machinery and equipment (CPUs, disk and tape drives, modems, keyboards, printers, scanners, cables, etc.). In operation, a computer is both hardware and software. One is useless without the other. The hardware design specifies the commands it can follow, and the software instructions tell it what to do. The concept of inventing hardware to assist in commercial productivity is not new. For example, thousands of years ago the Chinese sought greater efficiency in calculating numbers, leading to the invention of the abacus, a hand-held mechanical device. Another hardware milestone was reached when Charles Babbage, in 1822, proposed a machine that would calculate mathematical tables; much of his design was used in later computers (Long and Long, 1999). Herman Hollerith designed a method to store numbers onto punched cards in order to calculate the 1890 census, and the company he founded eventually became IBM Corporation (Long and Long, 1999). KINDS OF COMPUTER HARDWARE:- There are different kinds of computer hardware which support the user to run or operate the computer. Following of them are as under. CPU (Central Processing Unit) Hard Disk RAM (Random Access Memory) Printers Plotters Key Board Mouse Video Graphics Adapter (VGA) Sound Card Mother Board etc. CPU (Central Processing Unit):- Functions:- The CPU is the main processor of your PC. Everything that goes on in your PC at some point goes through your CPU. In reference to the human body the CPU is brain of the PC. It is artificial thinking but the CPU is where all the logic is applied. As a very basic example computer code is basically mathematics. If you wanted to calculate 2+7 you would need an input and output and a processor to add the logic. The logic in this case is simple addition. You would input 2+7 on a keyboard. This would be registered and sent to the CPU for analysis. The CPU would see that the addition logic is required and use this inbuilt logic to send the answer of 9. Central processing unit (CPU) - Performs most of the calculations which enable a computer to function. Types of CPU :- There are two main desktop CPU manufacturers, they are Intel and AMD. Both of these companies have a power CPU and a Budget CPU. The Power CPU's are the Pentium 4 and Pentium D from Intel and the Athlon 64 and X2 from AMD. The budget CPU's are the Celeron from Intel and the Sempron from AMD. 2:- HARD DISK:- A rigid magnetic disk fixed permanently within a drive unit and used for storing computer data. Hard disks generally offer more storage and quicker access to data than floppy disks do. The primary computer storage medium, which is made of one or more aluminum or glass platters, coated with a ferromagnetic material. Most hard disks are "fixed disks," which have platters that reside permanently in the drive. Removable disks are encased in plug-in cartridges, allowing data to be taken out of the drive for storage or for transfer to another party. Before high-speed connections were common on the Internet, removable SyQuest, Jaz and Zip disks were routinely sent through the post office. TYPES OF HARD DISKS:- Transfer Type of Encoding Rate Range of Interface Method** (Per sec) Capacities SATA (IDE) RLL 150-300MB 40GB-1.2TB PATA (IDE) RLL 3-133MB 500MB-400GB SCSI RLL 5-320MB 20MB-300GB Hard Disk Measurements :- Capacity is measured in bytes, and speed is measured by transfer rate in bytes per second (see above) and access time in milliseconds (ms). Hard disk access times range from 3 ms to about 15 ms, whereas CDs and DVDs range from 80 ms to 120 ms. 3- RAM (Random Access Memory): Random Access Memory (RAM) - Fast-access memory that is cleared when the computer is powered-down. RAM attaches directly to the motherboard, and is used to store programs that are currently running. (Random Access Memory) A type of memory chip that is "byte addressable" and provides direct access to any location on the chip. The contents of any byte can be read or written without regard to the bytes before or after it. The most common RAM chip is the dynamic RAM (DRAM) used as the computer's main memory. Any chip that has RAM in its name implies this byte addressing flexibility, such as SRAM, SDRAM, PRAM, MRAM, NVRAM, NRAM and FeRAM. See memory types, memory module, dynamic RAM and static RAM. To learn more about how memory works, see computer and memory . Random access memory is a type of data storage used in computer. It takes the form of integrated circuits that allow the stored data to be accessed in any order — that is, at random and without the physical movement of the storage medium or a physical reading head. It is basically where all the information of all the processes that are running is stored on your computer. For example if you have an image open on your computer it would be temporarily stored on the RAM until you close the image. C-RAM – Chalcogenide Random Access Memory:- The 512K x 8 radiation-hardened C-RAM is a high- performance 524,288 bit x 8-bit random-access non-volatile memory with industry-standard functionality. It is fabricated with BAE Systems’ radiation-hardened technology and is designed for use in systems operating in radiation environments. The C- RAM operates over the full military temperature range and requires a single 3.3 V ±10% power supply. The C-RAM is available with CMOS- compatible I/O. Software data protection is implemented using the JEDEC- optional standard algorithm. Power consumption typically is less than 20 mW/MHz in operation. The C-RAM read operation is fully asynchronous, with an associated typical read access time of less than 70 nanoseconds and write-access time of less than 500 nanoseconds. 4- PRINTERS:- A device that converts computer output into printed images. Device for putting computer output on paper. Printer types include line printer, daisy-wheel printer, dot-matrix printer, electrostatic printer, ink jet printer, laser printer, and thermal printer. Z52 Color Printer Lexmark raises the bar by Rick Smith (May 20, 2000) Lexmark recently announced the Z52, the latest printer in their colorful printer fleet, which also contains the Z51, Kodak Personal Picture Printer and the Z11. This latest printer has an amazing output resolution of 2400 x 1200 dpi! If that's not enough, it can print in black and white at 15 pages per minute - faster than most laser printers and only slightly slower than most workgroup printers - and for only $179. Other useful features include: Multiple-OS compatibility (Windows 95/98/NT/2000 AND Mac OS 8.6 or higher) Now Mac users have a low cost printing option! Wide paper size range - Legal to 3x5 cards, including envelopes, heavy stock stationery and transparencies Parallel port AND USB connectivity Energy Star compliant One year exchange warranty Ultra quiet - 45 dB(A) Supports standard 4 color or photographic 6 color printing Dual side printing (can print the odd pages first, then the even pages without manual page "rearranging" within the document) Poster (large scale) printing greater than a single page It works quite nicely with normal bond paper, but with brighter paper, the prints look even better! Using some unusual Shill paper (Swiss made) created some printouts that people could not believe were not done professionally. Pixma iX5000 :- Features:- An advanced A3+ colour printer offering high speed and high quality at a good price? We find out if Canon can Canon printers have been giving Epson and HP printers a pretty good run for their money over the last few years, and this new Pixma is the latest attempt to corner the market. Before getting into the details, it’s important to say that this is not the newest graphics and repro oriented up- market multi-ink model – that will apparently be called the 9500 and is due out in the autumn, boasting a new ten-ink set. The iX5000 is a more modest printer aimed squarely at the corporate market, but it might also interest budget-oriented photo enthusiasts. The selling points on offer are price – at around £300 it’s one of the cheapest A3 printers available – and speed. If you’re looking for an even cheaper A3+ model, there’s the Pixma iX4000. We didn’t get a chance to look at the iX4000, but it seems to be almost identical to the iX5000, with a few significant differences: it runs at two-thirds of the print speed and costs around two-thirds of the price.