Essential Computer & Digital Skills (AI-Oriented)
(Q) What is Computer ?
Ans : - A computer is an electronic device that accepts raw data as input, processes it using instructions (software), stores it, and produces output (information).
(Q) how AI runs on Computers ?
Ans :- AI runs on computers by processing massive datasets through complex algorithms—specifically neural networks—that simulate human intelligence, allowing machines to recognize patterns, make decisions, and learn. It requires powerful hardware, primarily GPUs and Neural Processing Units (NPUs), to handle parallel computations for tasks like image recognition, language processing, and generative AI.
(Q) What is Internet ?
Ans :- The Internet is a massive, global "network of networks" that connects billions of computers, servers, and devices to exchange information via standardized protocols (TCP/IP). It acts as the underlying hardware infrastructure—using cables, satellites, and wireless technology—to support services like the World Wide Web, email, and streaming.
(Q) What is Browsers ?
Ans :- A web browser is a software application used to access, retrieve, and display information from the World Wide Web, acting as an interface between the user and the server. By translating HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, it turns code into viewable text, images, and videos on desktop and mobile devices. Example - Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, and Opera.
(Q) What is Cloud Platforms ?
Ans :- A cloud platform is a set of internet-based, virtualized computing services—including servers, storage, databases, and networking—that allows businesses to rent IT infrastructure on-demand rather than managing physical data centers. It provides scalable, pay-as-you-go resources for building, deploying, and managing applications. Example - Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform (GCP), IBM Cloud, Oracle Cloud, Alibaba Cloud, and DigitalOcean.
(Q) What is File ?
Ans :- A file is a named, organized collection of digital data or information stored on a computer, such as on a hard drive or SSD. Files act as the basic unit of storage for documents, images, audio, video, and software applications. Example :- documents (PDF, DOCX), images (JPG, PNG), audio (MP3, WAV), and video (MP4).
Common Examples of File Types
- Text Files: .txt, .docx, .pdf, .odt (e.g., resume.pdf)
- Image Files: .jpg, .png, .gif, .svg (e.g., photo.jpg)
- Audio Files: .mp3, .wav, .flac, .m4a (e.g., song.mp3)
- Video Files: .mp4, .mov, .avi (e.g., video.mp4)
- Spreadsheet Files: .xlsx, .csv (e.g., budget.csv)
- Executable/Program Files: .exe, .app, .sh (e.g., setup.exe)
- Data Files: .json, .xml, .parquet (e.g., data.json)
(Q) What is Folder ?
Ans:- A folder is an organizational unit on a computer. It can contain files, subfolders, and other digital items that are related to each other.
(Q) What is CSV ?
Ans :- CSV stands for Comma-Separated Values, a common plain-text file format (.csv) used to store tabular data like spreadsheets or databases. Each line in a CSV file represents a data record (row), and each value within that row is separated by a comma, making it easy to import/export data between different programs.
(Q) What is image ?
Ans :- An image is a visual representation of an object, person, scene, or abstract concept, existing either in physical form (photograph, painting) or as digital data. Digitally, images are stored as a grid of pixels (raster) or as mathematical formulas (vector).
Category of Image :-
- Raster Images: These are made of a fixed grid of tiny dots called pixels. They are best for complex photographs but lose quality (become "pixelated") when enlarged.
- Vector Images: These use mathematical equations to define shapes and lines. They can be scaled to any size without losing sharpness, making them perfect for logos and icons
| Format | Category | Best Use Case | Key Feature |
|---|---|---|---|
| JPEG (or JPG) | Raster | Web photos & social media | Small file size via "lossy" compression. |
| PNG | Raster | Logos & web graphics | Supports transparency and "lossless" quality. |
| SVG | Vector | Icons and website illustrations | Infinitely scalable without blurring. |
| GIF | Raster | Simple animations | Limited to 256 colors, supports looping motion. |
| WebP | Raster | Modern web performance | Better compression than JPEG/PNG. |
| TIFF | Raster | High-quality printing & scanning | Extremely detailed but very large file sizes. |
| RAW | Raster | Professional photography | Uncompressed data straight from a camera sensor. |
(Q) What is PDF ?
Ans :- PDF stands for Portable Document Format, a versatile file format created by Adobe in the 1990s. It is used to present, share, and print documents (text, images, links) while preserving their original, fixed layout, regardless of the software, hardware, or operating system used. It is an open, secure, and widely accepted standard for digital documents.
(Q) What is Cloud Notebook ?
Ans :- A Cloud Notebook is a browser-based application used for writing, running, and sharing code—primarily Python—directly in the cloud. Example - Google Colab (free GPU/TPU access), Hex (collaborative data app building), Vertex AI Workbench (enterprise-grade), and Deepnote.
(Q) What is GitHub ?
Ans :- GitHub is a leading web-based platform that uses Git version control to help developers host, manage, and share code repositories, enabling real-time collaboration. It allows teams to track changes, collaborate on software projects, and automate workflows, serving as a central hub for millions of software developers worldwide.
(Q) What is CPU ?
Ans :- A CPU (Central Processing Unit) is the primary component of a computer, often called its "brain," which executes instructions, performs calculations, and manages data flow. Located on the motherboard, it acts as the central processor for all hardware and software operations in computers, smartphones, and servers.
Example :- Intel Core (i3, i5, i7, i9) and AMD Ryzen (3, 5, 7, 9) for desktops/laptops. Mobile devices commonly use ARM-based processors like Qualcomm Snapdragon, Apple A-series, and MediaTek. Server-grade options include Intel Xeon and AMD EPYC.
(Q) What is GPU ?
Ans :- A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a specialized electronic circuit designed to rapidly manipulate and alter memory to accelerate the creation of images, videos, and complex mathematical computations.
Example :- Consumer-Grade GPUs (NVIDIA GeForce RTX series, AMD Radeon RX series) , Integrated Graphics (Intel Iris Xe) and Data Center Accelerators (NVIDIA A100/H100).
(Q) What is the Difference between CPU and GPU ?
| Feature | CPU (Central Processing Unit) | GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Role | The "brain" of the computer; handles all general system tasks. | A specialist processor for graphics and data-heavy calculations. |
| Cores | Few, but very powerful cores (typically 2–64). | Thousands of smaller, efficient cores. |
| Processing | Serial: Executes tasks one after another. | Parallel: Breaks tasks into many parts to run simultaneously. |
| Focus | Low Latency: Optimized to finish a single task as fast as possible. | High Throughput: Optimized to move massive amounts of data at once. |
| Examples | Web browsing, running OS, word processing. | Gaming, video rendering, AI/Machine Learning. |