INTRODUCING COMPUTER SYSTEMS

CCINCOML

COMPUTER SYSTEM

integrated set of components (hardware, software, data, and people) that work together to accept input, process it, store it, and produce output.

INPUT, PROCESSING, STORAGE, OUTPUT, CONTROL

KEY CHARACTERISTICS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

SOFTWARE, HARDWARE, PEOPLEWARE, DATA

MAJOR COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

HARDWARE

These are the tangible parts of a computer that you can touch and see

INPUT DEVICES

Used to enter data and commands

KEYBOARD

Used for typing text and commands

MOUSE

Used for pointing, clicking, and dragging

SCANNER

Converts physical documents to digital form

TOUCHSCREEN

Acts both as input and output

MICROPHONE

Captures audio for voice recognition or recording

CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)

• It is often called the brain of the computer because it carries out most of the processing inside a computer.

• Executes instructions and processes data.

FETCH, DECODE, EXECUTE

The (3) process that the CPU undergoes when opening a program

PRIMARY STORAGE

refers to the components of a computer that temporarily store data and instructions that the CPU needs while performing tasks. It is fast, volatile, and essential for a computer to operate.

RAM (RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY)

Temporarily stores data that the CPU uses while the computer is on.

ROM (READ-ONLY MEMORY)

Permanently stores essential instructions (like boot-up software)

SECONDARY STORAGE

refers to the non-volatile memory used to store data permanently - even when the computer is turned off. It holds all your files, applications, operating systems, and media.

HARD DISK DRIVE (HDD)

Magnetic storage for long-term data

SOLID STATE DRIVE (SSD)

Faster, more reliable alternative to HDDs

USB FLASHDRIVE

Portable storage

CLOUD STORAGE

Online storage (e.g. Google Drive, Onedrive)

OUTPUT DEVICES

any hardware component that receives data from a computer and presents it in a human-readable form, such as visual, audio, or physical output.

MONITOR

Displays visual output

PRINTER

Produces physical copies of digital documents

SPEAKERS

Outputs audio

PROJECTORS

Enlarges digital images for presentations

COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• are hardware components that enable a computer or electronic device to send or receive data to and from other devices or networks.

• They are essential for connecting to the internet, local networks, or other communication systems.

MODEM

connects to the internet

ROUTER

Routes data across networks

NETWORK INTERFACE CARD (NIC)

Hardware that connects a computer to a network

MOTHERBOARD

• The main circuit board of a computer.

• It connects all the essential components — like the CPU, RAM, storage devices, power supply, and peripherals;

• allowing them to communicate and work together.

• It is sometimes called the system board, mainboard, or logic board.

POWER SUPPLY UNIT (PSU)

• Converts electricity into usable power for the system.

• It is a critical component of a computer that converts electrical power from a wall outlet into usable power for the internal parts of the computer, such as the motherboard, CPU, GPU, storage devices, and fans.

SOFTWARE

consists of programs that instruct the hardware on what to do.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE

controls the internal operations of a computer.

OPERATING SYSTEM (OS)

Manages hardware, files, and tasks
Ex. Windows, macOS, Linux, Android

UTILITY PROGRAMS

Support system maintenance and performance.

Ex. Antivirus, Disk Cleanup, Backup tools

DEVICE DRIVERS

Translate software commands into signals the hardware understands.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE

performs specific tasks for the user.

OFFICE APPLICATIONS

Examples are: Word processors, spreadsheets, presentations.

WEB BROWSER

Examples are: Chrome & Firefox

MEDIA PLAYERS

Examples are: VLC & Windows Media Player

DESIGN SOFTWARE

Examples are: Photoshop & AutoCAD

PROGRAMMING SOFTWARE

Used to write, debug, and compile code.

IDE (INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT)

Examples are: VS Code & Eclipse

COMPILER

Converts high-level code to machine code

DEBUGGER

Helps find and fix errors in code

PEOPLEWARE (HUMANWARE)

“The Users” ; “Humans are an essential part of a computer system.”

END-USERS

People who use computers for work, communication, gaming, etc.

IT PROFESSIONALS

These people are: Developers, system analysts, engineers, technicians.

HUMANS

Without ______ to input commands or maintain the systems, computers are just idle machines.

DATA

is the raw material that computer systems work with. It can be:

• Text

• Numbers

• Images

• Audio

• Video

COMPUTER SYSTEM

performs a series of essential functions to process data and produce meaningful results.

INPUT, PROCESS, STORAGE, OUTPUT, CONTROL

These functions form the information processing cycle and are commonly broken down into five key functions which are:

INPUT

The process of entering data and instructions into the computer system.

PROCESSING

The operation of converting raw data into useful information using the CPU.

Ex. Calculating a total in a spreadsheet, editing an image, or executing software instructions.

STORAGE

The process of saving data and instructions for future use.

PRIMARY STORAGE

temporary, fast, used during processing

(Ex. RAM)

SECONDARY STORAGE

permanent, used for long-term data saving.

(Ex. HDD, SSD)

OUTPUT

The process of presenting processed data (information) to the user.

Devices used: Monitor, printer, speakers, projector.

Example: Viewing a report on-screen, printing an invoice, hearing music from speakers.

MICROCOMPUTERS, WORKSTATIONS, SERVERS, MAINFRAME COMPUTERS, SUPERCOMPUTERS, EMBEDDED SYSTEM, MOBILE DEVICES

TYPES OF COMPUTER SYSTEMS.

MICROCOMPUTERS/PERSONAL COMPUTERS

• For individual use (desktops, laptops, tablets)

• Used for everyday tasks like browsing, word processing, gaming

WORKSTATIONS

• are high-end desktop computers specifically design for technical or scientific applications.

• They are more powerful than standard personal computers and are built to handle resource-intensive professional tasks.

SERVERS

• is a powerful computer or system that provides resources, data, services, or programs to other computers, known as clients, over a network.

• in simpler terms, it “serves” information to other devices

• Types: Web servers, file servers, database servers

MAINFRAME COMPUTERS

• powerful, large-scale machines designed to process and manage massive amounts of data quickly and reliably.

• they are primarily use by large organizations that require high-volume data processing, extreme reliability, and robust security.

SUPERCOMPUTERS

• is the most powerful and fastest type of computer available.

• It is capable of performing billions or even trillions of calculations per second

• ideal for high-level scientific and engineering tasks that require extreme processing power.

EMBEDDED SYSTEM

• is a special-purpose computer system that is built into a larger device or machine.

• design to perform one specific task or a small set of related tasks efficiently and reliably.

• Example: Washing machine - controls washing cycles and water levels.

MOBILE DEVICES

• are small, lightweight, and portable computing devices that allow users to access applications, services, and data while on the move.

• They are typically operated via touchscreen interfaces and run on battery power.