INTRODUCTION

What is a computer?
A computer is an electronic device that executes the instructions in a
program. A computer has four functions:
a. accepts data
Input
b. processes data
Processing
c. produces output
Output
d. stores results
Storage

Some Basic Terms

Hardware the physical parts of the computer.
Software
the programs (instructions) that tell the computer
what to do
Data
individual facts like first name, price, quantity
ordered
Information data which has been massaged into a useful
form, like a complete mailing address

A workstation is part of a computer network and generally would be

expected to have more than a regular desktop PC of most everything, like
memory, storage space, and speed.
The market for the smallest PCs is expanding rapidly. Software is becoming
available for the small types of PC like the palmtop (PPC)
and handheld (HPC).
Main frame
The main frame is the workhorse of the business world. A main frame is the
heart of a network of computers or terminals which allows hundreds of
people to work at the same time on the same data. It requires a special
environment - cold and dry.
Supercomputers
The supercomputer is the top of the heap in power and expense. These are
used for jobs that take massive amounts of calculating, like weather
forecasting, engineering design and testing, serious decryption, economic
forecasting, etc.

What makes a computer powerful?

Speed

A computer can do billions of actions per second.

Reliabilit
y

Failures are usually due to human error, one way or

another. (Blush for us all!)

Storage

A computer can keep huge amounts of data.

LESSON 1 : COMPUTER TYPES

A microcomputer is
a
small,
relatively
inexpensive computer with
a microprocessor as its central processing unit (CPU). It includes a
microprocessor, memory, and input/output (I/O) facilities.
A local area network (LAN) is a computer network that interconnects
computers within a limited area such as a residence, school, laboratory, or
office building. A local area network is contrasted in principle to a wide area
network (WAN), which covers a larger geographic distance and may
involve leased telecommunication circuits, while the media for LANs are
locally managed.

Mobile operating system

Personal or micro
When talking about PC computers, most people probably think of
the desktop type, which are designed to sit on your desk. (Bet you figured
that one out!) The tower and the smaller mini-tower style cases have
become popular as people started needing more room for extra drives inside.
Repairmen certainly appreciate the roominess inside for all the cables and
circuit boards ... and their knuckles.

A mobile
operating
system (or mobile
OS)
is
an operating
system for smartphones, tablets, PDAs, or other mobile devices. While
computers such as the typical laptop are mobile, the operating systems
usually used on them are not considered mobile ones as they were originally
designed for bigger stationary desktop computers that historically did not
have or need specific "mobile" features. This distinction is getting blurred in
some newer operating systems that are hybrids made for both uses.

Mobile
operating
systems
combine
features
of
a personal
computer operating system with other features useful for mobile or handheld
use; usually including, and most of the following considered essential in
modern mobile systems; a touchscreen, cellular, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS
mobile
navigation, camera, video
camera, speech
recognition, voice
recorder, music player, near field communication and infrared blaster.

2002 BlackBerry releases its first smartphone.

2005 Nokia introduces Maemo OS on the first internet tablet N770.

2007 Apple iPhone with iOS is introduced as an iPhone, "mobile

phone" and "internet communicator."[2]

Mobile devices with mobile communications capabilities (e.g. smartphones)

contain two mobile operating systems the main user-facing software
platform is supplemented by a second low-level proprietary real-time
operating system which operates the radio and other hardware. Research
has shown that these low-level systems may contain a range of security
vulnerabilities permitting malicious base stations to gain high levels of control
over the mobile device.[1]

2007 Open
Handset
Alliance (OHA)
formed
by Google, HTC, Sony, Dell, Intel, Motorola, Samsung, LG, etc.[3]

2008 OHA releases Android (based on Linux Kernel) 1.0 with

the HTC Dream (T-Mobile G1) as the first Android phone.

2009 Palm introduces webOS with the Palm Pre. By 2012 webOS
devices were no longer sold.

2009 Samsung announces the Bada OS with the introduction of

the Samsung S8500.

2010 Windows Phone OS phones are released but are not

compatible with the previous Windows Mobile OS.

2011 MeeGo the first mobile Linux, combining Maemo and Moblin, is
introduced with the Nokia N9, a collaboration of Nokia, Intel and Linux
Foundation

2011 Samsung, Intel and the Linux Foundation announced, in

September 2011, that their efforts will shift from Bada, MeeGo
to Tizen during 2011 and 2012.

2011 the Mer project was announced, in October 2011, centered

around an ultra-portable Linux + HTML5/QML/JavaScript core for
building products with, derived from the MeeGo codebase.

2012 Mozilla announced in July 2012 that the project previously

known as "Boot to Gecko"(which was built on top of Android Linux kernel
and using Android drivers, however it doesn't use any Java-like code of
Android) was now Firefox OS and had several handset OEMs on board.

2013 Canonical announced Ubuntu Touch, a version of the Linux

distribution expressly designed for smartphones. The OS is built on the

History
Mobile operating system milestones mirror the development of mobile
phones and smartphones:

19731993 Mobile
operation.

phones use embedded

systems to

control

1995
The
first smartphone,
touchscreen, email and PDA features.

1996 Palm Pilot 1000 personal digital assistant is introduced with

the Palm OS mobile operating system.

the IBM

Simon,

has

1996 First Windows CE Handheld PC devices are introduced.

1999 Nokia S40 OS is officially introduced along with the Nokia 7110.

2000 Symbian becomes the first modern mobile

smartphone with the launch of the Ericsson R380.

OS

on

2001 The Kyocera 6035 is the first smartphone with Palm OS.
2002 Microsoft's first Windows CE (Pocket PC) smartphones are
introduced.

Android Linux kernel, using Android drivers, but does not use any of the
Java-like code of Android.[4]

Android's releases are named after sweets or dessert items (except for the
first and second releases):

2013 BlackBerry releases

smartphones, BlackBerry 10.

1.1 - Alpha

1.2 - Beta

1.5 - Cupcake

1.6 - Donut

2.0.x & 2.1 - Eclair

2.2.x - Frozen Yogurt ("Froyo")

2.3.x - Ginger Bread (Minor UI Tweak)

3.x.x - Honeycomb (Major UI revamp)

4.0.x - Ice Cream Sandwich (Minor UI Tweak)

Current software platforms

4.1.x, 4.2.x & 4.3.x - Jelly Bean

Android

4.4.4 - KitKat

5.0.1 & 5.1.1 - Lollipop (Major UI revamp)

6.0 - Marshmallow

their

new

operating

system

2013 Google releases Android KitKat 4.4.

2014 Microsoft releases Windows Phone 8.1 in February 2014.

2014 Apple releases iOS 8 in September 2014.

2014 BlackBerry release BlackBerry 10.3 with integration with

the Amazon Appstore in September 2014.

2014 Google releases Android 5.0 "Lollipop" in November 2014.

2015 Apple releases iOS 9 in September 2015.

for

2015 Google releases Android 6.0 "Marshmallow" in September

2015.

Android (based on the Linux Kernel) is from Google Inc.[5] Besides having the
largest installed base worldwide on smartphones, it is also the most popular
operating system for general purpose computers (a category that includes
desktop computers as well as mobile devices), even though Android is not a
popular operating system for regular ("desktop") PCs. Although the Android
operating system isfree and open-source software,[6] in actual devices, much
of the software bundled with it (including Google apps and vendor-installed
software) is proprietary and closed source.[7]
Android's releases prior to 2.0 (1.0, 1.5, 1.6) were used exclusively on mobile
phones. Android 2.x releases were mostly used for mobile phones but also
some tablets. Android 3.0 was a tablet-oriented release and does not
officially run on mobile phones. The current Android version is 5.0.

AOKP
AOKP,short for Android Open Kang Project is an custom ROM which based
on Android Open Source Project(AOSP). Similar to CyanogenMod, AOKP
allows Android users who can no longer obtain update support from their
manufacturer to continue updating their OS version to the latest one based
on official release from Google AOSP and heavy theme customization
together with customizable system functions.
Current AOKP version list:

AOKP(Based on Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" 4.0.x)

AOKP(Based on Android "Jelly Bean" 4.1.x - 4.3.x)

AOKP(Based on Android "KitKat" 4.4.x)

CyanogenMod 4 (Based on Android "Cupcake" and "Donut" 1.5.x

and 1.6.x)

CyanogenMod 5 (Based on Android "Eclair" 2.0/2.1)

CyanogenMod 6 (Based on Android "Froyo" 2.2.x)

CyanogenMod 7 (Based on Android "Gingerbread" 2.3.x)

ColorOS
ColorOS is based on the open source Android Open Source
Project(AOSP) and develop by OPPO Electronics Corp. Currently, ColorOS
are officially release together with every OPPO devices and OPPO had
release an official ColorOS ROM for Oneplus One.
Current ColorOS version list:

ColorOS 1.0 (Based on Android "Jelly Bean" 4.1.x - 4.3.x)(Initially

release)

ColorOS 2.0 (Based on Android "KitKat" 4.4.x)(Minor UI upgrade)

ColorOS 2.1 (Based on Android "Lollipop" 5.0.x - 5.1.x)(Minor UI

upgrade)

CyanogenMod
CyanogenMod is based on the open source Android Open Source
Project(AOSP). It is a custom ROM that was co-developed by the
CyanogenMod community; therefore, the OS does not include any
proprietary apps unless the user installs them. Due to its open source nature,
CyanogenMod allows Android users who can no longer obtain update
support from their manufacturer to continue updating their OS version to the
latest one based on official release from Google AOSP and heavy theme
customization. The current version of the OS is CyanogenMod 12 which is
based on Android Lollipop.
Current CyanogenMod version list:

CyanogenMod 3 (Based on Android "Cupcake" 1.5.x, initial release)

CyanogenMod 9 (Based on Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" 4.0.x,

major UI revamp)

CyanogenMod 10 (Based on Android "Jelly Bean" 4.1.x - 4.3.x)

CyanogenMod 11 (Based on Android "KitKat" 4.4.x)

CyanogenMod 12 (Based on Android "Lollipop" 5.0.x - 5.1.x, major

UI revamp)

CyanogenMod 13 (Based on Android "Marshmallow" 6.0.x)(Under

developing)

Cyanogen OS
Same as it predecessor which is based on Google's Android Open Source
Project(AOSP) and maintain by Cyanogen Inc, however it included
proprietary apps and it is only available for commercial uses. The current
version of the OS is Cyanogen OS 12 which is based on Android Lollipop.
Current Cyanogen OS version list:

Cyanogen OS 11s (Based on Android "KitKat" 4.4.x, initial release)

Cyanogen OS 12 (Based on Android "Lollipop" 5.0.x - 5.1.x, major UI

revamp)

Cyanogen OS 13 (Based on Android "Marshmallow" 6.0.x)(Under

developing)

Fire OS

Fire OS is an operating system launched by Amazon which based on

Google's Android Open Source Project(AOSP). Currently only few devices
are installed with Fire OS, which is Fire Phone, Kindle Fire series and
Amazon's Fire TV. Although the OS was built on top on Google's AOSP,
however it does not pre-install Google apps and ship with custom Amazon
services.

MIUI has been developed by a Chinese electronic company Xiaomi Tech, a

partially closed source OS based on Google Android Open Source
Project(AOSP). MIUI is found in Xiaomi Smartphone such as the Mi and
Redmi Series, however it also has official support ROM for few Android
devices.
Current MIUI version list:

Current Fire OS version list:

Fire OS 3.0.x (Based on Android "Jelly Bean" 4.2.2, official release

as Fire OS)

Fire OS 4.x.x (Based on Android "Jelly Bean" and "KitKat" 4.2.2 and
4.4.x, major UI revamp to match the Amazon's Fire Phone)

Fire OS 4.x.x (Based on Android "Lollipop" 5.0.x - 5.1.x)(Under

developing)

MIUI V1 (Based on Android "Froyo" 2.2.x, initial release)

MIUI V2 (Based on Android "Froyo" 2.2.x, redesign UI)

MIUI V3 (Based on Android "Gingerbread" 2.3.x, redesign UI)

MIUI V4 (Based on Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" and "Jelly Bean"

4.0.x and 4.1.x, redesign UI)

MIUI V5 (Based on Android "Jelly Bean" and "KitKat" 4.1.x - 4.3.x

and 4.4.x, redesign UI)

Flyme OS is develop by Meizu, an open source OS based

on Google Android Open Source Project(AOSP). Mostly, Flyme OS is
installed on Meizu Smartphones such as the MX's series, however it also has
official support ROM for few Android devices.

MIUI V6 (Based on Android "KitKat" and "Lollipop" 4.4.x and 5.0.x,

redesign UI)

MIUI V7 (Based on Android "KitKat" and "Lollipop" 4.4.x and 5.0.x)

Current Flyme OS version list:

Nokia X platform

Flyme OS

Flyme OS 1.0.x (Based on Android "Ice Cream Sandwich" 4.0.3,

initial release)

Flyme OS 2.x.x (Based on Android "Jelly Bean" 4.1.x - 4.2.x)

Flyme OS 3.x.x (Based on Android "Jelly Bean" 4.3.x)

Nokia X platform are develop by Nokia Corporation and later on maintain

by Microsoft Mobile. It is project which based on the open source Android
Open Source Project(AOSP)and it removed all the Google Services and
Apps and only consists of Nokia and Microsoft apps to replace the apps and
service that they had been removed off, it overall UI is the mimic of Windows
Phone UI.

Flyme OS 4.0.x (Based on Android "KitKat" 4.4.x)

Current Nokia X platform version list:

Flyme OS 5.0.x (Based on Android "Lollipop" 5.0.x - 5.1.x)

MIUI

Nokia X platform 1.x.x (Based on Android "Jelly Bean" 4.1.x)(Initially

release)

Nokia X platform 2.x (Based on Android "Jelly Bean" 4.3.x)(Minor UI

tweak)

OxygenOS
OxygenOS are based on the open source Android Open Source
Project(AOSP) which develop by OnePlus to replace Cyanogen OS on the
Oneplus devices such as Oneplus One, however it is preinstall on Oneplus
Two and Oneplus X. As stated by Oneplus, OxygenOS are focus on
stabilization and maintain the "stock" like such as those found on Nexus
devices, it consist mainly Google apps and minor UI customization to
maintain the sleekness of "pure" Android.
Current OxygenOS version list:

Oxygen OS 1.0.X (Based on Android "Lollipop" 5.0.x)(Initial release)

Oxygen OS 2.0.X (Based on Android "Lollipop" 5.1.x)(Overall
maintenance update)

iOS
iOS (previously known as iPhone OS) is from Apple Inc.[5] It has the second
largest installed base worldwide on smartphones, but the largest profits, due
to aggressive price competition between Android-based manufacturers. [8] It is
closed source and proprietary and built on open source Darwin core OS. The
Apple iPhone, iPod
Touch, iPad and
second-generation Apple
TV all
use iOS, which is derived from OS X.
Native third party applications were not officially supported until the release
of iOS 2.0 on July 11, 2008. Before this, "jailbreaking" allowed third party
applications to be installed, and this method is still available.
Currently all iOS devices are developed by Apple and manufactured
by Foxconn or another of Apple's partners.
As of 2014, the global market share of iOS was 15.4%. [9]
Current iOS version list:

iPhone OS 1.x

iPhone OS 2.x

iPhone OS 3.x

iOS 4.x

iOS 5.x

iOS 6.x

iOS 7.x (Major UI revamp)

iOS 8.x

iOS 9.x

Windows Phone (Windows 10 Mobile)

Windows Phone (Soon to be Windows 10 Mobile) is from Microsoft. It is
closed source and proprietary. It has the third largest installed base on
smartphones behind Android and iOS.
Unveiled on February 15, 2010, Windows Phone includes a user interface
inspired by Microsoft's "Metro Design Language". It is integrated with
Microsoft services such asOneDrive and Office, Xbox Music, Xbox
Video, Xbox Live games and Bing, but also integrates with many other nonMicrosoft services such as Facebook and Google accounts. Windows Phone
devices are made primarily by Microsoft Mobile/Nokia, and also
by HTC and Samsung.
On 21 January 2015, Microsoft announced that the Windows Phone brand
will be phased out and replaced with Windows 10 Mobile, bringing tighter
integration and unification with its PC counterpart Windows 10, and provide a
platform for smartphones as well as tablets with screen size under 8 inches.
By the end of 2014, Windows Phone had a global market share of 2.7%. [10]
Current Windows Phone version list:

Windows Phone 7

Windows Phone 7.5

Windows Phone 7.8 (Minor UI tweak)

Windows Phone 8 (GDR1, GDR2 & GDR3) & (Minor UI tweak)

Windows Phone 8.1 (GDR1 & GDR2) & (Minor UI tweak)

According to Ars Technica, "Mozilla says that B2G is motivated by a desire to

demonstrate that the standards-based open Web has the potential to be a
competitive alternative to the existing single-vendor application development
stacks offered by the dominant mobile operating systems." [12]
Current Firefox OS version list:

1.0.x

1.1.x

1.2.x

1.3.x

1.4.x

1.5.x

Once one of the dominant platforms in the world, its global market share was
reduced to 0.4% by the end of 2014.[10]

2.0.0

Current BlackBerry 10 version list:

2.1.0

BlackBerry 10.0

2.2.0

BlackBerry 10.1

2.5.0

BlackBerry 10.2

Sailfish OS

BlackBerry 10.3 (Major UI revamp)

Sailfish OS is from Jolla. It is partly open source and adopts GPL (core and
middleware), however the user interface is closed source.

BlackBerry 10.4 (Developing, expected to release by 2016)

Windows 10 Mobile developer preview 14219 (Major UI revamp)

BlackBerry 10
BlackBerry 10 (based on the QNX OS) is from BlackBerry. As a smart phone
OS, it is closed source and proprietary, and only runs on phones and tablets
manufactured by Blackberry.

Firefox OS
Firefox OS[11] is from Mozilla. It is open source and is released under
the Mozilla Public License. It is built on the Android Linux kernel and uses
Android drivers, but doesn't use any Java-like code of Android.

After Nokia failed in 2011 with the MeeGo project most of the MeeGo team
left Nokia, and established Jolla as a company to use MeeGo and MER
business opportunities. In 2012 Linux Sailfish OS based on MeeGo and
using MER core distribution has been launched for public use. The first
device, Jolla (mobile phone) was unveiled on 20 May 2013.
Each Sailfish OS version releases are named after Finnish lakes:

1.0.0.5 - Update - (Kaajanlampi)

1.0.1.1x - Update 1 (Laadunjrvi)

1.0.2.5 - Update 2 (Maadajvri)

1.0.3.8 - Update 3 (Naamankajrvi)

1.0.4.20 - Update 4 (Ohijrvi)

1.0.5.1x - Update 5 (Paarlamp)

1.0.7.16 - Update 7 (Saapunki)

1.0.8.19 - Update 8 (Tahkalampi)

1.1.0.3x - Update 9 (Uitukka)

1.1.1.2x - Update 10 (Vaarainjrvi)

1.1.2.1x - Update 11 (Yliaavanlampi)

1.1.4.28 - Update 13 (ijnpivnjrvi)

1.1.6.27 - Update 15 (Aaslakkajrvi)

1.1.7.24 - Update 16 (Bjrntrsket)

Tizen is an operating system for devices including smartphones, tablets, invehicle infotainment (IVI) devices, and smart TVs. It is an open source
system(However the SDK was closed source and proprietary) that aims to
offer a consistent user experience across devices. Tizen's main components
are the Linux kernel and the WebKit runtime. According to Intel, Tizen
"combines the best of LiMo and MeeGo." HTML5apps are emphasized, with
MeeGo encouraging its members to transition to Tizen, stating that the
"future belongs to HTML5-based applications, outside of a relatively small
percentage of apps, and we are firmly convinced that our investment needs
to shift toward HTML5." Tizen will be targeted at a variety of platforms such
as handsets, touch pc, smart TVs and in-vehicle entertainment. [13][14] On May
17, 2013, Tizen released version 2.1, code-named Nectarine. [15]
Currently Tizen are the fourth largest Mobile OS in term of market share.
Current Tizen version list:

1.1.9.28 - Update 17 pre-transition

(Eineheminlampi)(Major UI revamp)

2.0.0.10 - Update 18 complete-transition to Sailfish 2.0 (Saimaa)

(Minor UI and functionality improvement)

to

Sailfish

OS

2.0

1.0 (Larkspur)

2.0 (Magnolia)

2.1 (Nectarine)

2.2.x

2.3.x

2.4 (Under developing, minor UI tweak)

3.0 (Possible future update, under developing)

Ubuntu Touch OS

Tizen

Ubuntu Touch OS is from Canonical Ltd.. It is open source and uses

the GPL license.[15] The OS is built on the Android Linux kernel, using Android
drivers, but does not use any of the Java-like code of Android.

Tizen is hosted by the Linux Foundation and support from the Tizen
Association, guided by a Technical Steering Group composed
of Intel and Samsung.

Discontinued software platforms

Bada

Bada platform (stylized as bada; Korean: ) was an operating system for

mobile devices such as smartphones and tablet computers. It was developed
by Samsung Electronics. Its name is derived from " (bada)", meaning
"ocean" or "sea" in Korean. It ranges from mid- to high-end smartphones. To
foster adoption of Bada OS, since 2011 Samsung reportedly has considered
releasing the source code under an open-source license, and expanding
device support to include Smart TVs. Samsung announced in June 2012
intentions to merge Bada into the Tizen project,but would meanwhile use its
own Bada operating system, in parallel with Google Android OS and
Microsoft Windows Phone, for its smartphones. All Bada-powered devices
are branded under the Wave name, but not all of Samsung's Androidpowered devices are branded under the name Galaxy. On 25 February 2013,
Samsung announced that it will stop developing Bada, moving development
to Tizen instead.Bug reporting was finally terminated in April 2014. [16]

Palm OS
Palm OS/Garnet OS was from Access Co. It is closed source and
proprietary. webOS was introduced by Palm in January 2009 as the
successor to Palm OS with Web 2.0 technologies, open architecture and
multitasking capabilities.
webOS

The Symbian platform was developed by Nokia for certain models of

smartphones. It is proprietary software. The operating system was
discontinued in 2012, although a slimmed-down version for basic phones
was still developed until July 2014. Microsoft officially shelved the platform in
favor of Windows Phone after the acquisition of Nokia.[17]

webOS was developed by Palm, although some parts are open source.
webOS is a proprietary mobile operating system running on the Linux kernel,
initially developed by Palm, which launched with the Palm Pre. After being
acquired by HP, two phones (the Veer and the Pre 3) and a tablet
(the TouchPad) running webOS were introduced in 2011. On August 18,
2011, HP announced that webOS hardware was to be discontinued [21] but
would continue to support and update webOS software and develop the
webOS ecosystem.[22] HP released webOS as open source under the name
Open webOS, and plans to update it with additional features. [23] On February
25, 2013 HP announced the sale of WebOS to LG Electronics, who used the
operating system for its "smart" or Internet-connected TVs. However HP
retained patents underlying WebOS as well as cloud-based services such as
the App Catalog.

Windows Mobile

Maemo

Windows Mobile is a discontinued operating system from Microsoft that it

replaced with Windows Phone.[5][18] It is closed source and proprietary.

Maemo was a platform developed by Nokia for smartphones and Internet

tablets. It is open source and GPL, based on Debian GNU/Linux and draws
much of its GUI,frameworks and libraries from the GNOME project. It uses
the Matchbox window manager and the GTK-based Hildon as its GUI
and application framework.

Symbian

The Windows CE operating system and Windows Mobile middleware was

widely spread in Asia (which mostly uses Android now). The two improved
variants of this operating system, Windows Mobile 6 Professional (for touch
screen devices) and Windows Mobile 6 Standard, were unveiled in February
2007. It was criticized for having a user interface which is not optimized for
touch input by fingers; instead, it is more usable with a stylus. Like iOS, and
most other Mobile OS, it supports both touch screen, physical and Bluetooth
keyboard configurations.
Windows Mobile's market share sharply declined to just 5% in Q2 of 2010. [19]
[20]
Microsoft phased out the Windows Mobile OS to focus on Windows
Phone.

MeeGo
MeeGo was from non-profit organization The Linux Foundation. It is open
source
and
GPL.
At
the
2010 Mobile
World
Congress in
Barcelona, Nokia and Intel both unveiled 'MeeGo', a mobile operating system
that combined Moblin and Maemo to create an open-sourced experience for
users across all devices. In 2011 Nokia announced that it would no longer
pursue MeeGo in favor of Windows Phone. Nokia announced the Nokia

N9 on June 21, 2011 at the Nokia Connection event [24] in Singapore. LG

announced its support for the platform.[25]
LiMo
LiMo was from the LiMo Foundation. LiMo Foundation launched LiMo 4 on
February 14, 2011. LiMo 4 delivers middleware and application functionality,
including a flexible user interface, extended widget libraries, 3D window
effects, advanced multimedia, social networking and location-based
service frameworks, sensor frameworks, multi-tasking and multi-touch
capabilities. In addition, support for scalable screen resolution and consistent
APIs means that the platform can deliver a consistent user experience
across multiple device types and form factors.[26]

What is Hardware?
Hardware is the physical parts of the computer system the parts that you
can touch and see.
A motherboard, a CPU, a keyboard and a monitor are all items of hardware.

PARTS
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The CPU is the 'brain' of the computer. It is the device that carries out
software instructions.
The Pentium processor made by Intel is an example of a CPU.
CPUs usually plug into a large socket on the main circuit board (the
motherboard) of a computer. They get very hot when they are operating so
usually have a large fan attached to their top to keep them cool.
The

speed

of

CPU

is

measured

in Hertz (Hz).

The speed generally corresponds to the number of actions the CPU can
perform every second.
1 Megahertz (MHz) is 1,000,000 (1 million) Hertz
1 Gigahertz (GHz) is 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) Hertz
A typical, modern, fast CPU runs at around 2.8GHz. That means it can
perform almost 3 billion actionsevery second!
Main Memory

What is Software?

Any data or instructions that are to be processed by the CPU must be placed
into main memory (sometimes known as primary storage).

Software is a collection of instructions that can be run on a computer. These

instructions
tell
the
computer
what
to
do.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Software is not a physical thing (but it can of course be stored on a physical

medium such as a CD-ROM), it is just a bunch of codes.

Random Access Memory (RAM) is the part of the computer thattemporarily

stores the instructions that the computer is running, and the data it is
processing.

An operating system such as Windows XP or Mac OS X, applications such

as Microsoft Word, and the instructions that control a robot are all examples
of software.

RAM is a volatile storage device. This means that if the computers power is
turned
off
the
contents
of
RAM
disappear
and
are lost.

The Difference Between Hardware and Software

RAM, like the CPU, also plugs in to sockets on the motherboard.

Computer hardware is the physical components that make up the computer

system. Hardware is useless without software to run on it.

When a computer is in use, its RAM will contain

The operating system software
The application software currently being used
Any data that is being processed

Software is instructions that tell computer hardware what to do. Software is

useless
unless
there
is
hardware
to
run
it
on.
For a computer system to be useful it has to consist of both hardware and
software.

The

storage

capacity

of

memory

is

measured

in Bytes.

Usually RAM can hold millions of bytes of data, so you will see capacities
measured in:

Megabytes (MB) or 1,000,000 (1 million) Bytes

Gigabytes (GB) or 1,000,000,000 (1 billion) Bytes
So, if a computer has 2GB of RAM, it can hold 2 billion bytes of data and
instructions at any time.

What is Secondary / Backing Storage?

Read-Only Memory (ROM)

Secondary storage (sometimes called backing storage) is the name for all of
the devices (apart from ROM and RAM) that can store data in a computer
system.

Read-Only Memory (ROM) is used in most computers to hold a small,

special
piece
of
software:
the
'boot
up'
program.

A hard drive, a CD-ROM, a floppy disc and a USB memory stick are all
examples
of
secondary
storage
devices.

This software runs when the computer is switched on or 'boots up'. The
software checks the computers hardware and then loads the operating
system.

Secondary storage is non-volatile, so data that is stored on these devices

remains there safely.

ROM is non-volatile storage. This means that the data it contains isnever
lost, even if the power is switched off.
This 'boot up' software is known as the BIOS (Basic Input Output System)

An operating system is a special piece of software that manages the

general
operation
of
a
computer
system:

Peripheral Devices
Technically, a computer need only be made up of a CPU and some RAM. But
a computer like this would not be much use to anybody other devices need
to be connected to allow data to be passed in and out of the computer.
The general name for these extra devices is peripheral devices. They are
usually categorised into input devices, output devices andstorage devices.

What Are Input Devices?

It provides a user interface so that we can interact with the computer

It manages applications that are running on the computer, starting
them when the user requests, and stopping them when they are no
longer needed
It manages files, helping us save our work, organise our files, find
files that we have saved and load files
It manages the computers memory, deciding what should be loaded
into memory and what should be removed
It looks after computer security, preventing unauthorised access to
the system
It manages the computers input and output hardware such as
printers, etc.

Devices that pass data into the computer are known as input devices.

Without

A keyboard, a mouse and a webcam are all examples of input devices.

But, just having an operating system running alone on a computer is also not
very useful - we need to have application software (such as Word, Excel,
etc.) so that we can actually do useful tasks with the computer.

They all take information from the outside world (key presses, hand
movements, images), convert them into data and then send this data into the
computer for processing.

an

operating

system,

computer

is

Different Types of Software

What Are Output Devices?

Type

Operating systems

Devices that take data from the computer are known as output devices.

Example
s

Microsoft Windows. Linux. Macintosh OS X.

Purpose

Control your computer.

Type

Word processors

A monitor, a printer and a loudspeaker are all examples of output devices.

They all take information from the computer and convert it into real world
things (images, paper hardcopy, sound).

of

little

use.

Example
s

Word. Corel WordPerfect. AbiWord.

Purpose

Write essays, novels, reports, or other types of text.

Type

Spreadsheets

Example
s

Excel. Lotus 1-2-3. VisiCalc.

Purpose

Track budgets or investments, or make other calculations.

Type

Presentation software

Example
s

PowerPoint.

Purpose

Create slideshows for meetings.

Type

Database management systems

Example
s

Access. Oracle. Sybase. 4th Dimension.

Purpose

Organize and filter lists of data, such as addresses or

inventories.

Type

Photo editors

Example
s

Photoshop. Fireworks. PhotoPaint. Gimp.

Purpose

Change digital photos and other images.

Type

Games

Example
s

The Sims. PacMan. Minesweeper.

Purpose

Have fun playing or experiencing challenges.

Type

Desktop publishing

Example
s

PageMaker. InDesign. QuarkXPress.

Purpose

Make a magazine, a poster, or an advertisement.

Type

Computer-aided design (CAD) software

Example

AutoCAD. SolidWorks. MicroStation.

s
Purpose

Create blueprints or designs.

Type

Web browsers

Example
s

Internet Explorer. Netscape. Mozilla Firefox. Opera. Safari.

Purpose

View pages on the World Wide Web.

Type

E-mail clients

Example
s

Outlook. Eudora. Entourage.

Purpose

Send letters and files to other people.

And these categories are just the beginning.

Programmers have also created software to do the following tasks:
Organize employee schedules
Encode messages to protect bank transactions and other private
information
Change speech into type
Format screenplays
Determine how to get the most lumber from a log
Count down seconds, like an egg timer
Create music CDs
Block unwanted advertisements on the World Wide Web or in e-mail
Keep track of airplane traffic
Design Web sites
Edit sound recordings
Help create more software
INTERNAL COMPONENTS
1) THE MOTHERBOARD
The motherboard is a printed circuit board that houses most, if not all of the
internal components. These include the Central Processor and the Memory
cards as well as sound cards, graphics cards, video cards, any ports such as
USB 2.0 or Firewire and the DVI port which handles the Monitor.
2) THE PROCESSOR
The processor is a computer chip that carries out instructions given by
computer programs and handles all the day to day tasks that a PC has to do.
They used to use up an entire circuit board, but nowadays, microprocessors
like this one handle everything from just one chip.

3) RAM
RAM is a type of temporary computer data storage. It deals with temporary
data requests such as keeping windows open on a desktop or just viewing a
file. RAM can often be overloaded which is what happens if a window freezes
during shutdown or stops working.
The more RAM you have (8GB is the biggest), more windows and processes
can be open than if you only have little Ram (e.g. 1GB).
4) HARD DISK DRIVE (HDD)
The Hard Disk drive is a type of permanent computer data storage. Data is
retrieved by using a series of rapidly spinning magnetic disks that store the
data. The spindle physically writes the data to the magnetic disk and is a very
delicate piece of hardware that must be handled carefully.
Unlike RAM, hard drives retain data even if the machine is powered off or cut
off unexpectedly because of a power cut. Data can be lost if the hard drive
breaks or becomes corrupt.

working if they become clogged by dust or any foreign bodies, so require

regular cleaning.
9) GRAPHICS CARD
The graphics card is a type of expansion card that processes and produces
outputs for displays. These are a crucial component that monitors rely on.
They also handle output of video (such as S-Video) to projectors. They also
have their own fans as this type of card gets hot quickly and needs instant
cooling.
10) SOLID STATE DRIVES (SSD)
Solid State Drives are drives that have no actual mechanical parts and are a
form of computer data storage. There construction resembles that of a giant
memory card found in digital cameras. These drives boot up faster than
traditional hard disks, but they have less storage than their magnetic disks
counterparts. They are also less susceptible to shock than regular hard
disks, reducing damage to the drive itself.
EXTERNAL COMPONENTS

5) CD-ROM DRIVE
A CD Rom drive is a drive that reads compact discs only, but now expands to
DVDs as well. These use laser beams to read the data on the disc. Drives
like this one connect to the motherboard via SATA cables usually on internal
drives, external drives connect via USB.
The laser inside can move around to scan the CD from any angle. Constant
reading by laser can cause scratches to the disc and the laser wont read it
properly as the scratches affect this process.
6) POWER SUPPLY
The Power Supply unit is a switch operated unit that converts mains AC
electricity into DC electricity that powers all the internal components. These
units have many cooling systems to them so that they do not overheat. Also,
a fan on the front makes sure that power constantly flows to the PSU and
cools the system so it does not break down.
7) POWER CABLE
These cables are connected to the Power Supply Unit and cables that look
like this power the motherboard and is the largest connector found on a PCs
motherboard. Without these, the computer would not work, so are an
essential internal component.
8) FAN
A fan inside a computer is a fan that sucks cool air into the PC case and
blows hot air out of the case and stops any key components overheating.
This is an essential part of a computers cooling system. Fans can stop

1) MONITOR
The monitor is the display for a PC. This is where anything you can see is
displayed. Monitors vary in size and use LCD screens for better quality. They
connect to your PC through a DVI or HDMI cable attached to the graphics
card. Newer monitors use OLED rather than LCD because they produce
more high quality visuals, but do cost more than LCD screens.
2) KEYBOARD
The keyboard is the main way of typing on a PC. When typed, each key
produces a letter on the screen. Keyboards vary depending on what they are
used for, some are basic and used for normal activity or specialist keyboards
that control computer functions are also used in specialist industries.
Keyboards connect to a PC wirelessly or use USB cables.
3) MOUSE
The mouse is the primary way of navigating a computer. The mouse used to
have a ball that could move in any direction. Now, infra red lasers have
replaced the ball and are more efficient than the ball mice. Currently, touch
controlled mice with no physical buttons are being tested but are not as good
as the laser or ball mice currently used on many PCs.
4) PRINTER
The printer is computer hardware that will print anything written or created on
a PC onto paper, whether it be text or photos. Printers on the market today
use either inkjet (liquid ink) or laser (toner) technology. They also have other

functions besides printing, this includes copying, faxing and scanning making
it a useful piece of hardware.
5) COMPUTER CASING
The computer casing is the housing for all the internal components of the PC.
These are usually made from steel because they need to be durable. These

are often quite bulky, but are the best for enthusiasts because there is plenty
of room to work inside and all the components are easy to remove whereas
laptops are harder to work on due to the enclosed space.