INTRODUCTION TO  Permanent Storage Devices such as

COMPUTERS PART hard disks

HARDWARE Memory
Hardware Components Two types of memory:
 Processing components  ROM (read only memory)
 Input / Output components – permanent storage
 RAM (random access memory)
A computer has four basic components, – working memory used for primary
although most have many more added-on storage
components. At its most basic, a computer  Volatile
must consist of a  Temporary storage
CPU
input controllers Secondary Storage Devices
output controllers, and  also known as secondary memory
storage media.  provides a means to store large
volumes of data and software even if
Processing Components the power supplies are switched off
 Central Processing Unit (CPU)
 Consists of: Input / Output Components
 Arithmetic and Logic Unit  Used to pass instructions /
(ALU) information to the computer to
 Control Unit (CU) display or record the output
 Internal Memory generated by the computer
 Types of devices:
The central component of a computer is the  Input-only devices
central processing unit (CPU)  Both input and output devices
ALU – performs mathematical and logical  Output-only devices
operations
Control Unit – consists of electrical circuits Input-only devices
that control/direct all operations in the  Allows the computer to receive
computer system information from the outside world
Internal Memory – i.e. CPU registers is used  Brings data/information INTO the
for processing transactions computer system
 Most common input-only devices:
 Other key components  Keyboard
 Motherboard  Mouse
 Primary (Main Memory)  Others: microphone, scanner
Storage Devices and web cam/camera
 Secondary Storage Devices
Input Devices  Bring information OUT of a
 Infrared keyboard computer system
 Mouse  Most common output-only devices:
 Finger mouse  Monitor
 Light pen  Printer
 Graphic tablet  Speaker
 Card reader  Two types of outputs:
 Webcam / Camera  Hardcopy
 Virtual Reality Head Mount /  Softcopy
Augmented Reality  Forms of outputs:
 Document Scanner / Magic Wand  Text
 QR Code Reader  Data files
 RFID  Sound
 Medical Equipment: MRI and Eye  Graphics
scanner  Signals to other devices
 Barcode Reader / Scanner  Monitor
 Radar gun  Headphones
 Biometric Scanners  Speakers
 Projectors
Output Devices  3D Printer
 Allows the computer to report its
results to the external world
Input-Output Devices
 Capable of doing both input and
output activities, such as:
 Touchscreen
 Medical Charts
 Smartphones
SOFTWARE
Two types of software
 Applications software
 Systems software
 Software is often divided into
 application software (programs that
do work users are directly interested
in) and
 system software controls the
interaction of the hardware
components and the application
software (which includes operating
systems and any program that
supports application software –
utility).
 . A software can be something as
simple as a calculator program.
 System Software - controls and
manages the computer resources and
the execution of application software
 Application Software - programs
designed to help the end-user to
accomplish a task.
Categories of Software
 Middleware
 Embedded software
 Programming software
 Utility software
 Applets
 The term middleware is sometimes used to
describe programming that mediates between
application and system software or between
two different kinds of application software
(for example, sending a remote work request
from an application in a computer that has
one kind of operating system to an
application in a computer with a different
operating system).
 Embedded software resides as firmware
within embedded systems, devices dedicated
to a single use.
 Programming software includes tools in the
form of programs or applications that
software developers use to create, debug,
maintain, or otherwise support other
programs and applications. The term usually
refers to relatively simple programs such as
compilers, debuggers, interpreters, linkers,
and text editors, that can be combined
together to accomplish a task, much as one
might use multiple hand tools to fix a
physical object. Programming tools are
intended to assist a programmer in writing
computer programs, and combined in an
integrated development environment (IDE)
to more easily manage all of these functions.
 An additional and difficult-to-classify
category of software is the utility, which is a
small useful program with limited capability.
 Some utilities come with operating systems. OS X and its types
Like applications, utilities tend to be  Public Beta: "Kodiak"
separately installable and capable of being  Version 10.0: "Cheetah"
used independently from the rest of the  Version 10.1: "Puma"
operating system.  Version 10.2: "Jaguar"
 - Designed to help analyze, configure,  Version 10.3: "Panther"
optimize or maintain a computer  Version 10.4: "Tiger“
 Applets is small applications that sometimes  Version 10.5: "Leopard"
come with the operating system as
"accessories." They can be created (named after “Big Cats”)
independently using the Java or other  Version 10.6: "Snow Leopard"
programming languages.  Version 10.7: "Lion"
 - A very small application, especially a  Version 10.8: "Mountain Lion"
utility program performing one or a few  Version 10.9: "Mavericks"
simple function  Version 10.10: "Yosemite”
 Version 10.11: "El Capitan"
System Software Operating Systems
Operating Systems (OS)  iOS
 a collection of software  Android
 manages computer hardware resources  Windows Phone 7
 provides common services for computer  Blackberry
programs  Other available OS
a vital component of the system software in  UNIX and UNIX-like
a computer system where application operating systems
programs usually require an operating  BSD and its descendants
system to function (NeXTSTEP)
 GNU/Linux, and Linux
kernel
 Google Chrome OS –
Chromium
 UNIX was originally written in
assembly language. Ken Thompson
wrote B language, mainly based on
BCPL language, based on his
experience in the MULTICS project.
B was replaced by C language, and
UNIX, rewritten in C, developed into
a large, complex family of inter-
related operating systems which have
 been influential in every modern
operating system.
 The UNIX-like family is a diverse
group of operating systems, with
several major sub-categories
including System V, BSD, and
Linux. The name "UNIX" is a
trademark of The Open Group which
licenses it for use with any operating
system that has been shown to
conform to their definitions. "UNIX-
like" is commonly used to refer to
the large set of operating systems
which resemble the original UNIX.
 A subgroup of the UNIX family is
the Berkeley Software Distribution
family, which includes FreeBSD,
NetBSD, and OpenBSD. These
operating systems are most
commonly found on webservers,
although they can also function as a
personal computer OS. The Internet
owes much of its existence to BSD,
as many of the protocols now
commonly used by computers to
connect, send and receive data over a
network were widely implemented
and refined in BSD. The World Wide
Web was also first demonstrated on a
number of computers running an OS
based on BSD called NeXTSTEP.
 Linux (or GNU/Linux) is a Unix-like
operating system that was developed
without any actual UNIX code,
unlike BSD and its variants. Linux
can be used on a wide range of
devices from supercomputers to
wristwatches. The kernel is released
under an open source license, so
anyone can read and modify its code.
 Figure 10 - Standard user interface of
OS X
 OS X (formerly "Mac OS X") is a
line of open core graphical operating
systems developed, marketed, and
sold by Apple Inc., the latest of
which is pre-loaded on all currently
shipping Macintosh computers. OS
X is the successor to the original
Mac OS, which had been Apple's
primary operating system since 1984.
Unlike its predecessor, OS X is a
UNIX operating system built on
technology that had been developed
at NeXT through the second half of
the 1980s and up until Apple
purchased the company in early
1997.
 Figure 14 - Chromium logo
 Chromium is an operating system
based on the Linux kernel and
designed by Google. Since
Chromium OS targets computer
users who spend most of their time
on the Internet, it is mainly a web
browser with limited ability to run
local applications, though it has a
built-in file manager and media
player. Instead, it relies on Internet
applications (or Web apps) used in
the web browser to accomplish tasks
such as word processing, as well as
online storage for storing most files.
Applications Software
 General kinds of applications
software:
 Productivity
 Presentation
 Graphics
  CAD/CAM
 Specialized Scientific
applications
 Vertical market or industry
specific
 Some general kinds of application
software include:
 Productivity software - any
application used to "produce"
information. Virtually any program
used to create or modify a document,
image, audio or video clip is
productivity software. Office suites
that include word processing and
spreadsheets have typically been
referred to as productivity software.
Contrast with "utility program," such
as a file manager, which supports
using the computer
 Figure 17 - MS Office logo, old (L)
and new (R)
 word processors spreadsheets
 tools for use by most computer users
 Presentation software - presentation
program (also called a presentation
graphics program) is a computer
software package used to display
information, normally in the form of
a slide show. It typically includes
three major functions: an editor that
allows text to be inserted and
formatted, a method for inserting and
manipulating graphic images and a
slide-show system to display the
content.
 Graphics software for graphic
designers - graphics software or
image editing software is a program
or collection of programs that enable
a person to manipulate visual images
on a computer. In addition to static
graphics, there are animation and
video editing software. Most
graphics programs have the ability to
import and export one or more
graphics file formats.
 CAD/CAM software - CAD / CAM
(computer-aided design and
computer-aided manufacturing) is a
term that refers to computer systems
that are used to both design and
manufacture products. While CAD is
the use of computer technology for
the process of design and design
documentation, CAD / CAM
systems are used both for designing a
product and for controlling
manufacturing processes. The
geometries in the CAD drawing are
used by the CAM portion of the
program to control a machine that
creates the exact shape that was
drawn.
 Specialized scientific applications –
software’s typically used in scientific
research and experiments, and, at
times in documenting and
manufacturing of scientific
discoveries.
 Vertical market or industry-specific
software – most are business related
software’s
 Banking
 Insurance
 Retail
 Manufacturing environment
 Two general categories of
applications software:
 Horizontal applications
  general purpose • personal/business tax management,
applications • accounting and more.
 targets multiple users Vertical applications are niche products,
 Vertical applications designed for a particular type of business or
 customized division in a company.
applications A vertical application is software that is
 built for specific users defined and built according to a user’s
specific requirements in order to achieve
Application software falls into two general specific functions and processes that are
categories; horizontal applications and unique to that user.
vertical applications. It is usually customized for a target
Horizontal applications are the most popular enterprise or organization in order to meet
and widespread in departments or its own special needs.
companies. These applications may support the business
A horizontal application is any software or organization in different business units
application that is designed to be used by like sales, marketing, inventory and overall
many different types of users and management, but may not work for another
businesses. business that do not have very similar
It is a type of generic application that has processes to the one for which it was built.
usability and utility within a broad range of Vertical applications are simply targeted for
users. specific users or a niche, unlike horizontal
A horizontal application can also be called a applications, which are created with a
general-purpose application. broader audience in mind.
Techopedia explains Horizontal Application
A horizontal application is designed to
provide multiple functions for
users/businesses with different backgrounds.
It is one of the most commonly used
application types because it can be used by
most types of users to support or
complement routine tasks and business
processes. Typically, a horizontal
application is a stand-alone application that
operates independently.
Common types of horizontal applications
include productivity/business applications
such as:
• word processing,
• spreadsheet,
• presentation,