COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER

Computer – is an electronic device that perform a set of functions according to their

users’ directions.

Computer System - is the combination of hardware and software. It should the ability to
receive user input, process data, and with the processed data, create information for
storage and/or output.

Three Basic Components of a Computer System

1. Input unit – help the users to enter data and commands the computer.
2. Central processing unit – processing takes place in the processing unit. It has
three main units such as Memory unit, Control unit and Arithmetic and Logic unit.
3. Output unit – after processing of data, it can be converted into a format which
humans can understand.

Three Main Units of a Central Processing Unit

 Memory Unit - once a user enters data using input devices, the computer system
stores this data in its memory unit.
 Control Unit – is the backbone of computers. It controls operations of other parts
of CPU and all parts of computer by sending control signal.
 Arithmetic and Logic Unit – is responsible for mathematical calculations and
logical comparison and decision.

Two Main Components of a Computer System

 Computer Hardware – refers to the physical components of a computer that can
be touched by us.
 Computer Software – is a collection of computer programs, procedures and
documentation that perform some tasks on a computer system.
External Hardware of a Computer Components
1. Input Devices – are used to put data and instructions into a computer.

Manual Input Devices Automatic Input Devices

 Keyboard  Magnetic Stripe Reader
 Mouse  Magnetic Ink Character
 Microphone Recognition
 Scanner  Chip and Pin Reader
 Numeric Keypad  Optical Mark Reader
 Light pen  Optical Character Reader
 Touch screen  Barcode Reader
 Digital Camera
 Web Cam

2. Output Devices – are used to get the result of the processing done by the
computer.

Types of Output Devices

 CRT Monitor – is a cathode ray tube which is the least expensive types of
monitor.
 TFT Monitor – is a thin film resistor which are the most popular computer
screens.
 Laser Printer – produce a high-quality hard copy output (on paper). It can print
large amounts of pages at a very quick rate.
 Inkjet Printer – has a small amounts of internal memory (RAM) to store print job
so printing is done in a bit of time.
 Dot Matrix Printer – is also called as Impact Devices where pins are pressed
against an inked ribbon which produces an imprint on paper.
 Plotter – produce a very high quality of print that is capable of printing on very
large pieces of paper.
 Speakers – can be connected directly to a computer or are built into the monitor
or casing.
 Multimedia Projectors – are usually controlled using remote control. Whatever
appears on a computer monitor can be seen into a very large screen.

3. Peripheral Devices – is non-essential hardware components that usually connect

to the system externally.
 Types of Peripheral Devices
 Keyboard – are used to input the text, numbers and instructions into the
computer.
 Mouse – used to control a pointer (curser) on a screen.
 Microphone – used to input analogue sounds into a digital computer.
 Webcam – is similar to digital cameras in their function but they are directly
connected to a computer and do not have memory storage.
 Scanner – used to enter information on paper (hard copies) into a computer.
 Joystick – is popular devices for gaming and used to control a pointer on a
screen.
 Speakers - receive audio input from the computer's sound card and produce
audio output in the form of sound waves.
 Printer – is a device that accepts text and graphic output from a computer and
transfers the information to paper, usually to standard size sheets of paper.

Types of Software
 Application Software – are programs that enable computer to perform a specific
data processing job for the user.
 System Software - is any computer software which manages and controls
computer hardware so that application software can perform a task.
 Utility Software – is special purpose of software that improves the operations of
system software by providing additional and specialized functionality to it.

Operating System
 Most important program that runs on a computer.
 Communication between the user and the computer.
 It deals with the loading and running of application programs and manages the
transfer of data and files.
 It controls the peripheral devices such as disk drives and printers.

Types of Operating System

1. Single User Systems - provides a platform for only one user at a time. It’s
associated with Desk Top operating system which run on standalone systems
where no user accounts are required.
 Example: DOS, Windows 95, Windows7, Mac OS.
2. Multi-user Systems – is also known as network operating system that allows
multiple user to use the same computer at the same time.

Example: UNIX, Novell Netware and Windows Server XXX

3. Multi-tasking Operating Systems – is any type of system that can run more than
one program at a time.

Example: Microsoft Windows 2000, IBM's OS/390 and Linux

4. Single-tasking Operating Systems – is designed to manage the computer so that

one user can effectively do one thing at a time.

Example: Palm OS for Palm handheld computers

5. Distributed Operating System – is an operating system that runs on several

machines whose purpose is to provide a useful set of services, generally to make
the collection of machines behave more like a single machine.

Example: Parallel Machines and Network Machines

6. Embedded Operating System - is a specialized operating system designed to

perform a specific task for a device that is not a computer. Also, it’s a computer
that supports a machine.

Example: Arduino, Traffic Lights, Digital Televisions, GPS Navigation systems

and Airplane Controls

Utility Program – is a type of system software that perform a specific task, usually
related to managing a computer device and computer programs.
Examples: Windows Explorer, Compression Tool, Anti-Virus Utilities, Disk
Defragmentation, Disk Clean, WinZip, WinRAR etc.

User Interfaces – is a method where the user and the computer exchange information
and instructions. Also, it controls how you enter data and how information is displayed
on the screen.
Two Main Types of User Interface
 Graphical User Interface (GUI) – are small pictures that represent actions and
the user chooses an option by clicking the mouse at an icon representing that
option.

Example: Windows and Mac OS

 Command line Interfaces (CLI) – allow the user to interact with the computer by
typing in commands (set of instruction).

Example: MS-DOS

WHY COMPUTER IS POWERFUL

 It can perform the information processing cycle operations (input, process,

output, and storage) with amazing speed.
 Reliability and Consistency (low failure rate)
 Accuracy
 It can store large amounts of data and information
 Ability to communicate with other computers
 Allow the users to access and share information