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Unit 4: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the unit, the students should be able to:

 Identify the hardware, Input, Process, Output and Storage

INTRODUCTION
Components of A Computer System: A computer system mainly has three components viz. Input Unit, Central
Processing Unit and Output Unit. These components are the building blocks of a computer and define its
architecture.

LESSON 1: HARDWARE
LEARNING CONTENT
Computer - Hardware

Computer hardware is the umbrella term for the physical parts of a computer. Review the definition, examples,
and components of hardware by exploring the different types of computers and their corresponding hardware.
A computer system consists of two major elements: hardware and software. Computer hardware is the collection
of all the parts you can physically touch. Computer software, on the other hand, is not something you can touch.
Software is a set of instructions for a computer to perform specific operations. You need both hardware and
software for a computer system to work.
Some hardware components are easy to recognize, such as the computer case, keyboard, and monitor.
However, there are many different types of hardware components. In this lesson, you will learn how to recognize
the different components and what they do.
Overview of Computer Hardware

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Unit 4: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

This refers to the physical elements or the equipment of the computer. Examples: Keyboard, Monitor, Mouse,
and Processing Unit.
Computer Hardware is the physical parts of components of a computer, such as a monitor, mouse, keyboard,
computer data storage, hard disk drive (HDD), system unit (graphic cards, sound card, memory, motherboard,
and chips), and so on, all of which are physical objects that can be touched (that is they are tangible)
Components of Computer Hardware
1. Input/output
2. System Unit
3. Processing Unit
4. Storage devices
Input Devices are hardware devices that take information from the user of the computer system, convert it into
electrical signals, and transmit it to the processor. The primary function of input devices is to allow humans to
interact with the computer system. For instance, a mouse allows controlling the movement of the pointer (a
common element in user interface design).
Output Devices take data from the computer system and convert it into a form that can be interpreted by humans.
For instance, a monitor creates a visual electronic display to output information created by the processor to the
user.
System Unit box-like case that contains the electronic circuits that cause the processing of data to occur. Part of
the computer system where the computing is done. This is where the computer programs are executed. And the
data is manipulated. It consists of the central processing unit(CPU), memory (Random Access Memory-RAM),
and other electronics.
Processing Devices are components responsible for the processing of information within the computer system.
This includes devices such as the CPU, memory, and motherboard.
Storage Devices are components that allow data to be stored within a computer system. This includes devices
such as hard drives and compact disk drives.
Basic Input Services
1. Keyboard
2. Mouse
3. Scanner
4. Touchpad

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Output Devices
1. Speaker
2. Monitor
3. Printer

Other Parts of the Computer

Arithmetic /Logic Unit – contains the electronic circuitry necessary to perform arithmetic and logical operations
on data
Communications Devices- enables a computer to connect to other computers. Devices that enable a computer
to connect other components; include modems and network interface cards.
Control Unit – the component in any computing system that works in coordinating with the central processing
unit to instruct, maintain and control the flow of information.
Central processing Unit(CPU) – The component in any computing system that represents the circuitry necessary
to interpret and execute program instructions, it consists of the control unit, arithmetic/ logic unit, and the
controller. It is the corollary to the brain in organic systems.
Source:https://classnotes.ng/lesson/computer-hardware-computer-science-
ss2/#:~:text=OVERVIEW%20OF%20COMPUTER%20HARDWARE%201%20Input%20devices%20are,proces
sing%20of%20data%20to%20occur.%20...%20More%20items

LESSON 2: INPUT, PROCESS, OUTPUT, AND STORAGE DEVICES

LEARNING CONTENT
Computer Input, Processing, Output, and Storage Devices
Understanding the classification of computer input, processing, output, and storage devices in accordance with
their function helps students or computer users clearly distinguish between the various components of the
computer system.
Computer devices are components that help to make the computer system interacts within itself and its
environment. A computer system refers to the computer itself and all other components associated with the
functionalities of the computer including human beings operating the computer. Computer devices include input,
output, processing, and storage.
COMPUTER INPUT DEVICES

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Unit 4: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

Computer Input is the collection of raw data/facts; hence translating into image, word, sound, and action that
people understand into a form that the System Unit can understand and process. (e.g. using a form on the
website to collect visitor’s opinions, collecting facts about a research project, typing, and processing using the
computer keyboard or mouse). Computer input can simply be defined as the information entered into a computer
system including typed text, mouse clicks, etc.

Computer Input devices are those responsible for the insertion of data into the computer, that is instructing the
computer. They are devices that enter information into a computer from an external source. Data is referred to
as the “raw material” for information at a particular time.

Trackball: A pointing device like a mouse only with the ball on the top of the device instead of the bottom. A
trackball is a pointing device consisting of a ball held by a socket containing sensors to detect a rotation of the
ball about two axes like an upside-down mouse with an exposed protruding ball.
Optical Recognition Devices: These use a light source to read codes, marks, and characters and convert them
into digital data that can be processed by a computer. It is widely used as a form of data entry from printed paper
data records, whether passport documents, invoices, bank statements, computerized receipts, business cards,
mail, printouts of static data, or any suitable documentation.
Touch Screen: Allows you to touch areas of the screen with your fingers to enter data. A touch screen is a
computer display screen that is also an input device. The screens are sensitive to pressure; a user interacts with
the computer display screen that is also an input device. The screens are sensitive to pressure; a user interacts
with the computer by touching pictures or words on the screen.
Mouse: A small palm sized input device that you move across a flat surface to control the movement of the
pointer on the screen. It actually has a shape like a real mouse.
Joystick: Is a cursor control device used in computer.
Keyboard: Is the set of typewriter like keys used to enter data into a computer. Keyboards are similar to typewriter
keyboards but contain additional keys.
COMPUTER PROCESSING DEVICES (CPU)

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Unit 4: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

Computer Processing is the means by which computer programs and instructions are being executed. It is
actually the process of transforming input (data) into output (information).

Computer Processing devices are those devices directly responsible for the transformation of data into
information. The processor is the main component in the System unit capable of interpreting computer program
instruction and processes data. Another vital component for processing is the RAM; It receives and temporarily
stores data and program instruction to/from the CPU.

COMPUTER OUTPUT DEVICES

Computer Output refers to processed data called information. Output is the process of transmitting the
processing data into a form that makes sense to humans.

Computer Output devices are those use to display data that has been processed either in hardware or software
form to make sense to an individual or group of persons. They are simply defined as any device used by a
computer to communicate information in a usable form. Information is referred to as the result of processed data
that makes sense in life.

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Monitor is an electronic visual display for computers. The monitor comprises the display, circuitry, and an
enclosure.
Printer: A printer is an external hardware output device that takes the electronic data stored on a computer or
other device and generates a hard copy.
Speakers: are one of the most common output devices used with computer systems. Some speakers are
designed to work specifically with computers, while others can be hooked up to any type of sound system.
Regardless of their design, the purpose of speakers is to produce audio output that can be heard by the listener.
Headset: A headset is a hardware device that connects to a telephone or computer, allowing the user to talk and
listen while keeping their hands free. Headsets are commonly used in technical support and customer service
centers, and allow the employee to talk to a customer while typing information into a computer.
Projector: A projector is an output device that projects an image onto a large surface, such as a white screen or
wall.
Plotter: A plotter is a computer hardware device much like a printer that is used for printing vector graphics.
Instead of toner, plotters use a pen, pencil, marker, or another writing tool
COMPUTER STORAGE DEVICES
Computer storage refers to the action of a computer that permits it to store data and information, while computer
storage devices refer to those devices responsible for the storing of these data and information. A computer
storage device is a mechanical apparatus that has the ability to store data and also retrieve this data. Those
devices that store data for a long time are said to be permanent storage devices while those that store data or
information for a short time are referred to as temporal storage devices.

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Computer storage devices are divided into two;

PRIMARY STORAGE DEVICES
This refers to those storage devices which are incorporated with the motherboard of the system.(the system unit
is the box–like structure which contains the processor, RAM, motherboard, and many other hardware
components in the case of a desktop computer). They have a small storage capacity.
They constitute the RAM and the ROM.

i)RAM (Random Access Memory)

It stores information temporarily for the purpose of processing and loses the information in case of power failure.
Hence it is the term volatile memory.

As the name implies, information or data stored on this device will be lost in case of power failure. It stores data
temporarily in order to feed the processor with data to be processed and also stores information temporarily after
processing before onward storage to secondary storage (HDD).

This memory can permit information to be read from it and to be written to it.

ii)ROM (read-only memory)

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Unit 4: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

This memory stores information permanently. It contains the manufacturer’s information. From the name read-
only, information on this memory can only be read, it cannot be added, replace, or deleted. In clear terms read-
only means the information cannot be edited. This memory is used to store the basic set of information called
BIOS (Basic Input, Output System). It contains information for starting up the computer. The information is said
to be hard-wired on the motherboard of the computer.

Software stored on the ROM is often called firmware because is more like hardware than software.

SECONDARY STORAGE DEVICES

These are storage devices that have the ability to store data for a long period of time. They can only store data
or information but they cannot carry out any control, logical, or arithmetic function. Their example includes; Hard
disk, Flash disk, Memory card, etc.

These devices are externally attached to the computer system unit or connected to the computer using a bus
cable. The most common storage devices are made up of Magnetic storage having large storage capacity and
fast access of data ( for hard disk, diskette, and tape storage), and Optical storage ( for CD-ROM, WOROM,
AND DVD). Information on these devices is being stored to be used by a computer user when need be. They
will retain their information in case of power failure. They generally have high storage capacity and information
or data on it may be edited.

NOTE: Some devices such as digital cameras and touch screen functions both as input and output.

Informative System:
An information processing system is a system that takes information from one form (be it electrical, mechanical
or biological) and process (transform) it to another form by an algorithmic process. An example of such a system
is the computer.

The diagram below clearly explains the input, processing, and output devices and how they function.

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Unit 4: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

LESSON 3: OPERATING SYSTEMS AS PART OF SOFTWARE

LEARNING CONTENT
What is an Operating System?

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Unit 4: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

An operating system is the primary software that manages all the hardware and other software on a computer.
The operating system, also known as an “OS,” interfaces with the computer’s hardware and provides services
that applications can use.
What Does an Operating System Do?
An operating system is the core set of software on a device that keeps everything together. Operating systems
communicate with the device’s hardware. They handle everything from your keyboard and mice to the Wi-Fi
radio, storage devices, and display. In other words, an operating system handles input and output devices.
Operating systems use device drivers written by hardware creators to communicate with their devices.
Operating systems also include a lot of software—things like common system services, libraries, and application
programming interfaces (APIs) that developers can use to write programs that run on the operating system.
The operating system sits in between the applications you run and the hardware, using the hardware drivers as
the interface between the two. For example, when an application wants to print something, it hands that task off
to the operating system. The operating system sends the instructions to the printer, using the printer’s drivers to
send the correct signals. The application that’s printing doesn’t have to care about what printer you have or
understand how it works. The OS handles the details.

The OS also handles multi-tasking, allocating hardware resources among multiple running programs. The
operating system controls which processes run, and it allocates them between different CPUs if you have a
computer with multiple CPUs or cores, letting multiple processes run in parallel. It also manages the system’s
internal memory, allocating memory between running applications.

The operating system is the one big piece of software running the show, and it’s in charge of everything else.
For example, the operating system also controls the files and other resources these programs can access.

Most software applications are written for operating systems, which lets the operating system do a lot of the
heavy lifting. For example, when you run Minecraft, you run it on an operating system. Minecraft doesn’t have to

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Unit 4: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

know exactly how each different hardware component works. Minecraft uses a variety of operating system
functions, and the operating system translates those into low-level hardware instructions. This saves the
developers of Minecraft—and every other program that runs on an operating system—a lot of trouble.

When we say “computers” run operating systems, we don’t just mean traditional desktop PCs and laptops. Your
smartphone is a computer, as are tablets, smart TVs, game consoles, smartwatches, and Wi-Fi routers.
An Amazon Echo or Google Home is a computing device that runs an operating system.

Familiar desktop operating systems include Microsoft Windows, Apple macOS, Google’s Chrome OS, and Linux.
The dominant smartphone operating systems are Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.

Other devices, such as your Wi-Fi router, may run “embedded operating systems.” These are specialized
operating systems with fewer functions than a typical operating system, designed specifically for a single task—
like running a Wi-Fi router, providing GPS navigation, or operating an ATM.

Where Do Operating Systems End and Programs begin?

Operating systems also include other software, including a user interface that lets people interface with the
device. This may be a desktop interface on a PC, a touchscreen interface on a phone, or a voice interface on a
digital assistant device.

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An operating system is a large piece of software made of many different applications and processes. The line
between what’s an operating system and what’s a program can sometimes be a little blurry. There’s no precise,
official definition of an operating system.

For example, on Windows, the File Explorer (or Windows Explorer) application is both an essential part of the
Windows operating system—it even handles drawing your desktop interface—and an application that runs on
that operating system.

The Core of an Operating System is the Kernel

At a low level, the “kernel” is the core computer program at the heart of your operating system. This single
program is one of the first things loaded when your operating system starts up. It handles allocating memory,
converting software functions to instructions for your computer’s CPU, and dealing with input and output from
hardware devices. The kernel is generally run in an isolated area to prevent it from being tampered with by other
software on the computer. The operating system kernel is very important but is just one part of the operating
system.

The lines here can be a little fuzzy, too. For example, Linux is just a kernel. However, Linux is still often called
an operating system. Android is also called an operating system, and it’s built around the Linux kernel. Linux
distributions like Ubuntu take the Linux kernel and add additional software around it. They’re referred to as
operating systems, too.

Many devices just run “firmware“—a type of low-level software that’s generally programmed directly into the
memory of a hardware device. Firmware is usually just a small bit of software designed to do only the absolute
basics.

When a modern computer boots up, it loads UEFI firmware from the motherboard. This firmware is low-level
software that quickly initializes your computer’s hardware. It then boots your operating system from your

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Unit 4: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

computer’s solid-state drive or hard drive. (That solid-state drive or hard drive has its own internal firmware,
which handles storing data on the physical sectors inside the drive.)
The line between firmware and an operating system can get a little blurry, too. For example, the operating
system for Apple’s iPhones and iPads, named iOS, is often called “firmware.” The PlayStation 4’s operating
system is officially called firmware, too.

These are operating systems that interface with multiple hardware devices, provide services to programs, and
allocate resources among applications. However, a very basic firmware that runs on a TV remote control, for
example, isn’t generally called an operating system.
Source: https://www.howtogeek.com/361572/what-is-an-operating-
system/#:~:text=The%20operating%20system%20is%20the%20one%20big%20piece,system%20do%20a%20
lot%20of%20the%20heavy%20lifting.
Summary about Operating System
An operating system (OS) is basically a collection of software that manages computer hardware resources and
provides common services for computer programs. The operating system is a crucial component of the system
software in a computer system.
We can probably see that the term operating system covers many roles and functions. That is the case, at
least in part, because of the myriad designs and uses of computers. Nowadays, Computers are present within
toasters, cars, ships, spacecraft, homes, and businesses. They are the foundation for game machines, music
players, cable TV tuners, and industrial control systems. Since computers have a relatively short history, they
have evolved rapidly. Computing started as an associate experiment to work out what can be done and quickly
enraptured to fixed-purpose systems for military uses, like code breaking and flight plotting, and governmental
uses, such as census calculation.
The early computers evolved into general-purpose, multifunction mainframes, and that’s when operating
systems were born. In the 60s, Moore’s Law foreseen that the number of transistors on an integrated circuit
would double every eighteen months, and that prediction has held true. Computers gained in functionality and
shrunk in size, which leading to a vast number of uses and a vast number and variety of operating systems.
Normally, we have no completely adequate definition of an operating system.
Operating systems exist as they offer a reasonable way to solve the problem of creating a usable computing
system. The basic goal of computer systems is to execute user programs and to make solving user problems
easier. Computer hardware is built toward this goal. As bare hardware alone is not particularly easy to use,
application programs are developed. These programs need certain common operations, such as those
controlling the I/O devices.
The common functions of controlling and allocating resources are then brought together into one piece of
software: the operating system. Additionally, we have no universally accepted definition of what is part of the
operating system. A simple viewpoint is that it includes everything a vendor ships when we order “the operating
system.” The features included, however, vary greatly across systems. Some of the systems take up less than
a megabyte of space and lack even a full-screen editor, whereas others require gigabytes of space and are
based entirely on graphical windowing systems
. A lot of common definition, and the one that we usually follow, is that the operating system is the one program
running at all times on the computer—usually called the kernel. In the year 1998, the United States Department
of Justice filed suit against Microsoft, in essence claiming that Microsoft included too much functionality in its

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Unit 4: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

operating systems and thus prevented application vendors from competing. (For an example, a Web browser
was an integral part of the operating systems.) As a result, Microsoft was found guilty of using its operating-
system monopoly to limit competition.
Today, however, if we look at operating systems for mobile devices, we see that once again the number of
features constituting the operating system is increasing. Not only a core kernel is included in mobile operating
systems but also middleware—a set of software frameworks that provide additional services to application
developers.
For example, each of the two most prominent mobile operating systems—Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android—
features a core kernel along with middleware that supports databases, multimedia, and graphics
Source: https://www.tutorialspoint.com/operating-system-definition
]

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