THE COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM

Hardware

The term hardware refers to all the tangible parts of the computer, that is, all the parts
that you can see or touch. These include the monitor, mouse, keyboard and disk
drives.

Software

The computer must have organized sets of instructions or programmes to make it work.
Programmes are also called software. You cannot see or touch software, you can only
see and touch the packaging in which it comes.

People

People are the users of the computer. It is people who design, build, programme and
maintain the computer system.

Data

Data consists of raw facts such as numbers, letters, special characters or symbols.
These convey little meaning individually, however, when they are combined and
processed they appear in context and convey meaning to people.

Procedures

Procedures are the instructions that tell a user how to operate and use the information
system.

Communication
Communication is the transmission of data from one computer to another, or from one
device to another. For example, modems, cables, and ports are all communications
devices. Communications software refers to programs that make it possible to transmit
data.

THE COMPUTER SYSTEM

Input Device CPU Output

(Central Processing Unit) Device

Storage or
Input/OutputDevices

A computer processes raw data into organized data. The essential sub-processes of a
computer system are:

1. Input – a process of reading data into the computer.

2. Process – data is processed according to a predetermined set of instructions
3. Storage – the process of writing data to a storage device for future use.
4. Output – the process of getting data from the computer

Compare the human eyes, brain and mouth with the basic components of a computer

system i.e. an input device, the CPU and an output device.

EYE BRAIN MOUTH

INPUT CPU OUTPUT

DEVICE DEVICE