Lecture 2

Introduction to
computer systems

Architecture of computer systems.

Lecture Outline
What is a Computer?
Different types of computer
Hardware 
Software
Basic components of computer
Input & Output devices
Inside of computer: Motherboard, CPU,
RAM, Power Supply, Expansion Cards 

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 What is a
COMPUTER?

A computer is an electronic
device that manipulates
information or data. It has the
ability to
store
retrieve
process 
produce output data
 Data vs. Information

Data is a collection of facts and figures. Information

is defined as processed data. There is a subtle
difference between data and information. Data are
the details from which information is derived.
Individual pieces of data are rarely useful alone.
Data can be any character, text, words, number,
pictures, sound, or video and, if not put into context,
means little or nothing to a human. However,
information is useful and usually formatted in a
manner that allows it to be understood by a human .
What may be information for one person may be data
for another person. this is true when we see
information flows in managerial hierarchy.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMPUTER

1 4
Personal Computers Server

2 5
Laptop Smartphones

3 6
Tablet Wearables
Personal Computer

They cost less and are suitable for

house and individual use;
They consist of a computer case,
monitor, keyboard, mouse, CPU, Hard
disks, etc.;
They are used basically for simple tasks
such as documentation, writing simple
programs, to watch movies, listen to the
music, to browse the Internet to check
emails, to download material from web
sites etc.
Laptop

They are very small in size compared

to PCs.
They are portable and run on battery.
Here, monitor, keyboard, mouse,
storage devices are integrated as
one device and get a common power
supply.
Tablet

A tablet is a wireless touch screen

personal computer (PC) that is smaller
than a notebook but larger than a
smartphone.

Tablet computers resemble
smartphones in some ways and can also
be used to take photos, make phone
calls, send messages, record videos and
perform other tasks that can be
performed by a smartphone as well.
 Workstation

They are high end PCs.

They contain more memory and a high
speed processor compared toPCs.
They host software requiring more
resources.
They are used in business but by a
single user. Typical work done on
workstations includes video editing,
animation, drafting of an architectural
design, animation etc.
 Server
They are super fast, high configured
computers intended to serve the node
in a network.
Nodes in turn are PCs. They are
connected to a server which hosts all
or most of the software required by
them.
Computers communicate with each
other through an underlying framework
called Network.
 Supercomputer

A supercomputer is a computer that led

the world in terms of processing
capacity, particularly speed of
calculation, at the time of its
introduction.
Today, they have the capacity to do
huge processing of data including
scientific and military applications.
They are the one which enable news
channels around the world to bring you
up-to-date weather information.
Hardware & Software
 Software
Software is a set of instructions and documentations
that tells a computer what to do or how to perform
a task.
Software includes all different software programs on
a computer, such as application and system
software. 
Examples of system soft: Operating Systems
(Windows, UNIX, MacOS, etc.), game engine, etc.
Examples of Application soft: Wordprocessor,
Spreadsheet, Database, Graphics program, Internet
Browser, Email and others.
 Hardware
Internal hardware devices include
motherboards, hard drives, external slots,
power supply and RAM. The internal
hardware parts of a computer are often
referred to components

External hardware devices include

monitor, keyboard, mouse, speaker, printer
and scanner. External hardware devices
are usually called peripherals.
Input / Output devices

Input devices allow you to enter information

into a computer for further storage and
processing as well as Output devices are used
to retrieve information from a computer.

For instance, a keyboard or computer mouse is

an input device for a computer, while monitors
and printers are output devices.
BASIC COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER
Computer Case
includes motherboard, central processing unit
(CPU), and power supply, etc.

Monitor
usually have LCD (liquid crystal display) or LED
(light-emitting diode) displays

Keyboard
Ergonomic, Wireless

Mouse
two main types of mouse: optical and
mechanical
Inside a case

Motherboard
The motherboard is the computer's
main circuit board.
It's a thin plate that holds the CPU,
memory, connectors for the hard drive
and optical drives, expansion cards to
control the video and audio, and
connections to your computer's ports
(such as USB ports).
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 CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The central processing unit (CPU), also called a

processor, is located inside the computer case on
the motherboard.
It is sometimes called the brain of the computer, and
its job is to carry out commands.
Whenever you press a key, click the mouse, or start
an application, you're sending instructions to the
CPU.The CPU is usually a two-inch ceramic square
with a silicon chip located inside.
A diagram of the processor construction
 Primary Memory and Secondary Memory

Memory is a fundamental component of the

computer that is categorized into primary and
secondary memory. Primary memory is the
main memory of the computer which can be
directly accessed by the central processing
unit, whereas secondary memory refers to the
external storage device which can be used to
store data or information permanently. While
both serve the same purpose; that is to store
data or instructions for further processing by
the CPU, they do it very differently.
 What is Primary Memory?

Primary memory, also known as the main

memory, is the area in a computer which stores
data and information for fast access.
It’s a volatile memory meaning the data is stored
temporarily and is liable to change or lose in
case of power failure.
Every application on the computer first loads
into the random access memory (RAM) which
makes is faster to access.
 RAM (Random Access Memory)

RAM is short-term memory.

This short-term memory disappears when the
computer is turned off.
RAM is measured in megabytes (MB) or gigabytes
(GB).
The more RAM you have, the more things your
computer can do at the same time.
 ROM (Read Only Memory)

The memory from which we can only read but cannot write on
it. This type of memory is non-volatile. The information is stored
permanently in such memories during manufacture. A ROM
stores such instructions that are required to start a computer.
This operation is referred to as bootstrap.
Non-volatile in nature
Cannot be accidentally changed
Cheaper than RAMs
Easy to test
More reliable than RAMs
Static and do not require refreshing
Contents are always known and can be verified
 Secondary Memory

Secondary memory is the external memory of the computer

which can be used to store data and information on a long-
term basis.
It’s a non-volatile memory which means data stays intact
even if the computer is turned off.
Secondary memory refers to all external storage devices
that are capable of storing high volumes of data such as
hard drives, floppy disks, magnetic tapes, USB flash drives,
CDs, DVDs, etc. It’s generally slower than primary memory
but can store substantial amount of data, in the range of
gigabytes to terabytes.
 Hard Drive

The hard drive is where your software, documents,

and other files are stored.
The hard drive is long-term storage, which means
the data is still saved even if you turn the computer
off or unplug it.
The faster the hard drive, the faster your computer
can start up and load programs.
 Expansion slots

Video card is responsible for what you see on the

monitor. Most computers have a GPU (graphics
processing unit) built into the motherboard instead
of having a separate video card.
Sound card—also called an audio card is
responsible for what you hear in the speakers or
headphones.
Network card allows computer to communicate over
a network and access the Internet. It can either
connect with an Ethernet cable or through a
wireless connection (often called Wi-Fi).
 Power Supply

The power supply unit in a computer converts the

power from the wall outlet to the type of power
needed by the computer.
It sends power through cables to the motherboard
and other components.
Typically, computers use a 5 or 12 volt low voltage.
The differences between power supply units are in
their power and voltage stabilization.