CHAPTER TWO

COMPUTER SYSTEM
System is a composition or group of different integrated components that work together to achieve a
common goal. A computer system is also consists of two basic components such as computer hardware
and computer software.
A typical computer system i.e. hardware consists of input, output, storage and the central processing unit
(CPU). Each of these components is equally important to the functioning of the entire computer system.
Most digital computers are designed based on John Von Neuman architecture.

2.1 COMPUTER HARDWARE

Hardware is the term used to describe the actual (physical) parts attached to the computer. i.e., all the
internal and external parts or devices connected to the computer like input and the output devices etc. It
is the part of the computer that you see and touch. Computer hardware falls into four categories. These
are: Input devices, Output devices, Processor (CPU) and Storage devices.

2.1.1. INPUT DEVICES

This unit acts as a bridge between the user who operates the computer and the CPU. It feeds the
information or data into the computer. Any data that enter in to the computer for processing must be
changed in to computer understandable language. This task is carried out by a special device called input
interface. There are different types of input devices that can be connected to the computer system viz.,
Keyboard, Mouse, Scanner, digital camera, Punched card, Punched paper, touch sensitive screen, light
pen, microphone, barcode reader etc.

Keyboard
This is the most commonly used input device which resembles the typewriter keyboard. This is the
oldest input device used right from the invention of the computer. This is used to enter any type of data
into the computer which may be text, numbers or any symbolic notations. Normally the keyboard
contains 102 keys. Nowadays as the software industry is growing rapidly accordingly many changes are
brought in the layout to satisfy the needs of the soft wares. The communication between the keyboard
and the system unit is brought with the help of a cable which transfers the bits through the bus (Group of
wires carrying the bits) parallel or consecutively.
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Nowadays, in addition to the above keys, many other keys are included making the keyboard as 105,
108 and so on.

Figure 2.2 Keyboard

Pointing Devices
Input data also involves entering commands and selecting options. Mouse, trackball, and joystick were
all developed to make this easy. Each of these devices allows the user to identify and select the
necessary command or option by moving the cursor to a certain location on the screen or tablet and
sending signal to the computer. They are used in menu-driven programs – that is, programs that offer
varying levels of means or choices to the user to lead him or her through the program functions.
I. Mouse - The mouse is a handheld device connected to the computer by a small cable. As the mouse is
rolled across the desktop, a ball inside the mouse that contacts the desktop moves the cursor across the
screen. When the cursor reaches the desired location, the user usually pushes mouse button once or
twice to signal a menu selection or a command to the computer. Mouse technology is often used with
graphics-oriented microcomputers and software’s like Windows. With special software for graphics, the
mouse can be used like a pen or a paintbrush to create figures and pattern directly on the video display
screen. The keyboard still is used to type in characters and issue some commands, depending on the
software.

Figure 2.3 Mouse

II. Trackball - trackballs have all the functionality of a mouse, but they don’t need to be rolled around
on a desktop. The ball is held in a socket on top of the stationary device, and the user moves the ball
with his or her fingers. Trackballs have become popular in offices where crowded desktops are the
norm. Pocket –sized track balls are available for laptop computers, eliminating the need for a flat work
surface, which is required to use a mouse.

Figure 2.4 trackball

III. Joystick - A lever that moves in different directions controls the movement of a pointer or other
display symbols. A joystick is similar to a mouse, except that with a mouse the cursor stops moving as
soon as you stop moving the mouse. Here the pointer continues to move in the direction the joystick is
pointing. Most joysticks include two buttons called triggers. These are mostly used for computer games,
also used occasionally CAD/CAM systems and other applications.

Fig 2.5 Joystick

Scanner
It is an input device that can read text or illustrations printed on the paper and translate the information
into a form that the computer can use. It works by digitizing the image by dividing it into a grid of boxes
and representing each box with either zero or one, depending on whether the box is filled in. The
resulting matrix is called bit map, can be stored in a file. These do not distinguish text from other
figures; they represent all images as bit maps. So, to edit text read by an optical scanner, an optical
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character recognition (OCR) system to translate the image into ASCII characters is required (which
usually come with the latest scanners).

Figure 2.6 scanner

Digital Camera
Images can be put into a computer using a digital camera. These images can be manipulated in many
ways using various imaging tools. This takes a still photograph, stores it and then sends it as a digital
input into the computer, stored as digital files.

2.1.2. OUTPUT DEVICES

This acts as a media between the computer and the user. It is used to retrieve information from computer
memory for human use. Since the computer processed an input data using binary numbers, then the
output must be converted in to human readable format. This is done by special devices called output
interface. The different types of output devices available are Visual display unit (Screen or monitor),
Printer, Plotters, speaker, projectors, disk drive (both an input and out put device) etc.

Monitor
This is called by different names like screen, VDU (Visual Display Unit), console etc. This is used to
display the processed data. The monitors are classified into mainly 2 categories:
1. Monochrome – actually displays two colors, one for background usually black, one for foreground
normally white.
2. Color - can display from 16 to 1 million different colors. They are sometimes referred as RGB as
they accept three separate signals – Red, Green and Blue.

Figure 2.7 hardware parts of laptop computers

Printers
Printer is a device that prints on the paper (hard copy). There are different types of printers depending on
the technology used.
a. Dot-Matrix Printers
Also called as serial/character printers, were developed with two objectives, i.e., greater speed and more
flexibility. The images formed are by a print head that is composed of a series of little print hammers
that look like the heads of pins. These print hammers strike the ribbon individually as the print
mechanism moves across the entire print line in both directions. They can produce variety of type styles
and graphics without requiring an operator to stop the printer.

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The print-head of a dot matrix printer usually has 9 pins. High-quality printers have print heads with as
many as 24 pins, which allow a much more precise image to produce about 360 dpi(Dots per (square )
inch).

Fig 2.8 Dot-matrix printer

b. Ink – Jet Printers

Ink-jet printers work in much the same fashion as dot-matrix printers in that they form images or
characters with little dots. It is also called line printer. However, the dots are formed, not by hammer-
like pins, but by tiny droplets of ink. And the text these printers produce is letter quality (rather than
near- letter-quality, which is produced by Dot –matrix printers). These printers can almost match the
speed of dot-matrix printers-between one and four pages per minute (ppm) – and they produce less
noise. Hewlett-Packard’s Desk Jet plus prints 2ppm. Several manufacturers produce color ink-Jet
printers. Some of these printers come with all their color inks in a cartridge. These printers are a better
choice if one use one color predominantly. Innovative type of ink-jet printer can generate up to 256,000
colors at once (216 dpi). Industry observers are expecting color ink-jet printers with 300 dpi resolution
to appear in the near future.
c. Laser Printers
Laser printer technology is much less mechanical than impact printing (that is, no print heads move, no
print hammers hit), resulting in much higher speeds and quieter operation. This resembles the operation
of a photocopy machine a laser beam is directed across the surface of a light-sensitive drum and fired as
needed to record an image in the form of a pattern of tiny dots. The image is then transferred to the
paper – a page at a time – in the same fashion as a copy machine, using a special toner.
The major advantages of these printers are:
- Very high speed.
- Low noise level.
- Low maintenance requirements.
- Very high image quality
- Excellent graphics capabilities.
- A variety of type sizes and styles.
- On large, high-speed laser printers, forms can be printed at the same time data is recorded in them.
When high-speed laser printers (also called page printers) were introduced, they were very expensive.
The desktop laser printer has become a very popular output device for micro computer-based systems.
Many practitioners of desktop publishing prefer desktop laser printers because of the high-quality
images they produce. Laser Printers are very popular in the business community.

Figure 2.9 laser printer

Plotters
A plotter is a specialized out put device designed to produce high-quality graphics in a variety of colors.
There are two basic types of plotters: those that use pens and those that don’t use. Drum plotters and
flatbed plotters both use pens. Electrostatic plotters do not.
- In a drum plotter, the paper is mounted on the surface of a drum. The drum revolves and the plotter
pens (which are similar to felt-tip pens) are horizontally positioned over the target area. When
the paper has rotated to the correct point, the pens are dropped to the surface and moved left and

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 right under program control across the paper as the drum revolves. When the image is complete,
the pens are raised from the surface.
- Flatbed plotters are designed so that the paper is placed flat and one or more pens move horizontally
and vertically across the paper.
- Electrostatic Plotters use electrostatic charges to create images out of very small dots on specially
treated paper. The paper is run through a developer to allow the image to appear. Electrostatic
Plotters are faster than pen plotters and can produce images of very high resolution.

Fig 2.10 plotter

2.1.3 THE PROCESSOR

Recall that a computer is an electronic device. At the center of the computer system, there is a processor
which is commonly referred to as the Central Processing Unit (CPU).
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The central processing unit (CPU) is the heart of the computer system. Among other things, its
configuration determines whether computer is fast or slow in relation to other computers. The CPU is
the most complex computer system component, responsible for directing most of the computer system
activities based on the instructions provided. As one computer generation has evolved to the next, the
size of the CPU has become smaller and smaller, while its speed and capacity have increased
tremendously. Indeed, these changes resulted in the microcomputer that is small enough to fit on the
desk or the lap. The CPU circuitry of a microcomputer – called a microprocessor –fits on a chip about
the size of the thumbnail, or even smaller.
The CPU has two main parts: (1) the control unit and (2) the arithmetic-logic unit. The parts of the CPU
are usually connected by an electronic component referred to as a bus, which acts as an electronic
highway between them. To temporarily store data and instructions, the CPU has special-purpose storage
devices called registers.
A. Control unit
The control unit is like the brain of the computer. It performs all the control functions for the computer.
The control unit, a maze of complex electronic circuitry, is responsible for directing and coordinating
most of the computer system activities. It does not execute instructions itself; it tells other parts of the
computer system what to do. For instance; it tells input devices how data is to be entered, the memory
unit where the data to be stored, the Arithmetic Logic Unit where to find the data, what operations to
perform and where the results are to be stored and the output devices what information to give and
where to display.
It determines the movement of electronic signals between main memory and the arithmetic- logic unit,
as well as the control signals between the CPU and input -output devices.
A computer is useless without software instructions. When we use software, we are working with high-
level. Instructions written by high level languages are converted by a language processor in to a low-
level form of instructions in which the computer can work with – machine language, the only language
that the CPU can understand, data and instructions are represented in binary form (O’s and 1’s). Once
the instructions have been converted into this form, they can be retrieved from main memory and
interpreted by the control unit (sometimes referred to as decoding). According to each specific
instruction, the control unit issues the necessary signals to other computer system components as needed
to satisfy the processing requirements. This could involve, for example, directing that data be retrieved
from a disk storage device, “telling” the printer to print the letter you just wrote, or simply directing the
arithmetic-logic unit to add two numbers.

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B. Arithmetic - logic unit (ALU)
This is a part of CPU which performs the Arithmetic calculations of addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division and comparisons. These comparisons, which are basically “less than”, “greater
than”, and “equal to” , can be combined in to several common expressions, such as: ”greater than or
equal to” The objective of most instructions that use comparisons is to determine which instructions
should be executed next.
It is used to keep track of and execute instructions. This unit contains adder, counter, comparator, and
complimentary etc. to do different operations.
Arithmetic and logical unit also support the three major logic operations i.e. AND (Logical
Multiplication), OR (Logical addition) and NOT (Logical Negation).

Registers are storage units that connect the arithmetic-Logic unit to the main memory. When an
instruction is fetched from main memory, it is placed in a register to wait instructions from the control
unit. Data are also stored in registers prior to execution in the ALU.
Without the arithmetic-logic unit (ALU), computers would not be able to do most of the tasks that are
useful.
The ALU controls the speed of calculations and so receives a great deal of attention from computer
engineers trying to meet the need of the fast-paced business world. Older microcomputers speeds are
usually measured in milliseconds – 1 millionth of a second. Larger, powerful computer’s speeds are
measured in nanoseconds- 1 billionth of a second- or picoseconds-1 trillionth of a second.
Other elements to be considered in ALU are:

a) Registers
These are special temporary storage locations within the CPU, some in Control unit and others in ALU.
It is used to speed up data transfer rate inside the computer system. Registers accept, store and transfer
data and instructions that are being used immediately. To execute an instruction, the control unit of the
CPU retrieves it from the main memory and places into the register. There are different types of
registers. Some of them are accumulator register, instruction counters, stack registers, flag registers, data
registers, address registers, I/O registers etc.
Two operations take place:
(i) Instruction cycle - refers to retrieval of an instruction from main memory
(ii) Execution cycle - refers to execution of instructions and subsequent storing of the results in the
register.
b) Bus
Refers to an electrical pathway through which bits are transmitted between the various computer
components. Depending on the design of the system, several types of buses may be present. Data Bus –
carries data through the CPU & Address Bus – carries the address of the memory location where the
data is stored through the CPU.
The wider the bus, the more data it can carry at one time and thus greater the processing speed of the
Computer.

2.1.4. STORAGE DEVICES

The computer has both primary as well as secondary storage devices. The primary storage of the
computer is the one which is directly accessible by the control unit and Arithmetic- Logic unit. It holds
the instructions and data elements which are currently being used by the computer and is used to store
both data and programs. It is also used to hold intermediate and final results of computation. The
memory can be visualized as an ordered sequence of storage locations or cells labeled from zero. The
label of the location is called its address; each storage location is called as a word and consists of bits.
1. Main memory (Primary Storage Device)
Main memory also called as Primary storage or internal memory and RAM is the part of the hardware
that temporarily holds data and instructions needed shortly by the control unit.
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The earliest form of main memory was based on the vacuum tubes that were large in size and had a very
little capacity of about some bytes to store or hold. Today memory can contain 256 K- 1 Mega on a
single memory chip. The main memory in today’s computer on Semiconductor technology, which
involves coating silicon chip with a material that can take on two different states (on / off); the material
either conducts or will not conduct electricity. Chips are very small and relatively inexpensive to
manufacture and they do not consume as much power as older forms of main memory. The use of chips
has increased memory capacity of computers. Earlier computers had the memory capacity in KB’s,
whereas today’s computer memory can have capacity in MB’s and more.

Function of main memory – to act as a buffer between the CPU and the rest of the computer system
components. The CPU can utilize only those instructions and data that are stored in main memory. The
main memory is RAM - name is derived with its usage as the data can be stored and retrieved at random
from anywhere on the chip in approximately the same amount of time. It is in a volatile state i.e., when
computer is off, RAM is empty, when it is on, capable of receiving and holding copy of the instructions
and data necessary for processing.
Because of its volatile nature, user’s work is often saved on to nonvolatile secondary storage devices
such as diskettes (Floppy or Hard). Thus functions of memory can be listed as below:
i. Storage of a copy of the main software program that controls the general operation of the
computer (such as operating system). This copy is loaded into memory when computer is turned
on (booted) and stays there as long as the computer is on.
ii. Temporary storage of a copy of application program instructions (like Word, Excel) to be
retrieved by the CPU for interpretation and execution.
iii. Temporary storage of data that are entered from Keyboard or other input devices until
instructions call for the data to be transferred into the CPU for processing.
iv. Temporary storage of the data that has been produced as a result of processing until instructions
call for the data to be used again in the subsequent processing or to be transferred to an output
device such as screen, printer or disk storage device.
Let’s see some of the primary memory components in the computer system.
A. R A M (Random Access Memory)
RAM is termed as Main memory of computer. If the capacity of RAM is much large, then it can
- Receive and use much larger programs.
- Hold copies of more than one program to support the sharing of the computer by more than one
user.
- Operate faster and more efficiently.
- Hold images for creating graphics and animation.
- Work and manipulate more data at one time.
A bank of 1 K RAM chip can store 1024 bytes. Similarly 64 K RAM chip can store 64 K or 65,536 or
1024 X 64 bytes of data i.e., each RAM capable of storing a column of 65,356 bits.
RAM can be static or dynamic.

B. R O M (Read Only Memory)

Instructions to perform the operations (that are to be carried out as soon as the computer is turned on and
to check the hardware components to see they have been connected correctly) which are critical to the
operation of computer are stored permanently on a ROM chip installed by the manufacturer inside the
computer. The ROM chip, also called as firmware retains instructions in a permanently accessible,
nonvolatile form i.e. instructions on CDs and DVDs. The instructions stored in ROM are not lost even
after the power in the computer is turned off. ROM chip also contains additional software instructions.
Mostly, ROM stores those data and programs that do not need additional information like operating soft
wares. Three additional kinds of nonvolatile memory are used in some computer systems namely
PROM, EPROM, EEPROM.

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1. PROM
It stands for Programmable Read-Only Memory. It functions in the same way a regular ROM
component does, with a difference that these chips are custom-made (customer determines what data
and instructions are recorded on them) for the user by the manufacturer. The disadvantage of these chips
is that if data is recorded on them once, it can’t be changed. To store any thing on PROM, first it must
be free (clear).
2. Erasable programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM)
These chips were developed as an improvement over PROM chips. EPROM is beneficial over PROM in
the manner that with the help of a special device, using ultraviolet rays the data and instructions on it can
be erased in approximately 15 minutes. Then the device called as PROM burner is used to reprogram the
chip. To change the instructions on EPROM chip, the chip must be taken out of the machine and then
put back when changes have been made. This is seldom used by the computer users instead replace the
EPROM with a new programmed one.

3. Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM)

It avoids the inconvenience of having to take the chips out of the computer to change data and
instructions. Instead, changes can be electrically made under the software control. The data recorded on
them can be easily updated. The only disadvantage of these chips is that their costs are substantially
more than the regular ROM’s.

2. Secondary Storage Devices

The term primary storage refers to the main memory of a computer, where both data and instructions are
held for immediate access and use by the computer’s central processing unit. Most primary storage is
considered a volatile form of storage, meaning that the data and instructions are lost when the computer
is turned off. Some of the reasons for the development of secondary storage devices are:
- Secondary storage or auxiliary storage is any storage device designed to retain data and
instructions (Programs) in a more permanent form.
- Secondary storage is non-volatile, meaning that the data and instructions remain intact when the
computer is turned off and
- The need to have least cost, removable and mass storage devices.

There are different types of secondary storage devices available. They are also in some context termed
as input output devices as we store as well as retrieve data from them. Some were used during the earlier
generations of computers. Nowadays diskettes, CD-ROM’s and small magnetic tapes are familiar
storage devices. Based on the way the data is accessed from them, secondary storage devices are
categories in to two groups: direct (random) and sequential.

1. Sequential (Serial) Access Method

A. Punched cards
Keypunch machines are used to input information from a keyboard onto punched cards.
They punch holes into the card using standard code system. One card can hold 80 characters in a row.
There are 12 rows on the standard punched card and a unique combination of 1, 2, or 3 punches
represents a letter, number or a symbol. These cards use either BCD or Hollerith code-system. Once
cards are punched and verified, they can be input in the computer system through a card reader. Card
readers interpret the holes in the punched cards and translate those holes into digital signals for the CPU.
Disadvantages:
- Reading speed is slow
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- Business records are longer than 80 characters which cannot be fit in the cards.
- Once punched, it cannot be changed.

B. Magnetic tape
Magnetic tapes are particularly popular form of secondary storage because of their high data density
(number of bytes of information per inch of tape). They are made of Mylar-based plastic film which can
be magnetized. Information is stored on magnetic tape by running the tape over an electromagnetic
read/write head. Magnetic tapes typically have seven or nine tracks.
Disadvantages:
- While accessing information, the entire tape must be read sequentially which results in slow access
time.
- Sensitive to distortion by environmental influences such as dust, humidity and temperature
variations.

2. Direct (random) Access Method

A. Magnetic Disks
Magnetic disks are metal disks coated with ferrous oxide. They allow for random access of information
and overcome the slow access time found in tapes. Disks are usually grouped together into a disk pack
separated by small air spaces to allow access for read/write heads. Because of the more sophisticated
hardware and software is required to access information directly, the cost of magnetic disk is greater
than magnetic tape. Magnetic disks have a part that rotates when the data is stored or accessed from it.
It includes floppy and hard disks.

Floppy Disk
- Floppy is a secondary storage devices that holds data for a long period of time. But the duration of
the data with in this device depends on the condition / place where the disk is placed. Because it is
sensitive to distortion by environmental and human influences such as dust, Worms and virus. It
mostly used for transferring data from one computer to another.

Fig 2.11 floppy disk

Hard disks
Hard disk is a high capacity magnetic disk made up of metal which can be fixed inside the system unit
of the computer system.
✓ Hard disks hold more data and are faster than floppy disks. A hard disk, can store from 10
to several Gigabytes.
✓ It has a part that rotates when it is operated.
✓ Hard disks are less portable than floppies, even though they are removable.

B. Optical Disks
Optical disk is a faster kind of mass storage. This type of storage involves the use of high-power laser
beam to burn microscopic spots in a hard disk’s surface coating. They have no rotating parts. Data is
represented by the presence (binary 1) and the absence (binary 0) of holes of storage locations. The
patterns of spots detected by the laser during the read operation are converted into electrical signals used
by the computer.
Here one can store at most 100 GB for a single 12-inch disk. This type of large storage is especially
required where images must be stored, as images take up much more storage space than the text or
numerical data. The data recorded on optical media is not damaged by stray magnetic fields and surface
problems like fingerprints, dust, scratches and so on.
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 The main kinds of optical disks are:
1. CD-ROM (Compact Disk- Read Only Memory)-on this optical disk, data is imprinted by the
disk manufacturer. The user cannot erase it, change it or write on the disk. The user can only
“read” the data. This type of optical disk is used primarily for making huge amounts of
prerecorded data, such as operating systems, government statistics, Encyclopedias, medical
reference books, dictionaries and legal libraries – immediately available to the user.
2. .CD-R & CD-RW drive – CD-R stands for compact disk-recordable drive, is a type of disk
drive that can create CD-ROMs. To create this CD, one should have the CD-R software package.
These drives can also read CDs and play audio CDs.
3. CD-RW disk is a short form for Compact Disk Rewritable disk and this enables to write onto it
multiple sessions. This drives and disks, one can treat the optical disk like a floppy or hard disk,
writing data on it multiple times.

Figure 2.12 format of CDs and DVDs

4. DVD- stands for Digital Video Display. It holds huge data as compared with CDs. It has 4.7 GB
up to 100 GB storage capacity. Nowadays, in addition to recordable, it comes with rewritable
form.

2.2. COMPUTER SOFTWARE

Computer software is essential complement to computer hardware. Software is a fundamental to make
the innate power of the hardware available to the user. Software can be defined as “A Program or set of
programs to perform a task using the capabilities of the Hardware”. Hardware is a one time expense but
software is continues. Computer software is a set of instructions that tell the computer hardware what to
do.
2.2.1. TYPES OF SOFTWARE
There are mainly two classes of software
(i) Systems software
(ii) Application software
(iii) Program software

System software is the program that control the way the computer operates. These include the operating
systems, language soft wares (translators), utilities and the like. The two most important categorizes of
system soft wares are operating system and language software. System soft wares lies between the
user and the hardware parts of the computer.
USER
SOFTWARE
HARDWARE
OPERATING SYSTEM
The operating system is the most important computer software. An operating system is a set of programs
that controls the overall operation of the computer. It directs all processing activities within the
computer, calling in other systems software when needed, scheduling jobs, and allocating storage
facilities, activating input and output devices and many other tasks to ensure the proper and efficient use
of hardware by application programs. The operating system provides an interface between the user and
other components of a computer system.
The part of an operating system which controls the activities and operations of the other components of
the operating system are called executive (or supervisor or kernel). On small microcomputers the kernel
is normally called a monitor which is stored permanently in ROM and starts execution as the computer

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is turned on. On most other modern computers the supervisor or monitor is loaded into main storage
usually from a disk by booting up the system.

Some of the functions of OS are

- memory management
- interpretation and execution of commands
- maintenance of internal time clock
- security
- guidance
- controlling operations (control programs)
- input / output management etc

Types of operating system

Operating systems can be divided into different classes based on the following criteria.
Based on the
- number of users they can serve at one or different stations and
- number of programs the operating system handle/ support on a time, operating systems can be:

a) Single user-single tasking operating system

Normally allows only one user to access the system at a time. Operating system of this type is used by
many microprocessor systems. It runs one program at a time. Examples of single user operating system
include MS-DOS (Micro Soft Disk Operating System) produced by Microsoft.
Advantage
Since only one user process is being executed at any time, all the resources are available to the process.
So its execution speed is good.
Disadvantage
A number of resources are present in a computer system and only one of these resources being utilized
by the process, all other resources remain idle. So there is a low degree of resource utilization. It is serial
processing system.

b) Single user, multi-tasking operating system

In this operating system, all resources are dedicated to only one user. But the user can use more than one
program (resource). It overcomes over a single user-single tasking operating system. Windows (98,
2000, XP, Vista etc) are good examples of this operating system.
c) Multi-user, multi-tasking operating system
It is mostly used on the networked environment. More than one user can utilized the resources available
on the computer like hard wares and soft wares.
E.g. Linux, UNIX, etc

Language Software
 Are software’s which are used by programmers to develop application soft wares and translate programs
to machine code.
 Language software is a generic name consisting of various programs that serve as editors & translators to
develop programs in a number of programming languages.
Includes: - Translators, general purpose routines and utilities & high level languages
 Translator: - is a program that converts one or more languages to another language. Three types of
translators are assemblers, Compilers & interpreters.
 Assembler: - is a program that translates assembly languages into machine code.
 Compiler: - is a program that translates a high level language into machine code. (example:PASCAL,
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 FORTRAN COBOL)
 Interpreter: - is a program that translates each instruction of high level language & executes the
instruction before translating the next instruction.

Application Software
• These types of software’s that are designed to perform tasks for the specific area use in more than one
installation.
• Are usually called application packages as they may include a number of programs along with operating
instruction, documentation and so forth.
• Depending on their function or task they are categorized in to the following:
1. Word Processors/ Word processing
• A computerized typewriter which permits the electronic creation, editing, formatting, filing and printing text.
• The most common application of microcomputers.
• Until recently, word processing could be done only dedicated word processors. A dedicated word processor is
a computer that denies its users the opportunity to execute any other program.
Example: WordStar, WordPerfect, Microsoft word
2. Spreadsheet
• An electronic worksheet display on the VDU.
• Until recently, financial analysis and other mathematical calculation were done by entering numbers on pages
of an accountants ruled ledger pad.
• You can quickly create a model of a situation on a spreadsheet by entering labels, numbers & formulas.
• Using the programs built-in function you can perform complicated calculations such as net percent value,
internal rates of return, and monthly payments on a loan.
Example: Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Excel, Quatropro

3. Database management system.

• Allow you to store information on a computer, retrieve it when you need it and update it when necessary.
• You can do this with index cards, but database management programs do them more quickly and easily.
• Example: You can store large mailing list, inventory record or billing and collect information in lists stored in
files and manipulate this information, one file at a time with database management program.

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FCSE, AMU (2014)