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7907 Computer Studie1

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11 views4 pages

7907 Computer Studie1

Uploaded by

aderinwalefahima13
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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COMPUTER STUDIES - SS1 1ST TERM

TOPIC ONE: OVERVIEW OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

Definition of a Computer
A computer can be defined as an electronic machine (device) which under
the control of a stored program accepts data, stores the data, processes
the data and brings out the results as information.

Computer as an IPOS system


Computer performs 4 key operations on data

a. Input b. Processing c. Output d. Storage

Input: data are entered into the computer through the input unit. Data
are raw facts that are to be processed into meaningful form.

Processing: Computer performs certain operations on data entered into


it; the Central Processing Unit (CPU) handles this operation.

Output: The result of what has been processed will be displayed by the
output device such as the monitor.

Storage: Inputted data and processed information are stored in the


memory and permanent storage on the computer.

Constituents/Components of a Computer system

The computer is referred to as a system because it is made up of several


components that work together to enable it function properly. There are
2 main constituents of the computer system, these are:

 The hardware
 The Software

Hardware

These are the physical components of the computer system. They are the
tangible parts that can be seen and touched. There are two major parts,
namely:

 The system unit


 The peripherals

System unit: The system unit is the rectangular casing that houses
(contains) several important components that controls the operation of
the computer system such as the motherboard, CPU (Microprocessor),
RAM, Sound card, video card, CD drive, Floppy disk drive etc. It also
provides interface for connection of the peripherals.

Peripherals: These are the devices connected to the system unit for the
purpose of input, output and storage operations. Examples of peripheral
devices are keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Printer, Scanner, DVD, CD, USB
flash drive etc.
Software
The software is a term used to describe the collection (or set) of programs
that can be run on a computer system. A program is a set of instructions
that tells the computer what to do, when to do it and how to do it.

There are two types of software, these include:


 System software
 Application software
System software: This software controls the computer hardware and the
internal operations of the computer system. Examples include Windows
OS (Windows XP, Windows ME, Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8,
Windows 10), Linux OS(Redhat, Fedora, Ubuntu etc.), MAC OS etc
Application software: These are software that enables the user to
perform specific operation or task on the computer. Examples include:

Application software (packages) Functions / Uses


MS Word, WordPad, WordPerfect Used for word processing
MS Excel, Lotus1-2-3, Quattro Pro Used for spreadsheet, calculation
and analysis
Corel draw, Paint, Photoshop, Used for graphic works
PageMaker, Corel Graphics
Front page, Publisher, For web designing
Dreamweaver, cold fusion
MS Access, Oracle, Postgre sql, Fox For database management
pro, Dbase, Ingress, MySQL
MS outlook, Outlook express, MS For email management
exchange, Sendmail
MS PowerPoint, Impress, Prezi, Used for presentation of seminars
Harvard Graphics and lectures
Maths, MATLAB, SPSS, Mintab Create and edit mathematical
formulae/statistical analysis
Internet explorer, Mozilla firefox, Internet/Web browsing
chrome, Opera mini, UC browser,
Netscape Navigator, Safari
, Mosaic,

Characteristics of a Computer

 Speed: Computer performs its data processing operation at a very


high speed. The speed of the computer is measured in Hertz (Hz). A
computer with speed rating of Mega Hertz (MHz) can perform millions of
cycle of operation per second.
 Accuracy: Computer gives accurate result as long as the correct
data is keyed into it.
 Versatility: computer can be used to perform various kinds of
task e.g. graphic design, word processing, web development etc.
 Reliability/Durability: Computers do not get tired like human;
they can work continuously for days and weeks without any error.
 Memory and storage: Computer can store large amount of data
and information. The capacity of the memory/storage device is measured
in bytes. A byte is a group of eight bits. A kilobyte (KB) is 1024 bytes. A
megabyte (MB) is 1,000,024 bytes.
 Programmable: The computer hardware is useless without the
program that controls it. Thus, all tasks and activities performed by a
computer are made possible by means of a program.
 It is electronic in nature

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