Lecture №2.Introduction to computer systems. Architecture of computer systems.

Plan:
1.Review of computer systems.
2.Evolution of computer systems.
3.Architecture and components of computer systems. Use of computer systems. Data
representation in computer systems.

Aim of the lecture: to discuss and give a brief idea on computer hardware.

Having studied this session the student will be able to:

Describe what hardware is
Classify computer hardware according to the usage of them
Give examples for each category of computer hardware
Identify the different ports of a PC
Identify why your computer is slow
Identify the factors affecting on performance of computers

1.Review of computer systems.

A computer is a general purpose device which can be programmed to carry out a finite set
of arithmetic or logical operations. Since a sequence of operations can be readily changed, the
computer can solve more than one kind of problem.
A computer is, at its most basic, a machine which can take instructions, and perform
computations based on those instructions.
A computer is an electronic device which is capable of receiving the inputs (data from the
user), storing it for a desired period of time, manipulating it according to the set of instructions
(called program) and producing the output to the user in desired form. It performs a variety of
operations in accordance to the set of instructions.

The above three descriptions are some standard definitions extracted from different
information resources available in the World Wide Web,
Meanwhile, a computer can be defined as follows in terms of basic usage of the computer which
is more readable for a layman.
A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or "data". It has the ability
to store, retrieve, and process data. You can use a computer to type documents, send email, and
browse the internet. You can also use it to handle spreadsheets, accounting, database
management, presentations, games, and more.
When reading the above definitions you may find some common behaviors of computers
such as;
It is a man-made machine
It accepts instructions of a human given in a sequential manner
As per the given instructions, it performs some calculations and does changes for the
information fed by human
Releases or produces an output that is useful to the user
Since the computer is a man-made digital electronic device, it has a physical structure with
several parts like the monitor, processor, mouse, and key board which are tangible. These are
called Hardware. The sets of instructions which are also called computer programs installed in
the computer are called Software. These softwares tell the hardware what to do and how to do to
accomplish some tasks expected by the user to get done by the computer. The web browsers like
Mozilla Fire Fox, Computer games, and Word processors like Microsoft Word are some
examples for Software. You will learn more about these computer hardware and software in
coming sessions of this course material.
Characteristics of a Computer
 The range of users of computers is overwhelming. Why is so popular? What can it do that
we, as humans, cannot? The computer‟s superiority lies in its special characteristics such as
speed, reliability, accuracy, diligence, versatility, storage capacity, etc. Let us discuss on each
characteristic briefly.
Speed. A computer can perform tasks very fast. For example, the amount of work that a
human being can do in an entire year (if he worked day and night and did nothing else) can be
accomplished by a computer within a few minutes. As you are aware now, inside the system
unit, the operations occur through electronic circuits. When data, instructions, and information
flow along these circuits, they travel at close to the speed of light. This allows billions of
operations to be carried out in a single second.
Reliability. Electronic components in modern computers are dependable because they have
a low failure rate. The high reliability of the components enables the computer to produce
consistent results.
Accuracy. The accuracy of a computer is consistently high and the degree of accuracy of a
particular computer depends upon its design. Errors can occur in a computer, but these are
mainly due to human mistakes. Thus, computers can process large amounts of data and generate
error-free results, provided the data is entered correctly. If inaccurate data is entered, the
resulting outputs will also be incorrect. This computing principle is known as Garbage in,
garbage out (GIGO).
Diligence. Unlike human beings, a computer is free from boredom, tiredness, lack of
concentration, etc., hence a computer can work for hours without making any errors or
complaints. Even if ten million calculations have to be performed, a computer will perform the
ten millionth calculations with exactly the same accuracy and speed as the first one.
Versatility. The computers have the capacity to perform completely different type of work.
You may use your computer to prepare payroll slips at the moment. Next moment you may use it
for inventory management or to prepare electric bills. The computers are flexible enough to
adapt to any type of work and outputs according to what is fed and instructed.
Power of remembering. Every piece of information that a user „stores‟ on a computer can
be retained as long as it is needed and can be recalled when necessary. Even after several years,
the information recalled would be identical to what was fed to the computer. A computer will
never „lose‟ stored information on its own; a user has to „remove‟ (or delete) the information
from it.
No Feeling. Computers do not have emotions. They have no feelings and no instincts
because they are machines. Although human beings have succeeded in building a memory for
the computer, a computer does not possess the equivalent of a human brain. Based on our
feelings, taste, knowledge and experience, we often make certain judgments in our day-to-day
life, but computers cannot make such judgments on their own. Their judgment is based on the
instructions given to them in the form of programs by someone.
No IQ. Computer is a dumb machine and it cannot do any work without instruction from the
user. It performs the instructions at wonderful speed and with accuracy. It is you to decide what
you want to do and in what sequence. So a computer cannot take its own decision as you can.
Storage. The computer has an in-built memory where it can store a large amount of data.
This is called Primary Storage. This Primary Storage has a limited capacity but it is very
important as theprocessing unit of the computer can act directly only on instructions and data on
the primary storage. But, you can also store data in secondary storage devices such as floppies,
which can be kept outside your computer and can be carried to other computers. These are called
SecondaryStorage. Before the computer can process the data stored in Secondary storage
devices, the datamust be moved from secondary storage device to primary storage. This is not a
serious drawback. The computers can retrieve information from files in a secondary storage
device in a few milliseconds.
 Limitations of a Computer. It is obvious that the computer has a variety of capabilities.
Similarly, this man made machine has some its own limitations as well. Such limitations are
given below:
The computer can do only what you tell it to do-you cannot expect the computer give you
something which you did not ask.
It cannot generate information on its own-the computer will work only if you operate
It and give the instructions. It cannot give you information unless you feed it required
data.
It will give wrong information if you feed it with wrong data- the computer cannot identify
what the correct data and what the wrong data are.
It cannot correct wrong instruction- if you give the computer wrong instruction, it will not
be able to do anything to rectify it. The only thing it can do is to stop functioning till you correct
the mistake.

2.Evolution of computer systems.

Different Types of Computers. When you hear the word “Computer” most of the time a
personal computer like desktop or laptop will come to your mind as they are widely used by
the people around us. However,these computers come in many sizes and shapes that perform
different functions which is useful in our daily lives. You are using a type of computer even
when you withdraw cash from an ATM (Automatic Teller Machine) or scan groceries at the
shop, or use a calculator.
It is said that the ENIAC, which is considered as the first electronic general-purpose
computer was of size of a large room (See Figure 2.1 and 2.2 below). However, with the advance
of technologies the size of a today‟s computer has become smaller as of a small wrist watch.
These computers have different processing powers as well.

The computers can be mainly classified into four categories as briefly described below. This
classification is done based on the size and the data processing power.
Microcomputers: most common type of computers in the society. Can be used at
yourworkplace, at school or on your study desk at home. Used by single user at a time. Small in
size. Also called Personal Computers (PCs).
Minicomputers: used by multi-users. In the middle when the computers are ranged
fromsmallest to largest. Used in laboratories.
Mainframes: Largest in size. Capable of handling and processing very large amounts of
dataquickly.
Super computers: Used for performing complex scientific and numerical computations
suchas weather forecasting, fluid dynamics, nuclear simulations, theoretical astrophysics.
Different Types of Personal Computers (PCs). Personal Computer (Mostly referred to as
PC in the community) is designed as a more user-friendly device to be directly used by the end-
user rather having an especially skilled separate computer operator. It is less expensive compared
to other types of computers listed above. PCs come in different forms as listed below and we will
have a description on each form of PC separately.
It is noticeable that only few famous forms of PCs used today are listed below and the list
may be extended by adding many more in the future with the advancement of the technologies.
Desktop, Laptop, Netbook, PDAs, Wearable Computers, Tablets,
Desktop PCs. Usually the Desktop computers are placed in a fixed location and the name
has derived as it is intended to be sitting on a top of a desk. A monitor, mouse, and a key board
can be seen as parts of a typical desktop computer. These computers consume low power and
cost effective than the laptop computers that will be described next. The spare parts are readily
available and less expensive.
Laptop Computers. Laptops are similar to desktop PCs in operation, but designed for
mobile use. Capable of operating on the battery power and the battery can be charged with the
external power adaptor. An in-built keyboard, Liquid Crystal Display unit (LCD screen), a touch
pad (also known as track pad) to act as the mouse are the commonly seen components. However,
a mouse can be also used instead of the touch pad. Laptops are obviously smaller in size and
weight less than the desktop PCs. Therefore, it is difficult to access its internal hardware thus
difficult to upgrade as much as a desktop. But adding more RAM or Hard Drive is possible
(You will learn about RAM and Hard Drive in next session).. Built-in web camera is a common
feature of a modern laptop computer and these laptops come in different weights, sizes,
performances, speeds, and a layman may differentiate them specified by the diagonal distance of
its display unit.
Netbook. Netbooks belong to the laptop family, but are inexpensive and relatively smaller
in size. Though the set of features and the capacity of netbooks were lesser compared to regular
laptops at the time of introducing them to the market, nowadays the netbooks come in advanced
features and in high capacities as similar to modern laptops.
PDAs. Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) are handheld computers which are also called
palmtop computers due to its size which is smaller enough to keep it on your palm. Most of the
PDAs are pen-based and come with a stylus (a writing pen) to be used as the input device which
is sensitive to its touch screen. Most of them can access the Internet by means of Bluetooth or
Wi-Fi facilities. PDAs allow you to organize your personal or business work and to manage your
tasks through its facilities. It may be used as a Cellular phone to send and receive calls, to search
in the web, to download and play audio/video files, to send/receive e-mails, to type in a text
editor to jot down notes or write a document, take pictures or record videos, etc.
Wearable Computers. The computers that can be worn on the body are known as Wearable
computers. There is a constant interaction between the computer and user. These computers are
mostly used to track human actions when the hands and other sensory organs are engaged in
other activities. And used with applications such as behavioral modeling systems and healthcare
monitoring systems.
Tablets. Tablets are mobile computers larger than PDAs and smaller than Laptops described
above. Usually operated by its touch screen and no formal key board are used. The people using
them spent most of their time outside and would not have access to a keyboard or mouse.

Usually the input method is the stylus or the digital pen. Tablets have become famous and
ideal for field technicians and health workers due to its very light nature and the portability.
Some tablets are capable of recognition of natural handwritings as the mode of input. The
features of tablets may vary depending on the type of job done such as graphic designing
teaching purposes, gaming, or business purposes.
Main parts of a computer system. You learned in the previous section that computers
come in many varieties, from tiny computers to very large super computers. But no matters how
complex it is or how big it is, every computer is part of a system. A complete computer system
consists of four main parts as follows (see figure 2.10 below): Hardware, Software, Data, User
(Live ware).
Hardware. The tangible parts that make up the computer are called „Hardware‟. The
physical par ts such as monitor, key board, processor, and speakers can be identified as
hardware. We can use the generic term device to refer any piece of hardware. You will learn
deeply about computer hardware in Session 03 of this course material.
Software. Computer software is a set of instructions that tells computer hardware what to
do. The computer will work according to the instructions given to it. We can use the generic term
computerprogram to refer any piece of software. Some software are specially designed for the
primaryfunctions of the computer to manage its operations while some software are designed for
the users to get their work done, ex. to prepare a letter. However, software can be categorized
into different categories and you will learn deeply about software in Session 04 of this course
material.
 Data. Any individual fact or piece of information in a form suitable for use with a computer
is known as „data‟. This information may be in the form of text, documents, images, audio clips
or software program. The primary use of the computer is to convert these data into useful
information to the user. The computer accepts data from some sources or from the user to
produce useful information. Thus the raw data fed into the computer may not make much sense
to the users until it is processed.
User/ Live ware. Though the computers automate most functions we cannot say that it is
fully automatic, as the intervention of a human being or an operator is often needed. You may
think whether a user is essential as you might have seen some performs their job without a
person sitting in front of the computer. But you should not forget that the people design and
build the programs running on it. The people do repairs to computer systems when needed.
Therefore, „User‟ is an essential part of a computer system. Further, you will learn about the
applications that you can run in „Personal computers‟ within this course material.

3.Architecture and components of computer systems. Use of computer systems. Data

representation in computer systems.

What is Computer Hardware? You are already aware that a computer system is made up
of several different components. Those that can be seen and touched are referred to as the
Computer Hardware (or simply „hardware‟). In other words, the physical equipments that are
involved in the function of the computer are called its hardware. The computer hardware is
typically divided into four main categories:Processing Devices, Memory Devices, Input/,
Output Devices, and Storage Devices.
Processing Devices.
The Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The Central Processing Unit is an electronic device which runs computer programs: a set of
sequential instructions. It is also called as the Computer Processor or the brain of
thecomputer. According to the above Figure 3.2, you can see that there are two major
componentsnamely the Control Unit (CU) and the Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU). The CU
is the circuitry that controls the flow of data through the processor, and coordinates the activities
of the other units within it. In a way, it is the "brain within the brain", as it controls what happens
inside the processor, which in turn controls the rest of the PC. The ALU is a digital circuit that
performs arithmetic and logical operations. The ALU is a fundamental building block of the
central processing unit of a computer, and even the simplest microprocessors contain one, for
purposes such as maintaining timers. The processors found inside modern CPUs have very
powerful and very complex ALUs; a single component may contain a number of ALUs.
We consider the CPU as the processing device of the computer. You are aware that the CPU
contains Control Unit (CU) and an Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU). These two components
work together to perform the processing operations. On a PC, the CPU usually is contained on a
single chip and sometimes is called Microprocessor. In addition to the CU and ALU, a
microprocessor usually contains the registers and system clock.
The Control Unit (CU). As you know, a computer program or set of instructions must be
stored in memory for a computer to process data. The CPU uses its CU to execute these
instructions. Further, the CU directs and coordinates most of the operations of the computer. The
speed at which the processor

carries out its operations is measured in megahertz (MHz). The higher the number of MHz
the faster the computer can process information. The Intel i7, Athlon, Celron, and Duron,
UltraSpark are some examples for the brands of processors available in the market.
The Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU). ALU performs the arithmetic, comparison, and
logical operations. Arithmetic operations include addition (+), subtraction (-), multiplication (*)
and division (/). Comparison operations include comparing one data item to another to
determine if the first item is greater than (>), equal (=), or less than (<) to the second item.
Logical operations work with conditions such as AND, OR, NOT.
Memory Devices
Computer Memory.A character is stored in the computer as a group of 0s and 1s, called
a Byte. The size of the memory is measured by the number of bites available. The following
equalities give the measuring units of the memory.

8 Bits =1 Byte
102
4 Bytes =1 Kilobyte (1KB)
1024KB = 1 Megabyte (1MB)
1024 MB = 1 Gigabyte (1 GB)
102
4 GB =1 Terabyte (1 TB)
While performing a processing operation, a processor needs a place to temporarily store
instructions to be executed and the data to be used with those instructions. The data and the
instructions needed by the CPU are temporarily stored in the Memory. Therefore the memory
acts as the internal storage of a computer. The programs that are stored in external storages are
loaded into the memory before they start running. The memory of a computer may be either
volatile or non-volatile. If the data will be lost as soon as the power is turned off the computer,
then this type of memory is said to be Volatile. Such memory needs a continuous steady
power/electricity to remain its content.

Random Access Memory (RAM). The Random Access Memory (RAM) is a volatile
form of a computer memory. This small memory is capable of memorizing temporarily. It can be
read and written. That is, you can both write data into RAM and read data from RAM. Together
with the CPU, RAM determines the computer's speed. A computer with a large RAM and a CPU
can actually run faster than a computer with a powerful CPU but with a low RAM.
Read Only Memory (ROM)
As RAM is volatile, the computers need a non-volatile memory to read larger programs.
This is known as the Read Only Memory (ROM). The programs which are needed to start up
your computer (Ex: to boot the computer) are stored in ROM.
Cache. Most of today‟s computers improve their processing times by using cache
(pronounced cash).
Memory cache, also called a cache store or RAM cache, helps speed the processes of the
computer by storing frequently used instructions and data thus reducing the access time of data.
When the processor needs an instruction or data, it first searches in the cache.

Input Devices . A computer executes instructions and processes data into information and
stores the information for future use. Input devices are used to enter instructions and data into the
computer.
What is Input? Input is any data or instructions you enter to the memory of a computer.
Once input is in memory, the CPU can access it and process the input into output. There are four
types of input namely: data, programs, commands, and user responses.
Data. Data is a collection of unorganized facts that can include words, numbers, pictures,
sounds, and videos. A computer manipulates and processes data into information, which is
useful.
Program. A program is a series of instructions that tells a computer how to perform the
tasks necessary to process data into information. Programs are kept on storage media such as a
floppy disk (not used now), hard disk, CD-ROM, or DVD-ROM. Programs respond to
commands issued by the user.
Command. A Command is an instruction given to a computer program. Commands can be
issued by typing keywords or pressing special keys on the keyboard. A keyword is a specific
word, phrase, or code that a program understands as an instruction. Some keyboards include keys
that send a command to a program when you press them. Instead of requiring you to remember
keywords or special keys, many programs allow you to issue commands by selecting menu
choices or graphical objects. For examples, programs that are menu driven provide menus as a
means of providing commands. Today, most programs have a graphical user interface (GUI)
that uses icons, buttons, and other graphical objects to issue commands. However, GUI is the
most user friendly way to issue commands
Input Devices
An Input Device is any hardware component that allows you to enter data, programs,
commands, and user responses into a computer. Some of the commonly used input devices are
listed below.
Keyboard
Pointing devices
• Mouse
• Trackball
• Joystick
• Touchpad
• Light Pen
Scanners
Voice input systems
Web Cam
Bar code readers
Keyboard. The keyboard is the main input device for most computers. It is a text based
input device that allows the user to input alphanumeric characters and some other special
characters. The keyboard is consisting of a set of keys mounted on a board. Each key or button
acts as an electronic switch corresponding to a symbol. However, to produce some symbols
requires pressing and holding several keys simultaneously or in sequence; other keys do not
produce any symbol, but instead affect the operation of the computer or the keyboard itself.
Mouse. The mouse functions as a pointing device by detecting two-dimensional motion
relative to its supporting surface. Physically, a mouse consists of a small case, held under one of
the user's hands, with one or more buttons. It sometimes features other elements, such as
"wheels", which allow the user to perform various system-dependent operations, or extra buttons
or features can add more control or dimensional input. The mouse's motion typically translates
into the motion of a pointer on a display, which allows for fine control of a Graphical User
Interface. Furthermore, a mouse is an input device that allows the user to “point and click” or
“drag and drop”. Common functions are pointing (moving the cursor or arrow on the screen by
sliding the mouse on the mouse pad), clicking (using the left and right buttons) and scrolling
(hold down the left button while moving the mouse).
Scanner. A scanner is a light-sensing input device that reads printed text and graphics and
then translates the pattern of light and dark colors into a digital signal that the computer can store
and manipulate. The resulting image can be of different qualities depending on the resolution of
the scanner. The Flat-bed scanner is the most popular scanner which is similar to a photo copy
machine except that it creates a file (softcopy) of the document instead of a paper copy
(hardcopy). The file that contains the scanned object can be stored on an external storage
device, displayed on the screen, printed, faxed, sent via e-mail, or included in another document.
Bar code reader. A bar code reader uses laser beams to read bar codes. Most items in
shops, special in super markets in Sri Lanka have a bar code printed or affixed on them. The Bar
code is a trip of vertical bars of varying widths that creates a unique reference for the particular
item. The last number is a check digit and it is used to verify that the number has been scanned in
correctly. The computer applies a set of calculations to the individual digits and the answer
should equal to the last check digit. Bar code reader uses a visible red light to scan the bar code
and it is interpreted through a decoder. The reference is matched with the stock list in the
computer system to find the appropriate price. Sometimes, numbers are printed below the
vertical stripes which are to be used in cases the bar code reader fails to read the code
Output Devices
What is output? Output is data that has been processed into a useful form called
information. A computer processes input into output. Computers generate several types of
output, depending on the hardware and software being used and the requirements of the user.
You may choose to display or view this output on a monitor, print it on a paper using a printer,
or listen to it through speakers or a headset. Accordingly the four common types of output are
text, graphics, audio, and video. A brief description on each of output type is given below.
Text. Text consists of characters that are used to create words, sentences and paragraphs. A
character can be a letter, number, punctuation mark, or any other symbol that requires one bite
of computer storage space.
Graphics. Graphics are digital representations of non-text information such as drawings,
charts, pictures and photographs. Graphics also can be animated, giving them the illusion of
motion. Animations are created by displaying a series of still images in rapid sequence.
Many of today‟s software programs support graphics. For example, you can include a
photograph in a word processing document or create a chart of data in a spreadsheet program.
Some software packages are specifically designed to edit graphics.
Audio. Audio is Music, speech, or any other sound. You might have learnt at school that
sound waves, such as the human voice or music are analog. To store such sounds, a computer
converts the sounds from a continuous analog signal into a digital format. Most output devices
require that the computer converts the digital format back into analog signals.
Video. Video consists of images that are played back at speeds that give the appearance of
full motion. Video often is captured with a video input device such as video camera or VCR.
Most video signals are analog; however, most of the modern video devices record the video
images digitally.
A video capture card converts an analog video signal into a digital signal that a computer
can understand. The digital signal then is stored on the computer‟s hard disk. Some output
devices accept the digital signal, while others require that the computer converts the digital
signals back into analog signals.
Output Devices.
An output device is any computer component capable of conveying information to a user.
Some commonly used output devices are listed below.
Display devices
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitors
Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitors / Flat-panel displays
LED Monitors
Gas plasma monitors
Printers
Impact printers
- Daisy Wheel and Dot Matrix printers
Non-Impact Printers
- Ink Jet printers
- Thermal Dye Transfer printers
- Laser printers
Plotters
Audio Devices
Speakers
Headphones
You have already learnt about some of the above devices together with some images in the
previous session. Therefore, let us look at some general facts about these categories of output
devices.
Monitor. The monitor displays the output to the user visually. Therefore it is also called the
Visual Display Unit (VDU) or simply the screen. The monitor looks like a television, but they
often have higher resolutions than a normal television. Similar to televisions, the sizes of
monitors are varying and often expressed in diagonally measured distance in inches. The
technology used with monitors is expanding rapidly and there are two major types of monitors
that differ in the technology of visualizing the output to the user. They are Cathode Ray Tube
(CRT) monitors, Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Light Emitting Displays (LED).
The CRT monitor has more lines of dots per inch, higher the lines more amount of the
resolution. It creates the picture by number of rows or lines of the small tiny dots. For an
instance the resolution of 1024 x 768 will be sharper than 800 x 600 resolutions.
The LCD consists of two sheets of polarizing material with a liquid crystal solution between
them. When an electric current passed through the liquid crystal solution, crystals align so that
light cannot pass through them. It is like a shutter either allows light to pass through or blocking
the light.
The LED is the latest marketing innovation of display units. It looks similar to LCD and it is
also a flat panel display. LED means Light Emitting Diode and relates to the way the display is
illuminated. LED monitors still use the same Liquid Crystals as the previous LCD displays. The
way the backlight works however with the LED's will lead to a number of improvements in the
display.
Though CRT monitors are much cheaper than LCDs and LEDs, the CRTs consume more
power than others
Printer. A computer printer produces a hard copy (permanent human-readable text and/or
graphics) of documents stored in electronic form, usually on physical/tangible print media such
as paper or transparencies. Many printers are primarily used as local computer peripherals, and
are connected by a printer cable to a computer which serves as a document source. Some
printers, commonly known as network printers can serve as a hardcopy device to be shared and
used by any user among a group of users connected to the network. Individual printers are
often designed to support both local and network connected users at the same time. There are
several types of printers categorized based on the applied technology of printing text/graphics on
the paper.
Impact Printers. Any impact printer forms characters and graphics on a piece of paper by
striking a mechanism against in an ink ribbon that physically contacts the papers. Because of the
striking activity, impact printers generally are noisy.
Many impact printers do not provide letter-quality print. Letter-Quality (LQ) output is a
quality of print acceptable for business letters. Many impact printers produce near letter-
quality(NLQ)
print, which is slightly less clear than LQ. NLQ impact printers are used for jobs that require
only NLQ, such as printing of mailing labels, envelopes, or invoices.
Impact printers are also ideal for printing multipart forms because they easily can print
through many layers of paper. Finally, impact printers are used in many factories and retail
counters as they can survive in dusty environments, vibrations, and extreme temperatures.
Plotter. Plotters are special type of printers used to print graphicaloutput on paper. It
interprets computer commands and makes line drawings on paper using ulticolored
automated pens.
Storage Devices. Storage refers to the media on which data, instructions, and information
are kept, as well as the devices that record and retrieve these items. In this section we will
discuss about the storage media and storage devices.
Memory versus Storage. It is important to understand the difference between the memory.
Memory holds data and instructions temporarily while they are being processed by the CPU.
Storage, also called Secondary, Auxiliary storage, or Mass storage, holds items such as data,
instruction, and information for future use.
 Think of storage as a filing cabinet used to hold file folders, and memory as the top of your
desk. When you need to work with a file, you remove it from the filing cabinet (storage) and
place it on your desk (memory). When you are finished with the file, you return it to the filing
cabinet.
Storage. Storage is non-volatile which means that items in storage remains even when
power is removed from the computer. A storage medium is the physical material on which the
items are kept. One commonly used storage medium is a disk, which is round, flat piece of
plastic or metal with a magnetic coating on which items can be written. A storage device is the
mechanism used to record and retrieve items to and from a storage medium.
Storage devices can function as source of input and output. For example, each time a storage
device transfers data, instructions, and information from a storage medium into memory (a
process called Reading); it functions as an input source. When a storage device transfers these
items from memory to a storage medium (a process called Writing), it functions as an output
source.
The speed of a storage device is defined by its access time, which is the minimum time it
takes the device to locate a single item on the disk. Compared to memory, storage devices are
slow. The access time of memory devices are measured in milliseconds.
Hard Disk. Hard Disk drive which is often referred to as Hard Disk or Hard Drive is a
device to store and retrieve data in a computer. The hard drive can store important system files
like the operating system, program files and other data. Though HDDs were originally designed
to be used with computers nowadays the applications for HDDs have expanded beyond
computers to include digital video recorders, digital audio players, personal digital assistants,
digital cameras and video game consoles. HDD is a non-volatile storage device that stores
digitally encoded data. It is an electromagnetically charged surface or set of disks that record
data in concentric circles known as tracks. HDDs record data by magnetizing ferromagnetic
material directionally, to represent either a 0 or a 1 binary digit. They read the data back by
detecting the magnetization of the material. A typical HDD design consists of a spindle which
holds one or more flat circular disks called platters, onto which the data is recorded. The platters
are made from a non-magnetic material, usually aluminum alloy or glass, and are coated with a
thin layer of magnetic material.
Portable Hard Disks. Portable hard disk is an interesting and useful device because you can
carry data about all over the place and transfer information, programs, pictures, etc. between
computers. Modern portable hard disks have a massive capacity like 500GB.
Optical backing storage media such as CDs and DVDs

● CDs tend to be used for large files (but smaller than 1 GB) which are too big for a
floppy disc to hold such as music and general animation.
● DVDs are used to hold very large files (several GBs) such as movie films. Both CDs
and DVDs are portable i.e. they can be transported from one computer to another.
Both can be used to store computer data.
● CD R/DVD R uses which require a single „burning‟ of data, e.g. CDs - recording of
music downloads from the Internet, recording of music from MP3 format, recording
of data for archiving or backup purposes. DVDs – recording of film movies and
television programs.
● CD RW/DVD RW uses when require the updating of information and ability to
record over old data. Not suitable for music recording but is very useful for keeping
generations of files. DVDs have between five and ten times the capacity of CDs.

The System Unit .With reference to Figure 2.3 above, the System Unit of the computer is
the box-like casing which contains the major electronic components that are responsible for the
main functions of the computer. It should be mentioned here that many people use to refer to this
as the CPU incorrectly. This erroneous reference may be due to CPU: The brain of the commuter
being that significant. However, the electronic devices such as CPU, memory, hard disk drive
are located inside the System Unit. In addition to the above parts, Motherboard, Floppy
DiskDrive, Power Supply unit, and CD-ROM Drive are the other major components that
youcan find within the system unit. A brief description of each above component is given next.
Motherboard. The motherboard is sometimes called the system board, planner board or
main board. It is the main circuit board of a computer. The motherboard contains several
connectors for attachingadditional boards. Usually, the motherboard contains the CPU, BIOS,
memory, mass storage interfaces, serial/parallel ports, expansion slots, and all the controllers
required to control standard peripheral devices, such as the display screen, keyboard, and disk
drive.All of the basic circuitry and components required for a computer to function are onboard
the motherboard or are connected with a cable. The most important component on a motherboard
is the chipset. It often consists of two components or chips known as the Northbridge and
Southbridge, though they may also be integrated into a single component. These chips
determine, to an extent, the features and capabilities of the motherboard.
Power Supply Unit . Power Supply Unit (PSU) is another very important unit found in the
system unit. Usually we connect the power code of the computer to the domestic mains supply.
Therefore, PSU converts Alternating Current (AC) from mains supply to Direct Current (DC)
with the required different voltages needed to power different components of the computer.
Power supplies have a certain power output specified in Watts, a standard power supply would
typically be able to deliver around 350 Watts. The more components like HDD, CD/DVD drives,
and cooling fans, are connected to your computer the greater the power required fro m the power
supply
CD-ROM Drive. Most probably, you might have seen the Compact Disks (CDs) which are
commonly used as a storage media. The CD-ROM drive is a high capacity optical data storage
device with a removable disk, it writes data onto or reads data from a storage medium.
A CD-ROM drive may be connected to the computer via an IDE (ATA), SCSI, S-ATA,
Firewire, or USB interface or a proprietary interface

Questions:
1. Why does a computer need memory?
2. What is the best type of storage for my data?
3. What factors affect a computer’s screen display?
4. Are ink jet printers better than laser printers?
5. What’s the best way to add devices to a computer system?
6. How can I protect my computer system from theft and
damage?

References
1. June J. Parsons and Dan Oja, New Perspectives on Computer Concepts 16th Edition -
Comprehensive, Thomson Course Technology, a division of Thomson Learning, Inc Cambridge,
MA, COPYRIGHT © 2014.
2. Lorenzo Cantoni (University of Lugano, Switzerland) James A. Danowski (University of
Illinois at Chicago, IL, USA) Communication and Technology, 576 pages.
3. Craig Van Slyke Information Communication Technologies: Concepts, Methodologies,
Tools, and Applications (6 Volumes). ISBN13: 9781599049496, 2008, Pages: 4288
4. Utelbaeva A.K.,Utelbaeva A.K. Study guide for lectures on discipline “Computer
science”, Shimkent 2008, 84 pages.