Chapter - 1 : Computer System
1. Computer:
A computer is an electronic device that accepts a set of instructions in the form of a program,
executes it and displays the output to the user.
2. Data and Information:
• Data is defined as a collection of individual facts or statistics.
• Information is a collection of data which are organized in a meaningful way.
3. IPO -
Every task given to a Computer follows the IPO cycle.
Input→ Process→ Output
It accepts certain input, processes that input and produces the desired output.
4. Hardware:
The physical components of a computer is called hardware. Eg. Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor,
CPU etc.,
5. Software:
Software are a set of programs that accomplish a specific task.
6. Computer System Architecture or Organization:
Computer System Architecture consists of the following units:
> Input Unit
> Central Processing Unit
> Memory Unit
> Output Unit.
(a) Input Unit:
An Input Unit fetches the input and converts it into a binary form which is directly
understood by the computer. Some of the input devices are Mouse, Keyboard, Scanner, Light Pen etc.,
(b) Central Processing Unit (CPU):
• CPU is the electronic circuitry that carries out the actual processing.
• It is the Control Center/Brain of the computer.
• It consists of the following components
I. Arithmetic Logic Unit
II. Control Unit
III. Registers
(I) Arithmetic Logic Unit:
It performs the arithmetic and logical operations.
(II) Control Unit:
• It control the flow of data amoung other units of a computer.
• It manages and co-ordinates all the units of the computer.
(III) Registers:
• These are high-speed temporary storage areas found in the CPU.
• They store data and instructions that are immediately required for performing
operations.
(c) Memory Unit:
• It stores all the data and the instructions required for processing.
• All inputs and outputs are transmitted through the main memory.
• It is divided into
➢ RAM (Random Access Memory)
➢ ROM (Read Only Memory)
(d) Output Unit:
Output devices produce the output generated by the CPU in human understandable form such as
audio, video, text or hard copy. Some of the output devices are Monitor, Printer, Speaker etc.,
7. Comparison between RAM and ROM:
RAM ROM
It stands for Random Access Memory It stands for Read Only Memory
It is a Volatile Memory Its a non Volatile Memory
Data gets erased when computer is turned off. Data is stored permanently
It is faster than ROM It is slower than RAM
8. Cache Memory:
It is a high speed memory available inside the CPU.
It store recently used data and instructions.
9. Impact and Non-Impact Printers
Impact Printer Non-Impact Printers
In impact printers, there is a mechanical contact In Non-Impact Printers, there is not mechanical
between print head and paper contact between printer head and paper.
It print speed is slow. It print speed is fast
Its print quality is low. Its print quality is high.
Eg. Dot Matrix, line printers etc., Eg. Inkjet, Laser etc.,
10. Primary Memory and Secondary Memory
Primary Memory Secondary Memory
It is also called main memory It is also called external/auxiliary memory
It consists of RAM which is volatile and ROM It is always non-volatile in nature
which is non-volatile in nature.
It works at greater speed It is slower than Primary Memory
It is expensive It is cheaper than Primary Memory.
11. Computer Memory Units:
12. Type of Software:
• System Software
◦ Operating System
◦ Laguage Translators
▪ Assembler
▪ Compiler
▪ Interpreter
• Application Software
◦ General Purpose
◦ Customize Software
• Utility Software
13. System Software:
• System software refers to a type of software that provides a platform or environment for
running application software and manages computer hardware resources.
• It acts as an intermediary between the hardware and the end-user applications.
14. Operating System:
Its is type of System software that acts as an interface between the user and the hardware
of the computer.
Operations of Operating System:
(i) Provide an interface to allow the user to communicate with the computer.
(ii) Control the various hardware and software resources.
(iii) Manage and keep track of the files and changes made to it.
(iv) Provided facilities to convert high level programming language to machine language
15 Language Processors :
Language Processors are programs that are used to convert high level language program into
machine language.
Following are the types of language processors
• Assembler: Assembler converts assembly language program into machine language.
• Compiler: Compiler converts high level language program to low level language
program as a whole
• Interpreter: Interpreter converts high level language program to low level language line
by line.
16. Application Software:
➔ Application Software is the type of software that runs as per user request.
➔ It runs on the platform which is provided by system software
Application Software is of following types:
• General Purpose Software:
These software are made for the common users for day-to-day applications and uses.
Eg. MS Word, MS Excel, Paint etc.,
• Customized Software:
These software are those which are tailor-made as per the user’s requirement. Eg.
Railway Reservation System, Airline Reservation System, etc.
17. Utility Software:
It is designed for optimizing and maintaining the computer system. Following are some of the
Utility Softwares.
• Antivirus Software: An antivirus software scans for any virus and, if detected, removes it from
the system. Eg. Norton, Kaspersky, etc.
• Compression Software: Compression software are used to compress and reduce the size of
large files so that they take less storage space.
• Disk Defragmentation Software: Disk Defragmentation software organizes the files in the
hard disk, resulting in improved hard drive speed.
• Backup Software: Backup Software make copies of all information stored on a disk to some
other storage device which can restored in case of accidental deletion or damage.
18. Security-related concerns for data
• Data can be accessed by unauthorized users if proper security is not in place.
• Important data may be lost due to accidental deletion or system failure.
• Malware and viruses can damage, steal, or corrupt data.
• Data can be tampered with, leading to loss of accuracy and reliability.
• Weak passwords can allow attackers to easily break into systems and access data.
19. How to protect data
1. Use strong and unique passwords to prevent unauthorized access.
2. Install antivirus and anti-malware software to protect against harmful programs.
3. Regularly back up important data to avoid loss during system failure.
4. Use firewalls and encryption to secure data during storage and transfer.
5. Limit access to sensitive data by giving permissions only to trusted users.
