Introduction to

Computers
Lecture -2 (Inside the Computer System)
  The topic helps you explore the computer system in detail and
introduces you to its important parts. You will learn:
Inside The  Four important parts of computer system
Computer  How these components work together and allow you to interact
System with the system.
 Importance of software
  A complete computer system consists of four parts:
Parts of A Hardware
Computer Software

System User
Data
  Hardware
 The mechanical devices that make up the computer are called
Parts of A hardware.
 Hardware is any part of the computer you can touch.
Computer
 A computer’s hardware consists of interconnected electronic
System devices that you can use to control the computer’s operation,
input, and output.
  Hardware
 External Hardware : The hardware that is found outside the
computer or found with computer.
Parts of A  Examples include Monitor, Joystick, Keypad, Mouse, Printer,
Projector, Scanner, Speakers etc.
Computer  Internal Hardware: The hardware that is found inside your
System computer and may be found in a computer.
 Examples include CPU, Fan, Modem, Motherboard, Network Card,
Power Supply, RAM, Sound Card, Video Card etc.
  Software
 Software is a set of instructions that makes the computer perform
tasks.
Parts of A  In other words, software tells the computer what to do.
Computer  Some programs exist primarily for the computer's use to help
System perform tasks and manage its own resources. Other types of
programs exist for the user, enabling him or her to perform tasks
such as creating documents.
Parts of A
Computer
System
  Types of Software
 System Software: Software required to run the hardware parts of
the computer and other application software are called system
software.
 System software acts as interface between hardware and user
Parts of A applications.
 An interface is needed because hardware devices or machines and
Computer humans speak in different languages. But computers understand
System only Machine Language (i.e. language of 0s and 1s).
 System Software is further divided into three types:
Operating System
Language Processor
Device Drivers
  Types of Software
 Operating System: System software that is responsible for
functioning of all hardware parts and their interoperability to carry
out tasks successfully is called operating system (OS).
Parts of A  OS is the first software to be loaded into computer memory when
Computer the computer is switched on and this is called booting.
 OS manages a computer’s basic functions like:
System
 Storing data in memory
Retrieving files from storage devices
Scheduling tasks based on priority, etc.
  Types of Software
 Language Processor: Since computers understand only machine
language so one of the important functions of system software is
to translate human understandable language into machine
Parts of A language.
 There comes the need of language processors.
Computer  When we talk of human machine interactions, there are three
System kinds of languages:
Machine level language
Assemble level language
High-Level language
  Types of Software
 Program written in high level programming languages like Java,
C++, etc. is called source code.
 Set of instructions in machine readable form is called object code
or machine code.
Parts of A  System software that converts source code to object code is called
language processor. There are three types of language
Computer interpreters−
System  Assembler − Converts assembly level program into machine level
program.
 Interpreter − Converts high level programs into machine level
program line by line.
 Compiler − Converts high level programs into machine level
programs at one go rather than line by line.
  Types of Software
 Device Drivers: System software that controls and monitors
Parts of A functioning of a specific device on computer is called device driver.

Computer  Each device like printer, scanner, microphone, speaker, etc. that
needs to be attached externally to the system has a specific driver
System associated with it.
 When you attach a new device, you need to install its driver so that
the OS knows how it needs to be managed.
  Types of Software
 Application Software: A software that performs a single task and
nothing else is called application software.
 Application software are very specialized in their function and
Parts of A approach to solving a problem.
 Here are some commonly used application software:
Computer Word processing
System Spreadsheet
Presentation
Database management
Multimedia tools
  Types of Software
 Utility Software: Application software that assist system software
in doing their work is called utility software.
 Thus utility software is actually a cross between system software
Parts of A and application software.
 Examples of utility software include −
Computer Antivirus software
System Disk management tools
File management tools
Compression tools
Backup tools
  Data
Parts of A  Data consist of individual facts or pieces of information that by
themselves may not make much sense to a person.
Computer  A computer’s primary job is to process these tiny pieces of data in
System various ways, converting them into useful information.
  Users
 People are the computer operators, also known as users.
Parts of A  It can be argued that some computer systems are complete
Computer without a person’s involvement; however, no computer is totally
autonomous.
System  Even if a computer can do its job without a person sitting in front
of it, people still design, build, program, and repair computer
systems.
  Using all its parts together, a computer converts data into
information by performing various actions on the data.
 For example, a computer might perform a mathematical
The operation on two numbers, then display the result. Or the
Information computer might perform a logical operation such as comparing
two numbers, then display that result.
Processing  These operations are part of a process called the information
Cycle processing cycle, which is a set of steps the computer follows to
receive data, process the data according to instructions from a
program, display the resulting information to the user, and store
the results.
The
Information
Processing
Cycle
  The information processing cycle has four parts, and each part
The involves one or more specific components of the computer:

Information  Input
 Processing
Processing
 Output
Cycle  Storage
  Input: Computer receives data and instructions
The  Processing: Computer applies instructions to data to produce
Information information (organized Data)

Processing  Output: Computer sends information to people in a usable format

 Storage: Saving the information for a subsequent use or use in
Cycle future
  A computer’s hardware devices fall into one of four categories:
Essential  Processor
Computer  Memory

Hardware  Input and output

 Storage
  Processor
 The processor is like the brain of the computer.
 It organizes and carries out instructions that come from either the
Essential user or the software.
Computer  In a personal computer; the processor usually consists of one or
more specialized chips, called microprocessors, which are slivers
Hardware of silicon or other material etched with many tiny electronic
circuits.
 To process data or complete an instruction from a user or a
program, the computer passes electricity through the circuits.
  Processor
 Intel and AMD are the largest manufacturers of processors.
Essential  Basic or Economy Computer Processors – Low performing CPUs
with cheap price.
Computer
 For non-intensive tasks like gaming, internet browsing, common
Hardware graphics applications, these are appropriate CPUs.
 AMD Sempron, AMD Athlon Neo, Intel Centrino, Centrino Duo and
Celeron are examples.
  Processor
 Mid-End Computer Processors – For performing middle-intensive
Essential tasks.

Computer  Like basic 3-D gaming, casual photo editing, multimedia

applications
Hardware  Some of the common processors in this category are: Intel Core 2
Quad, Intel Core 2 Extreme, Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel Pentium Dual
Core, AMD Pheom 1 X3, AMD Turion family.
  Processor
 High-End Computer Processors – They are for intensive
applications that need high processing power.
Essential  Advanced microprocessor technology is incorporated in these
Computer processors.

Hardware  Statistical analysis, creating and editing professional videos,

intensive graphics, extreme 3D gaming are the tasks that need
such processors.
 Intel Core I series processors (i3, i5, i7, i9) and AMD Phenom family
  Motherboard
 A motherboard provides connectivity between the hardware
components of a computer, like the processor (CPU), memory
(RAM), hard drive, and video card.
Essential  There are multiple types of motherboards, designed to fit
different types and sizes of computers.
Computer  Each type of motherboard is designed to work with specific types
Hardware of processors and memory, so they are not capable of working
with every processor and type of memory.
 Here is the image of ASUS P5AD2-E motherboard with labels next
to each of its major components.
Essential
Computer
Hardware
  Motherboard
 Exapnsion Slots (PCI Express, PCI and AGP) - An expansion slot is a
Essential connection or port located inside a computer on the motherboard.

Computer  It provides an installation point for a hardware expansion card to

be connected.
Hardware  For example, if you wanted to install a new video card in the
computer, you'd purchase a video expansion card and install that
card into the compatible expansion slot.
  Motherboard
 A heat sink is a device that incorporates either a fan or some other
Essential means to keep a hot component, such as a processor, cooled
Computer down.
 There are two heat sink types: active and passive.
Hardware  The picture is an example of a heat sink that has both active and
passive cooling mechanisms.
  Motherboard

Essential  Northbridge - It is an integrated circuit responsible for

communications between the CPU interface, AGP, and the
Computer memory.

Hardware  Unlike the Southbridge, the Northbridge is directly connected to

these components and acts like a "bridge" for the Southbridge
chip to communicate with the CPU, RAM, and graphics controller.
  Motherboard
 Memory Slot - A memory slot, memory socket, or RAM slot is
what allows RAM (computer memory) to be inserted into the
Essential computer.

Computer  Depending on the motherboard, there may be two to four

memory slots (sometimes more on high-end motherboards) and
Hardware are what determine the type of RAM used with the computer.
 The most common types of RAM are SDRAM and DDR for desktop
computers and SODIMM for laptop computers, each having
various types and speeds.
  Motherboard
 Southbridge - The southbridge is an IC on the motherboard
Essential responsible for the hard drive controller, I/O controller and
integrated hardware.
Computer  Integrated hardware can include the sound card and video card if
Hardware on the motherboard, USB, PCI, ISA, IDE, BIOS, and Ethernet.
 The southbridge gets its name for commonly being South of
the PCI bus.
  Memory
 In a computer, memory is one or more sets of chips that store data
and/or program instructions, either temporarily or permanently.
Essential  Memory is a critical processing component in any computer
Computer  Personal computers use several different types of memory, but
Hardware the two most important are called:
 Random Access Memory (RAM)
 Read Only Memory (ROM)
  Random Access Memory (RAM)
 Most common type of memory is Random Access Memory (RAM)
 RAM is like an electronic scratch pad inside the computer.
Essential  RAM holds data and program instructions while the CPU works
with them.
Computer
 RAM is volatile, meaning that it loses its contents when the
Hardware computer is shut off or if there is a power failure.
 Therefore, RAM needs a constant supply of power to hold its data.
 For this reason, you should save your data files to a storage device
frequently, to avoid losing them in a power failure.
  Random Access Memory (RAM)
 RAM has a tremendous impact on the speed and power of a
Essential computer.

Computer  Generally, the more RAM a computer has, the mote it can do and
the faster it can perform certain tasks.
Hardware  The most common measurement unit for describing a computer’s
memory is the byte—the amount of memory it takes to store a
single character such as a letter of the alphabet or a numeral.
  Read Only Memory (ROM)
 Read-only memory (ROM) permanently stores its data, even when
the computer is shut off.
Essential  ROM is called non volatile memory because it never loses its
contents.
Computer  ROM holds instructions that the computer needs to operate.
Hardware  Whenever the computer's power is turned on, it checks ROM for
directions that help it start up, and for information about its
hardware devices.
  Input and Output Devices
 Input devices: Accept data and instructions from the user or from
another computer sys tem (such as a computer on the Internet).
 Examples:
Essential  Keyboard which accepts letters, numbers, and commands from
the user
Computer
 Mouse which lets you select options from on-screen menus.
Hardware  Scanner can copy a printed page of text or a graphic into the
computer's memory, freeing you from creating the data from
scratch
 Digital Camera can record still images, which you can view and
edit on the computer
Essential
Computer
Hardware
  Input and Output Devices
 Output devices: Return processed data to the user or to another
computer system.
Essential  Examples:
Computer  Monitor - The computer sends output to the monitor (the display
screen) when the user needs only to see the output.
Hardware  Printer - It sends output to the printer when the user requests a
paper copy—also called a hard copy—of a document.
 Speakers – (or head phones) are used to produce sound as output.
Essential
Computer
Hardware
  Input and Output Devices
 Some types of hardware can act as both input and output devices.

Essential  A touch screen, for example, is a type of monitor that displays text
or icons you can touch.
Computer  When you touch the screen, special sensors detect the touch and
Hardware the computer calculates the point on the screen where you placed
your finger.
 Depending on the location of the touch, the computer determines
what information to display or what action to take next.
  Input and Output Devices
 Communications devices are the most common types of devices
that can per form both input and output.
Essential  These devices connect one computer to another—a process
Computer known as networking.
 The most common kinds of communications de vices are
Hardware modems, which enable computers to communicate through
telephone lines or cable television systems, and network interface
cards (NICs), which let users connect a group of computers to
share data and devices.
  Storage Devices
Essential  A computer also needs a place to keep program files and related
Computer data when they are not in use.

Hardware  The purpose of storage is to hold data permanently, even when

the computer is turned off.
  Storage Devices
 Difference Between Storage and Memory:
 Although the functions of storage and memory arc similar; they
work in different ways.
 There are three major distinctions between storage and memory:
Essential
There is more room in storage than in memory, just as there is
Computer more room in a file cabinet than there is on a tabletop.
Hardware Contents are retained in storage when the computer is turned off,
whereas programs or the data in memory disappear when you
shut down the computer.
Storage devices operate much slower than memory chips, but
storage is much cheaper than memory.
  Types of Storage Devices
Essential  There are two main types of storage devices:
Computer Magnetic Storage
Hardware Optical Storage
  Types of Storage Devices
 Magnetic Storage: Magnetic Disk is the most common storage
device.
Essential  A disk is a round, flat object that spins around its center.
(Magnetic disks are almost always housed inside a case of some
Computer kind).
Hardware  The device that holds a disk is called a disk drive.
 Some disks are built into die drive and are not meant to be
removed; other kinds of drives enable you to remove and replace
disk.
Essential
Computer
Hardware
  Types of Storage Devices
Essential  Choosing a hard drive based on how much storage it can retain is
really up to opinion and circumstance.
Computer
 If you need a tablet, for example, that can hold lots of videos,
Hardware you'll want to be sure to get the 64 GB one instead of the 8 GB
one.
Essential  Discussion
Computer  What common tasks one can perform with Hard Disk Drive?
Hardware
  Types of Storage Devices
 Optical Storage: Devices that use lasers to read data from or write
data to the reflective surface of an optical disc.
 The CD-ROM drive is the most common type of optical storage
device.
Essential  Compact discs (CDs) arc a type of optical storage, identical to
Computer audio CDs.

Hardware  Compact Disc - Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM) discs can hold

around 800MB of data.
 The type used in computers is called Compact Disc Read-Only
Memory (CD-ROM).
 As the name implies, you cannot change the information on the
disc, just as you cannot record over an audio CD.
  Types of Storage Devices
 If you purchase a CD-Recordable (CD-R) drive, you have the option
of creating your own CDs.
Essential  A CD-R drive can write data to and read data from a compact disc.
Computer  CD-R discs can have data burnt onto them, but not erased. You
can keep adding data until the disc is full, but you cannot remove
Hardware any data or re-use a full disc.
 To record data with a CD-R drive, you must use a special CD-R disc,
which can be written on only once, or a CD-Re-Writable (CD-RW)
disc, which can be written to multiple times, like a floppy disk.
  Types of Storage Devices
 Digital Versatile Disc - Read-Only Memory (DVD-ROM) discs can
hold around 4.7GB of data.
Essential
Computer
Hardware
 DVD-ROMs are used in the same way as CD-ROMs but, since they
can hold more data, they are also used to store high-quality video.
  Types of Storage Devices
 DVD-Random Access Memory (DVD-RAM) discs are a type of re-
writable DVD. They often come in a floppy-disc style case (to
Essential protect the disc).
 The discs are much higher quality than normal DVD-RWs and can
Computer reliably store data for up to 30 years. This means that they are
Hardware often used for video and data back-up and archiving.

DVD-RAM discs have a similar capacity to a normal DVD,

holding 4.7GB of data. DVD-RAM discs are random-
access devices.
  Types of Storage Devices
Essential  Blu-Ray Disks: Blu-Ray disks are a recent replacement for DVDs.
 A Blu-Ray disc can hold 25 - 50GB of data (a dual-layer Blu-Ray
Computer disc can hold twice that). Blu-Ray discs are random-access
Hardware devices.
  Types of Storage Devices
 Blu-Ray discs are used in the same way as DVD-ROMs but, since
they can hold more data, they are also used to store very high-
Essential quality, high-definition (HD) video.
 The 'Blu' part of Blu-Ray refers to the fact that the laser used to
Computer read the disc uses blue light instead of red light. Blue light has
Hardware a shorter wave-length than red light (used with CDs and DVDs).
 Using a blue laser allows more data to be placed closer together
on a Blu-Ray disc, than on a DVD or CD, so Blu-Ray has a
much higher storage capacity than these older discs.
  Revise today’s lecture and make a summary of the major points
Class Activity covered.
 Assignment-1 submission and checking