CHAPTER 2 : Part 1
INTRODUCTION TO HARDWARE & SOFTWARE
Module Objectives
At the end of the module, students should be able to:
– identify the terms and concept related to computer
hardware and software
– identify the five basic unit of a computer
– identify the two types of computer software
– explain the differences between application software and
system software
Hardware Vs. Software ???
• Hardware - the physical parts or
components of a computer that we can
actually touch, like disks, disk drives,
monitor, keyboards, printers, boards,
and chips.
• Software - untouchable. Software
exists as ideas, concepts, and symbols,
but it has no substance.
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hardware.html
Hardware Vs. Software ???
• Books provide a useful analogy.
• The pages and the ink are the hardware,
while the words, sentences, paragraphs, and
the overall meaning are the software.
• A computer without software is like a book
full of blank pages
– you need software to make the computer useful
just as you need words to make a book
meaningful
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/hardware.html
Basic Unit of a Computer
Basic Unit of a Computer
1. Input Unit
• consist of hardware used to enter data and
instructions
• “Receiving” section of computer
• Obtains data from input devices
– Usually a keyboard, mouse, disk or scanner
• Places data at disposal of other units
Basic Unit of a Computer
2. System Unit
• Case containing electronic components used to
process data
Basic Unit of a Computer
• There are 2 main components on a
motherboard:
System Unit
• Central Processing • MEMORY (RAM)
Unit (CPU) electronic component that
also called a processor store instructions waiting to
electronic component that be executed and data needed
interprets and carries out by those instructions
the basic instructions that Retains info that has already
operate the computer been processed until can be
sent to output unit
Often called memory, primary
memory, or random access
memory (RAM)
Basic Unit of A Computer
3. Output Unit
• Hardware that conveys information to one or more
user
• “Shipping” section of computer
• Puts processed data/info on various output devices
– Monitor (screens), printers, projector, speakers
• Makes info available outside the computer
Basic Unit of a Computer
4. Storage Unit
• Holds data, instructions, and information for future
use.
• Storage Media • Storage Device
- physical material on - computer hardware that
which a computer keeps records an/or retrieves
data, instructions & items to and from storage
information media.
Storage Unit
• Storage Device • Storage Media
Card reader memory card
CD-ROM Drive/ Optical Disc
DVD-ROM Drive (CD-ROM/DVD-ROM )
hard disk hard disk
External/removable USB flash drive
hard disk Smart card
USB flash drive Cloud storage
Basic Unit of a Computer
5. Communication Unit
• hardware component that enables a computer
to send (transmit) and receive data,
instructions, and information to and from one
or more computers.
• E.g.: modem
(digital modem-cable, isdn, wireless modem,
wireless access points)
Basic Computer Hardware
Inside the computer…
http://www.canr.msu.edu/vanburen/techindx.htm
What is Software?
• Series of instructions or programs that process data
• Two types :
– System software
• Used mainly by the computer
– Application software
• Used only by the user
• The purpose of software is to cause a task, process, or
computation to be performed.
• A task can include the retrieval, storage, or display of
information.
• A computer system requires software to make the best
use of its capabilities and to solve problems
What is System Software?
• Enables application software to interact with computer hardware
• A “Background” software manage internal computer
resources and coordinate the application software requests with
computer hardware without user interaction
• Operating system software
• Most important system software
• Executes application software
• Stores data and programs
• manages all the overall operation of the computer system
• I.e. Eg. Window XP, Windows 7, Linux, UNIX, Sun
Solaris, Mac OS X Mavericks
Popular Operating System
Windows OS
• Windows platform
(XP, 7, 8, 10) is
currently the
dominating OS for
the personal
computer.
• By Microsoft.
Popular Operating System
macOS • The main operating system
for the Apple Macintosh.
(original : Mac OS X)
• The most advanced version
is macOS Big Sur (rebranded
to macOS on 2016 - naming
uniformity with iOS, iPadOS,
tvOS, watchOS)
• Previous version includes
Mac OS X Mavericks, Lion,
Yosemite
Popular Operating System
Linux OS
• Open Source operating
system
• Many
distributions/versions
• Red Hat 9.0, Mandrake,
SuSE, Lindows, Knoppix,
Ubuntu and many others
What is Application Software?
•End-user software enter commands and typically interact with
application programs.
• General-purpose programs
– Some types: Browsers, Spreadsheet,
Database management systems,
presentation graphics, word processor
– i.e Internet Explorer, Microsoft Word,
PowerPoint
• Special-purpose programs
– Custom written for specialized tasks
– written for an organization’s or business
type’s specific purpose
– i.e. Online Registration System
Application Software
Word processor Spreadsheets Databases
Communications Presentation Others - Groupware
