Chapter Two:

Components of Computer
System

ZENU U.

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Components of Computer System
• Computers composed of :
– Hardware Components and Software
Components
1. HARDWARE COMPONENTS
• units that are visible/tangible or
physical part of computers
• can be divided into:
Input Devices
Output Devices
Processing Devices
Storage Devices 2
a) Input Devices

• allow direct interaction between human

and machine
• Keyboard: converts letters, numbers
and other characters into electrical
signals that are machine readable by
the computer’s processor.
• Mouse: is a small, handy pointing
device containing usually two buttons:
– Primary button (Left button)
– Secondary button (Right Button) and
– Sometimes a scrolling button in the middle.3
• Touchpad:. is a flat, rectangular device
which the cursor is controlled with the
fingers

• Scanner: is an optical device that can input

any graphical matter and display it back.

• Microphones: are used to enter voice data.

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b) Output Devices

• translate the information processed by the

computer into a form that humans can
understand.
• Display an output

• Monitors or Display devices : display

information in the human readable form.
• In the monitor a blinking object called
CURSOR, helps to identify the control. 5
• Printers: are also called as Hardcopy
output devices.
• Using printers any information
consisting of text, symbols, pictures
(graphics), etc. can be printed in paper
for future reference.
• Any printed information is called the
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Hardcopy.
• Plotter:
– is also a printer that produces high quality
color graphics output by using pens for
creating images.
– produce help to draw maps from stored data.
• Speakers:
– are sound producing output devices.
– They are used in multimedia systems
• Projectors:
– it is an output device which provides a
temporary softcopy output.
– It is used to project information from a
computer on to a large screen. 7
c) Processing Devices

• Central Processing Unit

– is the Computing part of the Computer
– also called as the Brain of the Computer.
– The various components within the CPU are:
• Control Unit
• Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)
• Memory Unit
• In a personal computer or microcomputer, the
control unit and the ALU together, is a small
chip called the Microprocessor or the
Processor.
• This Processor and other components are
housed in a main circuit board called the
Mother Board or the System Board. 8
• Control Unit
– directs the Instructions in the form of electronic
signals, to the rest of the computer that are
input unit, ALU, memory and output unit.
– defined as ‘the section of the CPU that selects,
interprets and sees to the execution of program
instructions’
• Arithmetic & Logic Unit
– performs all Arithmetic and Logical operations
and controls the speed of those operations.
– defined as ‘the part of a computing system
containing the circuitry that does the adding,
subtracting, multiplying, dividing and
comparing.’

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• Memory Unit
– known as the main memory or primary
memory or internal memory or Random
Access Memory (RAM) of the computer.
– defined as ‘Descriptive of a device or
medium that can accept data, hold
them and deliver them, on demand at a
later time.
– if power is off, information stored in
memory will be destroyed. That is why,
main memories are said to be volatile.

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• Read Only Memory (ROM)
– Information once stored cannot be
modified.
– Information stored in this memory can be
used only for reading purpose.
• There are different types of ROMs
– PROM – Programmable Read Only Memory
– EPROM – Erasable Programmable Read
Only Memory
– EEPROM – Electrically Erasable
Programmable Read Only Memory

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d) Storage Devices

• store data or information permanently

for future use is called secondary
storage devices.
• secondary storage devices are very huge
in storage capacity and economical when
compared to the main memory or RAM.
• Examples of secondary storage devices
are:
– Hard disks
– Magnetic Tapes
– CD-ROM (Compact Disk – Read Only Memory)
– Floppy Disks, Etc.
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 Software components

• are non-visible programs, procedures and

associated documentations
• To convert or process any raw data into
meaningful information software is required.
• the step-by-step instructions given to the
computer in the form of programs or
procedures in order to accomplish any
specified task
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• Software has two different types:
– System Software : controls and coordinates
the computer hardware.
– Applications Software : designed to solve a
specific problem.

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System Software

– called the Boss of the computer

– manages the computer’s basic operations
– allows the user to interact with the computer
– tells the computer how to interpret data and
instructions;
– how to communicate with peripheral
equipment’s like mouse, keyboard, printers
etc. and
• The different types of system software:
– Operating Systems
– Device Drivers
– Language Translators
– Utility Programs
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Operating System
• Is a collection of software that manages
computer hardware resources and
provides common services for computer
programs.
• It’s a vital component and application
programs require an operating system to
function.
• Flexibility of the computer usage
depends on Operating System.
• Without the operating system loaded into
the computer, all hardware and other
software are useless.
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• BASIC FUNCTIONS OF AN OS ARE
– Input output management
– Memory management
– File management and
– Job control

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Device Drivers:

• Each and every device (input or output)

connected to the computer requires
relevant software, which makes the
device to communicate or interact with
the CPU.
• The software that makes the devices to
communicate or interact with the CPU
is called the device driver.

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Language Translators:

• Humans need to communicate with

computers.
• The data or information in human readable
form has to be converted into computer
understandable form.
• To communicate with computers and to
instruct the computers to accomplish any
specific task, humans have developed many
computer languages.
• These computer languages are of two types
– High Level Language like Basic, FORTRAN,
Pascal, C, C++, PL/1, Java, etc.
– Low Level Language like Assembly Language
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• Both these high level language and low level
language require language translators to
convert the instructions in the human
understandable form into machine
understandable form.
• Compilers and Interpreters
– are the language translators required to translate
high level language into machine understandable
form.
– Compiler helps to convert instruction
understandable by humans into instructions
understandable by computers.
• Assembler is the language translator
required to translate the assembly language
into machine understandable form. 20
• Utility Programs

– used to support, enhance or expand

existing programs in a computer system.
• Examples of utility programs are
– Backup – to duplicate the data or
information for safety.
– Data Recovery – to restore data that is
physically damaged or corrupted.
– Virus Protection – Antivirus software which
will eliminate viruses from affected files or
protect files from being infected from
viruses.
– Data Compression – To compress huge files
and save memory storage.
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Application Software

• Application software can be acquired

directly from a software
manufacturer.
• Basically, there are four categories
of application software.
– Productivity Software:
– Home / Personal software
– Education / Reference software:
– Entertainment software

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1. Productivity Software:
 to make the users more productive at performing general
tasks.
 For example, word processing, spread sheets,
presentation, database managers, accounting etc.
2. Home / Personal software:
 The purpose of this software is mainly for domestic and
personal use.
 For example, cook books, medical guide, gardening, etc.
3. Education / Reference software:
 The purpose of this software is mainly to learn any
subject or to refer for additional information.
 For example: Encyclopedia, Dictionaries, Computer Based
Tutorials (CBT), etc.
4. Entertainment software: The purpose of this
software is for entertainment and time passing. For
example games. 23
Thank You

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