COMPUTER SYSTEM

Reporter:
Ericka C. Pertez
 DESCRIPTION OF COMPUTER
SYSTEM

Computer is a device that is capable of

automatically accepting storing, and
processing data into useful information,
at a very high speed, under the control
of stored instructions. A computer could
also be defi ned as a machine for
manipulating data according to a list of
instructions. Computer is the backbone
of ICT.
PARTS OF A COMPUTER
System unit

The system unit is the core

of a computer system. Usually
it's a rectangular box placed on
or underneath your desk. Inside
this box are many electronic
components that process
information. The most important
of these components is the
central processing unit (CPU), or
microprocessor, which acts as
the "brain" of your computer.
Another component is random
access memory (RAM), which
temporarily stores information
that the CPU uses while the
computer is on.
 STORAGE

Computer has one or

more disk drives-
devices that store
information on a metal
or plastic disk. The
disk preserves the
information even when
your computer is
turned off .
 HARD DISK DRIVE

Computer's hard disk drive

stores information on a hard
disk, a rigid platter or stack of
platters with a magnetic surface.
Because hard disks can hold
massive amounts of information,
they usually serve as your
computer's primary means of
storage, holding almost all of
your programs and fi les. The
hard disk drive is normally
located inside the system unit.
 CD AND DVD DRIVES

Computers today come equipped with

a cd or dvd drive, usually located on
the front of the system unit. CD drives
use lasers to read (retrieve) data from
a CD, and many CD drives can also
write (record) data onto cds. If you
have a recordable disk drive, you can
store copies of your fi les on blank
cds. You can also use a CD drive to
play music cds on your computer. DVD
drives can do everything that CD
drives can, plus read dvds. If you have
a DVD drive, you can watch movies on
your computer. Many DVD drives can
record data onto blank dvds.
 FLOPPY DISK DRIVE

Floppy disk drives store information

on fl oppy disks, also called fl oppies
or diskettes. Compared to cds and
dvds, fl oppy disks can store only a
small amount of data. They also
retrieve information more slowly and
are more prone to damage. For these
reasons, fl oppy disk drives are less
popular than they used to be,
although some computers still
include them. Why are fl oppy disks
"fl oppy"? Even though the outside is
made of hard plastic, that's just the
sleeve. The disk inside is made of a
thin, fl exible vinyl material.
 MOUSE

A mouse is a small device used to

point to and select items on your
computer screen. Although mice come
in many shapes, the typical mouse
does look a bit like an actual mouse.
It's small, oblong, and connected to
the system unit by a long wire that
resembles a tail. Some newer mice
are wireless. A mouse usually has two
buttons: a primary button (usually the
left button) and a secondary button.
Many mice also have a wheel between
the two buttons, which allows you to
scroll smoothly through screens of
information
 KEYBOARD

A keyboard is used mainly for

typing text into your computer.
Like the keyboard on a typewriter,
it has keys for letters and
numbers, but it also has special
keys:
• The function keys, found on the
top row, perform diff erent
functions depending on where
they are used. The numeric
keypad, located on the right side
of most boards, allows you to
enter numbers quickly.
 MONITOR

A monitor displays
information in visual form,
using text and graphics.
The portion of the monitor
that displays the
information is called the
screen. Like a television
screen, a computer screen
can show still or moving
pictures.
 PRINTER

Transfers data from a

computer onto paper.
You don’t need a
printer to use your
computer, but having
one allows you to
print e-mail, cards,
materials.
 SPEAKERS

Speakers are used to

play sound. They may
be built into the
system unit or
connected with
cables. Speakers allow
you to listen music
and hear sound eff ects
from your computer.
 MODEM

To connect our computer

to the internet, we need a
modem. It is a device that
sends and receives
computer information over
a telephone line or high-
speed cable. Modems are
sometimes built into the
system unit, but higher
speed modems are usually
separate components.
 ADVANTAGES OF
COMPUTER SYSTEM
I. Accuracy and Reliability: the
results produced by a computer are
extremely correct and reliable. What
is often called computer errors are
actually human mistakes; invalid data
and errors are corrected easily.

II. Speed: the speed of computer

makes it the machine ideal for
processing large amounts of data; e.g.
Accounting, banking operations etc.
III. Storage/Memory Capability: Computer
systems can store tremendous amounts of
data, which can then be retrieved fast and
eff iciently. The volume of information we deal
with today is far beyond what we can handle
manually.

IV. Productivity: Computers are able to

perform dangerous, boring, routine jobs, such
as adding long list of numbers, punching
holes in metal or monitoring water levels.
Most workers (e.g. in banks) will appreciate
increased productivity when computers are
used to do their jobs.
V. Flexibility: Computer could be used for
various purposes e.g. multiprogramming,
batch processing, real-time processing, data
collection, bank transaction processing etc.

VI. Automatic operation: Computer

performs data processing automatically
under the control of internally stored
programs.

VII. Confi guration and adaptability:

Diff erent or suitable peripherals may be
used by business organizations to suit their
business processing requirements.
DISADVANTAGES OF A
COMPUTER SYSTEM
i. Cost of initial setup may be high.

ii. Cost of maintenance may be high.

iii. Ineff icient feasibility study before

implementation may hamper business
operations.

iv. Lack of skilled personnel may

hamper computer operations and
results obtained.
v. Requires regular electrical power supply.

vi. Excessive exposure to computer may

result in some health problem such as poor
eye sight, wrist pain, back ache, neck pain
etc.

vii. Computer virus attack may infect and

destroy Data/information, which will
automatically aff ect business operations.

viii. It may lead to unemployment, because

one computer can do the job of about 10
persons.
THANK YOU!!!