The Elements of a Computer System The computer system has six (6) important elements.

People Software Hardware Data Connectivity Procedure 1. People Two types of Users: -Professionals - An Information Technology (IT) professional who had formal education in the technical aspect of using a computer and communication system. Ex. Computer Programmer. - End-users - is someone without much technical knowledge of IT who uses computers for entertainment, education or work related task. 2. Software - Software or programs consist of the step by step instructions that tell the computer how to perform a task. Two Major Types Application software System Software 3. Hardware consists of all the machinery and equipment in a computer system Four types of Computer Hardware Input Hardware keyboard, mouse, scanner, microphone Processing and Memory Hardware CPU, RAM Output Hardware monitor, printer, speaker, headphone Secondary Storage Hardware hard disk, diskette, optical disk or CD, flash drive 4. Data/Information Data consists of the raw facts and figures Information summarized data or otherwise Units of Measurement for Capacity A computer systems data/information storage capacity is represented by: Kilobyte (KB) equivalent to approximately Megabyte (MB) 1000 KB or about 1 million Gigabyte (GB) 1000 MB or about 1 billion bytes 1000 bytes. bytes that are processed into information. manipulated data.

5. Communication/Connectivity Communication defined as the electronic transfer of data from one place to another. 1) sender 2) receiver 3) computer 4) transmission medium 5) signal converter - modem Advantages of Computers 1. SPEED- Computer operates on data and commands at incredibly fast speed. 2. STORAGE- can store enormous amount of data and information in its memory 3. RELIABILITY- Computers are made of modern technology rarely breakdown and when they do, they are easily repaired. 4. CONSISTENT- if you input the same data into the computer using the same program, it will give you the same result. 5. COMMUNICATE- People can connect with others by the use of computer Disadvantages of Using the Computer 1. Safety 2. Health risks 3. Environment 4. Use of power 5. Privacy violation Supercomputers - Are the fastest computers in the world - Very high processing capacity, speed of calculation - Multitasking - NASA, MIT and Harvard University - Weather forecasting, climate change, molecular modeling, quantum physics, nuclear weapon simulation - Occupy large spaces and emit high energy Mainframe computers - Used by large corporations and organizations for bulk data processing (bank transactions, consumer statistics and large database) - Less powerful than supercomputers but are still capable of great processing speeds, multi-taking capability and high storage. Server Computers - Used as main computer in a network serving and connected to several other computers. - Have the capability to handle multiple request for data and other processing task - Servers do not necessarily have a terminal and in big applications are stacked together and placed in cabinets or special rooms. Personal Computers - Designed to be operated by an individual whose size, price and capabilities are determined by the usual application the person uses it for. Tablet PC - is a notebook equipped with touchscreen which allows you to operate the computer using a digital pen or stylus - Fingertip may also be use

- Offers flexibility and functionality which standard notebook cannot give. Portable Computer - Pocket PC - Mobile Classic - PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) - Smart phones - Gaming Consoles - Handheld Gaming Consoles