COMPUTER SYSTEMS

Chapter 1
Learning outcomes

What is Data and Information?

What is a Computer?
What does a c omputer do?
Components of Computer
Types of Components
Description of the c omponents

Detailed description of the hardware c omponents.

.
 What is Data and Information?

Data is the nothing but the raw fac ts like numbers, words and
measurements.
Data: 40798
Information: 04/ 07/98 is the birth date of Sara.

04/ 07/98 is the starting date of your exam.

$40,798 is the starting salary of a Data Sc ientist.
What is a Computer?
Computer is a programmable device which stores , process and retrieves
the data.
Where c an we see c omputers in our daily life?
What a computer do?

Input Process Output

Hardware Software Hardware

 CO MPONENTS OF CO MPUTER

v Hardware Components:
Physic al Components of Computer.
CO MPONENTS OF CO MPUTER

vSoftware Components :
Set of Programs that controls the computer
system.
 Hardware Components

Hardware C omponents

External H/W Components Internal H/W Components

§ System unit Motherboard
§ Monitor CPU
§ Keyboard RAM & ROM
§ Mouse Video c ard & Sound c ard
§ Printer HDD & SSD
 External Hardware Components
Keyboard Mouse System unit

Monitor Printer
Internal Hardware Components

Motherboard RAM ROM CPU

Audio card HDD SSD Video c ard

 Internal Hardware Components
Motherboard
v Mother board is the main circuit board inside the computer that connects
the different parts of the c omputer c omponents.
Internal Hardware Components
CPU(Central Processing Unit)

The CPU is the central processing unit contains a processor chip which
performs c alculations.
It has Arithmetic and Logic Unit and C ontrol unit for the c alculations.
 Internal Hardware Components
RAM(Random Acce ss Memory)

RAM is the memory to store the running programs and the data for the
programs
RAM is a volatile memory
Internal Hardware Components
ROM(Read Only Memory)

ROM is used to store the startup instructions for the computer

ROM is a non volatile memory.
 RAM Vs ROM

RAM ROM
Data is Stored during processing Data is Stored by the manufac turer

Stores the information temporarily Stores the information permanently

RAM is Volatile ROM is Nonvolatile

RAM is very fast and uses more power ROM is fast and uses less power
Used in normal operations Used in Startup process
Reading and Writing data always Writing once and Reading always
Internal Hardware Components
Video ca rd

A video card is used to get good quality of images showed on the display.
Video cards are built-in device inside the motherboard.
Nowadays to enhanc e the visual quality the graphic s c ard is fixed to the
addition slots.
Internal Hardware Components
Sound ca rd

Sound c ard improves the sound quality of a system.

It is an expansion card for producing sound heard through speakers and
headphones.
Internal Hardware Components
HDD(Hard Disk Drive)

It is an electro mechanical storage device which uses magnetic storage to

store and retrieve the files and folders.
It controls the reading and writing of data in the hard disk for storage.
 HDD Mechanism
1. Ac tuator arm - Ac tuator moves the read-write arm
2. Read write arm - Read-write arm swings read-write head back and forth across platter.
3. Central Spindle - Central spindle allows platter to rotate at high speed.
4. Magnetic platter - Magnetic platter stores information in binary form.
5. Plug connections - Plug connections link hard drive to circuit board in personal
computer.
6. Read/Write head - Read-write head is a tiny magnet on the end of the read-write arm.
7. Circuit board - Circuit board controls the flow of data to and from the platter.
8. Flexible connector - Flexible connector carries data from circuit board to read-write
head and platter.
9. Small spindle - Small spindle allows read-write arm to swing across platter
Internal Hardware Components
SSD (Solid State Drive)

Ø SSD is a solid state storage device that uses flash based memory to store
and retrieve data.
Ø It is faster to ac c ess than the HDDs.
HDD Vs SSD

HDD SSD

Mec hanic al Parts No Moving Parts

Latency time is High Latency time is less
Low read & write performance High read & write performance

Read performance varies Read Performance is steady

HDD is low at c ost SSD is expensive

HDD is not portable SSD is portable

 Software Components

The users are allowed to construct a software system by the existing

software c omponents.
The two types of Software components are System Software and
Application Software
Software Components

Application Software
Programs that allow the user to do specific tasks.
It is a group of programs or individual software applications designed for
end-users.
Some of the examples of Application Software are
§ Word Processor
§ Spreadsheet
§ Database
§ Apps
§ Video and Photo editing software
Applic ation Software
Word Processor
Software that allows the user to create, edit and print documents.
Used to create text files, word files , HTML files , XML files etc.,
 Applic ation Software
Spreadsheet
-> a file made of rows and columns which helps to sort and arrange data
easily to do some c alculations.
-> Examples of Spreadsheet are MS Excel , Google sheets etc.,
Applic ation Software

Video Editor
It is used to edit videos provided with beautiful templates, animation,
graphic elements and so on.
Openshot, Moviemaker are some of the examples of video editor.
Applic ation Software

Photo Editor
It is used to select , edit and positioning photos to change the
appearanc e of the image.
Examples of Photo editor are Adobe photoshop, Corel Paintshop pro
etc.,
 Applic ation Software

APPS

App is a type of software which allows the user to do some desired activities.
 System Software
Assembler
An assembler is a program that converts assembly language into machine
code.
It takes the basic commands and operations from assembly code and converts
them into binary code

Binary codes
 System Software
Compiler
A compiler is a program that translates the source code for another program from a
programing language into executable code.
A compiler converts a program from a human-readable format into a machine-
readable format.

Mnemonic c ode
 Assembler Vs Compiler

Compiler Assembler
Compiler translates high level programming Assembler converts the assembly level language
language code to machine level code to mac hine level c ode

Sourc e c ode in high level programming Assembly language c ode as input

language.

§ Mnemonic version of ma chine c ode. Binary version of mac hine c ode.

§ C, C++ , Java c ompilers. GAS, GNU assemblers.

 System Software
Linker-> Combines the object modules into an executable program

Loader-> It loads the programs and libraries.

 System Software
Interpreter
An interpreter is a computer program that directly executes instructions
written in a programming or scripting language.
 Operating System
An operating system is system software that manages computer hardware, software
resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Accepts inputs
Sends outputs to the monitor or printer.
Rec ognizes peripheral devic es
Manages files and folders in the system
Allows applic ations software
Shares out system memory effic iently.
Loads and runs software applic ations.
Manages system security.
Handles system problems and alerts the user.
Manages the moving of data.
 Utility Software
Utility software is software designed to help to analyze, configure, optimize
or maintain a c omputer.
Utility program is a type of system software which creates a workable
environment for user to work with application software.
Some of the examples of the utility programs (Utilities) include: Antivirus
software, Backup software, Disk repair, Disk security etc.,
Identify System/Applica tion Software
 USER INTERFACES

C ommand Line Interface (C LI)

CLI is a command line program that accepts text input to execute operating system
functions.
CLI is still used by software developers and system administrators to configure computers,
install software, and access features that are not available in the graphical interface.
Requires a user to type the instruc tions
Many number of c ommands are used
 USER INTERFACES

Graphical user Interface :

It allows the user to interact with the computer using icons and pictures
The most commonly used GUI device is WIMP (Windows icons menu and
pointers) used in PCs.
A windows manager looks after the interaction between the windows
In recent days touch screens uses post-WIMP Interface.
 CLI Vs GUI

C LI (C ommand Line Interface) GUI (Graphical user Interface)

CLI c onsumes low memory GUI c onsumes high memory
It is diffic ult to type c ommands User Interac tion is easy with ic ons
Uses no pointing devic es Uses pointing devic es
Information is shown in plain text Information is shown in text and video

No menus or graphic s provided Menus and graphic s are provided

Spelling mistakes and errors c ant No spelling mistakes
be avoided
Appearance c ant be modified Appearance c an be modified