THE

COMPUTER SYSTEM
Four Basic Functions of a
Computer:
1.Input is the information entered
into the computer.
2.Process is performing operations
on or manipulating data.
3.Output is the result of the data
processing.
4.Storage refers to devices that
can retain the data when the
computer is deactivated.
Three main components of
computer:

1.Hardware
2. Software
3. Peopleware
Hardware
 Hardware Components
  refers to the physical elements of a
computer. This is also sometimes
called the machinery or the
equipment of the computer.
 Examples of hardware in a computer
are the keyboard, the monitor, the
mouse and the central processing
unit.
 Hardware Components

 However, most of a computer's

hardware cannot be seen; in other
words, it is not an external element of
the computer, but rather an internal
one, surrounded by the computer's
casing (tower).
 Hardware Components
 A computer's hardware is comprised
of many different parts, but perhaps
the most important of these is
the motherboard.
 The motherboard is made up of even
more parts that power and control the
computer.
 Hardware Components
 In contrast to software, hardware is a physical
entity. Hardware and software are
interconnected, without software, the
hardware of a computer would have no
function. However, without the creation of
hardware to perform tasks directed by
software via the central processing unit,
software would be useless.
Hardware Components
1. Input Devices - "How to tell it what
to do“
- it translates data and programs that
humans can understand into a form
that the computer can process.
INPUT DEVICES
 Mouse - an input device that is most often
used with a personal computer. Moving a
mouse along a flat surface can move the
on-screen cursor to different items on
the screen.
 INPUT DEVICES

 Keyboard -  defined as the set of

typewriter-like keys that enables you to
enter data into a computer or other
devices.
INPUT DEVICES

 Scanners - A scanner allows you

to scan printed material and
convert it into a file format that
may be used within the PC.
INPUT DEVICES

 Touch Pads - A device that lays

on the desktop and responds to
pressure .
INPUT DEVICES

 Light Pens - used to allow

users to point to areas on a
screen.
INPUT DEVICES
 Joysticks - Many games require a
joystick for the proper playing of
the game.
INPUT DEVICES

Webcam is a camera that

stores video signal in a
format appropriate for video
transfer over the Internet in
realtime.
OUTPUT DEVICES
2. Output Devices - "How it shows you
what it is doing"
- translates the processed information
from the computer into a form that
humans can understand.
OUTPUT DEVICES

 VDU - The computer screen is used for

outputting information in an
understandable format.
OUTPUT DEVICES

Projector is a device used to project a

computer image or other images from
independent devices, such as DVD players,
Blu-ray player, etc. onto canvas or a wall
OUTPUT DEVICES

 Plotters - A plotter is an output

device similar to a printer, but
normally allows you to print larger
images.
OUTPUT DEVICES
 Printers -  an output device that prints
paper documents. This includes text
documents, images, or a combination of
both.
OUTPUT DEVICES
Dot matrix printers are the oldest,
with the lowest price of print per
paper, they are slow, make a lot of
noise while printing, and are mostly
appropriate for printing text.
OUTPUT DEVICES
Laser printers are similar to photocopy
devices when it comes to technology. They
have exceptional print quality, speed and are
quiet. Downsides of laser printers are their
high price and high price of toners.
OUTPUT DEVICES
Inkjet printers have a high print quality
(somewhat lower in comparison with
laser printer), they are quiet while
printing, and have low initial investment.
 OUTPUT DEVICES
Thermal printer, as its name states,
leaves a print on the paper by utilizing
heat. They use paper sensitive to heat,
feature small dimensions; they are quiet
while printing and relatively cheap. They
are usually used for printing receipts, and
owing to that they are called POS printer
(printer of sale). Also, they are used as
calculator printers and due to their small
dimensions, as portable printers.
OUTPUT DEVICES

 Speakers - enhances the

value of educational and
presentation products.
STORAGE DEVICES
3. Storage Devices -- "How it saves data and
programs“
- holds data and programs even after electric
power to the computer system has been
turned off.
 Give the full meaning of the following
acronyms.

1. CD
2. RAM
3. ROM
4. CD-ROM
5. DVD
 Types of Storage Devices

1. Primary Storage
2. Secondary Storage
3. Tertiary Storage
4. Off-line Storage
 1. Primary Storage
Also known as main memory.
Main memory is directly or indirectly
connected to the central processing unit
via a memory bus.
The CPU continuously reads instructions
stored there and executes them as
required.
 Primary Storage
1. RAM – Random Access Memory
 It is possible to randomly select and use
any location of the memory directly store
and retrieve data.
 It is also called read/write memory.
 The storage of data and instructions inside
the primary storage is temporary.
RANDOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM)
 Primary Storage
2. ROM - Read-Only Memory
 The storage of program and data in the
ROM is permanent.
 The ROM stores some standard processing
programs supplied by the manufacturers
to operate the computer.
 The ROM can only be read by the CPU but
it cannot be changed.
READ-ONLY MEMORY (ROM)
 2. Secondary Storage
 It is not directly accessible by the CPU.
 Computer usually uses its input/output
channels to access secondary storage and
transfers the desired data using
intermediate area in primary storage.
 Secondary Storage
 Hard Disk - is the main and usually largest
data storage device in a computer.
 It can store any where from 160 gigabytes
to 2 terabytes.
 Hard disk speed is the speed at which
content can be read and written on a hard
disk.
 Hard Disk

External Hard Disk

Internal Hard Disk
 Secondary Storage
 Floppy Disk - Alternatively referred to as
a floppy or floppy disk, a floppy diskette is
a type of storage media, capable of storing
electronic data, like a computer file. The
floppy diskette was first created in 1967
by IBM as an alternative to buying hard
drives, which were extremely expensive at
the time.
Floppy Disk
3 . Tertiary Storage
 Typically it involves a robotic mechanism
which will mount (insert) and dismount
removable mass storage media into a
storage device.
 It is a comprehensive computer storage
system that is usually very slow, so it is
usually used to archive data that is not
accessed frequently.
 Tertiary Storage
 Compact Disc - abbreviated as CD,
a compact disc is a flat, round, optical
storage medium invented by James
Russell. The first CD was created at
a Philips factory in Germany on August
17, 1982. 
Compact Disk (CD)
 Tertiary Storage
 DVD - short for Digital Versatile
Disc or Digital Video Disc, a DVD or DVD-
ROM is a disc capable of storing large
amounts of data on one disc the size of a
standard Compact Disc. 
 CD/DVD drives were first sold in 1997.
They are widely used for storing and
viewing movies and other data. To play
DVDs on a computer, you must have a
DVD drive and a software DVD player. 
Digital Versatile Disc 
 4. Off-line Storage
 Also known as disconnected storage.
 Is a computer data storage on a medium or
a device that is not under the control of a
processing unit.
 It must be inserted or connected by a
human operator before a computer can
access it again.
 Off-line Storage
 USB Flash Drive - a small, portable flash
memory card that plugs into a computer’s
USB port and functions as a portable hard
drive.
 Flash drives are available in sizes such as 256
MB, 512 MB, 1 GB, 5 GB, and 16 GB and are
an easy way to transfer and store
information.
 Off-line Storage
 SD Card – short term for Secure Digital Card,
the SD Card is one of the most common types of
memory cards used with electronics.
 An electronic flash memory storage disk
commonly used in consumer electronic devices
such as digital cameras, MP3 players, mobile
phones, and other small portable devices.
• Memory cards are usually read by connecting the
device containing the card to your computer, or
by using a USB card reader.
 SD Card

Memory Card Reader

PROCESSOR
4. Processor – “How the processor stores and
uses immediate data”

CPU - the Central Processing Unit is the brain of

your computer. It handles all the instructions
you give your computer, and the faster it does,
the better.
Intel processors
 Two Basic Components of
Processor
1. Control Unit - tells the rest of the
computer system how to carry out a
program's instructions.
2. Arithmetic Logic Unit (ALU) -
performs two types of operations
arithmetic and logical.
 The System Unit
 Also known as the system chassis, is a
container that houses most of the electronic
components that make up a computer system.
Motherboard - is computer's basic
circuit, to which all computer components
are connected, directly or indirectly.
Devices are connected to the
motherboard through a system bus.
System bus connects all devices, ensures
data flow and communication between
different devices using predefined
protocols.
The Motherboard
 PCI- Peripheral Component
Interconnect
- provides direct acces to system
memory for any connected
hardware devices.
 AGP- Accelerated Graphics
Port
- was designed as a high-speed
point-to-point channel for
attaching a video card to a
computer system, primarily to
assist in the acceleration of 3D
computer graphics.
 CMOS battery

- a battery that maintains the time, date, hard

disk and other configuration settings in the
CMOS memory.
 Northbridge

- is one of the two chips in the core logic chipset

on a PC motherboard.
- typically handles communications among the
CPU, RAM, BIOS ROM and PCI Express Video
cards and the Southbridge.
 Southbridge

- typically implements the ''slower'' capabilities

of the motherboard in
Northbridge/Southbridge chipset computer
architecture.
- not directly connected to the CPU.
 Soundcard
- is a device used for sound creation and
production by means of computer
speakers.
 Graphics Card
-is responsible for image processing and
displaying it on a monitor. It has its own graphics
processor and memory. Image quality depends
on the strength of these components.
Software
 Software Components

 Software, commonly known as programs or

apps, consists of all the instructions that tell
the hardware how to perform a task.
 Software is capable of performing many
tasks, as opposed to hardware which can only
perform mechanical tasks that they are
designed for. Software provides the means
for accomplishing many different tasks with
the same basic hardware. 
Two major types of Software

1. System Software
2. Application Software
 System Software

 System software: Helps run the computer

hardware and computer system itself. System
software includes operating systems, device
drivers, diagnostic tools and more.
 System software is almost always pre-
installed on your computer.
 System Software

1.Operating System (OS) - are

programs that coordinate computer
resources, provide interface between
users and the computer. and run
applications.
The three most common are
Windows, Mac, and Linux operating
systems.
Windows OS
Microsoft Windows (or simply Windows)
is a metafamily of graphical operating
systems developed, marketed, and sold
by Microsoft.
Macintosh Mac OS
The family of Macintosh operating
systems developed by Apple Inc. includes
the graphical user interface-based operating
systems it has designed for use with its
Macintosh series of personal computers
since 1984.
 Linux
A computer operating system assembled under the model
of free and open-source software development and
distribution.
The defining component of Linux is the Linux kernel, an
operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by
Linus Torvalds.
 System Software

2. Utilities - performs specific tasks related

to managing computer resources.

ex. Antivirus program- these programs

protect your computer system from viruses
or malicious program.
Antivirus program
 System Software

3. Device Drivers - specialized programs

designed to allow particular input or output
devices to communicate with the rest of the
computer system.
 Application software

 Application software: Allows users to

accomplish one or more tasks. It includes
word processing, web browsing and almost
any other task for which you might install
software. (Some application software is pre-
installed on most computer systems.)
Peopleware
The users of the product of Information
Technology