Lesson 3 – Types

and Components
of Computer
Systems
Ali Papila
Year 8 Computing
Lesson Objectives
• To understand hardware and software

Success Criteria
• I can tell the difference between hardware and software
• I can give examples of internal/external hardware devices
• I can explain the difference between system/application software
• I can give examples of system/application software
• I can tell how analogue data can be converted to digital and visa versa
• I can tell you the name of devices that converts analogue/digital data
Hardware and Software
Hardware – What does it mean to you? Do you think computers? Do you think of other objects that
doesn’t relate to computers?

Can you write your own definition of hardware (computers) without giving any examples?

Hardware is physical components that make up a computer system

Can you think of any examples of hardware that makes up a computer system?
Hardware and Software
Can you spot the odd
one out?
Hardware and Software
Hardware falls into two categories

Any idea what these categories be?

The ones you can see straight away and the one that needs a
bit of effort to see

Internal Hardware – Inside the computer

External Hardware – Outside the computer

Hardware and Software
Can you sort the list of hardware – Internal or External

Motherboard RAM ROM Sound Card

Keyboard Mouse
Monitor

Graphic card
Flash Drive

Hard Disk Drive (HDD)

Solid State Drive (SSD)
Hardware and Software
Remember – Hardware is any physical components that make up a computer system

So, when you hear the word software, what do you think of?

Software are programs that control the computer system and process data

Software falls into two categories

Application Software System Software

Programs that allows Allows hardware to run
user to do specific tasks properly. Allow user to
communicate with the
computer
Application and System Software
Application Software System Software
Word processor Operating Systems
Spreadsheet Utilities (Security, file manager, screen
Video Editing savers, etc)
Device drivers (allows hardware to
communicate with the computer system)
Linkers (Combines small codes called
modules to create final program)
Compiler (Transfers code into machine
language)

In Summary
Application software are programs that user use directly
System software are programs that runs in the background to help computer system to run properly
Application and System Software
Can you sort the list below according to application or system software

• Image editing software

• Windows 10
• Android
• Software that helps you translate languages
• Software that monitors storage devices and send message if it is full or not functioning properly
• Word Processor
• A program that identifies and block viruses
• A program that monitors browsing the Internet
• A program that combines small codes to create a final program
• Operating System
• Software that helps you measure temperature
Analogue to Digital Data
Everything in real world is analogue. So how can the computer represent analogue data in digital?

Computers can only understand 0s and 1s (Digital Data)

Data in real world is analogue in nature

To represent this analogue data in digital, it needs to be converted