ACTS COMPUTER COLLEGE
Sta. Cruz, Laguna
INTRODUCTION TO
COMPUTING
Prepared by:
MS. KIM CAILEE J. SACDALAN
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Introduction to
Computer
Systems
Prepared by:
ACTS Computer College | Sta. Cruz, Laguna MS. KIM CAILEE J. SACDALAN
LET'S WARM-UP! Name It!
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Computer System
A computer system comprises five key
components:
• Input devices facilitate the introduction of
data and information into the system.
• Output devices facilitate the extraction of
processed information from the system.
• The central processing unit is the ‘brain’ of
the computer that takes the inputs, processes
them and then outputs the results.
• A communication device connects the
personal computer to an internet.
• Finally, some type of storage facility is useful to
enable data to be saved for future use.
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Computer Hardware
Computer hardware consists of the computers themselves plus all the
peripheral equipment connected to a computer for input, output and
storage of data (such as printers and stand-alone disc drives).
Evolution of Computers
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Computer Type Description
Supercomputer Used only in the very largest systems – e.g.
national defense and aerospace.
Mainframe The most powerful computers typically found in
multi-nationals and other large businesses – e.g.
an airline or oil company. Not as powerful as a
supercomputer, but still incredibly powerful.
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Computer Type Description
Minicomputers Less powerful than mainframe computers although
not portable like smaller models below.
Desktop Personal Computers A computer placed at the user’s desk with its own
processing capabilities and usually a keyboard,
mouse and screen: PCs can operate as
standalone computers, or they may be linked as
terminals to a network where the PC functions as
an input/output device but the processing is
executed by another device on the network.
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Computer Type Description
Handheld Computers Similar concept to PCs but much smaller and
portable. Given the speed of technological
advancement in today’s fast-moving world there is
an increasing number of ever evolving variations
on the above forms.
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Central Processing Unit
The brain of a computer is the central processing unit (CPU) –
sometimes referred to as a microprocessor. This part contains all the
electronic circuitry that the computer needs to manipulate data and
execute instructions. The CPU is where most calculations take place.
The CPU comprises five basic components:
• Random access memory (RAM)
• Registers
• Buses
• Arithmetic logic unit (ALU)
• Control unit
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Random Access Memory
Random access memory (RAM) is memory that is directly
available to the processing unit (CPU). RAM holds the data and
programs in current use. RAM in microcomputers is volatile which
means that the contents of RAM are erased when the computer’s
power is switched off.
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• Registers are special memory locations that can be
accessed extremely fast.
• Buses are the information highway of the CPU.
• Arithmetic/logic unit (ALU) performs all the mathematical and
logical calculations.
• Control unit is responsible for directing the flow of instructions
and data.
ACTS Computer College | Sta. Cruz, Laguna
Input Devices
Keyboards are the most common input device and are part of virtually all
computer systems. Keyboards can be stand-alone and connected to the computer
with a cable or through a wireless connection, or they might be integrated into the
computer itself, such as with a laptop or notebook.
Touch-sensitive screens and touch pads involve the user touching an area of a
screen, for example a picture of a keyboard, to simulate the pressing of a physical
key such as on a regular keyboard.
ACTS Computer College | Sta. Cruz, Laguna
Input Devices
Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) requires the input media to be
formed of specially formatted characters printed in magnetic ink.
Optical mark reading (OMR) is similar to MICR in that it is an automated input
method. OMR involves marking a pre-printed form with a pen or typed line (or
cross) in an appropriate box. The card is then read by an OMR device
which senses the mark in each box.
ACTS Computer College | Sta. Cruz, Laguna
Input Devices
Mice typically have two or three buttons which can be pressed
(clicked) to send messages to the computer. They also frequently
have a wheel which can be used to scroll within images or
documents that cover multiple screens.
Trackballs are similar to mice in that they control the cursor on the
screen. However, whilst mice move the cursor through movement
across a surface, trackballs move the cursor by rotating the ball rather
than moving the device across a surface.
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Input Devices
Many computers can now accept voice input via a microphone and voice
data entry (VTE) software. One particularly useful application is found in language
translation programs that support simultaneous translation.
Barcodes are the groups of black and white marks with variable spacing and
thickness found on product labels such as those at the supermarket. QR codes
are matrix, or two-dimensional, barcodes. EPOS stands for electronic point of
sale which is normally integrated with barcode readers.
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Input Devices
Digital cameras can be found in the form of stand-alone units or they
may be integrated into other technology such as smartphones and
tablet computers. Digital cameras capture images and videos in digital
form and allow easy transfer to a computer where they can be
manipulated by software.
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Output Devices
A monitor is a bit like a television screen – it provides visual output from the
computer for text and graphics. Note though that monitors only offer temporary
output as the image is lost when power removed.
A printer is a device that prints output to a page (on paper). Printing can be in
color or ‘black and white’ depending on the printer type.
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Output Devices
Speakers are attached to computers for the output of sound. The
sound output is produced by a sound card.
Headsets are a combination of speakers and microphones and are
commonly used by gamers.
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Output Devices
Output may be made to some kind of storage device such as a DVD
or CD-ROM, flash memory (USB flash disk or key), blu-ray drive or
external hard disk drive.
A projector can be thought of as a variation of monitor in that it
translates the digital output into a visual display projected onto a
screen.
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CRT monitor vs. Flat-screen monitor
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CRT monitor vs. Flat-screen monitor
ACTS Computer College | Sta. Cruz, Laguna
Printers are devices that print output (text and graphics) on paper
in black and white, greyscale or color.
Printers can be categorized between impact printers and non-
impact printers. Impact printers produce text and images by
striking an ink ribbon (e.g. dot matrix printers) or burning dots onto
coated paper (thermal printers). Non-impact printers produce
images without actually striking the paper.
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The main types of printer currently used are:
• Inkjet printer (non-impact)
• Laser printer (non-impact)
• Dot matrix printer (impact)
• Thermal printer (impact)
For marketing purposes suppliers may also categorize printers by their function
rather than composition. For example:
• Photo printer – inkjet printer used for printing photos
• Portable printer – an inkjet printer distinguishable by its lightweight design and
small footprint for use away from the office
• All-in-one (multifunction) device – a device that incorporates the
functionality of multiple devices typically including one or more of the following:
printer (inkjet or laser), scanner, photocopier, fax, e-mail
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Primary Storage
Internal temporary store directly accessible by the CPU that allows it
to process data.
Volatile by nature as it is erased when power is turned off. Much
smaller than secondary or tertiary storage but much quicker to access
(as it has no mechanical parts).
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Secondary Storage
Secondary storage is used for data not currently being processed but
which may need to be accessed at a later stage, for example the
operating system, documents, music files and emails.
Non-volatile as data remains intact even when powered off.
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Tertiary Storage
Tertiary storage typically involves a robotic mechanism that mounts
(inserts) and dismounts removable mass storage media into a storage
device.
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