ICT IV (Lecture IV) 2012

The Components of the Computer System

System is a collection of elements that work together to solve a specific problem.

The components of a computer system are hardware, software, peopleware and data.

The Hardware Component

            The physical parts of the computer are known as its hardware. These are parts that you could see or touch.

            Hardware refers to the computer equipment itself and all other physical devices connected to it. It even includes the cables that connects these parts together.

            The physical devices such as the printer or the scanner, which are connected to the computer and are controlled by it are called peripherals or peripheral devices. However, these devices are not required by the system in order to function.

The four major hardware components

1. Input device – to accept data/ commands
2. Output device – to display information
3. Processor – to process data based on commands.
4. Storage data – to store information.

The Software Component

            The software is, actually, not the “soft part of the system. Instead, it is the part of the system that you cannot touch.

            Software is the instruction that tells the computer what you want it to do. Software is also referred to as the program.

Two Kinds of Software

1. The system software – controls the standard activities or operations inside the computer. This program directs the computer on how to operate its hardware resources.
2. The Application Software – refers to the program used to solve specific problems.

The Peopleware Component

            The computer system exists to serve people. People are the ones who develop and use the system.

The Data Component

            The computer needs data to produce information. The resulting information may be processed again as data to bring about a new information.

Types of Data

1. Numeric Data – consists of numbers and decimal points, as well as their signs of operations.
2. Test Data – (Alphanumeric) are any combinations of letters, numbers and special characters. They are usually organized into words, sentences or paragraphs.
3. Graphics Elements – are data represented and manipulated as pixels(short for picture elements) or as patterns of dots.
4. Physical Data – are captured from the environment.