CHAPTER 1: TYPES & COMPONENTS OF
A COMPUTER SYSTEMS
1.1 Hardware & Software
Hardware
 • Tangible physical components of a computer system
 • You can feel it or touch it
Internal Hardware Devices:
 Processor
 Motherboard
 RAM & ROM
 Video & Sound Cards
 Internal Hard Disk Drives
External Hardware Devices:
 Monitor
 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Printer
 External Storage Devices
Software
 Programs that control computer systems
 Set of instructions that make computer do something
 You cannot physically touch software
 Relates to ideas & instructions for using physical objects
Application software:
 Programs that allow the user to do specific task
 Design to carry out tasks
 Can be general purpose software or custom-made software (specialist
software)
 E.g. Spread sheets, databases, word processing
 1. Word Processor: Used to manipulate text documents (Essay, report, etc.), through a
keyboard. It allows for many features, such as : (Creation/Editing/Saving of text, Copy
and pasting, spell check and thesaurus, Importing images, Translation)
 2. Spreadsheets: Used to manipulate and organize numerical data. It allows for features
such as: (Use of formulas for calculations, ability to produce graphs, Ability to do if
functions and modelling)
 3. Database: Used to organize, manipulate, and analyze data. It allows for features such
as : (Carry out queries and produce reports, add/delete/modify data)
 4. Control & Measuring software : Allow computer or microprocessor to interface with
sensors so that it can: (Measure physical quantities, control applications by comparing
data with stored data or preset data)
 5. Apps:- Type of software that runs on smartphones or tablets and includes: (Video and
music streaming/GPS/Camera facility)
 6. Photo editing software: Allow user to manipulate photographs stored on a computer,
for example, you can: Crop/Change brightness/Resize/Combining pictures
together/etc...
 7. Video editing software: Allows the user to manipulate videos and produce an edited
video, and includes: (Rearranging/Removing/Adding clips, Applying color
correction/Creating transitions)
 8. Graphics manipulation software: Allows bitmap and vector images to be changed, by
alternating lines, curves, and text.
System Software
 Programs that allow the hardware to run properly
 Control computer's hardware and application program
 Communicate with user
 E.g. Operating system, device drivers
 1. Compiler: - Computer program which translates HLL (Source code) to
machine code (object code)
 2. Linkers:- A program which combines a bunch of compiled files and joins
them together to make 1 program ]
 3. Driver:- Software which allows one or more hardware to communicate
with the OS
 4. Operating System:- Is the software running in the background of a
computer system, and manages many of the basic functions (See later)
 5. Utilities:- Programs that have been designed to carry out specific tasks
(Anti-Virus/Anti-Spyware/Backup of files/etc...)