Chapter-1.1
Hardware and
software
A computer is a device that can follow a set
of instructions to carry out sequences of
arithmetical and logical operations. The
instructions to be followed are called a
‘program.’
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There are 2 main parts of any computer
system:
the hardware and
the software.
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Hardware
Compute hardware consists of the
physical parts of a computer system, the
parts you can touch. These include:
………..
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Hardware







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The case Components inside the case, such as:
central processing unit ( CPU)
Motherboard
Graphics card
Sound card
Network interface card ( NIC)
Internal memory
Random-access memory ( RAM)
Read-only memory (ROM)
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Hardware
 Internal and external storage devices:
 Hard disk drives (HDD
 Solid state drives(SSD
 Optical drives
Input and Output devices
 keyboard
 Mouse
 Monitor
 speakers
 Printer
 camera
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• All of the components inside the case of computer must be
fixed ( so they do not move about) and be able to
communicate with each other.
• They are all fixed to sockets in a board with thin strips of
copper connecting them together. This is a type of printed
circuit board and is called the system board or
motherboard.
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• Component that makes a device a computer is the central
processing unit (CPU), processor. This interprets all the
instructions in the programs and executes them ( carried
them out).
• The program instructions and data that the processor is
working on are stored in internal memory(RAM).
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• Most Computer System display the results of their
processing to users through a monitor and speakers.They
therefore have their own dedicated printed circuit boards
called a Graphic Card for the monitor and Sound
Card for the speakers or headphones.
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• If the computer is being connected to a network, then a
network interface card (NIC) nay need to be fitted to
the motherboard, although most modern computers have
these inbuilt in the motherboard.
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• A very important part of a computer is the main memory.
• This is used to store all the data and instructions currently
being used.
• The main memory is sometimes called other names, such as
internal memory.
• When a computer is turned off, the data that is stored in
internal memory is lost and therefore internal and external
storage devices are needed to permanently store this data.
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• When a computer is operating, data must be input so that it
can be worked on or processed, and the results of this
processing need to be output to the user.
• A computer system therefore needs various input and
output devices such as keyboard, cameras, mice, printers,
monitors and speakers.
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KEY WORDS TO STUDY
1. computer: a device that follows a set of instructions to
carry out a series of arithmetical and logical operations
2. Computer system: a computer combined with other
equipment so that it can carry out desired functions.
3. Hardware: the physical parts of a computer system, the
parts you can touch. This includes the motherboard, CPU,
keyboard, mouse, printer, and so on.
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KEY WORDS TO STUDY
4. software: programs or applications that give instructions to
the computer to tell it what to do
5. component: the parts that make up a whole machine. The
internal parts are usually referred to as components and the
external devices as ‘ peripherals’
6. Central processing unit (CPU): or processor, is the unit
which performs most of the processing inside a computer
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7. Circuit board: a thin rigid board containing thin lines of
metals on the surface to create electric circuits
8. Motherboard or system board: The main printed circuit
board of the computer; it has connectors that other circuit
boards can be slotted into
9.Internal memory: data storage spaces that are accessible to
the CPU
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KEY WORDS TO STUDY
10. Graphic card: a printed circuit board that controls the
output to a display screen or monitor
11. Sound card: a printed circuit board that controls output to
speakers and headphones
12. Networks interface card (NIC): a printed circuit board that
allows the computer to communicate with other devices over a
compute network
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PRACTICAL TASK 1.1
1. List all of the internal components and external devices of a
computer that you know.
2.
Presentation
Including images, of the following components with a sentence
stating the function of each one:
• motherboard
• Processor/CPU
• Network interface card(NIC)
• Research and add a description of the different types of storage
devices that are found in computers
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Software
o However advanced or expensive the hardware of a computer
system is, it cannot do anything unless it is told what to do.
o These instructions are provided by programs that together are
called computer software.
o Software controls the operations of a computer or processing of
electronic data.
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Software
o There are 2 main types of software:
o Application software and System software
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Software
Applications Software:
o Which lets you do your day-to-day tasks on the
computer.
o Applications software needs the operating system to
be able to work with the computer.
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Software
System Software:
o Including the operating system and utilities software
that are essential to keep the computer working.
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KEY WORDS TO STUDY
1. Applications software: programs that carry out operations
for specific applications, such as word processing,
spreadsheets or presentations. Applications software
cannot run on its own without system software
2. System software: system software provides the services
that the computer requires to operate. This may be
classified as the operating system and utility software
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KEY WORDS TO STUDY
3. Operating system: The operating system is a collection of
programs to control and manage all of the software and
hardware of the computer system.
4. Utility software ( utilities) : part of the system software
that can alalyse, configure, optimize and maintain a computer
to keep it working as well as possible.
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Software
Applications:
Here are a few examples of applications software that
you may use:
• Word processing applications are used to produce
letters, reports, and memos
• Spreadsheet applications are used for tasks that
involve calculations or graphs and charts
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Software
Applications:
• Database management programs are used to store
and retrieve information in databases.
• Presentation applications are used to create slide
shows and presentations.
• Graphics editing software is used to create artwork,
or with photographs from a digital camera or a
scanned image to edit the image.
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Software
Applications:
• Video editing software is used to produce and edit videos.
• Computer aided design (CAD) packages are used to
produce detailed technical designs and plans.
• Audio production and editing programs are a common
way of producing high quality music at low cost.
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Software
Applications:
• Communications software, such as web browsers and
email programs, is used to access the internet and send and
receive email.
• Control software is used to control devices such as fire
alarms and mechanical devices.
• Measurement software is used to capture and log data
from sensors, e.g temperature, pressure, light intensity.
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Software
Applications:
• An applet is small program that can perform one or a few
simple tasks with HTML.
• App ( Which is short for application) is usually associated
with use on a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device.
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System software
• System software is required for the computer to function
and operate efficiently.
• System software consists of utilities, also called utility
software and the operating system.
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System software
System software includes the following:
 Compilers
 Linkers
 Device drivers
 Operating system
 Utilities
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KEY WORDS TO STUDY
1. Compilers: convert the program written by a human in
high-level language into code that the microprocessor can
understand- a series of 1s and 0s
2. Linkers: take one or more of the files produced by the
compiler and combines them into a program that the
microprocessor can execute
3. Device drivers: part of the operating system. Device
drivers allow the processor to communicate with devices
such as the keyboard, mouse, monitor, and printer
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Activity 1.2
• Decide on a definition for a web-browser.
• List as many different internet browsers as you can think
of.
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Analogue vs Digital:
Analogue: Represents data with continuous signals.
Digital: Represents data with discrete binary values (0s and
1s).
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•Analogue Clock: The hands of an analogue clock
move smoothly and continuously around the dial.
•Digital Clock: Displays time in discrete numbers,
changing from one minute to the next without
intermediate values.
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•In ICT, "analogue" refers to the continuous
representation and transmission of
information, as opposed to the discrete, binary
nature of digital signals.
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Analogue and Digital data
• The CPU or processor, which processes all of the data and
instructions, contains billions of transistors that are
connected together to form circuits.
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Analogue and Digital data
• Transistors act as switches- like light switches
• They are either on when they transmit electricity or they are
off when they do not.
• There is no in-between where different amounts of
electricity are transmitted ( as in a dimmer switch, where
there are an infinite number of states between fully off and
fully on). It is all or nothing.
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Analogue and Digital data
• Transistors act as switches- like light switches
• They are either on when they transmit electricity or they are
off when they do not.
• There is no in-between where different amounts of
electricity are transmitted ( as in a dimmer switch, where
there are an infinite number of states between fully off and
fully on). It is all or nothing.
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Analogue and Digital data
• A system like this with separate states is said to be digital.
In this case, there are only two states ( on and off) and the
system is said to be binary.
• A system like the dimmer switch, where there is a
continuous range between two values, is said to be
analogue.
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Analogue and Digital data
• If information is being transmitted by analogue methods,
the sending and receiving system must be very accurate to
distinguish the small differences.
• As there are only two states in the transistors of the CPU,
they are represented by the digits of the binary number
system, 1 ( for on) and 0 ( for off).
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Analogue and Digital data
• All of the data and program instructions processed by
a computer are streams of billions of 1s and 0s.
• These digits are called bits.
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Analogue to digital conversion
• When we use computers, data has to be converted
between analogue and digital forms.
• An example of the need to convert between analogue
and digital data and back again is when we record
music onto a computer, and then play it back again.
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Analogue to digital conversion
• Sound is caused by vibrations travelling through the
air. These vibrations cause changes to the air pressure
and travel in waves.
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Analogue to digital conversion
•
The graphs show the continuous changes in the air pressure. If
these are recorded as continuous changes of voltage, as when
producing vinyl records and cassette tapes, the recording is said to
be analogue.
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Analogue to digital conversion
• Because the sound waves cannot be represented as a
series of continuous changes on computer, snapshots
of the waves are taken at regular intervals and then
fitted together. This is called sampling and therefore a
digital recording is not as accurate as an analogue one
as some of the information is missing.
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Analogue to digital conversion
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Analogue to digital conversion
• The more samples taken per second, the more accurately
the sound will be represented. For most recording this
44100 samples per second, although 96 000 is used for Bluray audio.
• Each sample has to be coded as a series of 1s and 0s and
the more that are used, the more detail can be recorded.
• The digital recordings can then be edited and processed by
a computer.
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KEY WORDS TO STUDY
1. process: carry out or execute the instructions
2. Transistor: a device that regulates current or voltage low
and acts as a switch for electronic signals
3. Digital: information represented by certain fixed values
rather than as a continuous range. Usually, data
represented by the digits 1 and 0.
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4. analogue: information represented by a quantity ( e.g an
electric voltage or current) that is continuously variable.
Changes in the information are indicated by changes in voltage
5. bit: short for binary digit, is the smallest unit of data in a
computer. It has a single binary value, either 1 or 0.
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6. Sample: making a physical measurement of a wave at set
time intervals and converting those measurements to digital
values.
7. Digital-to-analogue converter – a device used to convert
digital signals into analogue ones
8. actuator: a device that causes a machine or other device to
operate
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Digital –to- analogue conversion
In order for the digital sound to be listened to it must be
converted back into analogue signals so it can be output
through speakers or headphones. The technology used ot do
this is a digital-to-analogue converter (DAC)
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Are there any QUESTIONS for this
chapter 1.1?
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