ICT
IGCSE (1.1. Hardware & Software)
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What is computer?
Two things all computers have in common:
1) Hardware is any part of your computer that has a physical structure, such as the
keyboard or mouse. It also includes all the computer's internal parts.
2) Software is a general term for the programs that control the computer system. Meaning
the software gives out set of instructions (coded) that tells the hardware what to do. It is
what guides the hardware and tells it how to accomplish each task.
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What is computer?
There are 2 types of software:
i) Systems Software: Programs that allow the hardware to run properly.
Example:
- Windows Operating Systems (Windows XP, Windows 8, Windows 10)
- MAC Operating Systems. (MacOS X ver10.4, 10,5, etc.)
Handphone:
- Android System (KitKat, Lollipop, Jelly Bean, etc.)
- iOS System (iOS 1, iOS 2, iOS 3, etc.)
i) Application Software: Programs that allow the user to do specific tasks,
Example:
Microsoft Word, Anti-Virus, Candy Crush, Chrome, PDF Converter, etc.
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What are the different types of computers?
When most people hear the word computer, they think of a personal computer such as
a desktop or laptop. However, computers come in many shapes and sizes, and they perform many
different functions in our daily lives. When you withdraw cash from an ATM, scan groceries at the
store, QR Code, or use a calculator, you're using a type of computer.
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Desktops
Desktop Computers
• Many people use desktop computers at work, home, school, or the library. They can be small, medium,
or large in style, and they usually sit on a desk.
• Once you add a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, you have what is typically known as a desktop computer.
• Most desktop computers are easy to upgrade and expand or add new parts.
• Another benefit of desktop computers is their cost.
• If you compare a desktop and laptop with the same features, you will most likely find that the desktop
is less expensive.
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Desktops
Advantages Disadvantages
You get better specification for your money. Desktop PC’s are large and bulky.
(better components for the same price) (make them not portable and can’t be moved
easily)
Cheaper to buy due to components being They need constant power supply as they do
easier to make. need use batteries.
The keyboard is easier to use as it is larger than Need to copy files onto portable storage (e.g.
a laptop keyboard. Pen Drive) or send via email if you need to work
at different location/different desktop PC.
Design of casing allows for heat to escape and
helps to cool it.
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Laptops
Laptop Computers
• The second type of computer you may be familiar with is a laptop computer, or a laptop. Laptops
are battery or AC-powered personal computers that are more portable than desktop computers,
allowing you to use them almost anywhere.
• Because a laptop is smaller than a desktop, it's more difficult to access its internal components. This
means you may not be able to upgrade them as easily as a desktop.
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Laptops
Advantages Disadvantages
Smaller and lighter are much easier to Limited battery life means you need to
transport. (portable) recharge quite frequently.
Laptop components use low-power Smaller keyboards are sometimes hard to use.
consumption.
Built-in rechargeable battery. Means they will Laptops are prone to theft as they are often
work even without a mains power supply. used in public areas.
Usually comes with built-in WiFi, which means Laptops are compact and get hotter
they can access the internet from any locations (overheated) than a desktop PC.
with access.
No need to transfer files onto portable storage
if need to work at different location/different
laptops.
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Mainframe Computers
Mainframe computer is a term used for a large, very
powerful, computer system. Much powerful then our
computer and laptop system.
Normally it is housed in very large cold room. This is
to prevent the computer system from overheat.
Uses
• Their main purpose is to run commercial
applications such as banking, insurance, etc. where
huge amounts of data need to be processed each
day. Also stored important information.
• It requires several CPUs, extremely fast processor
speed (RAM), very large storage space capacity,
very good firewall system to protect the mainframe
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from being hacked.
Mainframe Computers
Advantages
• It can used to do very large jobs/tasks which
require large memories and very processor time.
• They are used in time-sharing systems to allow
users to be given time slice of the powerful
facilities afforded by the mainframe system.
• They are capable of very large number crunching,
and so can deal with very complex mathematical
functions (e.g. fractals) which would be very time
consuming using on a PC.
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Mainframe Computers
Disadvantages
• Mainframe computers need to be permanently
housed in a large cold room and it can not be
moved around.
• It is very expensive to operate and maintain.
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NetBook
Netbook are extremely small and light versions of laptops. And
typically weight about 6 pounds (2.7kg).
Netbook is similar the way laptop works buy they are not
powerful and have smaller screens and keyboards.
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NetBooks
Advantages Disadvantages
Much smaller and lighter, means they are even Very small keyboards can be difficult to use.
easier to transport.
(can put it into a handbag)
Longer battery life. Longer performance means they are not suitable for
power-hungry tasks like video editing and heavy
(It consumes very low power processing) graphic games.
(Only can surf internet, Microsoft office & playback
video)
Cheaper because they do not come with certain Small screen make images and text difficult to see
components, such as CD & DVD drives. and read.
Very small size makes them easy to misplace or get
stolen.
Small hard disk drives means they can store less
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data.
PDA
PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) are handheld computers with
facilities including:
• Personal Organizers (organizing calendar appointments)
• Internet Browsing
• Telephone Calls
• Multimedia (watch video, listen to music, etc.)
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PDAs
Advantages Disadvantages
Smaller and lighter, means they are very portable. Very small keyboards can be difficult to use.
(can fit into pocket pants)
Easy to use anywhere. Meaning while standing the Some uses a stylus pen instead of keyboard.
bus or train.
Can be used like a mobile phone to make calls. Small screen make images and text difficult to see
and read.
Very small size makes them easy to misplace or get
stolen.
Limited power especially compared to desktop PCs.
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Palmtop
Palmtops are very similar in a computing power to PDAs and
are used for basic functions such as:
• Calendars
• Phone Numbers and address book lists
• Internet Access
• Emails
Palmtops get their names simply because they are designed to
sit in the palm of your hand. They often come with small
keyboard.
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Palmtops
Advantages Disadvantages
Smaller and lighter, means they are very portable. Very small keyboards can be difficult to use.
(can fit into pocket pants)
Easy to use anywhere. Meaning while standing the Less memory means they cannot run powerful
bus or train. programs.
Some have built-in cameras and microphones. Small screen make images and text difficult to see
and read.
Very small size makes them easy to misplace or get
stolen.
Limited power especially compared to desktop PCs.
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
A typical computer system is made up of
hardware and software. A computer system
consisting of input devices, output devices
and secondary storage.
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
There are 2 type parts to make/build a computer. They
are Internal and External Parts.
Internal Parts
1) Motherboard
2) Power Supply
3) CPU (Microprocessor)
4) CPU Fan (Heat Sink)
5) RAM (Random Access Memory)
6) Video Card
7) Sound Card
8) Hard Disk
9) Optical Drive (CD-ROM/DVD-ROM)
10) Casing
External Parts
1) Monitor
2) Keyboard
3) Mouse 19
4) Speakers / Printer
Computer Components of Computer Systems
Motherboard
The motherboard is an important computer
component because it's what everything else
connects to! The motherboard is a decently sized
circuit board that lets other components
communicate. A motherboard has ports that face
outside a PC's case, so you can charge your
computer, plug in a monitor, or connect a mouse.
A computer's motherboard also contains slots for
expansions, so you can add additional accessory
ports if you wish. The motherboard also stores low-
level information like the system time even when
the computer is turned off.
Components communicate and send signals to
each other via the BUS Net work.
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
What is BUS Network
In a bus network all the workstations,
servers, and printers are joined to a one (1)
cable (the bus).
At each end of the cable a terminator is
fitted to stop signals reflecting down to the
bus.
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
Bus Network Advantages Bus Network Disadvantages
Easy to connect a computer or peripheral to a linear If the main cable is fails or get damaged, the whole
bus. network will fail.
It’s cheap to install as it doesn’t require much cable. As more workstations are connected the performance
of the network will become slower because of data
collisions.
Every workstation on the network “sees” all the data
on the network. This is security risk and privacy
issue.
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
A CPU, also know as Microprocessor, sometimes
referred to as a computer's brain, is the workhorse
of the machine. It performs the calculations needed
by a system and can vary in speed, which is known
as ‘clock rates’.
Clock Rates are measured in ‘Hertz’.. Generally,, the
faster the clock rate, the faster the performance of
the computer.
The work that a CPU does generates heat, which is
why your computer has a fan inside. A more
powerful CPU is necessary for intense computer
work like editing high-definition video or
programming complex software.
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
Power Supply
True to its name, the power supply powers all other
components of the machine. It usually plugs into
the motherboard to power the other parts. The
power supply connects to either an internal battery
(on a laptop) or a plug for an outlet (on a desktop).
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Volatile & Non-Volatile Memory
Volatile Memory Non-Volatile Memory
This type of memory LOSES all This type of memory will RETAIN all the
Description its data when the power data when it loses its power
source/electricity is turned off. source/electricity.
a) RAM a) Solid State Drive (SSD)
b) Caches b) Hard Disk Drive (HD)
Examples
c) Registers c) Read Only Memory (ROM)
d) USB Sticks
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
Random-access Memory (RAM)
RAM is an internal chip where the data is temporary
stored when running applications. This memory can be
written to and read from.
Since RAM is volatile, its contents are lost if the machine
loses power/computer turned off. Therefore, you lose a
Word document when the power goes out if you didn't
save it.
The more RAM you have, the more programs you can run
at once. A common cause of slow computers is a lack of
insufficient RAM.
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
Optical Drives
Though less common than they used to be,
many machines still have an optical drive for
reading CDs and DVDs. These can be used to
listen to music or watch movies, place
information onto a blank disc, or install
software from a disc.
Since most software nowadays is installed
from the internet instead of using discs, these
aren't as important as they once were,
especially on laptops.
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
Optical Drives
Optical drives have 2 functions. Some optical drives
comes in 2-in-1, or single usage function.
a) ROM : Read Only Memory
- Is a memory used to store information/data that
needs to be permeant. It can not delete nor rewrite.
b) RW: Rewriteable
- It allows to rewrite and delete files in the CD/DVD disc.
Is the same method as we delete or rename files in the
computer.
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
Difference between RAM and ROM
RAM ROM
Contents are lost when the computer is turned off.
Contents are not lost when the computer is turned off.
Stores instructions that tell the computer how to start up.
Stores data and programs currently in use.
Computer will perform faster with more of this.
This cannot be written to (altered). It only reads.
Stands for Random Access Memory.
Stands for Read Only Memory.
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
Hard Disk Drive (HDD) / Solid State Drive (SSD)
Since RAM is temporary, your computer needs a
place to store data permanently. That's where the
hard drive comes in. The traditional hard drive
consists of several spinning platters with an arm
that physically writes data to the disk. However, Hard Disk Drive
these drives are slow and are starting to be
replaced by the faster solid-state drives.
Solid-state drives (SSD) consist of flash memory,
like your smartphone or flash drive. They are much
faster than traditional hard disk drives, though cost
more for the increased efficiency. Both types of
drives come in various sizes to suit different needs.
Solid State Drive
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Computer Components of Computer Systems
Video Card
A video card is a dedicated unit for handling the
output of images to a display. Video cards have
their own dedicated RAM for performing these
functions. A high-end video card is required to
process extremely intense visual functions, such as
computer drafting by engineers. Like many
components, many types of video cards are
available with varying power and prices.
An alternative to a video card is integrated
graphics, which occurs when the system borrows
regular RAM for graphics processing. Typically,
integrated graphics are attached to the CPU,
especially on laptops. Integrated graphics is
sufficient for normal computing use and is less
expensive than a dedicated card but won't work for
intense editing jobs or high-end games. 32
Computer Components of Computer Systems
Sound Card
Sound card are internal hardware devices that plug
into the motherboard.
A sound card’s main function is to allow the
computer system to produce sound, but they also
allow users to connect microphones in order to
input sounds into the computer.
Sound cards are also useful in the conversation of
analogue data into digital and vice versa,
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BIOS & CMOS
It is worth noting that ROM also contains some coding known as the
boot file. This code tells the computer what to do when it first starts
up; it is often referred to as the BIOS (Basic Input/Output System).
When the computer is turned on,, the BIOS carries out the hardware
check to find out all the devices are present or connected, and whether
they are functional. Then it loads the operating system into the RAM.
The BIOS stores the date, time and system configuration in a non-
volatile chip called the CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide
Semiconductor), which is usually powered by the battery (Size of a
battery watch).
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