Introduction to IT SKILLS
Lecture 2
Course Instructor
Engr. Sara Usmani
Information Processing Cycle or
Basic Operations of Computer
■ Input (Data)
■ Processing (performance of
Arithmetic and logical operations)
■ Storage
■ Output (Information)
Parts of the Computer
Parts of the Computer
• Computer systems have four parts
– Hardware
– Software
– Data
– User
Parts of the Computer
■ Hardware
– Mechanical devices in the computer
– Anything that can be touched
■ Software
– Tell the computer what to do
– Also called a program
– Thousands of programs exist
Parts of the Computer
■ Data
– Pieces of information
– Computer organize and present data
■ Users
– People operating the computer
– Most important part
– Tell the computer what to do
Computer Hardware
■ Computers use the same basic hardware
■ Hardware categorized into five types
Computer Hardware
Processing devices
– Brains of the computer
– Carries out instructions from the program
– Manipulate the data
– Most computers have several processors
– Central Processing Unit (CPU)
– Secondary processors
– Processors made of silicon and copper
– Speed of processor is measured in GHz
– Computing power of processor is measured in Flops
■ Floating Point Operations per second
Memory devices
– Stores data or programs
– Random Access Memory (RAM)
■ Volatile – Power needed
■ Stores current data and programs
■ More RAM results in a faster system
■ Capacity of RAM is measured in number of Bytes it
can store
– Read Only Memory (ROM)
■ Non-Volatile - Permanent storage of programs
■ Holds the computer boot directions
Storage devices
Hold data and programs permanently
– Different from RAM
– Capacity of storage is measured in number of Bytes it
can store
– Magnetic storage
■ Floppy and hard drive
■ Uses a magnet to access data
– Optical storage
■ CD and DVD drives
■ Uses a laser to access data
– Flash drive
■ Solid state storage device (means no moving parts)
Input and output devices
– Allows the user to interact
– Input devices accept data
■ Keyboard, mouse keyboard
– Output devices deliver data
mouse
■ Monitor, printer, speaker
– Some devices are input and output
■ Touch screens monitor
Video card
printer Sound card
Communication
■ It is sort of input/output device
■ It is measured in amount of data it can transfer
– i.e. MegaBits per second
■ Communicate two ways (send/receive)
■ Modem
■ NIC (Network Interface Card)
– Wired
– Wireless
modem
CPU
Motherboard
Every thing put together
Software
■ Tells the computer what to do
■ Reason people purchase computers
■ Two types
– System software
■ Operating System
■ Device drivers
– Application software
■ MS Word
■ Adobe Photoshop
System software
– Most important software
– Operating system
■ Macintosh (MAC OS x), Linux (Ubuntu),
Windows (Window 7), CentOS
– Utility
■ Symantec Antivirus
Application software
– Accomplishes a specific task
– Most common type of software
■ MS Word, web browser (chrome)
– Covers most common uses of computers
Layered View
Software & Hardware?
■ Computer Instructions or data, anything that can
be stored electronically is Software.
■ Hardware is one that is tangible. The storage
devices (Hard disk, CD’s etc.,), mouse, keyboard
CPU and display devices (Monitor) are Hardware.
For example: There is a problem in the Software
implies – Problem with program or data
TYPES OF SOFTWARE
• System Software
• Application Software
• Open source Software and
• Proprietary Software
System Software:
System Software includes the Operating System and all
the utilities that enable the computer to function.
System software is a term referring to any computer
software which manages and controls the hardware
so that application software can perform a task.
Example:
Operating Systems, Compiler, Loader, Linker,
Interpreter.
Application Software:
Application Software includes programs that do real
work for user.
Example:
Payroll systems, Inventory Control, Manage student
database, Word Processor, Spreadsheet and
Database Management System etc.,
Role of Systems Software
■ System software…
– Is an interface or buffer between
application software and hardware
– Controls the computer hardware and
acts as an interface with applications
programs
Operating
Application and
software systems
software
Users
Hardware
Operating System Functions
– Perform common computer hardware functions
– Provide a user interface
– Provide a degree of hardware independence
– Manage system memory
– Manage processing tasks
– Provide networking capability
– Control access to system resources
– Manage files
User Interface
■ User interface
■ A function of the operating system that allows
individuals to access and command the computer
■ Command-based user interface
■ A particular user interface that requires text
commands be given to the computer to perform
basic activities
■ E.g., UNIX, DOS
■ Graphical user interface (GUI)
■ A user interface that uses pictures (icons) and
menus displayed on the screen to send commands
to the computer system
■ E.g. Windows, MAC OS
ANY QUESTIONS ?
