COMPUTER COMPONENTS

COMPUTER COMPONENTS
TYPES OF COMPUTER COMPONENTS
A Computer is made up of two main components namely hardware and software.

Hardware refers to the physical or tangible components that make up a computer. They are
classified into four main categories namely input devices, central processing unit (CPU), output
devices and storage devices.
Software refers to a set of instructions that directs a computer on what to do. They are mainly
classified into two categories, namely System software and Application software.

COMPUTER HARDWARE

1. INPUT DEVICES
Converts user input which is in human readable to machine language that a computer can process.
They are classified according to the methods that they use to enter data, namely keying devices,
pointing devices, scanning devices and other technologies used to capture data.

I. Keying Devices
Typing is the most common way to input data. A keying device converts typed numbers, letters
and special characters into machine readable form before processing takes place. The following
are the types of keying devices.
a. Traditional keyboards
The traditional keyboard is the common type of keying device. It is a full-sized rigid keyboard.
b. Flexible keyboard
A flexible keyboard is more portable keyboard that can be folded and packed into a bag.

Figure 1: flexible keyboard

c. Ergonomic keyboard
An Ergonomic keyboard is specially designed to provide comfort and alleviate wrist strain.

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Figure 2:Egornomic keyboard

d. Keypad
A keypad is a miniature keyboard used on portable devices such as PDAs, laptops and mobile
phones.

Figure 3: keypad on a PDA

e. Braille keyboard
Braille keyboard is a keyboard designed for the use by the blind. It consists of keys identified by
raised dots.

Figure 4: braille keyboard

The computer keyboard

it is an input device that is made up of keys that enables a person to communicate to the computer
by pressing them. The keyboard converts human language into machine language. There are
many types of computer keyboards characterized according to various criteria including:
i. Classification by function of extra keys. The standard keyboard does not have extra
multimedia keys. The multimedia keyboard has extra keys that support multimedia such
as multimedia application launch, volume control etc.
ii. Classification by arrangement of keys. On the first row of alphabetical keys, AZERTY,
QWERTY, DVORAK, etc. The most common type is the QWERTY keyboard.

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iii. Laser keyboard. This is one of the latest inventions. A device projects a keyboard on a flat
surface such as a table. The user then types on the projected image just as if they were
doing it on a physical keyboard.
iv. Flexible / roll up keyboard. It can be rolled up and fitted in bags easily for easier
portability.

THE KEYBOARD LAYOUT

Like the typewriter, the first typing keys on the upper left of a typical keyboard are Q, W, E, R,
T, Y. it’s commonly referred to as QWERTY keyboard.

Figure 5: QWERTY keyboard

The keys on the keyboard can be classified into five categories namely alphanumeric (typing),
function keys, cursor movement and editing keys, special PC keys and numeric keypad keys.

a. Alphanumeric keys
Alphanumeric keys also known as typing keys are labeled with alphabetic letters A to Z, numbers
arranged in a line, 1,2…0 and special symbols such as ?, ], and %. This group also includes the
following keys: caps lock, enter, tab, space bar and backspace.

Caps lock key: pressing this key lets the user to type in uppercase letters (capitals). To switch
back to lowercase letters, simply press the same key again.

Enter key (return key): pressing this key forces the text cursor to move to the beginning of the
next line. A cursor is a blinking underscore (_) or a vertical beam (|) that shows where the next
character to be typed will appear. The enter key is also used to instruct the computer to execute a
command that has been selected on the screen.

Tab key: this key is used to move a text cursor at set intervals on the same line for example 10
mm, 20 mm.

The space bar: this bar creates a space between words during typing.

The backspace key: this key deletes characters from right to left on the same line.

b. Function keys

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Function keys are usually located along the top of the keyboard. They are labeled F1, F2 up to
F12. They are used for tasks that occur frequently in various programs. For example, pressing F1
key in most programs starts the help menu.

c. Cursor movement and editing keys

Cursor movement keys are used to move the cursor on the screen. They include:

Arrow keys: pressing the right or left arrow key moves the cursor one character to the right or left
respectively. Pressing the upward or downward arrow key moves the text cursor one line up or
down respectively.

Page up or page down: pressing page up key moves the cursor up one page in case the document
has many pages. Pressing page down key moves the cursor down in case the document has many
pages.

Home and End keys: pressing home key moves the cursor to the beginning of the current line.
Pressing end key moves the cursor to the end of the current line.

Editing keys are used to delete or insert characters in a document. They include:

Insert key: this key helps the user to insert or replace a character at the cursor position.

Delete (Del) key: this key deletes characters at the cursor position from left to right.

d. Special purpose keys

Special purpose keys are used in combination with other keys to give certain commands to a
computer. For example, Ctrl + Esc is used to display the start menu. Special purpose keys are
SHIFT, CTRL, ALT and ESC.

e. Numeric keypad keys

The numeric keypad consists of a set of numbers 0 to 9 and the arithmetic signs like + (addition),
- (minus), * (multiplication) and / (division). They are located on the right hand side of the
keyboard. The keypad is meant to help the user to rapidly enter numeric data. The numbers on
the numeric keypad can only be used when the Num lock key situated on the numeric keypad is
turned on.
Otherwise they can be used as cursor movement and editing keys when the num lock key is
switched off. It is important to note that not all keyboards have numeric keypad. For example,
portable computers may lack a separate numeric keypad due to size limitations.

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Typing and good typing posture

In order to increase your typing speed and accuracy, typing software offers the lessons you need
to start from using one hand when typing to becoming a proficient user. Since games are excellent
mental recreation for kids adults, some typing softwares come with different games to make
typing more interesting. There are many typing softwares available on commercially such as
Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, Typing Pal, Typing Master, Touch Tutor among others.
Good keyboarding posture
When learning typing, observe the following keyboard typing guidelines:

✓ Sit upright with both feet firmly on the ground maintaining an alert posture.
✓ Place the materials to be typed on your left, in a position you can look without straining.
✓ Rest both hands on the keyboard with fingers resting on the home row keys. These are keys
on which fingers rest during tying in readiness to press other keys. Place the left hand

fingers on the A,S,D,F and the right hand fingers on the semicolon (;), L, K, J with the
thumb on the space bar.
✓ Always return the fingers to the home row position after striking other keys.
✓ Start typing slowly at first. Do not look at your fingers when typing. If you do so, you will
never learn how to type quickly and accurately.
The ultimate goal is to gain typing speed of not less than 30 words per minute.

Figure 6: fingers resting on home keys

II. Pointing Devices

Pointing devices are used for controlling a pointer cursor on the screen. These pointing devices
include: the mouse, the trackball, joystick and light pen.

a) Mouse
A mouse is a pointing device that enables the user to execute commands. It is used to control an
arrow displayed on the screen. To execute a command, the user moves the mouse which
consequently moves the pointer on the screen. Once the pointer is on the icon (a small pictorial

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representation of a command), click one of the two mouse buttons. There are different types of
mice available in the market, namely:
❖ Standard mouse
The standard or traditional mouse has a ball underneath, two buttons and an option scroll button
locate between the left and the right buttons.

Figure 7: Traditional mouse

❖ Optical mouse
An optical mouse does not have any moving parts. It works by using a tiny digital camera to take
1,500 pictures of the surface on which it is resting. Interpreting the pictures indicates the direction
of the mouse movement hence the pointer’s position on the screen.

Figure 8: An Optical mouse

❖ Cordless mouse
Cordless or wireless mouse is a battery powered mouse that uses radio or infrared waves instead
of being physically connected to the system unit.

Figure 9: cordless mouse

b) Trackball
A trackball works like a mouse, only that its ball is located at the top. Instead of moving the
device on a flat surface, the user rotates the ball using a finger. Some computer keyboards come
with an integrated trackball, hence no need for a mouse.

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Figure 28: Trackball

c) Joystick
A Joystick is an input device that looks like lever and it is used to control a pointer on the screen.
It is purposely used for playing computer games. The user controls game actions by varying the
pressure, speed and direction of the joystick. Command buttons and triggers are used to issue
commands or directions or actions in the software being controlled by the joystick user.

Figure 10: A Joystick

d) Light pen and stylus

A light pen operates by detecting a command or item being illuminated by it. A stylus on the
other hand, is used on devices such as PDAs that recognize commands or hand written data.

Mouse skills
Moving a mouse on a flat surface makes the pointer on the screen in the same direction as the
mouse itself. To make a selection, the pointer must be on the object that is to be selected. After
selecting, the user can manipulate the object by pressing a mouse button.

Good Mouse use

• Place the mouse on a flat smooth surface
• Gently hold the mouse with your right hand, using the thumb and the two fingers.
• The index finger should rest on the left button while the middle finger rests on the
on the right button.

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Figure 11: good mouse use

There are four common mouse operations, these are clicking, double clicking, dragging and
dropping and right clicking.
Clicking: this means pressing and releasing the left mouse button once. A click often selects an
object.
Double clicking: this means pressing and releasing the left mouse button twice in a quick
succession. Double clicking usually opens a file or starts a program.
Right clicking: pressing the right mouse button once. This displays a list of commands from which
the user can make a selection. This list of commands is called a shortcut menu or context sensitive
menu. It is called a context sensitive menu because the commands on it apply to the right clicked
item.
Drag and drop: This is where the user drags an item from one from one location on the screen to
another. The procedure to accomplish this operation is as follows:
o Point to the item you want to drag.
o Press the left mouse button and hold it down.
o Slide the mouse until the pointer reaches the desired position on the screen.
o Finally release the mouse button and the item will be dropped in the new location.

III. Scanning Devices

Scanning means capturing data from an object and converting it into digital format. Scanning
devices can be classified according to technology used to capture data. These are optical scanners
and magnetic scanners.
i. Optical scanners
Optical scanners capture data using optical or light technology. Light beam passes over an object
and is analyzed by specialized software. Some examples of optical scanners include;
 Optical mark recognition scanners
Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) scanners detects m ark on the piece of paper using ink or soft
pencil, by passing an infrared beam over them.

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Figure 12: an OMR scanner

OMRs are used to mark multiple choice questions, analyzing responses to structured
questionnaires and selecting correct number combinations from lottery tickets.

 Optical Bar Recognition

The Optical Barcode Recognition (OBR) scanners are used to capture data coded as lines of
varying thickness known as barcode or Universal Product Code (UPC). Barcodes hold
manufacturer’s details and the product code but not price details because price vary from one
place to another.

Figure 13: (a) barcode reader (b) Barcodes

 Optical character recognition

An optical character recognition (OCR) scanner is used to read typewritten, computer-printed, or
handwritten character and transforms the image into a soft copy that can be manipulated using a
word processor. Today, a more advanced OCR scanner called flat-bed scanner is used to capture
and read objects.

Figure 14: Flat-bed scanner with integrated OCR

ii. Magnetic scanners

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Magnetic scanners are used to capture data written using magnetic ink or coded onto a magnetic
strip, common examples of magnetic scanners are magnetic ink character recognition (MICR)
and card readers.

➢ Magnetic Ink Character Recognition

Magnetic Ink Character Recognition (MICR) scanners are used to read character written using
magnetic ink, an example of (MICR) is the cheque reader used in banks.

Figure 15: MICR cheque reader

iii. Digitizers
A digitizer is known as graphic tablet allows a user to draw an image using a stylus. The image
drawn does not appear on the tablet but on the computer screen. The digitizer is used for tracing
highly detailed engineering and architectural drawings and designs.

Other input technologies

Digital cameras
Digital cameras capture data images the same way other cameras do, that the image is stored in
digital form. Pictures are mostly stored on a memory card instead of a film. The stored image can
then be edited, printed or uploaded to the internet.

Figure 16: front and backside of a digital camera

Touch screen
Touch screen technology lets the user to touch the screen using a finger or a stylus in order to
write or select an item. The screen consists of infrared light crisscrossing behind it. When the user
touches a location on the screen, the finger interrupts the infrared light and the output is displayed
on the screen. A touch screen is mostly used in retail stores, airports, on smartphones and PDAs.

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Figure 17: A touch screen

Microphone
A microphone is used to enter data in form of voice into the computer. This method is mostly
suitable for the physically challenged users. However, voice input has limitations in that it does
not fully support speech related aspects such as accents, inflections and tones. However, the
system can be “trained” to overcome some of these problems.

Figure 18: headset

2. OUTPUT DEVICES
Output devices are peripheral devices that a computer uses to give out information produced after
processing operations. These devices can be classified into two categories namely soft copy and
the hard copy output devices.

a. Soft copy output devices

Soft copy refers to intangible output that can be seen or heard; such as screen display and sound.
Examples of soft copy output devices include visual display units, sound output devices, data
projectors and light emitting diodes (LEDs).

1) Visual Display Units

Visual Display Unit (VDU) also known as a monitor or the screen is used to display information
in the form of text, pictures and video. It is called a monitor because it enables the user to monitor
or see what is going on in the computer. There are three common types of monitors namely

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Cathode Ray Tube (CRT), Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) and Gas Plasma Displays (GPD). LCDs
and GPDs are generally referred to as flat-panel displays.

 Cathode Ray Tube monitors

A Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) monitor consists of a long glass tube with an electron gun on one
end and a screen on the other. The electron gun shoots electrons to illuminate the screen and is
coated with tiny phosphorus dots. The dots consist of three primary display colors; red, green and
blue to make a pixel.

Figure 19: CRT monitor

 Liquid Crystal Display monitors
A Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) monitor is made up of special liquid crystals. Unlike CRTs,
LCDs are less bulky, consume less power and have little strain effect on eyes. Due to this reason,
LCDs are gradually replacing the CRT monitors on desktop computers.

Figure 20: LCD display

There are two technologies used to make LCDs, Passive matrix and Active matrix. In Passive
matrix, LCDs create images by scanning the entire screen. This type of LCDs requires little power
but have poor clarity. On the other hand, Active matrix displays are made using thin film
transistor technology, hence the name TFTs. These displays consume more energy that passive
matrix but offer better clarity.

 Gas Plasma Displays

Gas plasma displays resemble LCDs only that they make up of gas instead of liquid crystals. They
contain millions of pixels that are illuminated by a charged neon gas. Unlike LCDs, images

displayed on gas plasma do not suffer from angle distortion. Currently, the technology is mainly
used to produce High Definition TVs (HDTVs), and wall display screens.
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Figure 21: Gas Plasma Display

2) Sound output devices

Sound output devices produce sounds such as beeps, audio or digital. Examples are speakers.
Some computers come with inbuilt speakers, hence eliminating the need to connect external ones.
An external speaker should be connected to a sound card through the jacks on the system unit or
on a multimedia monitor.

Figure 22: Speakers

3) Data projectors
Data projectors are used to display output from a computer onto a plain white screen like a wall
or a whiteboard. It is a creative way of presenting computer output to an audience. This
technology is gradually replacing the traditional overhead projectors.

Figure 23: Data projector

4) Light Emitting Diodes

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Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) are indicators that display light when an electronic is passed over
them. A good example is the red or green light displayed by the system unit to help the user know
whether it is on or off. Mostly LEDs are used to give warnings the same way a motorist would
use signals to indicate when he or she is overtaking or taking a turn.

b. Hard copy output devices

Hard copy refers to tangible output that can be felt such as a paper. Examples of hard copy output
devices include printers and plotters.

❖ Printers
Printers are primarily used to produce information on a piece of paper. The quality of a hard copy
depends on printer’s printing mechanism. Printers are classified according to different printing
mechanism. The two categories are impact and non-impact printers.

Impact printers
Impact printers print using striking mechanism. This means that they strike the paper in order to
form an imprint on it. Example of impact technologies are dot matrix.

• Dot matrix printers: a dot matrix printer has a set of pins on the printer’s head which strikes
on an ink ribbon placed over the paper.
•
Although impact printers are cheaper to run and print for long periods of time without breaking,
they produce low quality printouts.

Non-impact printers
Non-impact printers are faster and more quiet than the impact printers. They print using ink,
thermal or laser mechanism. The four types of non-impact printers are inkjet, thermal, laser and
photo printers.

Inkjet printers => Print by spraying tiny ink droplets onto a paper to create an image. A
color inkjet printer may have black and tricolor cartridge that contains Cyan, Magenta and
Yellow (CMY) compartments.
The cartridge has nozzles that do the actual spraying on the paper.

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Figure 24: inkjet printer

Although inkjet printers are cheaper to purchase and produce better quality printouts, they are
more expensive to run due to the high costs of replacing the cartridges.

Thermal printers => use thermal technology to heat ink which is in waxy or resin form
to melting point before fusing it onto the paper. Thermal printers are mostly used in point
of sale terminals to print receipts and bar codes.

Figure 25: thermal printer

Although thermal printers produce high quality printouts, they are more expensive to purchase
and run.

Laser printers => operates by shining a laser beam to create an image on a rotating drum.
As the beam hits the drum, it ionizes some regions which attract ink tonner particles. The
toner is then fused onto a piece of paper through heating.

Figure 26: A laser printer

Laser printers print very fast compared to the other two. They are cheaper to run and produce
high quality printouts. However, they are expensive to purchase.
Photo printers => are special purpose printers designed to print photos.

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Figure 27: Photo printer

❖ Plotters
A plotter is a large type of hard copy output device. Plotters are mostly used for printing
geographical, architectural and engineering drawings such as maps, advertisement posters to be
placed on billboards, machine parts among others.

Figure 28: Plotter

3. STORAGE DEVICES
These are devices used to store information or data. There are four main categories of the storage
devices namely magnetic storage media, Optical Storage media, solid state storage devices and
the Hard disk.

 Optical storage media

Optical storage media are so called because data is written and read from them using a laser beam.
A laser beam is a very strong concentrated light. There are two reasons why optical storage media
are used:
 They store very large volumes of data.
 Data stored in them is more stable and more permanent than the magnetic media.
There are two different types of optical storage devices, these are:

Compact Disks (CD)

Compact Disks hold large quantities of data and information. One disk can hold as much as 700
Mega Bytes (MB). They are mostly used to store data and information that requires a lot of space

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such as video clips, software, sounds etc. Currently compact disks are available in three forms
namely;

Compact Disk-Read only Memory (CD-ROM): compact disk read only memory (CD-ROM) as
the name suggests contains data that can only be read but cannot be written on. To record data,
the recording surface is made into pits and lands (bumps). When a laser beam falls on the land,
this is interpreted as 1, otherwise a zero is recorded.

Compact Disk-Recordable (CD-R): Compact Disk recordable (CD-R) is coated with a special
dye which changes color to represent data when burned using a laser beam. Once data is burned
on a CD-R, it becomes read only.

NB: CD-ROMs and CD-Rs are referred to as Write Once Read Many (WORM). Data is only
recorded once but can be read as many times as possible.

Compact Disk-Rewritable: unlike the CD-Rs, these types of CDs allow the user to record, erase
and rewrite new information just as one would with floppy disks.

Digital Versatile Disk

Digital Versatile Disks (DVDs), also known as Digital Video Disks resembles CDs in every
aspect. The only difference is that they have a higher storage capacity of up to 17 Giga Bytes
(GB), which is equivalent to twenty five 700 MB CDs. They are suitable for recording motion
pictures such as videos because they offer better sound and picture quality than the CDs.

Optical Cards
An Optical Card resembles a MICR card but data is read and written optically on a stripe. These
types of cards are mostly used in banking and other business organizations to record customer
details.

Optical Tape
This is similar to a magnetic tape only that data is written on it by using optical technology.

 Solid State storage media

Solid state storage is a non-volatile storage that employs integrated circuits rather than
mechanical, magnetic or optical technology. They are referred to as solid because they do not
have movable parts. Some examples of solid state devices are memory sticks and flash disks.

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Figure 29: Flash disk and a memory stick

 The Hard Disk

Traditionally, the hard disk is mounted inside the computer. For this reason, we refer to it as a
fixed disk. However, this is not absolutely the case because some hard disks are removable. The
hard disk is also known as the hard drive and is made up of metallic disk platters together with a
read/write head, housed in a protective metal case.

Figure 30: Hard Disk Drive

The read/write head floats just above the rapidly rotating disk to read or write data.
Most computer hard disks are connected to the motherboard via a channel called a controller.
Some of these controllers are Integrated Drive Electronic (IDE), Enhanced IDE (EIDE) or
Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA).

Structure of the disk platters

A hard disk drive consists of one or more metallic platters, stacked on top of each other but not
touching one another. The stack of platters is attached to a rotating pole called a spindle. It has
more one than one platter; they are stacked on top of each other to form a cylinder.

4. THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)

The Central Processing Unit (CPU) also known as the Processor is the most important part of the
computer. It is actually regarded as the brain of the computer because all processing activities are
carried out inside the processor. In microcomputers, the CPU is housed inside the system unit. It
is mounted on a circuit board known as the Motherboard or the system board.

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The CPU consists of three functional elements namely the control unit, Arithmetic and Logic Unit
and main memory.

Figure 31: functional elements of the CPU

A. Control Unit
Control Unit coordinates all processing activities in the CPU as well as input, storage and output
operations. It determines which operations or instruction is to be executed next. To coordinate
these activities, the control unit uses a system clock. The system clock sends electrical signals as
its means of communication, just like what a traffic signals or a traffic officer does in a roundabout
or a junction to direct motorists and other road users. The number of pulses per second determines
the speed of a microprocessor. The faster the clock pulses, the faster the CPU, hence the faster
the computer can process data.

B. Arithmetic and Logic Unit (ALU)

Arithmetic and Logic Unit is a unit of Central processing unit where all arithmetic and logical
operations are carried out. The basic arithmetic operations are addition, subtraction,
multiplication and division. Logic operations are based on the computer’s capacity to compare
two or more values. For example, it may compare whether a piece of data is greater than or less
than or equal to or not equal to.
In order for the ALU to be able to process data, it has special temporary storage locations called
registers, which hold data just before processing. They also hold results after processing.

C. Main Memory
Main memory also known as primary storage is a type of storage that is directly accessible by
the processor. Computer memory can be classified into Read Only Memory (ROM) and Random
Access Memory (RAM).

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Figure 32:ROM chip (a) and RAM module (b)

Read Only Memory (ROM)

Read Only Memory is used to store programmed instructions and data permanently or semi-
permanently. Data and instructions stored in ROM are those which remain unchanged for long
periods of time like POST instructions, special purpose computers and computerized fuel pump
instructions.

Depending on the permanence of the instructions or data written on it, there are four types of
ROM namely:

Mask Read Only Memory (MROM): Once the content is written on by the manufacturer, it cannot
be changed.

Programmable Read Only Memory (PROM): This allows the user to alter it only once after the
content is written on it.

Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM): this has a transparent quartz window
through which its contents, can be erased by exposing it to Ultra Violet (UV) light, and then
reprogrammed for another use.

Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM): this type of ROM can be
erased and reprogrammed using electricity. An example of EEPROM is the memory that stores
the Basic Input and Output Systems (BIOS).

Characteristics of Read Only Memory (ROM) are:

→ One can only read its content but cannot write on it unless it is a special type of ROM.
→ It is non-volatile; that is, its content is not lost when the computer is switched off.
→ It stores permanent or semi-permanent instructions, from the manufacturer, called
firmware. It can store semi-permanent instructions because some variations of ROM chips
can be programmed according to the user’s specifications.

Random Access Memory (RAM)

Random Access Memory also known as working storage is used to hold instructions and data
needed by the currently running applications. The information in RAM is continually read,
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changed and removed. It is referred to as random access because its content can be read directly
regardless of the sequence in which it was stored. As opposed to ROM, the content in RAM is
held temporarily and is lost once the computer is turned off. Therefore, before switching off the
computer, it is important that one stores (saves) his/her work in a device that offers relatively
permanent storage facility.

Characteristics of Random Access Memory (RAM) are:

➔ Data can be read (retrieved) and written (stored) on it.
➔ RAM is a temporary (volatile) storage because its content disappears when the computer
is switched of.
➔ Its content is user defined i.e. the user dictates what it to be contained in the RAM.

The two main types of RAM are:

Static RAM
Static RAM (SRAM) is a fast type of memory mostly located inside a microprocessor. For this
reason, SRAM is used on special purpose memories such as cache memory. Cache memory is
used to enhance processing speed by holding data and instructions that are instantly required by
the processor.

Dynamic RAM
Dynamic RAM (DRAM) is a relatively slower type of RAM compared to SRAM the term
dynamic is the tendency for the stored charge to leak away, even with constant power supply. For
this reason, DRAM requires periodic recharging (refresh) to maintain its data storage.

THE COMPUTER SOFTWARE

In order to process data, a computer is guided by a set of instructions known as programs.

Normally the term software and program are used interchangeably. However, technically
speaking, the term software is not only used to mean programs but also the documentation
associated with it such as user guides.

Examples of computer software

➔ Microsoft windows
➔ Linux
➔ Unix
➔ Microsoft Office
➔ Adobe Photoshop
➔ Adobe illustrator
➔ QuickBooks

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TYPES OF COMPUTER SOFTWARE
Generally there are several types of computer software. They are classified according to purpose,
acquisition and End-User-License (EUL).

1. Classification according to purpose

Computer software may primarily be designed to manage the hardware resources or help the user
accomplish specific tasks. Therefore, software may be classified either system or application
software.

A. SYSTEM SOFTWARE
System software performs a variety of fundamental operations that avail computer resources to
the user. These functions include:
- Booting the computer and making sure that all the hardware elements are working properly.

- Performing operations such as retrieving, loading, executing and storing application

programs.
- Storing and retrieving files
- Performing a variety of system utility functions
System software can be further subdivided into four sub-categories namely;
 Operating System
 Firmware
 Utility software
 Language translators

I. operating system
An operating system consists of a set of complex programs that can work together to control
execution of user programs called applications and acts as a go between (interface) between the
applications, the user and the computer hardware. It manages input, output and storage operations
in a computer. Examples of operating systems are:
 Microsoft Windows (2000, XP and Vista )
 Linux
 UNIX
 Macintosh (Mac OS)

II. firmware
Firmware, also referred to as stored logic is a combination of both the software and hardware
recorded permanently on electronic chips. Usually a firmware is a read-only memory chip that is
mounted or plugged into the motherboard. Firmware may hold operating system, utility programs
and language processors.

III. utility software

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 COMPUTER COMPONENTS
Utility software is a special program that performs commonly used services that make certain
aspects of computing go on smoothly. Such services include sorting, copying file handling and
disk management.
The two basic types of utility software are:
i. System level utility: These help the user to work with the operating system and its
functions. For example, a utility software tells the user when he/she enters a wrong
command and gives suggestions how the error can be corrected.
ii. Application level utility: These make application programs run more smoothly and
efficiently. Such utility programs are commonly purchased separately or may be part
of an operating system.

IV. language translators

The term language translator is used to refer to a language processor or a utility that translate a
computer program written using a programming language into a form that can be understood by
a computer; referred to as machine language.

The three categories of translators are assemblers, interpreters and compliers.

B. APPLICATION SOFTWARE
Application software, also known as application packages are programs that are designed to help
the user accomplish specific tasks.
Table below gives example and uses of common application packages

software Uses Examples

Word processors Typing documents like letters Word, Lotus WordPro, Open
Office Writer
Spreadsheets Calculating budgets Microsoft Excel, Lotus 1-2-3
Desktop publishing Designing publications like Adobe PageMaker, Microsoft
newspapers and books Publisher, Adobe InDesign
Computer Aided Design Technical drawing AutoCAD
Databases Keeping records and files Microsoft Access, MySQL,
FoxBASE, Paradox
Graphics software Designing and manipulating Corel Draw, Photoshop
graphics

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