Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research

Shatt Al-Arab University College

Medical Instrumentation Engineering Department

Computer Applications
1st stage
Assist. Lec. Heba Ali
2023-2024
 Lecture One
Introduction to Computer System and Operating System

A computer is an electronic device that can be programmed to accept data (input),

process it and generate result (output). A computer is essentially a collection of
connected components and devices which must be able to communicate with each
other and with the user in order to function correctly and efficiently.

A computer along with additional hardware and software together is called a

computer system. A computer system primarily comprises a central processing unit
(CPU), memory, input/output devices and storage devices. All these components
function together as a single unit to deliver the desired output. A computer system
comes in various forms and sizes. It can vary from a high-end server to personal
desktop, laptop, tablet computer, or a smartphone.

Components of a Computer System

1. Hardware:

Is the machinery itself. It is made up of the physical parts or devices of the

computer system like the electronic Integrated Circuits (ICs), magnetic storage
media and other mechanical devices like input devices, output devices etc. All
these various hardware are linked together to form an effective functional unit.

 Input Units

The input devices are the means of communication between the user and the
computer system. Typical input devices include the keyboard, floppy disks, mouse,
microphone, light pen, joy stick,etc. The way in which the data is fed into the
computer through each of these devices is different.

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Keyboard is the most common and very popular input device which helps to input
data to the computer. The layout of the keyboard is like that of traditional
typewriter, although there are some additional keys provided for performing
additional functions.

 Typing Keys: These keys include the letter keys (A-Z) and digit keys (09)
which generally give the same layout as that of typewriters.
 Numeric Keypad: It is used to enter the numeric data or cursor movement.
Generally, it consists of a set of 17 keys that are laid out in the same
configuration.
 Function Keys: the twelve function keys are present on the keyboard which are
arranged in a row at the top of the keyboard. Each function key has a unique
meaning and is used for some specific purpose.
 Control keys: These keys provide cursor and screen control. It includes four
directional arrow keys. Control keys also include Home, End, Insert, Delete,
Page Up, Page Down, Control(Ctrl), Alternate(Alt), Escape(Esc).
 Special Purpose Keys: Keyboard also contains some special purpose keys such
as Enter, Shift, Caps Lock, Num Lock, Space bar, Tab, and Print Screen.

Fig(1)keyboard

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Mouse is the most popular pointing device. Generally, it has two buttons called the
left and the right button and a wheel is present between the buttons. A mouse can
be used to control the position of the cursor on the screen, but it cannot be used to
enter text into the computer.

Fig(2)mouse

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 Output Units
The output devices give the results of the process and computations to the outside
world. The output units accept the results produced by the computer, convert them
into a human readable form and supply them to the users. The more common
output devices are printers, plotters, display screens, magnetic tape drives etc.

Fig(3)output devices

2. Software:

Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and

related data that provides the instructions for telling a computer what to do and
how to do it. Any set of instructions that guides the hardware and tells it how to
accomplish each task.

Fig(4)computer software diagram.

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 System Software
Computer software designed to operate the computer hardware to provide basic
functionality and to provide a platform for running application software. Refers to
the operating system and all utility programs that manage the computer's
interaction and communication with the user. Examples of operating systems
include DOS, Windows, UNIX, Linux, and Mac OS. An operating system or
environment performs two important functions

 manages the input devices (keyboard and mouse), output devices (monitor
and printer), and storage devices (hard, flash, and optical drives)
 manages the files stored on the computer.

 Application Software
A program or group of programs designed for end users. Allows end users to be
productive-to create documents or complete specific tasks such as writing a report,
creating a budget, watching a movie, or searching the Internet. Examples of
application programs you may use include Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop,
Windows Media Center, or Internet Explorer.

 Programming Software
Include tools in the form of programs or applications that software developers use
to create, debug, maintain, or otherwise support other programs and applications.
Example of programming language C, C++, C#, JAVA, Visual Basic, Python and
PHP.

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 Fig(5) Relation between hardware and software.

Disk Operating System (DOS) was the original operating system

developed for the PC. DOS is a text- based software; you enter single line
commands to perform such tasks as managing files, starting programs, or sending
output to the printer.

Most operating systems use an integrated graphical user interface (GUI) for
interacting with users. In a GUI, many functions and commands are represented by
menus and clickable buttons or icons (pictures or symbols).

The GUI makes it possible for a user to "point and click" in order to perform
most tasks. This makes it easy for beginner users to work with the operating
system.

Modern Operating Systems

The following screens are examples of the first screen that appears when you start
the computer and the operating system loads into memory. This screen is
commonly known as the Desktop.

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Microsoft Windows 8.1
Microsoft released this edition of the Windows operating system in 2012. items on
the screen can be selected by touching the item, similar to how you can select
items on your mobile phone or tablet.

Microsoft Windows 7
Windows 7 is an operating system for PCs released in 2009. Windows 7 is
designed to make computing simple and easy.

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Mac OS
Mac OS is designed by Apple Inc. for the Macintosh computers. It was one of the
original GUI systems, and it is very secure and stable operating environment.

Unix
UNIX was originally developed in 1969. Unlike Windows or Mac OS which were
designed for desktop systems, UNIX was originally developed for use on large
mainframe computers and servers.

Linux
First developed in 1991. Linux is widely used on supercomputers and high- end
servers.

Handheld Operating Systems

These operating systems are used on personal digital assistant (PDAs) and
Smartphones. Popular handheld operating systems include Windows Phone,
Android, iphone operating system (iOS) and Blackberry.

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Embedded Operating Systems
Embedded operating systems manage and control operations on the specific type of
equipment for which they are designed, such as a vehicle, a machine that controls
robotic manufacturing, or a piece of medical equipment.

Common Operating System Features

Modern operating systems not only interact with hardware and programs, but also
allow for multiple users to use the same computer. The operating system can
maintain separate accounts for each user, keep track of each user's documents and
settings, and keep user accounts secure.

The Software/Hardware Relationship

All software, whether operating system software or application program software,
is designed to work with specific types of computer hardware.

New software may not run correctly on older systems if those older systems are not
fast enough or cannot provide the required capacity.

Discussion

1. State the basic parts of computer system.

2. Give examples of I/O devices in computer system.

3. Give examples of Computer Application Software.

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