The Computer System

Computers in a Changing World

 Years ago…

 We use calculator to compute. It takes

some time to solve huge amount of
numbers
Today…

 We use computers to solve billions of math

problems.
 Years ago…

We use landline telephone to call our friend.

 Today..

We use mobile phones to call

anyone anywhere.
 Years ago…

 We send our mails through post office. It takes

several days to received.
Today..

 We send messages through the computer. It takes

only a few seconds before they are received.
Years ago…

 We go to the library to look for

information in books.
Today…
 We go to the library to look for information in
books.
I. Computer and Its Types

A computer is an electronic machine that

processes and stores information.
Computers are Classified into Four (4)
Different Types
 THE TYPES OF COMPUTERS
 1. Supercomputer is the fastest and most
powerful computer in terms of performance and
data processing. It uses its power to run one
program at a time.
Used in:
 Research and exploration
 Weather forecasting
 Nuclear weapon testing
2. Mainframe computer is not as
powerful as the supercomputer. It is
designed to run multiple programs
concurrently
 It is commonly used in:
 Banks
 Educational Institution
 Insurance companies
3. Minicomputer, also known as “Midrange”
computer
 It is smaller than Supercomputer or Mainframe
computer but bigger and more powerful than the
microcomputer.
Some of its uses are as:

 Data Management device

 Communications Portal
 Process Control
4. Microcomputer is the most widely
used computer – desktop, laptops, tablets,
and smartphones
 It is the cheapest among the different
classes of computers.
II. The Elements of Computer System
Computer System

 collection of entities that are designed to

receive, process, manage, and present
information in a meaningful format
1. Hardware

 physical, tangible computer equipment and devices

which provides support for major functions such
as:

Input,process, output and storage.

A. INPUT DEVICES

 composed of a device that accepts data and

instructions from the user or from another
computer system.
A.1. Keyboard

 A computer keyboard is an input device used to

enter characters and functions into the computer
system by pressing buttons, or keys.
A.2. Mouse

 The mouse is another input device used to

point and select objects on the computer
monitor.
A.3. Scanner
use to capture a source document and converts
printed data or images into an electronic data format
that a computer can store or process as required.
A.4. Microphone

 used to input sound that is then stored in a

digital form.
B. OUTPUT DEVICE
 is any piece of computer hardware that
displays results after the computer has
processed the input data that has been
entered.
B.1. Monitor

 an electronic visual computer display that

includes a screen, circuitry, and the case in
which that circuitry is enclosed
B.2. Printer

 The printer is a device use to print texts

and pictures.
 B.3. Speaker

 A computer speaker is an output

hardware device that produces sound
 B.4. Projector
 A projector is an output device that projects
an image onto a large surface, such as a white
screen or wall.
C. PROCESS DEVICE

 computer’s circuitry in the system unit.

It plays an important role in processing
operations. It is used to process data,
using instructions from the program.
 C.1. Motherboard / Mainboard /
System Board
 the main circuit board of a
computer. It contains all
the circuits and
components that run the
computer.
C.2. CPU (Central Processing Unit)

The processor is the main “brain” or

“heart” of a computer system.
 C.3. RAM – (Random Access Memory)
RAM
 volatile, meaning it holds data only
when the power is on. When the power
is off, RAM's contents are lost.
 C.4. Video Card/GPU (Graphics Processing
Unit)
 - also called a display card,
graphics card, display adapter,
or graphics adapter is an
expansion card which
generates a feed of output
images to a display device
(such as a computer monitor).
SYSTEM UNIT
The system unit, also known as a "tower" or
"chassis," is the main part of a desktop
computer.
It encloses the motherboard, CPU, RAM, video
card, and other internal components.
Other Internal Components of the System
Unit

a. Power Supply Unit (PSU)

- Installed in the back corner of the PC case,
next to the motherboard. It converts
220/110vac (standard house power) into DC
voltages that are used by other components in
the PC.
b. Heat sink (also commonly spelled
heatsink)

 a passive heat exchanger that transfers

the heat generated by an electronic or a
mechanical device to a fluid medium
c. Optical Drive

a storage device that uses lasers to read data on the optical

media.
There are three types of optical drives:
Compact Disc (CD)
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD)
Blu-ray Disc (BD).
D. STORAGE DEVICE
 stores data and programs. These hold data,
information, and programs permanently
D.1. Magnetic Storage
 D.1.1. Hard Disk Drive (HDD) - also known as
hard drive, is a magnetic storage device that is
installed inside the computer.
 D.1.2. Floppy Disk - is a removable data
storage magnetic medium that housed in a
rigid plastic cartridge measuring 3.5 inches
square and about 2millimeters thick. Also
called a "3.5-inch diskette," it can store up
to 1.44 megabytes (MB) of data.
D.2. Optical Storage
D.2.1. BD (Blu-ray Disc) – is simply called
as Blu-Ray, a digital optical disc data storage
format. It was designed to supersede the
DVD format, and is capable of storing
several hours of video in high definition.
D.2.2. CD (Compact Disc)

 also called optical disc is a nonmagnetic,

polished metal disk used to store digital
information. The disc is read by the CD- ROM
D.2.3. DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) - an optical disc
technology with a 4.7 gigabyte storage capacity on a
single-sided, one-layered disk, which is enough for a
133-minute movie.
D.3. Flash Memory

D.3.1. Solid State Drive – is a storage medium that

uses non-volatile memory
D.3.2. Memory Card

 is a solid-state electronic flash memory data

storage device used with digital cameras, handheld
and tablet/mobile computers and other electronics
D.3.3. USB flash drive

 a plug-and-play portable storage device that uses

flash memory and is lightweight enough to attach
to a key chain.
2. Software
term refers to the collection of electronic
instructions that tells the computer what to do
Kinds of Computer Software

 A. System Software coordinates the activities and

functions of hardware and software and controls the
operations of computer hardware.
A.1. Operating System – is the program that, after being
initially loaded into computer by a boot program, manages all
the other programs in a computer.
Examples– Microsoft Windows, Mac OS,
Linux, Ubuntu
A.2. Utility Programs – are small, powerful programs with a
limited capability, they are usually operated by the user to
maintain a smooth running of the computer system.
B. Application Software is a computer program that performs a specific task.
(Application software examples – MS Office, OpenOffice, Media Players, MS
Access, educational software, media development software, Antivirus software, etc.)
3. Peopleware – the most important
element of a computer system is its users.
The following types of people interact
with a computer system:
 a. System Analysts - are people who design the
operation and processing of the system
 b. System Programmers – are people who write
codes and programs to implement the working of
the system.
 c. System Operators – are people who operate the
system and use it for different purposes. Also
called the end users like students, teachers, and
other professionals.
III. HOW THE COMPUTER WORKS?

 Data are raw facts about things, events, or

activities that are captured, recorded, and
stored on the computer. These can be in the
form of words, numbers, or pictures.
INPUT – in this step, data are entered into the
computer
PROCESS – is the computer’s method of
analyzing, managing, or manipulating data.
OUTPUT – You get the output once the
computer is finished processing the data.
STORAGE – The processed data are kept for
future use. We use Hard Disk Drive to store the
information.
IV. Common Computer Applications Used in
Performing Computer Related Duties

1. Microsoft Office Application – is a package

application developed by Microsoft and is
intended to be used in offices and schools.
a. MS Word – A word processing application used for creating
documents such as letters, brochures, activity programs, and
learning activities.
b. MS Excel – is a spreadsheet program ideal for entering,
calculating, and analyzing numeric data such as sales figures,
sales taxes, and students’ grades.
c. MS PowerPoint – is a presentation tool that uses
graphical approach to presentation in the form of slides.
2. Photo Editing Software – is commonly used in editing and
enhancing photos that would give you an excellent output.
3. Video Editing Software – is used to edit
movies or video clips.
4. Web Browsers – is an application used to access information
on the World Wide Web. Web browsers interpret and display
HTML web pages, applications, JavaScript, and other content
Search Engine is a program that enables the users to search
for documents or information on the World Wide Web.