ict

• Types of computer systems

  • Hardware
  • Software
• Hardware


  • Tangible physical components of a computer system
  • You can feel it or touch it
• Internal hardware devices


  • Processor
  • Motherboard
  • RAM & ROM
  • Video & Sound Cards
  • Internal Hard Disk Drives
• External hardware devices


  • Monitor
  • Keyboard
  • Mouse
  • Printer
  • External Storage Devices
• Software


  • Programs that control computer systems
  • Set of instructions that make computer do something
  • You cannot physically touch software
  • Relates to ideas & instructions for using physical objects
• Types of software


  • Application software
  • System software
• Application software


  • Programs that allow the user to do specific task
  • Designed to carry out tasks
  • Can be general purpose software or custom-made software (specialist software)
• Application software


  • Spread sheets
  • Databases
  • Word processing
• System software


  • Programs that allow the hardware to run properly
  • Control computer's hardware and application program
  • Communicate with user
• System software


  • Operating system
  • Device drivers
  • Compilers
• CPU


  • Processing done by central processing unit
  • Three main components: Control unit, Arithmetic and Logical Unit (ALU), Immediate access store (IAS)
• Microprocessor


  • Used instead of CPU
  • Single integrated circuit
• Internal/Main Memory


  • Stores all data: application software, operating system, data files
  • Consists of ROM and RAM
• RAM


  • Random access memory (RAM) is an internal chip where data is stored temporarily
  • Memory can be written to and read from
  • Stores anything that needs to be changed
  • All program and data being used are on RAM
  • Contents lost when computer is turned off
  • Referred to as volatile memory
• ROM


  • Read only memory (ROM) is memory used to store permanent information
  • Used to contain configuration data for a computer etc.
  • Chips cannot be altered, only read from
  • Data not lost when computer is turned off
  • Referred to as non-volatile memory
• BIOS


  • ROM contains boot file, referred to as BIOS (basic input/output system)
  • Tells computers what to do when it first starts
  • Does hardware check when computer is turned on
  • Then it loads operating system into RAM