CFUN

• Information Technology (IT) systems


  Integral to the modern "Information Age," processing, storing, and transferring diverse forms of data using binary digits
• Information and Communications Technology (ICT)


  • Include computers, telecommunications networks, and other electronic devices
  • Revolutionize how we handle information, offering speed, flexibility, and global connectivity, thereby shaping the 21st century similarly to how the industrial revolution shaped its era
• Computer


  A system that manipulates data according to a set of instructions
• Elements required for a computer to perform useful tasks

  • Hardware
  • Software
  • Computer's user
• Hardware


  Devices and components that make up a computer system, including internal parts within the computer's case and external parts known as peripheral devices
• Peripheral devices


  Enable information to be entered (input) and retrieved (output), such as keyboards, mice, monitors, and printers
• Software


  The instructions that a computer follows, including the computer's Operating System (OS) and software applications
• Software applications


  Extend the range of things that the computer can be used to do, such as word processors, spreadsheet programs, and payroll programs
• Software interface


  Allows the user to control the computer system, creating data files by inputting information and selecting commands
• Understanding PC component functions

  1. Input and output devices interface between the user and the computer

  2. Operating system interfaces between hardware and software applications
• How a computer processes commands and data

  1. User selects a command, which the software application receives and converts into a series of instructions stored in system memory (RAM)

  2. CPU retrieves each instruction or data file from memory and processes it

  3. CPU writes the result back to memory and directs other components to perform actions
• All the instructions and data processed by a computer are ultimately represented as strings of 1s and 0s, represented as on or off states in the transistors that make up CPU and RAM components
• The four functions that represent how data moves through a computer system

  • Input
  • Processing
  • Output
  • Storage
• Input


  The computer receives data entered by the user through peripheral devices, such as mice, keyboards, scanners, cameras, and microphones
• Processing


  The data is written to memory and manipulated by the CPU, acting on instructions from the operating system and applications software
• Output


  The processed data is shown or played to the user through an output device, such as a monitor or loudspeaker system
• Storage


  The data may be written to different types of storage devices, such as hard disks or optical discs, because data stored in most types of system memory is only preserved while the computer is powered on
• Networking


  A special class of input and output, allowing computers to exchange data
• Personal Computer (PC)


  Versions of the IBM PC developed in 1981, based on Intel's microprocessor (x86 architecture), and operated directly by the end user
• Most home and office PCs are still based on the IBM PC design and x86 platform, often associated with Microsoft's Windows OS
• Personal computers have evolved into smaller, portable devices like tablets and smartphones, which use different hardware platforms and operating systems
• This shift, along with the rise of the Internet, has led to the development of the Internet of Things (IoT), integrating processing and communication capabilities into everyday appliances and systems
• Desktop computer


  PC's components are attached to a motherboard within the computer's case, with peripheral devices like a mouse, keyboard, and monitor connected via ports
• Desktop computers


  • Advantageous due to their customizable design, allowing for higher or lower specification components to suit different tasks
  • Workstation-class computers with higher specs, such as a more powerful CPU and more system memory, will be more expensive but process data faster
• CPU speed


  Determines the basic speed of the computer
• System memory


  More makes it possible to run more applications simultaneously and process large amounts of data more quickly
• Main storage drive capacity


  Determines how much data can be stored on the computer when it is switched off
• Optional components


  Extend the range of things the computer can do, such as a sound card or webcam
• Ergonomics


  The quality of peripherals such as the display, mouse, and keyboard make the computer more comfortable to use
• All-in-one desktop PC


  The computer components (except the keyboard and mouse) are contained within the monitor case
• Server


  A powerful computer that supports a number of users simultaneously in a computer network, using more powerful and reliable components than a desktop PC
• Server systems


  • Designed to be very reliable, with high quality components and extra copies of components for redundancy, making them fault tolerant
  • Designed to be easy to expand and upgrade with additional or improved components, often using a special type of case designed to fit into a steel rack shelving system
• Laptop computer


  Integrates the display, system components, and input/output devices within a single, portable case
• Main features distinguishing laptops from desktop PCs

  • Size and weight
  • Display type
  • Input devices
  • Power source
  • Components
  • Networking
• Notebook and subnotebook


  Small laptops
• Desktop replacement


  Bigger laptop models
• Ultrabook


  Laptops meeting a particular Intel specification for performance, size/weight, and battery life
• Hybrid laptop


  Can be used like a tablet as well as like a traditional laptop
• Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM)


  Companies producing PCs and laptops, sourcing components from manufacturers and putting them together as a branded PC system
• Global PC manufacturing vendors

  • Dell
  • Hewlett-Packard (HP)/Compaq
  • Lenovo (previously IBM's PC division)
  • Acer
  • Huawei
  • Samsung
  • Sony
  • Toshiba
  • Asus