System Components

CSC 105: Computer Essentials

Learning Unit 1: Lecture

System Components

In this lecture, we will discuss the major components of a computer to help you better understand how

a computer works and what its various parts do.

A computer is defined as a data processing device.

A computer performs four main functions:

1. Gathers data

2. Processes data into meaningful information

3. Outputs data and information

4. Stores data and information

Computers work solely with numbers ¨C not words. The language computers use is called binary

language. Binary language consists of only two numbers: 0 and 1. Each 0 and 1 is a ¡°binary digit¡± or

¡°bit,¡± for short. Eight bits combine to create one byte. In computers, each letter, number and character,

such as the percent sign, consists of a unique combination of 8 bits ¨C a unique string of 0s and 1s.

For example, the letter ¡°K¡± is represented as 01001011. This equals 8 bits or 1 byte.

Bits and bytes are also used by computers in information input and output. They are a measurement of

the size of your files and documents. If each letter, number, or character has a string of 8 bits, you now

realize that files can contain, literally, millions of bits and bytes. So we use larger units of measure than

just a byte. You may have heard the terms kilobyte, megabyte, gigabyte, and terabyte.

The following table is adapted from Technology in Action, by Evans, Martin, and Poatsy.

Take a few minutes to review the chart.

Unit of Measurement

Abbreviation

Byte

Kilobyte

Megabyte

Gigabyte

Terabyte

B

KB

MB

GB

TB

Approximate

Number of Bytes

1 byte

1,000 bytes

1 million bytes

1 billion bytes

1 trillion bytes

Relative Size

1 character of data

Half a page of double-spaced, typed text

Approximately 768 pages of typed text

A stack of paper over 260 feet high

A stack of paper almost 51 miles high

Hardware

The computer uses a combination of hardware and software to process information so that we can use

it. Hardware is any part of the computer you can touch. The hardware includes things like a monitor,

keyboard, mouse, printer, wireless router, etc.

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CSC 105: Computer Essentials

Learning Unit 1: Lecture

Software

Software is the set of computer programs that gives the hardware the ability to perform the tasks you

ask of it. There are two broad categories of software: applications and system software.

Application software is the one with which you are probably most familiar. It¡¯s the set of programs you

use on a computer that helps you carry out tasks. Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, as well as

computer games, and photo editing programs, are all examples of application software.

System software enables your computer¡¯s hardware devices and application software to work together.

The most common type of system software is the operating system. Your computer can¡¯t run without it.

It has been described as the traffic cop that provides instructions for managing the hardware and the

means by which users interact with the computer. Windows 10 is an example of an operating system. If

you have an Apple computer, a common operating system is OS ¨C where the latest version is indicated

by a number following the OS, such as ¡°OS 12.0¡±

Hardware Devices

Now, let¡¯s discuss specific hardware devices, beginning with the keyboard. Besides the letters and

numbers you regularly use for typing, there are other keys you should know about to improve your

efficiency.

Numeric keypad: Usually on the right side of your keyboard, the numeric keypad allows you to

enter numbers quickly. You will need to have the ¡°Num Lock¡± key on to use the numeric keypad.

Function keys: These are the ¡°F¡± keys located at the top of your keyboard. These act as shortcut

keys to perform specific tasks. Each software application has its own set of tasks assigned to

these function keys, however some are universal. For example, the ¡°F1¡± key is usually the ¡°Help¡±

key.

Control (Ctrl) key: This is used in combination with other keys to perform shortcuts. For

example, holding down the ¡°Control¡± key while pressing the letter ¡°A¡± will select everything on

the page.

Alt key: This is another key that is used in combination with other keys to perform shortcuts. For

example, holding down the ¡°Alt¡± key while pressing the ¡°Tab¡± key allows you to switch between

open programs quickly.

Microsoft lists all the shortcuts available with specific operating systems on their website. In this

Learning Unit folder, you can find the link to take you directly to this website. Using shortcuts

can save you a lot of time, once you get comfortable using them.

Data Storage

Remember that one of the four functions of a computer is to store data. You can use your computer¡¯s

internal hard drive to store or ¡°save¡± files and programs that you want to use long-term. The downside

of this is that you can only access files if you have your computer with you and your hard drive will only

have a certain amount of storage available. External drives allow you to save files that you want to be

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CSC 105: Computer Essentials

Learning Unit 1: Lecture

portable, so that you can use them on other computers. A flash drive, for example, is a device that plugs

into one of the USB ports on your computer and is a quick and easy way to transfer a file from one

computer to another. In addition to ¡°flash drive¡± this device may also be referred to as a ¡°USB drive,¡± a

¡°jump drive,¡± or a ¡°thumb drive.¡± Cloud storage allows you to save files on a server that can be accessed

through a web based interface. This allows you to access files from any computer at any time, so long as

you have internet access. Examples of cloud storage are Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, Apple iCloud, and

Google Drive, just to name a few.

Internal Hardware Components

Finally, here are some other terms you may hear:

Motherboard: If you were to open your computer system, you would find many circuit boards

that have specific functions. Examples are video cards, modem cards, sound cards, and so on.

The motherboard is named so because all of these other boards connect to it to receive power

and to communicate with the system and with one another. Therefore, you might say ¡°it¡¯s the

mother of all boards.¡± The motherboard contains the set of chips that powers the system.

CPU: The central processing unit (CPU) is the largest and most important chip in the computer.

It¡¯s referred to as the ¡°brains¡± of the computer, because it controls all the functions performed

by the other components. Intel Pentium is an example of a type of CPU. The speed at which a

CPU operates is measured in hertz. The higher the number (usually expressed in megahertz or

gigahertz), the faster your CPU will process data. It is important to look at the type of processor

and the speed when considering buying or upgrading a computer. In Windows 10, if you go to

settings, then click on System, then click on about, you can see what type of CPU you have.

RAM: The CPU processes data very quickly, so there needs to be a way to store data nearby so

the commands can be fed into the CPU swiftly. Random Access Memory (RAM) is that storage

space. Keep in mind that RAM is a temporary storage space. It¡¯s only there to store the

commands being fed into the CPU. As soon as your computer is turned off, the contents of the

RAM are erased. How much RAM do you need? At a minimum, you need enough to run the

operating system. Then, as you start installing other programs, you¡¯ll need RAM to run those

programs. Be sure to look on the software package to find out how much RAM your system

needs to run that program. In Windows 10, you can go to settings, then click on System, then

click on About to see how much RAM you currently have installed.

The CPU and RAM are the two items that often have the greatest impact on how fast your

computer runs.

? Indian Hills Community College

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