Computer platform concepts
Hardware &
Software
Hardware
Hardware refers to objects that
you can actually touch, like
disks, disk drives, display
screens, keyboards, printers,
boards, and chips.
Hardware
Four components of a computer system:
CPU - central processing unit
– Makes decisions, performs computations, and
delegates input/output requests
Memory: Disk Drives, CD drives, Tape drives, USB
flash drives.
– Stores information
Input devices: Keyboard, Mouse,
– Gets information from the user to the computer
Output devices: monitor
– Sends information from computer to the user
Hardware
M e m o ry
In p u t O u tpu t
D evic e s D evic e s
C PU
Clock Speed
Clock speed - also called clock rate, the
speed at which a microprocessor executes
instructions. Every computer contains an
internal clock that regulates the rate at which
instructions are executed and synchronizes
all the various computer components. The
faster the clock, the more instructions the
CPU can execute per second.
Bus
A bus is a collection of wires through which data is transmitted
from one part of a computer to another. You can think of a bus
as a highway on which data travels within a computer. There
are various types of busses, both internal and external, that
connect the hardware, inside and outside, the computer.
Like the CPU, busses have a clock speed. A fast bus allows
data to be transferred faster, which makes applications run
faster.
HARD DISK (Storage Device)
The hard disk is a magnetic disk on which you can store computer data. The term hard
is used to distinguish it from a soft, or floppy, disk. Hard disks hold more data and are
faster than floppy disks. A hard disk, for example, can store anywhere from 10 to more
than 100 gigabytes, whereas most floppies have a maximum storage capacity of 1.4
megabytes.
Computers Use Random
Access Technology - Data
Can Be Accessed in Any
Order at Any Time
Regardless of Storage
Position or Time of Creation.
RAM Vs. ROM (Memory)
Is an acronym for random access memory, a type of computer memory that can be
accessed randomly; That is, any byte of memory can be accessed without touching the
preceding bytes. RAM is the most common type of memory found in computers and
other devices, such as printers.
RAM Vs. Rom
In common usage, the term RAM is synonymous with main
memory, the memory available to programs. For example, a
computer with 300M RAM has approximately 2400 million
bytes of memory that programs can use. In contrast, ROM
(read-only memory) refers to special memory used to store
programs that boot the computer and perform diagnostics. In
fact, both types of memory (ROM and RAM) allow random
access. To be precise, therefore, RAM should be referred to as
read/write RAM and ROM as read-only RAM.
Software
Application software
Easy-to-use programs designed to perform
specific tasks
System software
Programs that support the execution and
development of other programs
Two major types
– Operating systems
– Translation systems (compilers & linkers)
Computer Software Relationships
User Interface Application Programs
User Interface Operating System
User Basic Input and Output Services (BIOS)
Interface • needed for a computer to boot up
Computer Hardware
Application Software
Application software makes computer popular and easy to use
Common application software:
Microsoft Word, WordPerfect
PowerPoint
Netscape, Internet Explorer
PhotoShop, Photo-Paint
Quick Time
Dreamweaver
Operating System
Controls and manages the computing resources
Examples
Windows, Unix, MSDOS,
Important services that an operating system
provides:
Security: prevent unauthorized users from accessing
the system
Commands to manipulate the file system
Input and output on a variety of devices
Window management
Operating systems provide a software platform on top of which other programs, called
application programs, can run. The application programs must be written to run on top
of a particular operating system. Your choice of operating system, therefore, determines
to a great extent the applications you can run.
Peripherals
Operating systems perform basic tasks, such as recognizing input from the keyboard,
sending output to the display screen, keeping track of files and directories on the disk,
and controlling peripheral devices.
Connectivity
USB
Short for universal serial bus, is an
external bus standard that supports
data transfer rates of 12 mbps
(megabits per second). A single USB
port can be used to connect up to 127
peripheral devices, such as mice,
modems, and keyboards.
The Language of Computers
Binary: the digital language of computers. This language is composed of an alphabet
containing only 2 “letters” known as bits. Any work done on a modern computer from
word processing to digital audio is translated to this language.
Digital Letters and Words
Bit: the smallest form of information in the language of
computers. It is represented as a zero or a one. A bit can
be considered a letter in the digital language of binary.
Byte: a “word” of information in binary. It is made of a
number bits determined by the bit rate. 8 bits is usually = 1
byte on modern computers.
Bit Rate
Bit rate: the number of “letters” or bits in a digital word or byte. An example of a 16 bit
digital word in binary could be (01010101 10101010).
Example
8 bits = 1 byte
1024 bytes = 1 kilobyte (210)
1024 kilobytes = 1 megabyte (220)
1024 megabytes = 1 gigabyte (230)
