Computer Grade 3

Parts and Functions of a Devices

Computer and mobile devices have six main components. Each component has a
part or devices that performs a specific function. Read the table below to learn
more about these components.

Component Desktop Laptop computer Mobile device

Computer (tablet or Smart
phone)
Display monitor LCD Screen Touch screen
display
Power source Power outlet Battery, power Battery, power
bank bank
Processing Central Processing CPU System-on-a-chip
unit(CPU) (Soc)
Storage Internal and Internal and Internal and
external devices external storage external storage
devices devices
Human computer Mouse, keyboard Mouse, keyboard, Touch gesture, on-
Interaction touchpad screen keyboard,
voice commands
Audio Speaker, listening Speaker, listening Speaker, listening
accessories like accessories like accessories like
earphone or earphones or earphones or
headset headset headset
Wireless network Wi-fi, Bluetooth Wi-fi, Bluetooth Wi-fi, Bluetooth,
connection cellular
connection

1. Display
Device displays let you see different kinds of information in your device.
 Computer: Desktop computer use display called monitor. Monitor are used
for displaying the desktop where you can open a software, edit documents,
and organized files.

Laptop: Laptop used the display called the LCD Screen. Liquid Crystal display
or the LCD screen display information from the laptop such us software,
documents, and media.

Mobile devices: Mobile devices have smaller displays than the computer.
These devices use a display called the touch screen display. The touch
screen display enables a person to interact with the objects on the screen
through touch.

Tablet have the biggest display among mobile devices.

Screen Orientation:
a. Portrait mode- everything in the display is displayed upright. This screen
orientation is ideal for scrolling up and down.
b. Landscape mode- Everything will now be displayed sideways. This screen
orientation is ideal when watching videos.
2. Power Source
Every device need power for it to work
Computers: Desktop computers used electricity as the power source. Desktop
computers do not have batteries and they need to be plugged into the electric
socket before they can be turned on.
A.Computer: Desktop computers use electriccity as the power source. Desktop
computers do not have batteries and they need to be plugged into the electric
socket before they can be turned on.
Laptop use batteries as a power source. The batteries need to be charge before
use.
B. Mobile devices: mobile devices also use batteries also use batteries as there
power source.
 3. Processing and storage: All devices have a processor that performs
calculations, actions, and runs all programs.
Storage is where programs, documents and media are stored and retrieved.
A. Computer: The central processing unit or CPU is responsible for telling the
computer how to do things.
Laptop also use a CPU for processing information. A latop CPU works the same
way as a desktop CPU works. The main difference is that laptop CPUs are
permanently attached to its motherhood.

Mobile Devices: The processor of mobile devices are called system on-a-chip or
SoC It can be found in a mobile devices.
SoCs are similar to CPU in terms of fucntion. They are responsible for making all
parts of mobile devices work.

Internal and External storage for computer and mobile devices

There are two types of storage for computers and mobile devices :
Internal storage: storage inside the device for storing files. The unit use for storage
is called kilobytes.
external storage: Hard drive, flash drives, Memory cards

4. Human-computer Interaction: Software, programs, and apps require you to

interact with the computer or mobile device that you use. Interaction can
be done in many ways with the help help of a peripheral device or just your
finger.

Computer: You can interact with computer using the mouse and a keyboard
Mouse- It is a pointing device that lets you interact with objects on the display
screen.
Laptop: laptop have a pointing device even if you do not have a mouse. They are
called Touchpad. Touchpad is a small pannel on the laptop that is used for
controlling the cursor.
Keybord: Are physical device that allow you to input text in computers. Typing is
the term used for writing or inputting text by pressing keys on the keyboard.
Laptops also use keyboards as the main method of inputting text, numbers and
sysmbols.
Mobile Devices: you can interact with mobile devices using touch gestures on the
screen keyboard. Touch gesture is the main method of interacting with object on
the screen.
Smartphones and tablets do not use physical keyboards. They use a keyboard
known as the on-screen keyboard. This type of keyboard is displayed on the touch
screen.
5. Audio: Computers and mobile devices have parts and produce sound. These
are called audio devices.
Computers: Desktop computers and laptop commonly use speakers as their audio
device.
Desktop computer speakers are connected through the cable on the back of the
computer.
Mobile Devices: Smartphones and tablets use two speakers; the main speaker and
the earpiece.
Main speaker- all sound come from.
Earpiece speaker- used when talking to someone on the phone.
Listening Accessories
Earphones: Earphone are commonly used with mobile devices because they are
small and easy to carry around.
Headsets: Headsets are ideally used for personal computers.
 6. Wireless Network Connections: all devices have capabilities for network
connections such as bluetooth, wi-fi, or cellular connection.
Desktop and laptop: use wi-fi and bluetooth as a wireless connection.
Mobile devices: USe wi-fi, bluetooth and cellular connection.

Operating System, Programs, Files, and Folders

1. Operating Systems
The Operating System (OS) is the main program found in all devices. The OS
makes apps or other software work.
Computers: The two most popular computer OS are the windows and macOS. The
OS of computers let you interact with the software through hardware such as the
mouse and keyboard.
Mobile Devices: Smartphones and tablets use a specific OS made for mobile
devices. The function of the mobile OSis allow mobile devices to install and delete
apps. The two most popular mobile OS include the iOS for apple devices and the
Android for non-Apple Devices.
The mobile OS home screen has a status bar that shows different status iconssuch
as WI-FI, bluetooth, battery, time and cellular signal.

device Function of OS Type of OS OS home

Mobile devices Download and use Androids and iOS Status bar,
apps only wallpaper, apps,
icons
Computers Install and use Windows and Desktop shortcuts,
software and apps macOS start menu, task
 bar

2. Device Programs
Programs are set of instructions that tell the computer its task.
Computers: computer application or software are programs installed in
computers.
Mobile devices: In mobile devices we used the terms “apps’’to mean applications.
Apps are programs made for smart phones and tablet. Apps are design mainly for
communication, social media games, and media.
Device Type of Programs Program Purpose Example of
Programs
Mobile devices apps Mainly for Notes, photos app,
communication music player
and playing
computers software Mainly for school Open Office, PDF
work productivity reader.

3. File Type
Files can be in a form of text, image, audio, or video information. There are
different kinds of files.
A. Text files can be read onwords processors or text reader programs.
B. Image files can be be viewed by image viewing programs.
C. Audio files can be played by audio playing program.
D. Video files can be played by video playing programs.
Computers:
Computers heve files in them. Each file is represented by an icon and a file
extension.
 File type File extension
Text files/ documents DOC,DOCX,TXT,PDF
Image files JPG,PNG,GIF
Audio files MP3
Video files MP4,MOV
Slide presentation files PPT,PPTX
Spreadsheet files XLS,XLSX

Mobile devices: Mobile devices have files, too. However, files in mobile devices
are represented as thumbnails.
4. Device Folders
A folder is way to group and organize files or app locations.
Computer folder: computers also use folders to organize files.
Mobile Devices: mobile devices use folders to group apps together.
Device Type of device Folder Icon
computers Apps folders Parents and nested folder
Mobile devices File folders Grouping of apps.