Republic of the Philippines

ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY

Cauayan City, Isabela

MODULE 3: KEY COMPONENTS OF A COMPUTER SYSTEM, OPERATING SYSTEM

Introduction
This lesson introduces the discussion of the key components of a computer system, and how they work together.
There are three main components to a computer system: hardware, software and peopleware. Computer associated equipment
is called hardware. Computer software is a collection of instructions which tells what to do with the hardware. However,
peopleware are the most important component of a computer system for some reason people use the computer power.
Learning Outcome
At the end of the chapter, the student should be able to:
explain the key components of computer system;
classify the components of computer system;
 distinguish the difference between the hardware, software and humanware;
define Operating System;
identify the basic concepts of an operating system; and
discuss and enumerate the different types of operating system.

Learning Content
Hardware
Software
Operating system
Types of operating system
Humanware

Computer System

Software

Hardware Humanware

Computer
System

A computer system operates on three significant components.

 It is a collection of entities (hardware, software and humanware) that are designed to receive, process,
manage and present information in a meaningful format.
 It consists primarily of four basic units: the input unit, the storage units, the central processing unit and the
output unit. A computer performs five major operations or functions regardless of its size and make.
These are:
 It accepts data or instructions as input;
 It stores data and instruction;
 It processes data as per the instructions;
 It controls all operations inside a computer, and ;
 Its gives results in the form of output.
 Republic of the Philippines
ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
Cauayan City, Isabela

Secondary
Storage

Data/ Primary Output

Instructions Input
Unit Storage Unit Information

Arithmetic
Logic Unit
Indicates flow of instructions and data

Control Unit Indicates the control exercised by the

control unit

Computer System basic Operation

1.Input Unit. It used for transfers’ raw data and control signals into the information processing system by the user before
processing and computation.
The functions of the input unit are:
o accept data and set of instructions/command;
o convert the data in a form which the computer can accept; and
o provide this converted data to the computer for further processing.

2.Central Processing Unit. This is called the brain of the computer system. It consists of three parts namely, the control unit;
the arithmetic logic unit; and the primary storage unit.
a. Control Unit-It controls, manages and coordinates the operations of the entire computer system.
b. Arithmetic Logic Unit-It executes the instructions and performs all the calculations and decisions.
c. Primary Storage Unit-It is also called as main memory.The data which is to be output from the
computer system is also temporarily stored.
3.Output Unit. It give the results of the process and computations to the outside world. The output units accept the results
produced by the computer, convert them into a human readable form and supply them to the users.
COMPONENTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM
1.Computer hardware – It consists of internal and peripheral devices. All physical parts of the computer or everything that we
can touch.
e.g.:Input devices, output devices, central processing unit and storage devices
2.Computer software - also known as programs or applications. It gives “intelligence” to the computer. They are classified into
two classes namely - system software and application software
3.Humanware – it is the person who operates computer. The user commands the computer system to execute on instructions.

Computer Hardware Components

Hardware. It consists of all the machinery and equipment in a computer system. In general, computer hardware is categorized
according to which of the five computer operations it performs.
 Republic of the Philippines
ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
Cauayan City, Isabela

 Input devices
 Processing devices
 Storage devices
 Output devices
1.Input Devices. It is any electronic devices connected to a computer that produce input signals. It is also used to enter the data
and instructions into the computer.
- It translate data from form that humans understand to one that the computer can work with.
Classification of Input Devices
a. Input Devices for Texts and Images
Keyboard . Graphics Table Optical Mark Reader
Magnetic Ink Character
Reader

It is the primary input device It is an electronically

that is used to enter data into It used by artists which allow extracting intended data from
them to draw a picture onto a It is a device used for marked fields, such as
a computer or any other
computer screen without machine recognition of checkboxes and fill-infields,
electronic device by pressing
having to use a mouse or numeric data printed with on printed forms. OMR
keys. It uses USB or a
keyboard. It consists of a flat, magnetically charged ink. It is technology scans a printed
Bluetooth device for wireless
touch-sensitive pad and a used on bank checks and form and reads predefined
communication to connect to
drawing device, either a pen deposit positions and records where
a computer
or stylus. marks are made on the form
Flatbed Scanner Handheld Scanner Barcode Reader Digital Camera

device that takes

It is also known as barcode photographs and stores the
scanner or point of sale image as data on a memory
It used to capture a (POS) scanner, is an input card
source document and device capable of reading
converts it into an barcodes.
electronic form

b. Input Devices for Audio

Microphone
Is an input device that allows users to input audio into their computers. Here are some uses of the
microphone:
- Audio for video - Computer gaming - Online chatting
- Recording musical instruments -Recording voice for dictation, singing and podcasts
 Republic of the Philippines
ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
Cauayan City, Isabela

- Voice recorder - Voice recognition - VoIP – Voice over Internet Protocol

MIDI Keyboard
It is a controller keyboard, like a typically a piano-style electronic musical keyboard, often with
other buttons, wheels and sliders, used for sending MIDI signals or commands over a USB or
MIDI 5-pin cable to other musical devices or computers.

c. Input Devices for Video

CCTV Camera Digital Video Camera

Webcam
Video input are motion images captured into the computer by
special input devices.
d. Pointing Device

Pointing Device is an input device that allows a user to control a pointer on a screen. A pointer is a small
symbol on the screen whose location and shape change as a user moves a pointing device

Mouse Trackball Touchpad Joystick

2.Output Devices. Hardware that is capable of delivering or showing information to one or more users. An output device
displays, prints and presents the results of a computers work.
After processing the inputted data, the computer will give its output. This output can be in two different formats:
1. Softcopy – Visual (monitor) or Sound (speakers)
2. Hardcopy – Output on a tangible (something you can touch) such as a printer printout
Different Types of Output Devices

LCD LED LCD

LCD Monitor Monitor Projector

Monitor
Ink Thermal
Jet Printer

Dot Matrix Printer Laser Printer Printer

Speaker Woofer Headset Earphone

 Republic of the Philippines
ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
Cauayan City, Isabela

3.Storage Devices. It is any hardware device that is used for storing, porting and extracting data files and objects. It can hold
and store information either temporarily and permanently, and can be internal or external to a computer.
Types of Computer Storage
1. Primary Storage. Primary storage is the main memory in a computer. It stores data and programs that can be accessed
directly by the processor.
There are two types of primary storage which are RAM and ROM

Figure of RAM and ROM

The Difference between RAM and ROM
Random-Access Memory (RAM) Read-Only Memory (ROM)
RAM is an acronym for Random- Access Memory which ROM is an acronym for Read- Only Memory. The data or
means the data and program in RAM can be read and program in ROM can only be read but cannot be written at all
written.
RAM stores data during and after processing. RAM is also ROM is another type of memory permanently stored inside
known as a working memory. the computer.
The data in RAM can be read (retrieved) or written All the contents in ROM can be accessed and read but
(stored). cannot be changed.
RAM is volatile which means the programs and data in ROM is non-volatile. It holds the programs and data when the
RAM are lost when the computer is powered off. computer is powered off.
A computer uses RAM to hold temporary instructions and Programs in ROM have been prerecorded.
data needed to complete tasks. This enables the CPU It can only be stored by the manufacturer once and it cannot
(Central Processing Unit) to access instructions and data be changed.
stored in the memory very quickly
2.Secondary Storage - Secondary storage is another alternative storage to save your work and documents. This can be
removable, internal, or external. It is very useful to store programs and data for future use. It is non-volatile, which means that it
does not need power to maintain the information stored in it. It will store the information until it is erased.
Types of Secondary Storage
1.Magnetic Medium. It is a non-volatile storage medium. It can be any type of storage medium that utilizes magnetic patterns to
represent information.
Examples of magnetic storage are magnetic disk
Floppy Hard Disk Magnetic Video
Disk Tape Cassette

Types of Magnetic Medium

2.Optical Medium. It is a non-volatile storage media, holds content in digital form that are written and read by laser. These
media include various types of CDs and DVDs.
Types of Optical Medium
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ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
Cauayan City, Isabela

CD CD ROM DVD CD-R CD-RW DVD-RW DVD-RAM

3.Flash Memory. It is a solid-state, non-volatile, rewritable memory that functions like RAM and a hard disk drive. Flash memory
store bits of electronic data in memory cells just like DRAM (Dynamic RAM) but it also works like a hard disk drive that when the
power is turned off, the data remains in the memory. Flash memory cards and flash memory sticks are examples of flash
memory.

Types of Flash Memory

Solid State Hard Disc Memory Stick Flash memory Micro Flash Memory

CAPACITY. It refers to the number of bytes (characters) a storage medium can hold
System Unit
The system unit is a boxlike case that houses the computer’s main hardware components

Parts of Motherboard .Hard Disk Drive

Storage (HDD)
Network card Sound Card.

System Unit

Optical Drive (CD/DVD) Memory/RAM. Graphics Card. Cooling Fan Heat Sink/Fan

Microprocessor/CPU Power Supply CMOS Battery. IDE Controller SATA Controller

CMOS – Complementary Metal Oxide Semi- Conductor

IDE - (Integrated Drive Electronics)
SATA - (Serial Advance Technology Attachment) .

Computer Software Components

Computer Software
 Republic of the Philippines
ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
Cauayan City, Isabela

It refers to the set of computer programs, procedures that describe the programs, how they are to be used. We can say
that it is the collection of programs, which increase the capabilities of the hardware. Software guides the computer at every step
where to start and stop during a particular job. The process of software development is called programming.
Categories of Software
1.SYSTEM SOFTWARE- It is responsible for controlling, integrating, and managing the individual hardware components of a
computer system so that the other software and the users of the system see it as a functional unit without having to be
concerned with the low-level details such as transferring data from memory to disk, or rendering text onto a display.
-It communicates with printers, card reader, disk, tapes etc. monitor the use of various hardware like memory, CPU etc.
-So without system software it is impossible to operate your computer.
Types of System Software
1.Operating System
-It is software that controls and monitors the running of applications
-It provides a “platform” for software developers who have to design applications with the OS in mind.
-It is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the resources of the computer
-It is an interface between computer and user.
Examples of Operating System

a. The Unix Operating System. It was first created in Bell Labs way back in the 1960s. It became popular in
the 1970s for high-level computing, but not on the consumer level. Since a lot of Internet services were
originally hosted on Unix machines, the platform gained tremendous popularity in the 1990s. It still leads
the industry as the most common operating system for Web servers.
b. The Macintosh OS (Mac OS). Develop by Apple Computer in January 24, 1984. It is pre-installed on the
Macintosh 128K model computer. The Mac OS is credited for the widely used feature of every OS to date.
The GUI (Graphical User Interface); the use of icons, buttons a pointing cursor, and a point and click
command to execute instructions rather than the usual command line driven interface.
c. The MS-DOS (Microsoft-Disk Operating System). It commercialized by Microsoft. It was the most
dominant operating system for the PC compatible platform during the 1980’s. It is command line driven
interface program where the user interacts with the computer through command prompts to execute
different program.
d. Microsoft Windows Operating System. It is first introduced an operating environment named Windows in
November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interface
(GUI).
e. Linux Operating System. Linux is an open source operating system (OS) for personal computers, servers
and many other hardware platforms that is based on the Unix operating system. Linux was originally
created by Linus Torvalds as a free alternative operating system to more expensive Unix systems. Linux
has grown since its creation due in part to its open source roots. Open source software is freely licensed
and users may copy and even change the code.
There are several operating systems that use the Linux kernel. These include: Ubuntu, Debian,
Red Hat, Fedora, Chrome OS and Android (for smartphones).
2.Utilities Programs- This are small, powerful programs with a limited capability, they are usually operated by the user to
maintain a smooth running of the computer system. Various examples include file management, diagnosing problems and finding
out information about the computer etc. Notable examples of utility programs include copy, paste, delete, and file searching, disk
defragmenter, disk cleanup.

3.Device Drivers- Specialized programs that allow communication between a device and the computer. Loaded into memory
each time a computer is started. When a new device is added, new device drivers must be installed.
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ISABELA STATE UNIVERSITY
Cauayan City, Isabela

2. APPLICATION SOFTWARE - It is a type of software that performs task to directly benefit or assist the user. It is installed on
top of an Operating System such as MS Windows.
Types of application software
1.Proprietary Application Software / Customized Software. It is software designed for a particular customer. In this case we
need to hire a computer programmer or software creator to develop software for the customer.
2.Packaged software. It is the kind of “off-the-shelf application software” program developed for sale to the general public. It can
be purchased programs, leased, or rented from a vendor that develops programs and sells them to many organization. The word
package is a commonly used term for a computer program (or group of programs) that has been developed by a vendor and is
available for purchase in a prepackaged form.
Examples of Application Software
1.Word Processing software - Use this kind of tool to create worksheets, type letters, and type papers. The following examples
are MS Word, WordPerfect, MS Works, and AppleWorks.
2.Desktop Publishing software - Use this software to make signs, banners, greeting cards, illustrative worksheets, newsletters,
etc. The following examples are Adobe PageMaker, MS Word, MS Publisher, AppleWorks, MS Works, and Quark Express.
3.Spreadsheet software - Use this kind of tool to compute number-intensive problems such as budgeting, forecasting, etc. A
spreadsheet will plot nice graphs very easily. The following examples are MS Excel, Quattro Pro, Lotus 1-2-3, MS Works, and
AppleWorks.
4.Database software - Use this software to store data such as address, membership and other text information. A database can
be used to easily sort and organize records. The following examples are MS Access, Filemaker Pro, AppleWorks, and MS
Works.
5.Presentation software - Use this software to create multimedia stacks of cards/screens that can effectively present a lesson
or a sales pitch. The user often clicks on buttons to advance to the next screen in a sequence. The following examples are MS
PowerPoint, AppleWorks (slideshows), HyperStudio, Flash, Director, HyperCard, Digital Chisel, SuperCard, and Corel Envoy.
6,Internet Browsers - This software allows one to surf the Web. Often they can read email and create Web pages too. The
following examples are Netscape Navigator (or Netscape Communicator), MS Internet Explorer, AOL Browser, Google Chrome,
Mozilla Firefox, Opera Web Browser, and Safari Web Browser.
7.Email programs - These programs send and receive email. The following examples are Netscape Messenger (part of
Netscape Communicator), MS Outlook Express, MS Outlook, Eudora, and AOL browser.
8.Graphics Programs (pixel-based) - This software allows one to touch up photographs and create graphics from scratch. The
following examples are Adobe Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, AppleWorks, MS Works, MS Paint (comes free on Windows PC's),
and Painter.
9.Graphics Programs (vector-based) - This software creates graphics that are similar to illustrations or cartoon drawings. The
following examples are Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, AppleWorks, MS Works, and MS Word.
10.Communications software - This software allows two computers with modems to communicate through audio, video, and/or
chat-based means. Example is Instant Messenger,

Humanware
It describes the customer experience of software and hardware. More particularly, it has to do with the facilities of a
computer system being developed based on the interests and needs of a user.

It is also called as the living ware. It refers to the users of the computer system, either direct or indirect users.