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BASIC CONCEPTS OF COMPUTER SYSTEM

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Department of Computer Science

BASIC CONCEPTS OF
COMPUTER SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
A computer is a programmable machine designed to perform
arithmetic and logical operations automatically and sequentially on
the input given by the user
and gives the desired
output after processing.
Computer components are
divided into two major
categories namely
hardware and software.
Hardware is the machine
itself and its connected
devices such as monitor,
keyboard, mouse etc.
Software are the set of programs that make use of hardware for
performing various functions.

OBJECTIVES
After going through this lesson you would be able to:
 Familiarize yourself with characteristics of computers
 Identify the basic components of a computer
 Explain the importance of various units of a computer
 Differentiate between system software and application
software
 Explain the importance of operating system
 Get acquainted with open source
 Appreciate the need of computer security

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPUTERS
The characteristics of computers that have made them so
powerful and universally useful are speed, accuracy, diligence,
versatility and storage capacity. Let us discuss them briefly.
SPEED
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Computers work at an incredible speed. A powerful computer is
capable of performing about 3-4 million simple instructions per
second.
ACCURACY
In addition to being fast, computers are also accurate. Errors that
may occur can almost always be attributed to human error
(inaccurate data, poorly designed system or faulty
instructions/programs written by the programmer)
DILIGENCE
Unlike human beings, computers are highly consistent. They do
not suffer from human traits of boredom and tiredness resulting in
lack of concentration. Computers, therefore, are better than human
beings in performing voluminous and repetitive jobs.
VERSATILITY
Computers are versatile machines and are capable of
performing any task as long as it can be broken down into a series
of logical steps. The presence of computers can be seen in almost
every sphere – Railway/Air reservation, Banks, Hotels, Weather
forecasting and many more.
STORAGE CAPACITY
Today’s computers can store large volumes of data. A piece of
information once recorded (or stored) in the computer, can never
be forgotten and can be retrieved almost instantaneously.
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COMPUTER ORGANIZATION
A computer system consists of mainly four basic units; namely
input unit, storage unit, central processing unit and output unit.
Central Processing unit further includes Arithmetic logic unit and
control unit. A computer performs five major operations or functions
irrespective 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
 it gives results in the form of output.

FUNCTIONAL UNITS:
Input Unit: This unit is used for entering data and programs into
the computer system by the user for processing.
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Dotted lines (– – – –) indicate flow of

instruction solid lines (–––––) indicate
flow of data

Storage Unit: The storage unit is used for storing data and
instructions before and after processing.
Output Unit: The output unit is used for storing the result as output
produced by the computer after processing.

Processing: The task of performing operations like arithmetic and

logical operations is called processing. The Central Processing Unit
(CPU) takes data and instructions from the storage unit and makes
all sorts of calculations based on the instructions given and the type
of data provided. It is then sent back to the storage unit. CPU
includes Arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and control unit (CU)
Arithmetic Logic Unit: All calculations and comparisons, based on
the instructions provided, are carried out within the ALU. It performs
arithmetic functions like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division
and also logical operations like greater than, less than and equal to
etc.
Control Unit: Controlling of all operations like input, processing and
output are performed by control unit. It takes care of step by step
processing of all operations inside the computer.
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MEMORY
Computer’s memory can be classified into two types; Primary
Memory and Secondary Memory. Primary Memory can be further
classified as RAM and ROM.
RAM or Random Access Memory
is the unit in a computer system. It
is the place in a computer where
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the operating system, application programs and the data in current
use are kept temporarily so that they can be accessed by the
computer’s processor. It is said to be ‘volatile’ since its contents are
accessible only as long as the computer is on. The contents of RAM
are no more available once the computer is turned off .

ROM or Read Only Memory is a special type of memory which can

only be read and contents of which are not lost even when the
computer is switched off. It typically contains manufacturer’s
instructions. Among other things, ROM also stores an initial program
called the ‘bootstrap loader’ whose function is to start the operation
of computer system once the power is turned on.
SECONDARY MEMORY
RAM is volatile memory having a limited storage capacity.
Secondary/auxiliary memory is storage other than the RAM. These
include devices that are peripheral and are connected and
controlled by the computer to enable permanent storage of
programs and data. Secondary storage devices are of two types;
magnetic and optical. Magnetic devices include hard disks and
optical storage devices are CDs, DVDs, Pen drive, Zip drive etc.
Hard Disk
Hard disks are made
up of rigid material and
are usually a stack of
metal disks sealed in a
box. The hard disk and the
hard disk drive exist
together as a unit and is a
permanent part of the
computer where data and
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programs are saved. These disks have storage capacities ranging
from 1GB to 80 GB and more. Hard disks are rewritable.
COMPACT DISK
Compact Disk (CD) is portable disk having data storage capacity
between 650-700 MB. It can hold large amount of information such
as music, full-motion videos, and text etc. CDs can be either read
only or read write type.
DIGITAL VIDEO DISK
Digital Video Disk (DVD) is similar to a CD but has larger
storage capacity and enormous clarity. Depending upon the disk
type it can store several Gigabytes of data. DVDs are primarily used
to store music or movies and can be played back on your television
or the computer too. These are not rewritable.
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Input / Output Devices
These devices are used to enter information and instructions
into a computer for storage or processing and to deliver the
processed data to a user. Input/Output devices are required for
users to communicate with the computer. In simple terms, input
devices bring information INTO the computer and output devices
bring information OUT of a computer system. These input/output
devices are also known as peripherals since they surround the CPU
and memory of a computer system.

INPUT DEVICES
An input device is any device that provides input to a computer.
There are many input devices, but the two most common ones are
a keyboard and mouse. Every key you press on the keyboard and
every movement or click you make with the mouse sends a specific
input signal to the computer.

Keyboard: The keyboard is very much like a standard typewriter

keyboard with a few additional keys. The basic QWERTY layout of
characters is maintained to make it easy to use the system. The
additional keys are included to perform certain special functions.
These are known as function keys that vary in number from keyboard
to keyboard.
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Mouse: A device that controls the

movement of the cursor or pointer on
a display screen. A mouse is a small
object you can roll along a hard and
flat surface (Fig. 1.5). Its name is
derived from its shape, which looks a
bit like a mouse. As you move the
mouse, the pointer on the display
screen moves in the same direction.
TRACKBALL: A trackball is an input device used to enter motion
data into computers or other
electronic devices. It serves the
same purpose as a mouse, but is
designed with a moveable ball on
the top, which can be rolled in any
direction.

TOUCHPAD: A touch pad is a

device for pointing (controlling
input positioning) on a computer display screen. It is an alternative to
the mouse. Originally incorporated in laptop computers, touch pads
are also being made for use with desktop computers. A touch pad
works by sensing the user’s finger movement and downward
pressure.
Touch Screen: It allows the user to operate/make selections by
simply touching the display screen. A display screen that is sensitive
to the touch of a finger or stylus. Widely used on ATM machines,
retail point-of-sale terminals, car navigation systems, medical
monitors and industrial control panels.

Light Pen: Light pen is an input device that utilizes a light-

sensitive detector to select objects on a display screen.

Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR): MICR

can identify character printed with a special ink that contains
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particles of magnetic material. This device particularly finds
applications in banking industry.

Optical mark recognition (OMR): Optical mark recognition,

also called mark sense reader is a technology where an OMR device senses
the presence or absence of a mark, such as pencil mark. OMR is
widely used in tests such as aptitude test.

Bar code reader: Bar-code readers are photoelectric scanners

that read the bar codes or vertical zebra strips marks, printed on
product containers. These devices are generally used in super
markets, bookshops etc.

Scanner: Scanner is an input device that can read text or

illustration printed on paper and translates the
information into a form that the computer can
use. A scanner works by digitizing an image.

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OUTPUT DEVICES
Output device receives information from the CPU and presents
it to the user in the desired from. The processed data, stored in the
memory of the computer is sent to the output unit, which then
converts it into a form that can be understood by the user. The
output is usually produced in one of the two ways – on the display
device, or on paper (hard copy).

MONITOR: is often used synonymously with “computer screen”

or “display.” Monitor is an output device that
resembles the television screen (fig. 1.8). It may
use a Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) to display
information. The monitor is associated with a
keyboard for manual input of characters and
displays the information as it is keyed in. It also
displays the program or application output. Like
the television, monitors are also available in different sizes.
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PRINTER
Printers are used to produce paper (commonly known as
hardcopy) output. Based on the technology used, they can be
classified as Impact or Non-impact printers.

Impact printers use the typewriting printing mechanism

wherein a hammer strikes the paper through a ribbon in order to
produce output. Dot-matrix and Character printers fall under this
category.

Non-impact printers do not touch the paper while printing. They

use chemical, heat or electrical signals to etch the symbols on paper.
Inkjet, Deskjet, Laser, Thermal printers fall under this category of
printers.
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PLOTTER
Plotters are used to print graphical output on paper. It interprets
computer commands and makes line drawings on paper using multi-

colored automated pens. It is capable of producing graphs, drawings,

charts, maps etc.
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FACSIMILE (FAX): Facsimile machine, a device that can send or
receive pictures and text over a telephone line. Fax machines work
by digitizing an image.

SOUND CARDS AND SPEAKER(S): An expansion board that

enables a computer to manipulate and output sounds. Sound cards
are necessary for nearly all CD-ROMs and have become
commonplace on modern personal computers. Sound cards enable
the computer to output sound through speakers connected to the
board, to record sound input from a microphone connected to the
computer, and manipulate sound stored on a disk.
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--------COMPUTER SOFTWARE
Computer software is the set of programs that makes the
hardware perform a set of tasks in particular order. Hardware and
software are complimentary to each other. Both have to work
together to produce meaningful results. Computer software is
classified into two broad categories; system software and application
software.

SYSTEM SOFTWARE: System software consists of a group of

programs that control the operations of a computer equipment
including functions like managing memory, managing peripherals,
loading, storing, and is an interface between the application
programs and the computer. MS DOS (Microsoft’s Disk Operating
System), UNIX are examples of system software.

APPLICATION SOFTWARE: Software that can perform a

specific task for the user, such as word processing, accounting,
budgeting or payroll, fall under the category of application software.
Word processors, spreadsheets, database management systems are
all examples of general purpose application software.
TYPES OF APPLICATION SOFTWARE ARE
Word processing software: The main purpose of this software
is to produce documents. MS-Word, Word Pad, Notepad and some
other text editors are some of the examples of word processing
software.

Database software: Database is a collection of related data. The

purpose of this software is to organize and manage data. The
advantage of this software is that you can change the way data is
stored and displayed. MS access, dBase, FoxPro, Paradox, and Oracle
are some of the examples of database software.
Spread sheet software: The spread sheet software is used to
maintain budget, financial statements, grade sheets, and sales
records. The purpose of this software is organizing numbers. It also
allows the users to perform simple or complex calculations on the
numbers entered in rows and columns. MS-Excel is one of the
example of spreadsheet software.
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Presentation software: This software is used to display the

information in the form of slide show. The three main functions of
presentation software is editing that allows insertion and formatting
of text, including graphics in the text and executing the slide shows.
The best example for this type of application software is Microsoft
PowerPoint.

Multimedia software: Media players and real players are the

examples of multimedia software. This software will allow the user to
create audio and videos. The different forms of multimedia software
are audio converters, players, burners, video encoders and decoders.
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COMPUTER LANGUAGE
Computer language or programming language is a coded syntax
used by computer programmers to communicate with a computer.
Computer language establishes a flow of communication between
software programs. The language enables a computer user to dictate
what commands the computer must perform to
process data. These languages can be classified into
following categories.
1. Machine language
2. Assembly language
3. High level language

MACHINE LANGUAGE
Machine language or machine code is the native language
directly understood by the computer’s central processing unit or
CPU. This type of computer language is not easy to understand, as it
only uses a binary system, an element of notations containing only a
series of numbers consisting of one and zero, to produce commands.
ASSEMBLY LEVEL LANGUAGE
Assembly Level Language is a set of codes that can run directly
on the computer’s processor. This type of language is most
appropriate in writing operating systems and maintaining desktop
applications. With the assembly level language, it is easier for a
programmer to define commands. It is easier to understand and use
as compared to machine language.
High Level Language
High Level Languages are user-friendly languages which are
similar to English with vocabulary of words and symbols. These are
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easier to learn and require less time to write. They are problem
oriented rather than ‘machine’ based.
Program written in a high-level language can be translated into many
machine languages and therefore can run on any computer for which
there exists an appropriate translator.
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Compiler & Interpreter
These are the programs that execute instructions written in a
high-level language. There are two ways to run programs written in a
high-level language. The most common is to compile the program;
the other method is to pass the program through an interpreter.

Compiler
A compiler is a special program that processes statements
written in a particular programming language called as source code
and converts them into machine language or “machine code” that a
computer’s processor uses.

Compiler translates high level language programs directly into

machine language program. This process is called compilation.

Interpreter
An interpreter translates high-level instructions into an
intermediate form, which it then executes. Compiled programs
generally run faster than interpreted programs. The advantage of an
interpreter, however, is that it does not need to go through the
compilation stage during which machine instructions are generated.
This process can be time-consuming if the program is long.
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Open source software:

Open source refers to a program or software in which the source
code (the form of the program when a programmer writes a program
in a particular programming language) is available to the general
public for use and/or modification from its original design free of
charge. Open source code is typically created as a collaborative
effort in which programmers improve upon the code and share the
changes within the community.

The rationale for this movement is that a larger group of

programmers not concerned with proprietary ownership or financial
gain will produce a more useful and bug-free product for everyone to
use.
The basics behind the Open Source Initiative is that when
programmers can read, redistribute and modify the source code for a
piece of software, the software evolves. Open source sprouted in the
technological community as a response to proprietary software
owned by corporations.
Proprietary software is privately owned and controlled. In the
computer industry, proprietary is considered the opposite of open. A
proprietary design or technique is one that is owned by a company.
It also implies that the company has not divulged specifications that
would allow other companies to duplicate the product.

OPERATING SYSTEM
An operating system is a software component of a computer
system that is responsible for the management of various activities of
the computer and the sharing of computer resources. It hosts several
applications that run on a computer and handles the operations of
computer hardware. Users and application programs access the
services offered by the operating systems, by means of system calls
and application programming interfaces. Users interact with a
computer operating system through Command Line Interfaces (CLIs)
or Graphical User Interfaces known as GUIs. In short, an operating
system enables user interaction with computer systems by acting as
an interface between users or application programs and the computer
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hardware. Some of the common operating systems are LINUX,
Windows, etc.

SYED MUHAMMAD
SALEEM RAZA
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR (Comp.Sc)