Hardware & Software

Index
• Introduction to computers
• What is a computer?
• Hardware
• Numeral systems
• Data sizes and speeds
• Data Coding and Information Decoding
• Types of computers
• What is a motherboard?
• Computer networks
• Software
• Information technology
•
 What is a computer?
• A computer is an electronic device that manipulates information, or data. It has
the ability to store, retrieve, and process data. You may already know that you can
use a computer to type documents, send email, play games, and browse the Web.
You can also use it to edit or create spreadsheets, presentations, and even videos.
 Hardware

• Computer hardware is the physical parts or components of a computer, such as

the monitor, keyboard, computer data storage, graphic card, sound
card and motherboard. By contrast, software is instructions that can be stored and
ran by hardware.
• Hardware is directed by the software to execute any command or instruction. A
combination of hardware and software forms a usable computing system.
 Numeral System
• A writing method for expressing numbers is called a "numeral system". In the most
common numeral system, we write numbers with combinations of 10 symbols
{0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9}. These symbols are called digits, and numbers that are
expressed using 10 digits are called "decimal" or "base-10" numbers. The other
most common numeral systems are binary, hexadecimal and octal. The binary
numeral system, or base-2 number system, represents numeric values using two
symbols: 0 and 1. More specifically, the usual base-2 system is a positional
notation with a radix of 2. Because of its straightforward implementation in digital
electronic circuitry using logic gates, the binary system is used internally by almost
all modern computers.
 Data sizes and speeds

• When choosing a new computer we come across terms such as "300GB hard
drive" and "500MB download", and to the uninitiated, this can be somewhat
disconcerting. Data in a computer is represented in a series of bits. Since the birth
of computers, bits have been the language that control the processes that take
place inside that mysterious box called your computer. In this article, we look at
the very language that your computer uses to do its work.
• Names for different sizes of data:Bit,Nibble,Byte,Word,KB,MB,GB,TB,PB
• Measurements of Data Speed:bps,Kbps,Mbps,Gbps.
Data Coding and Information Decoding

• Data are Numbers, Text, Sounds, Image, Animation, Video, etc... In order to
define them in the real world, we are using Numbers (0,...9), an Alphabet
(A,...Z) and symbols (@,[,\,...) or a combination of them.Computers, however,
don't understand the definitions for Numbers (0,...9), the Alphabet (A,...Z) and
symbols (@,[,\,...), so in order to process those pieces of information a unique
code must be assigned to each of them. The unique code for Numbers (0,...9),
the Alphabet (A,...Z) and symbols (@,[,\,...) is a binary numeral.
 Supercomputer
• Supercomputers are the fastest and the most expensive computers. These huge
computers are used to solve very complex science and engineering problems.
Supercomputers get their processing power by taking advantage of parallel
processing; they use lots of CPUs at the same time on one problem. A typical
supercomputer can do up to ten trillion individual calculations every second
 Server Computer
• Servers are a step under supercomputers, because they don't focus on trying to solve one
very complex problem, but try to solve many many similar smaller ones. An example of a
server would be the computers that Wikipedia stores its encyclopedia on. Those computers
have to go and find the page you're looking for and send it to you. In itself it's not a big task,
but it becomes a job for a server when the computers have to go and find lots of pages for a
lot of people and send them to the right place. Some servers, like the ones Google uses for
something like Google Documents, have applications on them instead of just files, like
Wikipedia.
A server is a central computer that contains collections of data and programs. Also called a
network server, this system allows all connected users to share and store electronic data and
applications. Two important types of servers are file servers and application servers.
 Workstation Computer
• Workstations are high-end, expensive computers that are made for more complex
procedures and are intended for one user at a time. Some of the complex
procedures consist of science, math and engineering calculations and are useful
for computer design and manufacturing. Workstations are sometimes improperly
named for marketing reasons. Real workstations are not usually sold in retail, but
this is starting to change; Apple's Mac Pro would be considered a workstation.
 Personal Computer (PC)
• PC is an abbreviation for a Personal Computer, it is also known as a
Microcomputer. Its physical characteristics and low cost are appealing and useful
for its users. The capabilities of a personal computer have changed greatly since
the introduction of electronic computers.
 Microcontroller
• Microcontrollers are mini computers that enable the user to store data and
execute simple commands and tasks. These single circuit devices have minimal
memory and program length but are normally designed to be very good at
performing a niche task. Many such systems are known as embedded systems. The
computer in your car, for example is an embedded system.
 Smartphone
• Do you own a smartphone? Your smart phone is a computer! Most smartphones
run iOS or Android. Android is an operating system that is based on Linux.
Smartphones are becoming exponentially faster and also have an exponentially
increasing data capacity.
 Motherboard
• The components inside a computer need to be able to talk to each other.
A motherboard is an electronic circuit board in a computer which interconnects
the hardware that's attached to it. At a minimum it connects a CPU and memory.
Sometimes there are smaller processors that help take some of the load off of the
CPU; busses process destinations for data, so the CPU can be left to do what it
does best.
 Expansion slots

• These are connectors on a motherboard where a circuit board can be inserted to

add new capabilities. All personal computers contain expansion slots for adding
more RAM, graphics capabilities, and support for special devices; some are more
specialized than others.
• Examples:Graphic cards,Sound cards, Network Interface Cards (NICs),PC
cards,Express cards, Ports:
 Computer Networks.
• Definition of network:
• Providing an ability in a specified place and time, is called "Network".
In better conditions, they provide an ability everywhere and at all
times and its ideals:
• provide " everything " in " everywhere " and " every time ".
• The abilities of water networks, electric networks, road networks,
communication networks and treatment networks respectively are
"water", "electricity", "relocation", "sound", etc. In computer science
this ability in computer networks is data. The locations access to the
ability in network is called a "Node"
 Types of common networks:

• LAN:A local area network (LAN) is created by a group of computers that are in
close proximity to each other; hence local.
• WAN:A wide area network connects multiple LANs across large physical distances.
• The Internet:The internet (Integrated Networks) is a special collection of networks
all interlinked together
• VPN:Virtual private networks provide a special way to create a WAN by using the
internet to connect LANs together, without leasing a private cable
 Software
What is software?

• Software enables computer hardware to perform specific tasks. Software,

commonly known as programs or applications, consists of all the electronic
instructions that tell the hardware how to perform a task.
• There are three major types of software that most computer users are aware of:
• Operating System software:Windows
Mac OS X
GNU/Linux
• Application software:Word processor
Graphics software
• Programming software tools:Software that assists a programmer in writing more
computer software
 Other Types of Software

• Embedded Software:Software that runs on small computers inside other

machines, for instance washing machines, cars or medical equipment.

• Server Software:Server programs run on larger centrally located machines.

THE END