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Computer. Systems. A computer is. A purely digital device Definition: Digital is a type of electronic signal that is processed, sent and stored in bits— bi nary digi ts Computers use binary coding—a coding system that uses two numbers-- 1 & 0
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Computer Systems
A computer is . . . • A purely digital device • Definition: Digital is a type of electronic signal that is processed, sent and stored in bits—binarydigits • Computers use binary coding—a coding system that uses two numbers--1 & 0 • In computer terms, the bit is the smallest unit of measurement a computer can understand
Bits to bytes . . . • 8 bits equal 1 byte • A byte is a single character of data, such as a letter, number, etc.
Computer systems • The physical components of a computer system are called hardware. • Hardware typically includes: • System unit, monitor, keyboard, mouse • Peripheral devices (extra) such as a printer or scanner
Computer system vs. System unit • Computer system—the system unit along with input and output devices • System unit—the part of a computer system that processes data and stores information
Computer systems • Server • Mainframe • Super • Wearable • Embedded • Smartphone • Tablet • Laptop • Desktop
System unit • The main circuit board of a computer is the motherboard. • The central processing unit is located on the motherboard. The CPU is the circuitry that processes information—the “brain” of the computer. • The speed of the processor is controlled by the system clock.
System clock • Controls the timing of ALL computer operations; measured in hertz—one cycle (tick) per second. Speed is measured in gigahertz (GHz)—a billion cycles per second. • It takes about one-tenth of a second to blink your eye; a computer can perform some operations 10 million times in the time it takes you to blink you eye.
The most popular brand processors on the market are AMD and Intel.
Input Devices: • Any hardware component that allows a user to enter information into a computer • Keyboard • Pointing Devices • Scanners • Multimedia
Pointing devices: • Mouse • Trackball • Touch pad—typically found on laptops • Pen input—pen-like device touches surface of screen to digitally input data • Touch screen—touching the screen with your finger digitally inputs data
Scanners • Bar code reader—reads universal product codes (UPC) • Optical mark reader (OMR)—reads “bubble” sheets marked with pencil • Optical character reader (OCR)-reads handwritten or typed text • Page scanner—digitally captures an image or text
Multimedia • Microphone • Electronic music keyboard • Video camera • Digital camera • Virtual reality devices
Output device • Any hardware component that can convey information to the user • Display devices (soft copy: data projected on a screen) • Printers (hard copy: data printed on paper) • Speakers
Display devices 360° Projector Flat-Screen Monitor Document Projector Interactive Whiteboard HDTV Pico Projector
Printers • The two most common types of printersare ink-jet and laser • The speed of a printer is measured bythe number of pages per minute (PPM) that can be printed • The quality of a printer is measured bythe number of dots per inch (dpi) thatcan be printed
Storage devices • The media on which data and information are kept • Three classifications: • Magnetic—hard disk • Optical—CD, DVD, Blu-ray • Information is burned on the disk by laser • Flash—memory cards, flash drive
Communication devices • Devices that make it possible for a user to communicate with another computer • Most popular: modem • Phone, cable, DSL • Computers on a network use network interface cards (NIC) • Wired or wireless