Hardware

Hardware

1. Computer systems

   • What is a computer?
     • Electronic machine that processes data
   • Personal computer
     • A general purpose computer
       • Desktop
       • PDA
       • Laptop
   • Mainframe Computers
     • Large, expensive, computers that can support many users at the same time
     • For big organisations
     • Super computers are the fastes of all.
       • Needed for where vast numbers of calculations are carried out
   • Computer systems
     • A collection of items working together and controlled by a computer e.g. Mobile phones, microwaves, car engiens are all controlled by this.
   • Embedded systems
     • Dedicated computers are for use for one particular situation
     • Embedded systems are computer systems inside modern technology which controls it.

2. All the equipment that you can see and touch

3. Central processing unit

   • Known as the processor or the microprocessor (so small)
     • Set of electronic circuits that control the computer by running the programs. Stored in RAM