Components & Parts of a Computer System

Components & Parts of a Computer System

1. Hardware

   • Peripheral Devices
     • A peripheral device is generally defined as any auxiliary device such as a computer mouse or keyboard that connects to and works with the computer in some way.
     • Input Devices
       • An input device is a peripheral used to provide data and control signals to an information processing system such as a computer or information appliance.
       • Mouse, keyboards, microphones, scanner, etc.
     • Output Devices
       • Is any device used to send data from a computer to another device or user.
       • Monitors, printers, speakers, etc.
     • Secondary Storage Devices
       • Also know as external memory, a secondary memory, is a non-volatile device that holds data until it is deleted or overwritten.
       • DVD, removable hard drive, CD, memory stick, etc.

2. Types of Interfaces

   • Graphical User Interfaces
     • A visual way of interacting with a computer using items such as windows, icons, and menus, used by most modern operating systems.
   • Command Line Interfaces
     • Is a user interface to a computer's operating system or an application in which the user responds to a visual prompt by typing in a command on a specified line, receives a response back from the system, and then enters another command, and so forth.

3. System

   • Operating System
     • The software that supports a computer's basic functions, such as scheduling tasks, executing applications, and controlling peripherals.