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CSEC INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

SECTION I: FUNDAMENTALS OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

Objective 1.1
Describe a General-Purpose Computer System.

Definition of a Computer -

A computer is an electronic device that can accept data and

instructions, process them or store them for later retrieval, and
sometimes generate output (usually based on the processing).

General-Purpose Computer System A general-purpose machine that processes data according to a set of instructions that are
stored internally either temporarily or permanently. The computer and all the equipment
attached to it are called "hardware." The instructions that tell it what to do are called
"software." A set of instructions that perform a particular task is called a "program" or
"software program."

WHAT A COMPUTER DOES

The instructions in the program direct the computer to input, process and output as follows:

Input (Accepting Data)

Whatever goes into or is entered into the computer. Input can take a variety of forms from
commands you enter from the keyboard to data from another computer or device. A device
that feeds data into a computer, such as a keyboard or mouse, is called an input device.

R. Dean-Khan CSEC IT NOTES

2014-2016

Output (Processed Data Information)

Anything that comes out of or produced from a computer. Output can be meaningful
information or gibberish, and it can appear in a variety of forms as binary numbers, as
characters, as pictures, and as printed pages.

Input/ Output
The computer can selectively retrieve data into its main memory (RAM) from any peripheral
device (magnetic disk, optical disk, etc.) or network connected to it. After processing the data
internally, the computer can send a copy of the results from its memory out to any peripheral
device or to the network. A system's size is based on how much memory it has. The more
memory, the more programs and data it can work with at the same time.
Storage
By transferring data out to a magnetic disk, the computer is able to store data permanently and
retrieve it when required. A system's size is also based on how much disk storage it has. The
more disk, the more data are available. Storage also refers to secondary storage devices.

Processing (The 3 C's)

The computer performs all processing by "calculating," "comparing" and "copying" the data
stored in its memory (RAM).
Calculate
The computer can perform any mathematical operation on data by adding, subtracting,
multiplying and dividing one set with another.
Compare
The computer can analyze and evaluate data by matching it with sets of known data that are
included in the program or called in from storage.
Copy
The computer can move data around to create any kind of report or listing in any order.
Calculate, Compare and Copy
By calculating, comparing and copying, the computer accomplishes all forms of data processing.
For example, records are sorted into a new order by comparing two records at a time and
copying the record with the lower value in front of the one with the higher value.

R. Dean-Khan CSEC IT NOTES

2014-2016