INFORMATION SYSTEM PARTS AND
COMPUTER TYPES
PARTS OF INFORMATION SYSTEM
 People
are end users who use computers to make
themselves more productive.
 Hardware
refers to the physical components of
your computer such as the system unit, mouse,
keyboard, monitor etc.
 Software
the collection of programs that provide
step-by-step instructions for computer hardware.
In another words software is the instructions that
makes the computer work. There are two main
types of software: System software and
Application software.
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PARTS OF INFORMATION SYSTEM



Procedures are rules and guidelines to follow
when using software, hardware, and data. They
are documented in manuals by computer
professionals.
Data consists unprocessed facts including text,
images, sounds.., programs process data into
information which can be stored electronically
as files.
Connectivity is the capability of your computer
to share information with other computers
using wired or wireless connections.
TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Supercomputers
 Mainframe computers
 Minicomputers (also known as mid-range
computers)
 Microcomputers (also known as personal
computers)

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TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Supercomputers:
 The most powerful type of computer
 Special high capacity used by large
organizations .
 Ex. IBM’s Blue Gene.
Mainframe Computers:
 Not as powerful as supercomputer but they
are capable of great processing speed and
data storage.
Minicomputers (midrange computers):
 Used by medium sized companies using
them for specific purposes.
TYPES OF COMPUTERS
Microcomputers:
 Are the least powerful, yet the most widely
used type.
 There are six types:
 desktop
 media center (dedicated entertainment
device)
 notebook (Laptop)
 netbook
 tablet PC
 handheld (PDAs, Smartphones)
TERMINALS
Intelligent terminal:
•
•
Performs a lot of the processing locally
You could use a PC, linked to a mainframe
Dumb terminal:
•
•
Has very limited processing capabilities itself,
but allows you to connect to a large powerful
computer such as a mainframe.
When you process your data from the dumb
terminal, it is the mainframe at the other end of
the network that is performing all the
calculations.
FILES



Data and programs are stored on your disk as files.
There are different types of files, such as the files that
you store your data in, the files that contain your
programs and also files used to store your operating
system.
File name consists of two partitions:
fileName.extension (myLetter.txt).
FILES


From the extension you can predict the data type
stored in the file and the program that can access
this data.
Some files extensions:




txt, doc for text and some advanced text format.
bmp, jpg form images.
mp3, rm for audios.
mp4, wav for vedios.
MEASUREMENTS OF COMPUTER MEMORY
 Bit
 All
computers work on a binary numbering system, i.e.
they process data in one's or zero's. This 1 or 0 level of
storage is called a bit.
 Byte
 A byte
consists of eight bits.
 Kilobyte
 A kilobyte
(KB) consists of 1024 bytes.
 Megabyte
 A megabyte
(MB) consists of 1024 kilobytes.
 Gigabyte
 A gigabyte
(GB) consists of 1024 megabytes.
 Terabyte
 A terabyte
(TB) consists of 1024 gigabytes.
HARDWARE
SYSTEM BOARD (MOTHERBOARD)

Controls communications for the entire computer
system.

It is a circuit board covered with different electronic
components including:

Sockets: provide a connection point for small specialized
electronic parts called chips.

Chips: consist of tiny circuit boards.

Slots: provide a connection point for specialized cards or circuit
boards. These cards provide expansion capability for a computer.

Bus lines: provide pathways that support communication among
the various electronic components that either located on the
system board or attached to the system board.
MOTHERBOARD

Motherboard also contains:


Central Processing Unit.
Different memory types as RAM, ROM, Cache and
internal HD.
CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT (CPU)


Electronic chip that performs most of the calculations
within the computer and is responsible for the smooth
running of your operating system as well as your
application programs. So it is considered as the brain
of the computer system.
It determines how fast your computer will run and is
measured by its GHz speed (some of the latest
microcomputers has a CPU speed of 2GHz).
CPU
 Has


two basic components:
Control Unit (CU): tells the rest of the
computer system how to carry out a program’s
instructions.
Arithmetic –logic Unit (ALU): Performs the
arithmetic and logical operations.
 You
can find special processors in smart
cards, just like the one used in many
universities, some cars to do some
operations.
EXPANSION SLOTS AND CARDS
EXPANSION SLOTS AND CARDS


Expansion Slots: Allow for new devices to
be added
Expansion cards are also called:
 Plug-in boards
 Controller cards
 Adapter cards
 Interface cards
EXPANSION SLOTS AND CARDS

Examples of Expansion Cards:
 Graphics cards
 Sound cards
 Modem cards
 Network interface cards (NIC)
 PC cards and Express cards
 TV tuner cards
RADOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM)



Special type of memory chip attached on the
motherboard, that hold programs and data that
the CPU is presently processing so that it is
called main storage.
Is where the operating system is loaded and also
where your applications are copied to when you
load an application, such as a word processor or
database program. So it is considered as the
main 'working' memory used by the computer.
RAM is called temporary or volatile storage
because everything in RAM is lost as soon as the
computer is turned off or the power is lost unlike
secondary storage which you will learn about
later so that it is a good practice to save your
data every meanwhile.
RADOM ACCESS MEMORY (RAM)


Its capacity is calculated in MB and GB
As a rough rule, a Microsoft Windows based
computer will operate faster if you install more
RAM. For example for office 2007 to work
effectively you need a minimum of 256MB of
RAM to hold the program and another 512MB1GB for the OS.
CACHE MEMORY



It improves processing by acting as a temporary
high-speed holding area between the memory
and the CPU.
The CPU detects which information in RAM is
frequently used and then copies that information
into the cache, when needed the CPU can quickly
access the information from the cache.
Recently you can find PCs with 1GB cache
memory.
READ-ONLY MEMORY (ROM)
 Are
memory chips that have information
stored by the manufacturer and are not
volatile and cannot be changed by the
user.
 CPU can read, or retrieve data and
programs but the computer cannot write.
 Contain special instructions

Needed to start a computer as in the ROM-



Put characters on screen.
Handle basic keyboard input.
Help in the functions of the video and network
cards.
BIOS.
PERIPHERALS

A peripheral device is any device that you can
attach to your computer.

Thus you could attach a scanner or modem to the
back of your system unit.
INPUT/OUTPUT DEVICES
INPUT DEVICES

Input devices convert what we understand into
what the system unit can process.
KEYBOARDS
 Keyboards





Traditional keyboards
Ergonomic keyboards
Wireless keyboards
PDA keyboards
Virtual keyboards
 Features

Typewriter keyboard with numeric
keypad
POINTING DEVICES

Mouse:
 Mechanical
 Optical
 Cordless
or wireless
 Three



similar devices to mice
Trackball
Touch pads
Pointing stick
POINTING DEVICES
 Joystick
 Touch
 Stylus
Screen
SCANNING DEVICES
 Optical



Flatbed scanners
Document scanners
Portable scanners
 Card


scanners
Readers
Magnetic card readers
Radio Frequency card readers
IMAGE CAPTURING DEVICES
 Digital


Images recorded digitally on a disk
Images can be downloaded to a computer
 Digital



cameras
video cameras
Records motion digitally
Can take still images as well
WebCams
Specialized digital video cameras
 Broadcast
images over the
Internet

AUDIO-INPUT DEVICES

Voice recognition systems


Use a microphone, a sound card, and special software
Users can operate computers and create documents
using voice commands
OUTPUT DEVICES

Output devices convert what the system unit has
processed into a form that we can understand.
MONITORS
 Known
as screens or display screens
 Output referred to as soft copy
 Features
Resolution/pixels
 Refresh rate
 Size

MONITORS
 Cathode-ray
tube (CRT) monitors
 Flat-panel monitors


Require less power to operate
Portable and thinner than CRTs
 Other



monitors
E-books readers
Data projectors
High-definition television (HDTV)
PRINTERS

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Output referred to as hard copy
Features
 Resolution
 Color capability
 Speed
Ink-jet printer
Laser printer
 Personal laser printers
 Shared laser printers
Thermal printer
Other printers
 Dot-matrix printers
 Plotters
 Photo printers
 Portable printers
AUDIO-OUTPUT DEVICES
 Translates
audio information from the
computer into sounds that people can
understand
 Common devices


Speakers
Headphones
 Digital


iPod
iRiver
Music Players
SECONDARY STORAGE
SECONDARY STORAGE


Data storage has expanded from text and numeric files
to include digital music files, photographic files, video
files, and much more.
These new types of files require secondary storage
devices with much greater capacity than floppy disks.

Provides permanent or nonvolatile storage.

Data and programs can be retained after the computer
has been shut off.

Most desktop microcomputer systems have hard and
optical disk drives
HARD DISKS (HD)
 Use
thicker, metallic platters for storage
 Faster than a floppy diskette
 Large capacity
 Sensitive Instruments
 Speed is known as the average access time
and is measured in milliseconds.
HARD DISK

Internal Hard Disk:

Located inside system unit

Designated as the C drive

Advantages over other removable media

Capacity 60GB to TB.

Access speed
which is faster than other
storage devices.
EXTERNAL HARD DISK

External Hard Disk:

Removable hard disks

Used to complement internal hard disk

Capacities of 20 to 500 GB
SOLID-STATE STORAGE
 Flash


Widely used in notebook computers
Used to record MP3 music files
 USB



memory cards
Drives
Flash drives
Very compact
Capacity from 1 GB to 256 GB
OPTICAL DISKS


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

Compact Disc (CD):
 Optical format
 From 650 MB to 1 GB capacity
 Rotation speeds vary
 Three basic types
 Read only: CD-ROM
 Write once: CD-R
 Rewriteable: CD-RW
Digital Versatile Disc (DVD):
Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc (DVD)
Similar to CDs, but can store more data from 4.7 to 17GB
Three basic types
 Read only: DVD-ROM
 Write once: DVD+R; DVD-R
 Rewritable: DVD+RW; DVD-RW; DVD-RAM
COMPUTER PERFORMANCE
CPU speed
 RAM size
 Hard disk speed and capacity

SOFTWARE
SOFTWARE TYPES


Software is another name of programs, it is
instructions that tells the computer what to do and
process the data into the information you want.
There are two types of Software:
System Software
 Application Software

SYSTEM SOFTWARE



Is a background software that helps the computer manage
its own internal resources.
People interact with application software, System software
enables applications to interact with computer hardware.
System software is a collection of programs including the
following:
 Operating Systems.
 Utilities (Specialized programs to make computing
easier).
 Device drivers (Specialized programs that allow
communication between a device and the computer) .
OPERATING SYSTEMS
A collection of programs that handle technical tasks
 The operating system allows you to use the advanced
features of a modern computer without having to learn
all the details of how the hardware works
 Manage computer resources
 Provide an interface between the users and computer
 Runs applications
 Every computer has an operating
system
 Stored in memory and loaded into RAM once the
computer is turned on

FUNCTIONS OF OS
 Performs

three types of functions
Manages computer resources
Coordinate memory, processing storage, and printers
 Monitor system performance
 Provide security
 Start-up the computer


Provides user interface
Character-based interface (Using written commands ex. DOS)
 Graphical user interface (GUI)

FUNCTIONS OF OS

Runs applications

Loads and runs applications such as word processor. Most
OSs supports Multitasking( The ability to switch between
different applications stored in memory such as hearing
songs and printing homework).
GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE (GUI)
A
Graphical User Interface (GUI) is simply an
additional part of the modern operating
systems that displays windows and drop down
menus, and also enables you to drive your
computer using a mouse.
 Examples
of operating system that use a GUI
include Windows Operating Systems, MAC,
Linux..
ADVANTAGES OF GUI
 All
programs look similar.
 When
you switch from a program supplied by
one manufacturer to one from a different
manufacturer, you will find the transition
very easy.
 Application
programs work in the same way
as the underlying operating system.
 The
GUI also allows programmers to easily
write consistent looking programs.
FEATURES OF OSS


Booting: Starting or restarting the computer. Worm
booting means restarting the computer without
turning it off, cold booting means restarting the
computer after turning off.
Have several features with application software:
 Icons: graphic representation as a program.
 Pointer: controlled by a mouse.
 Windows: rectangular areas for displaying
information and running programs.
 Menus: provide a list of options or commands.
 Dialog Boxes: provide information or request input.
 Help: provide online assistance for OS procedures
and functions.
CATEGORIES OF OSS
 Embedded
Os: Used with handheld computers
and stored within the device.
 Networking
OS (NOS): controls and
coordinates networked computers and located
on the servers.
 Stand-alone
OS: Also known as desktop OS,
controls a single computer, located on the
hard disk
EXAMPLES OF OSS



Windows: One of the most popular OS and can run
many type of applications, produced by Microsoft,
comes in many versions(3.1, 95, 98, NT, 2000, XP,
Vista, 7).
Mac OS: produced by apple, it is a powerful easy to
use OS popular with professional graphic designers.
Unix and Linux: Unix originally designed to run on
minicomputers in network environments, now it is
also used by powerful microcomputers and by servers
on the web. There are many versions one recently is
Linux which is a popular powerful alternative to
windows.
APPLICATION SOFTWARE
Can be described as end user software that can be
used to accomplish a variety of tasks.
 Can be categorized as basic and specialized software.



Basic applications: programs that are widely used in
every discipline and occupation such as word
processor, database management system,
spreadsheets presentation programs, and internet
browsers.
Specialized applications: programs that are more
focused on specific disciplines and occupations.
BASIC APPLICATIONS
Word Processor:
 create text-based documents and are one of the most
flexible and widely used software.

Used to create letters, memos, faxes, books..

MSWord, Corel WordPerfect and Apple Pages are
examples of word processors.
Spreadsheets:
 Organize, analyze and graph numeric data such as
budgets and financial reports.

MSExcel, Apple iWork’s Numbers, and Corel Quattro
Pro.
BASIC APPLICATIONS
Database Management Systems (DBMS):
 A database is a set of related data.



A DBMS is a program that sets up or structures a
database. It also provides tools to edit, enter, retrieve
data from a database.
Collages keeps information about their students,
teachers, courses in a database.
Related information about students are stored in
records, a student record could have his name,
address, major, birthdate..
MSAccess, Corel Paradox, Lotus Approach.
Presentation Graphics:
 Programs that combine a variety of

SPECIALIZED APPLICATIONS
 Specialized
applications make it possible to
perform advanced tasks at home.
 Home
users can create Webs sites, work with
graphic images, and create music or art.





Graphics programs
Audio and video editing software
Multimedia
Web authoring
Artificial intelligence
MULTIMEDIA

The integration of a variety of media into one
presentation





Video
Music
Voice
Graphics
Text
SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT PHASES
Feasibility Study.
 System Analysis.
 Design.
 Development.
 Implementation.
 Maintenance.
