Wednesday, March 25, 2009

CHAPTER 1 — Introduction to Computer Systems

A computer is a complex system consisting of both hardware and software components. This chapter discusses these components.

Chapter Topics:

  • Hardware and Software
  • Components of a Computer System
  • Networks
  • World-Wide Web

    Hardware Components

    The terms input and output say if data flow into or out of the computer. The picture shows the major hardware components of a computer system. The arrows show the direction of data flow.

    components of a computer system
  • A bus is a group of wires on the main circuit board of the computer. It is a pathway for data flowing between components. Most devices are connected to the bus through a controller which coordinates the activities of the device with the bus.
  • The processor is sometimes called the Central Processing Unit or CPU. A particular computer will have a particular type of processor, such as a Pentium or a SPARC.

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