What this "Computer" Really Is?

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If you are a beginner and you are going to start work with computer, it's good to have some basic knowledge before getting your hands dirty with this amazingly sharp machine. This very simple article will help you understand the basics of computer system and its working based on its structure. By Siddique Hassan.

A computer is an electronic data processing device. It reads data, processes it into meaningful form and produces results so accurately at a very high speed. A computer along with a number of units attached to it
(such as keyboard, monitor, disk drives etc.) is known as computer system.

Division of Computer System:

Computer systems have two major divisions:-

• Computer Hardware
• Computer Software

Computer Hardware:

Computer hardware is the physical components which are installed in a computer box as well as the devices connected with it such as key board, monitor, mouse etc. Main unit or system unit consists of control unit, processing unit and memory unit.

The devices which are attached with a system unit under the control of CPU are called peripheral devices. Some common peripheral devices are keyboard, mouse, monitor, printer and disk drives. These devices help to communicate data/information with the system unit. Generally a computer system consists of the following three major units:-

• System Unit
• Input Units
• Output Units

A computer system performs the following functions (operations) and these are common among all the computer systems in this world:

• Receives data and instructions for processing.
• Stores the instructions and data to be used for processing.
• Executes the instructions to process the data.
• Transfer the results in a form usable by humans or other machines.

  

  These are 4 functions of every computer system in this world.

Computer Software:-

The techniques or method necessary to get the hardware to work are known as Computer Software. In other words, Computer Software is the know-how techniques in the form of a set of instructions that tells the computer what to do and how to do.

Computer Software can further be divided into:-

• System Software
• Application Software

System Software:

System software is what you need to operate and control your computer. It provides you with a platform to run a wide variety of applications and software other than systems software. System software include the operating system, utility software and device drivers. Examples are Apples' Mac, MS's Windows, Video card drivers etc.

This is how computer components depend on each other. 

Application Software:

Application software comprises of all the packaged software that make use of an operating system (system software) and perform all sorts of tasks. Application software include accounting, enterprise, educational, simulations and military etc. applications. MS Office, Dreamweaver, Adobe Acrobat etc. are the examples of application software. The games we play are also an example of application software. (Even computer viruses are also characterized as application software but the wicked one...)