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A Basic Computer System

Hardware

For more detailed instructions, see the Getting Started presentation.

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What can a computer do?

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Answer the questions at the top of the screen.

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Thirty years ago a whole office-floor of equipment was needed to do the things a modern mobile phone can do!

Input

Process

Output

Storage

Keyboard

Processor

Speaker

Flash memory card

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Any system, including a computer system, can be broken up into four sections:

What can a computer do?

Input Processing Output

Storage

Input is the raw data (numbers and letters) that is put into the system.Processing is the jobs that the computer does on the data to turn it into…

…Output, which is the information that comes out of the computer (the ring tone).

The system also need to be able to Store data and information (saving the ring tone).

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Data has no meaning in itself.

Data

Data Processing Information

If we look at a string of data, such as:30, 35, 32, 34, 38

we have no way of knowing what the numbers mean. They have no context – we have nothing to relate them to. However, if the above were temperatures, they can give us information because then they are in context.

Computers can process data and turn it into information.

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What happens to the input to get the output?

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Devices

We have looked at what input, output, processing and storage mean, but now we need to look at the equipment that makes them happen.

There are Input devices, Processing devices and Output devices.

We call these pieces of equipment devices.

Computers also store data and communicate with other computers, so they have Storage devices and Communication devices, too.

I am a device

I am a device

Me too

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Input and Output devices are peripherals – they plug into the computer and are arranged around it. (That is where the word peripheral comes from, just like the perimeter is the distance around a shape).

Processing devices are inside the computer.

Storage and Communications devices can be inside (internal) or outside (external).

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Basic computer system

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Drag the peripherals from the bottom of the screen to complete the table.

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Summary

A computer system can be broken down into four sections: Input, Processing, Output and Storage.

Data needs to be processed to become information.

A computer needs devices to input, process, output and store data.