Computer Hardware and Software
 

  • Hardware = the physical parts of a computer
    • The case containing the computer
    • Keyboard
    • Terminal
    • Mouse
    • Etc

  • Software = the computer programs that you run with a computer
    • Web browser
    • PC games
    • Microsoft Word
    • Microsoft Excel
    • Etc

Computer hardware - what a normal user sees

Components of the computer by their functionality:

  • Input devices: allow users to enter input to the computer (mouse, keyboard, microphone, camera)
  • Output devices allow the computer to display output to the user (monitor, printer, speaker)
  • Input/output devices: used by the computer to store data and/or communicate with other computers (CD-rom, floppy drive, hard drive, modem, network)

  • Computer system (that's the box in the middle of the picture)

Computer hardware - what CS255 will show you

We will study the stuff that are inside the computer "box":

Also:

  • The different components in the computer need to communicate with each other using electrical signals

  • We will study the the electrical pathways (called "buses") that connect the components

Computer hardware - what CS255 will show you

A closer look at the computer components and their interconnections :

Can you see the connections (jagged lines) that connect the components (squares) of the computer ?