the computer
In the age of speed, technology and information, the computer has saved us a lot of time and effort in saving and retrieving various and different information. It has replaced piles of paper and many different devices such as a calculator and others. Daily life has become incomplete without the use of computers, whether for personal matters or in the workplace and government departments. This small device consists of tangible physical parts and intangible parts, namely software.
Computer hardware (hardwear)
The physical components of the computer are the tangible components that can be seen with the eye, whether directly or by disassembling the computer parts. They are divided into three main sections:
- Input units: These are the components that are used to enter information, images, and sounds into a computer, such as a mouse, keyboard, microphone, scanner, and camera.
- Output units: through which we see or hear the information output from the device, such as the screen, speakers, and printer.
- System unit: It is the metal box that comes with computers, and contains its basic components and consists of the motherboard, central processing unit, main memory, hard and floppy disk drive, and data buses. They are cables used to connect the various parts of the computer through which information is transferred, and the power unit that connects the electrical current to the computer in addition to the physical hardware cards such as the graphics card. We note that this part does not exist in laptop computers.
Software components of the computer (Software)
The software components of a computer are the components that make the parts of the device come to life. They are intangible components and cannot be seen with the eye. It is a set of programs that organize the work of the computer. The quality of the computer system depends on the quality of the programs present in it and is divided into two parts:
Read also:How to create a password for a file- Operational programs: These are the programs that contain the commands that enable the computer to do its work, such as: startup, the process of displaying information on the screen, and controlling the physical parts. The computer will not work without them. There are many examples of these programs, including Dos and Windows.
- Application programs and services: These are programs that are used by the user and are designed to perform a specific function and service, such as word processors, electronic spreadsheets, databases, presentation tools, games, multimedia programs, and many others, and are known among users as Microsoft Office.
The importance of the computer
No home or workplace is devoid of computers in our current era, due to their great importance in performing multiple and different tasks and saving time and effort. They have become very important due to several reasons, including:
- The ability to memorize literal and digital information and retrieve it very quickly.
- Perform calculations very quickly.
- Accuracy of information and data retrieved and saved.
- Simulates and sometimes replaces many devices such as television, calculator, fax, and telephone.
- Control the operation of many devices.
- Access to global networks such as the Internet.
