1 Computer Hardware Computer hardware refers to the parts of the computer that can be touched or felt.

Examples include the monitor, keyboard, mouse, memory, hard disk or solid state disk etc. The most important piece of hardware in the computer is a tiny rectangular chip inside the computer called the central processing unit (CPU): Newer mobile computers come embedded with a union of CPU and graphics chip called Accelerated Processing Unit, abbreviated as APU. It is the brain of the computer; it translates instructions and performs all sorts of data manipulation. Hardware items such as the monitor or keyboard are often called computer hardware devices or just devices. 2 Computer Software Computer software refers to the instructions, programs, data and protocols which run on hardware parts. A word processing application that one uses to write letters in the computer e.g . Microsoft Word is a type of program or application software. System software also Operating System (OS) is software that manages other software, computer hardware and the devices connected to it. Three well known operating system software variants are Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. Computer software is written in computer languages such as Visual Basic, C, Java, etc by software programmers. Humanware Humanware refers to the user of the computer hardware and software . It is about the individual that uses the computer for productive or entertainment purposes. The design of humanware often begins with understanding the needs and limitations of the end user and working bottom to top to design a product that is ultimately useful. Typically, a great deal of testing is done on the software package to ens ure that its productivity enhances the end users experience. A processor, or "microprocessor," is a small chip that resides in computers and other electronic devices. Its basic job is to receive input and provide the appropriate output. While this may seem like a simple task, modern processors can handle trillions of calculations per second. memory refers to the physical devices used to store programs (sequences of instructions) or data (e.g. program state information) on a temporary or permanent basis for use in a computer or other digital electronic device. The term primary memory is used for the information in physical systems which function at high-speed (i.e. RAM), as a distinction from secondary memory, which are physical devices for program and data storage which are slow to access but offer higher memory capacity. Primary memory stored on secondary memory is called "virtual memory".wikipedia An input device is any device that provides input to a computer. There are dozens of possible input devices, but the two most common ones are a keyboard and mouse. http://www.techterms.com Any device that outputs information from a computer is called, not surprisingly, an output device. Since most information from a computer is output in either a visual or auditory format, the most common output devices are the monitor and speakers. A computer storage device is any type of hardware that stores data. The most common type of storage device, which nearly all computers have, is a hard drive. 2 main parts cpu Control Unit: It is responsible for directing and coordinating most of the computer system activities. It does not execute instructions by itself. It tells other parts of the computer system what to do. It determines the movement of electronic

signals between the main memory and arithmetic logic unit as well as the control signals between the CPU and input/output devices. -Arithmetic logic Unit: ALU performs all the arithmetic and logical functions i.e. addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and certain comparisons. These comparisons include greater than, less than, equals to etc. The ALU controls the speed of calculations.

TYPES OF COMPUTER MEMORY http://www.buzzle.com/articles/computer-memory-types.html 1.Primary Memory (also called main memory), is used for immediate access of data by the processor. While primary memory storage demonstrates faster processing ability, it is costly and hence is not largely used for data storage. Most computer systems around the world use primary memory only for bootstrapping and related purposes, and use secondary memory devices for personal data storage purpose. Primary Memory can be divided into two types - Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM). RAM is a memory scheme within the computer system responsible for storing data on a temporary basis, so that it can be promptly accessed by the processor as and when needed.

ROM is a permanent form of storage.

2. Secondary memory is available on mass storage devices for permanent data storage. Data stored on a secondary device is retained even when it is not supplied any power.

keyboard is basically a board of keys. Along with the mouse, the keyboard is one of the primary input devices used with a computer. The keyboard's design comes from the original typewriter keyboards, which arranged letters and numbers in a way that prevented the type-bars from getting jammed when typing quickly. This keyboard layout is known as the QWERTY design, which gets its name from the first six letters across in the upper-left-hand corner of the keyboard. Mouse is one of the primary input devices used with today's computers. The name comes from the small shape of the mouse, which you can move quickly back and forth on the mouse pad, and the cord, which represents the mouse's tail.All mice have at least one button, though most mice have two or three. Some also have additional buttons on the sides, which can be assigned to different commands. Most mice also have a scroll-wheel, which lets you scroll up and down documents and Web pages by just rolling the wheel with your index finger. A digital pen is an input device which captures the handwriting or brush strokes of a user, converts handwritten analog information created using "pen and paper" into digital data, enabling the data to be utilized in various applications. A digital pen is generally larger and has more features than a stylus. Digital pens typically contain internal electronics, and have features such as touch sensitivity, input buttons, memory, writing data transmission capabilities, and electronic erasers. 4 basic mouse operations <Click> To select an item or choose a menu command, point the mouse at it with the pointer and <Click> the left mouse button. <Click and Drag> To move an item is called dragging. To complete this operation, point at the item, <Click> it and hold down the left mouse button. While holding down the left mouse button drag the item where you want it to be. Release the button. Note: Practice this a bit before doing it, since you can inadvertently drag an item anywhere. <Double-Click>

This is a shortcut method used to access an item or to open or close a window quickly without using a menu. To complete this operation, point the mouse pointer to the item and <Double-Click> it with the left mouse button. <Right-Click> When you click the right mouse button you can access a drop down menu to choose what you can do with the item, such as "copy,"paste", etc. Every menu is specific to what you click. To perform this operation, point at the desired item or object and <Click> the right mouse button ONLY once. The term "monitor" is often used synonymously with "computer screen" or "display." The monitor displays the computer's user interface and open programs, allowing the user to interact with the computer, typically using the keyboard and mouse. Types of PC Monitors Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) CRT monitors have been used on the majority of the personal computers manufactured throughout the years. CRTs are considered conventional monitors. The mechanisms used in CRT monitors are similar to those used in television screens. In CRT monitors, images are formed through a stream of high-energy electrons projected onto a fluorescent screen. Electrons travel from the cathode ray gun toward the fluorescent screen through a narrow tube connecting both ends. Once electrons reach phosphor points, images are formed. One of the advantages of CRT monitors is their affordability. Further, CRT monitors have become available as flat screens, so users are guaranteed to have to deal with less glare. Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) LCD monitors are considered to be among the best as far as resolution. Also referred to as liquid crystal diode, LCD monitors use monochrome pixels or layers of colors when projecting images. The pixels, or layers of colors, are organized systematically within polarizing filters and transparent electrodes. Images are formed by polarizing pixels or colors and projecting them onto a crystal layer. LCD monitors also come in compact forms, which are light enough to move around easily. Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLED) OLED monitors use OLED pixels to project images. This type of monitor does not need back-light functions. OLED monitors use the concept of electrophosphorescence. Current is used to illuminate electrodes to help produce light and eventually visuals. There are different types of OLED monitors currently in development. These include matrix types and screens using thin film transistors. OLED monitors are very thin and light. www.ehow.com A printer is an output device that prints paper documents. This includes text documents, images, or a combination of both.

Inkjet, photo, and all-in-one: The inkjet, photo, and all-in-one printers all use the same basic method for putting ink on paper: Tiny balls of ink are lobbed directly on the paper. Because the teensy-tiny ink balls stick to the paper, this type of printer needs no ribbon or toner cartridge. Laser: Laser printers are found primarily in the office environment, where they can handle the high workload. The printer uses a laser beam to create the image, similar to a photocopier, which uses an image reflection. The result is crisp and fast output, but not as inexpensive as the inkjet type of printer. A laser printer that can print in color is known as a color laser printer. The regular (noncolor) laser printer uses only one color of ink usually, black.

Impact: Impact printers are few and far between these days, although once they were the dominant type of computer printer. These printers are slower and noisier than the other types of printers. They use a ribbon and some device that physically bangs the ribbon on the paper. Because of that, impact printers are primarily used now in printing invoices or multicopy forms. Theyre not practical for home use.

The hard disk is a spindle of magnetic disks, called platters, that record and store information. Because the data is stored magnetically, information recorded to the hard disk remains intact after you turn your computer off. A new type of read-only compact disc that can hold a minimum of 4.7GB (gigabytes), enough for a full-length movie. Short for Compact Disc-Read-Only Memory, a type of optical disk capable of storing large amounts of data -- up to 1GB, although the most common size is 650MB (megabytes). A single CD-ROM has the storage capacity of 700 floppy disks, enough memory to store about 300,000 text pages. www.webopedia.com

Software is the language of a computer. And like human language, there are many different computer languages. Essentially, computer software can be divided into three main groups depending on their use and application. These are system software or operating system referred simply as the OS, application software and programming languages. Usually most of us interact with a computer using application software. 1. System Software: System software or operating system is the software used by the computer to translate inputs from various sources into a language which a machine can understand. Basically, the OS coordinates the different hardware components of a computer. There are many OS in the market. The most popular Os are from the stable of Microsoft. We have all heard, used and wondered at the Windows software, which is an OS. Starting with Windows, Microsoft has migrated to Vista, its latest offering in the market. It may come as a surprise to some that there are other operating systems used by others. Among these UNIX is used for large office setups with extensive networking. XENIX is software which has now become redundant. HP -UX and AIX are some operating systems used by HP computers. Apache OS is quite popular with web servers. IBM still uses proprietary operating systems for its main frames. Proprietary systems are generally built with the help of a variant of UNIX operating system. 2. Application software: A normal user rarely gets to see the operating system or to work with it. But all of us are familiar with application software which we must use to interact with a computer. Popular examples of application software are the Microsoft office suite which includes Word, Excel and PowerPoint. We have used these applications extensively. Internet explorer, Mozilla Firefox is two applications used to access the internet. E-mail software like Outlook express is used to manage Emails. It is obvious that all software utilized for working on a computer is classified as application software. In fact all user interfaces are an application. The anti-virus is an application and so is the Media player. 3. Programming languages: Now this is a kind of computer software which is used exclusively by computer programmers. Unless we are also programmers, we are unlikely to come across programming languages. A simple way to understand programming languages is to think of them as bricks which can be used to create applications and operating system. C++, Java and Simlab are some popular programming languages. Generally Java is used for internet applications. C++ is a language of professional developers and used extensively in developing operating systems. PHP is another language used for internet applications. There is a new class of languages which are being utilized for the mobiles. These are light weight, modular languages which are used to design mobile applications. Computer software falls under three basic categories; System software or operating system, application software and programming languages. We usually use applications on a day to day basis. These applications are themselves created using programming languages. http://www.streetdirectory.com/ Classification of system software Operating Systems Although it has multiple components, system software on a computer is generally based on the OS installed onto it. There are many different companies that make operating systems, though some of the most prominent include Microsoft, Apple, and groups working with open formats such as Linux. These companies produce and release numerous

versions over time, which have included Windows XP, Apple Mac OS X, and Ubuntu. A great deal of debate surrounds the subject of which system is superior, and it often comes down to personal preference and the individual needs of a computer user. Running Multiple Operating Systems Some computers can run two different types of system software; such as both Mac OS X and a version of Windows. Users often employ one of two different methods to run more than one OS at the same time. One way is through software that lets the user choose the preferred OS to initialize at startup. The other is through desktop software that a user runs, which allows two operating systems to be accessed simultaneously on one machine. System Utilities Utilities include a variety of specialized programs that can be applied across applications. Basic utilities include troubleshooting and diagnostic software that can scan a system or other program to find errors and missing files. Additional utilities include data backup programs, file compression software, and tools used to thoroughly uninstall other programs. Device Drivers Device drivers are needed for every peripheral and device connected to a computer, from the mouse and keyboard to the printer. This type of system software allows the OS to effectively identify and communicate with hardware connected to a machine. The OS can include device drivers for basic components, like the mouse and keyboard, while peripheral manufacturers often provide discs with drivers for users to install with their hardware. http://www.streetdirectory.com/etoday/different-types-of-computer-software-jjwap.html http://www.buzzle.com/articles/different-types-of-application-software.html Word Processing Software: This software enables users to create and edit documents. The most popular examples of this type of software are MS-Word, WordPad and Notepad among other text editors. Database Software: Database is a structured collection of data. A computer database relies on database software to organize data and enable database users to perform database operations. Database software allows users to store and retrieve data from databases. Examples are Oracle, MSAccess, etc. Spreadsheet Software: Excel, Lotus 1-2-3 and Apple Numbers are some examples of spreadsheet software. Spreadsheet software allows users to perform calculations using spreadsheets. They simulate paper worksheets by displaying multiple cells that make up a grid. Multimedia Software: They allow users to create and play audio and video files. They are capable of playing media files. Audio converters, audio players, burners, video encoders and decoders are some forms of multimedia software. Examples of this type of software include Real Player and Media Player. Presentation Software: The software that is used to display information in the form of a slide show is known as presentation software. This type of software includes three functions, namely, editing that allows insertion and formatting of text, methods to include graphics in the text and a functionality of executing slide shows. Microsoft PowerPoint is the best example of presentation software. Enterprise Software: It deals with the needs of organization processes and data flow. Customer relationship management or the financial processes in an organization are carried out with the help of enterprise software. Information Worker Software: Individual projects within a department and individual needs of creation and management of information are handled by information worker software. Documentation tools, resource management tools and personal management systems fall under the category of this type of application software. Educational Software: It has the capabilities of running tests and tracking progress. It also has the capabilities of a

collaborative software. It is often used in teaching and self-learning. Dictionaries like Britannica and Encarta, mathematical software like Matlab and others like Google Earth and NASA World Wind are some of the well-known names in this category. Simulation Software: Used to simulate physical or abstract systems, simulation software finds applications in both, research and entertainment. Flight simulators and scientific simulators are examples of simulation software. Content Access Software: It is used to access content without editing. Common examples of content access software are web browsers and media players. Application Suites: An application suite is an important type of application software. It consists of a group of applications combined to perform related functions. OpenOffice.org and Microsoft Office are the best examples of this type of application software. These application suites, as you know, come as bundles of applications like word processors, spreadsheets, presentation software, etc. Applications in the suite can work together or operate on each other's files. Software that aid Engineering and Development of Products: These software are used in the design and development of hardware and software products. Integrated development environments (IDE) and computer language editing tools falls under this type of application software. Interestingly, software products are developed using other software, and software communicate with one another through software. Application programming interfaces which aid the communication of two or more software, are examples of this application software type.