Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

Objectives:
1. Define hardware and software.
2. Tell the categories of hardware and software

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

HARDWARE
In computer technology refers to the physical parts of the computer.
These are the actual pieces that you can see or touch.
INPUT DEVICES
These are devices used to enter data from the outside world into
primary storage
Commonly used input devices:
1. Keyboard devices
allow data entry into a computer system by pressing a set of
keys (labeled buttons) neatly mounted on a keyboard connected
to a computer system
11-keys QWERTY keyboard is most popular
Types of keyboards and keyboard features
1.1
Standard keyboard
the most basic form of keyboards
QWERTY keyboards are the most common and have the six
alphabets Q, W, E, R, T, and Y in the first row,

1.2
Ergonomic keyboard
Ergonomics refers to the study of methods that can reduce
stress on muscles to avoid repetitive strain injury.
Ergonomic keyboards are designed in such a way that typing can
be done putting the least amount of stress on the fingers and
wrist.

1.3
Wireless keyboard
As the name suggests, these keyboards do not need to be
connected to the computer via a wire.
This makes it very convenient for the user to use the keyboard
comfortably.

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

Wireless keyboards use three basic types of connections,

Bluetooth, Infrared (IR), and Radio Frequency to connect to the
computer.

1.4
Compact keyboard
Compact keyboards are slim and usually do not have the numeric
keypad that is present on the right side of other keyboards.
These are typically used in laptops, where sizing issues make it
difficult to accommodate a standard keyboard.

1.5
Internet keyboard
The Internet is one of the main reasons why a majority of the
people use computers these days.
Internet keyboards have special keys, called hot keys, which
perform functions related to Internet usage.
Typical hot keys have functions like:
a. back
b. forward
c. bookmarks list
d. e-mail inbox
e. Google search
f. YouTube
g. shopping online, etc.

1.6
Gaming keyboard
As the name suggests, gaming keyboards are designed
specifically for gamers.
They include features meant to enhance gaming experience, as
well as provide convenient usage for gamers.
They include features like:
1.6.1 volume control,
1.6.2 key lighting,
1.6.3 programmable keys,
1.6.4 interchangeable keys,
1.6.5 touch screens to customize the keyboard
Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

1.6.6 in-built joysticks, fancy lighting, etc.

1.7
Virtual keyboard
Virtual keyboards are software devices that let you input data just
like a hardware keyboard.
They open up as an application and can be controlled by a mouse
or via a touch screen.
They are mainly used in devices which do not necessarily require
a keyboard, like a tablet or a smart-phone.

2. Point-and-draw devices
used to rapidly point to and select a graphic icon or menu item from
multiple options displayed on the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of a
screen.
used to create graphic elements on the screen such as lines, curves,
and freehand shapes
Some commonly used point-and-draw devices are:
2.1 Mouse
o commonly used in personal computers and workstations

2.2

Trackball
o commonly used in laptop (notebook computers

2.3

Joystick
o commonly used for video games, flight simulators,
training simulators, and for controlling industrial
robots.

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2.4

2014

Light pen
o pen-based point-and-draw device
o used to directly point with it on the screen to select menu
items or icons or directly draw graphics on the screen
o can write with it on a special pad for direct input of written
information to a system
o Pressure on tip of a side button is used to cause same
action as right-button-click of a mouse

2.5

Touch screen
o most simple, intuitive, and easiest to learn of all input
devices
o enables users to choose from available options by simply
touching with their finger the desired icon or menu item
displayed on the screen
o most preferred human-computer interface used in
information kiosks (unattended interactive information
systems such as automatic teller machine or ATM)

3. Data Scanning devices

input devices that enable direct data entry into a computer system
from source documents
eliminate the need to key in text data into the computer
due to reduced human effort in data entry, they improve data
accuracy and also increase the timeliness of the information
processed
Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

demand high quality of input documents

some data scanning devices are also capable of recognizing marks
or characters
form design and ink specification usually becomes more critical for
accuracy
Types of Data Scanning Devices
3.1 Image scanner
input device that translates paper documents into an
electronic format for storage in a computer
Electronic format of a scanned image is its bit map
representation
Stored image can be altered or manipulate with an imageprocessing software
Two Common Types of Image Scanners

A flat-bed Scanner

A hand-held Scanner

3.2 Optical Character Recognition (OCR) device

scanner equipped with a character recognition software (called
OC software) that converts the bit map images of characters to
equivalent ASCII codes
enables word processing of input text and also requires less
storage for storing the document as text rather than an image
OCR software is extremely complex because it is difficult to
make a computer recognize an unlimited number of typefaces
and fonts
Two standard OCR fonts are
OCR-A (American standard) and
OCR-B European standard)
3.3 Optical Mark Reader (OMR)
scanner capable of recognizing a pre-specified type of mark by
pencil or pen
very useful for grading tests with objective type questions, or
for any input data that is of a choice or selection nature
Technique used for recognition of marks involves focusing a
light on the page being scanned and detecting the reflected
light pattern from the marks
Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

Hardware and Software

2014

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

Sample use of OMR

3.4 Bar-code Reader

scanner used for reading (decoding) bar-coded data
Bar codes represent alphanumeric data by a combination of
adjacent vertical lines (bars) by varying their width and the
spacing between them
Scanner uses laser-beam to stroke across pattern of bar code.
Different patterns of bars reflect the beam in different ways
sensed by a light-sensitive detector
Universal Product Code (UPC) is the most widely known bar
coding system

3.5 Magnetic-Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

MICR is used by banking industry for faster processing of large
volume of cheques
Banks identification code (name, branch, etc, account number
and cheque number are pre-printed (encoded) using
characters from a special character set on all cheques
Special ink is used that contains magnetizable particles of iron
oxide
Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

MICR reader-sorter reads data on cheques and sorts them

for distribution to other banks for further processing
MICR Character Set (E13B Font)

4. Digitizer
input device used for converting (digitizing) pictures, maps and
drawings into digital form for storage in computers
commonly used in the area of Computer Aided Design (CAD) by
architects and engineers to design cars, buildings, medical
devices, robots, mechanical parts, etc.
used in the area of Geographical Information System (GIS) for
digitizing maps available in paper form

5. Electronic cards based devices

Electronic cards are small plastic cards having encoded data
appropriate for the application for which they are used
Electronic-card reader (normally connected to a computer) is
used to read data encoded on an electronic card and transfer it
to the computer for further processing
Used together as a means of direct data entry into a computer
system
Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

Used by banks for use in automatic teller machines (ATMs) and

by organizations for controlling access of employees to physically
secured areas.
6. Speech recognition devices
input device that allows a person to input data to a computer
system by speaking to it
Todays speech recognition systems are limited to accepting few
words within a relatively small domain and can be used to enter
only limited kinds and quantities of data.
Types of Speech Recognition Systems
6.1 Single word recognition systems
can recognize only a single spoken words, such as YES,
NO, MOVE, STOP, at a time.
speaker-independent systems are mostly of this type
6.2 Continuous speech recognition systems
can recognize spoken sentences, such as MOVE TO THE
NEXT BLOCK.
such systems are normally speaker-dependent
Uses of Speech Recognition Systems
o for inputting data to a computer system by a person in
situations where his/her hands are busy, or his/her eyes
must be fixed on a measuring instrument or some other
object
o for data input by dictation of long text or passage for later
editing and review
o for authentication of a user by a computer system based on
voice input
o for limited use of computers by individuals with physical
disabilities
7. Vision based devices
Vision-Input Systems
allow computer to accept input just by seeing an object
input data is normally an objects shape and features in the form
of an image
Mainly used today in factories for designing industrial robots that
are used for quality-control and assembly processes.
8. Image capturing devices
8.1 Digital camera (or digicam)
o Is
a camera that
takes video or
still photographs by
recording images on an electronic image sensor.

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

8.2

2014

Digital video cam

o is a camera used for electronic motion picture acquisition,
initially developed by the television industry but now
common in other applications as well

OUTPUT DEVICES
What are output devices?
supply results of processing from primary storage to users
Types of output
1. Softcopy output
o not produced on a paper or some material that can be touched
and carried for being shown to others.
o temporary in nature and vanish after use
o Examples are output displayed on a terminal screen or spoken
out by a voice response system
2. Hardcopy output
o produced on a paper o some material that can be touched and
carried for being shown to others
o permanent in nature and can be kept in paper files or can be
looked at a later time when the person is not using the
computer
o Examples are output produced by printers or plotters on paper
Commonly used output devices:
1. Monitors
1.1 Cathode-ray-tube (CRT) monitors
o look like a television and are normally used with nonportable computer systems

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

1.2 Flat-panel monitors

o are thinner and lighter and are commonly used with

portable computer systems like notebook computers.
o Now they are also used with non-portable desktop
computer systems because they occupy less table
space.
1.2.1 Liquid crystal displays are lightweight,
compact, portable, cheap, more reliable, and easier on the
eyes than CRTs. A thin layer of liquid crystal, a liquid that
exhibits crystalline properties, is sandwiched between two
electrically conducting plates. The top plate has transparent
electrodes deposited on it, and the back plate is a mirror. By
applying proper electrical signals across the plates, various
segments of the liquid crystal can be activated, causing
changes in their light diffusing or polarizing properties.
These segments can either transmit or block light. An
image is produced by passing light through selected
segments of the liquid crystal and then reflected it back from
the mirror to the viewer. They are used in various electronics
like watches, calculators, and notebook computers.

1.2.2 A plasma display consists of two glass plates

separated by a thin gap filled with a gas such as neon. Each
of these plates has several parallel electrodes running across
it. The electrodes on the two plates are at right angles to each
other. A voltage applied between the two electrodes one on
each plate causes a small segment of gas at the two
electrodes to glow. The glow of gas segments is maintained
by a lower voltage that is continuously applied to all
electrodes. A similar pulsing arrangement is used to
selectively turn points off.
Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

1.2.3 An Light-emitting diode (LED) display is a

flat panel display, which uses light-emitting diodes as a video
display. An LED panel is a small display, or a component of a
larger display. They are typically used outdoors in store signs
and billboards, and in recent years have also become
commonly used in destination signs on public transport
vehicles or even as part of transparent glass area. LED panels
are sometimes used as form of lighting, for the purpose of
general illumination, task lighting, or even stage lighting
rather than display.

2. Printers
Most common output devices for producing hardcopy
output
2.1 Dot matrix
o character printers that form characters and all kinds of
images as a pattern of dots
o print many special characters, different sizes of print and
graphics such as charts and graphs
o Impact printers can be used for generating multiple
copies by using carbon paper or its equivalent
o slow, with speeds usually ranging between 30 to 600
characters per second
o cheap in both initial cost and cost of operation

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

2.2 Inkjet
o character printers that form characters and all kinds of
images by spraying small drops of ink on to the paper
o print head contains up to 64 tiny nozzles that can be
selectively heated up in a few micro seconds by an
integrated circuit register
o To print a character, the printer selectively heats the
appropriate set of nozzles as the print head moves
horizontally
o can print many special characters, different sizes of
print, and graphics such as charts and graphs
o Non-impact printers. Hence, they cannot produce
multiple copies of a document in a single printing
o can be both monochrome and color
o slower than dot-matrix printers with speeds usually
ranging between 40 to 300 characters per second
o more expensive than a dot-matrix printer

2.3 Laser
o page printers that print one page at a time
o consist of a laser beam source, a multi-sided mirror, a
photoconductive drum and toner (tiny particles of
oppositely charges ink)
o To print a page, the laser beam is focused on the electro
statically charged drum by the spinning multi-sided
mirror
o Toner sticks to the drum in the places the laser beam
has charged the drums surface
o Toner is then permanently fused on the paper with heat
and pressure to generate the printer output
o Laser printers produce very high quality output having
resolutions in the range of 600 to 1200 dpi

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

o can print many special characters, different sizes of

print, and graphics such as charts and graphs
o are non-impact printers
o Most laser printers are monochrome, but color laser
printers are also available
o Low speed laser printers can print 4 to 12 pages per
minute. Very high-speed laser printers can print 500 to
1000 pages per minute
o more expensive than other printers

2.4 Thermal
o uses heat elements to produce images on heat-sensitive
paper

2.5 Plotter
o are an ideal output device for architects, engineers, city
planners, and others who need to routinely generate
high-precision, hardcopy graphic output of widely
varying sizes.
2 commonly used types of plotters are:
2.5.1 Drum plotter
o In which the paper on which the design has to be made
is placed over a drum that can rotate in both clockwise
and anti-clockwise directions

2.5.2 Flatbed plotter

o In which the paper on which the design has to be made
is spread and fixed over a rectangular flatbed table

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

3. Screen image projector

an output device that can be directly plugged to a computer
system for projecting information from a computer on to a
large screen
useful for making presentations to a group of people with
direct use of a computer
Full-fledged multimedia presentation with audio, video,
image, and animation can be prepared and made using this
facility
4. Voice response system
enables a computer to talk to a user
has an audio-response device that produces audio output
Such systems are of two types:
4.1 Voice reproduction systems
o produce audio output by selecting an appropriate
audio output from a set of pre-recorded audio
responses
o applications include audio help for guiding how to
operate a system, automatic answering machines,
video games, etc.
4.2 Speech synthesizers
o produce audio output by selecting an appropriate
audio output from a set of pre-recorded audio
responses
o applications include audio help for guiding how to
operate a system, automatic answering machines,
video games, etc.
5. Audio output devices
5.1 Speaker
o lets you hear the sound.
o all PCs come with an internal speaker capable of
producing simple sounds.
o external speakers are normally connected to the OC to
output the more complex and exotic sound.

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

SECONDARY STORAGE DEVICES

1. Primary Storage
Every computer has a temporary storage built into the computer
hardware.
It stores instructions and data of a program mainly when the program
is being executed by the CP
This temporary storage is known as main memory, primary storage,
or simply memory
Physically, it consists of some chips either on the motherboard or on
a small circuit board attached to the motherboard of a computer
It has random access property
It is volatile.
2. Secondary Storage
Used in a computer system to overcome the limitations of primary
storage
Has vitally unlimited capacity because the cost per bit of storage is
very low
Has an operating speed far slower that that of the primary storage
Used to store large volumes of data on a permanent basis
Also known as auxiliary memory
the devices that store larger amount of data, instructions, and
information more permanently that allowed with main memory.
Secondary storage access method
1. Sequential access the retrieval method in which data must be
accessed in the order in which it is stored.
Sequential access storage device- the device used to
sequentially access secondary storage data
2. Direct access the retrieval method in which data can be retrieved
without the need to be read and discard other data.
Direct access storage device- the device used for direct access of
secondary storage data.
2.1 Magnetic Tape Basics
Commonly used sequential-access secondary storage device
Physically, the tape medium is a plastic ribbon, which is usually
1/2 inch or 1/4 inch wide and 50 to 2400 feet long
Plastic ribbon is coated with a magnetizable recording material
such as ion-oxide or chromium dioxide
Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

Types of Magnetic Tape

1. -inch tape reel
2. -inch tape cartridge

3. -inch streamer tape

4. 4-mm digital audio tape (DAT)

2.2
Magnetic disk a common secondary storage medium; with bits
represented by magnetized areas. It is coated with iron oxide; they can
be thin steel platters or mylar film.

2.3

Hard disk- give direct access to stored data.

2.4
Compact Disc Read-Only Memory(CDROM)- a common form of
optical disc on which data, after it has been recorded, cannot be
modified.

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

2.5
Digital versatile disc(DVD) a storage medium used to store
digital video or computer data.

2.6

Memory cards-

Hardware and Software

Page

Fundamentals in Computer Application

2014

SOFTWARE
It is a set of instructions written in a code that computers can
understand. It directs computers to perform specific tasks. Another name
for the set of instructions is program.
Without software, a computer would be useless collection of
electronic circuitry. Since it is literally inconceivable to think of all possible
ways a computer could be used, the amount of software that could be
written is similarly inconceivable and unlimited. There are 2 types of
software:
1. Application software performs useful work on general
purpose tasks such as word processing and spreadsheet
programs. Application software can be:
a. Package software is a program written by professional
programmers that are typically offered for sale.
b. Custom-made software is a program written for a specific
purpose for a specific organization.
2. System Software - it enables the application software to
interact with the computer. A system software is consist of:
a. Bootstrap loader - is a program that loads the operating
system from the hard disk into memory.
b. Diagnostic routines it test primary storage, the CPU, and
other parts of the system to make sure the computer is running
properly.
c. Basic input/output system (BIOS) it enables the
computer to interpret keyboard characters and transmit those
to the monitor
d. Operating system it takes care of a lot of internal matters.

Hardware and Software

Page