HARDWARE AND

SOFTWARE
SUPUN KANDAUDAHEWA MCS (UCSC), BCA, MIEEE, MCS (SL)
skandaudahewa@gmail.com
+94-718306835
+94-769441435
OVERVIEW - HARDWARE
 Objectives
 The role of computer hardware in an
Information System and how computer
hardware supports an organization to
increase productivity.
 Single-user and multiuser computer
systems.
 Identify new trends in computer hardware
domain.

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OVERVIEW - SOFTWARE
 Objectives
 The role of software in helping individuals and
organizations to achieve their goals through
information systems.
 Off-the-shelf applications Vs Proprietary
Software.
 The importance of selecting a suitable
Programming Language to suit the task at hand.
 Evolution of programming languages.
 New trends in software industry and the need
of changing/adapting.

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THE NEED OF INVESTING IN HW AND SW

 Hardware and software components play

a vital role in computer systems.
 They help an organization to:
 Increase worker productivity.
 Increase revenue by the means of reducing
costs.
 Provide better customer service.

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THE NEED OF INVESTING IN HW AND SW contd.

 There is a cost involved in acquiring both,

software and hardware.
 Hence, the executives should have
through understanding on their business
needs to avoid possible over-
procurements.

People like new goods!! So they might

recommend hardware and software which
are not essential.

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DEFINITION OF A GOOD SYSTEM
 Selecting and organizing a good system
should be done after properly
understanding the requirement.
 Understanding about trade-offs is also
important.

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DEFINITION OF A GOOD
SYSTEM contd.
 Understanding future business needs is
also as important as understanding the
current business needs.
 Some organizations meet tragic financial
loses by not considering possible future
requirements.
 With the rapid rate of developments in
technology sector, its challenging to
predict the future 100% accurately.

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 HARDWARE COMPONENTS

Fundamentals of Information Systems, Seventh Edition Stair, Ralph, Reynolds, George

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HARDWARE COMPONENTS contd.
 Central Processing Unit (CPU) - Consists
of Arithmetic Logic unit, the control unit,
and the register areas.
 Arithmetic & Logic Unit (ALU) - Performs
mathematical calculations and makes

If (B he his
logical comparisons.

((
A >C n
>
B) ))
x = 100; y=200;

&&
do lse s;
z=x + y;

t
z=?? e
do
t
9
hi
HARDWARE COMPONENTS contd.
 Control Unit - Sequentially accesses
program instructions, decodes them, and
coordinates the flow of data in and out of
the ALU, registers, primary storage, and
even secondary storage and various
output devices.

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HARDWARE COMPONENTS contd.
 System Unit - Generally refers to the part
which houses the components responsible
for processing (CPU and memory).

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HARDWARE COMPONENTS contd.
 Other Input / Output Devices - Are linked
either directly or indirectly into the
system unit housing.
 This connections can be:
 Wired (USB / Serial / PS2 etc.)
 Wireless (Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-fi)

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CLOCK SPEED
 Clock Speed - Series of electronic pulses
produced at a predetermined rate that
affects machine cycle time.
 In simple, it’s the tempo of the processor/
GPU.
 Megahertz (MHz): millions of cycles per
second.
 Gigahertz (GHz): billions of cycles per
second.
 Synchronization of different components as
per the clock speed is really important.
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Clock Speed – Question 1
 There are two computers namely A and B.
Both of them have same clock speed of
2.0 Ghz. Components such as RAM and
GPU is same for both A and B.
 A has an intel 80286 microprocessor.
 B has an intel 80486 microprocessor.
(newer generation)

Which will work fast?

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Clock Speed – Question 2
 There are two computers namely A and B.
 A has a processor with clock speed of
900Mhz
 B has a processor with clock speed of
1.8Ghz

Which will B work as twice as fast as A?

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Other factors contributing to the
speed of a computer
 Number of processors.
 The bus speed.
 Cache size.
 Speed of the RAM.
 HDD or SSD speed.

 Even though the clock speed is a significant

indicator of how fast a computer is, it is
not the only factor that matters.

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Memory
 Provides the CPU with a working storage
area for programs and data.
 Rapidly provides data and instructions to
the CPU.
 Can be Volatile or Non-Volatile.
 The capacity of the memory is measured
in byte (B).
 8 bits form a single byte.

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Memory contd.

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Memory contd.
 There are two types of Memory.
 Random access memory (RAM):
 Temporary and volatile
 Read-only memory (ROM):
 Nonvolatile

 Provides permanent storage for data and

instructions that do not change

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Processing
 Multiprocessing - Simultaneous execution of
two or more instructions at the same time.
 Multi-Core processors combines two or more
independent processors into a single
computer.
 Quad-core, six-core, and eight-core
processors are common nowadays.
 Heat build-up is a problem with fast
processors.
 ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) uses energy
efficient chips to provide this capabilities to
tablets and smartphones. 20
Processing contd.
 Parallel Processing - Simultaneous
execution of the same task on multiple
processors to obtain results faster.
 Grid Computing - Use of a collection of
computers, often owned by many
different people and/or organizations, to
work in a coordinated manner to solve a
common problem. There is a leader and
traffic analyzer present.
(SQL server executions in different clusters
can be given as an example)
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Secondary Storage
 Also called permanent storage. (Non-
Volatile)
 Greater capacity.
 Prices are considerably lower.
 Storing/Fetching is also slower.

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Memory Access Methods
 Sequential Access
 Data must be retrieved in the order in
which it is stored.
 Devices used called sequential access
storage devices (SASDs).
 Direct Access
 Records can be retrieved in any order.
 Devices used are called direct access
storage devices (DASDs).

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Memory Access Methods
contd.

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Secondary Storage Devices
 Magnetic tapes -Primarily for storing
backups of critical data
 Magnetic disks - Direct-access storage
device
 Redundant array of independent /
inexpensive disks (RAID) - Method of
storing data that generates extra bits of
data from existing data so that if a hard
drive fails, the lost data on that drive can
be rebuilt

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Secondary Storage Devices
contd.
 Virtual tape - Storage technology for less
frequently needed data.
 Storage area network - Uses computer
servers, distributed storage devices, and
networks to tie everything together.
 Optical discs - Common form of optical
disc on which data cannot be modified
once it has been recorded.

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Secondary Storage Devices
contd.
 Digital video disc (DVD) - Storage medium
used to store software, video games, and
movies
 Solid state secondary storage devices
 Store data in memory chips.
 Less moving parts, so they are less fragile.
 Cost per GB of data storage is high.
 Still the capacities are lower.

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Secondary Storage Devices
contd.
 Storage as a service (STASS)
 Data storage service provider rents space
to people and organizations.
 Accessed through the Internet.

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Input and Output Devices
 We have talked about input and output
devices in a previous lecture.
 Lets try to recall about input and output
devices so that we can move in to more
important concepts.

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Types of Computer Systems
 Can range from desktop (or smaller)
portable computers to massive
supercomputers that require housing in
large rooms
 There are different methods to classify
computer systems
 Portable / Non Portable
 Single User / Multi User

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Portable Computers
 Handheld computers - Single-user
computers that provide ease of portability
because of their small size.
 Laptop computer - Personal computer
designed for use by mobile users.
 Notebook computers - Lightweight
computer that weighs less.

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Portable Computers contd.
 Tablet computers - Portable, lightweight
computers with no keyboard.
 Smartphone - Combines the functionality
of a mobile phone, camera, Web browser,
e-mail tool, MP3 player, and other
devices.

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Non-Portable & Single User
Computers
 Thin client - Low-cost, centrally managed
computer with no extra drives.
 Desktop computers - Single-user
computer systems that are highly
versatile.

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Non-Portable & Single User
Computers contd.
 Nettop computer – Miniature PC’s.
Inexpensive, smaller, lighter, and
consume much less power.
 Workstations - More powerful than
personal computers but still small enough
to fit on a desktop.

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Non-Portable Multi User
Computers
 Server Computers - Used by many users
to perform a specific task, such as running
network or Internet applications
 Blade Server - Houses many computer
motherboards. Requires much less
physical space than traditional server
farms.

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Non-Portable Multi User
Computers contd.
 Mainframe computers - Large, powerful
computer shared by hundreds of
concurrent users connected to the
machine over a network
 Supercomputers - The most powerful
computers with the fastest processing
speed and highest performance. They are
extremely costly.

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The concept of Green
Computing
 Computers poses significant effect on the
environment. (waste, noise etc.)
 With number of computers multiplied day
by day, the effect is now judged as a RISK
to the environment.
 It is important to think about sustainable
solutions which have very less effects on
our environment.
 Hence the concept of Green Computing
was introduced.
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The concept of Green
Computing contd.
 Green Computing is an approach which
allows efficient and environmentally
responsible design, manufacture,
operation, and disposal of IS-related
products.

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Goals of Green Computing
 Reduce the use of hazardous material.
 Enable companies to lower their power-
related costs.
 Enable the safe disposal or recycling of IS-
related products.

To achieve these goals collective

contribution is needed.
So start with your self. Lets Re-Use
/Refurbish/Recycle to save our planet.
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Discussion

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Thank You!!

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