1.5 Components of a Computer System Flashcards
Components of a computer system (5)
(1) computer hardware
(2) software
(3) peripheral device
(4) computer network
(5) human resources
what is computer hardware
the physical elements of a computer
example of computer hardware
- screen
- CPU
what is software
a series of instructions that can be understood by a CPU
what can instructions in software do?
guide the CPU to perform specific operations
what is software compromised of?
programs and data
what is a peripheral device
any auxiliary device that can communicate and work with a computer
what does auxiliary mean
providing additional help and support
examples of peripheral devices
- input/output devices
- printers
what is a computer network
a set of computer systems that are interconnected and share resources and data
examples of computer networks
- Local Area Network (LAN)
- Wide Area Network (WAN)
what are human resources
people who are used of could be used in an organization, business or economy
roles of a computer in a networked world (8)
being a/an…
(1) dumb terminal
(2) thin client
(3) client
(4) email server
(5) router
(6) Domain Name System
(7) firewall
(8) Client-server
what is a dumb terminal
a device that usually consists of a keyboard, a monitor an a network card that is connected to a server or a powerful computer
how independent is a dumb terminal?
not at all - it depends entirely on the computer that they are connected to
what do dumb terminals rely on the computer they are connected to for?
- computations
- data managements
- data processing
example of where you would find a dumb terminal
an office building
what is a thin client?
a relatively low performance terminal
how independent is a thin client?
not very - it heavily, but not entirely, depends on the server that it is connected to
what is a client? (i.e. normal computer)
an average computer terminal (dumb terminal or thin client) used to access a computer-based system
logic behind computers (clients) and dumb terminals
you can make a computer into a dumb terminal but not a dumb terminal into a client
what does an email server do? (3)
(1) manages the flow of email in and out of the network
(2) checks that an email address is valid
(3) allows users to access their email
process of an email server
receive –> process –> save –> send out
what is a router?
a networking device
