COMPUTER SYSTEM Flashcards
A machine that uses electronic components and
instructions to the components to perform calculations
and repetitive and complex procedures, process text, and
manipulate data and signals.
Computer
❖ defined as all of the physical
components of a computer
❖ attached to a component called a
motherboard.
Computer Hardware
❖ Heart of any computer is the motherboard a thin, flat sheet made of a firm
or flexible nonconducting material on which the internal components—
printed circuits, chips, slots, and so on—of the computer are mounted.
❖ Made of a nonconducting plastic or fiberglass material. Copper (or other metal) conducting lines (circuits) are embedded into the boars
Motherboard
Basic Components
~CPU
~Memory
~Input devices
~ Output Devices
~ Storage Media
considered the brain of the
computer. It performs all types of data
processing operations, stores data,
intermediate results and instructions
(program). It controls the operation of all
parts of computer
Central Processing Unit
The CPU has a 3 components
~Control unit
~ Arithmetic Logic Unit
~ Memory
Allow computer receive information from the outside world
Input Devices
Allow the computer to report it’s results to the external world
Output Devices
Types of storage media
~ Hard drive
~ USB Flash Drive
~ Optical Media
~ Cloud Storage
Computational-oriented
computer
• Designed for:
✓scientific applications
requiring gigantic
amount of calculations
(at super fast speeds)
✓analysis of scientific &
engineering problems
✓ mathematically
intensive research
applications
Supercomputers
Most common fast, large, and
expensive
• Used in large businesses:
hospitals, large healthcare
facilities for processing,
storing, & retrieving data
• In mainframes computers,
they may have the electronic
medical record.
Mainframes
Departments in the hospital who uses mainframe computers:
✓Laboratory and radiology systems
✓Dietary department
✓Admissions department
✓Pharmacy department
✓Central supply department
• Designed to support a single user
• In hospitals, they are used to:
✓Patient classification
✓Nurse staffing
✓Scheduling
• Often placed in a rolling cart to:
✓Record nursing notes
✓Ordering tests
✓Treatments
✓Looking up medications
Microcomputers
“WOW” =
“COW” =
WOW = Workstations
COW = Computer on wheels
small, special
function computers, have almost same
functionality and processing capabilities as
microcomputers but are limited in their
expansion capabilities.
Handheld Computers
a very small
special function handheld computer that
provides calendar, contacts, note-taking
functions and may provide word processing,
spread sheet and other functions.
Personal Digital Assistants PDA
Set of programs, which is designed to perform a well- defined function.
Computer Software
Types of computer softwares
System software And Application software
• Collection of programs designed to operate, control, and
extend the processing capabilities of the computer itself.
• Comprise of programs written in low-level languages,
which interact with the hardware at a very basic level.
System Software
• Products are designed to satisfy a particular
need of a particular environment.
• Application software may consist of a single
program, such as Microsoft’s notepad for
writing and editing a simple text. It may also
consist of a collection of programs, often called
a software package, which work together to
accomplish a task, such as a spreadsheet
package.
Application Software
• Software whose source code is available for modification or
enhancement by anyone.
• The ‘source code’ is the part of a software program that most
computer users don’t ever see; it’s the code computer programmers
can manipulate to change how a piece of software.
Open source software
• Free software is exactly as the term implies, free of charge; but
that does not necessarily mean the user has a license to access,
change or distribute that software.
• Some software has source code that cannot be modified by
anyone but the person, team, or organization who created it,
and maintains exclusive control over it.
Free Software
1.) Software system used by nurses are based. The components that nurses usually use include
2.) There is also a system where physicians document their medical orders called
1.) Hospital Information System
2.) Computer Physician Order entry system
