COMPUTER

What are Computers?

The computer as we know it is a group of pieces of hardware put together to  get a job done faster. Computers are machines that perform tasks or calculations according to a set of instructions, or programs.  A machine that accepts instructions and processes the instruction to produce a desired output.

Brief History of computers

Initially Computers were large scale machines mounted on chassis could occupy a number of rooms.  These were called main frames.  Gradually these were scaled down to mini computers which were much smaller but with more capabilities.  Now days most organization still maintain mini computers which act as their servers.

       

Hardware:

These are the parts of a computer that you can see and touch, the case and everything inside it.  The hardware are the parts of the computer itself including the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and related microchips and micro-circuitry, keyboards, monitors, case and drives (hard, CD, DVD, solid-state (ssd), floppy, optical, tape, etc...) These are components that are directly attached to the computer for them to work. Inside the case is a tiny rectangular chip called the central processing unit (CPU), or microprocessor. It's the "brain" of your computer i.e it is the part that translates instructions and performs calculations

Hardware

The hardware are the parts of the computer itself including the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and related microchips and micro-circuitry, keyboards, monitors, case and drives (hard, CD, DVD, solid-state (ssd), floppy, optical, tape, etc...). Other extra parts called peripheral components or devices include mouse, printers, modems, scanners, cameras and cards (sound, colour, video) etc... Together they are often referred to as a personal computer.

Software

These are the instructions, or programs, that tell the hardware what to do. The program that you use to write letters on your computer is a type of software.

Operating System

The main program that manages all the other programs on the computer.  It stores all files and co-ordinates the use of computer hardware.  The operating system differs from one computer to another but well-known operating systems are Windows, Linux and Mac OS.  Windows is the most commonly used operating system and comes in different versions and languages.  Examples are Windows XP, Windows7, Windows 8, Windows 10, also Windows Chinese, French