A computer is a device that accepts inputs, does processing and displays the output.
How a computer functions
- It accepts data or instructions as inputs
- It stores data or instructions
- It processes data and converts it to information.
- It generates the output
- It controls all the above steps.
Components of Computer
- Hardware
- Software
Hardware
Computer hardware refers to physical components of a computer, that is anything you can touch. This includes peripherals, which are anything that is attached to the computer. The hardware part of a computer is grouped into three categories:
- Input devices
- Output devices
- Central processing unit (CPU)
Input devices
These are devices that are used to feed data into a computer. Examples are; mouse, keyboard, camera, webcam, scanner, microphone, bar code reader (used in supermarkets), touch screens, and so forth.
Output devices
These are devices that are used to display the output after data is processed. Examples are; monitor, speakers, earphones, printer, projector and so on.
Central Processing Unit
This is the part that acts as the brain of the computer. It is also called system unit. It has three components:
- Arithmetic Logic unit, which carries out calculations
- Control unit, that controls how the computer functions
- Registers, that stores data and instruction that are being acted on by the computer. This is a temporary storage.
