At times it surprises me when some people operates a machine and claim it operates very well when they do not even know of the machine’s components. It is pertinent to know of the components of a particular device and their functions so as to be able to identify and troubleshoot in case of the system problem. And so, in this part of the article “Part 4” on ‘Computer Appreciation for Beginners’, I wish to let you know of the four major components of a computer system.
The five major components of the computer system are:
Hardware Components: The Hardware is classified as the physical parts of the system, which can be seen, feel, touch and carry about. All the hard components of a computer, whether internal or external are classified as the hardware. Examples: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, System unit, Disk drives etc.
Software Components: This is said to be the programs found in the computer system. The software is divided into two parts: System Software and Application Software. The System software is the program from the manufacturers that enable the computer to function effectively. They are the operating systems such as Windows 9x, 2000, XP, Linux etc., which the computer uses for its own manipulations. The application software or packages are programs like Microsoft office, CorelDraw, PageMaker, AutoCAD etc. designed to aid our day-to-day activities or transactions. I hope to provide you with practical steps on how to use these application packages as we move along in this powerful article on Computer Appreciation.
Firmware: These are programs or information burnt up in the ROM (Read Only Memory), which are said to be nonvolatile (that is, cannot be altered or change when there is a power failure). They are sets of instructions the computer follows to enhance its activities.
Human ware: Human ware components of the system are simply the computer users or operators. So you and I as well form the sub-component of a computer system. The Microcomputer as we all know can not function alone without humans.
Life ware: This is referred to as the electricity that gives the computer power to function. It is believed that the desktop computer cannot function in the absence of light except for portable systems such as Laptops, Notebook, etc. that can alternatively use batteries in the absence of light.