● Hardware:​ the physical components of a computer

● Software:​ the data and programs within a computer

● Components of Hardware:
○ Processor
○ Main memory
○ Secondary memory
○ Input devices
○ Output devices
● BUS:​ a group of wires on the main circuit board of the computer
○ Connected through a ​controller
● Processor/CPU:​ an electronic device about a one inch square, covered in plastic.
○ Contains smaller silicon squares with millions of electrical parts
○ Does the fundamental computing within the system
○ Directly or indirectly controls all the other components
● Main memory:​ volatile, loses info when power is removed
○ Where programs and data are kept when the processor is actively using them
○ Fast, expensive, low capacity, works directly w/ processor
● Secondary memory:​ nonvolatile, retains info when power is removed
○ Where programs are kept on a long-term basis
○ Slow, cheap, large capacity, indirectly connected to processor
● Input device:​ used to bring data into the system
● Output device:​ used to send data out of the system
● Application program:​ programs that ppl use to get their work done
○ ex./ word processors, game programs, spreadsheets, etc.
● Operating system:​ most important, coordinate the operation of the hardware and
software components of the computer system
○ Responsible for starting applications, running them, and managing the
resources they need
○ ex./ windows, mac os, linux, etc.
● Network: ​consist of 2 or more computers connected so that they can exchange data
and programs
○ Programs and data can be on the hard disk of another computer on the
network
● Local-Area Network (LAN): ​only a few dozen computers connected
○ Usually located within one building
● Wide-Area Network (WAN):​ can connect thousands of computers over great
distances
● Internet:​ consists of many networks that have been connected together to create the
world-wide web
● Hyperlink:​ connects one web page to another
● Digital: ​uses definite digits
● Binary: ​“two states”, a single binary device can be in just one of two states
● Bit: ​a single on/off value
● Why computers use binary:
○ Binary devices are simple and easy to build
○ Binary symbols are unambiguous
○ Flawless copies can be made
○ Anything can be represented with some sort of pattern can be represented
with patterns of bits
● Discrete signal:​ it has definite states, usually more than two
● Analog signal:​ may continuously change in value
○ Values can be anything within a range of values
● Clock speed:​ used to describe processor chips, measured in Hertz
● Characteristics of main memory:​ closely connected to processor; stored data are
easily changed; low capacity, etc.
● Characteristics of secondary memory:​ used for long-term storage; stored data are
easily changed; large capacity, etc.
● Byte: ​an eight bit group
○ Enough memory to hold a single character
● Address:​ used to locate each unique byte
● Hard disk:​ records bytes on a magnetic surface
● File: ​a collection of information that has been given a name and is stored in
secondary memory
● Machine instruction:​ consists of several bytes in a memory that tell the processor to
perform one machine operation
● Loop: ​a group of machine instructions executed repeatedly
● High-level programming language:​ can create a program using powerful
operations which will later be converted into many little machine operations
○ ex./ Java, C, C++, etc.
● Source program:​ a text file that contains instructions written in a high-level language
○ Cannot be executed by processor without additional steps
● Software portability:​ the idea of using one source file for executable programs that
run on different processors
● Interpreter:​ executable program that runs directly on the processor
○ Reads through a source program written in high-level language and performs
instructions
● Virtual machine:​ ​software program or operating system that not only exhibits the
behavior of a separate computer, but is also capable of performing tasks such as
running applications and programs like a separate computer