Title: Hardware and Software

Page 1 of 4

Name: ___________________
Class: ___________________
Date: ___________________

QUESTIONS/SUMMARIES NOTES:
What is software?
Software is a program or an application that is installed
on a computer so the computer can be used to write
papers, make scrapbooks, design, presentations, create
web sites, or play games
What are the two
categories of software?

Categories of software

What are the categories of

system software?

Window
s

What are the functions of

an OS?

BasicfunctionsofOS
ProvideUI
Manageprocess
Manageresources
Managememory
Providesecurity

What are functions of utility

software?

Utilitysoftwares
Veryspecifictaskanddifferfromapplicationsinsizeand
complexity.E.g.

Title: Hardware and Software

Page 2 of 4

Name: ___________________
Class: ___________________
Date: ___________________

QUESTIONS/SUMMARIES NOTES:
What are the four
categories of hardware?
What does IPOS stand for?

CategoriesofHardware
TheIPOScycleistheprocessthecomputergoesthoughto
receiveinput,,processthedata,outputadisplayoftheresults
andstoragestoretheinformationforlateruse
InputRawandunreadabledata.Mouseclick,
keyboard,touchscreenetc
Processinganexecutingprogram.Takestherawdata
andmakesitmeaningfulturningthedatatoinformation
wecanread.
OutputInformation(meaningfuldata)thatis
convertedtomeaningfulisthenoutputtoascreen,
printed
StorageCanbetemporary(volatile)orpermanent
(nonvolatile).Primary(internal)storagesuchasRAM
orsecondary(internalorexternal)storagesuchasHDD.

Difference between primary

and secondary storage?
Primarystoragehasfasteraccesstimesandrunswhile
computerison.
Informationlostonrestart.
IncludedRAM,ROM(ROMcannotbelostor.

Secondarystorage
nonvolatilesoitiskeptuntilwedeleteoroverwriteit.
Itischeaper
EG.HDD,USB,CD

Main components of
hardware in a computer?

Outputdevices
Informationismeaningful
Eg.Printers,monitordisplay,projectrors,speakers.
Insidecomputer
MotherboardcircuitboardthatCPUispartof
CPUBrainofthecomputer

Title: Hardware and Software

Page 3 of 4

Name: ___________________
Class: ___________________
Date: ___________________

QUESTIONS/SUMMARIES NOTES:
What are expansions slots HeatsinkDrawsheatawayfromCPUandotherparts
for?
RAMStoresvolatileinformation
ROMContainsstartupsoftwareandBIOS
What is the purpose of the
Expansionslotsusedforconnectinggraphicscard,network
motherboard?
cardetc

Purpose of CPU

Purpose of RAM

Examples of expansion
cards?

Is HDD volatile?

MotherboardWhatdoesitdo?Holdsandconnectall
computercomponentsandallowsthemtocommunicateallows
powertoreachallcomponentsandholdsCPUWhatarethe5
basiccomponents?RAM,CPU,inputoutputslots(USB
Ethernetetc),expansionsslots,storagedeviceconnectors
(HDDs,opticaldrives)
CPUControlsflowofinformationbetweenothercomponents
ofcomputer.ContainsALU,controlunit,mainmemory,bus.
Busisthephysicalpathinformationiscarriedalong,
RAMRAMholdscurrentlyuseddata.Volatiledata.Clock
speedisthespeeditreadsandwritesdata.RAMmeasuredin
GB,DDR4,MHz.RAMaffectsharddrivespeedsandthe
runningtimeofanapplications.
ExpansioncardsTheyareelectriccircuitboardthataddsmore
functionalitytocomputer.Weneedthemtoaddpartsthatwill
performadditionalfunctiopns.PCIPeripheralcomponents
interconnects.Videocardsprocessandsendgraphical
information,soundscardeconomicalinputandoutputofsound.
Netweorkcardallowsaccesstoanetwork.Bluetoothallows
computertosendandreceiveviaBluetooth.
HDDdatastorage,nonvolatile.Storedonstackeddiscs
whichspinfastsothedatacanbeaccessedfromanywhereon
anydrive.Atastoredmagneticallysodataremainsafterpower
off.Defragclearsunusedspacesoharddrivecanuseitfor
storingnewdata.ExternalHDDallowmorestorage,backup,
mobilityandtransferbetweendevices.HDDcapacitymeasured

Title: Hardware and Software

Page 4 of 4
QUESTIONS/SUMMARIES NOTES:
ingb/tb.

Summary/Reflection:

Name: ___________________
Class: ___________________
Date: ___________________