Hardware and Software

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Hardware and Software Required

There are two main types of components required for a system to work. These are:

  • Hardware – The parts of a computer that you can see and you can handle; the exterior components of the computer.
  • Software – The actual programs that allow the hardware to do a useful job.

Hardware

The main components of an ICT system include the following:

  • Input devices – these enable the data to enter the system. This could be through keyboard, scanner, digital camera, etc.
  • Central Processing Unit (CPU) – the brain of the computer. This part of the hardware stores and processes data. It has three parts: ALU (arithmetic and logic unit; it performs all the arithmetic and logic operations), the control unit, and the memory.
  • Backing storage – consists of the disk drives, tape drives, RW-CD (read/write compact disk), RW-DVD (read/write digital versatile disk), etc. used to store data when the power is switched off.

Software

Software is the general name for programs that can be run on computer hardware. There are two main categories of software: operating system software and applications software.

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Operating systems are programs that control the computer hardware directly. The operating system I am going to choose for the new system will be Windows XP.

Applications software is used to perform a specific task. Applications software varies from word-processing packages used to write letter, prepare reports, etc. to specialist applications packages used only within one industry.

The applications I will be choosing for the new system will be:

  • MS word – A word processing application. This will be used for word processing letters of confirmation, letters of payment, and mail merging letters.
  • MS access ...

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