Trackpad Pro Ver. 5.0 Class 3: WINDOWS 11 & MS OFFICE 2021

CHAPTER 1

HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE

Happy Birthday, Aadya!

Guess what is your birthday gift this year? A brand-new computer!

Yay! I always wanted a computer. Thank you, Papa!

I am very excited to unpack the box!

Now that you’re done checking all the hardware of the computer, you must also check all the software that has been installed on it.

Papa, I have heard about hardware and software but I always wonder what actually a hardware and a software is.

That’s not a big problem. I will explain the terms to you and also how a computer works with their help.

We all know that machines make our work faster and easier. Different types of machines are designed to perform different types of tasks. Some machines are used to do only one type of task. For example:

A washing machine is used to wash clothes.

A music system is used to play music.

Whereas, a computer is used to do multiple tasks. For example:

Search information

Send emails

Play games

Play music

Store information

Solve mathematical problems

Features of a Computer

A computer has many unique features that make it a wonder machine. Some features are given below:

Speed: It does calculations at a very high speed.

Accuracy: It performs calculations without making any mistake. However, we can get incorrect output if inaccurate data is fed into the computer.

Versatility: It performs various types of jobs at the same time.

Memory: It stores huge amounts of data and information that can be retrieved quickly and easily when needed.

WORKING OF A COMPUTER

As we have discussed earlier, a computer can do a lot of things. Let us understand how a computer works.

A computer works in three steps: Input → Process → Output (IPO). This is also called the IPO cycle.

Input

We enter data and instructions into the computer which is called input. The devices which are used to send input to a computer are called input devices.

Process

A computer works on data (input) to produce meaningful information with the help of processing device known as the CPU (Central Processing Unit). This conversion of data into information is called processing. CPU is also called the brain of a computer.

output

The result received after processing is called output. The devices which are used to display the results are called output devices.

Parts of a COMPUTER

The computer system is made up of two parts—Hardware and Software. Let’s learn about hardware and software in detail.

HARDWARE

The term ‘hardware’ refers to the parts of a computer that we can see and touch. In other words, hardware are the tangible parts of a computer system.

The Hardware devices are classified into four categories:

INPUT DEVICES

The hardware devices that are used to give inputs in the form of words, pictures, sounds, etc., to a computer are called input devices. Some of the most commonly used input devices are:

Keyboard

Keyboard: A keyboard is an input device used to give input to the computer by typing numbers, letters and special characters.

Mouse

Mouse: A mouse is an input device. We can send instructions to the computer by clicking on its buttons. It is also used to select objects and draw pictures on the screen.

Joystick

Joystick: A joystick is an input device used for playing games.

Webcam

Webcam: A webcam is an input device used to capture pictures or videos in digital form.