igcse ict revision notes
IGCSE ICT Revision
What is Hardware?
Hardware is the physical parts of the computer system – the parts that you can touch and see. A motherboard, a CPU, a keyboard and a monitor are all items of hardware
What is Software?
Software is a collection of instructions that can be ‘run’ on a computer. These instructions tell the computer what to do. Software is not a physical thing (but it can of course be stored on a physical medium such as a CD-ROM), it is just a bunch of codes. An operating system such as Windows XP or Mac OS X, applications such as Microsoft Word, and the instructions that control a robot are all examples of software.
The Difference Between Hardware and Software?
Computer hardware is the physical components that make up the computer system. Hardware is useless without software to run on it. Software is instructions that tell computer hardware what to do. Software is useless unless there is hardware to run it on. For a computer system to be useful it has to consist of both hardware and software.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The CPU is the 'brain' of the computer. It is the device that carries out software instructions. The Pentium processor made by Intel is an example of a CPU.CPUs usually plug into a large socket on the main circuit board (the motherboard) of a computer. They get very hot when they are operating so usually have a large fan attached to their top to keep them cool.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Random Access Memory (RAM) is the part of the computer that temporarily stores the instructions that the computer is running, and the data it is processing. RAM is a volatile storage device. This means that if the computer’s power is turned off the contents of RAM disappear and are lost. RAM, like the CPU, also plugs in to sockets on the motherboard. When a computer is in use, its RAM will contain
Read-Only Memory (ROM)
Read-Only Memory (ROM) is used in most computers to hold a small, special piece of software:
What is Hardware?
Hardware is the physical parts of the computer system – the parts that you can touch and see. A motherboard, a CPU, a keyboard and a monitor are all items of hardware
What is Software?
Software is a collection of instructions that can be ‘run’ on a computer. These instructions tell the computer what to do. Software is not a physical thing (but it can of course be stored on a physical medium such as a CD-ROM), it is just a bunch of codes. An operating system such as Windows XP or Mac OS X, applications such as Microsoft Word, and the instructions that control a robot are all examples of software.
The Difference Between Hardware and Software?
Computer hardware is the physical components that make up the computer system. Hardware is useless without software to run on it. Software is instructions that tell computer hardware what to do. Software is useless unless there is hardware to run it on. For a computer system to be useful it has to consist of both hardware and software.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The CPU is the 'brain' of the computer. It is the device that carries out software instructions. The Pentium processor made by Intel is an example of a CPU.CPUs usually plug into a large socket on the main circuit board (the motherboard) of a computer. They get very hot when they are operating so usually have a large fan attached to their top to keep them cool.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
Random Access Memory (RAM) is the part of the computer that temporarily stores the instructions that the computer is running, and the data it is processing. RAM is a volatile storage device. This means that if the computer’s power is turned off the contents of RAM disappear and are lost. RAM, like the CPU, also plugs in to sockets on the motherboard. When a computer is in use, its RAM will contain
Read-Only Memory (ROM)
Read-Only Memory (ROM) is used in most computers to hold a small, special piece of software: