Chapter 1: Hardware

You need to know:

• A computer follows a set of instructions (a program) to input, process, store and output data and information.
• Hardware is equipment, e.g. a PC and its component parts, e.g. a keyboard, monitor and mouse.
• Computers are desktop PCs, laptops, tablets, hand-held computers, games consoles, embedded computers,
mainframe computers or supercomputers.
• Input devices include the keyboard and pointing devices, e.g. a mouse or trackpad.
• Output devices include monitors, printers and speakers.

What is a computer?
A computer is an electronic machine that inputs data, processes it under the control of a stored program,
and outputs information. While the data is being processed, data can be retrieved from or saved on backing
storage.

Data is raw, unprocessed information. Information is data that people understand. In order to understand
data you may have
, have to interpret
in terpret it:

The number 30112012 is data that can be interpreted as: e

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• A date 30/11/2012 w
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A sum of mone
money
y $301,120.12
$301,120.12 a
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The interpreted data, that is
i s the date or the sum of money
money,, is the information. 1
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Input – data is entered into the computer. h
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Process – a computer is controlled by a program,
Data Program instructions
that is, a sequence of instructions.
instr uctions. It processes the input and data
input data automatically following these
instructions.

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Store – the program and data are stored, e.g. on a
hard disk, for later retrieval. Process

Data is retrieved
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Output – the computer communicates to the user,
or saved
e.g. it displays graphics on the screen.

Data output

Figure 1.1 Flow of data

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 Types of computer
Computers can be:

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PCs (personal computers) – a microcomputer for individual use.

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Mainframe computers – large computer, with huge processing power.

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Minicomputers – smaller version of a mainframe.

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Supercomputers – very large mainframe.

Different types of PC
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Desktop – has these basic components: monitor, keyboard, system unit and mouse.

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Laptop – a portable computer slightly larger than A4 size.

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Tablet (or pad) – a very small portable computer with a touch-sensitive screen and no keyboard.

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Notebook – a small laptop computer.

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Netbook – very small laptop optimised for Internet and email access.

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Hand-held computer, e.g. smart phone – fits into one hand and has a touch-sensitive screen. Can be
temporarily attached to a keyboard.

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Games console – a PC designed for playing games, e.g. Xbox. Has these features:

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Graphics displayed very quickly
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: • Internet connection for online games.
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Embedded computer – designed for and built into equipment to perform specialised functions, e.g. a
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Processors
A processor or microprocessor is built into a microchip that also has memory and other components built
into it. The microchip itself is often referred to as the ‘processor’. If there is more than one processor built
into the microchip, then the microchip is referred to as the ‘processor’ and processors built into it are
referred to as ‘ cores’.

An important feature of a processor is the speed at which it processes

instructions. If you have more and faster cores, with a larger on-board
cache, applications will run more quickly.

Here is a microprocessor description: Intel Core 2 Duo E8600 Processor

(3.33GHz, 1333MHz FSB, 6MB cache). This has two cores and their speed
is 3.33GHz. The front side bus (FSB) transfers data between the processor
and memory at a speed of 1333MHz. A 6MB cache of RAM memory is
built into the microprocessor.

Figure 1.2 An Intel Core 2 Duo

microprocessor

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The processor you need depends on what you are going to do. For occasional word processing and email, an
Intel Pentium Dual Core processor might be sufficient but for playing online multimedia games a faster Intel
Pentium Quad Core processor is needed.

Input and output devices

• The peripheral devices attached to a computer system are for input, output or storage.

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An input device is for putting in data to the computer.

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An output device displays information from the computer.

Input device Output device

Keyboard Monitor
Mouse Printer
Scanner Speakers and headphones

Input devices

Keyboards
A QWERTY keyboard is used with most PCs and laptops. To use a
keyboard efficiently, you need to know the layout and be able to touch-
type. Numeric keyboards only have keys to input numbers and special
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characters. An example of a numeric keypad is an automated teller
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machine (ATM), also known as a cashpoint. w
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Figure 1.3 An automated teller a
Pointing devices machine (ATM) or cashpoint showing H
the numeric keypad :
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Compared with a keyboard, pointing devices make it easier to point and r
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click but are harder to use to input text. t
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Mouse – an optical mouse detects movement using light but some do h
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this using a small rubber ball.

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Joystick – a lever that gives you similar control to a mouse. Joysticks
are built into game consoles, which are mainly used for input but may
have limited output, e.g. they vibrate.

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Tracker ball – like an upside-down ball mouse with the ball on the
top. Move the ball with your thumb.

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Trackpad – a pad below the space bar on a laptop. Move your fingers Figure 1.4 Graphics tablet and puck
across its surface and the pointer moves on the screen. being used to trace a drawing

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Graphics tablet – a flat rectangular pad 15 to 76 cm (6 to 30 inches)
wide. Move a stylus along its surface to produce line drawings. Mainly
used for computer-aided design.

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 Scanners
A scanner converts printed images on paper into electronic form:

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Hand-held scanner – reads the image while being dragged over it.

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Flatbed scanner – the image is laid flat on the scanner’s surface.

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Sheet-fed scanner – reads the image as the paper goes through the
sheet feeder.

Scanners may read only particular types of image, e.g. a bar code
scanner.
Figure 1.5 A bar code scanner

Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)

An OMR reader recognises a mark made on paper so there is no need to type in the data. The mark’s
position determines its meaning. Marks must be very clear, or they may not be recognised.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

OCR is used to input printed or handwritten characters without typing in the data. The characters are
converted to text that can be word processed. This text needs to be checked carefully as character recognition
is not always accurate.

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Magnetic ink character recognition (MICR)
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w MICR is used to input specially shaped characters printed in magnetic ink. Forms can be pre-printed with
rd data which can be read by a computer, but printing in magnetic ink is more expensive.
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1 OCR vs MICR
r TOP TIP
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t • OCR and MICR both read printed characters. When you describe the
p difference between two
a • OCR uses reflected light while MICR uses magnetic field patterns.
h technologies, each point you
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• OCR recognises handwriting and different types of printed text but make should mention both
MICR only recognises specially shaped characters. technologies.

Figure 1.6 MICR uses uniquely shaped characters printed in magnetic ink
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Magnetic stripe cards
• Information is stored on a magnetic stripe on a plastic card. The data recorded on the magnetic stripe
can be input directly into a computer. Stripe cards can be used to control access. A disadvantage of stripe
cards is that the data may be affected by electromagnetic radiation and data can also be copied or edited.

Smart cards
• A smart card is a plastic card with a microprocessor chip embedded in it.

• Bank and credit cards are usually smart cards, i.e. Chip and PIN (personal identification number) cards.

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They are used to pay for goods in shops and to withdraw cash at cashpoints. Cashpoints are specialised
computer terminals with a small screen, numeric keyboard and smart card reader.

• Oyster® cards are smart cards in widespread use in London to pay for travel. They are preloaded with cash
credits online.

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Smart cards can also be affected by electronic radiation and can be copied or edited but they are generally
more secure than data recorded on a magnetic stripe.

Digital cameras, digital video cameras and webcams

• A digital camera stores pictures on a memory card. These can be transferred to a computer or TV. Digital
cameras have a small LCD screen or traditional viewfinder. The camera forms pictures from a mass of very
small dots of different colours. Picture quality is related to the density of the dots.

• A digital video camera or camcorder records moving images with sound. Recordings can be saved on a e
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memory card or built-in hard disk, and input to a computer. w
A webcam is a digital video camera used to view a remote location over the Internet. This may be for rd
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security purposes, interest or communication. Recordings can be made. Simple webcams have a fixed H
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position but some webcams allow the user to turn them. 1
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Digital photos and videos can be: a
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• Saved on a computer, so backup is easier and more reliable. C

• Sent by email.
• Displayed on a wide variety of devices, such as smartphones and TV screens.
• Broadcast over the Internet, e.g. on-demand TV programmes.
Disadvantages:
• Users store more photos and longer videos so more backing storage is
needed.
• High-quality photos and videos can be very large files. Sent by email or
broadcast over the Internet they use more bandwidth and slow the network.

Biometric scanners
A biometric scanner reads a person’s unique physical characteristics to
identify them, e.g. face recognition. Biometric scanners can be used to
control entry to buildings and used in place of car keys. Although
identification is not entirely accurate, the use of biometric scanner s
Figure 1.7 A biometric scanner using
minimises the risk of fraud and theft. fingerprints
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 Sensors
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Sensors are used to input environmental data.

• Examples of uses include recording light intensity, pressure and temperature.

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Each sensor only detects one type of data.

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Sensors usually produce a low analogue voltage which must be converted to a digital signal for the
computer using an ADC (analogue-to-digital converter).

Sensors are used extensively for data logging and control as data can be continuously and reliably recorded
in a form that can be processed by a computer, e.g. in weather stations and robotics. They can be placed in
dangerous locations where people would be hurt and can record data that people do not sense accurately,
e.g. humidity. Data can be collected frequently over networks from sensors in remote locations.

Audio input devices and technologies

Computer input of sound has a variety of uses:

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A touch-tone telephone makes a different beep depending on the button pressed. On the other end of
the line, a computer inputs the beep and determines which button has been pressed. You may then listen
to a voice response from the computer.

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A microphone is used to input sound.

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Voice recognition software enables the computer to know who is talking but not what has been said.
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Speech recognition is often used for voice command systems. The speaker is identified and spoken
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rd Natural language processing uses speech recognition to interpret natural language, e.g. spoken
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H English. You could use natural language processing to dictate a letter or give instructions to a computer.
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1
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a • People speak to the computer and do not need to learn to operate a keyboard.
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Disadvantages:
• Voice and speech recognition software has to be trained to recognise each person’s speech. This can be a lengthy
process.
• Voice and speech recognition is not accurate because people pronounce words differently.

Remote control
Remote controls are used to control TVs and garage doors and
inaccessible or hidden devices. However, if the handset is lost or damaged,
the device may not be useable.

A remote control handset will

The remote control technology used in
often have two LEDs. One LED is the home is usually infrared. The
the infrared transmitter and the transmitter built into the handset sends
light from this is invisible. The out a coded pulse of infrared light when Figure 1.8 The LEDs built into a
other emits a visible light to remote handset
a button is pressed. A transmitter is often
reassure the user that the remote
a light-emitting diode (LED). A receiver
control is working.
built into the device being controlled inputs the code and passes it to a
6 microprocessor that carries out the command.
Output devices

Monitors
• Monitors or visual display units (VDUs) come in different styles with different screen resolutions, colour
quality and clarity.

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LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors have flat screens and are more compact than CRT (cathode ray tube)
monitors. They consume less power than CRTs.

• A monitor screen is made up of many dots (pixels or picture elements). The dots are so tiny you do not
usually see them. A screen has a resolution of 1280 by 1024 if there are 1280 dots across the screen,
and 1024 from top to bottom. Higher quality screens display more dots.

• The graphics card (or video card) is housed in the system unit and controls the screen display. Higher
quality cards have more colours and produce clearer graphics more quickly.

Touch screen
A touch screen is used for output and input. You touch the screen to control the computer. Touch screens
are mainly used with tablets and smartphones. There is no need for a keyboard but inputting text is slower.

Multimedia projector
A multimedia projector projects the image displayed on a computer screen onto a larger, separate screen,
which can be seen more clearly by a large audience. Interactive whiteboards are large, touch-sensitive
panels used as screens for multimedia projectors. This technology is used in school classrooms and at home e
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to watch movies and play computer games. w
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Printers a
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Printed output is called printout or hard copy. 1
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• An impact printer strikes through an inked ribbon onto paper. p
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• A non-impact printer uses a non-striking method to form the image on the paper. C

• Some dot-matrix printers are impact printers with a print head that is
a matrix of steel pins. The pins strike a carbon ribbon making patterns
of dots on the paper.

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Inkjet printers spray tiny dots of ink onto the paper. Inkjet printers
are non-impact dot matrix printers and are quieter. They produce high-
quality output in monochrome or colour.
Figure 1.9 Enlarged dot-matrix
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Laser printers are widely used but are more expensive to buy than printing produced by an inkjet printer
showing how the dots form characters
inkjet printers. Quality is excellent and they print quickly in
monochrome or colour.

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Thermal printers use heated wires to mark dots on the surface of a heat-sensitive paper.

Printers use different types of paper, for example:

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Single sheets of A4 paper.

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Continuous paper is perforated and can be easily separated into single pages.

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Pre-printed stationery has information on the paper before computer printing. For example, the name
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and address of the company.
 Print quality
• Printers use very small dots to produce text and pictures. A measure of print quality is the dpi (number
of dots per inch). The higher the dpi, the better the print quality.

Photo-printers
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Photo-printers are used to print digital photographs. A digital camera is connected to the printer or the
camera’s memory card is read in the printer. Pictures can be printed without using a computer.

Advantages of printers:
• A printout is useful if no computer is available.
Disadvantages:
• Printing is slow and expensive compared with electronic communications.
• Paper is bulky and deteriorates in storage.
• Printed materials are more difficult to access and distribute, e.g. digital photos can be emailed and viewed on a
multimedia projector.

Plotters
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r • A plotter draws lines on paper using coloured pens. A flatbed plotter holds the paper still while the
a pens move. Other plotters move the pens from left to right while the paper moves forwards and
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a design. Plotters are usually more expensive to buy and slower than printers, but much larger sheets
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Figure 1.10 An upright plotter

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Multi-function devices (MFD)
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MFDs combine a printer, scanner and communications link to function as a printer, scanner, photocopier
or fax machine. MFDs are much less expensive to buy than all the individual devices and use less space on
the desktop. It is cost effective to replace them more frequently with modern technology. However, if part
of the device is faulty, all the functions may be unavailable. If one function is being used, then the other
functions are unavailable for other users.

Speakers
Many computers have speakers . Headphones are two small speakers built into a headset. Sound is needed,
for example, to play music and for speech synthesis.

Sound cards
A sound card controls all input and output of audio. Audio input through a microphone and output
through speakers are usually analogue and the sound card handles their conversion into digital signals
processed by the computer. It also handles digital audio input, e.g. from multimedia applications.

Sound cards have features such as:

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Polyphony – plays more than one sound or voice independently at the same time.

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Output through one or more sound channels, e.g. mono, stereo (2 channels), or quadraphonic
(4 channels).

• Surround sound or 3D audio. e

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Improves the clarity of compressed audio files, e.g. mp3. w
Built-in memory for faster sound processing. rd
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Sound cards are built into or a
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USB, optical and other ports to connect to DVD recorders and other plugged into the motherboard of :
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a PC, or can be external devices r
devices.
that plug into a USB port. e
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MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) to connect to electronic p
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instruments. h
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Actuators
In control applications, computers make events happen using actuators, e.g. heaters and motors. A buzzer
is an actuator that, for example, warns when the microwave has cooked our dinner. Actuators can perform
physical tasks such as controlling a robot or operating a digger. This can be dangerous for people if their
presence is not detected by the computer.

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 Worked Example

A desktop PC is used for office work at an Estate Agent.

a) State one input device needed and explain why it is needed. TOP TIP
b) State one output device needed and explain why it is needed. Relate your answers to the
context, i.e. the Estate Agent.
c) The office is cramped and the manager purchases an MFD to replace
the photocopier.
i. Name three other hardware devices an MFD replaces.
ii. State one advantage and one disadvantage of purchasing the MFD.

Answers
a) There are several correct answers, e.g. a digital camera is used to take digital pictures of houses for sale to
upload to the Estate Agent’s website.
b) There are several correct answers, e.g. a colour printer is used to print details of houses for sale to be
given to customers.
c) i. Printer; scanner; fax machine.
ii. There are several correct answers. For example: Advantage: MFDs are more compact than the
individual devices replaced. Disadvantage: If the MFD breaks down this has more impact on office
work than if an individual device is not working.

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a Exam-Style Questions
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H A processor would use to:
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1 B input device a) Select from a menu. (1 mark)
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t C software b) Convert a page of printed text to a file that can
p be word processed. (1 mark)
a D output device (1 mark)
h 6. State whether each of the following is used for
C 2. Which of these devices is not used to control a
input or output or both. Explain your answers.
screen pointer?
a) Printer (2 marks)
A a mouse
b) Game console (2 marks)
B a trackpad
C a webcam 7. Smart phones have touch screens.
D a joystick (1 mark) a) Explain why a smart phone has a touch
screen. (1 mark)
3. Which type of computer is the most portable?
b) State two uses of a smart phone other than
A supercomputer making phone calls. (2 marks)
B desktop c) Explain why some smart phones connect to
C mainframe external keyboards. (1 mark)
D tablet (1 mark) 8. The resolution of a monitor screen is changed from
4. A biometric scanner controls access to a secure 1280x1024 to 800x600. State one change you
warehouse. One advantage is: would see on the screen display. (1 mark)
A No one can get into the warehouse 9. A student owns a desktop computer and a tablet
B No need to carry a swipe card computer. Explain why. (3 marks)
C Biometric scanners always recognise banned
users
D Identity theft is difficult (1 mark)
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