Home computer systems can seem very complex, but there are a few things that are common to all of them. To qualify as a computer system, the system must have at least one of each of four components: Input devices, output devices, a processing device, and storage.
Input 1. All computer systems need to have input devices. There are different types of input devices, but this category includes anything that the individual uses to give instructions to the computer. Keyboards, mice, joysticks, mini-keyboards, trackballs, digital cameras, microphones and touch screens are all input devices. Every one of these devices converts the actions of the individual into electronic signals for the computer system to interpret and process. Output 2. To provide results to the individual using the computer system, each computer system must also have output devices. An output device is anything that the computer system uses to communicate information to the individual. Some output devices are monitors, speakers, printers, some joysticks, braille screen readers, plotters, film printers, head-mounted displays, holographic displays and routers. Some devices, such as touch-screen monitors, can be both input and and output devices. Processing 3. One of the things that makes computers so powerful and useful to people today is their processing. Thanks to processors, computer systems can execute many tasks much faster than humans. In home personal computer systems, the processing is done by a part called the central processing unit, or CPU. The higher the speed of your CPU, the faster your computer system will process information. Storage 4. If your computer system could not store information, it would not be very useful. Today's home computer systems come with numerous types of storage, both magnetic and electronic. All information is stored as a combination of ones and zeros. Examples of magnetic storage devices are floppy disks and hard drives . Examples of electronic storage devices are CD-ROMs, DVDs, memory sticks, flash cards in cameras, USB drives and optical drives. The Box 5. Inside the computer is a large board called a motherboard. This electronic circuit board acts as the central location to connect all the different components to one another and helps them communicate with one another. The box also serves as a place to plug in the various components of the computer system.
