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Computers and computer systems

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Computers and processors are ubiquitous in everyday life, and they're not only found in your PC. This free course, Computers and computer systems, introduces the different parts of a computer system and their use of binary code. Using the examples of kitchen scales, a digital camera and a computer artwork the course, with the help of flowcharts, discusses how computers process data and instructions. THIS COURSE WAS UPDATED ON 20/7/2018.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

  • understand what all the terms highlighted in bold in the text mean
  • understand the fundamental hardware components that make up a computer’s hardware and the role of each of these components
  • understand the difference between an operating system and an application program, and what each is used for in a computer
  • describe some examples of computers and state the effect that the use of computer technology has had on some common products
  • identify the principal components of a given computer system and draw a diagram after the style of Figures 6 and 12 to represent the data flows between them.

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