Fundamentals of Computer systems

Computer - An electronic, programmable data processing machine.

System - A collection of hardware and software that works together to achieve a data processing task.

Systems recieve INPUTS, they PROCESS them and OUTPUT the results.

Importance of computer systems - They can lead to improved quality in manufacturing, Faster access to information Faster/better ways of communicating and therfore leading to better business designs,Quicker, more informed descision making

Examples of systems

Car Engine Managment - takes in temperature, speed then processes then outputs data to the engine or to a screen forthe driver.

Holiday booking system - takes in dates, destinations, processes then outputs itineries, tickets and availability.

General-purpose systems -Personal computers, smartphones etc.. designed to be able to do a wide variety of tasks.

Dedicated systems -These are specially produced to perform a single task or set of tasks, eg. A ticket machine at a train.

Control systems - These are not for humans to communicate with, they are for controlling machinery, and are important in manufacturing.

Embedded systems -This is usually a control system but it is within another product such as a dishwasher or traffic lights. They can be very simple such as a timer or very complex such as an avionic system in an aircraft.

Expert systems -These are designed to behave like a human and are used for tasks such as finding faults within a system or suggesting a purchase to a consumer.

Management information systems -These are used within companies to collect data and produce a report so that management can make informed decisions.