Section 1

Hardware and software

• Define hardware as consisting of physical components of a computer system
• Identify internal hardware devices (e.g. processor, motherboards, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), video cards, sound cards and internal hard disk drives
• Identify external hardware devices and peripherals (such as monitorsm keyboards, mice, printers as input and output devices and external storage devices in general)
• Define software as programs for controlling the operation of a computer or processing of electronic data
• Identify the two types of software – applications software and system software
• Define applications software (e.g. word-processing, spreadsheet, database management systems, control software, measuring software, applets and apps, photo-editing software, video editing
• Define system software (e.g. compilers, linkers, device drivers, operating systems and utilities

The main components of computer systems

• Describe the central processing unit including its role
• Describe internal memory, i.e. ROM and RAM and the differences between them
• Define input and output devices and describe the difference between them
• Define secondary/backing storage

Operating systems

• Define and describe operating systems which contain a Command Line Interface (CLI)
• Define and describe operating systems which contain a Graphical User Interface (GUI)
• Describe the differences, including the benefits and drawbacks, between operating systems which contain a CLI and those which contain a GUI

Types of computer

• Describe the characteristics of a personal/desktop computer and its uses, both as a standalone and networked computer
• Describe the characteristics of a laptop computer and what it is used for, both as a standalone and networked computer
• Describe the characteristics of a tablet computer and what it is used for, including its ability to use wireless technology or 3G/4G technology
• Describe the computer characteristics of a smartphone and what it is used for in computing terms
• Describe the advantages and disadvantages of each type of computer (as above) in comparison with the others (as above)

Impact of emerging technologies

• Describe how emerging technologies are having an impact on everyday life (e.g. artificial intelligence, biometrics, vision enhancement, robotics, quantum cryptography, computer-assisted translation, 3D and holographic imaging, virtual reality)