BALIWAG POLYTECHNIC COLLEGE
Baliwag, Bulacan
CC101 – Introduction to Computing
First Semester | A.Y. 2021 – 2022
MODULE 7
Prepared by:
Marvic V. Ablaza, MM
Assistant Professor I
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INTRODUCTION
TO COMPUTING
Computer – Software
Memory Units | Data & Information
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LESSON 7
Computer Software
Software is a set of programs, which is designed to perform a well-defined
function. A program is a sequence of instructions written to solve a particular problem.
There are two types of software −
• System Software
• Application Software
System Software
The system software is a collection of programs designed to operate, control,
and extend the processing capabilities of the computer itself. System software is
generally prepared by the computer manufacturers. These software products comprise
of programs written in low-level languages, which interact with the hardware at a very
basic level. System software serves as the interface between the hardware and the
end users.
Some examples of system software are Operating System, Compilers, Interpreter,
Assemblers, etc.
Here is a list of some of the most prominent features of a system software −
• Close to the system
• Fast in speed
• Difficult to design
• Difficult to understand
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• Less interactive
• Smaller in size
• Difficult to manipulate
• Generally written in low-level language
Application Software
Application software products are designed to satisfy a particular need of a
particular environment. All software applications prepared in the computer lab can
come under the category of Application software.
Application software may consist of a single program, such as Microsoft's
notepad for writing and editing a simple text. It may also consist of a collection of
programs, often called a software package, which work together to accomplish a task,
such as a spreadsheet package.
Examples of Application software are the following −
• Payroll Software
• Student Record Software
• Inventory Management Software
• Income Tax Software
• Railways Reservation Software
• Microsoft Office Suite Software
• Microsoft Word
• Microsoft Excel
• Microsoft PowerPoint
Features of application software are as follows −
• Close to the user
• Easy to design
• More interactive
• Slow in speed
• Generally written in high-level language
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• Easy to understand
• Easy to manipulate and use
• Bigger in size and requires large storage space
MEMORY UNITS
Memory unit is the amount of data that can be stored in the storage unit. This
storage capacity is expressed in terms of Bytes.
The following table explains the main memory storage units −
Unit & Description
Bit (Binary Digit)
1 A binary digit is logical 0 and 1 representing a passive or an active state of a component
in an electric circuit.
Nibble
2
A group of 4 bits is called nibble.
Byte
3 A group of 8 bits is called byte. A byte is the smallest unit, which can represent a data
item or a character.
Word
A computer word, like a byte, is a group of fixed number of bits processed as a unit,
which varies from computer to computer but is fixed for each computer.
4
The length of a computer word is called word-size or word length. It may be as small as
8 bits or may be as long as 96 bits. A computer stores the information in the form of
computer words.
The following table lists some higher storage units −
Unit & Description
Kilobyte (KB)
1
1 KB = 1024 Bytes
Megabyte (MB)
2
1 MB = 1024 KB
GigaByte (GB)
3
1 GB = 1024 MB
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TeraByte (TB)
4
1 TB = 1024 GB
PetaByte (PB)
5
1 PB = 1024 TB
DATA AND INFORMATION
Data can be defined as a representation of facts, concepts, or instructions in a
formalized manner, which should be suitable for communication, interpretation, or
processing by human or electronic machine.
Data is represented with the help of characters such as alphabets (A-Z, a-z), digits (0-
9) or special characters (+,-,/,*,<,>,= etc.)
What is Information?
Information is organized or classified data, which has some meaningful values
for the receiver. Information is the processed data on which decisions and actions are
based.
For the decision to be meaningful, the processed data must qualify for the following
characteristics −
• Timely − Information should be available when required.
• Accuracy − Information should be accurate.
• Completeness − Information should be complete.
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Data Processing Cycle
Data processing is the re-structuring or re-ordering of data by people or machine to
increase their usefulness and add values for a particular purpose. Data processing
consists of the following basic steps - input, processing, and output. These three steps
constitute the data processing cycle.
• Input − In this step, the input data is prepared in some convenient form for
processing. The form will depend on the processing machine. For example,
when electronic computers are used, the input data can be recorded on any one
of the several types of input medium, such as magnetic disks, tapes, and so on.
• Processing − In this step, the input data is changed to produce data in a more
useful form. For example, pay-checks can be calculated from the time cards, or
a summary of sales for the month can be calculated from the sales orders.
• Output − At this stage, the result of the proceeding processing step is
collected. The particular form of the output data depends on the use of the
data. For example, output data may be pay-checks for employees.
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WHAT HAVE I LEARNED?
Instruction: Answer each question concisely.
1. What is the main difference of a system software and application software?
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2. Explain with specific example the difference between a data and an information.
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3. Convert the following:
a. How many kilobyte (kb) is 5 gigabyte (gb)?
b. How many megabyte (mb) is 32 gigabyte (gb)?
c. How many kilobyte (kb) is 1024 megabyte (mb)?
ASSIGNMENT
1. Discussed the computer number system below.
a. Binary
b. Decimal
c. Octal
d. Hexadecimal
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