Computer System - GCSE Computer Science Definition

What is a Computer system?

In GCSE Computer Science, a computer system is defined as a combination of hardware and software working together. Hardware refers to the physical components of a computer, like the monitor, keyboard, and processor, while software refers to the sets of instructions that tell the hardware what to do.

Think of it like baking a cake. You need ingredients like flour, sugar, and eggs (hardware) and a recipe with step-by-step instructions (software). Without the ingredients, you have nothing to bake, and without the recipe, you wouldn't know what to do with them.

In a computer, the hardware includes things you can touch, like:

• Input devices: Keyboard, mouse, microphone (how you give the computer instructions)

• Output devices: Monitor, printer, speakers (how the computer shows you results)

• Processing and storage: CPU, RAM, hard drive (the "brain" and "memory" of the computer)

The software is the set of instructions that tells the hardware what to do, like:

• Operating system: Windows, macOS (controls the overall system)

• Applications: Web browsers, word processors (perform specific tasks)