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3 Components of a Computer System: Hardware, Software, and Brainware

Computers are electronic devices that are commonly used to support various user activities, from doing office work, schoolwork, entertainment, games, and so on. The presence of computers in today's modern era may have become commonplace. However, did you know that there are actually three main components of a computer system, namely hardware, software, and brainware. Each of the three components of the computer system has a different role, but is able to create a unified computer system.

To find out the function of each of the three components of the computer system, consider the following description, as compiled by KompasTekno from the Baktikomifo page, Wednesday (8/9/2021).

Hardware / Hardware

Hardware is hardware that has a physical form. Hardware can be operated directly and serves as a liaison between the user and the computer system.
Some examples of hardware components include mouse, keyboard, monitor, RAM, and many more.

In fact, hardware is still divided into four parts, namely input devices, output devices, processing devices, and storage devices. The four components have their respective roles and functions:

Input device / Input Device
Input devices are hardware devices that function to enter commands and data into a computer system. It can be said that the input device is the gateway for data entry which will later be processed by the computer system.

The data that has been entered will then be converted into binary code so that it can be read by the computer's main memory. Examples of input devices are keyboards, mice, webcams, and scanners. Input devices are hardware devices that function to enter commands and data into a computer system. It can be said that the input device is the gateway for data entry which will later be processed by the computer system. The data that has been entered will then be converted into binary code so that it can be read by the computer's main memory. Examples of input devices are keyboards, mice, webcams, and scanners.

Processing device / Processing Device

The data that has been entered through the input device will then be processed in the processing device section. This is because the processing tool itself is a tool that plays a role in processing data.
This process is specifically carried out by the Central Processing Unit (CPU) or also known as the brain of a computer system.

The CPU is in charge of receiving and executing data and commands to the software section. Some of the CPU components include the processor, RAM, VGA card, hard disk, motherboard and cooling fan.

Output device / Output device
After going through the processing device, the processed data will then be issued and displayed to the user. The data can be in the form of images, videos, and audio (voice).

This process will take place in the output device section and will be output through the monitor, printer, headphones, speakers, webcam, and microphone.

Storage device / Storage device
When processing data on a computer, it is not uncommon for users to save the data so that it can be opened and processed again at a later date.

Well, the storage process takes place on a storage device or storage device. There are two types of storage devices, namely internal storage and external storage.

Internal storage is part of the storage attached to the CPU and consists of the hard disk and RAM. Meanwhile, external storage itself refers to a type of storage that can be removed and is not tied to a computer hardware system.

This type of storage is fairly practical because it can be carried anywhere and used on various computer devices. Some examples of external storage are external hard disks, CDs, DVDs, and flash drives.

Software / Software

Software or software is a component that has no form, alias is invisible.
This type of device consists of a program that is tasked with processing data that has been entered into the hardware.
The software is further divided into three distinct sections, namely:
system software
Software application
Additional software

System software is software whose job is to manage the components on the computer as a whole. This component includes operating systems (OS) such as Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows 7, Linux, macOS and so on.

Application software is a series of application programs that can be used by users to complete a particular task. It can be said that application software is a complementary program on a computer that is used as a means of processing data.

Some examples of application software are web browsers (Chrome, Mozilla Firefox), Microsoft Office, games and many more.

Additional software itself includes a set of programs that are capable of performing special or additional tasks while protecting the hardware. Examples of add-on software include data recovery, disk defragmenters, screensavers, and backups.

Brainware
The term brainware may very rarely be mentioned in the components of a computer system. However, the existence of this component cannot be separated from the unity of the computer system.

In contrast to hardware and software, brainware is a factor that comes from computer equipment. In this case, the term brainware refers to computer users. Because it is actually the user who has the authority to run and operate the computer. Without users, computers cannot operate optimally.

Examples of brainware include programmers, system analysts, operators and administrators