What is a computer system

2. A computer system

A computer system takes a set of digital inputs, processes them and creates a set of outputs. This is done by a combination of hardware and software.

In other words, you put some data into a computer (input), something happens to that data (processing) and then the computer puts out a result (output).

In order to do this, the computer needs instructions to tell it what to do. The instructions are provided by a program

The diagram below shows you the idea of a computer system in its most basic form

A laptop or desktop computer are examples of computer systems.

Smart phones would also be another example as they have input, output and secondary storage devices.