| A computer system is the synthesis of hardware and software. A typical computer system employs a computer that uses programmable devices to store, retrieve, and process data. [1] The personal computer or PC exemplifies one example of a computer system. An Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) is another example of a computer system. The Internet does NOT exemplify a computer system per se, but rather a network of computers. [2] Even the simplest computer classifies as a computer system, because at least two components (hardware and software) have to work together. But the real meaning of "computer system" comes with interconnection. Many computer systems can interconnect, that is, join to become a bigger system. Interconnecting computer systems can prove difficult due to incompatibilities. Sometimes these difficulties occur between differing hardware and sometimes between differing software. Designers of different computer systems do not necessarily aim to interconnect their creations with any other system. Technically knowledgable people can often configure disparate computers to communicate using a set of rules and constraints known as protocols. Protocols attempt to precisely define the communication within and between computing endpoints. If two computer systems define the same protocols, they may be capable of interconnecting and become a part of a larger system. |
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