What is Computer? Computer is the term that was originally given to person who performed numerical calculations using mechanical calculators such as the slide rule and abacus. Nowadays a computer is considered to be an electronic device that allows inputting data and having it stored, processed, or otherwise manipulated quickly and efficiently. Computers help make jobs that used to be complicated much simpler. For example, a user can easily write letters in a word processor and edit any portion of the letter anytime, spell check the letter, and move
Transcript
What is Computer?
Computer is the term that was originally given to person who performed
numerical calculations using mechanical calculators such as the slide rule and
abacus. Nowadays a computer is considered to be an electronic device that
allows inputting data and having it stored, processed, or otherwise
manipulated quickly and efficiently.
Computers help make jobs that used to be complicated much simpler. For
example, a user can easily write letters in a word processor and edit any
portion of the letter anytime, spell check the letter, and move text from
another document into the letter, etc. This is just one of the hundreds of
different things a computer is capable of doing.
The first computer was called the ENIAC, which was built during World War
II. Computers first utilized vacuum tubes and were very large (sometimes
room size) and only found in businesses, Universities, or governments. Later,
computers began utilizing transistors as well as smaller and cheaper parts that
allowed the common person to own their own computer.
i) Computer Architecture
It is the overall design and setup of the computer. This includes where each of
the connections and parts of the computer are to be placed, how each of
components operate with each other, dimensions, etc.
Today, most computers are often comprised with some or all of the below
components.
Bay Case or Chassis CD-ROM, CD-R,
and/or CD-RW CPU DVD Floppy disk drive Hard disk drive Keyboard Memory Microphone Monitor, LCD, or
other display device Motherboard Mouse Printer Sound card Speakers Video card
Input devices
An input device is a hardware device that sends information into the CPU.
Without any input devices a computer would simply be a display device and
not allow users to interact with it, much like a TV. Some of the computer input
devices are as follows
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Digital camera
Digital camera is a type of camera
that records and stores pictures or
videos. The main feature of
digital camera is the ability to
take dozens, sometimes hundreds
of different pictures.
Joystick
Joystick is an input which allows
an individual to easily navigate an
object in a game such as
navigating a plane in a flight
simulator.
Keyboard
One of the main input devices
used on a computer, a PC's
keyboard looks very similar to the
keyboards of electric typewriters,
with some additional keys.
Microphone
It is the hardware device that
allows computer users to input
audio into their computers.
Mouse
It is an input device that allows an
individual to have the ability to
perform various functions on
computer such as opening a
program or file.
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Scanner
It is a hardware input device that
allows a user to take an image
and/or text and convert it into a
digital file, allowing the computer
to read and/or display the scanned
object.
Web cam
It is a camera which is connected
to a computer to allow a person to
view other people, places, and
even events.
CPU and Storage Devices
CPU; also known as a processor or microprocessor; is short for Central
Processing Unit. It is responsible for handling all instructions and calculation
it receives from other hardware components in the computer and software
programs running on the computer.
The first CPU was manufactured
by INTEL in 1974. The adjacent
picture is on of the latest
processors.
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Motherboard
It is a circuit that is the
foundation of a computer and
allows the CPU, RAM, and all
other computer hardware
components to function with each
other.
Modem
It is a device that enables a
computer to transmit and receive
information over telephone lines.
A storage device is a hardware device designed to store information. There are
two types of storage devices used in computers; a 'primary storage' device and
a 'secondary storage' device. A primary storage device is the storage location
that holds memory for short periods of times. For example, computer RAM,
etc. A secondary storage device is the medium that holds information until it is
deleted or overwritten. For example, hard disks drive, etc. Here are few
examples of storage devices:
RAM
It is short for Random Access
Memory which is the main
memory of the system within a
computer. RAM requires power;
if power is lost, all data is also
lost.
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Diskette
It can record data as magnetized
spots on tracks on its surface.
Diskettes became popular along
with the personal computer
mainly to transport data.
Hard Drive
It is a rigid circular disk located
inside a computer. The term hard
disk is often used as an
abbreviation to hard disk drive.
Removable hard drive
It is a hard drive that can be
placed within a plastic or metal
cartridge that enables it to be
removed easily and placed into
other computers with similar
bays.
Zip drive
It is a data storage device similar
to the Standard 1.44" floppy drive
having capability to hold upto
100 MB or 250 MB of data.
Because they were cheap, they
became very popular in late
1990s.
CD-R, CD-RW
CD-R is short for CD-Recordable
and is a type of writable disc
capable of having information
written on it only once
CD-R/W is a drive and/or media
that is capable of being written
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many times.
Output Devices
These devices display and generate information that has been held or
generated within a computer. Some examples are shown below.
