Computer

Computer

1. Hardware

   • Storage is essential to a computer for holding information and getting said information to the computer
     • RAM: Random Access Memory. RAM chips can remember what its users save and change to remember new information.
     • Computers use two types of memory: primary memory and secondary memory. Primary memory is the main memory (RAM). Secondary memory can be external devices like CD, floppy magnetic discs etc. Secondary storage cannot be directly accessed by the CPU.
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     • Computers use disks for storage: hard disks that are located inside the computer, and flash drives, DVDs or compact disks (CDs) that are used externally.
       • Disk Drives read information/data off of storage disks (DVDs). Disk Drives are named after storage disks as well (Blu-Ray, CD-ROM)
         • Some Disk Drives are a set of storage disks hidden in the computer they assist due to the fact that they aren't supposed to be removed from the computer and are called hard drives. Hard Drives are magnetic cylinders. Information users save on their computer goes here. Hard Drives spin at 15000 revolutions per minute, and are able to contain over 1000 GB of information (Terabyte)
           • Older computers used floppy disks. They held 1.44 MB of storage
     • ROM: Read Only Memory. Can save information but cannot change its mind. It holds information that is built into it. ROM is like a library book
       • ROM has its own operating system known as BIOS
   • Power Supplies supplyyyy power, or electricity to the computer. They take electricity and convert it into a current that works for the computer.
   • Found at the bottom of a desktop case or the side of a tower case, the motherboard is the largest circuit board and has many smaller boards plugged into it. It holds all of the most important parts of the computer. Motherboards are like the mother to all the other circuit boards.
     • On the motherboard, you will find several expansion cards. Each of these cards has a special purpose.
       • The sound card contains special circuits for operating the computer's sound.
       • The video card handles graphics that are displayed on the monitor. There are also expansion cards for other computer components including the drives and ports.
       • Inside a computer, expansion cards are connected to ports. Ports are little holes you plug hardware into (like a mouse, speaker, joystick, camera, ethernet port, printer, etc.)
       • Cables, long, flat bands that contain electrical wiring, connect these hardware to the expansion cables
   • All computers need to run on a network to work. The NIC, Network Interface Card, makes the computer able to access any computer network and manages the interaction between the computers and said network(s).
   • A Central Processing Unit: CPU, acts as the brain of a computer. It controls information by telling the other hardware devices what to do
   • When you turn on a computer, it needs something to actually wake it up and tell the computer the hardware devices it has and what they're roles are. BIOS (Basic Input Output System) does that

2. Input and Output

   • Input Devices give instructions to the computer. The most popular input devices are the keyboard and mouse. When you press a letter on the keyboard, the keyboard gives an instruction to the computer to create that letter.
   • Output Devices are given instructions from the computer and carry them out. The popularest output device is the monitor. The computer tells the monitor what to show and shows it
   • There are some devices that are both output and input, like touchscreens, webcams, and flash drives

3. Operating System or OS is a large program made up of many smaller programs that control how the CPU communicates with other hardware components. Additionally it eases computer navigation for users who don't know programming languages

   • Part of an operating system is built into ROM, permanent memory. The rest is in RAM
   • Different computers have different operating systems, and the most common one is Windows, created by Microsoft
     • Windows 10 has a GUI that utilizes graphics to help users navigate the computer system
     • When a user logs in/signs up into the Windows OS, they will see a desktop. A desktop is a background for all the computer programs and commands needed to access those programs. Basically, it's the entirety of the screen initially
       • A big portion of the desktop is the wallpaper. The wallpaper is a decorative graphic (image) that fills ~80% of the screen. At default, this graphic will either be blue, or blue with a logo/design. Think of it as the wallpaper for a home
       • Icons are by default found on the bottom and left side of the screen. Icons are tiny picture that will take users to certain programs or files if ran. To run a program/file with an icon, double-left click an icon or left-click an icon and press enter.
         • One of the most important icons on the desktop is My Computer, which accesses storage drives, printers, the Control Panel and other system applications.
         • The Recycle Bin is a vital icon for the Windows OS. It runs a program that allows users to delete files they don't want anymroe
       • Windows has a task bar that sits at the bottom of the screen. The task bar helps users access programs and files. Icons in the taskbar can be ran with one left-click. Task bars appear in many GUIs (Graphical User Interfaces) any they don't have to be at the bottom
       • If you were to look closely at the GUI, you would see a white window logo at the very bottom left corner. This is the start menu. When clicked, a menu with multiple options appears
   • Operating Systems are constantly being upgraded