Cheap Computer Contest

Hardware The physical components of a computer system. Examples: Motherboard, DVD Burner, RAM CPU, and etc.

Software Computer programs; instructions that make hardware work. Example: Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, AppleWorks Question: Is an Operating System software?

Keyboard-Standard

Keyboard-Ergonomic

Keyboard A hardware unit with a set of switches that resembles a typewriter keyboard and that conveys information from a user to a computer or data communications circuit.

Mouse Left Click Right Click Scroll Ball

Mouse A common pointing device. The basic features of a mouse are a flat-bottomed casing designed to be gripped by one hand, one or more buttons on the top, a multidirectional detection device

Monitor-Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) Display device that uses a cathode-ray tube to produce a picture

Monitor-Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) an electronic display that consists of segments of a liquid crystal whose color varies according to the voltage applied to them

Housing the System  Computer Case  Power supply

Case Houses the hardware Creates good air flow to keep hardware cool Creates a mounting point for hardware Protects hardware from outside interference

Power Supply  Converts 120volts AC into –12 volts DC Runs Fan, DVD rom, CD rom, hard drive, Motherboard –5 volts DC Mouse –3.3 volts DC Runs the RAM

Backbone of the Computer System  Motherboard  Central Processing Unit (CPU) –CPU FAN and Heat Sink  Random Access Memory (RAM)

Motherboard  The Motherboard allows all the components in the computer system to interact with one another

 This Hardware component is the brain of the computer system –The CPU device that interprets and executes instructions  The CPU produces as much heat as a 100 watt light bulb Central Processing Unit (CPU)

CPU Fan with Heat sink  Used to Pull the heat away from the CPU and keeping the CPU temperature at 95 Fahrenheit

Random Access Memory (RAM)  Also Known as MEMORY-PC  Allows for information to be written to and read instantly  You DO NOT want to buy the cheapest brand –Three Good Brands Kingston PONY Samsung

PCI and AGP Cards  Network Adaptor  Sound Card  Video Card

Video Card  Connected to the AGP slot on the motherboard  Designed to generate output for the system's video display screen

Network adaptor  Connected to a PCI slot on the motherboard  Allows you to access the internet  Can transfer 10/100mbps of data

Sound Card  Connected to a PCI slot on the motherboard  Designed to produce or reproduce sound

Storage Devices USB Flash Drive DVD+/-RW Hard drive

USB Flash Drive Storage device that is inserted into a computers USB port Data is stored in flash memory Data is stored and read electronically

DVD burner Stores up to 4.5 gigabytes of data on DVD media Uses a laser to burn an image onto DVD or CD One DVD =7CDs One CD = Floppy disks

Hard Drive (EIDE)  The faster the Hard Drive spins the faster you will be able to access the Data stored on it  7200rpms is a speed to look for

Operating System The purpose of an operating system is: – to organize and control hardware and software so that the device it runs on, ßbehaves in a flexible but predictable way. Graphical User Interface (GUI) –GUIs display visual elements such as icons and windows

Operating System C hoices Windows NT Linux Unix OPENSUSE