Ins and Outs of Computers Discover Computer Hardware Discover Computer Categories Produced by Amber Watkins, West Wendover Jr./Sr. High School Website: Click one of the two options above EXIT

Hardware? What is computer hardware? When we talk about computer hardware, we are talking about the actual physical mechanical, electric, and electronic parts of the computer. The hardware uses the instructions from the software to complete the four main operations in a computer. Software Main Operations

Computer Hardware Types A computer is a device that accepts input, processes data, stores data, and produces output. For each of the processes, there is a specific type of hardware that works to complete the task assigned. Lets discuss the four types of computer hardware: Input Processing Storage Output

Input Computer input is whatever is put into a computer system. Input is also means to feed information into a computer. Input can be supplied by a person, by the environment, or by another computer. Examples of input are words, pictures, audio, symbols in a document, numbers for a calculation, instructions for completing a process, signals from a microphone, etc.

Input Hardware Input hardware gathers and translates input into a form that the computer can process. Common types of input hardware include: Mouse Keyboard Touch Pad Joystick Microphone Touch Screen Scanners Infrared Port Camera Input

Processing Hardware Computers manipulate data in many ways, and we all this manipulation “processing”. Some of the ways a computer can process data include performing calculations, sorting lists of words or numbers, modifying documents and pictures, and drawing graphics. The common type of processing hardware includes: CPU or Central Processing Unit

Storage Hardware A computer must store data so it is available for processing. The places a computer puts data are referred to as storage. The place where the computer stores data depends on how the data is being used. Temporary storage (for data waiting to be processed) is the Memory or RAM cells Permanent storage (for long-term storage) is in the hard drive, CD-ROM, zip drive, or floppy disk. RAM

Random-Access Memory (RAM) Cells are hardware that will temporarily store information as electrical charges. The data is replaced continuously as it is processed. When the computer is turned off, all the data is erased.

Output Hardware Output hardware displays, prints, or transfers the results of processing from the computer memory. Output hardware help us get the information out of the computer. Common output hardware includes: Printers Monitors Speakers

Computer System A computer system includes a computer, peripheral devices, and software.

Software What is software? Software is the set of instructions or computer program that tells the computer how to perform a specific task. A computer without software is like a CD-player without a CD. The computer hardware acts as the CD-player and the software acts as the CD, together they perform a task, playing music.

Hardware Operations What are the four main operations of computer hardware? Computer hardware performs four main operations: Input of data Output of information Processing of data Storage of information

Computer History Computers have evolved through a long process of invention, correction, and improvement. The computers we have today are the result of many years of work. To see more about the development of the computer visit, online:

References Parsons & Oja, New Perspectives Computer Concepts Comprehensive, 3 rd Edition. Course Technology, ITP: San Francisco Carl Friend’s Minicomputer Museum, Cray Inc. IBM Inc. Dell Corporation The Computer History Center The Computer Museum EXIT

Categories of Computers Computers traditionally have been divided into four categories, based on their technology, function, physical size, cost and performance. There are basically four categories of computers: Microcomputers Minicomputers Mainframes Supercomputers

Microcomputers Microcomputers are also known as personal computers. These computers are usually found in homes and small businesses. The microcomputer you use might be a stand-alone unit, or it might be connected to other computers so you can share data and software with other users, over a network. A microcomputer usually carries out tasks for only one user at a time. Stand-Alone Network

Minicomputers Are somewhat larger than a microcomputer and can carry out the processing tasks for many users. If you use a minicomputer system, you use a terminal to input processing requests and view results. Minicomputer systems typically help small and medium-sized businesses perform specific tasks such as accounting payroll, and shipping. Terminal

Mainframes Mainframes are large, fast, and fairly expensive computers, generally used by businesses or government to provide central storage, processing, and management for large amounts of data. As with a minicomputer, one mainframe computer carries out processing tasks for multiple users who input data through a terminal. Mainframes generally have more than one processing unit.

Supercomputers Supercomputers are the fastest and most expensive type of computer. Supercomputers are used for tasks such as weather prediction, molecular modeling, code breaking, managing huge pools of information, completing data intensive tasks, etc. Many businesses use supercomputer technology to complete processes that would be lengthy.

Terminal A terminal is a device with a keyboard and a screen used for input and output, but not for processing. It may resemble a microcomputer because it has a keyboard and screen, but a terminal does not have any processing power of its own.

Stand-Alone Computer A stand-alone computer is a single computer that is not connected directly to a network. Most people use a stand-alone computer at home. Your computer may be connected to the Internet, but it does not rely on the network to get information, share between users, etc.

Network A network is a group of connected computers that allow users to share information. The Internet is the largest network in the world. Many businesses, schools, and government organizations use a network to connect users. Many times microcomputers are used as terminals for a network.