Calera High School Dawn Bone Basic Computer Calera High School Dawn Bone

Hardware vs Software Hardware – the physical parts of the computer Software – the electronic instructions that tell the computer what to do

Types of Software Application software – lets you accomplish specific tasks Examples – Word, Excel, Print Shop Operating system – sets rules for how computer hardware and application software work together Examples – Windows XP, Windows 7, Unix

How Computers Work Input Process Storage Output

Input Input device – computer hardware that accepts data and instructions from the user Examples Keyboard Mouse Joystick Microphone Scanner

Output Output device – A hardware component that returns processed data to the user. Examples Monitor Printer Speakers

Process Processing – the procedure that transforms raw data into useful information CPU – Central Processing Unit – the brains of the computer; processes instructions, performs calculations and manages the flow of information Examples AMD Intel Core

Storage Storage – the portion of the computer that holds data or programs while they are not being used Examples Hard drive Floppy disk CD-ROM Servers DVD

Types of Cases Desktop Case – sits on a desk, under a monitor Tower case – sits on the floor

Inside the computer Power supply – changes normal household electricity into electricity that a computer can use Motherboard – main circuit board of a computer CPU – main chip in the computer Expansion card – a circuit board that plugs into expansion slot, lets you add new features to a computer Hard drive – the primary storage device Secondary Storage devices – CD-ROM drive, floppy drive Memory chips

Outside the computer Ports – a socket at the back of a computer where you plug in an external device Serial port – usually connects a modem or mouse Parallel port – usually connects a printer USB port – usually connects a digital camera or scanner Other specific ports Keyboard port Mouse port Monitor port Speakers port

Memory Random Access Memory – RAM temporarily stores data inside a computer Read Only Memory – ROM What determines the amount of programs you can read at one time? RAM What type of “memory” is on a cd? ROM

Measuring Memory Measuring memory Byte – one character Kilobyte – one thousand characters Megabyte – one million characters Gigabyte – one billion characters Terabyte – one trillion characters

CPU Factors that determine the performance of a CPU Manufacturer – who makes them Examples: Intel, AMD Generation Examples: Intel Core, Intel Core 2 Speed – measured in megahertz or gigahertz, the faster, the better Examples: 400 MHz, 1 GHz