Types of Hardware
System Unit
The
"System unit" is the name given to the main PC box which houses the
various elements which go together to make up the PC. Within the System
unit is the computer system's motherboard, which contains all the main
components, such as the CPU. The system unit also houses items such as
the hard disc, the floppy disc and the CD ROM drives etc. System units
come in two types, the tower version, or a desktop version, which is
designed to sit on your desk with your monitor on top of the system
unit.Motherboard
The
Motherboard is contained inside your system unit and all the vital
computer systems plug directly into the motherboard. The CPU is normally
housed on your motherboard along with all other electronic components.
Other items such as the hard disc are attached to the system board,
either directly or via cables. These boards are getting smaller and
smaller as the components become more integrated. If you open up a
modern system you will find that it is mainly full of air.
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Hard Disk
The
hard disk is typically the fastest and largest in terms of data, for
example 40 -80 GB storage device in a PC. It is the main storage device
and is found inside the System Unit.
ROM BIOS
The "Read Only Memory Basic Input Output System" chip is a chip located on the computer's motherboard, which contains software. This software performs a variety of tasks. When you first switch on the computer the ROM-BIOS software performs a self-diagnostic to check that the computer is working ok. This software then loads your operating system from the disk into the RAM.Input Devices
These are some of the main items used for inputting data into a computer.
The Mouse
The mouse came into common use on a PC with the introduction of the Microsoft Windows operating system. the operating system (DOS) would normally be controlled via the keyboard. These days you need to be a competent mouse user. There are many different types of mouse; the newer types have a small wheel on it which when combined with the correct software allows you fine control over the use of your software.The Keyboard
The keyboard is the most common way of entering data into the computer. a number of different types. The quality of the keyboard is an important consideration when buying a computer; it should be robust and easy to use.Tracker Balls
A tracker ball is an alternative to the traditional mouse and is favoured by graphic designers. give much finer control over the movement of the items on the screen. They may take a bit of getting used to, but they offer a greater flexibility.Scanners
With a scanner you can scan printed material and convert it into a file format which may be used within the PC. scan pictures and then manipulate these inside the PC using a graphics application. You can scan printed text which can be manipulated and edited within your word processor. There are a number of specialist programmes called OCR (Optical Character Recognition) programmes which are specifically designed for converting printed text into editable text within your applications.Touch Pads
A touch pad is a desktop device and responds to pressure. conjunction with a special pen they can be used by graphic artists wishing to create original, digital artwork.Light Pens
A light pen is used to allow users to point to areas on the screen and is often used to select menu choices.Joysticks
Many games require a joystick to play the game. any different types, but it may be worth investing in a good quality one that is strong to withstand the rough treatment it will get from the kids while they are playing the games and one that can respond to movement in three axis directions.Microphones
It takes an awful lot of CPU processing power to convert the spoken word into text which appears on screen. allow you to talk to a PC and see text appear on screen. Though not perfect this is a key technology of the future.Web Cams
You can now use a small digital movie camera (a web cam) mounted on the PC monitor to allow two way communication involving not just text communication, but sound and video as well. yet considered to be a standard piece of PC kit, it probably soon will be.Digital Cameras
A digital camera is used in the same way as a traditional camera, but instead of storing images on rolls of film which have to be developed, the images are stored digitally in memory housed within the camera. are easily transferred to your computer, and can then be manipulated within any graphics programmes installed on your PC.
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CPU
The
CPU (Central Processing Unit) is normally an Intel Pentium (or
equivalent) and it is one of the most important components within your
computer. It determines how fast your computer will run and is measured
by its MHz or GHz speed. Thus, a 2 GHz Pentium is much faster than say a
1GHz Pentium CPU. It is the CPU which performs all the calculations
within the computer, when running programmes such as word processors,
spreadsheets and databases.
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RAM
The
RAM (Random Access Memory) inside your computer is where the operating
system is loaded when you switch on your computer and also where your
applications are copied to when you start an application, such as a word
processor or database programme. When you create data, (e.g. letters
and pictures), these are initially created and held in RAM and then
copied to disk when you save the data. So obviously the more RAM you
have installed in your computer, the better. These days you will
regularly find over 128 Megabytes of RAM installed.
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Output Devices
These are the most common output devices for displaying the results of processing carried out by the computer
The VDU (Computer Monitor or Screen)
The VDU (Visual Display Unit) is the computer screen used for outputting information in a way that we can understand. The computer works in binary code (a series of on/off impulses).FLAT SCREEN MONITORS
Traditional computer monitors are based on the same technology which is used within a television screen. More recently flat screen monitors have become available. These take up less room on the desk and use less energy than the traditional more bulky monitors.SCREEN SIZE
Be aware that the screen size that is quoted for the monitors is not the vertical or horizontal size, but it is the diagonal measurement across the screen. When buying a monitor you should ask for the visible viewing area of the screen.GRAPHICS FOR GAMES
Many games require advanced graphics cards to be installed within your computer to make them run. They contain their own CPU which is dedicated purely to displaying the graphics on your screen. Recent PCs usually have this capability built in.LASER PRINTER
Laser printers produce high quality at high speed. They are called laser printers because of the fact that they contain a small laser within them.COLOUR LASER PRINTERS
Originally, most laser printers would only print in black and white (mono). More recently colour printers have dropped in price and are in more common use. Many of these produce excellent results, but you should be aware of the fact that the cost per page especially if you are using a lot of colour on a page can be very high compared to that of printing in black and white.INKJET PRINTERS
Inkjet printers work by using tiny jets to spray ink onto the paper. They produce a quality comparable to that of laser printers and are very quiet in use, though laser printers are still faster. Inkjet printers are ideal for use where speed is not a high priority, such as a small office or the home.DOT MATRIX PRINTERS
Dot Matrix printers work by firing a row of pins through an ink ribbon onto the paper. The more pins the print head has the higher the quality of the print, most modern printers have 24 pins. Unfortunately, these printers can be very noisy and dont produce a very good quality of print especially when printing graphics. As a result, the inkjet printer has largely replaced the dot matrix printer.PRINTER MEMORY
Most printers have their own memory chips. If you are printing large graphics, pictures for example and you want the best quality output from your printer then you should consider adding more memory for your printer. This can speed up the rate of at which you can print pages.PLOTTERS
A plotter is a device similar to a printer, but normally allows you to print larger images. They are used widely in the design and research sector.SPEAKERS
Most computers have the facility to add a pair of speakers to the system unit, in some cases the monitor may have speakers built directly into the unit.
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