Transcript The Hard Drive Continued…

Bits & Bytes
• Bytes are units of storage
• A byte is the smallest unit of storage that can
be accessed in a computer's memory
• It holds eight bits – eight binary digits
And there's more…
• Brontobyte (BB): 1024 Yottabytes – 27
more 0's than a YB
• Geobyte:
1024 brontobytes
• Saganbyte:
1024 geobytes
A Computer is…
Just an electronic device
that is given instructions
to process and store
information.
Where it is cleverer
than us is in the way
it can process huge
amounts of info.
quickly & stores it
indefinitely
Did you know?
• Abacus – 1st computer
• If the increase in car speed had developed to
the same extent as computers, you would be
able to drive from Sydney to Perth in around
13 seconds!
A Computer Requires:
• Hardware: Physical Parts that you can touch
• Software: Programs
Physical - Hardware
Monitor
Printer
System Unit Input
Output
Output
Keyboard
Input
Mouse
Input
• The System Unit is the main part of
the computer
• The motherboard sits inside, either at
the bottom or side of the case
• It is the main
circuit board of
the computer &
contains all the
components
The Motherboard
Hundreds of different types of
motherboards
AGP slot (Accelerated
Graphics Port)
Ports: USB, mouse,
keyboard, LAN, etc.
PCI slots
(for extension cards)
CPU
Socket
ROM
Bios
Battery
Sata
hard
drive connector
Northbridge
RAM (memory) slots
Power connector
The Motherboard: CPU
• CPU – Central Processing Unit
• The brain of the computer
The first CPU: 1972
• Processes all computer tasks & activities
• The faster the chip, the faster the processing time
CPU: Central Processing Unit or Processor
• CPU on motherboard with
heatsink – fan to keep it
cool
• When you take the fan off it
looks like this (right)
Take a look at your own CPU
• Click the start button > Right click "Computer" >
Properties > look at processor – e.g. 2.66 GHz
• 3.8 GHz (Quad Core) is fast
But 3.9 Six-Core
is faster!
RAM: Random Access Memory
• Ram memory enables the computer hardware
to interact with the computer software
• Without memory, you would not be able to use
the computer
The slots at the
bottom have to
match the slots on
the motherboard.
RAM: Random Access Memory Cont…
• The hard disk loads everything into RAM when
you turn your computer on
• This ensures data can be reached quickly by
the CPU
Here you can see
that the CPU is
situated near the
RAM
RAM: Continued…
• RAM never runs out of memory
• It keeps operating, but more slowly
• System's short-term memory
• The data only stays in RAM
while your computer is running
RAM: Random Access Memory Cont…
• When you turn the computer off, RAM loses
its data
• If you're working on
a document, you'll
need to save it to
avoid losing it
• When you save a file, the data is written to the
hard drive, which acts as long-term storage
The Hard Drive
• Equivalent of a filing cabinet in an office
Stores all your
data, programs,
files & documents
that are not being
used
Where is The Hard Drive?
Attaches here
DVD Drive
Hard drive
The Hard Drive Continued…
• Data Centre of the computer
• All your software is stored here as well as your
documents & files
• long-term storage, which means the data is still
saved even if you turn the computer off or
unplug it
The Hard Drive Continued…
• You run a program or open a file
• Some of the data is copied from the hard drive
into the RAM so that it can access the data more
easily
• When you save a file, the data is copied back to
the hard drive
The Hard Drive Continued…
• The faster the hard drive is, the faster your
computer can start up & load programs
The Bios
• Built-in software that is placed in a ROM chip
• Comes with the computer
• Contains instructions that don't need to be
changed:
• Calculate math's functions
• Calculates all the code needed to control the:
keyboard, screen, disk drives & programming
that allows your computer to be "booted up"
every time you turn it on
Where is The Bios?
• ROM Bios
The BIOS V RAM Memory
• Differs from RAM as the data in ROM is not
lost when computer power is turned off
• Kept going by a
small long-life
battery in your
motherboard
Expansion Slots – allow flexibility
• Expansion slots are attached to the motherboard
• Used to connect devices such as network cards &
sound cards to the computer
PCI slots
(for extension
cards)
The most
common slots
used in PC’s
today
AGP slot
(accelerated
graphics
port)
Usually
brown
in colour
Expansion Cards
• A circuit board that you can add to an expansion
slot in your motherboard
• Adds functionality to your computer
Network
Card
Graphics
card
Graphics Card
You can add a new graphics card to the
motherboard to give computer more 3D
graphics processing power
Graphics card with its
own fan for keeping it
cool
NIC – Network Interface Card
• Allows you to connect
up to the Internet
Sound Cards
• You can add a better sound
card to increase computer's
audio input & output
Peripheral Devices
• Any external device attached to a computer
Ports on the Motherboard
• Ports at the back of the computer in which the
connections for the peripheral devices plug into.
Ports Continued…
• A port is a type of electronic docking point or
outlet through which a plug or cable connects
• This allows information to flow from a program
on your computer or to your computer from the
internet
VGA port
(Video Graphics Array):
Monitor, now being
replaced with DVI
• Ports can be male or female
DVI (Digital Video Interface):
Used for video with newer
monitors
The Monitor
• Displays images
produced by the
computer operator
• Or generated by the
program displayed
on the screen
Output Device
• Connects to the
back of the system
unit into a port
The Keyboard
• Input Device – enables you to enter information
into an application i.e. Microsoft Word
• Can have different keys depending on
manufacturer & operating system designed for
Control keys
Function keys
Numeric
keypad
Typing keys
The Mouse: Wired
• Device that is rolled on the
desktop to move the cursor
or activate something on the
screen
• Enables you to open & close
devices or windows & to
make sections
Input Device
USB
Wireless Mice -
Turn your mouse over
• A ball on the bottom of the mouse
translates the device's movements
to sensors within the mouse & then
through the connecting port to the
computer
• Most mice today use a USB
connector to attach to your
computer.
• Older mice have a PS/2 type
connector
The Mouse: Laser
• Introduced in late 1999
• Uses a tiny camera to take
thousands of pictures every
second
• Able to work on almost any
surface without a mouse pad
• Uses a small LED that bounces
light off that surface onto a
CMOS sensor
The Printer
• Output Device
• Allows you make a print out of computer data
onto paper
Scanner and
Photocopier
• Wireless inkjet printer
• Designed for home & small office use
USB (Universal Serial Bus) Hub
• A type of connection used to connect
peripherals & external devices to a computer
• Standard way to connect
• Present standard is USB 2.0
• Provides enough bandwidth for
multimedia & storage
applications
Software
• There are two types of software:
• System Software
• Application Software
• System software
includes your
computer's operating
system
Application Software
• A computer program that performs a particular
function or task for the user i.e. Word Processor
• Can be downloaded or purchased
• Microsoft Office
• MYOB
• Adobe Photoshop
System Software - The Operating System (O/S)
• The O/S makes things work. It controls the
hardware and other software programs to enable
you to do your tasks.
• Without it, nothing would happen!
How the Operating System Works
• There are many different programs running at
the same time, and they all need to access your
computer's CPU, memory, and storage.
• The S/S coordinates all of this to make sure that
each program gets what it needs
The Windows, OS X and Linux logos
www.gcflearnfree.org/computerbasics/2.2
How the Operating System Works
• Modern O/S use a Graphical User Interface
• Known as GUI (pronounced "gooey")
• You use the
mouse to click
on icons, buttons,
& menus
• Everything is clearly displayed on the screen using
a combination of graphics and text
Microsoft Windows
• Created O/S in the mid-1980s
• Over the years - many different versions of Windows
• Presently we are using Windows 7 (released in 2009)
• Several different editions:
• Home Premium
• Professional
• Ultimate
These are called "Icons"
Other Operating Systems
• Mac OS X: 6.3% of the O/S market
(June 2011, StatCounter Global Stats)
• Windows: Over 90%
• One reason for this
is that Apple
computers tend to
be more expensive
• However, many people prefer the look and feel of
Mac OS X (now Lion)
• Linnux: 1%
• Free
• Open Source
How's this for computer use?!
•
http://www.videobash.com/photo_show/computer-bbq-22695
Photographs of computer equipment by Nadia Hilton © The State
of Queensland (Department of Education & Training) 9 April 2011