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INTRODUCTION
Computers have moved the human race forward.
The processing of complex calculations get easier
and easier as the power of computing grows
exponentially through the years. A computer in
the fifties would take some time to do complex
calculations but today, any desktop computer can
rapidly process calculations faster than the best
computers in the past decade. There is a bright
future in the world of computing so fasten your
seatbelts and prepare for one wild ride!
msn.encarta.com, Shown below is the Electronic
Numerical Integrator And Computer which is also
popularly known as the ENIAC. This computer was
the first fully electronic digital computer. It was first
introduced at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946
and was used until 1955. You can check out more
historical computers at the online Encarta
encyclopedia.
www.hp.com, Shown below is a desktop computer.
Almost every household has a desktop computer. It
is used for word processing, computing, and even
gaming. Desktop computers are very affordable and
are very useful. Not having a desktop computer in
your home is like not having a cooking stove or
television set. A desktop computer is treated like
any necessary household accessory. You can take a
look at many good desktop computers at the Hewlett
Packard website.
PERSONAL
COMPUTER
The personal computer is a state of the art
equipment created by geniuses all around the world.
Without it, the human race will certainly be
handicapped in terms of productivity and creative
genius. Learning about the personal computer is
definitely an important endeavor to pursue.
WHAT IS A PERSONAL
COMPUTER
A personal computer is basically a computer that is
used for personal tasks like word processing,
spreadsheet applications, surfing the internet, and
gaming. The PC is one of the most powerful tools in
your household today. Without a personal computer
in your household, you are basically paralyzed in
terms of technology. How will you type up your
memos? How will you send emails to other people?
that the internet is way faster than your daily
newspaper! In some countries, citizens do not even
bother to buy newspaper anymore. They simply read
the latest news on the web and they are
fine already.
WHAT ARE THE
DIFFERENT BRANDS OF PERSONAL
COMPUTERS?
There are many different kinds of personal
computers in the market today. The most popular
brands of personal computers are HP, Dell,
Lenovo, Fujitsu, and Acer. There are many more
brands out there including the brandless ones. The
brandless ones are commonly referred to PC
clones. Sometimes even unknown brands are
referred to PC clones. Strictly speaking, a Macintosh
is also a PC because it still has a monitor, a
processor, input devices, etcetera (more on parts of
the computer in the next section). There are several
debates going on about the pros and cons of a
Macintosh versus a PC but at the end of the day,
they are still the same.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES
OF PERSONAL COMPUTERS?
The most popular type of personal computer is the
desktop computer. A desktop computer is a personal
computer that is big enough to occupy an ample
amount of space on your desk. It may come with a
slim monitor and speakers. For those that do not like
sitting around and are always on the go, the laptop
is more appropriate. A laptop computer is a personal
computer that you can carry around. Laptops are
usually more expensive than desktop computers. A
smaller laptop is a palmtop. You can actually fit
these mini sized computers in your pocket. Strictly
speaking, anything which processes data is
considered a computer so technically, your iPod,
mobile phone, and maybe even your digital watch
are all personal computers!
www.lenovo.com, the Lenovo laptops are one of
the best laptops in the market today. If you want to
carry around a laptop that is fashionable and that is
functional at the same time then you should
certainly get yourself a Lenovo laptop today .
BASIC PARTS OF A
PC
All of the parts of the personal computer are going to
be discussed in detail in the later chapters but for
now, it would be good if you get an idea of all the
basic parts that personal computers share in
common. First, all computers process some form of
data or information. This means that all computers
have a processor. Second, computers have output
devices like monitors and speakers which tell the
user what is happening at any given time. Third,
computers have input devices like keyboards and
mouses that are used to give commands to the
computer. Fourth, computers have storage. Storage
can come in the form of disk drives or chips. Fifth,
computers have a motherboard that connects all
these aforementioned devices together. Sixth, in
computers that are connected or wired, there is a
communication device installed like a modem
or WiFi.
THE VON NEUMANN
ARCHITECTURE
Computers that follow the Processor-Memory-Input-
Output model are considered to be Von Neumann.
John Von Neumann is the scientist who came up
with this architecture and his model is still widely
used today. Are there other computer architecture
models out there? Yes, there are other models like
parallel architecture and sequential architecture
but studying them at this point will simply confuse
you. Right now, it is best to stick to the most basic,
most popular, and most effective computer hardware
architecture today. One of the reasons why the PC
and the Macintosh are considered to be the same
thing is because they both follow the Von Neumann
architecture. Think about your mobile phone now.
Does it follow the Von Neumann architecture or not?
In the Von Neumann Architecture, the Logic Unit and
the Control Unit are parts of the Processor (You will
learn more about this in the next chapter). The
Memory is your storage. The Input and Output are
your devices.
PROCESSORS
CPU AND ITS
OPERATION
THE CENTRAL PROCESSING UNIT
OR THE CPU
The central processing unit or the CPU is where all
the complex calculations are made. A processor is
given instructions and then executes the said
instructions to come out with results. Programs are
used to give instructions to the processor. Think of
the central processing unit as the brain of the whole
computer. Instructions are given to it, they are
processed, and then finally, an output or a result is
produced. Without the central processing unit, the
whole computer is rendered useless. A human being
without a brain is practically useless too.
www.intel.com, The Intel Core 2 Duo is one of the
fastest processors in the market today. If you would
like to have blistering speed on your computer then
you should certainly have one of these processors .
THE OPERATION OF THE CPU
The CPU operates in a very systematic way. The first
step in the operation of a CPU is fetching. During this
stage, programs are retrieved from the memory. The
second step in the operation of a CPU is decoding.
Once programs are retrieved from memory, they are
broken down into manageable pieces. Decoding is
the process of breaking down programs into
manageable pieces. The third step in the operation
of a CPU is execution. In this stage, the processor
actually processes the data, makes calculations, and
churns out a result. The last step in the operation of
a CPU is the writeback stage. During the writeback
stage, the results churned out by the processor are
written onto a memory block. After the result is
stored into memory, the CPU fetches another
program from the memory. Almost all processors
operating in a computer that have a Von Neumann
architecture follow the Fetch-Decode-Execute-
Writeback cycle.
CPU PARTS AND
EVOLUTION
PARTS OF THE CPU
One of the main parts of the CPU is the transistor.
Transistors are used for opening and closing
circuits. Transistors are semiconductors that are
capable of changing their electric state when pulsed.
Resistors are used for resisting the flow of electric
current. Capacitors hold an electric charge. With
innovations in microprocessor production, several disaster to have a processor and a motherboard that
transistors have been combined in a single do not fit together.
integrated circuit, also known as an IC. Another main
part of the CPU is the bus. This is the part of the CPU
that interacts with memory. The third part of the
processor is the arithmetic logic unit or the ALU. The
ALU is where all the arithmetic calculations are
made. The fourth part of the processor is the logic
unit. This is used for logic operations of the Boolean
type. Boolean data comes in the form of True or
False, 1 or 0, respectively.

EVOLUTION OF THE PROCESSOR

Before the high tech processors of Intel and AMD hit

the markets today, processors went through many
stages. Before the transistors were used, processor
manufacturers relied on vacuum tubes and electrical
relays to open and close circuits. When transistors
were already being used, they evolved into
integrated circuits or ICs. ICs are a combination of
several transistors. ICs are put on a chip. From
processors, microprocessors evolved. More and more
ICs were able to be put on a single chip. According
to Gordon Moore, one of the co-founders of Intel, the
number of transistors on a single chip doubles every
two years. So far, his predictions are correct. What
does this mean for the future of microprocessors?
Processing power will approximately double every
two years! Two years from now, one high end
computer can do the job of two high end computers
today.
www.asus.com, shown above is the motherboard
www.intel.com, according to Intel co-founder that is ideal for the Intel Core 2 Duo processor. Asus
Gordon Moore, transistors on a computer chip will manufacturers high quality, high performance
double every two years. motherboards. You can certainly count on them
when it comes to your motherboard needs.

MOTHERBOARDS
A motherboard is a circuit board that connects all the
main components of a computer. The processors,
memory chips, optical devices input/output devices
are all attached to the motherboard. The
motherboard is referred to as the mobo on Macintosh
computers.
WHAT ARE THE BRANDS OF
MOTHERBOARDS AVAILABLE
TODAY?
There are several brands of motherboards available
in the market today. To name a few, there is Asus,
Gigabyte, and Abit. Sometimes, you might have a
hard time looking for great motherboards because it
is very difficult to determine if a motherboard is high
quality simply by looking at it. If you are shopping
for a good motherboard then you should read
reviews on sites and ask around first. Always make
sure that the motherboard that you purchase also
matches the processor that you own. It would be a
PARTS OF
MOTHERBOARD
A socket is the part of the motherboard where you
put the microprocessor. Most motherboards have
one socket for a processor but you should not be
surprised when you see motherboards with two or
more sockets for a processor. The motherboard clock
is the part of the motherboard which synchronizes
the various components attached to the
motherboard. The memory slots are used to attach
the optional RAM chips or Random Access Memory
chips. Aside from the optional memory slots, the
motherboard also has mandatory memory for the
system BIOS. There is a chipset on the motherboard
that manages the buses. These buses are used for
memory management. A motherboard also supplies
power to the components attached to it. Modern
motherboards have pre-installed heat sinks that will
prevent overheating.
www.asus.com, shown above is the cooling fan for
an Intel Core Duo 2 processor attached to an Asus
motherboard. Having a cooling fan installed on your
computer is certainly a good idea. You wouldn't want
to keep changing your processor every now and
then, right?
There are more slots on the motherboard that are
meant for integrated peripherals. You can install a
CD-ROM drive or a DVD drive if you want. You can
attach a 5.1 Sound Surround or a Dolby Digital
sound card to your computer. You can attach a 64-
bit video card if you want. There are also USB ports
for flash drives and other plug and play
devices. Motherboards usually have four USB ports
but do not be surprised if you see six or more. There
are slots on the motherboard for infrared
devices. Finally, there are slots for network adaptors.
You can attach a modem or any other network
adaptor you think is best for your communication
needs.
MEMORY AND
STORAGE
There are several types of memory in a computer.
The most basic of memory types is the RAM or
Random Access Memory. RAM takes the form of
several transistors in an integrated circuit or IC. Data
can be accessed in any order, hence the
term random. RAM comes in the form of chips that
are inserted into the memory slots on the
motherboard.
Universal Serial Bus drives or USB drives are also a
way where information can be stored in your
computer. USB drives are also known as flash drives
or memory drives. All you have to do to access,
write, and manipulate the data on the drive is to
simply plug it in one of the USB ports on the
motherboard. Flash drives have memory capacities
from several megabytes to several gigabytes.
Discs are also great ways to store information. The
most important of all the disks in a computer is the
hard disk or the hard drive. Some may even call it
the hard disk drive or the HDD. Normally, hard
drives are not supposed to be removed from the
motherboard but recent external hard drives have
made it to the market already. The operating system
of a computer is normally installed on the primary
hard drive of the computer. If you are running on
Windows, Mac O/S, Linux, or whatever operating
system you have out there, the operating system is
likely to be installed in the hard drive. The hard disk
is made up of several rotating platters that have
magnetic surfaces. Information is written, erased, or
manipulated through these magnetic platters.
www.seagate.com, one of the best hard disk
manufacturers of today is Seagate. Shown above is
an inside look on one of their hard disks. You can
see the rotating magnetic platters .
A popular type of disk that has made its way to
homes is the DVD. DVD stands for digital versatile
disc or digital video disc. They have a diameter of
4.72 inches, just like a normal CD, but DVDs are
recorded at a much higher density. DVDs come in
several types. A general purpose DVD is a DVD-ROM.
A DVD that is used specifically for video is a DVD-
Video. A DVD that is used specifically for audio is a
DVD-audio.
The more primitive and less costly version of the
DVD is the CD. CD stands for Compact Disc. It is also
4.72 inches in diameter like the DVD. The only
drawback of the CD is that it stores much less data
than a DVD. Data is less dense on a CD than on a
DVD. CDs are still widely used nowadays but they
will sooner or later be phased out when DVDs
become much cheaper.
Floppy drives are worth mentioning here since
sometimes you may see one once in awhile. They
are close to being obsolete since they hold only a
limited amount of data. They can only hold up to one
and a half megabytes. The only upside of the floppy
disk is its durability. Even if you drop it, nothing
much will happen to it. If you have data on a floppy
disk, the only things that you should avoid are
magnetic items since the disk inside the floppy disk
is magnetic in nature. Exposing it to magnets will
simply corrupt the data.
The amount of memory that you need will vary on
the type of user you are. What are your interests?
What are your requirements? For example, if you are
a person who travels a lot then you might want to
get your hands on a flash drive. Flash drives are very
useful for people on the go because all you have to
do is upload your data onto it instantly and download
the data somewhere else in a jiffy. If you want to
store large amounts of data then you should get
the flash drives that have high memory. It is
sometimes worth spending a couple more dollars for
a few more gigabytes.
The selection of your hard drive is critical to the
operation of your computer. If you are going to store
music on your computer, play games, and download
movies then you certainly need a hard drive with
more than a hundred gigabytes. If one movie is
around one gigabyte and a music album is around a
hundred megabytes then you should know what kind
of storage capacity you need. If you are going to get
a computer merely for processing word documents
then ten gigabyte hard drives are fine.
You should take your RAM requirements seriously
too. If you have a powerful processor but insufficient
RAM then you will not be able to maximize the power
of your processor. For Windows users, you will notice
that your programs are loading slower than usual,
your games are flickering, and your movies appear
choppy. You should have enough RAM if you want to
make the most out of your computer.
Should you buy a CD at a cheap price or should you
pay a little more for a DVD? If you are going to play
music in your car then buying CD blanks is fine but if
you intend to put movies onto a disc then the DVD is
the best choice. DVDs can hold huge information.
You will use two Video CDs or VCDs for one DVD
when putting movies on a disc.
www.verbatim.com, Verbatim is a company that
has been manufacturing optical and magnetic discs
ever since. Shown above is one of their DVD blanks.
You can put any kind of data on a Verbatim DVD. If
you are planning to burn a movie then you should
certainly consider getting DVD blanks as opposed to
CD blanks.
POINTING AND
TEXT INPUTS
POINTING INPUT
A mouse is an input device used to point to objects
on the computer. The mouse has a ball inside it that
rolls around a flat surface. The flat surface
represents the area in the display pane. If you move
your mouse to the upper left hand corner of the flat
surface, the pointer on the display screen will move
to the upper left hand corner too. The mouse mimics
the movements you make with your hand. A mouse
usually has two click buttons. You use the buttons to
select objects on display.
A trackball is an input device used to point to objects
on the computer too. The different thing about the
trackball is that it is like an upside down mouse.
Instead of the ball being placed underneath the
pointing device, it is put above the pointing
device. Instead of moving the pointing device, you
only move the ball, hence the name trackball. If you
move the ball to towards the upper
right direction then the pointer will move to the
upper right hand corner of the screen.
A sensor pad is an input device that is common on
portable personal computers or laptops. The sensor
pad mimics the movements that are made on it,
hence the name sensor. It senses the movements of
the fingers and mimics it on the screen. If you move
your fingers from left to right on the sensor pad then
the pointer on the screen will move from left to right.
TEXT INPUT
A keyboard is the standard for inputting
alphanumeric characters on a computer. The twenty
six letters of the alphabet and the ten numbers are
mandatory on any keyboard. Even mobile phones
have a way of displaying all these alphanumeric
characters. The other symbols are obtained using
shift keys. There are also function keys on a
keyboard that act as hot keys for certain actions.
The caps lock, space bar, back space, enter, control,
alternate, delete, page up, page down, home, end,
insert, print screen, escape, and the cursor keys are
also common on most keyboards.
www.a4tech.com, A4 Tech is a leading
manufacturer for pointing and text input devices.
Shown above is their wireless keyboard and mouse
package. Enjoy typing and pointing on the screen
without the hassles of wires .
MULTIMEDIA
INPUTS
VIDEO INPUT
Aside from external video devices like camcorders,
the webcam is one of the ways where the computer
gets direct display input from the user. A webcam is
basically a video camera attached to your computer.
Prices for webcams are very competitive. You can
get a great webcam for around thirty dollars in the
market today. Webcams are used for video
conferences, chatting, and video blogging. As long as
you have software like Yahoo Messenger, Windows
Live Messenger, and Skype, you can make the most
out of your webcam.
SOUND INPUT
The microphone is the standard sound input device.
The microphone on a personal computer is no
different from a normal microphone. Microphones
are also very cheap in the market today. You can get
a good microphone for around twenty dollars.
Microphones are great for VOIP software. VOIP
software of Voice Over Internet Protocol software
allows people to have conversations through the
internet. Instead of paying several dollars on long
distance calls, people can have voice conversations
over the internet for free! Having a microphone on
your computer is a great asset. Tell your foreign
friends about VOIP software and say goodbye to
your long distance phone bills!
GAMING INPUT DEVICES
There are many gaming input devices out there.
Depending on the game, an appropriate input device
is available in the market. For flying games, there
are joysticks that are available. You can easily
simulate the movements on a fighter jet using a
joystick. Some games are better played using a
gamepad. Gamepads like those on the PlayStation
and on the Xbox are available in the market today.
For driving games, there are steering wheels that
mimic the movement of a real steering wheel. Racing
becomes much more exciting with a steering wheel
rather than using the cursors on your keyboard.
www.logitech.com, turn your personal computer
into an arcade machine with a Logitech steering
wheel. You can enjoy your racing games much more
when you have a steering wheel installed on your
personal computer.
PRINTERS
Printers are basically machines that put a given
display onto paper. Simple printers can produce text
on paper. The highly sophisticated printers are able
to put pictures on photo paper. Printers will vary
from the simple dot matrix printers to the high tech
laser jets. People who type a lot and produce several
word documents can settle for simple printers but
those who intend to print pictures must opt for
the high end printers.
www.canon.com, shown above is one of the high
end printers of today, the Canon Pixma Photo
Printer. All you have to do is plug in your digital
camera and it will produce high quality images. Who
needs to go to the photo shop today?
DISPLAY OUTPUT
The most noticeable part of your personal computer
is certainly the monitor. There are several kinds of
monitors out there. Before you start buying the
monitor for your computer, it would help if you
understand the different types of monitors out there.
First, there are the classic tube monitors. These
monitors are not that expensive and produce higher
quality compared to any tube television set out
there. Second, there are the LCD or liquid crystal
display monitors. These monitors deliver crisp
display. Whenever objects move on the screen, they
appear to have silky smooth motion. Third, there are
the widescreen monitors which usually use LCD
technology as well. High definition gaming demands
that you have a widescreen monitor. If you want to
watch high definition movies on your computer, you
must also have a widescreen monitor. Otherwise, the
quality of the movie is affected.
www.samsung.com, Samsung has been producing
high quality television sets over the years. Shown
above is one of their latest widescreen LCD
monitors. Just looking at the quality of the display
output will mesmerize your eyes.
SOUND OUTPUT
When it comes to sound output, the most
conventional way for the computer to generate
sound is through any speaker. Basic speakers are
also referred to as sound blasters. There are two
speakers in this setup, the left speaker and the right
speaker. Stereo sound is the bare minimum for
personal computers nowadays but you may
encounter some that still operate on mono sound.
High end speaker systems do not come in two
speakers but in five or more. There are 5.1 and 7.1
sound surround systems available in the market
today. These sound surround system recreate sound
as realistically as possible. If you are playing a game
that is situated in a rainforest then you will certainly
hear birds chirping and snakes hissing in the
background. With sound surround, you will put
yourself at the heart of the experience.
www.logitech.com, shown above is a 5.1 sound
surround system from Logitech. As you can see,
there are five speakers and a subwoofer. Three
speakers are placed in front - right center left, and
the two speakers are placed behind you - right and
left. The subwoofer can be placed anywhere
appropriate .
If you are not the type of person that likes producing
loud noises from your computer then you can opt for
earphones or headsets. Earphones and headsets can
produce stereo sound but if you want to take your
sound experience to another level then you should
certainly go for sound surround speakers.
CARDS
In order to maximize your speakers and your
monitor, you have to make sure that you have the
right sound card and the right video card. High end
video cards and high end sound cards require high
individual memory. They are also a bit pricey. If you
have a great monitor but an inadequate video card
then you will not be able to make the most out of
your beautiful monitor. The same logic applies for
sound. If you want to make sure that your 5.1
speaker system works as expected then you have to
get a sound card that is capable of 5.1 output. If you
have sound surround speakers but a sound card that
is only capable of stereo sound then you will not be
able to experience sound surround. Your many
speakers will only output a left and a right channel
as opposed to five or seven channels.