Computer components This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial- Share Alike 3.0 License. Skills: none IT concepts: computer components (input devices, output devices, memory, storage and CPU), network application vs. stand-alone application, information flow, operating system, application program, program file vs. data file, embedded system, general purpose computer, RAM, ROM, hardware cost trend

Where does this topic fit? Internet concepts –Applications –Technology –Implications Internet skills –Application development –Content creation

Computer components Memory CPU Storage devices Input devices Output Devices

Input devices

Output devices

Storage devices

CPU and memory

Let’s trace the information flow in a word processing, a stand-alone application.

Power is off DB Prog SS Prog WP Prog Store both data and program files Operating system Store both the OS and application programs

Power on – copy OS to memory (bootstrap) DB Prog SS Prog WP Prog Operating system

OS displays the login screen DB Prog SS Prog WP Prog Operating system KeyboardDisplay

After login, OS displays the desktop DB Prog SS Prog WP Prog Operating system Display

What happens when we write, print and save a word processing document?

Copy word processing program into memory DB Prog SS Prog WP Prog WP Prog Mouse 1 2 Operating system Display

WP program displays a blank document DB Prog SS Prog WP Prog WP Prog Operating system Display

Enter and display the document DB Prog SS Prog WP Prog WP Prog WP Doc Display Keyboard Mouse Operating system Both programs and data

Print the document DB Prog SS Prog WP Prog WP Prog WP Doc Printer Mouse Operating system

Save the document DB Prog SS Prog WP Prog Operating system WP Prog WP Doc Mouse WP Doc Operating system Display

Turn power off DB Prog SS Prog WP Prog Operating system WP Doc

Things with computers inside (embedded)

General purpose computer Special purpose computer Programs in volatile, random access memory (RAM) Programs in fixed, read only memory (ROM)

A few questions

Where does the Internet fit in our system diagram?

The Internet is Input and Output device

What is the input device on the iPad tablet computer? What other input and output devices would you like to see on a tablet computer? Is the storage capacity of your computer greater or less than the memory capacity? What is the cost trend for memory, storage and CPU chips? Why would you want more memory on your next computer? Why would you want more storage on your next computer?

Computer components This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial- Share Alike 3.0 License. Skills: none IT concepts: computer components (input devices, output devices, memory, storage and CPU), network application vs. stand-alone application, information flow, operating system, application program, program file vs. data file, embedded system, general purpose computer, RAM, ROM, hardware cost trend

Connectivity speed in context Memory CPU Storage device Internet download Internet upload 8 GB/s 30 plus MB/s 4 Mb/s 1 Mb/s

SSD, Win 7 laptop HD, Win Vista laptopHD, Win XP desktop ATTO disk benchmark: SSD speed increase