Computer Basics

What is a Computer? An electronic device for the storage and processing of information. Four basic actions Input Processing Output Storage

Monitor Computer Tower Speakers Keyboard Mouse

CD-ROM &/or CD-RW Floppy Disk Power Button

Input Devices

Output Devices

Hardware on the Inside Power Supply Drive Bay Case Fan Motherboard Sound Card Modem

Circuits Motherboard Sound Card Video Card Modem Operating the computer’s sound Video Card Handles graphics that are displayed on the monitor Modem Allows computers to talk to each other CPU (Central Processing Unit) Brain of the computer; controls information and tells other parts what to do BIOS (Basic Input Output System) Wakes up the computer when you turn it on Reminds it what parts it has and what they do

Motherboard Mother to all of the other circuit boards Has many smaller boards plugged into it Expansion Cards Sound Card Video Card Modem

Ram & Rom RAM (Random Access Memory) ROM (Read Only Memory) Remember what you tell them and can change to remember new information When computer turned off, RAM forgets Important to save ROM (Read Only Memory) Good at remembering, but cannot change it’s mind

Ports are the places on the outside of the computer case where you plug in hardware

Storage to hold data or information and get that data to the CPU as quickly as possible when it is needed Computers use disks for storage hard disks that are located inside the computer floppy or compact disks that are used externally

Hard Disk Two types of memory primary memory which is stored on chips located on the motherboard holds all of the essential memory that tells your computer how to be a computer secondary memory that is stored in the hard drive holds the information that you store in the computer

Storage Devices