Computer Basics

Computer Basics Hardware (inside & out) Input/Output Bits/Bytes/Storage Operating Systems & Programs Desktop, Files & Folders Computer Care & Safety

Outer Hardware Let’s see what you already know! *On a sheet of paper, draw a diagram of the computer in front of you & label all of the parts! Doesn’t have to be perfect!

Outer Hardware -- Basics Tower case/ desktop case CD-ROM / CD-RW / DVD Floppy Disk Drive Monitor Power On/Off USB port Mouse Keyboard

The Tower/Desktop Case Which do we have? CD = Compact Disk CD-ROM = Compact Disk-Read Only Memory Cannot save/burn info to this disk drive CD-RW = Compact Disk ReWritable Can “read” & save information using this drive Desktop case -- horizontal

Newer Models . . . DVD = DVD-R = DVD-RW = Digital Video Disk Digital Video Disk – Recordable (format) Can be “written to” or “burned” ONCE DVD-RW = Digital Video Disk – ReWritable (or random write) Data can be added & removed many times

Get NEW information, or INPUT into a computer Input Devices Get NEW information, or INPUT into a computer Two basic input devices KEYBOARD MOUSE

More Input Devices Scanner Digital Camera Graphics Tablet

Display info in a way that we can see and understand Output Devices Most common = Monitor Speakers Printers Inkjet Laser

Label the parts

Internal Hardware Computers are made of many electronic components or parts. These components each have a special job and they all work together to make your computer operate. Some components are hidden inside the computer where you can't see them. Others can be seen partly from the outside. Components: parts

Power It Up! 1st important component = POWER SUPPLY takes electricity from your house and convert it into a current that works for your computer When your computer is turned on, the power supply allows the converted electricity to travel to other components inside the computer

Circuits Motherboard = “mother” of all the other circuits bottom of a desktop case or the side of a tower case largest circuit board holds all of the most important parts of the computer

On the Motherboard Expansion cards sound card contains special circuits for operating the computer's sound video card handles graphics that are displayed on the monitor also expansion cards for other computer components including the drives and ports modem is an expansion card that allows computers to talk to each other

MODEM A modem plugs the computer in to a phone or cable line so that information can be transferred between computers

Central Processing Unit CPU Brain of the computer it controls information and tells other parts what to do CPU in a computer also determines how fast that computer can operate CPU generates lots of heat, so there is usually a small fan nearby to cool it down

BIOS BIOS = Basic Input Output System BIOS chip wakes up the computer when you turn it on and reminds it what parts it has and what they do

RAM & ROM RAM stands for Random Access Memory Remembers what you tell it Can change to remember new info Forgets everything when computer turned off This is why you need to SAVE your WORK!!

RAM & ROM cont’d ROM = Read Only Memory good at remembering, but cannot change it's mind holds information that is built into it like reading a library book - lots of information is there, but you can't change it (because you never write in a library book)

Ports Ports are the places on the outside of the computer case where you plug in hardware On the inside of the case, they are connected to expansion cards keyboard, mouse, monitor, and printer all plug into ports

Can you remember all of this? Disk Drives Disk drives read information off of storage disks three most common disk drives are the hard drive, floppy disk drive and CD-ROM*** The hard drive, however is hidden inside the computer because the disks are not meant to be removed Can you remember all of this?

Computer Code All of the information that travels through your computer is based on two commands The only data that a computer can understand is on and off, but the millions of combinations of those two commands given in series are what make a computer work.

How it works . . . Power supply provides electricity Electricity = ON signal Thousands of bits are found on the computer’s memory chips; each bit has an electronic “switch” or gate ON = gate is open, electricity can go through OFF = gate closed, no electricity can go through

Here’s a really long but helpful example . . .

Example(s) A computer that has 64MB of RAM can handle 64,000,000 (64 million) bytes A 15GB hard drive can hold ________________________ bytes of info A 2GB flash drive can hold 15,000,000,000 (15 billion) 2,000,000,000 (2 billion)

Answers to Worksheets Bytes Worksheet: 01011110 10011011 11101000 00110111 10110111 10101010 00101001 10011100 10101000 01000111 10100101 10100010

Answers to Worksheets Byte Math Worksheet Byte Math Worksheet: 1. 32KB, 2. 4KB, 3. 6KB, 4. 75KB, 5. 26KB, 6. 360KB, 7. 450KB, 8. 235KB, 9. 427KB, 10. .5KB, 11. 2MB, 12. 64MB, 13. 32MB, 14. 8MB, 15. 16MB, 16. 128MB, 17. 256MB, 18. 40MB, 19. 6MB, 20. .5MB 21. 20GB, 22. 7GB, 23. 13GB, 24. 4GB, 25. .5GB