3. I/O (Input and Output) An I/O device acts as an interface between a computer and a user Without I/O devices, a computer is nothing but a box full of electronics!

4. Input Devices Input Devices enable you to “tell the computer what to do” or to “feed the computer information” Examples of Input Devices include: Keyboard Mouse Touch-Pad Scanner Microphone Web-Cam Graphics Tablet Ticket or Card readers Can you think of any others?

5. Output Devices Output devices allow the computer to “talk back to you” or to “provide you with information” Examples of Output Devices include: Monitor Printer Projector Speakers

6. Computer Architecture Long Term Storage RAM Memory (Random Access Memory) Cache CPU (Central Processing Unit)

7. Long Term Storage Long Term Storage is used to store software and data. It is deemed permanent as it is not lost when the computer is turned off. Long Term Storage is typically “slow” but its capacity is high. Examples of Long Term Storage include: – Hard Drives – Flash Memory (USB Flash Drives and Flash Hard Drives) – Optical Storage (Writable CDs and DVDs) – Magnetic Tape

8. Long Term Storage Devices Hard Drives Flash Memory Optical Storage Magnetic Tape

9. RAM Memory (Random Access Memory) RAM is the place in a computer where the operating system, application programs, and data in current use are kept so that they can be quickly reached by the computer's processor. RAM is much faster to read from and write to than Long Term Storage It is deemed non-permanent as the contents of RAM are lost when the computer is turned off. Like when you forget to save your work! RAM’s capacity is lower than Long Term Storage, usually ranging between 512 megabytes to 4 gigabytes.

10. Cache Memory Cache memory is extremely fast memory that is typically contained on the actual CPU. The CPU uses cache memory to store instructions that are repeatedly required to run programs, improving overall system speed. Like RAM, it is a non-permanent form of storage. Cache has the lowest capacity in terms of storage, typically measured in megabytes (1 to 3 megabytes is typical).

11. CPU (Central Processing Unit) The CPU is the “brain” of the computer. The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is responsible for processing the commands from the cache memory. The CPU is the fastest component in a computer, with high-end consumer CPUs being capable of processing up to 12,000 MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second).

12. Data Transfer from Long Term Storage to CPU Long Term Storage (Slow) RAM Memory (Faster) Cache Memory (The Fastest Memory) C.P.U (The “Brain” of The Computer)