Introduction
Your PC
(Personal Computer) is a system, consisting of many components. Some of those
components, like Windows 7, and all your other programs, are software. The
stuff you can actually see and touch is hardware.
One of the great strengths of the
PC architecture is that it is extensible, allowing a great variety of
components to be added, thereby permitting the PC to perform functions its
designers may never have envisioned. However, most PCs include a more-or-less
standard set of components, including the following:
Motherboard : The motherboard,
described in Chapter 3, is the heart of a PC. It serves as
"Command Central" to coordinate the activities of the system. Its
type largely determines system capabilities.
Processor : The processor or CPU (described in Chapter 2) is the engine that drives the PC. The
CPU you use determines how fast the system runs and what operating systems and
other software can run on it.
Memory : A PC uses Random Access Memory (RAM), also called simply
memory, to store the programs and data with which it is currently working.
Memory is described in Chapter 4.
Hard disk drive : The hard disk drive (HDD) is the primary storage device on
any PC. Chapter 5 tell you everything you need to know
about hard disk drives.
Video Card : A video card, also called a graphics card, accepts video
data from the computer and converts it into a form the monitor can display.
Video card are covered in Chapter 6.
Sound Card : For performing PC audio functions, you'll need a sound
card (or embedded motherboard sound card). Sound cards are covered in Chapter 6.
Floppy disk drive : The floppy disk drive (FDD) was formerly used for
everything from booting the PC to storing data to running programs to making
backups. Chapter 8 describes what you need to know about
FDDs.
CD-ROM drives : CD-ROM drives began to appear on mainstream PCs in the
early 1990s. CD-ROM drives are covered in Chapter 8.
Keyboard and Mouse : PCs use several types of devices to accept user input
keyboards for entering text. Keyboards and Mouse are covered in Chapter 7.
Case and Power supply : The case is the outer shell that contains the PC and all
internal peripheral devices. The power supply provides regulated power to all
system components and cooling airflow to keep components from overheating. Case
and Power supply are described in Chapter 9.
Monitor : The display you use ultimately determines the quality of
the video you see. Most PCs use traditional CRT monitors, but flat-panel LCD
displays are an increasingly popular choice. Monitors are covered in Chapter 10.
No comments:
Post a Comment