COMPUTER COMPONENTS

PARTS OF A COMPUTER

~ MONITOR ~

• A monitor displays information in visual form, using text and graphics.
• The portion of the monitor that displays the information is called the screen. Like a television screen, a computer screen can show still or moving pictures.
• There are two basic types of monitors: CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors and LCD (liquid crystal display) monitors. 
• Both types produce sharp images, but LCD monitors have the advantage of being much thinner and lighter. CRT monitors, however, are generally more affordable.

~ MODERM ~

•  To connect your computer to the Internet, you need a modem.
• A modem is a device that sends and receives computer information over a telephone line or high-speed cable.
•  Modems are sometimes built into the system unit, but higher-speed modems are usually separate components.

~ SYSTEM UNIT ~

 

• The system unit is the core of a computer system.
• Usually it's a rectangular box placed on or underneath your desk. Inside this box are many electronic components that process information. 
• The most important of these components is the central processing unit (CPU), or microprocessor, which acts as the "brain" of your computer.
•  Another component israndom access memory (RAM), which temporarily stores information that the CPU uses while the computer is on. The information stored in RAM is erased when the computer is turned off.
• Almost every other part of your computer connects to the system unit using cables.
•  The cables plug into specific ports (openings), typically on the back of the system unit. Hardware that is not part of the system unit is sometimes called a peripheral device ordevice.

~ MOUSE ~

• A mouse is a small device used to point to and select items on your computer screen. Although mice come in many shapes, the typical mouse does look a bit like an actual mouse.
• It's small, oblong, and connected to the system unit by a long wire that resembles a tail. Some newer mice are wireless.
• A mouse usually has two buttons: a primary button (usually the left button) and a secondary button. 
• Many mice also have a wheel between the two buttons, which allows you to scroll smoothly through screens of information.

• When you move the mouse with your hand, a pointer on your screen moves in the same direction. (The pointer's appearance might change depending on where it's positioned on your screen) .
• When you want to select an item, you point to the item and then click (press and release) the primary button. Pointing and clicking with your mouse is the main way to interact with your computer

~ SPEAKERS ~

• Speakers are used to play sound. 
• They may be built into the system unit or connected with cables.
• Speakers allow you to listen to music and hear sound effects from your computer.

~ PRINTER ~

•  A printer transfers data from a computer onto paper.
• You don't need a printer to use your computer, but having one allows you to print e‑mail, cards, invitations, announcements, and other materials. 
•  Many people also like being able to print their own photos at home.
• The two main types of printers are inkjet printers and laser printers. Inkjet printers are the most popular printers for the home. 
• They can print in black and white or in full color and can produce high-quality photographs when used with special paper.
•  Laser printers are faster and generally better able to handle heavy use.

~ KEYBOARD ~

• A keyboard is used mainly for typing text into your computer. Like the keyboard on a typewriter, it has keys for letters and numbers, but it also has special keys .
• The function keys, found on the top row, perform different functions depending on where they are used.
• The numeric keypad, located on the right side of most keyboards, allows you to enter numbers quickly.
• The navigation keys, such as the arrow keys, allow you to move your position within a document or webpage.

COMPUTER CLASSIFICATIONS

MICRO - COMPUTERS

•  These computers use a microprocessor chip and this chip is used instead of CPU means that this microprocessor chip works as a CPU.
• These computers are also called personal computers.
• Two major types of these computers are laptop or Desktop computers.
• Only one user uses these computers at time that's why they are also known as personal computers.

MINI - COMPUTERS

• These are powerful computer. 
•  These computers come into existence in 1960s at that time mainframe computer was very costly.
•  Mini computers were available in cheap prices, so users start using it. 

MAINFRAME COMPUTERS

• It as a very powerful and large computer.
• You can get idea of its power as it can handle processing of many users at a time. 
• Terminals are used to connect a user to this computer and users submit there task through mainframe.
• Terminal is a device which has keyboard and a screen.
• By using terminal users put inputs into the computer and get the output through screen. 

SUPER - COMPUTERS

•  As the name "super computer" specifies that these are most powerful computers even than mainframe.
• Actually, when we optimize a mainframe computer then we get super computer. 
• This super computer is made in china .

COMPUTER HISTORY AND GENERATION

THE FIRST GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER

• First Generation ( 1940 - 1956 ) Vacuum Tubes .
• The first computers used vacuum tubes for circuitry and magnetic drums formemory, and were often enormous, taking up entire rooms.
• First generation computers relied on machine language, the lowest-level programming language understood by computers, to perform operations, and they could only solve one problem at a time.
•  Input was based on punched cards and paper tape, and output was displayed on printouts.
• The UNIVAC was the first commercial computer delivered to a business client, the U.S. Census Bureau in 1951.

THE SECOND GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER

• Second Generation ( 1956 - 1963 ) Transistor .
• Transistors replaced vacuum tubes and ushered in the second generation of computers.
• The transistor was far superior to the vacuum tube, allowing computers to become smaller, faster, cheaper, more energy-efficient and more reliable than their first-generation predecessors.
• The transistor was invented in 1947 but did not see widespread use in computers until the late 1950s. 
• Second-generation computers still relied on punched cards for input and printouts for output.

THE THIRD GENERATIONS OF COMPUTER 

• Third Generation ( 1964 - 1971 ) Integrated Circuits.
• The development of the integrated circuit was the hallmark of the third generation of computers.
• Transistors were miniaturized and placed on silicon chips, called semiconductors, which drastically increased the speed and efficiency of computers.
• Instead of punched cards and printouts, users interacted with third generation computers through keyboards and monitorsand interfaced with an operating system, which allowed the device to run many different applications at one time with a central program that monitored the memory.
• Computers for the first time became accessible to a mass audience because they were smaller and cheaper than their predecessors.

THE FOURTH GENERATION ( 1971 - PRESENT ) MICROPROCESSORS

• The microprocessor brought the fourth generation of computers, as thousands of integrated circuits were built onto a single silicon chip. 
• The Intel 4004 chip, developed in 1971, located all the components of the computer—from the central processing unit and memory to input/output controls—on a single chip.
• In 1981 IBM introduced its first computer for the home user, and in 1984 Apple introduced the Macintosh.
•  Microprocessors also moved out of the realm of desktop computers and into many areas of life as more and more everyday products began to use microprocessors.
• As these small computers became more powerful, they could be linked together to form networks, which eventually led to the development of the Internet.
• Fourth generation computers also saw the development of GUIs, the mouse and handhelddevices.

THE FIFTH GENERATION ( PRESENT AND BEYOND ) ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE

• Fifth generation computing devices, based on artificial intelligence, are still in development, though there are some applications, such as voice recognition, that are being used today.
• The use of parallel processing and superconductors is helping to make artificial intelligence a reality.
• Quantum computation and molecular and nanotechnology will radically change the face of computers in years to come. The goal of fifth-generation computing is to develop devices that respond to natural language input and are capable of learning and self-organization.