Taking a closer look at the different aspects that make up a computer system: hardware, software, communication, data and users
A Closer Look at Hardware Components: Input/Output, Motherboard, CPU, Internal Memory, Persistent Storage, Network
Do you remember our desktop setup from the previous post?
Nowadays we take the design of the computer for granted and there are so many gadgets to choose from to customise how one would like to use this machine to perform every day tasks.
In reality though, the basic principles are quite simple and every device falls under one of the following:
Input Devices
The devices that users need to give commands or feed data to the computer are referred to as input devices. For example, by means of the keyboard (3) users can command the computer to type in the letter 'A'. Similarly, by means of the mouse (4) we can command the computer to launch a game.
Output Devices
The devices that users need get feedback from the computer are referred to as output devices. For example, by means of the printer (6) a book which has been typed into the computer can manifest itself into a physical copy. Also, as a beautiful game with a soundtrack is loading, the visual elements are displayed on the monitor (2) and the sound comes out from its built-in speakers.
Motherboard
The components that make up our computer system are assembled on the motherboard. The motherboard has
connections dedicated to I/O gadgets, RAM slots, and anything else you can think of that make your computer extremely functional. Since these components are very delicate they are often protected in a tower (1). Nowadays these devices are also being embedded into the monitor for a more sleek look.
Internal Memory
This is also known as Primary Memory or RAM, and it stores small amounts of data that the computer can access while you're actively using it. Internal memory consists of chips connected to the motherboard and needs to be connected directly to the device in order to use it. This means that when the computer system is switched off the internal memory is cleared and the data that was stored would be removed.
Storage Devices
The devices that users need to store digital content even when the computer system is not being used are referred to as persistent storage devices. You can also buy devices to store data outside of the computer system, those are external storage devices. Modern system units come with a lot of internal storage space however such devices are still very popular to store backups and to transfer digital content between one computer and another. For example, if a user is writing a book then the digital copy of the book can be saved into a pen-drive (7).
Network Devices
We just learnt that humans and computers can talk to each other using input and output devices. However, computers are extremely good at talking to other computers and devices by means of a network (more on this later). For example, to play our favourite game we probably need to be connected to the internet. A desktop computer can connect to the internet through a modem (5).
Hmm... it feels like we left out something really important
We mentioned a lot of hardware, and even though all of them are very important there is one in particular that reigns supreme and in fact it is dubbed as the brain of the entire system. You probably already know what it is...
This is the Central Processing Unit, CPU in short. The CPU is a sophisticated circuit and its software enables it: to perform basic arithmetic and logic; recognise when input/output operations are taking place and exercise control by sending signals. This particular set of small actions is enough to process any kind of information. For this reason the definition of a computer is simply a brief description of what the CPU does...
A computer system is a processor of information.
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