|
If
computers scare you, your fear is unfound because it is a machine designed
to work to your whims. Read on for more.
What
is a computer?
A computer is a device that can handle instructions flawlessly and with
great speed. By themselves they are not very intelligent devices and can be
compared to extremely powerful calculators with some great accessories. A
computer by itself is useless, unless it receives instructions to carry out
specific tasks. These sets of instructions are called computer software.
Computer
software:
Computer software can be classified into two categories, operating systems
and application software. Operating systems provide you the user interface
to interact with the computer, customise your settings, manage your files,
start programs and other tasks.
The
most popular operating system is the Windows range from Microsoft. Other
operating systems include Unix, Linux and the Mac system for Apple Macintosh
computers. The operating system also provides the fundamental core computer
functionality for programmers
Application
software are software packages that perform specialised functions such as
word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, graphics creation, games, playing
music etc.
Examples
of application software include Microsoft Office, Lotus 123, Adobe
Photoshop, Internet Explorer etc.
Computer
hardware
Computer hardware refers to the physical components of the computer that sit
on your desktop. The components of a computer include:
The
Processor
The processor
is the brain of the computer. The processing capability of a processor is
defined in terms of MIPS (millions of instructions it can process per
second).
Another
term that refers to the processor is the clock speed measured in terms of
Megahertz or Gigahertz. Generally the higher the clock speed the better,
however, there are exceptions. For example a 486 processor with a clock
speed of 100 MHz is not as powerful as a Pentium processor of 75 Mhz. This
is because the Pentium processor has a greater MIPS rating as compared to
the 486. Some of the leading processor manufacturers are Intel with its
Pentium Series, AMD and Motorola.
Hard
drive:
A hard drive is a large capacity storage device of the computer. All your
software as well as the files you create resides on your hard disk.
Floppy Drive:
A floppy drive allows you to copy data and retrieve data from compact floppy
diskettes. Floppy diskettes have a low capacity and are only useful for
smaller files.
RAM
RAM stands for Random Access Memory. When you start an application, the
operating system moves the instructions for that software from the hard
drive to the much faster RAM. When you close that application, the data gets
written back to the hard disk.
Input
devices
Input devices allow you to provide commands to the computer. Common input
devices include the keyboard and the mouse. Specialised input devices
include digitisers, joy sticks and game pads.
Output
devices:
Output devices allow the computer to send a response to your instructions.
Common output devices include the monitor and printer.
Accessories:
Modem
Modem is an acronym for Modulator-Demodulator. Modems allow you to hook up
to the Internet through your telephone line. Most existing telephone lines
use analog technology, computers use digital technology. The modem converts
digital signals from the computer to analog signals and send them over the
telephone lines to the Internet server. At the other end another modem
connected to the server converts the analog signal back to digital signals
and vice versa.
CD-ROMs
CD-ROMs are high capacity storage media. A conventional CD-ROM can
accommodate about 650 MB of data. The speed at which data can be read from
the CD-ROM depends on the speed at which the disk spins in the drive. The
speed of the drive (how fast the CD platter spins) is measured in multiples
from the first generation drives. New drives are up to 40X (or 40 times the
first drives), but while the CD spins faster, it is not really 40 times
faster in actual output.
Printers
Printers print the data stored in your files on to paper. Printers are of
different types and include dot matrix, ink jet and laser printers. Printer
specifications are denoted in dpi (dots per inch) and ppm (pages per
minute); the higher the better. DPI refers to the print quality and ppm to
the printing speed.
Scanners
Scanners convert photographs and other printed material into digital form.
In the digital form these converted photographs and graphics can be
manipulated in a variety of ways using application software.
Though
these are the basics, you won’t have to look heavenwards next time someone
talks about computers.
|
