1.

) CPU

Central Processing Unit (CPU) *External -Casing -CD-ROM/DVD ROM -Floppy Disk Drive -LED -Reset -Ports -Power

*Internal -Motherboard -Graphics card (if you have a fast computer) -Hard drive -Power supply -CD drive -Slave hard drive -Cooling system

2.) MONITORS

Computer monitor
A monitor or display (also called screen or visual display unit) is an electronic visual display for computers. The monitor comprises the display device, circuitry, and an enclosure. The display device in modern monitors is typically a thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) thin panel, while older monitors use a cathode ray tube about as deep as the screen size. Originally, computer monitors were used for data processing while television receivers were used for entertainment. From the 1980s onwards, computers (and their monitors) have been used for both data processing and entertainment, while televisions have implemented some computer functionality. The common aspect ratio of televisions, and then computer monitors, has also changed from 4:3 to 16:9 (and 16:10).

System Unit
-The system unit, also known as a "tower" or "chassis," is the main part of a desktop computer. It includes themotherboard, CPU, RAM, and other components. The system unit also includes the case that houses the internal components of the computer. The term "system unit" is often used to differentiate between the computer and peripheral devices, such as the monitor, keyboard, and mouse. For example, if a repair shop asks you to bring in your computer, it may be unclear whether you need to bring your monitor and peripheral devices as well. If you are told to just bring your system unit, it is clear you only need to bring the computer itself. Some modern computers, such as the iMac, combine the system unit and monitor into a single device. In this case, the monitor is part of the system unit. While laptops also have built-in displays, they are not called system units, since the term only refers to desktop computers.

Speaker

-The speakers are sometimes built into the base or the sides of the monitors. Some of them even share the same power cord with the speakers so that you don't have two power cords to work with. Although the sound quality of the speakers may not be the best, such a product proves to be very popular in offices and schools.

Microphone
- (colloquially called a mic or mike; both pronounced /mak/)[1] is an acoustic-toelectric transducer or sensor that converts soundinto an electrical signal. Microphones are used in many applications such as telephones, tape recorders, karaoke systems, hearing aids, motion picture production, live and recorded audio engineering, FRS radios, megaphones, in radio and television broadcasting and in computers for recording voice, speech recognition, VoIP, and for non-acoustic purposes such as ultrasonic checking or knock sensors. Most microphones today use electromagnetic induction (dynamic microphone), capacitance change (condenser microphone), piezoelectricgeneration, or light modulation to produce an electrical voltage

signal from mechanical vibration.

Mouse
-A device that controls the movement of the cursor or pointer on a display screen. A mouse is a small object you can roll along a hard, flat surface. Its name is derived from its shape, which looks a bit like a mouse, its connecting wire that one can imagine to be the mouse's tail, and the fact that one must make it scurry along a surface. As you move the mouse, the pointer on the display screen moves in the same direction. Mice contain at least one buttonand sometimes as many as three, which have different functions depending on what program is running. Some newer mice also include a scroll wheel for scrolling through long documents.

Key Board -a computer keyboard serves as a primary tool for accessing and inputting data. It features functions and keys that you might not use regularly but that are still essential to other users.

Technologies
Further information: Comparison CRT, LCD, Plasma and History of display technology Multiple technologies have been used for computer monitors. Until the 21st century most used cathode ray tubes (CRT) but they have largely been superseded by LCD monitors. Cathode ray tube -The first computer monitors used cathode ray tubes (CRT). Until the early 1980s, they were known as video display terminals and were physically attached to the computer and keyboard. The monitors were monochrome, flickered and the image quality was poor[citation needed]. In 1981, IBM introduced the Color Graphics Adapter, which could display four colors with a resolution of 320 by 200 pixels. In 1984 IBM introduced the Enhanced Graphics Adapter which was capable of producing 16 colors and had a resolution of 640 by 350.[1] CRT remained the standard for computer monitors through the 1990s. CRT technology remained dominant in the PC monitor market into the new millennium partly because it was cheaper to produce and offered viewing angles close to 180 degrees.[2] Liquid Crystal -There are multiple technologies that have been used to implement Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD). Throughout the 1990s, the primary use of LCD technology as computer monitors was in laptops where the lower power consumption, lighter weight, and smaller physical size of LCDs justified the higher price versus a CRT. Commonly, the same laptop would be offered with an assortment of

display options at increasing price points: (active or passive) monochrome, passive color, or active matrix color (TFT). As volume and manufacturing capability have improved, the monochrome and passive color technologies were dropped from most product lines. -The first standalone LCD displays appeared in the mid 1990s selling for high prices. As prices declined over a period of years they became more popular, and by 1997 were competing with CRT monitors. Among the first desktop LCD computer monitors was the Eizo L66 in the mid-1990s, the Apple Studio Display in 1998, and the Apple Cinema Display in 1999. In 2003, TFT LCDs outsold CRTs for the first time, becoming the primary technology used for computer monitors. [2] The main advantages of LCDs over CRT displays are that LCDs consume less power, take up much less space, and are considerably lighter. The now common active matrix TFT-LCD technology also has less flickering than CRTs, which reduces eye strain.[4] On the other hand, CRT monitors have superior contrast, have superior response time, are able to use multiple screen resolutions natively, and there is no discernible flicker if the refresh rate is set to a sufficiently high value. LCD monitors have now very high temporal accuracy and can be used for vision research. Organic light-emitting diode -Organic light-emitting diode (OLED) monitors provide higher contrast and better viewing angles than LCDs, and are predicted to replace them. In 2011, a 25 inch OLED monitor costs $600], but the prices are expected to drop. -For any rectangular section on a round tube, the diagonal measurement is also the diameter of the tube -The area, height and width of displays with identical diagonal measurements vary dependent on aspect ratio -On two-dimensional display devices such as computer monitors the display size or viewable image size is the actual amount of screen space that is available to display a picture, video or working space, without obstruction from the case or other aspects of the unit's design. The main measurements for display devices are: width, height, total area and the diagonal. -The size of a display is usually by monitor manufacturers given by the diagonal i.e. the distance between two opposite screen corners. This method of measurement is inherited from the method used for the first generation of CRT television, when picture tubes with circular faces were in common use. Being circular, only their diameter was needed to describe their size. Since these circular tubes were used to display rectangular images, the diagonal measurement of the rectangle was equivalent to the diameter of the tube's face. This method continued even when cathode ray tubes were manufactured as rounded rectangles; it had the advantage of being a single number specifying the size, and was not confusing when the aspect ratio was universally 4:3. -The estimation of the monitor size by the distance between opposite corners does not take into account the display aspect ratio, so that for example a 16:9 21 in (53 cm) widescreen display has less area, than a 21 in (53 cm) 4:3 screen. The 4:3 screen has dimensions of 16.8 12.6 in (43 32 cm) and area 211 sq in (1,360 cm2), while the widescreen is 18.3 10.3 in (46 26 cm), 188 sq in (1,210 cm2). Aspect ratio Main article: Display aspect ratio -Until about 2003, most computer monitors had a 4:3 aspect ratio and some had 5:4. Between 2003 and 2006, monitors with 16:9 and mostly 16:10 (8:5) aspect ratios became commonly available, first in laptops and later also in standalone monitors. Reasons for this transition was productive uses for such monitors, i.e. besides widescreen computer game play and movie viewing, are the word processor display of two standard letter pages side by side, as well as CAD displays of large-size drawings and CAD application menus at the same time. 2008 16:10 became the most common sold aspect ratio for LCD monitors and the same year 16:10 was the mainstream standard for laptops and notebooks.[9] -In 2010 the computer industry started to move over from 16:10 to 16:9.

-In 2011 non-widescreen displays with 4:3 aspect ratios were only being manufactured in small quantities. According to Samsung this was because the Demand for the old 'Square monitors' has decreased rapidly over the last couple of years, and I predict that by the end of 2011, production on all 4:3 or similar panels will be halted due to a lack of demand. [10] Resolution -The resolution for computer monitors has increased over time. From 320200 during the early 80s, to 800600 during the late 90s. Since 2009, the most commonly sold resolution for computer monitors is 1920x1080.[11] Top-end consumer products are limited to 25601600 at 30 inches. [12]
Additional features -Power saving Most modern monitors will switch to a power-saving mode if no video-input signal is received. This allows modern operating systems to turn off a monitor after a specified period of inactivity. This also extends the monitor's service life. Some monitors will also switch themselves off after a time period on standby. Most modern laptops provide a method of screen dimming after periods of inactivity or when the battery is in use. This extends battery life and reduces wear. -Integrated accessories Many monitors have other accessories (or connections for them) integrated. This places standard ports within easy reach and eliminates the need for another separate hub, camera, microphone, or set of speakers. These monitors have advanced microprocessors which contain codec information, Windows Interface drivers and other small software which help in proper functioning of these functions. Glossy screen Some displays, especially newer LCD monitors, replace the traditional anti-glare matte finish with a glossy one. This increases color saturation and sharpness but reflections from lights and windows are very visible. Directional screen -Narrow viewing angle screens are used in some security conscious applications. 3D -Newer monitors are able to display a different image for each eye, often with the help of special glasses, giving the perception of depth. -Active shutter -Polarized -Autostereoscopic -A directional screen which generates 3D images without headgear. Touch screen -These monitors use touching of the screen as an input method. Items can be selected or moved with a finger, and finger gestures may be used to convey commands. The screen will need frequent cleaning due to image degradation from fingerprints. Tablet screens -A combination of a monitor with a graphics tablet. Such devices are typically unresponsive to touch without the use of one or more special tools' pressure. Newer models however are now able to detect touch from any pressure and often have the ability to detect tilt and rotation as well.

Touch and tablet screens are used on LCD displays as a substitute for the light pen, which can only work on CRTs.

Monitors -are visual output devices that display computer-generated images. If you were to open up a computer monitor, you would find complex wiring and circuitry, which aid your computer in generating visual outputs. Monitors are critical to any kind of computer work, because without them, computer users could not see the work they are performing. Monitors Function -the monitor or screen is a visual display unit, often called simply a monitor or display, is a piece of electrical equipment which displays images generated from the video output of devices such as computers, without producing permanent record. Different Types of Monitors There are many types of COMPUTER MONITORS from which to choose. The ideal monitor for you is probably the model that best suits your needs in terms of video in/outputs, and hdtv and bluray compatibility. 1.) CRT MONITORS -Some computer monitors generate output with the help of cathoderay tubes. This type of device is called the CRT (or, cathode ray tube) monitor. Some computer users prefer this style because itoffers a richly colored display and does not break easily. However, CRT monitors can be bulky and take up a lot of desk space, very heavy to carry, and they require a lot of power to run properly. Moreover, the picture screen can distort, display a "flicker effect," or burn out over time. 2.)FLATSCREENCRTMONITORS -Basically a CRT monitor with a better picture and as limmer space-saving form factor. Colors and sharpness may be improved from the basic CRT depending on there solution of the monitor. 3.) LCD MONITORS -Liquid crystal display (LCD) monitor is the latest development in monitor technology. LCD and plasma screen styles are relatively thinner and much lighter than their older CRT counter parts. They display sharp, excellent images and require less power to run, thus let you save money in energy costs. However, these newer models can be more expensive than traditional computer monitors. LCD screens have been used in laptops for a while but have only recently become popular as desktop monitors.

3.) PRINTERS
*Impact Printers
Impact printers are the oldest printing technologies still in active production. Some of the largest printer vendors continue to manufacture, market, and support impact printers, parts, and supplies. Impact printers are most functional in specialized environments where low-cost printing is essential. The three most common forms of impact printers are dot-matrix, daisy-wheel, and line printers. Dot-Matrix Printers The technology behind dot-matrix printing is quite simple. The paper is pressed against a drum (a rubbercoated cylinder) and is intermittently pulled forward as printing progresses. The electromagnetically-driven printhead moves across the paper and strikes the printer ribbon situated between the paper and printhead pin. The impact of the printhead against the printer ribbon imprints ink dots on the paper which form humanreadable characters. Dot-matrix printers vary in print resolution and overall quality with either 9 or 24-pin printheads. The more pins per inch, the higher the print resolution. Most dot-matrix printers have a maximum resolution of around 240 dpi (dots per inch). While this resolution is not as high as those possible in laser or inkjet printers, there is one distinct advantage to dot-matrix (or any form of impact) printing. Because the printhead must strike the surface of the paper with enough force to transfer ink from a ribbon onto the page, it is ideal for environments that must produce carbon copies through the use of special multi-part documents. These documents have carbon (or other pressure-sensitive material) on the underside and create a mark on the sheet underneath when pressure is applied. Retailers and small businesses often use carbon copies as receipts or bills of sale.

Daisy-Wheel Printers If you have ever worked with a manual typewriter before, then you understand the technological concept behind daisy-wheel printers. These printers have printheads composed of metallic or plastic wheels cut into petals. Each petal has the form of a letter (in capital and lower-case), number, or punctuation mark on it. When the petal is struck against the printer ribbon, the resulting shape forces ink onto the paper. Daisy-wheel printers are loud and slow. They cannot print graphics, and cannot change fonts unless the print wheel is physically replaced. With the advent of laser printers, daisy-wheel printers are generally not used in modern computing environments. Line Printers Another type of impact printer somewhat similar to the daisy-wheel is the line printer. However, instead of a print wheel, line printers have a mechanism that allows multiple characters to be simultaneously printed on the same line. The mechanism may use a large spinning print drum or a looped print chain. As the drum or chain is rotated over the paper's surface, electromechanical hammers behind the paper push the paper (along with a ribbon) onto the surface of the drum or chain, marking the paper with the shape of the character on the drum or chain. Because of the nature of the print mechanism, line printers are much faster than dot-matrix or daisy-wheel printers. However, they tend to be quite loud, have limited multi-font capability, and often produce lower print quality than more recent printing technologies. Because line printers are used for their speed, they use special tractor-fed paper with pre-punched holes along each side. This arrangement makes continuous unattended high-speed printing possible, with stops only required when a box of paper runs out. Impact Printer Consumables Of all the printer types, impact printers have relatively low consumable costs. Ink ribbons and paper are the primary recurring costs for impact printers. Some Impact printers (usually line and dot-matrix printers) require tractor-fed paper, which can increase the costs of operation somewhat. Inkjet Printers An Inkjet printer uses one of the most popular printing technologies today. The relatively low cost and multipurpose printing abilities make inkjet printers a good choice for small businesses and home offices. Inkjet printers use quick-drying, water-based inks and a printhead with a series of small nozzles that spray ink onto the surface of the paper. The printhead assembly is driven by a belt-fed motor that moves the printhead across the paper. Inkjets were originally manufactured to print in monochrome (black and white) only. However, the printhead has since been expanded and the nozzles increased to accommodate cyan, magenta, yellow, and black. This combination of colors (called CMYK) allows the printing of images with nearly the same quality as a photo development lab (when using certain types of coated paper.) When coupled with crisp and highly readable text print quality, inkjet printers are a sound all-in-one choice for monochrome or color printing needs. Inkjet Consumables Inkjet printers tend to be low cost and scale slightly upward based on print quality, extra features, and the ability to print on larger formats than the standard legal or letter paper sizes. While the one-time cost of purchasing an inkjet printer is lower than other printer types, there is the factor of inkjet consumables that must be considered. Because demand for inkjets is large and spans the computing spectrum from home to enterprise, the procurement of consumables can be costly.

*Non-impact printers
Non-impact printers are much quieter than impact printers as their printing heads do not strike the paper. Most non-impact printers produce dot-matrix patterns. Several different technologies have been used to provide a variety of printers.

1. Thermal Printers

-Characters are formed by heated elements being placed in contact with special heat sensitive paper forming darkened dots when the elements reach a critical temperature. -Thermal printer paper tends to darken over time due to exposure to sunlight and heat. The standard of print produced is poor. -Thermal printers are widely used in battery powered equipment such as portable calculators. 2.Laser

Printer

- laser printerlaser printer, a computer printer that produces high-resolution output by means of a process that is similar to photocopying . In place of reflected light from an image (as is used in xerography ), a laser printer uses data sent from a computer to turn a laser beam on and off rapidly as it scans a charged drum. The drum then attracts toner powder to the areas not exposed to the light. Finally, the toner is fused to paper over a belt by heated rollers. In a write-black printer the laser positively charges the printed areas to attract the toner, which gives better detail than a write-white printer. In a write-white printer, the beam negatively charges the areas not to be printed to repel the toner, which gives a denser image. Faster, quieter, and capable of producing more attractive results than standard printers, laser printers have become an important means of printing business documents since they became more generally available (1984) for personal computers

3) Inkjet Printers
-Inkjet printers are the most common type of consumer printers. The inkjet technology works by spraying very fine drops of ink on a sheet of paper. These droplets are "ionized" which allows them to be directed by magnetic plates in the ink's path. As the paper is fed through the printer, the print head moves back and forth, spraying thousands of these small droplets on the page. While inkjet printers used to lack the quality and speed of laser printers, they have become almost as fast as laser printers and some can even produce higher-quality images. Even low-budget inkjet printers can now print high-resolution photos. The amazing thing is, as the quality of inkjet printers has improved, the prices have continued to drop. However, for most people, refilling the inkjet cartridges a few times will often cost more than the printer.

There are four main types of printer:

1) laser -The laser printer is very expensive to buy but cheap-ish to run. The output quality is very high, and it prints very fast 2) Dot- Matrix -It's very old, very slow, and very noisy. IT also has a poor output quality, however it's cheap to buy and fairly and reliable. 3) Ink-Jet or Bubble-Jet -These are cheap-ish to buy. The quality of print is high, and they are quite fast printers. However, the printer inks are very expensive, and if the print-out gets wet, it has a tendency to smear. 4) Dye diffusion printers -This is very expensive, but they have millions of shades of colours. Solid Ink printers -are page printers that use solid wax ink sticks in a "phase-change" process. They work by liquefying wax ink sticks into reservoirs, and then squirting the ink onto a transfer drum, from where it is coldfused onto the paper in a single pass. Solid-ink printers offer better color consistency than do most technologies, with little variation caused by changes in temperature, humidity, or type of paper. Solid ink machines have better reliability, because they have fewer components in comparison, for example with color laser printers . Dye Sublimation printers -are professional devices widely used in demanding graphic arts and photographic applications. True these printers work by heating the ink so that it turns from a solid into a gas. The heating element can be set to different temperatures, thus controlling the amount of ink laid down in one spot. In practice, this means that color is applied as a continuous tone, rather than in dots, as with an inkjet. One color is laid over the whole of one sheet at a time, starting with yellow and ending with black. The ink is on large rolls

of film which contain sheets of each color, so for an A4 print it will have an A4-size sheet of yellow, followed by a sheet of cyan, and so on. Dye sublimation requires particularly expensive special paper, as the dyes are designed to diffuse into the paper surface, mixing to create precise color shades. Portable printers -are usually fairly lightweight and sometimes carry the option of using a battery instead of drawing power from the computer. Usually they realize basic print resolutions suitable for plain text printing. You can find on the market the following types of the portable printers: Thermal printer, Thermal transfer printer and Ink-Jet printer. The main advantage of thermal and thermal transfer printers is that they can be very small. The smallest thermal and thermal transfer printers weigh approximately one pound. Usually the ink-jet portable printer weighs more than 2 pounds. Thermal printers require a special type of paper. Plotters -are large-scale printers that are very accurate at reproducing line drawings. They are commonly used for technical drawings such as engineering drawings or architectural blueprints. The two basic types of plotters are called flatbed plotters and drum plotters. Flatbed plotters are horizontally aligned with a flat surface to which a piece of paper is attached. The paper remains stationary and the printer moves pens across the paper to draw the image. Drum plotters, also called upright plotters, are vertically positioned. They have a drum that the paper rolls on. Drum plotters usually make more noise and are more compact than flatbed plotters. Digital Photo printers -Many middle range printers are now able to print photo quality images. Usually an option with color printers,specialist photo print heads allow a greater resolution to be achieved to improve photo image quality. Photo ink jet printers expand their gamuts by adding additional ink colors, usually light cyan and light magenta. Network printer -is a printer that provides output capabilities to all network users. Multifunction printers -combine top-quality color ink-jet or laser printing with plain-paper and PC faxing, color copying and color scanning , telephoning- all in one convenient, space-saving machine. If you work from home or have a small office a multifunctional device may be ideal. The Bravo AutoPrinter -is the worlds first automated CD/DVD printing system that can truly be called innovative. It combines automatic, robotic-based CD or DVD printing along with full-color, 2400 dpi disc printing all in one compact, desktop unit. Printers for banking -these printers realize innovative technology and functionality to increase productivity, and reduce costs.

4.) MICROSOFT WORD SCREEN

Parts of Microsoft Word Home -This is the tab that has almost everything you need when completing a word document. You can change your font, font size, paragraph orientation, add bullets, etc. Insert -The Insert Tab allows users to add a table, clip art, or chart to a document. Anything that is an additional graphic "insert" will most likely be found here. Page Layout -The Page Layout tab provides options for page orientation, size, columns, borders, page color, etc. References -Add an index or bibliography page here. Mailings -Create Address labels and type for envelopes. Review -Review your document before you print it. Check spell check and the thesaurus for help.

View -View your document at 50 or 150% or in different layouts.

Microsoft Word Microsoft Word is a word processor developed by Microsoft Corporation. You can create, edit and print the documents according to your requirement. Auto correct, spelling and grammar checking, text formatting, mail merge, graphics, tables etc. are some of the features of MS-Word. The extension of Word file is doc and the executable file name of Word is winword. Running Ms-word: Start => Programs => Microsoft Word OR Start => Run => winword

Parts Of Ms-Word

Title Bar -Displays the document name followed by a program name. Menu Bar -Contains a list of options to manage and customize documents.

Standard Toolbar -Contains shortcut buttons for the most popular commands. Formatting Toolbar -Contains buttons used for formatting. Ruler -Used to set margins, indents, and tabs. Insertion Point -The location where the next character appears. End-of-Document Marker

-Indicates the end of the document.

Help -Provides quick access to Help topics. Scroll bars -Used to view parts of the document. Status Bar -Displays position of the insertion point and working mode buttons. Task Pane -Provides easy access to commonly used menus, buttons and tools. View Buttons -Changes the layout view of the document to Normal View, Web Layout View, Reading Layout View, Print Layout View, or Outline View. Office Assistant -Links to the Microsoft Office Help feature.

1) Document Window: The window which appear when we start word and where you enter and edit text. 2) Title Bar: shows the name of the current document and the application you are working in. 3) Menu Bar: contains Drop-down Menus 4) Standard Toolbar: contains shortcut buttons for commonly used menu commands such as Open New Document, Open File, Save, Print, Print Preview, Spell Check, Cut, Copy, and Paste. 5) Formatting Toolbar: contains shortcut buttons for commonly used format menu commands such as font formats, and text position.

6) Rulers: help you position text or objects and let you set margins, tabs, and indents. 7) View Buttons: shortcut buttons which allow you to change the way your document is viewed in the window. 8) Status Bar: contains page information such as page number, and cursor position. 9) Insertion Point: a blinking vertical line that displays the position where information to be typed will appear. 10) Horizontal Scroll Bar: allows you to move the document in the window left or right. 11) Maximize Button: enlarges the window to full screen size and then becomes the Restore button. We can use alt+spacebar+x from keyboard. 12) Restore Button: makes the window smaller. We can use alt+spacebar+r from keyboard. 13) Minimize Button: reduces the window to a button on the Task Bar. We can use alt+spacebar+n from keyboard. 14) Close Button: closes the window or application. We can use alt+spacebar+c from keyboard or we can use Atl+F4 to close the Word. 15) Vertical Scroll Bar: allows you to move the document in the window up or down. 16) Scroll Buttons: Vertical and Horizontal buttons allow you to move the document in the window one line or column at a time. 17) Page Up/Down Buttons: allow you to scroll through your document a page at a time. Main Menus

1) Drop-down menus from the Menu Bar display commands. 2) Icons: can also be found on the Standard or Formatting Toolbars. 3) Expand Button: only the most often or most recently used commands appear on the drop-down menu. By clicking on the Expand Button, or after a short pause, the menu will expand to show all the commands. 4) Unavailable Command: commands that are not currently necessary, or are not currently an option to be used, are grayed out. 5) Right-pointing Arrow: indicates an available sub-menu.

6) Ellipsis: indicates that you will see a dialog box when you select that command.

5.) Storage device

A storage device -is a hardware device capable of storing information. There are two storage devices used in computers; a primary storage device such as computer RAM and a secondary storage device such as a computer hard drive. In the picture to the right, is an example of a Drobo, an external secondary storage device. Below, are some additional examples of storage devices.

Floppy diskette CD-ROM disc CD-R disc CD-RW disc DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, and DVD+RW disc Jump drive and USB flash drive Hard drive LS-120 Tape cassette Zip diskette The computer storage devices

Nowadays we are used to having hundreds of gigabytes of storage capacity in our computers. Even tiny MP3 players and other handheld devices usually have several gigabytes of storage. This was pure science fiction only a few decades ago. For example, the first hard disk drive to have gigabyte capacity was as big as a refrigerator, and that was in 1980. Not so long ago! Pingdom stores a lot of monitoring data every single day, and considering how much we take today's storage capacity for granted, it's interesting to look back and get things in perspective. Here is a look back at some interesting storage devices from the early computer era. The Selectron tube -The Selectron tube had a capacity of 256 to 4096 bits (32 to 512 bytes). The 4096-bit Selectron was 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. Originally developed in 1946, the memory storage device proved expensive and suffered from production problems, so it never became a success. Punch cards -Early computers often used punch cards for input both of programs and data. Punch cards were in common use until the mid-1970s. It should be noted that the use of punch cards predates computers. They were used as early as 1725 in the textile industry (for controlling mechanized textile looms). Punched tape -Same as with punch cards, punched tape was originally pioneered by the textile industry for use with mechanized looms. For computers, punch tape could be used for data input but also as a medium to output data. Each row on the tape represented one character.

Magnetic drum memory -Invented all the way back in 1932 (in Austria), it was widely used in the 1950s and 60s as the main working memory of computers. In the mid-1950s, magnetic drum memory had a capacity of around 10 kB.

The hard disk drive -The first hard disk drive was the IBM Model 350 Disk File that came with the IBM 305 RAMAC computer in 1956. It had 50 24-inch discs with a total storage capacity of 5 million characters (just under 5 MB). The Laserdisc -We mention it here mainly because it was the precursor to the CD-ROM and other optical storage solutions. It was mainly used for movies. The first commercially available laserdisc system was available on the market late in 1978 (then called Laser Videodisc and the more funkily branded DiscoVision) and were 11.81 inches (30 cm) in diameter. The discs could have up to 60 minutes of audio/video on each side. The first laserdiscs had entirely analog content. The basic technology behind laserdiscs was invented all the way back in 1958. The floppy disc

-The diskette, or floppy disk (named so because they were flexible), was invented by IBM and in common use from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s. The first floppy disks were 8 inches, and later in came 5.25 and 3.5-inch formats. The first floppy disk, introduced in 1971, had a capacity of 79.7 kB, and was read-only. A read-write version came a year later. Magnetic tape -Magnetic tape was first used for data storage in 1951. The tape device was called UNISERVO and was the main I/O device on the UNIVAC I computer. The effective transfer rate for the UNISERVO was about 7,200 characters per second. The tapes were metal and 1200 feet long (365 meters) and therefore very heavy. -And of course, we can't mention magnetic tape without also mentioning the standard compact cassette, which was a popular way of data storage for personal computers in the late 70s and 80s. Typical data rates for compact cassettes were 2,000 bit/s. You could store about 660 kB per side on a 90-minute tape.

*Internal storage device

-some storage devices are classed as internal which means they are inside the computer case. -allows the data and application to be loaded very rapidly into memory ready for use. The data can be accessed much faster than data which is stored on an external storage devices. This is because internal storage whereas external devices are connected through a hardware interface such as usb, which means they are considerably slower to access. Hard disk drives -rigid magnetic disk fixed permanently within a drive unit and used for storing computer data. Hard disks generally offer more storage and quicker access to data than floppy disks do.

*External storage device

-The usual definition is: Storage outside of the CPU, such as disk and tape. -An external storage device can also be thought of as a 'stand alone' peripheral device, like a USB plug-in disk drive, that's not part of your usual computer configuration. -A peripheral is a device attached to a host computer behind the chipset whose primary functionality is dependent upon the host, and can therefore be considered as expanding the hosts capabilities, while not forming part of the system's core architecture.

1.

Floppy disks-Invented at IBM by Alan Shugart in 1967, floppy disks were the first storage
devices used to rip information from computers. With a diameter of 5.25 inches, the earliest floppy disks

had the ability to hold 360 kilobytes. Of course, this small amount of memory is nothing compared to the 1.44 megabyte capacity of today's 3.5-inch diskette. However, this device was a huge revolution to the world of computer engineering when it was first invented. 2.

USB Flash Drives-IBM's USB flash drive first became available on Dec. 15, 2000. This is the
newest external storage device available. It also is commonly known as a jump drive, a thumb drive or a memory key. It is a thumb-sized tool that can be purchased at different prices, varying by the memory size: 1GB: $5 to $8, 8GB: $25 to $30, 16GB: $40 to $55 (approximate prices valid as of June 2009). Almost every person with a computer has a USB flash drive to store data, as it is the most convenient storage device thus far.

3. DVD roms-Sony first introduced the DVD-Video format to Japan in November 1996. You
primarily use a DVD rom (Digital Versatile Disc) as a storage device to which you can burn videos and movies. Its circular design enables it to be inserted into any computer disk drive. The memory resides on the two sides of the DVD rom, to later be read by a computer system. DVDs can be purchased in large and small quantities, and vary in memory capacity. 4.

Internal Storage-Internal storage devices are physically installed into the computer. Generally, they
tend to be cheaper than external storage devices, because the latter requires special casings to prevent malfunction. As of June 2009, the prices range anywhere from $3 to $80.