INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

(University of Sierra Leone)

LECTURE THREE

HARDWARE

MOHAMED PATEH BAH

+232 76 254715 / +232 77 953046 / +232 31 076095

[email protected] / [email protected] / [email protected]

 INSTITUTE OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT

(University of Sierra Leone)

LECTURE THREE
HARDWARE
As stated earlier, the hardware is the tangible part of the computer and that it can be categorized
into input, output, processing and storage devices including peripherals. In this lecture we are
going to take an in depth look into each of these categories.

INPUT DEVICES
These are devices that are used to enter data
into the basic system unit for processing.
Computers would be useless if they did not
provide a means to interact with users or could
not receive instructions or deliver the results of
their work.
Input devices accept data and instructions from
Figure 3. 1: Examples of input devices
the user, and output devices return processed
data back to the user. The generic term
device refers to any piece of hardware. Over the years, input devices have been built in many
forms for many special purposes. Examples are: Keyboard, Mouse, Joystick, Barcode Reader,
Touch Pad/Screen, Scanner, Web Camera/Digital Camera, Microphones.
The most common input device is the keyboard, which accepts letters, numbers, and commands
from the user. In addition, people often use a mouse, which lets them draw on the screen and
give commands by moving the mouse on a flat surface and pressing its buttons. The mouse and
trackball allow you to draw or point on the screen. For playing quick-moving video games, the
joystick is especially well suited. A scanner can copy a printed page into the computer’s
memory eliminating the time-consuming step of keying input manually. Digital cameras record
live images that can be viewed and edited on the computer. Similarly, attaching a microphone
to the computer allows you to add the sound of a voice.

THE KEYBOARD
The keyboard is the primary input device for entering text and numbers. It is a relatively simple
device, consisting of about 100 - 106 keys, each of which sends a different character code to

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the CPU. It was one of the first input devices to be used with PCs (Personal Computers), and
it is still the most common. If you have not used a computer keyboard or a typewriter, you will
find out one important fact very quickly: you can use a computer much more effectively if you
know how to type. The skill of typing, or keyboarding, as it is often called today, implies the
ability to enter text using all ten fingers without having to look at the keys. Certainly, you can
use a computer without being able to type, in fact, many people do. Some people claim that
when computers can understand handwriting and speech, typing will become unnecessary. For
now, typing is the fastest way to enter text and other data into a computer. Figure 3.2 is an
example of a keyboard.

Figure 3. 2: The Keyboard

Desktop computer keyboards often attach via a cable to a serial port, a keyboard port, or a
USB port on the system unit. Some keyboards, however, do not have any wires connecting the
keyboard to the system unit. A wireless keyboard, or cordless keyboard, is a battery-powered
device that transmits data using wireless technology, such as radio waves or infrared light
waves. Wireless keyboards often communicate with a receiver/sensor attached to a port on the
system unit.

On notebook/laptop and some handheld computers, PDAs, and smart phones, the keyboard is
built at the top of the system unit. To fit in these smaller computers, the keyboards usually
are smaller and have fewer keys as sown in figure 3.3.

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Figure 3. 3: An example of a keyboard found on notebook/laptop computers

The Standard Keyboard Layout

The key layout – or the order in which the character keys are distributed on the board – is one
way to define the varied types of computer keyboards. Following are three of the main types
of keyboard layout.
• QWERTY
• AZERTY
• QWERTZ
QWERTY is so named because the first six keys, reading from left to right are "Q", "W", "E",
"R", "T" and "Y". This naming convention remains consistent across numerous layout types,
including the common runner-up layout, AZERTY. These layouts correspond roughly to the
preferences expressed by those who write in different languages, with QWERTY being the
default choice for English-speakers and AZERTY for French-speakers. AZERTY keyboards
differ slightly from the QWERTY keyboard. For example, the “Q” and “W” keys have been
interchanged with the “A” and “Z” keys. QWERTZ layouts cater to central European languages
and may vary a bit among themselves. Some countries need a fully custom layout for non-Latin
alphabetical symbols, like the Russian JCUKEN keyboard, or Japanese and Chinese keyboards
that feature the respective language's native symbols in conjunction with a QWERTY layout.

An alternative layout, known as DVORAK, was patented in 1936 by Dr. August Dvorak. The
idea behind his design was to simplify keyboard layout, in order to reduce the amount of finger
motion required when typing, and to thereby improve typing speed. Hence, he placed the most
used letters in the alphabet in the home or middle row. This means that 70 percent of keystrokes
occur on "home row" compared to the 32 percent of strokes that happen in the home row on a

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QWERTY layout. However, DVORAK keyboards have failed to replace QWERTY

keyboards, but all major operating systems support them. Figure 3.4 and 3.5 shows both a
QWERTY and a DVORAK keyboards respectively.

Figure 3. 4: Qwerty Keyboard Layout

Figure 3. 5: Dvorak Keyboard Layout

Irrespective of layout, most of today’s desktop computer keyboards are enhanced keyboards.
An enhanced keyboard has twelve or more function keys along the top and a set of arrow and
additional keys between the typing area and the numeric keypad. Keyboards for personal
computers come in a number of styles. The various models differ in size, shape, and feel, but
except for a few special-purpose keys such as media and internet control as shown in figure
3.6, most keyboards are laid out almost identically.

Regardless of size, many keyboards have a rectangular shape with the keys aligned in
straight, horizontal rows and are divided into:
➢ The alphanumeric keys - the parts of the keyboard that look like a typewriter – are
arranged the same way on virtually every keyboard and typewriter. In addition to the
alphanumeric keys are the modifier keys which are so named because they are used in

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conjunction with the other keys. These modifier keys are the Shift, Control (Ctrl) and
the Alternate (Alt) keys. Also included in this area of the keyboard are the Windows
key(s) and an Application key. When pressed, the Windows key displays the Windows
Start menu, and the Application key displays an item’s shortcut menu. The Caps Lock,
Tab, Backspace, Enter and Space bar are also found in this section of the keyboard.
The additional keys include Insert, Delete, Home, Page up, Page down and Print
Screen keys. The functions of most of these keys can be found in this pdf file;
https://www.dce.kar.nic.in/new%20files/Chapter4-9-07.pdf.
➢ Numeric Keys: The numeric keypad, which is usually located on the right side of the
keyboard, is the part that looks like an adding machine, with its ten digits and
mathematical operators (+, —, *, and /). Also included is the Num Lock key.
➢ Function Keys: Function keys are special keys programmed to issue commands to a
computer without having to type long strings of characters. Note that the function of
each function key depends on the program you are using. For example, in most
programs, F1 is the help key. When you press it, a screen displays information about
using the program and F12 is for saving.
➢ Cursor Movement/Arrow Keys: The fourth part of the keyboard is the set of cursor
movement keys which let you change the position of the cursor on the screen. When
you use a word processing program, there is a mark on the screen where the characters
you type will be entered. This mark, called the cursor or insertion point, can appear on
the screen as a box, a line, or a symbol that looks like a capital I. The cursor shows
where the next letter typed on the keyboard will appear. To edit text, you must first
position the cursor in the displayed document. The cursor movement keys allow you to
do so quickly.
➢ Keyboards with media control buttons allow you to run and control your media player
program, access the computer’s CD/DVD drive, and adjust speaker volume.
➢ Those with internet control buttons allow you to open an e-mail program, start a Web
browser, and search the Internet. Some keyboards include buttons and other features
specifically for users that enjoy playing games on the computer.

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Figure 3. 6: Different parts of the keyboard

To see a complete list of parts and functions of the various keys of the keyboard visit
https://www.combinebasic.com/2017/09/complete-parts-and-function-of-computer-
keyboard.html

THE MOUSE
A mouse is an input device that fits comfortably under the palm of your hand as you roll it
along a hard, flat surface. This movement allows you to control the movement of the pointer
on the screen or display device. As you move the mouse, the pointer on the display screen
moves in the same direction. Mice contain at least one button and sometimes as many as three
which have different functions depending on what program is running. Generally, you use the
mouse to move the pointer on the screen to an object such as a button, a menu, an icon, a link,
or text. Then, you press a mouse button to perform a certain action associated with that object.
A mouse also allows you to create graphic elements on the screen, such as lines, curves, and
freehand shapes, and it makes using menus easy by pointing to a location on the screen. For
example, a mouse lets you position the cursor anywhere on the screen quickly and easily
without having to use the cursor movement keys. You simply move the pointer to the on-screen

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position you want, press the mouse button, and the cursor appears there. Figure 3.7 is an
example of a mouse.

Figure 3. 7: The Mouse

A mechanical mouse, which was the first type of mouse used with personal computers, has a
rubber or metal ball on its underside. Electronic circuits in the mouse translate the movement
of the mouse into signals the computer can process. A mechanical mouse is placed on a mouse
pad, which is a rectangular rubber or foam pad that provides better traction than the top of a
desk. Most computer users today have some type of optical mouse, which has no moving
mechanical parts inside. Instead, an optical mouse uses devices that emit and sense light to
detect the mouse’s movement. Some use optical sensors, and others use a laser. An optical
mouse is more precise than a mechanical mouse and does not require cleaning as does a
mechanical mouse, but is more expensive.

Figure 3. 8: A mechanical (left) and an Optical mouse (right)

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A mouse connects to a computer in several ways. Many types connect with a cable that attaches
to a serial port, mouse port, or USB port on the system unit. A wireless mouse, or cordless
mouse, is a battery-powered device that transmits data using wireless technology, such as radio
waves or infrared light waves.
Recently touch panel displays are manufactured which do not need a mouse as a locator. An
appropriate icon on the screen may be touched either by finger or a pointing device such as a
ballpoint pen to invoke the corresponding program.

Mouse Techniques
To point to an object or location on the screen, you simply use the mouse to place the pointer
on top of the object or location. Mouse “click” is accomplished by combining pointing with
four other techniques: clicking, double-clicking, dragging, and right-clicking.
➢ To click on something with the mouse means to move the pointer to the item on the
screen and to press and release the mouse button once.
➢ To double-click on an item means to point to it with the cursor and to press and release
the mouse button twice in rapid succession.
➢ To drag an item, you position the mouse cursor over the item, then press the mouse
button and hold it down as you move the mouse.
➢ Right-click is for advanced “tools” options.
Although most mice have two buttons, clicking, double-clicking, and dragging are usually
carried out with the left mouse button, whilst right click is done using the right mouse button.

Figure 3. 9: The Right and Left buttons of a mouse

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Touchpad
Touchpads as shown in figure 3.10, are
mostly found on notebook/laptop computers,
and it is a small, flat, rectangular pointing
device that is sensitive to pressure and
motion. To move the pointer using a
touchpad, you must slide your fingertip
across the surface of the pad. Some touchpads
Figure 3. 10: Touchpad
have one or more buttons around the edge of
the pad that work like mouse buttons. On most touchpads, you also can tap the pad’s surface
to imitate mouse operations such as clicking. These pads also have buttons that work exactly
as the left and right mouse buttons.

Trackball
A trackball is a stationary pointing device with a ball
on its top or side. To move the pointer using a trackball,
you rotate the ball with your thumb, fingers, or the
palm of your hand. In addition to the ball, a trackball
usually has one or more buttons that work just like
mouse buttons, hence, a trackball is considered better
Figure 3. 11: Trackball
than mouse because it requires little arm movement
and less desktop space. Figure 3.11, shows a diagram of a trackball.

Pointing Stick
A pointing stick is a pressure-sensitive pointing
device shaped like a pencil eraser that is
positioned between keys on a keyboard as shown
in figure 3.12. To move the pointer using a
pointing stick, you push the pointing stick with a
finger and the pointer on the screen will move in
the direction you push the pointing stick. By
Figure 3. 12: A pointing stick on a
pressing buttons below the keyboard, users can
notebook computer

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click and perform other mouse-type operations with a pointing stick.

Touch Screen
A touch screen is a touch-sensitive
display device. Users can interact with
these devices by touching areas of the
screen. Because touch screens require a
lot of arm movements, you do not enter
large amounts of data using a touch
Figure 3. 13: Touch screen, on different devices
screen. Instead, users touch words,
pictures, numbers, letters, or locations identified on the screen. Many handheld devices such
as smart phones and tablets as well as game consoles also have touch screens. Figure 3.13 is
an example of a touch screen on a desktop (a), tablet (b) and smart phone (c).
Note that the touch screen can also serve as an output device.

Other input devices include:

Pointing Devices
Pen input
Most users often enter data and instructions with a pen-type device which is used to write,
draw, and tap on a flat surface (monitor, a screen, a special type of paper, or a graphics tablet)
to enter input. The device used for pen input is the stylus/digital pen. A stylus is a small metal
or plastic device that looks like a tiny ink pen.

Gaming and media player controllers

• Game pads
• Joysticks
• Dance pads
• Wheels
• Light gun

Voice and audio input devices

Voice input is part of a larger category of input called audio input, which is the process of
entering any sound into the computer such as speech, music, and sound effects. One can enter
sound into a computer via devices such as microphones, tape players, CD/DVD players, as well

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as music and other sound effects using external Musical interface digital interface (MIDI)
devices such as an electronic piano keyboard.

Cameras
• A digital camera allows users to take pictures and store the photographed images
digitally in their internal flash memory or on additional storage such as mobile storage
media, including a flash memory card, memory stick, and mini-CD/DVD, instead of on
traditional film.
• A digital video (DV) camera captures full-motion images and stores them on a
computer’s storage medium such as a hard disk or DVD. Many DV cameras have the
capability of capturing still frames, as well as motion.
• A PC video camera, or PC camera, is a type of digital video camera that enables a
home or small business user to capture video and still images, send e-mail messages
with video attachments, add live images to instant messages, broadcast live images over
the Internet, and make video telephone calls.

Scanners and readers (optical and magnetic).

Some input devices save users time by capturing data directly from a source document, which
is the original form of the data. Examples of source documents include time cards, order forms,
invoices, pay checks, advertisements, brochures, photographs, inventory tags, or any other
document that contains data to be processed. Devices that can capture data directly from a
source document include:

Scanners
An optical scanner, usually called a scanner, is a light-sensing input device that reads printed
text and graphics and then translates the results into a form the computer can process. Scanners
are comprised of a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) array. This array is like a series of "eyes"
that read and record light intensities and stores them in digital form. This is achieved when the
scanners internal light source passes over the image that is being scanned.

Scanners come in three basic types.

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Hand held scanner: this is the simplest type of

scanner in which the scanning device is moved
across images or text. The scanner reads the
information directly.

Page scanner: these scanners work by inserting

a page into the top of the scanner which is
pulled via rollers through the scanner.
Figure 3. 14: A Flatbed Scanner
Flatbed scanner: this is the most common type
of scanner. It works in a manner similar to a copy machine except it creates a file of the
document in memory instead of a paper/hard copy. Figure 3.14 shows an example of a flatbed
scanner.
Once you scan a picture or document, you can display the scanned object on the screen, modify
its appearance, store it on a storage medium, print it, attach it to an e-mail message, include it
in another document, or post it to a Web site or photo community (for instance, Instagram,
Facebook etc.) for everyone to see.

Many scanners include OCR (optical character recognition) software, which can read and
convert text documents into electronic files. OCR software converts a scanned image into a
text file that can be edited, for example, with a word processing program.

Scanner quality is measured in DPI (Dots Per Inch). 300 DPI is usually adequate for normal
scanning; however, modern scanners can scan at resolutions of 9600 DPI and higher. The
higher the resolution, the larger the resultant scanned file will be.

Scanners are connected to the system board via a SCSI (Small Computer System Interface),
Parallel or other proprietary connection method depending on the scanner model.

Optical and Magnetic Readers

An optical reader is a device that uses a light source to read characters, marks, and codes and
then converts them into digital data that a computer can process. Technologies used by optical
readers are:

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Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

OCR is an optical scanner used to read a printed text. OCR scans text optically character by
character, converts them into a machine-readable code and stores the text on the system
memory. It is used for reading of passenger tickets, computer printed bills of credit card
companies and reading of ZIP codes in postal services.

Optical Mark Recognition (OMR)

These are devices that read hand-drawn marks such as small
circles or rectangles. A person places these marks on a form,
such as a test, survey, or questionnaire answer sheet. Figure
3.15 is an example of an OMR.

Figure 3. 15: OMR

Bar Code Readers
A bar code reader as shown in figure 3.16, also called a bar
code scanner, is an optical reader that uses laser beams to read
bar-coded data i.e. data in the form of light and dark lines. This
data is generally used in labelling goods, numbering of books
etc. Bar Code Reader scans a bar code image, converts it into an
alphanumeric value which is then fed to the computer to which
the Bar Code Reader is connected.
Figure 3.15: Bar code
Reader
Magnetic Stripe Card Readers (MSCR)
An MSCR, often called a magstripe reader, reads the magnetic stripe on the back of credit
cards, entertainment cards, bank cards, and other similar cards. The stripe contains information
identifying you and the card issuer. Some information stored in the stripe includes your name,
account number, the card’s expiration date, and a country code. When a consumer swipes a
credit card through the magstripe reader, it reads the information stored on the magnetic stripe
on the card.

Magnetic-Ink Character Recognition (MICR)

MICR is generally used in banks because of the large number of cheques to be processed every
day. The bank’s code number and cheque number are printed on the cheques with a special
type of ink that contains particles of magnetic material that are machine readable. This reading
process is called Magnetic Ink Character Recognition.

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Biometric Input
Biometrics is the technology of authenticating a person’s identity by verifying a personal
characteristic. Biometric devices grant users access to programs, systems, or rooms by
analysing some physiological (related to physical or chemical activities in the body) or
behavioural characteristic. Examples include fingerprints, hand geometry, facial features,
voice, signatures, and eye patterns.

Visit https://www.tutorialspoint.com/computer_fundamentals/computer_input_devices.htm to
read more about input devices.

OUTPUT DEVICES
An output device is any hardware component
that conveys information to one or more
people. Users therefore, view or watch output
on a screen, print it, or hear it through
speakers, headphones, or earphones. Four
basic categories of output are encountered by
users whilst working with computers. These
Figure 3. 16: Examples of output devices
include: text, graphics, audio, and video as
shown in figure 3.18. Very often, a web page for instance, is a single form of output, that
includes more than one of these
categories. Although there are many
kinds of input devices, there are
currently just three common types of
output devices: monitors, printers,
and sound systems. Irrespective of
the category of output, these three
devices are the most common ones Figure 3. 17: Categories of output
used to output them. Commonly
used output devices include monitors and peripherals such as printers, speakers,
headphones/earphones, projectors etc. Some multifunctional peripherals such as
multifunctional printers perform functions such as printing and scanning.

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Some types of hardware can act as both input and output devices. One example is the touch
screen, a type of monitor that displays buttons you can touch. However, the most common
types of devices that can perform both input and output are communication devices, which
connect one computer to another - a process known as networking. Among the many kinds of
communication devices, the most common are modems, which allow computers to
communicate through telephone lines, and network interface cards, which let users connect a
group of computers to share data and devices.

THE MONITOR
Monitor, commonly known as Visual Display Unit (VDU) or screen or simply monitor is the
main output device of a computer. It forms images from tiny dots, called pixels (picture
element) that are arranged in a rectangular form. The sharpness of the image depends upon the
number of pixels. Monitors are the most important output devices because they are the output
devices with which users interact most often.

Indeed, users often form opinions about a computer just from the look of the monitor alone.
They want to know: Is the image crisp and clear? Does the monitor display colorful graphics?
Two important elements determine the quality of the image a monitor displays: the monitor
itself and the video controller.

Depending upon the colour of display, monitors can be classified as Monochrome (with single
colour black/white display) and colour (with all colours display) monitors. Today, most new
monitors are colour monitors.

Depending upon the resolution monitors can be classified as follows:

• CGA (Colour Graphics Adapter)

• MDA (Monochrome Display Adapter)
• HGA (Hercules Graphics Adapter)
• EGA (Enhanced Graphics Adapter)
• VGA (Video Graphics Adapter)
• SVGA (Super Video Graphics Adapter)

Types of monitors:
The three most common types of monitors include

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Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)

A CRT monitor as shown in figure 3.19, is a
desktop monitor that contains a cathode-ray
tube. A CRT is a large, sealed glass tube. The
front of the tube is the screen. CRT monitors for
desktop computers are available in various
sizes, with the more common being 15, 17, 19,
21, and 22 inches. The viewable size is the
diagonal measurement of the actual viewing
area provided by the screen in the CRT monitor.
A 21-inch monitor, for example, may have a
Figure 3. 18: A CRT Monitor
viewable size of 20 inches. A CRT monitor
usually costs less than an LCD monitor but also
generates more heat and uses more power than an LCD monitor.

A CRT works by moving an electron beam back and forth across the back of the screen. Each
time the beam makes a pass across the screen, it lights up phosphor dots on the inside of the
glass tube, thereby illuminating the active portions of the screen. By drawing many such lines
from the top to the bottom of the screen, it creates an entire screen full of images.

Qualities of a CRT Monitor

The quality of a CRT monitor depends largely on its resolution, dot pitch, and refresh rate.

✓ Most CRT monitors support a variety of screen resolutions. Standard CRT monitors
today usually display up to a maximum of 1800 × 1440 pixels, with 1280 × 1024 often
the norm.
✓ As with LCD monitors, text created with a smaller dot pitch, or pixel pitch, is easier to
read. To minimize eye fatigue, use a CRT monitor with a dot pitch of .27 millimeters
or lower.
✓ Electron beams inside a CRT monitor “draw” an image on the entire screen many times
per second so the image does not fade. The number of times the image is drawn per
second is called the refresh rate. A CRT monitor’s refresh rate, which is expressed in
hertz (Hz), should be fast enough to maintain a constant, flicker-free image. A high-

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quality CRT monitor will provide a vertical refresh rate of at least 68 Hz. This means
the image on the screen redraws itself vertically 68 times in a second.

Liquid Crystal Display (LCD)

An LCD monitor as shown in figure 3.20, also called
a flat panel monitor, is a desktop monitor that uses a
liquid crystal display to produce images. These
monitors produce sharp, flicker-free images. LCD
monitors have a small footprint; that is, they do not
take up much desk space. LCD monitors are
available in a variety of sizes, with the more common
being 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23 inches - some
are 30 or 40 inches. You measure the size of the
display the same way you do for a CRT, i.e. Figure 3. 19: LCD Monitor
diagonally. Mobile computers, such as notebook
computers and Tablet PCs, and mobile devices, such as ultra-personal computers, portable
media players, smart phones, and PDAs, often have built-in LCD screens.

Notebook/laptop computer screens are available in a variety of sizes, with the more common
being 14.1, 15.4, 17, and 20.1 inches. Tablet PC screens range from 8.4 inches to 14.1 inches.
Typical screen sizes of ultra-personal computers are 5 inches to 7 inches. Portable media
players usually have screen sizes from 1.5 inches to 3 inches. PDA screens average 3.5 inches.
On smart phones, screen
sizes range from 2.5 to 3.5
inches. LCD displays utilize
two sheets of polarizing
material with a liquid
crystal solution between
them. An electric current
passed through the liquid
causes the crystals to align
Figure 3. 20: Screen/display unit of portable devices
so that light cannot pass
through them. Each crystal,
therefore, is like a shutter, either allowing light to pass through or blocking the light

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Qualities of an LCD monitor

The quality of an LCD monitor or LCD screen depends primarily on its resolution, response
time, brightness, dot pitch, and contrast ratio.

✓ Resolution is the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in a display device. For
example, a monitor that has a 1600 × 1200 resolution displays up to 1600 pixels per
horizontal row and 1200 pixels per vertical row, for a total of 1,920,000 pixels to create
a screen image. A higher resolution uses a greater number of pixels and thus provides
a smoother, sharper, and clearer image. As the resolution increases, however, some
items on the screen appear smaller.
✓ Response time of an LCD monitor or screen is the time in milliseconds (ms) that it takes
to turn a pixel on or off. LCD monitors’ and screens’ response times range from 5 to
16 ms. The lower the number, the faster the response time.
✓ Brightness of an LCD monitor or LCD screen is measured in nits. A nit is a unit of
visible light intensity. The higher the nits, the brighter the images.
✓ Dot pitch, sometimes called pixel pitch, is the distance in millimeters between pixels
on a display device. Average dot pitch on LCD monitors and screens should be .28 mm
or lower. The lower the number, the sharper the image.
✓ Contrast ratio describes the difference in light intensity between the brightest white and
darkest black that can be displayed on an LCD monitor. Contrast ratios today range
from 400:1 to 800:1. Higher contrast ratios represent colors better.

Plasma Monitors
Large business users or power users sometimes
have plasma monitors, which often measure
more than 60 inches wide. A plasma monitor is
a display device that uses gas plasma
technology, which sandwiches a layer of gas
between two glass plates. Plasma monitors offer
larger screen sizes and richer colors than LCD
monitors but are more expensive. Like LCD
monitors, plasma monitors can hang directly on Figure 3. 21: A Plasma Screen

a wall.

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Thin Film Transistor (TFT)

Thin film transistor is a type of LCD flat-panel display screen, in which each pixel is controlled
by from one to four transistors. The TFT technology provides the best resolution of all the flat-
panel techniques, but it is also the most expensive. TFT screens are sometimes called active-
matrix LCD’s.

TFT is also known as active matrix technology (and contrasted with "passive matrix" which
does not have a transistor at each pixel). A TFT or active matrix display is more responsive to
change. For example, when you move your mouse across the screen, a TFT display is fast
enough to reflect the movement of the mouse cursor.

THE PRINTER
A printer is an output device that produces text and graphics on a physical medium such as
paper or transparency film. Many different printers exist with varying speeds, capabilities, and
printing methods. There are two types of printers. They are:

1. Impact Printers and

2. Non-Impact Printers

Impact Printers
An impact printer forms characters and graphics on a piece of paper by striking a mechanism
against an inked ribbon that physically contacts the paper. Impact printers are ideal for printing
multipart forms because they easily print through many layers of paper. Two commonly used
types of impact printers are dot-matrix printers and line printers.

Dot Matrix Printers

These printers like the one shown in figure 3.23 print the characters by putting dots onto the
paper. Dot-matrix printer is an impact printer that produces text and graphics when tiny wire
pins on the print head strike the ink ribbon. The print head runs back and forth on the paper
like a typewriter. When the ink ribbon presses on the paper, it creates dots that form text and
images. Higher number of pins means that the printer prints more dots per character, thus
resulting in higher print quality. Dot-matrix printers were very popular and the most common
type of printer for personal computer in 70's to 80's. However, their use was gradually replaced

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by inkjet printers in 90's. As of today, dot matrix printers are only used in some point-of-sales
terminals, or businesses where printing of carbon copy multi-part forms or data logging are
needed.

Advantages of dot matrix printer Disadvantages of dot matrix printer:

Can print on multi-part forms or carbon copies Noisy
Low printing cost per page Limited print quality
Can be used on continuous form paper, useful for Low printing speed
data logging
Reliable, durable Limited colour printing

Figure 3. 22: Examples of Dot Matrix Printer

Line Printers

A line printer is a high-speed impact printer that prints an entire line at a time. The speed of a
line printer is measured by the number of lines per minute (lpm) it can print. Some line printers
print as many as 3,000 lpm.

Non-Impact Printers

A nonimpact printer forms characters and graphics on a piece of paper without actually striking
the paper. Some nonimpact printers spray ink, while others use heat or pressure to create
images. Commonly used nonimpact printers are ink-jet printers, photo printers, laser printers,
thermal printers, mobile printers, plotters, and large-format printers. They print a complete
page at a time. Hence they are also called Page Printers.

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Inkjet printers

An ink-jet printer is a type of nonimpact printer that

forms characters and graphics by spraying tiny
drops of liquid ink onto a piece of paper. Ink-jet
printers have become a popular type of colour
printer for use in the home and office. Ink-jet
printers produce text and graphics in both black- Figure 3. 23: Examples of Ink jet printers
and-white and colour on a variety of paper types.

The print head mechanism in an ink-jet printer contains ink-filled print cartridges. Each
cartridge has fifty to several hundred small ink holes, or nozzles. The ink propels through any
combination of the nozzles to form a character or image on the paper. When the print cartridge
runs out of ink, you simply replace the cartridge. Most ink-jet printers have at least two print
cartridges: one containing black ink and the other(s) containing colors.

Although inkjet printers are generally used in home and small businesses, some manufacturers,
such as Hewlett Packard, have produced high end inkjet printers for industrial use. These
professional inkjet printers are usually used to print advertising graphics or technical drawings.

Advantages of Inkjet Printers Disadvantages of Inkjet Printers

Low cost Print head is less durable, prone to
clogging and damage
High quality of output, capable of printing fine Expensive replacement ink cartridges
and smooth details
Capable of printing in vivid colour, good for Not good for high volume printing
printing pictures
Quieter than dot matrix printer and no warm up Printing speed is not as fast as laser
time printers
Reasonably fast Aqueous ink is sensitive to water; even
a small drop of water can cause blurring
Easy to use Ink bleeding, ink carried sideways
causing blurred effects on some papers

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As with many other input and output devices, one factor that determines the quality of an ink-
jet printer is its resolution. Printer resolution is measured by the number of dots per inch (dpi)
printer can print. Most ink-jet printers can print from 1200 to 4800 dpi. The speed of an ink-jet
printer is measured by the number of pages per minute (ppm) it can print. Most ink-jet printers
print from 6 to 33 ppm. Graphics and colors print at a slower rate.

Laser Printer
A laser printer is a high-speed, high-quality non-
impact printer. Laser printers for personal
computers ordinarily use individual sheets of
paper stored in one or more removable trays that
slide in the printer case. Laser printers print text
and graphics in high-quality resolutions, usually Figure 3. 24: Examples of Laser printers
ranging from 600, 1200 to 2400 dpi. While laser
printers usually cost more than ink-jet printers, they also are much faster. A laser printer for
the home and small office user typically prints black-and-white text at speeds of 12 to 35 ppm.
Color laser printers print 8 to 30 ppm. Laser printers for large business users print more than
150 ppm.

Operating in a manner similar to a copy machine, a laser printer creates images using a laser
beam and powdered ink, called toner which is replaceable when it runs out. A laser printer
consists of these major components: drum cartridge, rotating mirror, toner cartridge and roller.
The drum cartridge rotates as the paper is fed through. The mirror deflects laser beam across
the surface of the drum. Laser beam creates charge that causes the toner to stick to the drum.
As the drum rotates and presses on paper, toner is transferred from the drum to paper, creating
images. Rollers then use heat and pressure to fuse toner to paper.
Advantages of Laser Printers Disadvantages Laser Printers
High resolution More expensive than inkjet printers
High print speed High cost of toner replacement
No smearing Warm up time needed
High cost per page (compared to inkjet printers) Bulkier than inkjet printers
Printout is not sensitive to water Does not print high quality images
Good for high volume printing

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Thermal printers

Basic thermal printers are inexpensive, but the print quality is low. Thermal printers use two
types of printing technologies: direct thermal and thermal transfer printing. Thermal printers
are often used in cash registers, ATM and point-of-sales terminals.

• Traditional thermal printers use direct thermal

method by pushing electrically heated pins
against heat-sensitive paper (thermal paper).
The coating on the thermal paper turns black
in the areas where it is heated, producing
characters or images. Direct thermal printers
have no ink, toner or ribbon. These printers are
durable, easy to use and cost less to print than
other printers. However, the thermal paper is
Figure 3. 25: Example of a
sensitive to heat, light, water and scratches Thermal Printer
and the text and images may fade over time
• In thermal transfer printing, a thermal print head applies heat to a heat-sensitive ribbon,
which melts ink onto paper and a wide range of materials to form text and images. The
printouts can be extremely durable and can be stored over long period of time.

Note that a thermal printer is not the same as thermal inkjet printer. The latter uses inkjet print
technology by heating liquid ink to form vapour bubble, which forces the ink droplet onto the
paper from the nozzle.

Thermal Wax

Thermal wax printers use a roll of cellophane like film that has coloured panels on it. The file
is rolled past a print head containing thousands of heated elements that burn the wax from the
film onto the paper.

Dye-Sublimation

The print process is very similar to the thermal wax printers, however, there are a few
differences. Dye-sublimation printers use film that contains dye rather than wax and must be
used with specially coated paper. More importantly, they offer extremely high quality due to

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their continuous tone printing. Continuous tone refers to the fact that the dots put down by the
printer can vary in size and intensity rather than using an irresolute process like other print
processes. For this reason, dye-sub printers can product photographic quality output.

Photo Printers

A photo printer is a color printer that produces photo-lab-

quality pictures. Some photo printers print just one or two
sizes of images, for example, 3 × 5 inches and 4 × 6 inches.
Others print up to letter size, legal size, or even larger. Many
photo printers use ink-jet technology. With models that can
print letter-sized documents, users connect the photo printer
to their computer and use it for all their printing needs. Most
Figure 3. 26: A photo
photo printers are PictBridge enabled, so you can print printer
pictures without a computer. PictBridge is a standard
technology that allows you to print pictures directly from a
digital camera by connecting a cable from the digital camera
to a USB port on the printer.

Mobile/portable Printers

A mobile/portable printer is a small, lightweight, battery-

powered printer that allows a mobile user to print from a
notebook computer, Tablet PC, PDA, or smart phone while
traveling. Barely wider than the paper on which they print,
mobile printers fit easily in a briefcase alongside a notebook
computer. Mobile printers mainly use ink-jet or thermal Figure 3.27: Mobile
printer
technology.

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Multifunction Printer (MFP) / All-in-One Printers

Multifunction printer (MFP) is also known as

all-in-one printer or multifunction device
(MFD). It is a machine that includes several
functionalities including printer, scanner,
copier and fax. Multifunction printer is very
popular in SoHo (small office / home office)
offices. It can use either inkjet or laser print Figure 3. 28: Example of an MFP
method. Some multifunction printers also
have media card readers, allowing printing of pictures directly from digital cameras without
using a computer.

Advantages of Multifunction Printers Disadvantages of Multifunction Printers

Low cost - it is often cheaper to buy a If one component is broken, the entire
multifunction printer than individual machine has to be replaced
components (fax machine, scanner, printer,
and copier) separately
Take up less room Failure in any component will affect other
functions
The print quality and speed may be lower
than some stand-alone components

Plotter
Plotters are sophisticated printers used to
produce high-quality drawings such as
blueprints, maps, and circuit diagrams. These
printers are used in specialized fields such as
engineering and usually are very costly.
Using ink-jet printer technology, but on a
much larger scale, a large-format printer
Figure 3. 29: Examples of Plotters
creates photorealistic - quality color prints.

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Graphic artists use these high-cost, high-performance printers for signs, posters, and other
professional quality displays.

Some important types of plotters are:

✓ Flatbed plotters: It holds paper flat and steady while the plotter pens move across it to
draw images, they are also referred to as table plotters and can produce architect
drawing and other documents too large for regular printing.
✓ Drum plotter: A drum plotter holds paper on a cylindrical drum that rotates as the
plotters pen moves around it. Drum plotters cannot produce copies as large as those
from a large flatbed plotter.

Qualities of a printer
The four qualities of a printer that are of interest to most users are:

✓ Colour: this is important for users who need to print pages for presentations or maps
and other pages where colour is part of the information. Colour printers can also be set
to print only in black-and-white. Colour printers are more expensive to operate since
they use two ink cartridges (one colour and one black ink) that need to be replaced after
a certain number of pages. Users who don't have a specific need for colour and who
print a lot of pages will find a black-and-white printer cheaper to operate.
✓ Resolution: Printer resolution (the sharpness of text and images on paper) is usually
measured in dots per inch (dpi). Most inexpensive printers provide sufficient resolution
for most purposes at 600 dpi.
✓ Speed: If you do much printing, the speed of the printer becomes important.
Inexpensive printers print only about 3 to 6 sheets per minute. Coloured printing is
slower than black and white. More expensive printers are much faster.
✓ Memory: Most printers come with a small amount of memory (for example, one
megabyte) that can be expanded by the user. Having more than the minimum amount
of memory is helpful and faster when printing out pages with large images or tables
with lines around them (which the printer treats as a large image).

Hence, these qualities in addition to cost are the criteria used to evaluate printers.

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SPEAKERS, HEADPHONES, AND EARPHONES

An audio output device is a component of a
computer that produces music, speech, or other
sounds, such as beeps. Three commonly used
audio output devices are speakers, headphones,
and earphones. Most personal computers have a
small internal speaker that usually emits only
low-quality sound. Thus, many personal
computer users add surround sound speakers to
their computers to generate a higher-quality Figure 3. 30: Examples of speakers

sound.

STORAGE DEVICES
It is possible for a computer to function with just
processing, memory, input, and output devices.
To be really useful, however, it also needs a
place to keep program files and related data
when it is not using them. The purpose of storage
is to hold data. Hence, storage devices hold data,
instructions, and information for future use. Figure 3.31: Examples of Storage Devices

A storage medium/media, is the physical material on which a computer keeps data, instructions,
and information. Examples of storage media are hard disks, floppy disks, CDs and DVDs, tape,
PC Cards and Express-Card modules, flash memory cards, USB flash drives, smart cards, and
microfilm.

Memory units are the internal storage areas of a computer. The term “memory” refers to data
storage that comes in the form of chips and the word “storage” is used for memory that exists
on tapes or disks. It is helpful to think of storage as an electronic file cabinet and to think of
memory as an electronic worktable. When you need to work with a program or a set of data,
the computer locates them in the file cabinet and puts a copy on the table. After you have
finished working with the program or data, you put the new version into the file cabinet. There
are three major distinctions between storage and memory:

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✓ There is more room in storage than in memory, just as there is more room in a file
cabinet than there is on a tabletop.
✓ Storage retains its contents when the computer is turned off, whereas the programs or
the data you put into memory disappear when you shut down the computer.
✓ Storage is much cheaper than memory.

Some disks are built into the drive and are not meant to be removed, and other kinds of drives
allow you to remove and replace disks. Most personal computers have a non-removable hard
disk.

Storage capacity is the number of bytes (characters) a storage medium can hold. The capacity
of a storage medium is measured by the number of bytes it can hold. For instance, a reasonably
priced USB flash drive can store from 512 MB of data to above 64 GB of data, and a typical
hard disk has greater than or less than 250 GB of storage capacity. As seen in the illustration
below, a Bit is the smallest unit of measurement as it represents “1” or “0”. 8 bits make a byte.

Storage term Unit

Bit BIT 0 or 1
Byte B 8 bits /1 character
Kilobyte KB 1024 bytes
Megabyte MB 1024 kilobytes
Gigabyte GB 1024 megabytes
Terabyte TB 1024 gigabytes

Exercise

A disk has a capacity of 1.44MB. How many characters can it hold?

Solution:
1024B = 1KB and 1024KB = 1MB; therefore (1024 * 1024 = 1048576).
i.e. 1048576B = 1MB. So, 1.44MB would be
(1.44 * 1048576) = 1,509,955.44B

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MAGNETIC DISKS
Magnetic disks use magnetic particles to store
items such as data, instructions, and information
on a disk’s surface. Depending on how the
magnetic particles are aligned, they represent
either a 0 bit or a 1 bit. Magnetic disks store data
and instructions in tracks and sectors. A track is a
narrow recording band that forms a full circle on
the surface of the disk. The disk’s storage
locations consist of pie-shaped sections, which
break the tracks into small arcs called sectors. On
a magnetic disk, a sector typically stores up to 512 Figure 3.32: Track and sectors on
magnetic disks
bytes of data. Three types of magnetic disks are
hard disks, tape drives and floppy disks (which is
now obsolete).

The Hard Disk

A hard disk is a storage device that
contains one or more inflexible,
circular platters that store data,
instructions, and information. It is a
stack of one or more metal platters that
spin on one spindle, like a stack of
rigid disks. Each platter is coated with
iron oxide, and the entire unit is
encased in a sealed chamber
Figure 3. 33: The Hard disk as seen inside the system unit
unlike CD’s, where the disk
and drive are separate, the hard disk and drive is a single unit. It includes the hard disk, the
motor that spins the platters, and a set of read/write heads that allows you write on a hard disk
any number of times.

Since you cannot remove the disk from its drive, and it also houses the OS, the hard disk has
become the primary storage device for computers. They are also convenient and cost- efficient.

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In both speed and capacity, they far outperform other storage devices; secondary storage
devices.

The hard disk is sealed in a vacuum chamber, and it consists of a rigid metal platter (usually
aluminum). The rigidity of the hard disk allows it to spin much faster – typically more than ten
times faster – than CD’s. The rigidity of the hard disk and the high speed at which it rotates
allow a lot more data to be recorded on the disk’s surface.

People use hard disks to store all types of documents, spreadsheets, presentations, databases,
e-mail messages, Web pages, digital photographs, music, videos, and software. Businesses use
hard disks to store correspondence, reports, financial records, e-mail messages, customer orders
and invoices, payroll records, inventory records, presentations, contracts, marketing literature,
schedules, and Web sites. The system unit on most desktop and notebook computers contains
at least one hard disk. The entire device is enclosed in an airtight, sealed case to protect it from
contamination. A hard disk that is mounted inside the system unit sometimes is called a fixed
disk because it is not portable. Current personal computer hard disks have storage capacities
from 80 to 750 GB and more.

Removable/External Hard Disks

Removable hard disks and drives attempt to combine the speed and capacity of a hard disk with
the portability of CD’s and memory sticks. There are many different types of devices in this
category. Choosing the best type is usually a matter of balancing your needs for speed, storage
capacity, compatibility (will it work in different computers?), and price.

External/removable hard disks offer the following advantages over internal hard disks (fixed
disks):

✓ Back up important files or an entire internal hard disk (several external hard disk models
allow you to back up simply by pushing a button on the disk)
✓ Easily store large audio and video files which is easily transported
✓ Secure your data; for example, at the end of a work session, remove the hard disk and
lock it up, leaving no data in the computer
✓ Add storage space to a notebook computer or Tablet PC
✓ Add storage space to a desktop computer without having to open the system unit
✓ Share a drive with multiple computers

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Tape Drives
Tape drives read and write data to the surface of a tape the same way an audio cassette recorder
does. The difference is that a computer tape drive writes digital data instead of analog data i.e.
discrete “1’s” and “O’s” instead of the finely graduated signals created by sounds in an audio
recorder.

The best use of tape storage is for data that you do not use very often, such as backup copies
of your hard disk (which you will need only if your hard drive malfunctions or you accidentally
delete a valuable file). Because a tape is a long strip of magnetic material, the tape drive has to
write data to it sequentially – one byte after another. Sequential access is inherently slower than
the direct access provided by media such as disks. When you want to access a specific set of
data on a tape, the drive has to scan through all the data you do not need to get to the data you
want. The result is a slow access time. In fact, the access time varies depending on the speed
of the drive, the length of the tape, and the position on the tape to which the head wrote the
data in the first place.

Despite the long access times, however, tape drives are well suited for certain purposes,
especially for backing up your system’s entire hard disk.

OPTICAL DISC
An optical disc is a type of optical storage media that consists of a flat, round, portable, disc
made of metal, plastic, and lacquer. These discs usually are 4.75 inches in diameter and less
than one-twentieth of an inch thick. Optical discs primarily store software, data, digital
photographs, movies, and music. Some optical discs formats are read only, meaning users
cannot write (save) on the media. Others are read/write, which allows users to save on the disc
just as they save on a hard disk. Nearly every personal computer today includes some type of
optical disc drive installed in a drive bay. On these drives, you push a button to slide out a tray,
insert the disc, and then push the same button to close the tray.

Optical discs store items by using microscopic pits (indentations) and lands (flat areas) that are
in the middle layer of the disc. A high-powered laser light creates the pits. A lower-powered
laser light reads items from the disc by reflecting light through the bottom of the disc, which
usually is either solid gold or silver in color. The reflected light is converted into a series of
bits the computer can process.

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Many different formats of optical discs exist today and they include:

Compact Discs - CDs

CD-ROMs
A CD-ROM (pronounced SEE-DEE-rom), or compact disc read-only memory, is a type of
optical disc that users can read but not write (record) or erase — hence, the name read-only.
The CD-ROM reads O's and 1's off a spinning disk by focusing a laser on the disk’s surface.
Compared to hard disk drives, CD-ROM drives are quite slow, in part because the laser reads
data one bit at a time. Another reason has to do with the changing rotational speed of the disk.
Like a track on a magnetic disk, the track of an optical disk is split into sectors.

Software manufacturers often distribute programs using CD-ROMs. A typical CD-ROM holds
from 650 MB to 1 GB of data, instructions, and information. To read a CD-ROM, insert the
disc in a CD-ROM drive or a CD-ROM player. Because audio CDs and CD-ROMs use the
same laser technology, you may be able to use a CD-ROM drive to listen to an audio CD while
working on the computer.

CD-Rs and CD-RWs

Many personal computers today include either a CD-R or CD-RW drive as a standard feature.
Unlike standard CD-ROM drives, users record, or write, their own data on a disc with a CD-R
or CD-RW drive. The process of writing on an optical disc is called burning. A CD-R (compact
disc-recordable) is an optical disc on which users can write, but not erase, their own items such
as text, graphics, and audio. Writing on the CD-R requires a CD recorder or a CD-R drive. A
CD-R drive usually can read both audio CDs and standard CD-ROMs.

A CD-RW (compact disc-rewritable) is an erasable disc you can write on multiple times. To
write on a CD-RW disc, you must have CD-RW software and a CD-RW drive. Using a CD-
RW disc, users easily back up large files from a hard disk. Another popular use of CD-RW and
CD-R discs is to create audio CDs. For example, users can record their own music and save it
on a CD, purchase and download songs from the Web, or rearrange tracks on a purchased music
CD. The process of copying audio and/or video data from a purchased disc and saving it on
digital media is called ripping.

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Digital Versatile/Video Discs - DVDs

DVD-ROMs, BD-ROMs, and HD DVD-ROMs
A DVD-ROM (digital versatile disc-read-only memory or digital video disc-read-only
memory) is a high-capacity optical disc on which users can read but not write or erase. DVD-
ROMs store movies, music, huge databases, and complex software. To read a DVD-ROM, you
must have a DVD-ROM drive or DVD player. Most DVD-ROM drives also can read audio
CDs, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs.

Two newer, more expensive competing DVD formats are Blu-ray and HD DVD, both of which
are higher capacity and better quality than standard DVDs. A Blu-ray Disc (BD) has storage
capacities of 100 GB, with expectations of exceeding 200 GB in the future. The HD DVD disc,
which stands for high-density-DVD, has storage capacities up to 60 GB with future projections
of 90 GB and more capacities.

DVD-R, DVD-RW, BD-R, BD-RW, HD-R and HD DVD-RW

Just as CD-R and CD-RW, there are also DVD-R and DVD-RW, as well as BD-R and BD-
RW, HD-R and HD DVD-RW. These work the same way as CD-Rs and CD-RWs.

Further Reading: USB Flash Drive, Smart Cards, Microfilm, Flash Memory, PC Cards

MEMORY
As stated earlier, memory units are the internal storage areas of a computer. The term
“memory” refers to data storage that comes in the form of chips and the word “storage” is used
for memory that exists on tapes or disks. The term memory is usually used as a short form for
physical memory which refers to the actual chips capable of holding data. Every computer
comes with a certain amount of physical memory usually referred to as the main (primary)
memory or the Random-Access Memory (RAM).

RAM
RAM (random access memory), also called main memory, consists of memory chips that can
be read from and written to by the processor and other devices. When you turn on power to a
computer, certain operating system files (such as the files that determine how the Windows
desktop appears) load into RAM from a storage device such as a hard disk. These files remain
in RAM as long as the computer has continuous power. As additional programs and data are

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requested, they also load into RAM from storage. The processor interprets and executes a
program’s instructions while the program is in RAM. During this time, the contents of RAM
may change. RAM can hold multiple programs simultaneously, provided the computer has
enough RAM to accommodate all the programs. Most RAM is volatile, which means it loses
its contents when the power is removed from the computer. For this reason, you must save any
items you may need in the future. Saving is the process of copying items from RAM to a storage
device such as a hard disk.

The amount of RAM necessary in a computer often

depends on the types of software you plan to use. A
computer executes programs that are in RAM. The
more RAM a computer has, the faster the computer
will respond. Hence, the amount of RAM in a
computer is a factor that greatly affects its speed and
power. The amount of RAM in computers purchased
today ranges from 512 MB to 16 GB. RAM chips Figure 3. 34: RAM chips on a
memory module
usually reside on a memory module, which is a
small circuit board. Memory slots on the
motherboard hold memory modules, as shown in
figure 3.35.

ROM
Read-only memory (ROM) refers to computer memory on which data has been prerecorded.
Once data has been written onto a ROM chip, it cannot be removed and can only be read.
Unlike the main memory (RAM), ROM retains its contents even when the computer is turned
off. Hence it is nonvolatile. Most personal computers contain a small amount of ROM that
holds instructions for starting up the computer.

PROCESSING DEVICE
The complex procedure that transforms raw data into useful information is called processing.
To perform this transformation, the computer uses two components: the processor and memory
which are found within the Systems Unit.

The processor is like the brain of the computer, the part that organizes and carries out
instructions that come from either the user or the software. In a personal computer, the

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processor usually consists of one or more microprocessors, which are slivers of silicon or other
material etched with many tiny electronic circuits. The microprocessor is plugged into a circuit
board - a rigid rectangular card containing the circuitry that connects the processor to the other
hardware. The circuit board to which the microprocessor is connected is called the
motherboard.

In some powerful computers, the processor consists of many chips and the circuit boards on
which they are mounted. The term central processing unit (CPU) refers to a computer’s
processing hardware, whether it consists of a single chip or several circuit boards. This “vital
organ” occupies an amazingly small space in a PC.

Processors contain a control unit and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU). These two components
work together to perform processing operations. Figure 3.36 is an illustration of how other
devices that are connected to the computer communicate with the processor to carry out a task.

Figure 3. 35: Communication of the CPU with other devices

The Control Unit: The control unit is the component of the processor that directs and
coordinates most of the operations in the computer. The control unit has a role much like a
traffic cop: it interprets each instruction issued by a program and then initiates the appropriate
action to carry out the instruction. Types of internal components that the control unit directs
include the arithmetic/logic unit and buses, each discussed in this chapter.

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The Arithmetic Logic Unit: The arithmetic logic unit (ALU), another component of the
processor, performs arithmetic, comparison, and other operations. Arithmetic operations
include basic calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Comparison operations involve comparing one data item with another to determine whether
the first item is greater than, equal to, or less than the other item. Depending on the result of
the comparison, different actions may occur.

THE SYSTEM UNIT

A computer includes devices used for input, processing, output, storage, and communications.
Many of these components are part of the system unit. The system unit is a case that contains
electronic components of the computer used to process data. System units are available in a
variety of shapes and sizes. The case of the system unit is made of metal or plastic and protects
the internal electronic components from damage. As shown in figure 3.37 all computers have
a system unit.

On desktop personal computers, the electronic components and most storage devices are part
of the system unit. Other devices, such as the keyboard, mouse, microphone, monitor, printer,
USB flash drive, portable media player, scanner, PC video camera, and speakers, normally
occupy space outside the system unit. On notebook computers, the keyboard and pointing
device often occupy the area on the top of the system unit, and the display attaches to the system
unit by hinges. The location of the system unit on a Tablet PC varies, depending on the design
of the Tablet PC. Some models build the system unit behind the display while others position
the system unit below the keyboard. The system unit on an ultra-personal computer, a PDA,
and a smart phone usually consumes the entire device. On these mobile computers and devices,
the display often is built into the system unit. With game consoles, the input and output devices,
such as controllers and a television, reside outside the system unit. On handheld game consoles
and portable media players, by contrast, the packaging around the system unit houses the input
devices and display.

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Figure 3. 36: System Unit in different computers

Figure 3.38 identifies some of the components found in the system unit, which include the
processor, memory, adapter cards, drive bays, and the power supply. Adapter cards are circuit
boards that provide connections
and functions not built into the
motherboard or expand on the
capability of features integrated
into the motherboard. For
example, a sound card and a video
card are two types of adapter
cards found in some desktop
personal computers today.
Figure 3. 37: Inside the System Unit
Devices outside the system unit
often attach to ports on the system unit by a connector on a cable. These devices may include
a keyboard, mouse, microphone, monitor, printer, scanner, portable media player, USB flash
drive, card reader/writer, digital camera, PC video camera, and speakers. A drive bay holds one
or more disk drives. The power supply allows electricity to travel through a power cord from a

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wall outlet into a computer. The electronic components and circuitry of the system unit, such
as the processor and memory, usually are part of or are connected to a circuit board called the
motherboard. Many motherboards also integrate sound, video, modem, and networking
capabilities.

The Motherboard
The motherboard, sometimes called a system board, is the main circuit board of the system
unit. Many electronic components attach to the motherboard; others are built into it. Figure
3.39 shows a current desktop personal computer motherboard and identifies its expansion slots,
processor chip, and memory slots. Memory chips are installed on memory cards (modules) that
fit in a slot on the motherboard.

Figure 3. 38: The Motherboard

Reference
Shelly, G. B., Cashman, T. J. & Vermaat, M. E. (2008) Discovering Computers Fundamentals.
4th Ed. Boston. Thomson Course Technology. Boston.

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