Microsoft®

Computer Basics
Student Edition
Complete

Computer Courseware
© 2003 by CustomGuide, Inc. 1502 Nicollet Avenue South, Suite 1; Minneapolis, MN 55403
This material is copyrighted and all rights are reserved by CustomGuide, Inc. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system, or translated into any language or computer language, in any form or by
any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, optical, chemical, manual, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of
CustomGuide, Inc.
We make a sincere effort to ensure the accuracy of the material described herein; however, CustomGuide makes no warranty,
expressed or implied, with respect to the quality, correctness, reliability, accuracy, or freedom from error of this document or the
products it describes. Data used in examples and sample data files are intended to be fictional. Any resemblance to real
persons or companies is entirely coincidental.
The names of software products referred to in this manual are claimed as trademarks of their respective companies.
CustomGuide is a registered trademark of CustomGuide, Inc.
 Table of Contents
Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 7
Chapter One: The Essentials ............................................................................................ 11
Lesson 1-1: Hardware, Software, and Information Technology (IT)...................................12
Lesson 1-2: Computer Overview.........................................................................................14
Lesson 1-3: The Front of a Computer and Peripheral Devices ............................................16
Lesson 1-4: The Inside of a Computer.................................................................................18
Lesson 1-5: The Back of a Computer (Ports) ......................................................................20
Lesson 1-6: System Bus and Expansion Cards....................................................................22
Lesson 1-7: Memory Cache.................................................................................................24
Lesson 1-8: Computer Performance ....................................................................................26
Lesson 1-9: Buying a Desktop Computer............................................................................28
Lesson 1-10: Buying a Notebook Computer .......................................................................30
Lesson 1-11: Upgrading a Computer ...................................................................................32
Chapter One Review............................................................................................................34
Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware........................................................................ 37
Lesson 2-1: Central Processing Unit (CPU) ........................................................................38
Lesson 2-2: Memory............................................................................................................40
Lesson 2-3: RAM and ROM................................................................................................42
Lesson 2-4: Mouse...............................................................................................................44
Lesson 2-5: Keyboard..........................................................................................................46
Lesson 2-6: Digital Cameras and Web Cams.......................................................................48
Lesson 2-7: Other Input Devices .........................................................................................50
Lesson 2-8: Monitor ............................................................................................................52
Lesson 2-9: Graphics Card ..................................................................................................54
Lesson 2-10: Printer Basics .................................................................................................56
Lesson 2-11: Types of Printers.............................................................................................58
Lesson 2-12: Sound and Speakers .......................................................................................60
Lesson 2-13: Modem ...........................................................................................................62
Lesson 2-14: Input/Output Devices .....................................................................................63
Lesson 2-15: Hard Drive .....................................................................................................64
Lesson 2-16: Hard Drive Maintenance ................................................................................66
Lesson 2-17: CD-ROM Drive .............................................................................................68
Lesson 2-18: DVD Drive.....................................................................................................70
Lesson 2-19: Floppy Drive ..................................................................................................72
Lesson 2-20: Zip and Jaz Drives .........................................................................................73
Lesson 2-21: Other Storage Devices....................................................................................74
Lesson 2-22: Formatting a Disk ..........................................................................................75
Chapter Two Review ...........................................................................................................76
Chapter Three: Understanding Software......................................................................81
4 Computer Basics

Lesson 3-1: Understanding Graphical User Interfaces.........................................................82

Lesson 3-2: Types of Software.............................................................................................83
Lesson 3-3: Operating Systems............................................................................................84
Lesson 3-4: Word Processing...............................................................................................86
Lesson 3-5: Spreadsheets .....................................................................................................87
Lesson 3-6: Databases..........................................................................................................88
Lesson 3-7: Presentation Software.......................................................................................90
Lesson 3-8: Accounting .......................................................................................................91
Lesson 3-9: Web Browsing ..................................................................................................92
Lesson 3-10: Web Authoring ...............................................................................................93
Lesson 3-11: Programming Languages................................................................................94
Lesson 3-12: Systems Development ....................................................................................96
Chapter Three Review .........................................................................................................98
Chapter Four: Information Networks...........................................................................101
Lesson 4-1: Introduction to Networks................................................................................102
Lesson 4-2: The Internet ....................................................................................................104
Lesson 4-3: Intranets and Extranets ...................................................................................106
Lesson 4-4: Telephones and Networks...............................................................................108
Chapter Four Review .........................................................................................................110
Chapter Five: Introduction to Windows XP.................................................................113
Lesson 5-1: Starting and Logging On to Windows ............................................................114
Lesson 5-2: Understanding the Windows XP Screen.........................................................116
Lesson 5-3: Using the Mouse: Pointing, Clicking, and Double-clicking...........................118
Lesson 5-4: Using the Mouse: Dragging and Dropping.....................................................120
Lesson 5-5: Using the Mouse: Right-clicking ...................................................................122
Lesson 5-6: Using the Keyboard........................................................................................124
Lesson 5-7: Exiting Windows and Turning off Your Computer.........................................126
Chapter Five Review..........................................................................................................128
Chapter Six: Working with a Window ...........................................................................131
Lesson 6-1: Starting a Program..........................................................................................132
Lesson 6-2: Understanding the Parts of a Window ............................................................134
Lesson 6-3: Minimizing, Maximizing, and Restoring a Window ......................................136
Lesson 6-4: Closing a Window ..........................................................................................138
Lesson 6-5: Moving a Window..........................................................................................139
Lesson 6-6: Sizing a Window ............................................................................................140
Lesson 6-7: Switching Between Windows.........................................................................142
Chapter Six Review ...........................................................................................................144
Chapter Seven: Working with Programs...................................................................... 147
Lesson 7-1: How to Use Menus.........................................................................................148
Lesson 7-2: How to Use Toolbars ......................................................................................150
Lesson 7-3: Filling Out a Dialog Box ................................................................................152
Lesson 7-4: Entering Text in the WordPad Program..........................................................154
Lesson 7-5: Editing Text ....................................................................................................156
Lesson 7-6: Saving and Opening a File .............................................................................158
Lesson 7-7: Selecting, Replacing, and Deleting Text.........................................................160
Lesson 7-8: Using Undo ....................................................................................................162
Lesson 7-9: Printing a File .................................................................................................163
Lesson 7-10: Cutting, Copying, and Pasting Text..............................................................164
Lesson 7-11: Changing the Font Type and Size .................................................................166
Lesson 7-12: Using Bold, Italics, and Underline ...............................................................168
Lesson 7-13: Changing Paragraph Alignment ...................................................................169
Lesson 7-14: Getting Help by Contents .............................................................................170
Lesson 7-15: Getting Help with the Help Index and Search..............................................172

 2002 CustomGuide, Inc.

 Introduction 5
Lesson 7-16: Saving and Opening Files in Different Locations ........................................ 174
Chapter Seven Review....................................................................................................... 176
Chapter Eight: Working with Files and Folders ........................................................ 183
Lesson 8-1: Understanding Storage Devices, Folders, and Files....................................... 184
Lesson 8-2: Using My Computer to See What’s in Your Computer .................................. 186
Lesson 8-3: Opening a Folder............................................................................................ 188
Lesson 8-4: Creating and Renaming a Folder.................................................................... 190
Lesson 8-5: Copying, Moving, and Deleting a Folder....................................................... 192
Lesson 8-6: Opening, Renaming, and Deleting a File ....................................................... 194
Lesson 8-7: Copying and Moving a File ........................................................................... 196
Lesson 8-8: Restoring a Deleted File and Emptying the Recycle Bin ............................... 198
Lesson 8-9: A Closer Look at Files and Folders ................................................................ 200
Lesson 8-10: Changing How Information is Displayed..................................................... 202
Lesson 8-11: Selecting Multiple Files and Folders............................................................ 204
Lesson 8-12: Finding a File Using the Search Companion ............................................... 206
Lesson 8-13: Using the Folders Pane (Windows Explorer)............................................... 208
Lesson 8-14: File Management Using the Folders Pane.................................................... 210
Chapter Eight Review........................................................................................................ 212
Chapter Nine: Exploring the Internet......................................................................... 219
Lesson 9-1: Introduction to the Internet ............................................................................ 220
Lesson 9-2: Connecting to the Internet.............................................................................. 222
Lesson 9-3: Displaying a Specific Web Page .................................................................... 224
Lesson 9-4: Browse the Web ............................................................................................. 226
Lesson 9-5: Search the Web............................................................................................... 228
Lesson 9-6: Adding a Web Page to Favorites and Changing your Home Page ................. 230
Lesson 9-7: Displaying a History of Visited Web Pages ................................................... 232
Lesson 9-8: Saving Pictures and Files to Disk (Downloading) ......................................... 234
Lesson 9-9: Introduction to E-mail.................................................................................... 236
Lesson 9-10: Composing and Sending E-mail................................................................... 238
Lesson 9-11: Adding a Name to the Address Book ........................................................... 240
Lesson 9-12: Receiving E-mail.......................................................................................... 242
Lesson 9-13: Replying to a Message ................................................................................. 244
Lesson 9-14: Forwarding and Deleting a Message............................................................ 245
Chapter Nine Review......................................................................................................... 246
Index................................................................................................................................... 251
 Introduction
Welcome to CustomGuide: Computer Basics. CustomGuide courseware allows instructors to
create and print manuals that contain the specific lessons that best meet their students’ needs.
In other words, this book was designed and printed just for you.
Unlike most other computer-training courseware, each CustomGuide manual is uniquely
designed to be three books in one:
• Step-by-step instructions make this manual great for use in an instructor-led class or as a
self-paced tutorial.
• Detailed descriptions, illustrated diagrams, informative tables, and an index make this
manual suitable as a reference guide when you want to learn more about a topic or
process.
• The handy Quick Reference box, found on the last page of each lesson, is great for when
you need to know how to do something quickly.
CustomGuide manuals are designed both for users who want to learn the basics of the
software and those who want to learn more advanced features.
Here’s how a CustomGuide manual is organized:

Chapters
Each manual is divided into several chapters. Aren’t sure if you’re ready for a chapter? Look
at the prerequisites that appear at the beginning of each chapter. They will tell you what you
should know before you start the chapter.

Lessons
Each chapter contains several lessons on related topics. Each lesson explains a new skill or
topic and contains a step-by-step exercise to give you hands-on-experience.

Chapter Reviews
A review is included at the end of each chapter to help you absorb and retain all that you have
learned. This review contains a brief recap of everything covered in the chapter’s lessons, a
quiz to assess how much you’ve learned (and which lessons you might want to look over
again), and a homework assignment where you can put your new skills into practice. If you’re
having problems with a homework exercise, you can always refer back to the lessons in the
chapter to get help.
8 Computer Basics

How to Use the Lessons

Every topic is presented on two facing pages, so that you can concentrate on the lesson
without having to worry about turning the page. Since this is a hands-on course, each lesson
contains an exercise with step-by-step instructions for you to follow.
To make learning easier, every exercise follows certain conventions:
• Anything you’re supposed to click, drag, or press appears like this.
• Anything you’re supposed to type appears like this.
• This book never assumes you know where (or what) something is. The first time you’re
told to click something, a picture of what you’re supposed to click appears either in the
margin next to the step or in the illustrations at the beginning of the lesson.

Illustrations show what your

screen should look like as you 24 Microsoft Excel 2000
follow the lesson. They also 24 Microsoft Excel 2000
describe controls, dialog boxes,
and processes. Lesson
Lesson4-2:
4-2:Formatting
FormattingValues
Values
Figure 4-3
TheFigure
Numbers tab4-3
of the
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format
selected number
category
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worksheet values before
Select a number
being formatted.
Figure 4-5 format
Select a number
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Expense Report
worksheet values Report
The Expense after being
formatted.
worksheet values after being
formatted.
An easy-to-understand
Figure 4-3
introduction explains the task or Figure 4-3
topic covered in the lesson and
what you’ll be doing in the
exercise.

Figure 4-4 Figure 4-5

Figure 4-4 Figure 4-5

In this lesson, you will learn how to apply number formats. Applying number formatting changes
You can also format howIn values are displayed—it
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The Formatting toolbar has five buttons (Currency, Percent, Comma, Increase Decimal, and
from the menu
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→ Cells The Formatting
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you canhas usefive buttons apply
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dialog box If none of
by selecting these →
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methods using the toolbar, but it gives you more precision and formatting options.
lesson.
We’ll use both methods in this lesson.
click or look for. 1. Select the cell range D5:D17 and click the Comma Style button on
Comma Style 1.theSelect the celltoolbar.
Formatting range D5:D17 and click the Comma Style button on
Comma
button Style theadds
Excel Formatting toolbar.(the comma) and two decimal places to the selected cell
a hundreds separator
button range.
Excel adds a hundreds separator (the comma) and two decimal places to the selected cell
Clear step-by-step instructions range.

guide you through the exercise.

Anything you need to click
appears like this.

 2002 CustomGuide, Inc.

 Introduction 9

• When you see a keyboard instruction like “press <Ctrl> + <B>,” you should press and
hold the first key (<Ctrl> in this example) while you press the second key (<B> in this
example). Then, after you’ve pressed both keys, you can release them.
• There is usually more than one way to do something in Word. The exercise explains the
most common method of doing something, while the alternate methods appear in the
margin. Use whatever approach feels most comfortable for you.
• Important terms appear in italics the first time they’re presented.
• Whenever something is especially difficult or can easily go wrong, you’ll see a:
NOTE:
immediately after the step, warning you of pitfalls that you could encounter if you’re not
careful.
• Our exclusive Quick Reference box appears at the end of every lesson. You can use it to
review the skills you’ve learned in the lesson and as a handy reference—when you need
to know how to do something fast and don’t need to step through the sample exercises.

Formatting a Worksheet 25
Formatting a Worksheet 25

2. Click cell A4 and type Annual Sales.

2. Click cell A4inand
The numbers type Annual
this column Sales. as currency.
should be formatted Anything you need to type
The numbers in this column should be formatted as currency.
3. Press <Enter> to confirm your entry and overwrite the existing appears like this.
3. Press <Enter> to confirm your entry and overwrite the existing
information.
information.
4. Select the cell range G5:G17 and click the Currency Style button on
4. Select the cell range
the Formatting G5:G17 and click the Currency Style button on
toolbar. Currency Style
theA Formatting
dollar sign and toolbar.
two decimal places are added to the values in the selected cell range.
Currency Style
button
A dollar sign and two decimal places are added to the values in the selected cell range. Otherbutton
Ways to Apply Whenever there is more than
5. Select the cell range F5:F17 and click the Percent Style button on Currency
Other Ways to Formatting:
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5. Select the cell range
the Formatting F5:F17 and click the Percent Style button on
toolbar. Currency
• Type theFormatting:
dollar sign ($) one way to do something, the
theExcel
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applies percentage style number formatting to the information in the Tax column.
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sign ($)
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style number rounds
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rate.
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6. With the Tax cell range still selected, click the Increase Decimal
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on the range still toolbar.
selected, click the Increase Decimal presented in the margin.
button on the
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 Chapter One: The
Essentials
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites
• Learn the difference between hardware and software • A desire to learn about
computers.
• Discover the various types of computers and their roles
• See what’s on the front, back, and inside of a computer
• Learn about the various ports on a computer
• Understand what determines a computer’s performance
• See what you should look for when buying a computer

Computers are useful: they help us write letters, find information on the Internet, and
even create our own music CDs. Some people love computers—they speak a different
language that includes nonsensical words like IP address and gigabytes. But most of us
are somewhat clueless when it comes to computers. We know how to turn our computer
on, how to surf the Internet (maybe), and how to write a quick letter on a word processor.
But that’s about it—we have to ask our kids or friends for help when something goes
wrong, which is all the time.
This guide takes some of the mystery out of computers. In this chapter we’ll take a good
hard look at a computer from the front, back, and yes, even inside. You’ll understand
what all those confusing ports on the back of the computer are for and why it’s important
for your computer to have a fast CPU. Best of all, we’ll explain all of this in simple
terms, so you won’t need an engineering degree to understand everything.
Ready to tackle your computer? Great—turn the page and let’s get started…
12 Computer Basics

Lesson 1-1: Hardware,

Software, and Information
Technology (IT)
Figure 1-1
A typical computer setup.
Figure 1-2
Microsoft Word is an
example of a software
application.

Figure 1-1

Figure 1-2

Your desk probably contains a jumble of equipment commonly known as a computer. But
what is all that stuff? What does a computer do? Unlike many other tools or appliances
that have limited purposes, a computer can do any number of things:
• Write letters
• Browse the Internet
• Send e-mail messages to people around the world
• Play games
• Help you balance your budget

 2003 CustomGuide Inc.

 Chapter One: The Essentials 13

…and that’s just the beginning of what you can do with a computer!
Two basic components make up a computer: hardware and software. You simply can’t
have one without the other. All computer parts that you can physically see or touch are
called hardware. Hardware includes the computer’s monitor, case, keyboard, mouse, and
printer. Computer programs that tell hardware how to operate are called software. You
may have used software such as Microsoft Excel or Corel WordPerfect in the past. So
breathe a giant sigh of relief—you don’t have to know how to program a computer to use
one. A computer programmer has already done the work for you by writing the program
(software). All you have to do is tell the software what you’re trying to do, and the
software then directs the work of the hardware. Your computer setup
Figure 1-1 shows an example of a typical computer setup and its components, but don’t may differ from the
worry if your setup is different. More than likely, you have all the parts that you need, one shown in Figure
1-1. For example, you
and those parts are properly connected. In any case, Table 1-1: Parts of a Computer, might have a computer
provides more details about each individual component. case that is tall and
skinny (tower case) or
IT, short for Information Technology, is the broad subject related to computers and
a flat screen monitor.
managing and processing information, especially within large organizations. Many large
companies have departments full of computer experts called IT departments.

Table 1-1: Parts of a Computer

Component Description
Case or System The main computer box, technically known as the system unit, is the most
Unit important part of a computer. It contains the guts and brains of the computer—
something we’ll talk about later. The system unit contains a lot of holes or ports
where you plug in the rest of the computer system.
Monitor The monitor resembles a television set, and is where the computer displays Quick Reference
information.
A typical computer
Keyboard The keyboard is the thing you type on to tell your computer what to do. includes the following:
Mouse Like the keyboard, the mouse is another input device that you use to • System unit
communicate with your computer. • Monitor
Speakers Most computers can make sounds, just like a stereo system. In fact, you can • Keyboard
even listen to audio CD’s on most computers or watch DVDs.
• Mouse
Printer A printer is where a computer writes down information or output, onto paper, or • Speakers
a hardcopy.
• Printer
Hardware:
• A computer item you can
physically see or touch.
Software:
• A computer program that
tells computer hardware
how to operate.
IT:
• Information Technology is
the broad subject related
to computers and
managing and processing
information.

Your Organization’s Name Here

14 Computer Basics

Lesson 1-2: Computer Overview

Figure 1-3
How a computer works.
Figure 1-4
Comparing a TV to a PC.

Input Process/Storage Output

You communicate with the The computer processes data, The computer communicates
computer via an input device makes calculations, directs its results to you via an output
such as a mouse, a keyboard, the work of the hardware, and device such as a monitor, a
or a joystick. stores your files. printer, or speakers.
Figure 1-3
Input
The remote control talks to the TV;
the mouse and the keyboard talk to
the computer.
Process/Storage
The cable box deciphers which
channel you want to watch; the
CPU translates your instructions
(via software) to the hardware.

Output
The television displays the
channel; the monitor displays the
Figure 1-4 results.

Computers are not really as complicated as they initially seem. You just have to learn the
basic functions of the various parts, and then you can separate them into three categories:
• Input
Any device that lets you talk to the computer (such as a mouse or keyboard).
• Process/Storage
Main functions of a computer, which happen inside the computer case. Not
surprisingly, the Central Processing Unit (CPU) does all the processing; the storage
function is handled by any number of drives (hard, floppy, Zip, tape-backup,
CD/DVD-ROM) or disks (compact discs or floppy diskettes).
• Output
Any device that lets the computer talk to you (such as a monitor or speakers).
If you're having trouble understanding this input/output stuff, think of your home
television (TV) set. Televisions and computers are similar in several ways:
• The remote control is comparable to the mouse (or any other input device such as a
mouse or joystick).
A remote control • The cable box (while not nearly as powerful as a computer) is similar to a computer
communicates with a
television much like a in that it can process information (such as deciphering which channel you want to
mouse communicates watch) and, if programmable, store information (such as when to show the film using
with a computer. a built-in timer).
• The TV displays the channel much like a monitor displays information.

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 Chapter One: The Essentials 15

There are several different types of computer systems out there. Here's a very brief
description of the most common ones…

Table 1-2: Types of Computers

Computer Description
A mainframe is a big, powerful, expensive computer that can support many users at
the same time. Large businesses and organizations use mainframes.
Capacity: Enormous - the capacity of several hundred or even thousands of PCs
Speed: Very fast - much, much faster than a PC
Mainframe Cost: Very, very expensive - can usually only be afforded by large organizations
Users: Only used by large businesses and organizations
A PC is a personal computer, originally designed by IBM way back in 1981. Many
different companies make PCs, but all of them are IBM-compatible. What this
means, according to Bill Gates, is that they will all run Microsoft Windows.
Capacity: Average hard disk size is 20 GB to 80 GB
Speed: Fast. Average speed is from 1 GHz to 3 GHz
PC Cost: Fairly inexpensive - under $1,000 - and getting cheaper every day!
Users: Just about everyone uses a PC! Homes, offices, schools…
Developed by Apple, a Macintosh is a computer, but it is NOT a PC. Macs have a
different operating system and use their own software and hardware.
Capacity: Average hard disk size is 20 GB to 80 GB
Speed: Fast. Average speed is from 500 MHz to 2 GHz
Cost: Fairly inexpensive, but usually more than an equivalent PC
Mac
Users: Just about everyone, especially in the education and design fields
A network is a group of computers that are connected so that they can share
equipment and information. Most people on a network use workstations, which are
simply PCs that are connected to the network. A server is a central computer where
users on the network can save their files and information.
Capacity: (Workstation) Same as a PC, only needs an inexpensive network card
(Server) Greater than a PC, often more than 100 GE
Speed: (Workstation) Same as a PC
Networked (Server) Generally faster than a PC, may use multiple CPUs
Computer Cost:(Workstation) Same as a PC Quick Reference
(Server) More expensive than a PC but not as costly as a mainframe The Basic Computer
Users: (Workstation) People in a networked office or organization Processes Are:
(Server) Generally a network administrator or engineer
1. Input
A laptop, or notebook, is a lighter and more portable version of a PC or Mac that 2. Processing
can run on batteries.
3. Output
Capacity: Average hard disk size is 10 GB to 40 GB
Speed: Fast, but slightly less than a PC. Average speed is from 700 MHz to 2 GHz Different Types of
Cost: Fairly inexpensive, but more than an equivalent PC Computers Include:
Laptop
Users: People on the move, especially business people and students • Mainframes
A PDA (Personal Data Assistant) is a handheld computer that is generally used to • PCs
keep track of appointments and addresses. • Macs
Capacity: Much smaller than a PC - 8 MB to 64 MB of storage space • Servers
Speed: Much slower than a PC - 8 MHz to 266 MHz • Laptops
Palmtop/PDA Cost: Expensive when compared to the capacities of a PC
Users: Business people and others who need to be organized • Palmtops or PDAs

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16 Computer Basics

Lesson 1-3: The Front of a

Computer and Peripheral Devices
Figure 1-5
The front of a computer
case.

Scanner

Monitor
Printer

Speakers

CD-ROM or System unit

DVD player Floppy drive

Keyboard
Mouse

Figure 1-5

The system unit or computer case is that plastic box that sits under your monitor or desk
and is covered with slots, buttons, and lights. Computer cases come in several shapes and
sizes. Older computers often have the horizontal desktop case, which has gradually been
replaced by the vertical tower case. Manufacturers are now phasing out the tallest towers
because the compact size of the smallest tower, known as a mini-tower, is attractive to
consumers.
Everything outside of and connected to the system unit is called peripherals. You can add
dozens of peripherals and accessories to make it more useful and fun. Common
peripherals include printers, scanners, external hard drives, CD-ROM drives, and digital
cameras. Many peripherals are considered to be input devices, because they allow you to
talk to your computer by inputting information. Other peripherals are output devices,
because they let your computer talk back to you. One more thing: all peripherals are
considered to be part of a computer’s hardware.

Table 1-3: What’s on the Front or Outside of a Computer Case?

Item Description
System Unit or A plastic or metal case with slots, buttons, and lights in the front and holes
Computer Case in the back. This is the most important part of a computer because it
contains the Central Processing Unit (CPU). The system unit directs the
computer, performs calculations, and stores information.
Floppy Drive Reads and writes to 3½-inch floppy disks. A floppy disk can store about
1.5 MB of information—about as much as a novel.

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 Chapter One: The Essentials 17

Item Description
Hard Drive The computer’s main, long-term storing device. Unlike floppy disks and
(Not shown) CD-ROMs, you typically cannot remove a hard disk.
CD-ROM or DVD Drive CD-ROMs and DVDs for your computer can store lots of information and
look exactly like CDs for your stereo and DVDs for your home DVD
player. In fact, you can listen to audio CDs on a CD-ROM drive and even
watch DVD movies on a DVD drive.
The only real difference between a CD-ROM and a DVD is how much
information they can store. A CD-ROM can store approximately 650MB
(megabytes) of information, while a DVD can store much more—up to
17 GB (gigabytes) or 17,000MB on a double-sided DVD.
Most CD-ROMs and DVD are read-only, meaning you can’t write
information to them. You can buy special CD-ROM and DVD drives that
can write or burn information to special CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, and DVD-
RW discs.
Zip Drive A special type of disk drive that can read and write to Zip disks. A Zip disk
(Not shown) is a lot like a floppy disk, although they are faster and can store more
information—from 100 to 250MB (megabytes).
Tape Backup A device that you can use to store backups, or copies, of the information
(Not shown) on a computer’s hard drive.
Keyboard The keyboard is the thing you type on to tell your computer what to do.
Input Devices

Mouse Like the keyboard, the mouse is another input device that you use to
communicate with your computer.
Scanner Scanners work like photocopiers, except the image is translated into a
digital image in your computer rather than copied onto paper.
Monitor The monitor resembles a television set, and is where the computer
displays information.
Output Devices

Speakers If visible, your computer speakers are similar to those on a stereo system
(or at least a cheap stereo system). They allow your computer to play
sounds.
Printer A printer is where a computer writes down information or output, onto Quick Reference
paper, or a hardcopy.
Components Visible from
the Outside of the System
Unit May Include:
• Floppy drive
• CD-ROM or DVD drive
• Zip drive or tape backup
• Keyboard
• Mouse
• Scanner
• Monitor
• Speakers
• Printer

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18 Computer Basics

Lesson 1-4: The Inside of a

Computer
Power supply Central Processing Unit (CPU) ROM-BIOS
Figure 1-6
The side view of the guts
of a tower case. CD-ROM or
DVD-ROM drive

Floppy disk
Ports drive

Hard disk drive

(HDD)
Expansion
cards

Expansion
slots

Motherboard

Figure 1-6
Random-access memory (RAM)

Now that you know what’s on the outside, let’s crank open that mysterious computer case
and look inside. But no tools required—we’ve done all the work for you. Just compare
Figure 1-6 with Table 1-4: What’s Inside a Computer Case? to see what’s important.

Everything plugs into a Table 1-4: What’s Inside a Computer Case?

computer’s Item Description
motherboard.
Motherboard The main piece of circuitry in a computer. Everything connects to or is wired
to the motherboard.
Central Processing The computer’s brain or heart, the CPU is a computer’s main chip. The CPU
Unit (CPU) is really nothing more than an incredibly fast and powerful calculator.
Random Access A computer’s temporary storage place, where it gets its work done. For
Memory (RAM) example, when you use a word processor to type a letter, the letter is stored
in the computer’s memory.
ROM-BIOS A computer’s ROM-BIOS (stands for Read Only Memory – Basic
Input/Output System) is a special chip with instructions for the computer to
communicate with other hardware parts.
Expansion Slot An expansion slot lets you add more features and capabilities to a computer
by plugging in expansion cards.

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 Chapter One: The Essentials 19

Item Description
Expansion Card A card that allows you to expand your computer’s capabilities, such as a
modem card, a network card, a video card, or a sound card.
PCMCIA Cards Notebook computers are too small to use expansion cards, so they use
special credit-card sized PCMCIA cards instead. You plug in a PCMCIA card,
or PC Card, into a notebook computer to give it more features and
capabilities. Nobody’s getting tested on this, but PCMCIA stands for Personal
Computer Memory Card International Association.

Quick Reference
Components Inside the
System Unit May Include:
• Motherboard
• CPU (Central Processing
Unit)
• RAM (Random Access
Memory)
• ROM-BIOS
• Expansion slots and
cards
• PCMCIA cards (laptops
only)

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20 Computer Basics

Lesson 1-5: The Back of a

Computer (Ports)
Figure 1-7
The back of a computer On/Off switch
case.
Power receptacle

Keyboard port Mouse port

USB ports Ethernet connector
Serial port (COM1)

Parallel port (printer)

Serial port (COM2)
Air vents
Line-out jack (speakers/headphone)
Line-in jack Joystick port
Microphone jack
Phone jack Wall jack
Video (monitor)

Expansion spaces

Figure 1-7

When you look at the back of a computer, you may feel a bit overwhelmed by all the slots
and holes. Fortunately, manufacturers have added some fairly standard icons and color
coding to help you identify what should be plugged into your computer and where.
Before long, you’ll recognize those icons and colors, and the configuration won’t seem so
mysterious. It’s rather like hooking up cable and a DVD player to the back of your
television—unless you’re one of those people who just wait for the cable guy to take care
of that heinous task. In any case, this lesson will review each item piece by piece so you
You may feel a bit won’t get completely lost.
overwhelmed the first Before we begin, let’s define a couple of terms. The first thing you’ll notice is that the
time you look at the back of your computer has lots of holes. Those holes are called (depending on who you
back of a computer. ask) jacks, ports, or connectors. You may notice that some of the connectors have holes,
but some have what look like stickpins (which are aptly named pins). The ones that have
holes are called female connectors; the ones that have pins are called male connectors.
Let’s leave it at that.
Now let’s begin. Compare Figure 1-7 to Table 1-5: What’s on the Back of a Computer
Case? The back of your computer may be arranged differently but should include the
same elements.

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 Chapter One: The Essentials 21

Table 1-5: What’s on the Back of a Computer Case?

Port Icon Description
The keyboard and mouse jacks look identical on most
PCs, so look for colors and icons to help you with plugging
in these devices.
Keyboard & Mouse Some mice and keyboards use USB ports. Older mice
may use a serial port.
Serial (or COM) ports are a very versatile type of port.
Some of the things you can plug into a serial port include:
Serial or COM a mouse, modem, scanner, or digital camera. Most
computers have two serial ports: COM1 and COM2.
You plug your printer into the parallel, or printer, port. Many
Parallel or Printer newer printers may use a USB port.

Designed to replace older Serial and Parallel ports, the

USB (Universal Serial Bus) can connect computers with a
number of devices, such as printers, keyboards, mice,
scanners, digital cameras, PDAs, and more. Better yet, the
USB port supports plug-and-play, so you can simply plug
in a USB device and start using it.
USB
USB 1 ports can transfer information at a speed up to
12 Mbps (Megabytes per Second). Newer USB 2 ports can
transfer information at a speed up to 480 Mbps. Most
computers come with two USB ports.
You plug your monitor into the video port.
Video or Monitor
Plug in your speakers or headphone into the Line Out jack.
Line Out /
The Line In jack allows you to listen to your computer Quick Reference
Line In using a stereo system.
Ports on the Back of a
You can plug a microphone into this jack to record sounds Computer Include:
on your computer. • Keyboard and Mouse
Microphone
• Serial or COM
If you have a joystick, musical (MIDI) keyboard, or other • Parallel or Printer
Joystick or Game gaming device, this is where you plug it in.
• USB
The phone or modem jack is where you plug your • Video or monitor
computer into a phone line.
Phone or Modem • Line in, line out,
microphone
You can connect your computer to a network by plugging
Network or Ethernet
<•••> in an Ethernet cable in this port. • Joystick or game
• Phone or modem
An SCSI port is one of the fastest ways to connect a hard • Ethernet or network
SCSI drive, CD-ROM drive, or other device to a computer.
• SCSI
A FireWire (IEEE 1394 or i.LINK) port lets you connect • Firewire
such devices as hard disks and digital camcorders to a
Firewire
computer. A FireWire port can transfer information at a
speed up to 400 Mbps (Megabytes per Second).

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22 Computer Basics

Lesson 1-6: System Bus and

Expansion Cards
Figure 1-8
Expansion cards plug
directly into a computer’s
motherboard.
Figure 1-9
Most computers have
around six expansion
slots.

Expansion
slots

Highway System Bus

• The number of lanes • The bus width determines
determines how many cars can how much information can
use the highway at once flow along the bus at a time
• The speed limit determines • The bus speed determines
how fast cars can drive on the how fast information can travel
highway

You’re furious! You just bought an expensive digital camcorder only to find out that it
can’t connect to your computer because your computer apparently doesn’t have a
Firewire port. Don’t worry—you can easily add a Firewire port to the computer by
buying an expansion card.
Expansion cards allow you to add more gizmos and capabilities to a computer. You can
also use expansion cards to replace a component of a computer that breaks, like a
modem. Expansion cards plug into expansion slots on a computer’s motherboard.
A computer talks to its expansion cards—and everything else on the motherboard—
Expansion cards plug through its bus. A computer’s bus is an electronic pathway that carries information
directly into the between devices in a computer. Two factors determine how information flows through the
motherboard. bus: the bus width and the bus speed.
• Bus Width
The bus width determines how many “lanes” there are on a computer’s electronic
highway. Actually, the bus width isn’t measured in lanes, but in bits. The wider the
bus, the more information can travel across it at the same time.
• Bus Speed
The bus speed determines how fast information can travel through the bus. The
higher the bus speed, the faster information can travel through it. Bus speed is
measured in MHz.

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As if this weren’t confusing enough there are several bus types out there. They
include:
• ISA
The Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) is the original, slowest, and oldest type of
bus. The ISA bus has a width of 16 bits and a speed of 8 MHz. The ISA bus is going
the way of dinosaurs and is no longer found on new computers.
• PCI
The Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) bus is the main bus found in newer
computers. The PCI bus can have a width of 32 or 64 bits. The PCI bus supports
Plug and Play, which lets you add new devices to a computer without a complicated
installation process.
• AGP
An Accelerated Graphics Port (AGP) is a blazingly fast bus that is currently only
used for video cards. The AGP port has a width of 64 bits and supports Plug and
Play.
So what kind of expansion cards are out there? Here are some of the more common
expansion cards that you may come across…

Table 1-6: Common Types of Expansion Cards

Expansion Card Description
A modem allows computers to exchange information through ordinary
telephone lines. Almost all computers already come with built-in modems, so
Modem you would probably only want to add a modem expansion card if the original
modem in a computer breaks.
A network interface card (NIC) is an expansion card that connects a computer
to other computers on a network.

Network
A video card or adapter is what generates the images and text displayed on a
monitor. Computers come with a built-in video card, but some people like to Quick Reference
upgrade their original video card with faster, more powerful video cards.
Video or Graphics • An expansion card plugs
into a computer’s
A sound card lets a computer play and record sounds, just like a home stereo motherboard to give it
system. additional capabilities.
• A computer
Sound communicates with its
You can use expansion cards to add additional ports to a computer, such as expansion cards and
the newer Firewire or USB 2 ports. devices through the
system bus.
Additional Port(s) • How much information
flows through the system
bus depends on the bus
width and bus speed.
There are several bus
types:
1. ISA
2. PCI
3. AGP

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24 Computer Basics

Lesson 1-7: Memory Cache

Figure 1-10
Internal External RAM Hard Disk
An illustration of how a
Cache Cache
computer searches for
information in a memory
cache. 1. The computer looks 2. When the computer 3. If the computer 4. If the computer still
for data in the does not find what can’t find what it can’t find what it
internal cache first. it’s looking for in needs in the needs, it looks at
Figure 1-11 This is the fastest the internal cache, internal or external the slow as
way the computer it next looks in the cache, it looks in molasses hard disk
An illustration of how a can get information. external cache. the slower main cache.
police officer looks for a memory (RAM).
gun in a “weapons cache.” Figure 1-10

1. Hopefully the officer 2. If the officer can’t 3. If the officer can’t 4. If the officer still
has his revolver in find his revolver in find his revolver in can’t find his
his hand, ready for his hand, he next its holster, he next revolver, his last
action. reaches down to runs back to see if stop is a gun store.
his holster for the he left it in the
Figure 1-11 gun. squad car.

A memory cache increases a computer’s performance by storing the most recently used
data. There are two types of cache:
• Internal Cache (also called primary or L1 cache)
When the computer needs data it first looks in the internal cache. The internal cache
is inside the CPU and is the fastest possible way for the computer to get information.
The internal cache can normally only contain a very small amount of information.
• External Cache (also called secondary or L2 cache)
If the computer doesn’t find the data in the internal cache, it then looks in the
external cache. The external cache is slower than the internal cache, but much faster
than the normal RAM memory. The external cache normally holds much more
information than the internal cache, but still not as much as the main memory
(RAM).

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Chapter One: The Essentials 25

Quick Reference
Memory Cache:
• A special type of memory
that greatly increases a
computer’s performance.

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26 Computer Basics

Lesson 1-8: Computer

Performance
Figure 1-12
There are lots of factors
that determine a
computer’s speed. Most of
them are listed in Table
1-7: Factors that Affect
Computer Performance.

Figure 1-12

Wondering why your neighbor’s computer is so much faster than your computer? There
are a number of reasons why a computer may run faster or slower. You learn about each
of them by reading Table 1-7: Factors that Affect Computer Performance.
A much simpler reason that your neighbor’s computer is faster than your computer is
probably because it’s newer.

Table 1-7: Factors that Affect Computer Performance

Factor Description
Arguably the single most important factor that determines a computer’s
performance is the speed of its CPU. The speed of the CPU is measured in
megahertz (MHz) and gigahertz (GHz). The faster the CPU, the faster the
CPU Speed computer. The first PC in 1981 ran at 4.77 MHz, while today’s computers can
run at speeds exceeding 3,000 MHz, or 3 GHz.
The amount of RAM, or memory, is another very important factor in a
computer’s performance. Generally, the more RAM a computer has the better
its performance. However, you usually won’t see much of an improvement
Amount of RAM after 1 GB of RAM.
Video cards have their own processor and memory, just like the computer
does. The faster the processor and the more memory a video card has, the
faster it can draw images on the monitor. Video card performance is especially
Type of Video Card important if you’re interested in playing newer, 3D computer games.

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Factor Description
A hard drive’s average access time is how fast it can find information. Average
access time is measured in milliseconds (ms), or 1/1000 of a second. The
lower the access speed, the faster the hard drive. Most newer computers have
an average access time of 8 to 15 ms.
Another factor that determines hard drive performance is how fast it spins, in
Hard Drive Speed revolutions per minute (rpms). Faster IDE hard drives may have speeds as
fast as 7,200 rpm, while high-end SCSI hard drives have speeds of 15,000
rpm.
Not only do you need a fast hard drive, you have to make sure that is has
plenty of free storage space. Microsoft Windows uses this hard disk space to
create a cache on the hard drive where it stores temporary information.

Free Hard Disk

Space
Normally a computer stores a file in the same location on a hard drive. Over
time, a hard drive can become fragmented, and instead of storing a file in the
same location it begins storing parts of it all over. When the computer needs to
read a fragmented file, it must read several different parts of the hard drive
Hard Disk instead of just one. Defragmenting a hard drive puts the fragmented files back
Fragmentation together in one place. You should defragment your computer’s hard drive
about once a month.
Microsoft Windows can multitask, or run more than one program or task at a
time—probably no different than your job. And, just like your job, the more
programs or tasks you throw at Windows, the longer it takes to complete each
Multitasking one, and hence a drop in computer performance.
Considerations

Quick Reference
Computer Performance is
Determined By:
• CPU speed
• Amount of memory or
RAM
• The type and speed of the
video card
• A hard disk’s speed, free
space, and fragmentation
• How many programs are
running, or multitasking,
at the same time

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Lesson 1-9: Buying a Desktop

Computer
Figure 1-13
What should you look for
when you’re buying a new
computer? That depends
on what you want it to do.
Table 1-8: Desktop
Computer Buyer’s Guide
lists some of the more
important factors and
features to be aware of
when buying a new
computer. Just make sure
the information listed isn’t
too out of date!

Figure 1-13

Nothing’s worse than going to the computer store and listening to a know-it-all
salesperson tell you to buy the most expensive computer in the store because the Radon
graphics accelerator with 128 megabytes of RAM is something he thinks you’re
definitely going to need.
Instead of listening to a nerdy computer salesperson, who may be on commission or a
sales quota, call one of your computer-geek friends or relatives, tell them how you’re
going to use your computer, and ask what they would recommend. If a computer-geek
friend isn’t readily available, Table 1-8: Desktop Computer Buyer’s Guide will give you a
good idea of what you should look for when you buy a new computer. Just remember that
computer technology changes about as quickly as the latest fashions (every six months),
so this information will probably be out of date shortly after you read it.

Table 1-8: Desktop Computer Buyer’s Guide

Factor Budget Middle of the Road High End, Gaming
Duron or Celeron at Pentium 4 at 2GHz, Pentium 4 at 3GHz,
2GHz Athlon at 1.7 GHz Athlon at 2.1GHz
CPU
256MB 512MB 1GB

RAM
15-inch or 17-inch CRT 17-inch CRT or 19-inch CRT or
15-inch flat panel/LCD 17-inch flat panel/LCD

Monitor

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 Chapter One: The Essentials 29

Factor Budget Middle of the Road High End, Gaming

32MB 64MB to 128MB 128MB or more

Video Memory
40GB to 60GB 80GB 120GB or more

Hard Drive
CD-ROM Drive CD-RW Drive DVD+-R/RW &
CD-R/RW Drive

CD or DVD Drive
USB 1.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0, Firewire

Ports
Ethernet, 56K modem Ethernet, 56K modem

Included Devices

* This information was updated May 2003.

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30 Computer Basics

Lesson 1-10: Buying a Notebook

Computer
Figure 1-14
What should you look for
when you’re buying a new
computer? That depends
on what you want it to do.
Table 1-9: Notebook
Buyer’s Guide lists some
of the more important
factors and features to be
aware of when buying a
new computer. Just make
sure the information listed
isn’t too out of date!

Figure 1-14

Deciding on which notebook to buy is even more confusing than buying a desktop
computer. That’s because there is much more variance in features and prices between
various notebooks. Notebook computers can’t be upgraded as easily as desktop
computers, so your decision is pretty much final.
Table 1-9: Notebook Buyer’s Guide will give you a good idea of what you should look for
when you buy a new notebook computer. Just remember that notebook technology
changes incredibly fast, so don’t use Table 1-9: Notebook Buyer’s Guide after December
2003.
Some other important factors to consider when buying a notebook include:
• Size
Generally speaking, while convenient and cool looking, smaller notebooks aren’t as
powerful or fast as larger notebook computers. If you travel frequently and need to
lug your notebook around with you, you might want to consider a smaller notebook.
If your notebook doesn’t move around much you’re probably better off with a larger
notebook.
• Battery Life
A notebook’s battery life can range any where from 2 to 7 hours. Some notebooks
can even accept a second battery for extra long life. Battery life probably isn’t much
of an issue if you only use your notebook when it’s plugged into the wall.
• Warrantee
Notebook computers are notorious for breaking down. What’s worse, they’re not
very easy to open and they have their own unique notebook parts, so they’re much
harder and more expensive to repair than their desktop counterparts. Most of us hate
the old three-year extended warrantee sales pitch, but if you’re buying a notebook
computer the cost of the extra warranty is probably worth it.

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 Chapter One: The Essentials 31

• Included Devices and Features

Notebook computers usually have several devices and gizmos built-in—often more
than a desktop computer! A modem and Ethernet port are usually a standard part of
most notebooks today. Some notebooks also have memory card readers (especially
useful if you have a digital camera or PDA), Firewire ports, and even wireless
networking, known as WiFi. If you’re comparing various notebook models, make
sure that you know what devices are or aren’t included.

Table 1-9: Notebook Buyer’s Guide

Factor Budget Middle of the Road High End
Duron, Celeron, Duron, Celeron, Pentium 4 at 2GHz or
Pentium 3 , or Athlon at Pentium 3 or 4, or better
CPU 700MHz or better Athlon at 1GHz or better
256MB 256MB 512MB

RAM
16MB 32MB to 64MB 32MB to 64MB

Video Memory
20GB 30GB 60GB

Hard Drive
CD-ROM Drive CD-RW Drive DVD & CD-R/RW Drive

CD or DVD Drive
USB 1.0 USB 2.0 USB 2.0, Firewire

Ports
56K modem Ethernet, possibly WiFi Ethernet, WiFi (wireless
(wireless networking) networking), 56K
56K modem modem, Bluetooth (a
next-generation wireless
port)
Included Devices

* This information was updated May 2003.

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32 Computer Basics

Lesson 1-11: Upgrading a

Computer
Figure 1-15
Computer upgrades can
get expensive! There’s a
fine line between when it’s
more cost effective to
upgrade an older
computer, or to simply buy
a new computer
altogether.
Figure 1-16
Most computer upgrades
require that you, or better
yet someone who actually
knows about computers,
opens up the computer
case. Figure 1-15 Figure 1-16

When you upgrade a computer, you usually replace older components with newer
components to improve the computer’s performance. You can also upgrade a computer by
adding additional components, such as more memory or a second hard drive. Upgrading a
computer to improve its performance is often cheaper than buying a new computer. For
most upgrades you will need someone with a lot of computer experience to do the
upgrade for you.
It’s often difficult to determine which is better—upgrading an old computer or simply
buying a new computer. If you’re an average computer user, plan on buying a new
computer every four or five years (sorry—someone has to break this news to you). By
then, the cost of a new computer will be less expensive than any effective upgrades you
do.

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 Chapter One: The Essentials 33

So what can you do to upgrade a computer? The following table lists some of the more
common upgrades.

Table 1-10: Typical Things to Upgrade on a Computer

Upgrade Description
Increasing the amount of memory in a computer is probably the most effective
and inexpensive upgrades you can make. More memory can significantly
increase the performance of your computer. 512MB to 1GB of memory is all you
Memory (RAM) should ever need—for the next year or so anyway.
The hard drives in newer computers have become so huge that you may never
need to buy another one. If you do somehow run out of room on your hard
drive, you can buy a second one, since most computer can handle two internal
hard drives.
Hard Disk
It’s often better to buy a whole new computer than to upgrade the CPU and
CPU and motherboard. That way you get all new components all once—which is a lot
Motherboard cheaper than buying them all individually.

There are an endless variety of devices that you can add to a computer. You
can add CD-ROM, DVD, and Zip drives, graphics cards, tape backups, and
more.
Add Devices and
Peripherals

Quick Reference
Make sure any upgrades
you make to a computer are
worth the cost—sometimes
it’s simply better to buy a
new computer.
Upgrades to Improve
Performance Include:
• Adding more memory or
RAM
• Adding a bigger hard
drive
• Adding a new CPU and
motherboard (usually not
recommended)
• Adding new devices, such
as a DVD drive

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34 Computer Basics

Chapter One Review

Lesson Summary
Hardware, Software, and Information Technology (IT)
• A typical computer includes the system unit, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, and printer.
• Hardware: A computer item you can physically see or touch.
• Software: A computer program that tells computer hardware how to operate.
• Information Technology (IT): The broad subject related to computers and managing and
processing information.

Computer Overview
• The basic computer processes are input, processing, and output.
• Different types of computers include mainframes, PCs, Macs, servers, laptops, and PDAs.

The Front of a Computer and Peripheral Devices

• Components visible from the outside of the system unit may include the floppy drive, CD-ROM
or DVD drive, Zip drive or tape backup, keyboard, mouse, scanner, monitor, speakers, and
printer.

The Inside of a Computer

• Components inside the system unit may include the motherboard, CPU (Central Processing
Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM-BIOS, expansion slots and cards, and PCMCIA
cards in laptops.

The Back of a Computer (Ports)

• Ports on the back of a computer include: keyboard, mouse, serial or COM, printer or parallel,
USB, video or monitor, line in, line out, microphone, joystick or game, phone or modem,
Ethernet or network, SCSI, and/or Firewire.

System Bus and Expansion Cards

• An expansion card plugs into a computer’s motherboard to give it additional capabilities.
• A computer communicates with its expansion cards and devices through the system bus.
• How much information flows through the system bus depends on the bus width and bus
speed.
• There are several bus types, including ISA, PCI, and AGP.

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 Chapter One: The Essentials 35

Memory Cache
• Memory Cache: A special type of memory that greatly increases a computer’s performance.

Computer Performance
• Computer performance is determined by CPU speed, amount of memory or RAM, the type
and speed of the video card, the hard disk speed, free space, and fragmentation, and the
number of programs running at the same time.

Upgrading a Computer
• Make sure any upgrades you make to a computer are worth the cost—sometimes it’s simply
better to buy a new computer.
• Upgrades to improve performance include adding more memory or RAM, adding a bigger
hard drive, adding a new CPU and motherboard (usually not recommended), and adding new
devices, such as a DVD drive.

Quiz
1. Hardware is any software that is installed on a computer’s hard disk.
(True or False?)

2. Laptops are faster than desktop PCs, generally speaking. (True or

False?)

3. Which of the following moves the pointer to another location on-

screen?
A. Pressing the arrow keys on the keyboard.
B. Moving the mouse until the pointer points to that spot.
C. Moving the mouse until the pointer points to that spot and clicking the left
mouse button.
D. Moving the mouse until the pointer points to that spot and clicking the right
mouse button.

4. Which of the following is NOT a type of computer port?

A. USB
B. Parallel or printer
C. Backup
D. Network or Ethernet

5. When you type a document on a computer, every letter you type is

saved to the computer’s _______ or temporary storage area.
A. Hard drive
B. RAM
C. ROM
D. CPU

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36 Computer Basics

6. What is the ‘brain’ or main chip of a computer called?

A. The RAM
B. The ROM-BIOS
C. The motherboard
D. The CPU

7. ROM stands for ‘Read-Only Memory’ (True or False?)

8. Which of the following does NOT affect a computer’ s performance?

A. The amount of memory or RAM.
B. The speed of the CPU.
C. The type and speed of the video or graphics card.
D. The number of keys on the keyboard.

Quiz Answers
1. False. Hardware is any physical part of the computer you can see and touch.
2. False. Laptops are generally slower than desktop PCs.
3. B. Move the pointer by moving the mouse until the pointer points to that spot.
4. C. There isn’t such as thing as a backup port.
5. B. RAM or Random Access Memory.
6. D. The CPU, or Central Processing Unit, is the main chip in a computer.
7. True. ROM stands for Read-Only Memory.
8. D. The number of keys on the keyboard does not affect a computer’s
performance.

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 Chapter Two:
Understanding
Hardware
Chapter Objectives: ; Prerequisites
• Understand what a CPU does • A desire to learn about
computers.
• Learn how memory is measured
• Learn about input devices: mouse, keyboard, and digital cameras
• Learn about output devices: monitor, graphics, and printers
• Learn about storage devices: hard drives, CD-ROMs, and DVDs

Hardware is any physical part of a computer that you can see or touch. A computer’s
monitor, CD-ROM or DVD drive, mouse, keyboard, and printer are all different types of
hardware. This chapter takes a closer look at the physical parts that constitute a computer.
This chapter is broken up into several sections, since there are several different categories
of hardware devices. First we’ll examine processing devices, such as computer’s CPU
and memory. You’ll finally understand what those technical sounding words megahertz
and gigabyte mean. From there we’ll move on to input devices, such as the keyboard and
mouse and output devices, such as the monitor and printer. The last part of this chapter
discusses storage devices, such as hard drives and CD-ROM drives.
That’s a lot of material to cover, so let’s get started!
38 Computer Basics

Lesson 2-1: Central Processing

Unit (CPU)
Figure 2-1
The Intel Pentium 4 is the
fastest and most recent
CPU available.
Central
Figure 2-2 Processing
Unit (CPU)
The CPU can get hot!
Most CPUs have a built-in
fan to keep them from
burning out.

Figure 2-1
Figure 2-2

Inside the computer case, hidden amongst all the wiring and gizmos, is a particularly
important part of the computer known as the central processing unit (or CPU, for short).
The CPU is also known as the computer chip (because that’s what it is) or the
microprocessor (or processor, for short).
Some say the CPU is the brain of the computer while others describe it as the heart. In
any case, it’s the thing that makes your computer a computer. The CPU does all the work:
It calculates, it processes, it keeps things running smoothly. You might think of it as a
A CPU’s speed is
talented stage manager. When it does its behind-the-scenes job well, you don’t notice it;
you simply enjoy the performance.
measured in
megahertz (MHz) or Originally, CPUs were given wildly inventive names like Chip. Okay, maybe not. The
gigahertz (GHz). names were actually based on numbers like 8088. The next few names in the series—the
286, the 386, and the 486—were actually just shortened names for 80286, 80386, and
80486. Then, what would have been the 586 was dubbed the Pentium. After that, the
names became rather mysterious: Pentium Pro and Pentium MMX. Finally, the names
returned to a semi-ordered numbering system (albeit a mix of Roman and Arabic
numerals): Pentium 2, Pentium 3, and Pentium 4. And that’s where we are at the moment.
Both the Pentium 3 and the Pentium 4 are still quite common.
Intel makes most CPUs. In fact, Intel is the company that came up with the name
Pentium. However, AMD and VIA Technologies are two other well-known CPU
manufacturers. Their CPUs are less expensive and use a different naming system (such as
the AMD Athlon and the AMD Duron). Intel actually makes a less expensive version of
the Pentium as well, which it calls the Celeron. The Celeron does what the Pentium does,
but not as quickly.
Speaking of which, speed is what the CPU is all about, and each successive version of the
CPU gets progressively faster. A CPU’s speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) or, for
newer models, in gigahertz (GHz). A megahertz equals millions of cycles per second; a
gigahertz equals billions of cycles per second. Higher numbers equate to higher speeds.
You might see an Intel Pentium 4 at 3.06 GHz, a Pentium III at 1.40 GHz, and a Celeron
at 2.20 GHz.

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 39

Another common measure of a CPU is how many bits it can handle at a time. A bit is the
tiniest piece of information processed by a computer. Eight bits make up one byte, and
one byte equals one character. Computers used to handle 8 or 16 bits; now they’re up to
32 and 64 at a time. Don’t worry if all of this seems a bit confusing—we’ll cover bits and
bytes in greater detail in a later lesson.

Table 2-1: Types of CPUs

CPU Speed Description
1 GHz to Intel Pentium 4 Processor
3 GHz The Pentium 4 is Intel’s more recent and fastest generation of CPUs, with
processing speeds over 3 GHz.

450 MHz to Intel Pentium III Processor

1 GHz Launched in 1999, Pentium 3 CPUs are still found in some new
computers.

1.06 to Intel Celeron Processor

2 GHz Intel’s Celeron CPU is an inexpensive processor designed for people on
budget. Celeron processors are very similar to Pentium processors, but
they have less built-in memory.
500 MHz to Intel Xeon Processor
3 GHz Don’t expect to see any Xeon-based computers at your local computer
store—it’s designed for high-end servers.

850 MHz to AMD Athon Processor

1.67 GHz The Athlon processor is equivalent to Pentium processors—only it’s less
expensive.
700 MHz to AMD Duron Processor
800 MHz The Duron CPU is AMD’s is similar to Intel’s Celeron processor. It has
less built-in memory and is designed for people on a budget.
Quick Reference
Older Here’s a summary of the other most common—and obsolete—processors • The CPU, or Central
Processors out there: Processing Unit, is the
Processor Release Date Average Speed computer’s main chip. It
Pentium II 1997 266 MHz calculates and processes
Pentium 1993 133 MHz information.
486 1989 66 MHz CPU Speed is Measured
386 1985 25 MHz In:
286 1982 12.5 MHz
8088 1979 8 MHz • Megahertz (MHz).
• Gigahertz (GHz).
Common CPUs Include:
• Intel Pentium III
• Intel Pentium 4
• Intel Celeron
• AMD Athlon
• AMD Duron

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40 Computer Basics

Lesson 2-2: Memory

Figure 2-3
A hard drive might have
60GB of memory.
Figure 2-4
A recordable CD (CD-R)
can have up to 700MB of
memory.
Figure 2-5 Figure 2-4
Figure 2-3
A memory chip might have
512MB of memory.
Figure 2-6
A zip disk can have
between 100MB and
250MB of memory.

Figure 2-6

Figure 2-5

Most people know that a computer has memory. But what does that really mean? You
often hear techies toss around numbers like “60GB hard drive.” Okay, that sounds
impressive, but what does it tell you? This lesson breaks memory into measurable units.
The first thing you need to know is that, at its most basic level, a computer only
understands the concept of “on and off.” On is represented by the number one (1); off is
represented by the number zero (0). Everything that a computer does is based on this
combination of ones and zeros, which is known as the binary system. These ones and
zeros are digits, known as bits, which are the smallest memory unit. The term bit is short
for binary digit.
The second thing you need to know is that a computer saves information in bytes, not
bits. So what is a byte? The term byte is short for binary digits eight. So one byte is made
Everything that a up of eight bits. And a byte is the equivalent of a character, which can be a letter, a
computer does is number, or a symbol. So let’s say that you’re a self-involved poet whose latest creation is
based on a combination simply titled “I.” That one-word title would equal one byte.
of ones and zeros, Of course, it would be fairly tedious if a computer stored everything in single bytes. The
which is known as the next largest unit is the kilobyte. A kilobyte (abbreviated K or KB) equals 1,024 bytes or
binary system. characters. Now let’s say you’re a short-story writer. The one-page, double-spaced
masterpiece you submit to your editor would be the equivalent of a kilobyte.
After the kilobyte, the next largest unit is the megabyte. A megabyte (abbreviated M or
MB) equals 1,048,576 bytes or characters. If you were a novelist, your latest bestseller
would equal a megabyte.

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 41

The next unit after the megabyte is the gigabyte. A gigabyte (abbreviated G or GB) equals
1,073,741,824 bytes or characters. Let’s pretend you are a researcher. A whole shelf of
books devoted to your favorite subject would be the equivalent of a gigabyte.
Finally, after the gigabyte comes the terabyte. A terabyte (abbreviated T or TB) equals
1,099,511,627,776 bytes or characters. Let’s imagine that you’re an egomaniac who owns MB is an abbreviation
an entire bookstore filled only with books by authors you like. Such a single-minded for megabyte. GB is an
store would be the equivalent of a terabyte. abbreviation for
gigabyte.
Okay, let’s review. The following table summarizes all the units of memory.

Table 2-2: Bits and Bytes

Unit Abbreviation Size Symbol Equivalent
Bit — — — An atom or speck, the
smallest unit of
memory.

Byte — 8 bits A single letter, a

number, or a symbol. Quick Reference
Computers function based
on the binary system:
Kilobyte K or KB 1,024 bytes A one-page, double- • On is represented by a
spaced letter. one (1).
• Off is represented by a
zero (0).
• Ones and zeros are
Megabyte M or MB 1,048,576 bytes A best-selling novel. digits, known as bits.
Bit:
• Short for binary digit
• Smallest memory unit
Gigabyte G or GB 1,073,741,824 bytes An encyclopedia set. • Eight bits equal one byte
Byte:
• Short for binary digits
eight.
Terabyte T or TB 1,099, 511,627,776 A bookstore. • One byte equals one
bytes character (letter, number,
or symbol)
Kilobyte (K or KB):
• 1,024 bytes
Megabyte (M or MB):
• 1,048,576 bytes
Gigabyte (G or GB):
• 1,073,741,824 bytes
Terabyte:
• 1,099, 511,627,776 bytes

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42 Computer Basics

Lesson 2-3: RAM and ROM

Figure 2-7
RAM, or Random Access
Memory, works like a
notepad; you can read
from it and write to it.
Figure 2-8
ROM, or Read Only
Memory, works like a
novel, you can read from it
but not write to it.

Figure 2-7 Figure 2-8

So now you know that computer memory is measured in various byte-sized units:
kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, petrabytes, and philobytes. Okay, those last two were
just made up to see if you were paying attention.
Next you need to know that computers have two major types of memory: random-access
memory (or RAM) and read-only memory (or ROM). Let’s discuss these two types of
memory in greater detail.
• RAM (random-access memory)
When someone at a computer superstore tells you how much memory a new
computer has, they’re really talking about RAM. RAM is the computer’s main
memory, which it uses to process information. Whenever you work with a file on
your computer, you’re using RAM. And the data in that file is temporarily stored in
When you work with a RAM. However, RAM is volatile, which means that the data is stored only as long as
file on your computer, the computer has power. Once you shut off your computer, the data is gone.
you’re using RAM. However, you can and should save your data (read: your file). That’s where storage
comes in, but more on that later. For now, think of RAM like a notebook: You can
read from it and write to it. Technically, it could be called “read and write memory.”
And, as with a notebook, you can overwrite it many, many times—provided you
have an eraser!
• ROM (read-only memory)
ROM is the computer’s low-level memory, which it uses to perform its most basic
functions. This memory is permanent; the data remains even if you shut off the
computer. This only makes sense because ROM is required to restart your computer.
You never hear people discuss how much ROM you have because the manufacturer
usually installs it, and you never touch it. It does all the behind-the-scenes work and
then disappears once you’re underway, much like a party planner. You can also think
of ROM like a novel: You can read from it, but you can’t write to it (and thus, its
name).

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 43

Table 2-3: Comparing RAM and ROM

RAM ROM
Random-access memory Read-only memory

Main memory. Low-level memory.

Necessary to process information (example: work Necessary to perform the most basic functions
with a file). (example: start the computer).

Volatile: If not saved, data disappears when you Nonvolatile: Data remains even when you shut off
shut off the computer’s power. It’s temporary. the computer’s power. It’s permanent.

Often discussed when buying a computer. Seldom mentioned when buying a computer.

You can read from and write to it. Comparable to a You can read from it, but you can’t write to it. Quick Reference
notepad. Comparable to a novel.
Computers have two types
of memory:
• Random-access memory
(RAM).
• Read-only memory
(ROM).
RAM:
• Computer’s main
memory, which is used to
process information
(example: work with a
file).
• Volatile: Unless saved,
data disappears when
you shut off the computer.
• You can read from it and
write to it. Comparable to
a notebook; you can read
and write to it.
ROM:
• Computer’s low-level
memory, which is used to
perform its most basic
functions (example: start
the computer).
• Nonvolatile: Data remains
even when you shut off
the computer. It’s
permanent.
• You can read from it, but
you can’t write to it.
Comparable to a novel;
you can only read it.

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44 Computer Basics

Lesson 2-4: Mouse

Figure 2-9 “Click!”
Clicking with the mouse. “Click!” “Click!” “Click!”
Click Double-click Right-click
Figure 2-10 Press and Quickly press and Press and
release the release the left release the
Double-clicking with the left mouse mouse right mouse
mouse. button. button twice, in button.
rapid succession.
Figure 2-11
Figure 2-9 Figure 2-10 Figure 2-11
Right-clicking with the
mouse.
Figure 2-12 Hold down the Use the
mouse button center wheel
Dragging and dropping while you drag to scroll
with the mouse. the mouse across through
your desk. screens of
Figure 2-13 information.
Using the scroll wheel.
Drag and drop
Place the pointer over an object and press and
hold down the left mouse button. While still
holding down the button, move the mouse (and
thus the cursor) to where you want to place the
object and then release the mouse button.

Figure 2-12 Figure 2-13

A computer would be useless if you had no way to communicate with it. That’s why you
need an input device. Essentially, an input device lets you talk to your computer. Two
examples of input devices are the keyboard and the mouse. We’ll discuss keyboards later;
for now let’s concentrate on the mouse.
That funny-looking object that, frankly, looks like a mouse (with its oval body and long
tail-like cord connecting it to the computer) is the mouse. Originally, computers only
came with a keyboard. But in 1968 Doug Engelbart invented the mouse. In 1984, Apple
Computers introduced the mouse with its Macintosh computers. Shortly thereafter, the
The underside of a mouse was standard equipment on all computers.
roller ball mouse.
The mouse acts as a handheld pointing device that allows you to control the actions of
that blinking item on your screen known as a cursor. Depending on the software you are
using and the task you are doing, the cursor may resemble such symbols as a slanted
arrow ( ), an “I” ( ), or a vertical line (). A cursor is essentially a place-marker that
appears on your computer screen. You move the mouse to place the cursor over an object
on your screen and click the mouse buttons to select that object. Once an object has been
selected, you can move it or manipulate it. We’ll cover mouse buttons in greater detail in
a later lesson.

Some mouse pads have The standard mouse has two buttons and a rollerball on the underside, which moves the
a wrist rest to help cursor on the screen when you move the mouse. A rollerball mouse works best when used
users keep their hands
and wrists in better
alignment.

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 45

on a mouse pad, especially one that has a rough texture on its surface. Some mouse pads
now come with a wrist rest to help users keep their hands and wrists in better alignment.
Like other computer components, mice come in several shapes and sizes. Some mice
have three (or more) buttons, which are programmable, and some include a trackball on
the top (instead of a rollerball on the underside). Most new mice include a center scroll
wheel between the two buttons. Not surprisingly, this scroll wheel lets you scroll through
screens of information in a fluid motion. Many new mice are also ergonomically
designed to fit the user’s hand. And some new mice have Forward and Back buttons off
to the side of the mouse, which help you navigate the Internet.
One of the latest innovations is the optical mouse, which is becoming quite common. An
optical mouse operates by using an infrared sensor, which means it uses neither a
rollerball nor a mouse pad. You can identify an optical mouse by the telltale red glow A wireless mouse
emanating from its underside. works just like a
One other hot innovation is the wireless mouse (and keyboard). A wireless mouse and remote control.
keyboard run on batteries and communicate with the computer the same way a remote
control communicates with a television.

Quick Reference
Input devices on a
standard computer:
• Keyboard.
• Mouse.
What a mouse does:
• It acts as a handheld
pointing device and
controls the actions of
that blinking item on your
computer screen known
as a cursor.

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46 Computer Basics

Lesson 2-5: Keyboard

Esc key Function keys or “F” keys Status lights
Figure 2-14
The 101-key enhanced
keyboard Esc F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8 F9 F10 F11 F12 Print
Screen
Scroll
Lock
Pause
Num
Lock
Caps
Lock
Scroll
Lock

~ ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) + Insert Home Page Num

/
Backspace Lock *
` 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 = Up

Tab Q W E R T Y U I O P { } | Delete End Page 7 8 9

[ ] \ Down Home PgUp
+
Caps A S D F G H J K L : " 4 5 6
Enter
Lock ; '

Shift Z X C V B N M < > ? Shift 1 2 3

, . / End PgDn
Enter

0 .
Ctrl Alt Alt Ctrl
Ins Del

Alt key Arrow keys Numeric keypad

Shift key
Ctrl key
Figure 2-14

Like the mouse, the keyboard is an input device that allows you to talk to the computer.
The keyboard is easily recognizable because it resembles a typewriter keypad. If the
typewriter predates you, then look for the component that’s covered with buttons that
have letters, numbers, and symbols on them.
An ergonomic If you’ve ever used a typewriter, you probably recognize many of the keys on a keyboard.
keyboard is designed In any case, the alphanumeric, symbol, and punctuation keys are self-explanatory. And
to relieve the stress we’ll review the rest of the keys that are unique to a (101-key and 104-key) keyboard.
of typing for long However, we will ignore the three keys found above the numeric keypad (<Print
periods of time. Screen/Sys Req>, <Scroll Lock>, and <Pause/Break>) because they are all fairly useless
on most computers today.
NOTE: If your keyboard includes multimedia and Internet buttons above the
keys, consult the manual that comes with your keyboard to learn their
functions.

Table 2-4: Special Keys and Their Functions

Key(s) Description
The <Alt> key doesn’t do anything by itself—it needs another key to make things
happen. For example, pressing the <Tab> key while holding down the <Alt> key
switches between any programs that are currently running.

Just like the <Alt> key, the <Ctrl> key doesn’t do anything by itself—you need to
press another key with it to make things happen. For example, pressing the <X>
key while holding down the <Ctrl> key cuts whatever is selected.

The <F1> key is the help key, and pressing it displays helpful information about
what you’re doing.

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 47

Key(s) Description
The <Esc> (Escape) key is the “Wait, I’ve changed my mind” key and is the same
as clicking Cancel in a dialog box. For example, if you click something and an
unfamiliar dialog box appears, you can close it by pressing the <Esc> key.

The <Enter> key is the “Carry out my orders” key and is the same as clicking the
OK button in a dialog box. For example, after you’ve typed the name of a program
you want to run in a dialog box, press <Enter> to run the program. The <Enter>
key also adds new lines and starts new paragraphs if you’re entering text.

When you’re in a dialog box, pressing the <Tab> key moves to the next field.
When you’re using a word processor, the <Tab> key works just like you’d think it
would and jumps to the nearest tab stop whenever you press it.

The arrow keys move your computer’s cursor across the screen.

Nothing surprising here. The <Delete> key deletes or erases whatever you
select—files, text, or graphical objects. If you’re working with text, the <Delete>
key erases characters to the right of the insertion point.

Use the <Backspace> key to fix your typing mistakes—it erases characters to the
left of the insertion point.

The <Home> key jumps to the beginning of the current line when you’re working
with text.

The <End> key jumps to the end of the current line when you’re working with text.

The <Page Up> key moves up one screen.

The <Page Down> key moves down one screen. Quick Reference
• A keyboard lets you enter
information and
commands into a
computer.

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48 Computer Basics

Lesson 2-6: Digital Cameras and

Web Cams
Figure 2-15
A digital camera.
Figure 2-16
A Web cam usually sits on
top of a computer’s
monitor.
Figure 2-17
Figure 2-15
Cameras with more
megapixels can take
sharper and more detailed
pictures.

Figure 2-17

Figure 2-16

A megapixel contains
A digital camera lets you take pictures that you can transfer to a computer. Once you’ve
one million pixels.
transferred your pictures you can print them, insert them in word processing document, or
send them in an e-mail message. You can also edit digital photos, to remove such
undesirable objects as redeye or an ex-boyfriend.
The quality of the pictures a digital camera takes depends on its resolution, which is
measured in megapixels. One megapixel is equal to one million, or 1000 × 1000 pixels.
The higher the number of megapixels, the clearer and more detailed the picture.
Digital cameras don’t use film—they store their pictures on a type of removable memory
called flash cards. Flash cards can store anywhere from a dozen to several hundred
pictures, depending on how much memory they have. There are three different types or
formats of flash cards out there:

• CompactFlash: Definitely the most common type of “digital film” out

there, CompactFlash cards can typically store anywhere from 8MB to over 1GB.

• SmartMedia: SmartMedia is another a very popular type of memory card

because of its small size. SmartMedia cards are also widely used in many PDAs.
SmartMedia cards are available in capacities ranging from 2 MB to 128 MB.

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• Memory Stick: Sony makes this type of memory card for use in its own
products: Sony digital cameras, Sony PDAs, etc. Memory sticks are available in
capacities ranging from 4 MB to 128 MB.
Another popular toy you can add to your computer is a Web cam. A Web cam is a tiny
digital video camera that usually sits on top of a computer’s monitor. People use Web
cams for videoconferencing and to send live images over the Internet.

Table 2-5: Comparison of Megapixels

Megapixels Image Size Description
Under 1 640×480 Entry level and obsolete digital cameras have a measly resolution
of 640x480 pixels. These cameras are fine if you want to e-mail
someone a picture or send someone a photo on a computer, but
the quality of a printed image is terrible when printed as 4x6in
photo.
1 1024×768 Supposedly 1024×768 resolution is this is enough to make sharp
4x6 inch prints. The truth is, at this point it depends more on the
quality of the digital camera than the resolution. Many printed
photos can still look “digital” or blurry at this resolution.
2 1600×1200 Two-megapixel cameras can take fine 4x6 inch prints and even
respectable 8x10s, about what you'd expect from a low-end film
camera.
3 2048×1536 Once you reach the three-megapixel bracket the quality of print is
normally excellent up to 8x11 prints. If you're looking for a really
good digital camera with strong features and good image quality,
three megapixels is a good range to search in.
4 2272×1740 Four-megapixel cameras are starting to get into the “enthusiast”
territory. They take exceptionally sharp photos and can print even
larger prints than 8x11.
5 2560×1920 We’re definitely in enthusiast professional territory now.
Five-megapixel cameras are even used by professional
photographers to take really big prints. Quick Reference
• A digital camera lets you
take pictures and transfer
them to a computer.
• The quality, or resolution
of the pictures a digital
camera can take are
measured in megapixels,
or millions of pixels (dots).
The more pixels, the
better the resolution.

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Lesson 2-7: Other Input Devices

Figure 2-18
There’s usually not
enough room to use a
mouse on an airplane or
on the beach. It’s for this
reason that most laptops
have built-in touch pads
and AccuPoint® Pointing
Devices.

Figure 2-18

The keyboard and mouse are the two most common input devices for a computer, but
there are many more. Most respectable laptops have a built-in touch pad or AccuPoint®
Pointing Device or pointing stick that works like a mouse. Other mouse alternatives
include track balls and light pens.
Other common computer input devices include scanners for copying images to a
computer, joysticks for playing games, and microphones for recording sound. You can
learn about these input devices by taking a look at the table on the next page.

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Table 2-6: Other Input Devices

Input Device Description
A touch pad is a small, touch-sensitive pad used as a pointing device on some
portable computers. By moving a finger or other object along the pad, you can
move the pointer on the display screen.
Touch Pad
An Accupoint® Pointing Device, or pointing stick, is another mouse substitute
that is found on many laptop computers. An Accupoint® Pointing Device usually
sits in the middle of the keyboard and resembles an eraser at the end of a
AccuPoint® pencil.
Pointing Device
A track ball is essentially a mouse lying on its back. To move the pointer, you
rotate the ball with your thumb, your fingers, or the palm of your hand.

Track Ball
A light pen is input device that utilizes a light-sensitive detector to select objects
on a display screen. A light pen is similar to a mouse, except that with a light
pen you can move the pointer and select objects on the display screen by
Light Pen directly pointing to the objects with the pen.

A scanner is a lot like a photocopier. Instead of producing copies, a scanner

converts images into digital information and stores it in a computer.

Scanner
Mostly used for computer games, a joystick is a lever that moves in all
directions and usually controls some type of movement on the computer.
Quick Reference
Joystick
Other Input Devices
If your computer has a sound card (and most computer have one) you can plug Include:
in a microphone to digitally record sounds to your computer. • Touch pads
• AccuPoint® Pointing
Devices
Microphone
• Track balls
• Light pens
• Scanners
• Joysticks
• Microphones

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Lesson 2-8: Monitor

Figure 2-19
Similar in appearance to a
television screen, a
monitor displays images
and text on its screen.
Figure 2-20
Flat-panel monitors are
more expensive than
traditional monitors, but
they take up less space
and use less electricity.
Figure 2-21 Figure 2-19
Figure 2-20
Common controls found
Move Image Stretch Image Pincushion
on the front of a monitor. Left-Right Left-Right In-Out Brightness

Move Image Stretch Image Wider-Narrower Contrast

Up-Down Up-Down Image
Figure 2-21

A computer’s monitor looks and works a lot like a TV screen. The monitor is really only
half of what makes text and images appear on the screen. The other half is the graphic
card, or video/display adapter. The monitor plugs into the graphics card in the back of the
computer.
Flat panel or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) monitors, like the one in Figure 2-20, will
eventually replace older CRT monitors, like the one shown in Figure 2-19. A flat panel
monitor is the same type of display that is found in laptop computers. Flat panel monitors
are thin, lightweight, and use a lot less electricity than traditional monitors. Flat panel
monitors are also considerably more expensive than traditional monitors, although the
price is dropping. Flat panel monitors are wider than traditional monitors are; in fact a 15-
inch flat panel monitor has almost the same viewing area as a 17-inch traditional monitor!
0.28 mm • Size
dot pitch The size of a monitor is measured diagonally across the screen, just like TVs.
Common monitor sizes are 15, 17, 19, and 21 inches. The most popular monitor size
is currently 17 inches.
Dot pitch is the • Dot Pitch
distance between Dot pitch refers to the distance between each pixel, or dot, on the screen, as
pixels or dots on a measured in millimeters (mm). The smaller the dot pitch, the closer the dots, and the
screen. Dot pitch is sharper the image is. If you’re in the market for a monitor try to find one with a 0.28
measured in mm or less.
millimeters (mm).

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• Refresh Rate
The refresh rate determines how quickly the monitor redraws, or updates, the image
on the screen. Higher refresh rates are better, since they flicker less and are easier on
the eyes. The refresh rate is measured in herz (Hz), or the number of times per
second the monitor redraws the entire screen. If you’re buying a new monitor, make
sure to get one with a refresh rate of 72 Hz or better.
• Screen Savers and Energy Star Compliance
A screen saver is a moving picture that appears on your computer screen when you
don’t use your computer for a while. Screen savers originally prevented phosphor
burn, which occurred when a static image became etched onto the screen after a long
The Energy Star
period of time. Today’s monitors aren’t susceptible to phosphor burn, but some Logo
people still use screen savers for fun.

Most monitors are Energy Star compliant. This means they automatically turn
themselves off after a period of time to save electricity. You turn the monitor back
only by simply moving the mouse or pressing a key on the keyboard.

Quick Reference
CRT Monitors:
• Older type of monitor that
looks like a television set.
Flat Panel LCD Monitors:
• Newer type of monitor
that is thin, lightweight
and somewhat more
expensive.
Other Things to Know
about Monitors:
• The size of a monitor is
measured diagonally
across the screen.
Average monitor sizes
range from 15-inches to
21-inches.
• The monitor refresh rate
determines how quickly
the monitor redraws, or
updates, the image on the
screen. Most monitors
have a refresh rate of
72MHz or better.
• A screen saver is a
moving picture that
appears on your
computer screen when
you don’t use your
computer for a while.

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Lesson 2-9: Graphics Card

Figure 2-22
A computer’s monitor
plugs into the graphic
card, an expansion slot
that plugs into a
computer’s motherboard.
Figure 2-23
Newer computer games
have fantastic graphics— Figure 2-22
but you’ll need a
3D graphics accelerator
card to see them. Figure 2-23

The second part of a computer’s video system is the graphic card or video adapter. A
graphics card is an expansion card that plugs into a computer’s motherboard and is
responsible for all the text and pretty images that appear on your computer’s monitor.
Many computers don’t have a graphics card at all—all the video capabilities are instead
built into the computer’s motherboard.
Graphics cards come in many models and prices. More expensive graphics cards are
faster and can display more complex, 3D graphics—something especially useful if you’re
into computer games. Here are the basics about graphic cards:
• Screen Resolution
Resolution has to do with how much information can fit on the computer screen.
Obviously you can’t adjust how large or small your computer’s monitor is (without
buying a new one that is), but you can make all the images on your screen larger or
smaller so you can see more information at once. You can adjust the screen
resolution to suit your needs and preferences. For more information about screen
resolution see Table 2-7: Common Screen Resolutions.
• Color Depth
Color depth is the number of colors that are displayed on the screen at once. So why
would you want to change the number of colors displayed on your screen? Perhaps
you want to use higher color depth settings to make videos and photographs more
realistic. Or some finicky games also require you to use a specific color depth. For
more information about color depth see Table 2-8: Common Color Depths.
• Graphics Card Memory
Graphics cards have their own memory, or RAM, just like a computer. You’ll need
more memory to display higher screen resolutions and color depths. Video cards can
have anywhere from 1 MB all the way up to 128 MB of memory. If you’re buying a
new computer, make sure it has at least 64 MB of memory.
• 3D Graphics Accelerator
A 3D graphics accelerator card has its own CPU that is used to create 3D graphics. If
you’re even considering playing games on your computer, you should have a
3D graphics accelerator card, as most newer games require one.

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Table 2-7: Common Screen Resolutions

Resolution Description
No longer supported in most computers, 640 by 480 used to be the lowest
Higher Resolutions Require More Speed and Video Memory

resolution setting. Larger and cheaper monitors have made 640 by 480
resolution effectively obsolete.

640 by 480

This has been the standard resolution setting for most computers, and is the
lowest setting on newer monitors. This is a good in-between resolution,
allowing you to display quite a bit of information on the screen without having
to use a magnifying glass to read it. Use this setting if you have a 15-inch or
800 by 600 17-inch monitor.

The new standard, 1024 by 768 puts a lot of information on your screen, but
the images can start getting small and difficult to read at this point (unless you
have a large monitor). Use this setting if you have a 17-inch or larger monitor
or when you want to see a lot of information at the same time, for example if
1024 by 768 you’re working on a large spreadsheet, graphic files, or multiple windows.

Depending on how expensive the graphics card in your computer is, there may
be several higher modes of resolution which continue to display more and
more information and smaller and smaller images.

Higher
resolutions
Quick Reference
Table 2-8: Common Color Depths Screen Resolution:
Color Depth Description • Determines how much
No longer supported on many computers, 256 colors was the standard color information can fit on the
More Colors Require More Speed and Video Memory

depth years ago, but most computers and video cards are fast enough to run with computer screen at once.
more colors without taking a performance hit, making this color depth almost Common screen
obsolete. resolutions include
256 Colors 800 by 600 and
1,024 by 768.
16-bit color displays roughly 65,000 colors at once. This is the point where
pictures become photo-realistic. This is a good color depth setting because it can Color Depth:
display photo-realistic images without slowing your computer down. You have to • Color depth is the number
really squint to see much difference between 16-bit color and higher levels of of colors that are
16-bit color depth. displayed on the screen
at once. Common color
24-bit color displays 16.7 million of colors at once. Depending on how expensive depths include 16-bit and
the graphics card in your computer is there may be several higher modes of color 24-bit color.
depth, which continue to display more and more colors on the screen.
Video Cards:
24-bit • Have their own memory
and processor. Generally
32-bit color displays 16.7 million of colors at once. 32-bit color is faster and more
speaking, the more
efficient than 24-bit color.
memory a video card has,
the higher the resolution
32-bit and color depth it can
display.

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56 Computer Basics

Lesson 2-10: Printer Basics

Figure 2-24
InkJet printers are the
most inexpensive and
popular type of printer sold
today.
Figure 2-25
A printer’s resolution
determines the quality of
the images it can produce.

Figure 2-24

300 dpi 600 dpi

Figure 2-25

A printer is an output device that puts text and graphics on paper. Using the printer is
often the last step in creating something on a computer, whether it’s a letter, spreadsheet,
or digital photograph.
Unfortunately, there’s a lot to know about printers—especially if you’re buying one. Here
are the main printer concepts you should know:
• Type of Printer
There are several different types of printers out there: InkJet and Laser printers are
the most common. InkJet printers are the cheapest and most common type of printer
and can be found in both homes and businesses. Laser printers are usually faster than
InkJet printers, but they normally can only print in black and white. Laser printers
are used mainly by businesses.
• Color vs. Black and White
Color used to be an expensive option for printers, but not any more. Most InkJet
printers can print in color and so can an increasing number of laser printers. Most
laser printers still print in black in white—great for text but not for images and
graphics.
• Resolution
A printer’s resolution helps determine the quality of the images it can produce.
Higher resolution means higher quality images. Printer resolution is measured in dots
per inch (dpi). Generally, 600-dpi resolution works great for text documents, while
you will probably want 1200 dpi or better resolution for printing images. See Figure
2-25 for a good illustration of varying resolutions.

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 57

• Speed
A printer’s speed determines how quickly it can print pages. Speed is measured two
ways: in characters per second (cps) or in pages per minute (ppm). Either way you
want a higher number if you want to have a faster printer. Printers usually slow
down quite a bit when printing pages with a lot of complicated graphics, or color
images.
• Ink Cartridges and Toner
Today many InkJet printers are cheap—about as much as dinner for two at a very
fancy restaurant. Sound too good to be true? Here’s the catch: the ink for most
printers costs a lot of money. InkJet printers use ink cartridges that seem to run dry at
an alarming speed. Laser printers user toner cartridges filled with the same messy
black powder that is found in copy machines. Laser toner cartridges last a lot longer
than InkJet cartridges, but they also cost significantly more.
• Memory
Laser printers have their own memory, or RAM, just like a computer. This memory
is used to store pages before they are printed. Memory is important for printing
complex or high-resolution images. Most laser printers have anywhere from 2 MB to
8 MB of memory.
• Print Buffer and Spooler
Computers are a lot faster than most printers are, so they can send information faster
than the printer can accept it. A printer buffer or spooler fixes this problem. A print
buffer works like a dam: it holds back the information and releases it at a rate that the
printer can handle.

Quick Reference
• InkJet and Laser printers
are the most common
printer types.
• Printer resolution
determines the quality of
the images a printer can
produce. Printer
resolution is measured in
dots per inch (dpi).
• A printer’s speed
determines how quickly it
can print pages.
• Printers get their ink from
expensive cartridges
(InkJet printers) and
toners (laser printers)
• Many printers have their
own memory, which is
required for printing more
complex images.
• A print spooler or buffer
temporarily stores large
print jobs and releases
them when the printer is
able to print them.

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Lesson 2-11: Types of Printers

Figure 2-26
There are many different
types of printers available,
with an enormous range of
prices and features.

Figure 2-26

Leonardo da Vinci didn’t limit himself by using only paint and brushes to create his
masterpieces; he also used chalk to make sketches and a chisel and hammer to make
sculptures. Maybe Leonardo would have used an airbrush or spray paint if they had been
invented yet. Hmm… maybe not. Because there are different types of print jobs there are
different types of printers. Are you a home user that prints an occasional letter or two?
You’ll probably want to buy a cheap InkJet printer. Are you a busy office that has lots of
people who need to print lots of documents? You’re probably looking at getting a Laser
printer.
The following table describes the main types of printers out there and how or why you
would use them, so you’ll have no excuse for buying the wrong kind of printer when you
get around to buying one.

Table 2-9: Types of Printers

Printer Type Description
Inkjet printers are easily the most popular and inexpensive type of printer out
there. If you have a printer for your home computer, chances are it’s an InkJet
printer. InkJet printers create images by spraying ink onto a page. The
inexpensive InkJet printer gets its ink from very expensive InkJet cartridges.
Most InkJet printers can print in color, and their speeds vary from 2 to 16 pages
Ink Jet per minute (ppm).

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Printer Type Description

Laser printers have blazing speed—anywhere from 4 to 20 pages per minute
(ppm), great resolution—anywhere from 300 to 1,200 dots per inch (dpi), and
recently have become relatively inexpensive. Laser printers are great for
businesses and people who need to produce large amounts of text documents or
correspondence.
Laser printers use the same technology as photocopy machines to create black
Laser and white images on paper. Laser printers use powdered black ink, called toner,
just like photocopy machines do. When the toner cartridge runs out, you have to
replace it with a new toner cartridge. Toner cartridges cost a lot more than InkJet
cartridges do, but they also last a lot longer.
A color laser printer works just like an ordinary laser printer, except that it can
print in color, of course. Color laser printers are quite expensive and the color
toner cartridges for them are even costlier.

Color Laser
As its name implies, a multifunction printer can perform more than one task.
Multifunction printers can usually operate as a fax machine, copier, and scanner
in addition to their traditional printing duties.

Multifunction
Popular in the 1980’s, noisy dot-matrix printers have gone the way of the
dinosaurs, except in businesses that need to print on carbon copies.
Dot matrix printers usually use a type of paper with holes punched along each
side called continuous form paper, and loads it through something called a tractor
feed. Dot-matrix printers range in speed from 25 to 450 characters per second
(cps), or 1 to 18 pages per minute (ppm).
Quick Reference
Resolution is measured differently with dot-matrix printers. Instead of using dot
Dot Matrix
per inch (dpi) dot matrix resolution is measured by how many little pins are on the Print Types Include:
dot-matrix print head. Dot-matrix printers are available with 9-pin (terrible quality) • InkJet
and 24-pin (higher quality) print heads.
• Laser and color laser
Don’t expect to find a plotter at your local computer store. Plotters are special, • Multifunction
very expensive printers that are used to create posters and blueprints.
• Dot matrix
• Plotter

Plotter

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Lesson 2-12: Sound and

Speakers
Figure 2-27
Older computers had a
sound card, which
plugged into the
motherboard of the
computer. Newer
computers have sound
capabilities built into the
motherboard.
Figure 2-28
You’ll need to connect a Figure 2-27
pair of speakers or
headphones to your
computer if you want to
hear sound.
Figure 2-28

The term sound card is a little misleading; sound cards used to be expansion cards that
plugged into a computer’s motherboard. Although such sound cards still exist, today most
computers have sound capabilities built-it to their motherboards. Either way, a sound card
basically does two things: it plays and records digital sounds.
The types of sounds your computer can play range from the sounds you hear when you
turn on your computer, to explosions in a computer game. A sound card can also play
MP3 music files. An MP3 is a highly compressed sound file that lets you play CD-quality
music on your computer.
While it’s not nearly as important, sound cards also let you record sounds if you plug in a
stereo or microphone. For example, you could use a sound card to record your aging
cassette tape collection to MP3 files. Newer speech recognition software also requires
that you have a microphone plugged into your computer.
Sound cards have the most confusing ports or jacks on the entire computer. Most of them
look almost exactly the same—especially if you’re crouched in the dark under a desk
trying to plug in a pair of speakers to your computer. The table on the following page
might make things a little easier by describing each of these ports.

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Table 2-10: Sound Card Jacks and Ports

Jack Picture Description

This is the main jack where you connect your speakers or

headphones to hear the sounds produced by the sound card.
Speaker

This jack lets you connect a microphone to your computer so

that you record sounds and use speech recognition software.
Microphone

You can listen to your computer through your home stereo

system if you plug it into this jack. This is especially useful if
Line Out you want to play MP3 files on your stereo.

You can record a cassette, audio CD, or the radio by

plugging a stereo system into this jack.
Line In

This port lets you connect a joystick, used for playing games,
Game Port to your computer.

Quick Reference
Sound Cards:
• Allow computer to play
and record digital sounds.

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62 Computer Basics

Lesson 2-13: Modem

Figure 2-29
An internal modem plugs
into an expansion slot
inside a computer.
Figure 2-29
Figure 2-30
An external modem plugs
into a serial port and sits
outside a computer.
Figure 2-31
Most laptops have a
built-in modem.
Figure 2-30 Figure 2-31

Just about every new computer comes with a built-in modem. A modem translates a
computer’s ones and zeros into audio tones, so that it can transmit information over the
phone lines to other modems. The speed of a modem is measured by how fast it can
transmit information in bits per second (bps).
• Internal: Most computers have an internal modem, like the one shown in Figure
2-29. Internal modems often plug into an expansion slot and are cheaper than
external modems.
• External: An external modem, like the one shown in Figure 2-30, plugs in to a
computer’s serial port. Newer, broadband modem may plug into the USB or Ethernet
port. A broadband modem transmits information directly over a connection, unlike
older traditional modems that have to convert the information to tones or sounds
first. Because of this, broadband modems are very, very fast—much faster than
Quick Reference standard modems. DSL and Cable are the most common types of broadband
Standard Modems: connections.
• Transmit information over Here’s a quick overview of the major types of modems that are available:
standard phone lines to
other computers. Table 2-11: Modem Types and Speeds
Maximum speed is
56K bps. Type Speed (in bps) Description
Standard 56K Standard modems connect to a standard telephone line
Broadband and Digital and are used for dial-up connections to the Internet.
Modems:
• Much faster than standard ISDN 56K to 128K One of the older broadband connections. It’s only twice
modems, with speeds up as fast as a traditional modem and pretty much obsolete.
Digital / Broadband

to 4,000K bps. Broadband DSL 256K to 6,000K DSL modems take advantage of unused frequencies in
modems include ISDN, the phone line, such as a pause in conversation. DSL
DSL, and Cable. modems are very fast; the problem is that you have to be
close to a phone company in order to get DSL service.
Cable 640K to 4,000K A cable modem is the fastest modem you can buy for
home use. The problem is your cable company has to
offer cable Internet access in order to use it.

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Lesson 2-14: Input/Output

Devices
Figure 2-32
A touch screen monitor is
an example of an
input/output device.
Figure 2-33
A multifunction printer is
another example of an
input (scanner)/output
(printer) device.

Figure 2-33

Figure 2-32

Some computer devices can be categorized as both an input device and an output device.
For example, a multifunction printer, like the one shown in Figure 2-33 has a scanner
(input) and a printer (output). Touch screen monitors are another example of an
input/output device; they display images (output) and also let users interact with the
computer by pressing areas of the screen (input). Quick Reference
• Some computer devices
have both input and
output functions.
Examples include touch
screen monitors and
multifunction printers.

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64 Computer Basics

Lesson 2-15: Hard Drive

Figure 2-34 Taxes Love Letters

Letter to Bill
How information is stored Investments
Letter to Mary
in a file cabinet.
Figure 2-35 Letters

How information is stored

on a hard disk.
A file cabinet’s information is A folder may contain several
organized and grouped into files and even several
folders. subfolders.

Figure 2-34

 Storage Notes:
Internal Hard Disk
A computer stores
Speed: Very fast. Most hard information on a hard disk.
disks have an average
access speed of between 8 Information on a hard disk is A folder may contain several
to 15 milliseconds (ms). Figure 2-35 organized and grouped into files and subfolders.
Capacity: Enormous. Many folders or directories.
hard disks have more than
200 Gigabytes (GB) of A hard drive or hard disk is a computer’s main storage device. Most hard drives are
storage. tucked away in the system unit of a computer and hidden from view. Although you
normally can’t see a computer’s internal hard drive you can usually hear it whirring
Cost: Hard disks are
inside when you start the computer or a program. An external hard drive sit outside the
becoming more and more
computer’s system unit and plugs into a USB, Firewire, or SCSI port.
inexpensive. Byte for byte
they are the most The hard drive is like the file-cabinet portion of your desk. And files really are saved in
inexpensive way to store folders on a computer, so this really is the perfect analogy. Most computers have a single
data. hard drive located inside of the computer case labeled C. When a computer has more than
one hard drive they are labeled D, then E, and so on. Unlike RAM, a hard drive retains its
information even when you turn the computer off.
So what’s stored on a hard drive? Let’s take a look…
• Operating System Files
A computer’s operating system, like Windows XP, is stored on the hard drive.
• Program Files
Program files are the programs you work with, like your word processor, your
Internet software, or your games. Programs usually come on floppy disks or CD-
Unlike floppy disks and ROM’s, to use it first install, or copy, it to your hard drive in order to use the
CD-ROMs, most hard program.
disks reside inside of • Data Files
the computer or Whenever you create a document or data file on your computer, like a word
system unit and cannot processing document, the computer stores it in its temporary memory (RAM.) You
be easily removed. must save your documents to the hard drive or they will be lost when you turn off
your computer.

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Most hard drives are connected to a computer’s motherboard through something called an
IDE (Integrated Drive Electronics) connection. You can also connect CD-ROM and DVD
 Storage Notes:
External Hard Disk
drives to an IDE connection. A slight problem with IDE is that it only supports a total of
four devices or drives. This isn’t a big deal for most home users, but it is if you’re a Speed: Very fast, though
business and need a server with lots of hard drives. So there’s another way to connect normally slower than internal
hard drives to a computer: through a SCSI (pronounced—get this—scuzzy) port. SCSI hard disks.
connections are often faster than IDE and they can connect up to seven devices instead of Capacity: Enormous – same
four. as internal hard disks.
OK, so what else do you need to need to know about hard drives? Cost: Slightly more
expensive than internal hard
• Hard Disk Size (or Capacity) disks.
How much information (how many programs and data) a hard drive can store is
measured in bytes, just like RAM. Hard drive sizes in newer computers range from
20 Megabytes (MB) all the way up to 200 Gigabytes (GB)! How big a hard drive
should you get when you buy a computer? Normally try to get at least 40 Gigabytes
if you’re a home or small business user. More is better in hard drives, because
programs keep getting bigger.
• Average Access Time
A hard drives average access time is how fast it can find information. Average access
time is measured in milliseconds (ms), or 1/1000 of a second. The lower the access
speed, the faster the hard drive. Most newer computers have an average access time
of 8 to 15 ms.

Quick Reference
Hard Drive:
• A computer’s main
storage device,
sometimes called the C
drive.
• Modern hard drives can
store anywhere from
20GB to 250GB of
information.
• Average access time is
how fast a hard drive can
find information.
• Hard drives are
connected to a computer
through either an IDE or
SCSI interface.

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Lesson 2-16: Hard Drive

Maintenance
Figure 2-36
Routine hard drive
maintenance keeps
computers happy and
running smoothly.
Figure 2-37
Most hard disk repair tools
can be found in Microsoft
Windows by right-clicking
the hard drive, selecting
Properties from the
shortcut menu, and
clicking the Tools tab.
Figure 2-38
Hard drives need to be Figure 2-36 Figure 2-37
defragmented periodically
to make them more
efficient.

Create a
fragmentation report
on the selected drive

Defragment the
selected drive

Figure 2-38

Cars require maintenance to keep them running at their peak performance. Some car
maintenance tasks are simple and routine, such as changing the oil every 3,000 miles.
Others are more complicated, such as installing a new radio. Hard drives are no
different—they require routine maintenance to prevent and/or correct problems and to
keep them running at their best performance.

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 67

By now you’re probably wondering, “How does one maintain a hard drive?” There are
quite a few ways:
• Repair a Hard Drive
Over time, hard drives can become damaged, effecting their performance.
Fortunately most of the hard drive damage is caused by normal wear and tear and is
not serious. You can diagnose and correct most hard drive problems with a hard drive
repair program. Microsoft Windows comes with a built-in hard drive repair program.
• Defragmenting a Hard Drive
Normally a computer stores a file in the same location on a hard drive. Over time, a
hard drive can become fragmented, and instead of storing a file in the same location
it begins storing parts of it all over. When the computer needs to read a fragmented Make sure you install
file, it must read several different parts of the hard drive instead of just one. antivirus software on
Defragmenting a hard drive puts the fragmented files back together in one place. You your computer to
should defragment your computer’s hard drive about once a month. prevent malicious
• Backing up a Hard Drive computer viruses.
A computer’s hard drive stores information even when the computer is turn off, but
you should still back up the documents you create to some type of removable
storage, like a CD-RW or tape backup. This will give you an extra copy of your files
in case your hard drive is damaged.
• Virus Protection
A computer virus is actually a small computer program written by a malicious person
with the purpose of vandalizing computers by erasing information on their hard drive
and causing other problems. Anti-Virus programs that protect computers against
viruses, like Norton AntiVirus or McAfee VirusScan, are available at most computer Quick Reference
stores. If you’re even thinking about connecting to the Internet, you need to have Hard Drive Repair and
AntiVirus software installed on your computer. Fragmentation:
• Hard Drive Compression • Over time, small errors
A computer can increase space on a hard drive by using a special program to and fragmentation can
compress, or squeeze together, the files stored on a hard drive. Most data degrade the performance
compression programs can effectively double the amount of information a hard drive of a hard drive. These
can store. Sounds great, so why don’t many people use disk compression? First, data problems can be
compression slows your hard drive because the computer has to uncompress files corrected by a hard drive
before it can read them. Second, data compression often causes more problems in utility program.
hard drives. Third, several programs won’t run on the computer with compressed
hard drives. Don’t compress your hard drive unless you absolutely have to, and even Hard Drive Backups:
then it might be better to start looking for a new, larger hard drive than to use data • Should be performed to
compression. give you an extra copy of
your files if your hard
drive becomes damaged.
Virus Protection:
• Software should be
installed on every
computer to protect
against malicious
computer viruses.
Compression:
• Increases the space on a
hard drive by
compressing, or
squeezing together, its
files.

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Lesson 2-17: CD-ROM Drive

Figure 2-39 CD-ROM Transfer
Speed Rate
A CD-ROM drive.
8x 1,000 KB/s
Figure 2-40 10x 1,600 KB/s
12x 1,800 KB/s
A CD-ROM drive can also
16x 2,400 KB/s
play the same, great audio
24x 3,600 KB/s
CDs that a stereo system
32x 4,800 KB/s
does.
40x 6,000 KB/s
Figure 2-41 Figure 2-39 48x 7,200 KB/s
60x 9,000 KB/s
Newer CD-ROM drives
can transfer data faster Figure 2-41
than older drives, as this
table shows.

Figure 2-40

 Storage Notes: Another type of drive almost all computers have is a CD-ROM drive (CD-ROM stands
CD-ROM for Compact Disc-Read Only Memory). CD-ROM drives play CD-ROM discs—the same
Speed: Much slower than a kind of compact discs you can play in your stereo system. CD-ROMs can store lots of
hard disk, but still faster than information: a single CD-ROM can hold more than 600 Megabytes (MB) of data—more
a floppy. than an encyclopedia set! Unlike a hard drive, most CD-ROMs can only read
information—you can’t save, or record anything on them (that’s what the ROM in CD-
Capacity: About
ROM stands for: Read Only Memory!) On the other hand, CD-RW drives can read and
650 Megabytes (MB).
write (or burn) to special CD-R and CD-RW discs (the RW in CD-RW stands for
Cost: Very inexpensive. ReWritable.) The CD-ROM drive is usually labeled D on most computers.
The speed of a CD-ROM drive determines how quickly the computer can read
information stored on the CD-ROM. Faster CD-ROM drives produce better sound and
video quality. The original CD-ROM drive was no faster than an audio CD player, so the
speed of all subsequent CD-ROM drives is measured by how many times faster they are
than the original, 1x CD-ROM drive. Today’s CD-ROM drives are up to sixty times (60x)
faster than the original.

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 69

Here are some things you can do with CD-ROMs:

• Install Programs
More programs are coming on CD-ROMs because of their large storage capacity.
Instead of installing and copying 20 floppies to your hard drive, you only have to
install a single CD-ROM.
• Run CD-ROM Programs
CD-ROM-based programs are usually the coolest programs available for your
computer. CD-ROM programs often have rich, exiting multimedia content: high
quality sounds, music, videos, and animations. For example, a popular CD-ROM
program is a complete, searchable encyclopedia set which contains high quality
pictures, sounds, music, and videos.
• Play Audio CDs
Most CD-ROM drives are capable of playing audio CDs—the same kind your stereo
uses! So your computer can play music while you work.

Table 2-12: Types of CD’s

CD Type Description
CD-ROM The original, standard CD, CD-ROM stands for Compact Disc, Read-Only Memory. What
this means is that you can only read information from a CD-ROM; you can’t add new
information.
CD-R If you have a CD-RW drive you can permanently store information on a CD-R (Compact
Disc-Recordable) disc. The information you write or burn to a CD-R is permanent and
can’t be changed or erased.
You can also use CD-R discs to create musical CDs that you can listen to in a stereo
system.
CD-RW Unlike CD-R discs, a CD-RW (Compact Disc-ReWritable) disc can be written to many
times. You can also modify and erase information on a CD-RW disc—if you have a
CD-RW drive, of course. Quick Reference
CD-ROM:
• Stands for Compact Disc-
Read Only Memory. A
CD-ROM drive lets you
install programs, run
CD-ROM based
programs, and play audio
CDs. A CD-ROM holds
about 650MB of
information.
CD-R:
• Stands for Compact Disc-
Recordable. Lets you
permanently write or burn
information.
CD-RW:
• Stands for Compact Disc-
ReWritable. Can be
written to and modified
many times.

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Lesson 2-18: DVD Drive

Figure 2-42
A DVD disc looks almost
identical to a CD-ROM
disc.
Figure 2-43
The DVD logo.
Figure 2-42
Figure 2-44
A single DVD can store as
much information as
several CD-ROMs.
Figure 2-45 Figure 2-43 Figure 2-45 Figure 2-44
A DVD drive can also play
the same, great movies Next generation DVD drives are quickly replacing CD-ROM drives in newer computers.
that you can watch on a A DVD (stands for Digital Versatile Disc) disc looks just like a CD-ROM, but it can store
DVD player. more than 4 Gigabytes (GB) of information—as much as seven CDs. There are even
rumored to be future DVD discs that can hold up to 17 Gigabytes! Unfortunately there
still really isn’t a lot of software that is available on DVD discs. Most people simply use
their DVD drive to watch DVD movies. The CD-ROM drive is usually labeled D or E on
 Storage Notes: most computers.
DVD
New rewritable DVD drives, that can record or burn information to special type of DVD
Speed: Faster than a discs have recently become available the market. Unfortunately for the consumer, the
CD-ROM drive but not as fast greedy DVD manufacturers couldn’t agree on a universal recordable DVD standard, so
as a hard disk. there are several different competing formats out there. Hopefully consumers will
Capacity: Usually about eventually make the decision for the DVD manufacturers, like they did between Betamax
4 Gigabytes (GB), although and VHS videotapes. Until then there isn’t really any clear answer about which
future DVD discs are recordable and rewritable DVD format to go with, although both DVD+RW and DVD-
rumored to hold up to RW discs work in most newer DVD drives and players. We can tell you that recordable
17 Gigabytes (GB). DVD-RAM format is almost universally not compatible with most DVD players. Table
2-13: DVD Formats tries to make sense of all the available formats. For more
Cost: Slightly more than a
information on recordable DVD standards, visit
CD-ROM but still very
http://www.dvdrhelp.com/dvdplayers.php on the Web.
inexpensive.

Table 2-13: DVD Formats

DVD Format Description
DVD-ROM The original, standard DVD. ROM stands for Read-Only Memory. This means
you can only read information from a DVD; you can’t add new information.
DVD-R If you have a DVD-RW drive you can permanently store information on a
DVD-R (DVD-Recordable) disc. The information you write or burn to a DVD-R is
permanent and can’t be changed or erased.
DVD-RW drives can also write to DVD-RW discs

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 71

DVD Format Description

DVD-RW If you have a DVD-RW drive you can use DVD-RW (ReWritable) discs, which
can be re-written up to 1,000 times. You can also modify and erase information
on a DVD-RW disc. DVD-RW discs have some compatibility problems with
older DVD Players and DVD ROM drives.
DVD-RW drives can also write to DVD-R discs.
DVD+R If you have a DVD+RW drive you can permanently store information on a
DVD+R (DVD+Recordable) disc. The information you write or burn to a DVD+R
is permanent and can’t be changed or erased.
DVD+RW drives can also write to DVD+RW discs.
DVD+RW If you have a DVD+RW drive you can use DVD+RW (ReWritable) discs, which
can be re-written to up to 1,000 times. You can also modify and erase
information on a DVD+RW disc. DVD+RW discs have some compatibility
problems with older DVD Players and DVD ROM drives.
DVD+RW drives can also write to DVD+R discs.
DVD-RAM DVD-RAM is a rewritable DVD format that can be re-written to many times.
DVD-RAM discs are beginning to look like an orphan format, since they won’t
work in most DVD players.

Quick Reference
DVD:
• Stands for Digital
Versatile Disc. A DVD disc
looks like a CD-ROM, but
can store much more
information.
Recordable and
Rewritable DVDs:
• There are several
competing, non-
compatible formats out
there, including DVD-R
/DVD-RW and DVD+R/
DVD+RW.

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Lesson 2-19: Floppy Drive

Figure 2-46
A relic of the past, floppy
disks don’t have the speed
or capacity to be very
useful in the 21st century.

Figure 2-46

 Storage Notes: Most desktop computers still have a floppy drive, although most laptops have dropped
Floppy Disk the all-but-obsolete floppy drive. Floppy drives read flat, 3½-inch floppy disks. Floppy
Speed: Very slow. drives are as slow as a glacier when compared to hard drives and CD-ROM drives.
Floppy disks can only store a scant 1.44 Megabytes (MB) – just a little more than your
Capacity: Very small –
typical novel.
1.44 Megabytes (MB).
Cost: Very cheap. So why are these relics from the 1980’s still around? Floppy disks can still be useful for
transferring and backing up small documents. Some other uses for floppy disks include:
• A mini cutting board
• An eye patch (for one-eyed software pirates)
Quick Reference • A room divider for hamsters
Floppy Disks: • An accessory for aging computer nerds
• Are slow and can only
store 1.44MB. They are
all but obsolete.

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Lesson 2-20: Zip and Jaz Drives

Figure 2-47
A Zip drive can store
100MB or 250MB on
removable Zip disks.
Figure 2-48
A Jaz drive can store 1GB
or 2GB on a removable
Jaz disk.
Figure 2-48

Figure 2-47

Removable storage drives have features of both hard drives and floppy drives.  Storage Notes:
Removable storage drives work like a floppy drive because they read and write Zip Drive
information on small, removable cassettes that are about the size of a floppy disk. They Speed: Significantly slower
are like hard drives because each cassette can usually hold more than 100 megabytes than most hard disks.
(MB) and is much faster than a floppy disk, but still not quite as fast as a hard drive. Two
Capacity: 100 to
of the most popular removable storage drives are the Zip drive and Jaz drive, both made
250 Megabytes (MB).
by Iomega.
Cost: Expensive when
Zip disks can store 100 to 250 Megabytes (MB) on a removable disk—about 70 to 170 compared to costs of
times as much as an old floppy disk. Zip drives are available in both 100MB and 250MB equivalent CD-RW discs and
versions. You’ll need a 250MB version to read both 100MB and 250MB Zip disks. Zip other storage devices.
disks are a great way to transfer and backup information—but they’re not much of a
value when compared to newer CD-RW and even newer DVD-RW discs.
Jaz disks can store 1 to 2 Gigabytes (GB) on a single removable disk—as much as an  Storage Notes:
older hard drive! Jaz drives are also fast, though not as fast as a hard disk, so they’re great Jaz Drive
for backing up information. Despite their huge storage capacities, Jaz drives really never Speed: Slower than most
caught on. hard disks, but faster than a
Zip disk.
Capacity: 2 Gigabytes (GB).
Cost: Fairly expensive when
compared to costs of
equivalent CD-RW discs and
other storage devices.

Quick Reference
• Zip and Jaz drives are
removable storage
devices that have
features of both floppy
and hard disks.

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Lesson 2-21: Other Storage

Devices
Figure 2-49
Flash cards are most
commonly used as the
‘film’ in digital cameras
and can also be read by
many PDAs and most
computers.
Figure 2-50 Figure 2-50

A tape backup
Figure 2-49
automatically makes a
copy, or backup, of all the
files on a computer’s hard
drive.

We’ve covered the main storage devices that are out there, but it seems as if one or two
new storage devices are invented and released every year; some catch on, some don’t.
Here’s a run-down on some of the less common storage devices that are out there:

Table 2-14: Other Storage Devices

Device Description
A tape drive creates copies, or backups, of the files on a computer’s hard drive
onto a tape cartridge. The backed up files can be restored in case the original
files are lost due to disaster or stupidity.
Quick Reference
Other Storage Devices Tape Drive
Include: The LS-120 drive was meant to be an alternative to Zip disks, because it could
• Tape drives store 120 MB of data on a disk, and a replacement for floppy drives, because it
• LS-120 Super drives could also read and write to traditional 1.44 MB floppy disks. Unfortunately
LS-120 never really caught on with the general public.
• Flash cards LS-120 SuperDrive
• USB flash drives Flash cards are commonly used as the ‘film’ for digital cameras. Flash cards
can store anywhere from a dozen to several hundred pictures, depending on
how much memory they have. There are three different types of flash cards:
Flash Cards CompactFlash cards, SmartMedia cards, and Memory Sticks. Flash cards can
store anywhere from 4 MB all the way up to 1 GB. Wow!
A USB flash drive is really another type of Flash Card that plugs into a USB
port. USB flash drives range in sizes from 16 MB to 512 MB.

USB Flash Drive

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 75

Lesson 2-22: Formatting a Disk

Quick (erase) Figure 2-51
Erases all information from
the disk, but doesn't scan the Most floppy disks and
disk for damaged areas. Only hard drives come pre-
works on disks that have
previously been formatted. formatted
Figure 2-52
Enable Compression
Formats the volume so that Formatting a floppy disk in
folders and files on it are
compressed. Compression is Microsoft Windows XP.
supported only on NTFS
drives.

Create an MS-DOS startup

disk
If you’re having problems with
your computer, use a startup
disk to help remedy your
Figure 2-51 problems.
Figure 2-52

Floppy disks must be formatted before you can use them. Fortunately, today most floppy
disks you can buy come pre-formatted, so you don’t have to do it yourself. When you
format a disk, you erase everything on it and prepare it so that it can be read and used by
the computer’s operating system. Actually, you can format most storage devices, such as
a hard disks and Zip disks, only you’ll want to be extra careful about formatting these
devices, as there’s a lot more information that will be erased when you format them.
It’s easy to format a floppy disk. Here’s the procedure for formatting a floppy disk in
Windows XP…

1. Click the Start button and select My Computer.

The My Computer window will display your computer’s various storage devices.
2. Right-click the drive containing the floppy disk you want to format Quick Reference
(usually A:), and select Format from the shortcut menu.
Formatting a Disk:
The Format dialog box appears. There are several options you can specify when
formatting a floppy disk—see Figure 2-52 to see what they are. • Prepares it for use, so
3. Click Start.
that it can be read and
used by the computer’s
The floppy drive will whir as it formats the floppy disk. Formatting a floppy disk operating system.
usually takes about a minute, formatting a hard disk takes a long time—over an
• Formatting a disk erases
hour if you have a slow computer and large hard disk.
everything on it.

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Chapter Two Review

Lesson Summary
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
• The CPU, or Central Processing Unit, is the computer’s main chip. It calculates and processes
information.
• CPU speed is measured in megahertz (MHz) and gigahertz (GHz).
• Common CPUs include: Intel Pentium III, Intel Pentium 4, Intel Celeron, AMD Athlon, AMD
Duron.

Memory
• Computers use the binary system, where on is represented by a one (1) and off is
represented by a zero (0).
• A Bit is the smallest memory unit. Bit stands for binary digit.
• Eight bits make one Byte. A byte equals one character (letter, number, or symbol).
• 1,024 bytes make one Kilobyte (K or KB) which is equivalent to a one-page, double-spaced
letter.
• 1,048,576 bytes make one Megabyte (M or MB) which is equivalent to a novel.
• 1,073,741,824 bytes make one Gigabyte (G or GB) which is equivalent to an encyclopedia
set.
• 1,099, 511,627,776 bytes make one Terabyte (T or TB) which is equivalent to a small
bookstore.

RAM and ROM

• RAM: Stands for Random Access Memory. This is the computer’s main memory, which is
used to process information. You can read from and write to RAM. RAM is volatile, and any
data disappears when you shut off the computer.
• ROM: Stands for Read Only Memory. This is the computer’s low-level memory, which is used
to perform its most basic functions. You can read from ROM but you can’t write to it.

Mouse
• A mouse acts as a handheld pointing device and controls the actions of that blinking item on
your computer screen known as a cursor.

Keyboard
• A keyboard lets you enter information and commands into a computer.

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Digital Cameras and Web Cams

• A digital camera lets you take pictures and transfer them to a computer.
• The quality, or resolution of the pictures a digital camera can take is measured in megapixels,
or millions of pixels (dots). The more pixels, the crisper the image will appear when it is
printed.

Other Input Devices

• Other input devices include touch pads, AccuPoint® pointing devices, track balls, light pens.
scanners, joysticks, and microphones.

Monitors
• A CRT Monitor is an older type of monitor that looks like a television screen.
• A Flat Panel LCD Monitor is a newer type of monitor that is thin, lightweight and somewhat
expensive.
• The size of a monitor is measured diagonally across the screen. Average monitor sizes range
from 15-inches to 21-inches.
• The monitor refresh rate determines how quickly the monitor redraws, or updates, the image
on the screen. Most monitors have a refresh rate of 72MHz or better.
• A screen saver is a moving picture that appears on your computer screen when you don’t use
your computer for a while.

Graphics Cards
• Screen Resolution determines how much information can fit on the computer screen at once.
Common screen resolutions include 800 by 600 and 1,024 by 768.
• Color Depth is the number of colors that are displayed on the screen at once. Common color
depths include 16-bit and 24-bit color.
• Video Cards have their own memory and processor. Generally speaking, the more memory a
video card has the higher the resolution and color depth it can display.

Printer Basics
• InkJet and Laser printers are the most common printer types.
• Printer resolution determines the quality of the images a printer can produce. Printer
resolution is measured in dots per inch (dpi).
• A printer’s speed determines how quickly it can print pages.
• Printers get their ink from expensive cartridges (InkJet printers) and toners (laser printers).
• Many printers have their own memory, which is required for printing more complex images.
• A print spooler or buffer temporarily stores large print jobs and releases them when the
printer is able to actually print them.

Types of Printers
• Print types include InkJet, laser and color laser, multifunction, dot matrix, and plotters.

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Sound and Speakers

• A sound card lets a computer digitally play and record sounds.

Modems
• A standard modem transmits information over standard phone lines to other computers and
has a maximum speed of 56K bps.
• A broadband or digital modem is much faster than a standard modem, with speeds up to
6,000 Kbps. Broadband modems include ISDN, DSL, and Cable.

Input/Output Devices
• Some computer devices have both input and output functions. Examples include touch screen
monitors and multifunction printers.

Hard Drive
• A hard drive is a computer’s main storage device, usually labeled C.
• Modern hard drives can store anywhere from 20GB to 250GB of information.
• Average access time is how fast a hard drive can find information.
• Hard drives are connected to a computer through either an IDE or SCSI interface.

Hard Drive Maintenance

• Hard Drive Repair and Fragmentation: Over time, small errors and fragmentation can
degrade the performance of a hard drive. These problems can be corrected by a hard drive
utility program.
• Hard Drive Backups: Should be performed to give you an extra copy of your files if your hard
drive becomes damaged.
• Virus Protection: Software should be installed on every computer to protect against
malicious computer viruses.
• Compression: Increases the space on a hard drive by compressing, or squeezing together,
its files.

CD-ROM Drive
• CD-ROM: Stands for Compact Disc-Read Only Memory. A CD-ROM drive lets you install
programs, run CD-ROM based programs, and play audio CDs. A CD-ROM holds about
650MB of information.
• CD-R: Stands for Compact Disc-Recordable. Lets you permanently write or burn information.
• CD-RW: Stands for Compact Disc-ReWritable. Can be written to and modified many times.

DVD Drive
• DVD: Stands for Digital Versatile Disc. A DVD disc looks like a CD-ROM, but can store much
more information.
• Recordable and ReWritable DVDs: There are several competing, non-compatible formats
out there, including DVD-R /DVD-RW and DVD+R/ DVD+RW.

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 Chapter Two: Understanding Hardware 79

Floppy Drive
• Floppy disks are slow and can only store 1.44MB. They are all but obsolete.

Zip and Jaz Drives

• Zip and Jaz drives are removable storage devices that have features of both floppy and hard
disks.

Other Storage Devices

• Other storage devices include tape drives, LS-120 Super drives, flash cards, and USB flash
drives.

Formatting a Disk
• Formatting a disk prepares it for use, so that it can be read by the computer’s operating
system. Formatting a disk erases everything on it.

Quiz
1. The speed of a CPU is measured in what?
A. Megahertz (MHz) and gigahertz (GHz)
B. Horsepower
C. Bits per second (Bps)
D. Lux

2. How much information can be stored in a kilobyte?

A. As much as a one page letter.
B. As much as a novel.
C. As much as an encyclopedia set.
D. As much as a bookstore.

3. Generally speaking, which of the following storage devices can hold

the most information?
A. A hard disk
B. A Zip disk
C. A CD-ROM
D. A DVD

4. What is another name for a computer’s main volatile memory?

A. RAM
B. ROM
C. RUM
D. Flash

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