INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTER

HARDWARE
 Computer hardware includes the physical parts of a computer, such as a case, central processing unit (CPU),
random access memory (RAM), monitor, and mouse which processes the input according to the set of instructions
provided to it by the user and gives the desired output. Computer hardware is a physical device of computers
that we can see and touch. For e.g. CPU , monitor, keyboard, printer, etc. Using these devices, we can control
computer operations like input and output .

 Computer Hardware parts


Hard Drive
These hardware components are further divided into the following categories, which are:
 Input Devices
On a computer system, files, programs, and other types of
 Output Devices

information are stored on hard drives, which are data storage
Storage DevicesHard Drive
 devices. They utilise hard drives, which are magnetically coated
On a computer system, files, programs, and other types of information are stored on hard drives, which are data storage devices. They utilise
discs
hard drives, which are magnetically coated
disk when a hard drive dies
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versions versions
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technician A computer
can suspect a corrupt hard

 Hard Drive technician can suspect a corrupt hard disk when a hard drive
 On a computer system, files, programs,dies
and other types of information are stored on hard drives, which are data storage devices. They utilise
hard drives, which are magnetically coated discs used to store digital versions of information. A computer technician can suspect a corrupt hard
disk when a hard drive dies
 Hard Drive
 On a computer system, files, programs, and other types of information are stored on hard drives, which are data storage devices. They utilise
hard drives, which are magnetically coated discs used to store digital versions of information. A computer technician can suspect a corrupt hard
disk when a hard drive dies
 Hard Drive
 On a computer system, files, programs, and other types of information are stored on hard drives, which are data storage devices. They utilise
hard drives, which are magnetically coated discs used to store digital versions of information. A computer technician can suspect a corrupt hard
disk when a hard drive dies

 Internal Components
1. Input Devices
input devices are those devices with the help of which the user interacts
with the computer. Or, In other words, with the help of input devices, the
user enters the data or information into the computer. This information or
data is accepted by the input devices and converted into a computer-
acceptable format, which is further sent to the computer system for
processing.
Some input devices:
Keyboard
It is the most common and main input device for computers. The data is
inputted by typing on the keyboard. It consists of 104 keys in total. It contains
numeric keys, alphabet keys, and different function keys as well. Earlier, it
was connected to the computer via cable, now as technology has advanced,
you can connect a keyboard using Bluetooth.
Mouse
A mouse is a kind of pointing device which is rolled over to control the cursor
on the screen and it has functional keys like left, middle, and right buttons.
Using these functional keys, on by the click of which an object is selected or to
open a file by just a click of a mouse. It also consists of a sensor inside which
notifies its speed to the computer and according to which the cursor is moved
on the screen.
Scanner
As the name suggests, it scans images, documents, etc., and converts them into
digital form and that can be further edited and used. It works just like a Xerox
machine.
Track Ball
It is a device much like an upside-down mouse. It does not use much space for
movement like a mouse. As the trackball remains stationary and the user moves
the ball in various directions, it affects the screen movements directly.
Light Pen
It is a light-sensitive device and it is touched to the screen where it can detect, a
raster on the screen as it passes by and, with the help of this user can draw
anything like lines, figures, or any objects.
Microphone
It is a kind of voice input system that can be attached to a computer system to
record sounds. It converts human speech or voice into electrical signals. This
electrical signal is processed by the computer and the word is recognized.
Optical Character Reader
It is used to detect alphanumeric characters that are written or printed on paper
using a low-frequency light source. This light is absorbed by the dark areas and
reflected by the light areas, now this reflected light is received by the photocells.
It is like a scanner.
Bar Code Reader
It is used to read bar codes and convert them into electric pulse which will
further processed by the computer. Here, the barcode is data that is coded
into white and black lines(or light and dark lines).
2. Output Devices
These are the devices that are used to display the output of any task given
to the computer in human-readable form.
Some output devices:
Monitor
The monitor is the main output device. It is also called VDU and it looks like a
TV screen. The Monitor displays the information from the computer. It is used
to display text, video, images, etc.
Printer
A printer is an output device that transfers data from the computer in a
printed format by using text or images on paper. There are both colored and
black & white printers. Further, there are also different types of printers,
like laser printer, dot-matrix printers, and Inkjet printers.
Plotter
It is similar to a printer but potters are large in size. A plotter is used to
generate large drawings, architectural blueprints, etc. on paper and these
are high-quality images and drawings and large in size.
Speakers
It is a very common output device and it gives sound as an output.
Speaker is generally used to play music or anything having sound.

3. Storage Devices
There are some devices that are used for storage purposes and are known
as secondary storage devices. Some of them were discussed below:
CD (Compact disc)
A CD is circular in shape and made up of thin platted glass and plastic
polycarbonate material. It has a storage capacity of 600 MB to 700 MB of
data. It has a standard size of 12 cm with a hole in the center of about 1.5
cm and 1.2 mm in thickness. There are basically 3 types of CDs, which
are:
CD-ROM (CD – Read Only Memory):
CD-R (CD-Recordable):
CD-RW(CD-Rewritable):
DVD (Digital Video/Versatile Disc)
A DVD is the same as a CD but with some more features. A DVD comes in
single and dual-layer formats. It has much greater storage capacity in
comparison to CD. The storage capacity of a DVD with one-sided single
layer is – 4.7 GB, one-sided double layer – 8.5 GB, double-sided single
layer – 9.4 GB, and double-sided double layer – 17 GB. There are also
some types in DVDs, which are :
DVD-ROM.
DVD-R / DVD+R
DVD-RW / DVD+RW.
DVD-RAM
Hard Disk
A hard disk is a non-volatile storage device that uses its read/write
heads to store digital data on a magnetic surface of a rigid plate. It is
generally 3.5 inches in size for desktops and 2.5 inches in size for
laptops. A hard disk can be classified further into 3 types, which are:
Internal Hard Disk
Internal Cartridges
Hard Disk Packs
Internal memory
CPU (Central Processing Unit)
The CPU is also known as the heart of the computer. It consists of
three units, generally known as the control unit, Arithmetic and
logical unit and the memory unit. Input is given to the CPU through
input devices. This input goes to memory and the control unit gets
instructions from memory. The control unit now decides what to do
with the input or instructions and transfers it to ALU. Now, ALU
performs various operations like addition, subtraction,
multiplication, division, logical operations, etc. After that, the final
result gets stored in memory and finally passed to output devices
to give the output. So, this is how the CPU works.
Motherboard
It is the main circuit board inside a computer and it contains most
of the electronic components together. All the components of the
computer are directly or indirectly connected to the motherboard.
It includes RAM slots, controllers, system chipsets, etc.
RAM (Random Access Memory)
It is also known as temporary or volatile memory. It holds the program and
data, which are currently in process or processing. All the data is erased as
soon as the computer is turned off or in case of a power failure. Data stored in
this memory can be changed. There are two types of RAM:-
SRAM (Static RAM)
DRAM (Dynamic RAM)
Power Supply
All of a computer system’s parts are powered by a power source. Typically, a
power cord is used to connect a computer tower to an electrical outlet. By
turning off the computer, unplugging and separating the power supply cord, or
trying a different cord or socket, a technician can diagnose the power supply.
Cooling Fan
A computer’s system to prevent overheating uses cooling fans. To aid
customers who use their computers intensively, such as when streaming video
or playing games, many computers contain more than one cooling fan. If a
user detects their computer overheating, a computer expert might need to
repair the cooling fan. The blades may be examined for any damage and
cleared of any foreign objects. A technician’s standard method
of troubleshooting may involve replacing computer fans.
Hard Drive
On a computer system, files, programs, and other types of information are
stored on hard drives, which are data storage devices. They utilize hard
drives, which are magnetically coated discs used to store digital versions
of information. A computer technician can suspect a corrupt hard disk
when a hard drive dies.